Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 1180 - 565: The Huang Ji Crew Is Shocked (2)
"Master Zheng, you came at just the right time, the Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns are about to be ready. Earlier, I reported to you and Master Huang on WeChat that I’ve refined my kneading skills, but the videos and pictures didn’t quite convey it. Since you two arrived early today, I have time to make some for you."
"Initially, I wanted to make some other snacks, but time is tight. Later, I have to meet Mr. Gong to discuss visiting Mr. Xu at the nursing home tomorrow. Once I return from the nursing home, I’ll make other snacks."
Zheng Da was almost moved to tears when Qin Huai called him ’Master Zheng.’
Zheng Da wasn’t sure why he was moved; as long as Qin Huai called him ’Master,’ he felt touched. It would be even better if ’Master’ had no ’Zheng’ before it.
Or if ’Zheng’ were changed to ’Zheng’ as in ’correct,’ or if Master Zhou were changed to Deputy Master.
Alas, how annoying, why doesn’t the surname Zhou have the surname Fu?
Huang Shengli didn’t know what Zheng Da was thinking; he vaguely felt his junior disciple was having an episode again and laughed, saying, "Then I’ll have to eat a couple more."
"Gong Liang told me one of your employees at the restaurant is the granddaughter of an old friend of Mr. Xu, quite a coincidence. Tomorrow, I won’t have time to accompany you to the nursing home. I’m not familiar with Mr. Xu; I haven’t visited him over the years. It wouldn’t be right for me to go abruptly. Why not let your Master Zheng accompany you?"
"He’s also not very familiar with Mr. Xu, but he’s eloquent."
Zheng Da straightened his back.
Qin Huai hesitated; they originally agreed not to acknowledge each other unless conditions were absolutely right. However, the conditions might genuinely be right, as Qin Huai realized that An Youyou’s protégés each have their own logic.
Before meeting Lin Qi, Qin Huai hadn’t expected Lin Qi to have such self-contained logic. What if Mr. Xu also has his own logic?
What if Mr. Xu has been waiting for his old leader to return all these years?
After all, Zheng Da is entirely human, and openly acknowledging each other might be inconvenient.
"Youyou is a bit shy," Qin Huai found a reasonable excuse to decline, "although Youyou knows Master Zheng, she never assisted Master Zheng at Yunzhong Restaurant, so they’re not really familiar."
"Speaking of which, there’s something I need to ask Master Zheng. Can you come to Huang Ji early tomorrow to help me prepare the ingredients? Recently, I’ve gained insights into locust flower buns, but there are still some unclear parts I’d like to discuss with you. I don’t know when I’ll return from the nursing home tomorrow; if you could help me prepare some ingredients in advance, that would be great."
Discussing locust flower buns wasn’t an excuse Qin Huai came up with in advance; he genuinely wanted to discuss with Zheng Da.
Currently, Qin Huai could understand the video tutorials for locust flower buns but struggled with some parts. If he could fully grasp it, he could make Level S locust flower buns; he had the materials but needed a teacher.
Unfortunately, finding this teacher is difficult.
Locust flower buns were originally Jiang Chengde’s recipe, made for entertaining children. Although Zheng Da couldn’t make them, Master Jing never taught him, and perhaps Master Jing couldn’t make them either. But Zheng Da is Master Jing’s direct disciple, and Master Jing was Jiang Chengde’s son.
Inherited skills tend to be similar. In the absence of someone to consult and discuss with, Zheng Da is the best person for discussion.
In a certain sense, Qin Huai could be Zheng Da’s junior uncle. Qin Huai’s craftsmanship, especially his recent improvements, is 90% from Jiang Chengde’s recipes, learned from Jiang Chengde.
The apprentice who couldn’t be apprenticed, a junior uncle.
Zheng Da didn’t know what Qin Huai was thinking, but hearing this made him feel elated. Straightening his back even more, he stated he would definitely go to Huang Ji early to help Qin Huai prepare ingredients.
Zheng Da loved ingredient preparation. During this period, he was bored at home playing with his granddaughter and longed to get out to find some work, preparing snacks.
Huang Shengli:...
Five minutes later, everyone in Huang’s Kitchen was enjoying freshly made, warm Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns.
Everyone fell silent eating them.
This silence was different from the silence at Lin Juan’s house a few days prior, when among so many people, there were at most 1.8 who understood the field; Xu Cheng was one, Jiang Yong counted as 0.8.
Everyone could tell the buns were amazing but didn’t fully understand them.
In Huang Ji’s kitchen, even the odd jobs were well aware of this.
Not only did they understand, but having tasted many snacks made by Qin Huai, they were well acquainted with Qin Huai’s skills.
Zheng Da was dumbfounded, his eyes filled with confusion, looking at Huang Shengli helplessly, full of doubt: Is Zhiwei Restaurant really that amazing? Even though Qin Huai trained at Huang Ji several times, each time improving, it was never this exaggerated. He went to Zhiwei Restaurant for a few months, and he suddenly understood everything?
Is that surname Zhou really that adept at teaching apprentices?
He employs offline and video methods, yet his previous apprentices never mastered it? How bewildered must Zhao Cheng’an have been to turn from genius to mediocrity?
Only Dong Shi managed to speak quietly amid his shock: "Qin Huai, now making Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns so exceptional? I feel these buns are even tastier than Master Zheng’s."
"Is he going to be on the cover of ’Taste’ again? When ’Taste’ publishes, I plan to buy 10 copies to sleep with under my pillow, brother, when do you think I’ll be on the cover of ’Taste’ too?"
Dong Li looked speechless at his younger brother, said nothing, and continued munching the bun.
Finally, Huang Shengli exclaimed: "Truly the student surpassing the master, Xiao Qin, your kneading technique has greatly improved, to the point where one day your Master Zheng might have to catch up with you."
"Tomorrow when you go to the nursing home, send my regards to Mr. Xu. If he’s available, invite him to dine at Huang Ji in the evening." Huang Shengli said, grinning, "Your rapid improvement is putting pressure on me."
Master Zheng, who might one day have to chase Qin Huai’s footsteps, continued silently eating buns.
After Qin Huai finished the last batch of Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns, he bade farewell to the crowd to return to the hotel to discuss the visit to the nursing home. Throughout, Zheng Da hadn’t said much, merely escorting Qin Huai to the entrance of Huang Ji.
After Qin Huai left, Huang Shengli nudged Zheng Da, laughingly asking, "What, feeling stirred again? Even with these stimulations, you haven’t risen to the challenge; you don’t work hard, don’t make snacks. Why do you get so easily affected every day?"
Zheng Da watched Qin Huai leave, feeling very regretful, saying, "I just have regrets." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
"Regret not shamelessly persuading him the first time I met Xiao Qin, having him directly acknowledge me as his master; without that, I wouldn’t guide him in making locust flower buns."
Huang Shengli: "... A forced melon is not sweet."
"But it quenches thirst." Zheng Da left two lines of clear tears in his heart, "If Xiao Qin were my apprentice now, that surname Zhou wouldn’t dare speak to me so loudly on WeChat. When I pointed out that their snack recipes had issues, something that couldn’t be used in mass production, they’d argue."
"A dignified No.1 Master in Bai’an World, don’t my words deserve to be recorded and analyzed word for word?"
Huang Shengli confirmed; his junior was mad.
"Have you been reading novels lately?"
"How did you know, senior?"
"I’ve noticed. An Yao read too many novels, watched too many dramas, and read too many celebrity biographies; he thought he could rise to the challenge, implementing various discount policies during my break, which caused Huang Ji’s revenue to hit a historic low."
Huang An Yao: ??? Do I have a part where I get criticized?
Zheng Da sighed.
"Senior, didn’t you feel the buns Qin Huai just made were like Master’s?"
Huang Shengli nodded: "They did feel familiar; when I took the first bite, I almost felt nostalgic, as if I was an apprentice waiting by the low steamer for my share."
"If only Xiao Qin were born a few decades earlier." Zheng Da sighed, "Master could have accepted him as a closed-door disciple, he definitely wouldn’t disgrace Master’s craft."
"Definitely better than me."
Huang Shengli glanced at Zheng Da: "Master wouldn’t care about such things."
"Master would be happy seeing us doing well; you spread snacks across the country, and Master would be equally delighted."
"You’re an adult with grandchildren, stop overthinking like when you were young. Qin Huai won’t be our junior disciple, won’t inherit Master’s craft nor spread it far and wide, but similarly, Master wouldn’t be disappointed, plus you’ve already passed your craft onto Xiao Qin and Si Yuan."
"Those two are definitely better than you."
"Indeed." Zheng Da subconsciously agreed, then—
?
"Better than me???"
