Chapter 175

That night, Qin Huai didn't dream of Gong Liang being moved to complete his side quest.

He dreamed that Qin Luo got first place in the whole class.

This dream was so bizarre that Qin Huai was doubting whether he was dreaming while he was dreaming.

After Did Luo Luo got first place in the class, she strongly demanded to eat crab roe shumai. Qin Huai, in a happy mood, waved his hand and promised to make it for Qin Luo for a month straight. As a result, Qin Luo got sick of eating crab roe shumai and would want to vomit whenever she saw shumai from then on, and the Qin family breakfast shop never sold shumai again.

It can only be said that dreams are all fantasy.

After Qin Huai woke up from the dream, he even thought for a few seconds about whether he had inherited any legacy, and whether he was currently in Quxian, Shanshi, or Gusu.

Finally, Qin Huai came to a conclusion while brushing his teeth.

He had to take advantage of the last few days before the crabs went off the market, take a 6-day long vacation, and go back to Shanshi to make crab roe steamed dumplings for Qin Luo for a few days. Qin Luo had gotten sick of eating steamed hairy crabs; at her worst, she would want to vomit when she smelled the fragrance of steamed crabs, but that was all when Qin Luo was very young.

Ever since Qin Luo started middle school, this symptom of wanting to vomit when smelling crab had eased a lot. By the second year of middle school, she could already eat spicy crab, and by the third year, she had also followed the trend and eaten crab roe soup dumplings.

That crab roe soup dumpling didn't know if it was made too terribly or if the ingredients were too honest, but it made Qin Luo vomit again.

Speaking of which, Qin Luo hadn't eaten crab roe food for a year.

After brushing his teeth, Qin Huai sent a message to Qin Luo.

Qin Huai: Luo Luo, I will go back to Shanshi in December. Do you want to eat crab roe steamed dumplings? Brother, newly learned, delicious.

Qin Luo replied in seconds.

Did Luo Luo: Eat!!!!!!

Qin Huai raised an eyebrow.

Playing with her phone during morning self-study.

Deduct two days of snacks for winter break!

After Qin Huai finished washing up, he slowly ate two honey tangerines. Possibly because he ate honey tangerines on an empty stomach in the morning, Qin Huai felt a bit sour, so he ate a banana before slowly going out.

When Qin Huai went downstairs, he ran into Gong Liang who was running back.

At this time, he didn't even know if running could be counted as a morning run; Qin Huai felt that anything before breakfast counted.

Thanks to that group of grandpas and grandmas running in the morning at the Cloud Canteen, although Qin Huai had never run in the morning, he knew a lot about morning runs.

He sized up the sportswear and running shoes on Gong Liang, the small bag around his waist for his phone and sweat towel, the fine beads of sweat on his forehead that were almost invisible to the naked eye, and the collar blocked by his jacket that was clearly sweaty.

This was a real morning run.

Qin Huai greeted with a smile: "Mr. Gong, back from running in the morning, huh."

Gong Liang nodded with a smile: "Ran a few laps. It's still the same around here; it hasn't changed much in decades."

"Your habit of running in the morning is really good. Running a few laps every morning, then taking a shower and changing clothes when you get back, and going to Huang Ji across the street for breakfast is just right," Qin Huai sighed.

"Used to it," Gong Liang smiled, "When I graduated from technical school and became a salesman, the old colleagues in the department told me that in our line of work, you need good legs and feet. If you encounter a robbery on the road, you can save your life by throwing away the goods and running. It scared me into practicing running every day after work, and practicing running before work. Running and running, I got used to it, and I feel uncomfortable all over if I don't run on any given day."

Qin Huai listened, dumbfounded.

Gong Liang laughed out loud when he saw Qin Huai's expression: "Little Master Qin, I'm teasing you. When I was a salesman, sales weren't that dangerous anymore, and I was specifically running around the country selling silk, so I didn't need to go to the countryside to collect goods. I just like running and exercising. I've eaten too many good things and sat still these years. Two years ago, my physical examination showed this was high and that was high. If I don't move again, I won't have the life to spend the money I earned."

Only then did Qin Huai return to his normal expression, joking with a smile: "I almost asked you if you outran the robbers."

Gong Liang laughed twice more and asked: "Little Master Qin, when do you think it's most appropriate for me to go to Huang Ji for breakfast?"

"In 40 minutes, the crab roe shumai should be just out of the steamer by then. You weren't there yesterday; the taste of yesterday's crab roe shumai was also very normal. Don't worry, you definitely won't taste the taste of the first two times this morning."

Facing Qin Huai's repeated guarantees, Gong Liang immediately expressed how could he possibly doubt Little Master Qin? Little Master Qin's craftsmanship is definitely beyond reproach; he just needs to arrive at Huang Ji on time and wait to eat.

The two separated, and Gong Liang hummed a song happily as he went upstairs.

If numerical values could be displayed in real life, then bolded text of "Favorability +10" would pop up on Qin Huai and Gong Liang's heads on time.

Because the chat delayed some time, by the time Qin Huai arrived at Huang Ji, Zheng Siyuan had already started kneading the dough.

"Morning," Zheng Siyuan greeted as calmly as ever.

Qin Huai went to pick crabs and shrimp. After picking the crabs and returning, he found that Zheng Siyuan was already processing the meat filling.

Still wonton meat filling.

To be honest, Qin Huai sometimes felt that Zheng Siyuan was quite boring. The savory chefs at Huang Ji often had stereotypes about pastry chefs being uninteresting and workaholics, and it couldn't all be blamed on the people at Huang Ji.

There weren't many pastry chefs they were familiar with, and before Qin Huai came, the one they saw the most was Zheng Siyuan.

Qin Huai felt that when Zheng Siyuan was at the Cloud Canteen, he wasn't as robotic as he was now. It might be because there was a lot of work at the Cloud Canteen, and Qin Huai could come up with some tricks from time to time, wanting dough fruits one moment and wanting to study fruits the next, making it impossible for Zheng Siyuan to set a program.

Now that he was back in Gusu, Zheng Siyuan's pastry shop was still under renovation, and he could only stay at Huang Ji to make snacks, so he started a life of copying and pasting every day.

Making wontons in the morning, fresh meat mooncakes and Ding Sheng cakes in the morning, occasionally changing to fresh meat mooncakes and crispy cakes, and going home to study flipping the spoon in the afternoon.

Every day is the same.

He doesn't rest either.

Huang Ji has 4 normal holidays every month. If there are special circumstances, such as something happening at home, or the chef himself getting sick or injured, they can ask for leave separately.

Normal people all need to rest, even Huang Shengli needs to rest, and Qin Huai is the same. When Qin Huai was his own boss at the Cloud Canteen before, he would also give himself a vacation from time to time.

But Zheng Siyuan doesn't rest.

According to Dong Shi, when Zheng Siyuan opened his pastry shop, the pastry shop was open 365 days a year. Even on New Year's Eve, it would open in the morning, sell out by noon, and close in the afternoon, rain or shine. Rarely were there things that could stop Zheng Siyuan from opening the door to sell snacks, and his dedication was moving.

Qin Huai began to process the crabs and shrimp, asking while taking out the meat: "Siyuan, don't you feel bored making the same snacks every day?"

"I just make fewer types of snacks at Huang Ji; I make many more types at the shop," Zheng Siyuan said calmly.

"Then why don't you change and sell them every day like me?" Qin Huai asked again.

Zheng Siyuan: "... Is there such a possibility that I don't have as many types of snacks that I'm good at as you do."

"I don't learn things as fast as you do either."

Zheng Siyuan started to mix the filling: "Sometimes I'm very curious, how can you have so many things you want to learn? From Sophora flower steamed buns to crab roe shumai, you want to learn everything, and you've learned everything, but you haven't fully mastered any of them."

"But when I feel that you might be acting on a whim, you pick up what you learned before and practice it again."

Qin Huai thought for a while and answered him with an answer that Zheng Siyuan could accept most: "Maybe because... I'm eager to learn?"

"I know where my ability is. When I make a snack to a point where I feel it's difficult to improve further with my current level, I won't practice it anymore. I'll only pick it up when I feel it has room for improvement."

Qin Huai put the crab roe and crab meat separately: "Does this count as a kind of alternative, that I have self-knowledge?" Zheng Siyuan was noncommittal.

"I heard that you learned crab roe shumai for Uncle Gong," Zheng Siyuan asked about gossip for a change.

"Yes," Qin Huai nodded affirmatively, "At first it wasn't. Before I came to Gusu, I didn't even know there was a snack called crab roe shumai. At first, it was just pure curiosity and wanting to learn."

"It just so happens that Mr. Gong also likes to eat crab roe shumai, and you know me; I've learned snacks since I was a child because someone likes them, otherwise I wouldn't have the motivation."

"Mr. Gong has given me bone-setting shop cards, fruits, and snacks, and has also added a lot of smart home appliances to the house I live in. Two days ago, he even added a massage chair. He did so much just for a bite to eat; it shouldn't be a big deal for me to learn one or two snacks for Mr. Gong's preferences."

"And don't you think crab roe shumai is really suitable for me? I've never seen a snack that is so suitable for me, growing on my knowledge points."

"Siyuan, are you very familiar with Mr. Gong?" Qin Huai asked curiously.

"I had a deep impression when I was a child," Zheng Siyuan said lightly, quietly glancing at the kitchen entrance, making sure there was no one before continuing.

"I was very reluctant when I first started learning to cook. At that time, practicing basic skills was bitter and tiring and took up time. Plus, my father had already gone into business and made his first pot of gold, so the family was considered rich. Because my sister had poor talent and couldn't endure hardship, my parents didn't let her learn to cook after she practiced basic skills for a few months."

"My sister is only 3 years older than me. At that time, I watched my sister playing at home every day, but I had to hang sandbags and practice horse stance for basic skills. I didn't want to learn to cook either, so Uncle inspired me with Uncle Gong's story."

"Inspired?" Qin Huai became interested.

Gong Liang's wealthy life, which was comparable to smooth sailing, actually had a plot that could be used to inspire children.

Zheng Siyuan glanced at the kitchen entrance again, obviously very unaccustomed to talking about other people's affairs outside.

"When Uncle Gong just graduated from technical school and started working, he actually had a few years that were very unsatisfactory."

"He was an only child in the family, with excellent grades, and was admitted to technical school. After graduation, he was assigned back to the silk weaving factory and entered the sales department."

"The sales department is a good position, but at that time, the efficiency of the silk weaving factory was very poor, far inferior to the surrounding cotton textile factories. Uncle Gong's mother had asthma and high blood pressure and needed to take medicine all year round, and his father suddenly had a stroke and was paralyzed on one side, needing long-term care."

"At that time, Uncle Gong had just started working for more than a year and had just become a regular employee. Only Uncle Gong and his father had jobs in their family, and his father had a stroke and could only retire early."

"When Uncle Gong started working, the leader introduced him to a partner, and both sides had already reached the point of talking about marriage. After his father had a stroke, the woman felt that the burden on Uncle Gong's family was too heavy and there were no siblings to help, so they broke up."

"Under the double blow, Uncle Gong's will was very depressed during that time."

"Uncle Gong was a neighbor of my master's master. At that time, my father and uncle both lived in my master's master's house. They had a very good relationship and often comforted each other."

"That year, there was an exhibition in the coastal area. The silk weaving factory originally had a quota the previous year, but because the transaction volume was poor, the quota was canceled that year. Uncle Gong was originally counting on going to the exhibition to get some business trip subsidies, but the business trip was gone too."

"And then?" Qin Huai was already listening to the story.

Under normal circumstances, when the story reaches this stage, the male lead is about to start turning over and becoming famous.

"It is said that my master's master advised Uncle Gong to fight for opportunities as much as possible, saying that opportunities are all fought for by people, and the silk weaving factory's poor performance the previous year didn't mean it wouldn't be good in the future."

"Then Uncle Gong went to fight for the opportunity, and together with their section chief and deputy factory director, they pestered the leaders above to get an exhibition quota, and were assigned a position that was said to be very cornered."

Qin Huai indicated that he had seen this plot; it was basically this kind of plot in the era novels that Qin Luo liked to read.

"Then... Mr. Gong helped the silk weaving factory receive a large order, and from then on, he became famous, got promoted and got a raise, and became the section chief of the sales department?" Qin Huai began to guess the later plot.

"Almost," Zheng Siyuan nodded, "Uncle Gong not only received a large order but also received a foreign exchange order, becoming the well-deserved gold-medal salesman of the silk weaving factory. The factory specially approved a large bonus for him, and he took that bonus to the state-run restaurant and ate crab roe shumai for a month straight."

Qin Huai:... 6

It connected, it all connected; it turned out this was a serial drama.

It turned out that the inspirational era novel male lead in reality, after getting the first bonus he earned by his own ability, did something like eating crab roe shumai for a month straight.

Qin Huai first marveled at this serial drama, then savored it, and suddenly felt that something was wrong, asking: "I admit that this story is very inspirational, but can it be used to encourage children who have just learned to cook and can't endure the hardship of learning to cook?"

Is the profession a bit mismatched?

Using this kind of story to inspire children, can children understand it?

Is this plot a bit too complicated for children?

"The point of my uncle telling me this story is that as long as you are willing to work hard when you encounter difficulties, you can eat crab roe shumai for a month," Zheng Siyuan said expressionlessly.

Qin Huai:...

I didn't expect you, Master Huang, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, to also deceive children back then.

"Then did you get to eat it?" Qin Huai asked.

Qin Huai saw a trace of numbness in Zheng Siyuan's already expressionless expression.

"No," Zheng Siyuan said, "At that time, my father was busy doing business and had no time to make snacks for me at all. He made it for 5 days and didn't want to do it anymore."

"My father told me to learn well, and when I grow up, I can make it for myself, and I can eat it for as long as I want."

"By the time my cooking skills were enough to learn crab roe shumai, I found that I didn't like this kind of snack at all, so I didn't learn much."

Qin Huai didn't know what to say. He really wanted to pat Zheng Siyuan on the shoulder comfortingly, but his hands were full of the fishy smell of shrimp and crab, making it difficult to reach out, so he could only pat Zheng Siyuan on the shoulder in spirit.

"Just get used to it; adults love drawing pies," Qin Huai comforted, "Did Luo Luo has also grown up eating my pies."

"If your father doesn't make it for you, I'll make it for you. Isn't it just a month of crab roe shumai? It doesn't matter if you are not at Huang Ji in the afternoon. Starting today, I will make crab roe shumai every morning, and let's eat for a month!"

"You eat the first one every day!"

Zheng Siyuan:...

He accepted Qin Huai's kindness, but he always felt that Qin Huai seemed to be taking advantage of him.

Most importantly, he didn't like eating crab roe shumai.

Zheng Siyuan looked at the crab person Qin Huai and the shrimp and crab he had peeled.

He wanted to eat chicken soup noodles.

Two days ago, Qin Huai had a sudden whim at noon to contract the chicken soup noodles for the staff meal.

That day's chicken soup noodles were really delicious, much better at noon than in the morning.

Zheng Siyuan hadn't eaten such delicious hand-pulled noodles for a long time.

Zheng Siyuan pursed his lips, didn't speak, and continued to mix the filling.

Did he also have to buy something for the house Qin Huai lived in?

Zheng Siyuan thought.

But what to buy? Qin Huai's house wasn't big to begin with, and it had been filled up by Gong Liang during this period.

His father was really something; renting such a small house, if he had rented a large three-bedroom house, there wouldn't be this trouble.

(End of chapter)