Chapter 209: Practicing

Qin Huai wandered around the kitchen for a while and found that the six people from Zhi Wei Ju all had a uniform practice method: repeatedly making the same snack.

This was a very traditional practice method, and Qin Huai had practiced the same way when he practiced crab roe shumai before. It was just that when Qin Huai practiced crab roe shumai, he had two masters, Huang Shengli and Zheng Da, watching over him. Obvious problems could be pointed out in time, and Zheng Da and Huang Shengli would wait a bit for problems that weren't obvious and might be discovered by him himself, to see if he would make the same mistake again the next time he made it.

But the six people from Zhi Wei Ju had no master to guide them; if a problem arose, they could only rely on themselves to discover and reflect on it. They might have to wait until they couldn't solve it before they could squat and wait for a suitable and appropriate time to ask the master.

This kind of practice method would make their culinary skills improve very slowly. Problems couldn't be pointed out immediately, but would exist repeatedly and continuously. By the time the chef himself realized it, a bad habit had already formed, and the time and energy wasted in correcting the bad habit were simply too much.

At this moment, Qin Huai realized the importance of the master role in a chef's learning process.

No wonder everyone wanted to apprentice under a good master.

Sigh, no, he didn't have a master in his early years, didn't he also muddle through like that?

The gold content of *The Complete Book of Snacks* was still rising.

Qin Huai just held his teacup and looked around, and whenever he saw someone with an obvious problem, he would casually remind them.

"The ratio of your filling clearly has a problem. Adding so many spices covers up the original taste of the ingredients. Whether steaming, frying, pan-frying, or boiling, good snacks cannot have such heavy spices, and this is a pork filling snack."

"Kneading isn't done like that. Kneading and rubbing—these are two actions. When the dough reaches this step, what you need to do is to expel the air through repeated kneading. Look at Gu Li; that is the correct way to knead."

"What are you making now? Four-Joy Dumplings? Are these 4 types of fillings for Four-Joy Dumplings? What's the problem… no, I'm just purely a bit surprised. Tell me when this steamer is finished; I'll come taste it. I haven't eaten such authentic Four-Joy Dumplings yet."

"This one of yours..."

Qin Huai hadn't intended to point fingers at first.

He saw Gu Li practicing and couldn't help but step forward to say a few words because Gu Li's basic skills were truly too good. It was simply textbook-like basics and error-book-like techniques; not saying a few words would be doing a disservice to *The Complete Book of Snacks*.

Qin Huai just wanted to say it, but didn't expect Gu Li not only to listen but also to change immediately. Although the effect of the modification wasn't very ideal, the determination to modify was moving.

Then, when Qin Huai wandered to another person with his teacup, thinking that this helper whose name he didn't remember had poured him tea in the morning, he couldn't help but say a word again.

Changed fast.

Look at another one; this one had also poured tea.

Say a word.

Changed immediately.

The next one, this one made tea; say a word.

Not only changed, but also added a sentence: Thank you, Master Qin.

Worthy of being the one who makes tea.

The one behind… this one hadn't made tea, nor had he poured tea; this was Tan Weian.

Qin Huai hesitated for a moment, but still said it.

Tan Weian didn't change directly, but discussed it with Qin Huai, stating all the methods, techniques, effects, and principles of the snack. He emphasized what his grandfather, Master Tan, had made before he passed away, and what he was making now, wanting Qin Huai to give some suggestions.

Qin Huai suggested practicing more.

Tan Weian had the highest level among this group; he was the grandson of a famous master, his basic skills were solid, and he had learned quite a few techniques. As for big problems, there really weren't any, but small problems definitely existed; no chef had no problems when cooking.

Qin Huai felt that Tan Weian couldn't reach his grandfather's height simply because his level wasn't there yet, suggesting he do as he did: practice more.

Such a pale suggestion, yet Tan Weian felt it was very agreeable and immediately began to practice more.

At this point, Qin Huai discovered that this group of people from Zhi Wei Ju were truly willing to listen to advice.

Especially the ordinary apprentices; they did whatever was said, and picking two shortcomings for them as he walked past them was like celebrating the New Year.

Qin Huai felt this might be related to Zhi Wei Ju's involution model. There were many master chefs with superb skills in Zhi Wei Ju, and also many ordinary masters who looked plain but actually held at least one unique skill.

These masters usually didn't take apprentices, but they didn't hide their secrets either; they taught apprentices directly in the kitchen, and how much those in the corners could see and learn was their own ability.

For masters who could take apprentices, this was a way for them to examine apprentices. The apprentices watching in the corners were all their prospective apprentices; who learned fast, who had good character, and who was diligent were all seen by everyone.

The apprenticeship period was the examination period, ranging from one or two years to three or five years; very few apprentices could persist for more than 5 years. After all, the apprentice's salary was so low that it couldn't support a family; it was absolutely a bitter job with little pay and much work.

For ordinary apprentices without a background, whether they could move the master was the threshold for them to leap over the dragon gate; humility was their requirement, and eagerness to learn was their quality.

This model was very traditional, very much like the apprenticeship teaching method of the last century or even the Republic of China era. Apprentices cultivated under this model were all good seedlings for being apprentices.

After discovering that everyone was very suitable to be an apprentice, Qin Huai decided to use the people from Zhi Wei Ju to practice.

Qin Huai still remembered that before coming to Huang Ji, he had promised Chen An and An Youyou to guide them and teach them skills.

As for Pei Xing and Li Hua, when they were recruited, the recruitment information also noted that they could learn skills.

Qin Huai had never taught anyone; he had only tutored Qin Luo in her homework when she was in junior high school, and then was almost angered to death by Qin Luo, feeling that it was better to let a tutor earn this money.

Qin Huai had been a student for so long since coming to Huang Ji, always being taught by teachers, and by two teachers with completely different styles.

Now that a batch of students so suitable for being taught had arrived, Qin Huai felt it was time to practice his teaching skills.

The model workers of Zhi Wei Ju, excuse me.

"You are making Plum Blossom Pine Cake, right? The bean paste filling is from the freezer, isn't it? The bean paste filling in the freezer isn't suitable for Plum Blossom Pine Cake; that was made by me 4 days ago, prepared for triangular sugar buns, and double the sugar was added."

"If you are going to practice Plum Blossom Pine Cake this month, I suggest you find time today to make a batch of bean paste filling yourself. The requirements for different snack fillings are different; even if they are all bean paste fillings, they cannot be applied to all snacks."

Qin Huai took another sip of tea and found the cup was empty.

"Master Qin, I'll go refill your tea." The helper's DNA moved instantly.

Qin Huai waved his hand: "No need, I'll also… eh, Master Huang is here."

Qin Huai put down his teacup and walked toward Huang Shengli, who was holding his phone at the warehouse door, not knowing what he was filming.

Huang Shengli paused the filming and sent the video he just took to Zheng Da without saying an extra word.

"Xiao Qin, you're increasingly having the demeanor of a master chef." Huang Shengli said with a smile.

"No, it's just that since I'm idle, I'll say a few words when I see everyone practicing, practicing my speaking skills. When Master Zheng helped the cafeteria recruit people, the recruitment announcement promised to teach skills, so I have to practice first, lest I be unable to say a word when I go back." Qin Huai said.

"Zheng Da is truly reckless; how can he promise such things in a recruitment announcement." Huang Shengli shook his head.

"Master Huang, how is Huang Ji's recruitment announcement usually written?" Qin Huai asked, a bit curious.

"Just note the position and the number of people to be recruited, and the salary is negotiable." Huang Shengli said. "Usually, there's no need to issue an announcement; apprentices just come to the door and recommend themselves. I don't handle these things much; An Yao and Huang Jia handle them."

Qin Huai:... Sorry, excuse me.

Big restaurants can truly do whatever they want when recruiting people.

"Let's continue practicing heat control today. Your stir-fried meat yesterday showed improvement; continue today, stir-fry a few plates for me to see."

"Alright!" Master Qin instantly became apprentice Xiao Qin.

For almost the entire afternoon, Qin Huai was vigorously waving the spatula in front of the stove, while Huang Shengli watched from the side, occasionally giving a few pointers, truly a warm scene of a master teaching an apprentice.

The scene was so warm that it stunned the five people from Zhi Wei Ju.

As for why it was five people, it was because Gu Li didn't watch much; he had been burying his head in making his own snacks at the culinary table.

Tan Weian didn't expect Qin Huai to be learning skills from Huang Shengli instead of Zheng Da, so he grabbed Dong Shi when he came in to taste the dishes and asked:

"Whose apprentice is Master Qin, after all?"

"Qin Huai doesn't have a master." Dong Shi said. "He just came to Huang Ji for study and exchange."

Tan Weian:?

Tan Weian looked at the kind Huang Shengli, looked at the eager-to-learn Qin Huai, and looked at the standard scene of a master teaching an apprentice before his eyes, his voice involuntarily rising.

"Which restaurant teaches like this during study and exchange?"

"My master and uncle both teach like this." Dong Shi had an expression of taking it for granted. "You haven't seen Qin Huai learning crab roe shumai before; my master and uncle were both watching from the side. Qin Huai would do it once, and Zheng Siyuan would do it once; sometimes Qin Huai would do it once, and Zheng Siyuan would do it twice. By the end of the day, Zheng Siyuan had made more crab roe shumai than Qin Huai."

Tan Weian gasped, a bit more hope in his eyes.

Everyone tacitly assumed that the study and exchange job at Huang Ji was just to grab people to help out.

The apprentices in Zhi Wei Ju weren't very willing to come; usually, helping out in Zhi Wei Ju might give them a chance to get the favor of the master chefs, and even if they weren't taken as disciples, getting a few words of guidance was good.

Helping out at Huang Ji was truly purely helping out; aside from a higher salary and travel subsidies, there was nothing.

The reason Tan Weian took the initiative to bring his junior brother was because he knew that since his grandfather passed away, his junior brother hadn't had an easy time in Zhi Wei Ju, living very repressively. But his junior brother was a workaholic who wanted to make snacks for 24 hours a day, so Tan Weian took this opportunity to bring his junior brother to a different place to change his mood.

Moreover, Zheng Da had a good friendship with Tan Wenyan before, and Tan Weian hoped Zheng Da could guide his junior brother a little for the sake of their previous friendship; he, as a senior brother, had an average level, and his level of teaching people was even more average.

But his junior brother was a blockhead, and ordinary masters couldn't teach him at all; only guidance from a famous master might be useful.

But now...

Can your Huang Ji study and exchange really study and exchange?

"Then when will Master Zheng..." Tan Weian asked.

"My uncle definitely won't stay at Huang Ji in the afternoon lately." Dong Shi knew what Tan Weian wanted to ask. "Qin Huai is practicing heat control now and doesn't need him to teach; he definitely won't appear in the kitchen for a second in the afternoon."

"If you have any questions, just ask Qin Huai directly; no need to beat around the bush. Qin Huai likes to speak directly."

"Oh, by the way, did Zheng Siyuan tell you the working hours? It's suggested that you'd better come around 8:30 in the morning."

"I know, pastry chefs have to knead and wake the dough in advance, and there's a lot of preparation work to do. We will be at our posts before 7:30."

"It's not that; it's that the chicken noodle soup comes out of the pot around 8:30 in the morning. Coming at this time to eat breakfast is just right."

"Let me tell you, the chicken noodle soup Qin Huai makes is super delicious! You'll know once you eat it; this is definitely the second… no, the third most delicious thing he makes!"

Tan Weian:?

That afternoon, Qin Huai finished his pleasant heat control practice and got off work under the despairing gaze of Dong Shi, who was full of "Oh my mom, we're eating cauliflower stir-fried with meat again tonight," and went to the bone-setting shop to meet up with Seeing Ouyang.

Incidentally, when Qin Huai got off work, the six involution kings of Zhi Wei Ju were still working.

On the way to the bone-setting shop, Qin Huai glanced at the proficiency of heat control.

(4721/10000)

There was progress, but not much.

When Qin Huai didn't practice heat control much before, the heat control increased steadily; now that he was practicing intensively, the growth rate hadn't become very obvious, and it couldn't be compared with the seasoning proficiency that brushed out 30,000 in a month.

But it was normal; crab roe shumai was the snack Qin Huai had encountered at his current stage that was most suitable for brushing seasoning proficiency, but he hadn't encountered a snack very suitable for brushing heat control yet.

There wasn't one that matched his current level.

As a pastry chef, Qin Huai brushing proficiency in a savory chef's way was somewhat incompatible.

Qin Huai carried the packed dinner and met up with Seeing Ouyang in the room of the bone-setting shop; whether to set bones or not didn't matter, the main thing was that he liked eating here.

The environment is good, there is heating, and there are delicious fruit platters to eat.

Besides, I don't know what the bone-setting shop was thinking, but they actually equipped the private room with a dining table. It wasn't there the first time Qin Huai came to eat, but it was there by the second time.

Seeing Ouyang bought spicy hot pot and brought it over. With the 32-yuan spicy hot pot paired with the private cooking Huang Shengli did himself, Qin Huai felt he should apologize to Huang Shengli while eating the fish roe lucky bag.

"I heard Xu Cheng went to the Magic City today and ordered snacks for tomorrow night. Did he come all this way just to eat your food?" Seeing Ouyang was like a hungry tiger pouncing on prey, devouring the cherry pork.

"Who did you hear that from?"

"Huang Anyao told me when we were eating lunch. Isn't he the young proprietor of Huang Ji?"

"Huang Anyao ate lunch with you?" Qin Huai was greatly shocked. He had only asked Huang Anyao to help deliver snacks to Seeing Ouyang a few times at noon; how did their friendship get good enough to eat at the same table?

"Yeah, he said his discount is higher than yours, he can get 40% off, so I used his discount to eat." Seeing Ouyang nodded.

Qin Huai was moved to tears; as the young proprietor of Huang Ji, Huang Anyao only gets a 40% discount when eating.

"Xu Cheng went to the Magic City today because the editorial department of 'Zhi Wei' is there. It's almost January, and I heard 'Zhi Wei' wants to publish before January 3rd. He must have gone to the Magic City to handle 'Zhi Wei' matters." Qin Huai ate a piece of orange. "Have you found a place to stay yet?"

"Found it, right upstairs from your place. I signed a one-month short-term lease contract. I'll move in once Luo Luo arrives." Seeing Ouyang indicated that his buddy could be trusted with things. "Oh, right, there's one thing."

"Sister Hong called me at noon today asking me to help find a short-term rental in Gusu, saying Huihui goes on break on January 4th, and she plans to bring Huihui here to live for a month."

"She said the tangerine peel tea delivered by a runner still doesn't taste as good as buying it fresh. Are there any other good tangerine peel teas in Shancheng?"

Qin Huai wanted to say that poverty limits your imagination, but then he thought about it and remembered that Seeing Ouyang is actually a rich second generation, so he could only say that Seeing Ouyang might really lack imagination.

"Just help Sister Hong find a good place. By the way, eat less spicy hot pot."

"Huh?" Seeing Ouyang subconsciously stuffed another big mouthful into his mouth.

"I'm going to make a new snack tonight, Four Joys Tangyuan, big sweet dumplings. Save some room in your stomach for them."

Seeing Ouyang felt that Qin Huai was looking down on him. Who was he? He actually had to specifically save room for a mere few sweet dumplings.

"Don't worry, buddy can definitely eat them!"

"You just make them; professional taster, trustworthy."

(End of chapter)