Chapter 284: Regular Learning

The moment Cao Guixiang uncovered the pot lid, Qin Huai was already stupid.

Stupid in the physical sense.

Too fragrant, really too fragrant!

Qin Huai only felt that every cell in his body was roaring, telling him: Fast, fast taste a bite! Taste what it tastes like, I want to know what this taste is!!

So fragrant that Qin Huai only saw Cao Guixiang's mouth open and close, but his ears had automatically blocked what she was saying, and could only vaguely hear the buzzing noise, and all his attention was focused on his sense of smell.

At that moment, his brain was dazed.

Nothing could be thought of, and even his vision suddenly dropped a lot; he couldn't see everything around him, and could only see the golden braised shark fin in the pot.

Yes, the golden braised shark fin.

Qin Huai found it hard to describe in words how beautiful this pot of shark fin was, because he had never seen a shark fin dish before.

In fact, it wasn't beautiful when it was in the pot, because it hadn't been served on a plate, but it was very bright.

It was like the "Cooking Master Boy" that Qin Luo loved to watch most; every time the protagonist made a good dish, the moment the lid was uncovered, golden light flashed, shining so brightly that the people around couldn't open their eyes.

The BGM of the Great Wall had already sounded in Qin Huai's heart, and a band was playing in his heart.

Pausing for a full few dozen seconds, Qin Huai finally regained perception, and reacted belatedly to what Cao Guixiang had just said.

Qin Huai tried hard to move his gaze away from the braised shark fin, looked at Cao Guixiang, and lowered his head slightly because he felt embarrassed for his very inexperienced appearance just now.

Qin Huai was embarrassed, and couldn't help but secretly glance at the braised shark fin in the pot twice, took a deep breath to smell the fragrance, and then organized his language in his heart.

After another full thirty-plus seconds of silence, Qin Huai finally opened his mouth not very surely: "Master… Master Cao, are… are you asking me to practice savory dishes with you?"

Qin Huai did have relatively little common sense, but after all, he had been studying at Huang Ji for a few months, and he still knew how awesome Tan family cuisine was.

Even if he didn't have a concept before, he should have a concept now that he saw this pot of braised shark fin in the kitchen.

S-grade.

This was Qin Huai's rating for this braised shark fin.

Definitely S-grade; although he hadn't tasted the flavor yet, just smelling the fragrance could tell that this was definitely the fragrance of an S-grade dish.

If such a dish wasn't S-grade, Qin Huai found it hard to imagine what kind of stunning jade plates and precious delicacies, nectar and jade dew could be rated S-grade.

The only authentic S-grade recipe Qin Huai had touched was Jiang Chengde's.

He couldn't see or touch this master, and even the video teaching couldn't be understood very well. But Cao Guixiang in front of him was visible and touchable; as long as he wanted to understand, he would definitely be able to ask clearly.

When Qin Huai asked this question, he was even thinking in his heart that it wouldn't be impossible to learn savory dishes from Cao Guixiang.

It was just that he definitely couldn't return to the Cloud Canteen in Shan City; Qin Huai had asked Dong Shi how he learned to cook at the beginning, and it was really practicing in the dog days of summer and practicing in the three-nine days of winter. How the protagonist in the martial arts TV drama practiced hard from childhood, that was how Dong Shi practiced, and even doubled it, practicing knife skills and heat control day and night.

He only learned to cut for three or four years before he was qualified to touch the pot, and until now, he was still just a cutting-board chef in the Huang Ji kitchen.

Cao Guixiang smiled, her eyebrows bent: "Of course not; you are already a very mature white-case chef. If I were to drag you to practice savory dishes from scratch at this time, making you practice savory dishes for a few years like an apprentice, causing your white-case skills to become rusty, wouldn't I become a sinner."

"I just mean that even as a white-case chef, your knife skill foundation is really too poor."

"White-case and savory dishes, although not exactly the same, are connected in the general direction, especially basic skills."

"You haven't undergone truly systematic learning, and haven't had a master to take you to practice basic skills since childhood. These days when we chatted on WeChat, Xiao Qin, you told me a lot about things during the communication at Huang Ji, and also told me that your Master Huang and Master Zheng taught you very carefully; I believe you should have discovered it too."

"When you are just purely selling breakfast, these basic skills are completely enough. But when you start learning truly high-difficulty snacks with Master Zheng, basic skills are not enough."

"This is also why every good master will press their apprentice to practice basic skills for many years, trying their best to practice basic skills solidly."

"It seems useless, but it is the most solid foundation of your culinary career. Knife skills, fire skills, seasoning—the process of practicing these three most important basic skills of savory dishes is long and boring, and it seems that there is no very important role, but it is the most important cornerstone on every chef's road."

"Your foundation is not solid, but the building is built too fast."

"I don't mean to let you transfer from white-case to savory dishes; of course, if you are really interested in savory dishes and are willing to learn both, I am also very happy and willing to teach."

"I just purely feel that such a good seedling with talent like you would be too wronged if you stumbled on the foundation on the road ahead. Cooking is actually the bucket principle; the longest board doesn't necessarily allow you to hold a lot of water, but that shortest board definitely won't allow you to hold water."

"I know that when you were in the Huang Ji kitchen, many chefs would help you do odd jobs, so you don't need to worry about knife skills. But your level now can find chefs who can do odd jobs for you; what about when your level is higher in the future? When the snacks you make are more difficult? When the demand for knife skills is higher? Can you still find them?"

"When Master Huang seriously makes the Three-Head Banquet, doesn't he have to hang the high soup himself, and handle the ingredients himself?"

While Cao Guixiang was speaking, her hands never stopped. Chatting while working, pouring the processed ingredients into the pot to stir-fry and stew, controlling the heat, flipping the spoon, seasoning, and not forgetting to serve the braised shark fin on a plate in the middle.

Yes, she was really serving, making the dishes on the plate look better; Cao Guixiang even used carrots and white radishes to simple carve flowers, and poured high soup on them to season.

Yes, she even had to season the side dishes used for decoration on the plate.

Cao Guixiang didn't need Qin Huai to enter the kitchen to help her do odd jobs at all; she could handle all this very easily, and chat for a while by the way.

Qin Huai also understood Cao Guixiang's meaning; Cao Guixiang had been retired for many years, had no interest in taking apprentices, and had no time and energy to teach apprentices. She was like an elder of a large sect who had been practicing in seclusion for many years and was unknown to the world, with profound cultivation and leisure; when she went down the mountain to stroll, she met Qin Huai, this good seedling with strange bones and excellent talent, who was born on a pure wild road and had been pointed out by a famous teacher simply but whose foundation was still not as good as the sect disciples.

Elder Cao didn't have the thought of taking an apprentice, but she couldn't bear to see talent wasted, so she decided to make a slight move to help the loose cultivator Xiao Qin.

Loose cultivator Xiao Qin understood instantly.

What was he waiting for? If he missed this village, there wouldn't be this shop!

"Master Cao, I am willing!" Qin Huai said excitedly, "It is my honor to be able to accept your guidance!"

Seeing Qin Huai agree, Cao Guixiang was also very happy. She was playing completely freely today; she didn't remember any of the words she memorized last night, and said whatever came to mind. At the beginning, she was a bit incoherent because she was too nervous, and didn't even know what kind of ghost things she was saying.

Fortunately, Xiao Qin had high comprehension and understood her.

"Can I ask first, what is the mode of the mode you mentioned before about staying here for you to point out for a few days, and then taking online classes remotely?" Qin Huai asked.

He really didn't understand; after all, he really didn't have a master, and really hadn't practiced knife skills.

Qin Huai couldn't imagine how the knife skills that Dong Shi said needed to be practiced hard every day and took a few years to achieve results could be learned through online classes.

"It was me who didn't explain clearly before." Talking about such serious matters, Cao Guixiang's logic was very clear, "Your industry is in Shan City, Xiao Qin; even if you learn skills, you can't delay normal operation; people have to live, I understand this point."

"But your knife skills are indeed very thin, and you need to practice from very basic things. You must stay with me for a few days first, let me stare at you, ensure that your grip, cutting method, force point, and a series of the most basic things have no problems, and then you can return to Shan City to take online classes."

"But you can't just go online; it's best if you can come back for a few days every month. You have communicated in Suzhou, so you must know very well that online teaching and the master's face-to-face hand-to-hand teaching are completely different."

"I believe that with your talent, you should have a relatively obvious improvement on a monthly basis; come back once a month, and I will conduct follow-up guidance and teaching according to your status that month, which is a very healthy learning atmosphere."

"Back then, when communication was not developed and transportation was not convenient, many chefs learned skills this way. If they couldn't be taken as direct disciples by famous teachers, they would be taken as registered disciples, and go over to study for a period of time every few months or even every year, and their level would advance by leaps and bounds. To put it plainly, it is the advanced study that you young people talk about."

Qin Huai also felt that this practice method was very good.

His industry was in Shan City, and there was also an isolated old bird in the Cloud Community who was unwilling to move. Qin Huai was naturally willing to stay in Guangdong Province to accept famous teacher guidance, but he didn't know if the guests of the Cloud Canteen were willing. If he didn't return to the Cloud Canteen for a long time, Chen An and Pei Xing probably wouldn't be willing to stay in a community canteen for a long time; if it took a long time, the canteen would close, and his main task would also close.

Yes, many reader friends might have forgotten, but our protagonist Qin Huai always remembered that he had a main task.

Let us recall the task details of the main task together:

【King of Single Items】: As a new store that has initially gained a foothold, having a few single items that are praised by customers is your capital to become famous in the future. Please let the Cloud Canteen have 5 daily sales, with a favorable rate of not less than 98%, and at least 1000 customers who think this is the most delicious dish of this kind they have ever eaten.

Task Reward: Popularity Drainage +1000, 【A segment of???'s dream】 (Choice: Yes/No)

Qin Huai felt that with his current level, completing this main task was a matter of minutes.

He already had two products that met the standard before he went to Suzhou for study and communication. Now as long as Qin Huai returned to the Cloud Canteen and put on the shelves any three of the Four-Joy Tangyuan, Premium Three-Ding Bao, Longevity Noodles, Guo'er, Apple Face Guo'er, and many other snacks, completing the task was only a matter of time.

What the specific time was, it depended on when these snacks were sold to 1000 guests.

But the premise of completing this main task was to return to the Cloud Canteen.

The Cloud Canteen had lost their boss and white-case snack master, Master Xiao Qin, for a long time, so long that many nearby office workers felt that the days when they could eat Three-Ding Bao, Five-Ding Bao, and fermented rice steamed buns before work every morning were just a dream.

No matter how Qin Huai opened side quests in Suzhou, the main line was still in the Cloud Canteen.

The New Year was over, and Master Xiao Qin should go back to take a look.

"Then how many days do you think I should study with you first?" Qin Huai asked humbly.

"At least five days."

"Okay, Master Cao, when can I start learning?"

Ouyang, sorry, your hand-beaten lemon tea shop might have to open a few days later.

Cao Guixiang signaled Qin Huai to hand the empty plate to her, took the plate, served the two-color shrimp in the pot, and arranged the plate.

Two-color shrimp, like braised shark fin, were famous Tan family cuisine dishes; the shrimp body and shrimp head were two cooking methods, so it was also called one shrimp two eats.

The shrimp head was red and bright, the shrimp body was golden, no need to pour extra sauce, put the carrot slices mixed with simple seasoning on the plate to separate the shrimp head and shrimp body as decoration. Add a small flower carved from raw white radish, and pour sauce on the white radish flower.

Placed in Huang Ji, not selling for 888 a plate would be sorry for its shape and fragrance!

"You can start this afternoon; the grandson and granddaughter have all gone to school, and I, a retired old lady, am very leisurely every day now." Cao Guixiang handed the two-color shrimp and braised shark fin that were arranged on the plate to Qin Huai, "Xiao Qin, help serve the dishes."

Qin Huai quickly took it, one plate in each hand, fearing it would spill.

It was fine that there was no soup in the two-color shrimp plate, but the braised shark fin was arranged on the plate, and the shark fin was soaked in high soup; if he didn't hold it well, he would become a sinner today.

Cao Guixiang helped Qin Huai open the kitchen door, and Qin Huai carried the dishes out to serve.

The people outside were already there.

Cao Guixiang's children and grandchildren had all arrived; Zhang Zhiyun and Chang Qingqing were both wearing school uniforms, sitting on the sofa with Qin Luo watching TV, whispering, and Qin Huai vaguely heard things like "Your school starts so late, this is too cool!"

As soon as the kitchen door opened, the fragrance rushed out.

It was really rushing out.

Before, the fragrance only overflowed from the kitchen door crack; smelling it outside would only make people unable to stop secreting saliva, constantly looking at the clock and thinking why it wasn't time to eat yet.

Now that the kitchen door opened, the fragrance of various dishes just out of the pot mixed together, attacking the city and occupying every corner of the living room, and everyone only had one thought in their hearts.

Eat!

I want to eat ten bowls!

Cao Guixiang was still in the kitchen arranging the remaining dishes on plates, and Qin Huai served the dishes one by one.

To say something shameful, Qin Huai didn't even know what some dishes were called.

But it didn't matter; someone knew.

Every time Qin Huai served a dish, Zhang Zhiyun would report the dish name super loudly and excitedly.

"Braised shark fin!"

"Two-color shrimp!"

"Firewood duck!"

"Oyster sauce abalone!"

"Braised duck liver!"

"Steamed chicken with straw mushrooms!"

"Crab roe tofu!"

"Shrimp roe arrowhead!"

"Wow, there is also old hen soup!"

"Did I remember the wrong day? Actually, today is the New Year!" Zhang Zhiyun was already so excited that he was about to faint.

Qin Luo hadn't eaten it, and didn't understand why Zhang Zhiyun was so excited. She just stared at the dishes and drooled silently in her heart, incidentally controlling herself not to let the saliva flow from the side of her mouth.

Cao Guixiang's daughter Zhang Siyu was also shocked to see this dish color, and asked Zhang Chu quietly: "Dad, didn't you say Mom wasn't taking an apprentice?"

"This dish, Mom wouldn't want to take a foster son, right?"

Zhang Siyu's words were heard by Chang Qingqing, and Chang Qingqing was very shocked, looking at Qin Luo: "Then wouldn't I have to call you foster aunt?!"

Zhang Chu: …

"What nonsense are you talking about? Your mom is just in a good mood, so she made a few more dishes; everyone sit down, eat. Xiao Qin, you don't have to be busy either; you must be tired after being busy inside for so long, sit down and eat quickly."

Zhang Chu said so, but his hand couldn't help but scratch his slightly sparse hair.

What happened to Guixiang? Why is the light meal so sumptuous, and didn't she say she wasn't taking an apprentice?

There were only these dishes on the table, still because he didn't buy large sea cucumber and high-quality bird's nest yesterday, otherwise there could be two more dishes on the table today.

Zhang Chu looked at Qin Huai.

Bad, because he wanted to be greedy for some money on the wood two days ago, he didn't order the best wood.

Zhang Chu quickly took out his phone and sent a message to the timber merchant to change the wood.

Xiao Qin is family, must use the best!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 285 =====