Chapter 399: Scapegoat

"Hiccup."

"Hiccup."

"Hiccup."

After three loud hiccups, Dong Shi struggled to swallow the Four-Joy Roll in his mouth, looked at the half-eaten Four-Joy Roll in his hand with some difficulty, and cast a look of help at his own brother.

His eyes were full of: Save me, save me, brother, help me eat half!

Dong Li also had half a Four-Joy Roll in his hand that he hadn't finished eating. Ignoring his brother's help, he gnawed on it by himself, his eyes dull, his expression numb, without a trace of appreciation for the deliciousness, only full of urgency to finish the dim sum in front of him.

Everyone in the Huang Ji back kitchen was eating Four-Joy Rolls. Everyone's situation and state were different, but the feeling expressed by everyone was the same.

Can't eat anymore.

Only one person was different.

That was Shi Dadan, who was sitting at the door of the back kitchen and already had an exclusive small stool, an exclusive small table, and an exclusive dining seat.

As for why Shi Dadan could get treatment that even Gong Liang, a shareholder, couldn't get, that was naturally by virtue of his own strength—

Appetite.

Everything had to start from that morning when Zheng Da was crying.

That day, Qin Huai realized the importance of finger technique, and also realized the difficulty of cloud patterns and the gold content of the Four-Joy Roll.

He also finally understood why Zheng Da would mutter next to Gu Li in the morning that they were just messing around the day before. With the difficulty of the Four-Joy Roll, if Gu Li really taught them cloud patterns, Gu Li would really lead everyone into the ditch.

After all, Gu Li's ability was limited. He might be good as a commentator, but he wasn't qualified as a teacher.

And Master Zheng, after being equipped with a commentator, was quite qualified as a teacher.

After realizing the difficulty of the Four-Joy Roll, Qin Huai began to practice hard, and didn't forget to pull a teammate—Gu Li—while practicing.

Qin Huai told Gu Li all about his new understanding of cloud patterns that day. Gu Li didn't have any reaction after listening, but from the second day, he obviously compressed his practice of other dim sum and invested more energy into the learning and production of Four-Joy Rolls.

Tan Weian and Zheng Siyuan were not that exaggerated. For Tan Weian and Zheng Siyuan, the Four-Joy Roll was not all of their practice.

Zheng Siyuan's interest in Four-Joy Rolls was far less intense than the Double Crab Bun. Qin Huai guessed it might be because the Double Crab Bun was a truly high-difficulty dim sum, with high difficulty in all aspects.

It was very challenging and developed in a balanced way, very suitable for a hexagonal warrior like Zheng Siyuan. And all the difficulty of the Four-Joy Roll was concentrated on the cloud pattern, a technique that leaned towards finger technique, and the bias was too serious. Zheng Siyuan, who didn't know cloud patterns at all and didn't have much interest in cloud patterns, was also not very interested in Four-Joy Rolls.

As for Tan Weian, he was actually quite interested in Four-Joy Rolls, but he had more self-knowledge. He knew very well that he couldn't make it at all.

Laugh to death, it wasn't like he hadn't learned cloud patterns. His own grandfather was a master of cloud patterns. Just practice it casually, anyway, he couldn't learn the Four-Joy Roll.

As for Zang Liang, after briefly watching the making of Four-Joy Rolls, he devoted himself to the production and exchange of red-case cooking, completely integrated with the chefs of Huang Ji. Those who didn't know would really think he was a chef of Huang Ji.

As for our protagonist, Mr. Qin Huai.

That was naturally starting the mode of practicing Four-Joy Rolls hard. The first thing he did when he arrived at Huang Ji every day was to make a batch of Four-Joy Rolls, then shake lotus root starch balls, then make Four-Joy Rolls and Double Crab Buns alternately. To prevent these two kinds of dim sum from being made too much and becoming boring, he would randomly drop some simple dim sum that Qin Huai wanted to make in the middle.

Does it sound similar to the production process of every dim sum Qin Huai practiced in Huang Ji before?

Did crab roe shumai and Four-Joy Tangyuan seem to have been made like this too?

Not the same.

Although crab roe shumai and Four-Joy Tangyuan failed very badly in the early stage, the complexity of these two typical ones was far above the Four-Joy Roll. Simply put, these two dim sum were more time-consuming and laborious.

Crab roe shumai had to use fresh crab roe. The process of taking crab roe was very troublesome. One Qin Huai had to be equipped with at least three helpers to take crab roe, not to mention seasoning the crab roe. This kind of step could not be omitted and could not be fast.

Four-Joy Tangyuan was even more so. Four kinds of fillings, some could be made in advance and some had to be made on the spot. Just making the filling every day would take a long time.

And the Four-Joy Roll, its essence was a good-looking flower roll.

What was the characteristic of a flower roll?

Large quantity and filling.

When Qin Huai practiced Double Crab Buns before, he would intentionally control the amount of Double Crab Buns out of the pot each time, because the Double Crab Bun took the boutique route. Qin Huai had to judge how to modify the Double Crab Bun and in which direction to modify it through multiple small-quantity productions.

But the Four-Joy Roll was different. What Qin Huai had to practice for the Four-Joy Roll was not dough fermentation or filling seasoning, but finger technique.

Finger technique had to be piled up with a large amount of practice. Simply put, it was to brush proficiency crazily.

With Qin Huai's current intermediate finger technique, it was impossible to make cloud patterns that met the requirements of the Four-Joy Roll. Even if he mastered the technique, he couldn't make it. Qin Huai knew this point very well.

And Qin Huai's finger technique was indeed about to be upgraded.

When he met Shi Dadan at Cao Guixiang's house before, Qin Huai's finger technique was only 600 proficiency points away from upgrading to advanced. Later, Qin Huai had been practicing Double Crab Buns, and the proficiency of finger technique had been stagnant. Plus, Qin Huai had never attached much importance to finger technique, causing the proficiency to be stuck at the boundary line of upgrading and not upgrading to advanced for a long time.

At this time, some people might be curious. Brushing finger technique is brushing finger technique, how could it brush Dong Shi, Dong Li, and the Huang Ji crowd like this?

That was naturally because of the characteristic of flower rolls being large in quantity and filling.

Practicing Four-Joy Rolls couldn't be practiced by controlling the amount like Double Crab Buns. One had to make as many as possible.

The consequence of practicing more was that Four-Joy Rolls were steamed and out of the cage one by one in Huang Ji every day, but these Four-Joy Rolls were delicious but the shape was seriously unqualified. The most fatal thing was that this was Huang Ji, and many real old customers who had patronized since the state-run restaurant period lived around.

These customers had eaten Master Jing's Four-Joy Rolls and Zheng Da's Four-Joy Rolls. Everyone couldn't be sure that every old customer could recognize that the flower roll made by Qin Huai was actually a Four-Joy Roll like Gong Liang, but what if?

What if there really was a customer with such a good memory?

Master Xiao Qin's Four-Joy Roll was made like Zheng Da when he first started working, and even worse than Zheng Da. If this news spread, would Master Xiao Qin still want his face? How would Master Xiao Qin hold his head up in Huang Ji in the future?

Zheng Da considered himself to have a precedent for this kind of thing. Even if he fully believed in Qin Huai's psychological quality, he felt that Qin Huai didn't need to endure all this.

Every dim sum chef would fail in the early stage when learning new dim sum, and this failed dim sum could not be sold in the restaurant. Qin Huai had already made a name for himself in Huang Ji. This reputation was not only in Huang Ji, now the entire southern dim sum circle knew Qin Huai's great name, and many dim sum chefs even secretly came to Huang Ji to buy Qin Huai's dim sum.

It's just that the situation was special now. Qin Huai made Four-Joy Rolls that were delicious but had seriously failed shapes.

If these Four-Joy Rolls were made by Tan Weian, customers would praise Tan Weian for his real progress and that the flower rolls he made were so delicious.

But these Four-Joy Rolls were made by Qin Huai. As Master Qin, Qin Huai making a dim sum delicious but with a seriously failed shape was also a failure, which would damage his reputation.

It would inevitably lead to some not-so-good discussions, or even accusations.

Zheng Da felt that Qin Huai didn't need to experience these.

Whether it was Master Qin or Master Xiao Qin, just being his proud son of heaven and receiving everyone's praise was enough. This was what Zheng Da, who was Master Xiao Zheng back then, enjoyed the most. As for those accusations and disappointments that would have made Master Xiao Zheng sad and secretly cry at home, just let Master Xiao Zheng experience them. There was no need for the current Master Xiao Qin and Master Qin to experience them.

For the sake of Master Xiao Qin's dim sum-making experience, Huang Jia and Zheng Da discussed it and felt that Four-Joy Rolls were not suitable for sale before Qin Huai could make Four-Joy Rolls with a decent appearance.

Only internal digestion.

But Four-Joy Tangyuan and crab roe shumai could be internally digested, Four-Joy Rolls were really a bit difficult to digest.

Too occupying the stomach, this was a flower roll.

From the time Qin Huai practiced Four-Joy Rolls, the staff meal in Huang Ji changed. Chicken soup noodles, Yangzhou fried rice, rice, stir-fried noodles all disappeared. The staple food was only Four-Joy Rolls, eaten from breakfast to dinner. If the staff were willing, they could also pack them home as a midnight snack.

At first, everyone was very happy. After all, although Qin Huai's Four-Joy Rolls didn't have a good shape, the taste was top-notch. The version answer wouldn't be bad.

After eating for a week, the staff of Huang Ji couldn't eat anymore.

In half a month, the situation at the beginning appeared. Everyone felt a bit difficult to swallow even the most delicious Four-Joy Rolls. After all, no matter how delicious it was, it couldn't be eaten every day for every meal. Dong Shi felt full as soon as he saw Four-Joy Rolls every day when he came to work.

Gong Liang originally came to the Huang Ji back kitchen every day in high spirits to wait for hot Four-Joy Rolls. After eating for a few days, work suddenly became busy, and people couldn't be seen. If asked, it was business matters that couldn't be explained clearly for a while, anyway, he couldn't come. It was a pity not to be able to eat Master Xiao Qin's Four-Joy Rolls.

Only Shi Dadan persisted, coming to the door of the Huang Ji back kitchen every day, rain or shine, to share the pressure for everyone. He couldn't eat enough no matter how he ate, and carved the four words "love staple food" on his face.

It could be said that all the staff of Huang Ji, for the sake of Master Xiao Qin's reputation, not only ate Four-Joy Rolls until they were about to vomit, but their whole families also ate Four-Joy Rolls until they were about to vomit.

For this, Zheng Da also helped Qin Huai carry the pot a little. If anyone asked who made this flower roll, it was Zheng Da.

As for why the lazy Master Zheng suddenly seemed to have taken the wrong medicine and made so many strangely shaped flower rolls every day.

If asked, Master Zheng is crazy.

So did the efforts of the Huang Ji crowd and Master Zheng get rewarded?

Qin Huai felt there was.

Another batch of Four-Joy Rolls came out of the pot. Qin Huai cut the Four-Joy Rolls one by one to see the cloud patterns and found that they were still not very good.

Looking at the batch next door to Gu Li, he found that the shape of the Four-Joy Rolls made by Gu Li was much better than his own.

However, everyone was still more willing to eat the ones made by Qin Huai, because the Four-Joy Rolls made by Qin Huai were delicious. If it was destined to eat Four-Joy Rolls until vomiting every day, everyone was still more willing to eat delicious Four-Joy Rolls.

The Four-Joy Rolls from the previous batch hadn't been finished yet.

Tan Weian gnawed on the Four-Joy Roll, leaned over to Qin Huai's side to count how many were out of the pot this time, and his face showed difficulty: "Qin Huai, if it really doesn't work, let's sell some Four-Joy Rolls. Or send some, just treat it as charity, send it to orphanages, nursing homes, and other places. I'll pay for this money!"

"Or just say this Four-Joy Roll was made by me."

Qin Huai was still looking at the cloud patterns and said without raising his head: "Your level is not that good."

Tan Weian:...

Sometimes I really want to fight with you guys, Master Qin.

Seeing that Tan Weian didn't reply for a long time, Qin Huai added another sentence: "My finger technique will be upgraded soon, and what you just said, Master Huang actually thought about it long ago. However, Huang Ji didn't have a precedent for donations to welfare institutes and nursing homes before, and Huang Ji staff didn't have children from welfare institutes like me."

"Whether it's the elderly or children, donations in terms of food must be very cautious. Huang Ji is a famous restaurant. Once a scandal in this regard appears, it will have a great impact on the business, so Master Huang gave up this donation after knowing a little bit."

As he spoke, Qin Huai picked one that looked the best from the crowd of Four-Joy Rolls that couldn't see the cloud patterns, took a bite, and then hiccuped.

"Hiccup, I know everyone has been working very hard eating Four-Joy Rolls recently."

"Master Zheng's neighbor's dog was hospitalized with gastroenteritis again last week."

"I also told Master Huang these few days that if it really doesn't work, call this dim sum Four-Joy Flower Roll and set the price a bit cheaper. Wait until the Four-Joy Roll with a decent appearance is made, then launch the upgraded version of the Four-Joy Flower Roll, the Four-Joy Roll, and set the price a bit more expensive."

"I also told Master Zheng many times that I really am not afraid of being gossiped about, but Master Zheng doesn't believe it at all."

"You guys persist for two more days. I feel that at most two days, Four-Joy Flower Rolls can be on the shelves."

Qin Huai said so much. In Tan Weian's ears, Tan Weian extracted an important piece of information.

"That game system you imagined and the skill of finger technique, still need to be upgraded? How do you judge that it needs to be upgraded?" Tan Weian was shocked.

Qin Huai:...

Qin Huai was very speechless and took a bite of the Four-Joy Roll, feeling that Tan Weian was worthy of being Zang Liang's good brother. From some aspects, their brains had more or less some problems.

"Upgrade when the proficiency is enough." Qin Huai said, clicking on the game panel. He could see the proficiency of finger technique that Tan Weian couldn't see at all. "My finger technique is now intermediate. It can be upgraded to advanced when it reaches 10,000 proficiency points. Now it is still 37 points short."

Tan Weian was dumbfounded.

"Then... what will happen after the upgrade?"

"Don't know, but Four-Joy Rolls will definitely be done better." Qin Huai smiled slightly and stuffed another Four-Joy Roll to Tan Weian, "Don't care about these details, you taste my batch of Four-Joy Rolls, I feel it is a little better than the previous batch."

Tan Weian left with the Four-Joy Roll in shock. He really wanted to find someone to complain to but didn't know who to complain to. After all, his best complaining partner, Zang Liang, was already addicted to red-case cooking.

Tan Weian thought for a while, walked to Gu Li's side, and said to his dear little junior brother: "Qin Huai is crazy."

Gu Li nodded without raising his head: "Oh."

"Third senior brother, can you still eat? If you can eat, help me taste my batch of Four-Joy Rolls. I feel like I had a little problem when seasoning." Gu Li said.

Tan Weian:...

It's over, his dear little junior brother is also crazy.

Hiccup.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 400 =====