From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Chapter 248 The Young Chef Competition Begins

Lu Chongshan's joining has not brought much change to the dry rice shop business, but the province's young chef cooking exchange competition officially opened.

On the opening day, Feng Zhengming and his senior and third senior brothers brought the young people from the restaurant and canteen to the scene, along with Master Yan and Master Yan's eldest son Yan Jianxing.

The appearance of Master Yan still attracted active greetings from many master chefs present.

Among them are not just a few old masters from Quancheng.

There are also some old masters from other cities.

Master Yan met many old friends from the past, and even fellow apprentices who were apprentices with Master Yan many years ago.

It really made Master Yan very happy, and my old friend was filled with joy again.

Among these former brothers and old friends of Master Yan, an old man came over to greet Master Yan.

He looked at Xia Hui who was following Master Yan in the team, and his expression changed instantly.

"Hui Hui, you girl really went to find your Grandpa Yan."

After hearing what the other party said, Feng Zhengming and the others looked at the old man, and then at Xia Hui, who looked troubled.

Almost everyone can probably guess that this old man is probably Xia Hui's grandfather.

Sure enough, Xia Hui finally called out: "Grandpa."

Master Yan said with a smile: "Lao Xia, Xiaohui is quite talented in cooking. As for me, let her go to my apprentice's cooking shop to practice as an intern and learn from her. You won't be angry with me, right?"

Master Xia looked at Master Yan with some helplessness: "I'm causing trouble for you guys."

Master Yan waved his hand: "No, Xiaohui is very sensible, and her craftsmanship is also good now. She is participating in the selection this time, maybe she can break through. Then, Lao Xia, you can also see your granddaughter's craftsmanship."

As soon as Master Yan finished speaking, a group of people gathered around him.

One of the young chefs, whose face looked somewhat similar to Xia Hui's, looked like a big boy. When he saw Xia Hui, he was immediately excited and took the initiative to say hello.

"Sister, are you also coming to participate in this competition?"

The young chef like a big boy is Xia Hui's younger brother, Xia Mingye.

When Master Xia saw his children and grandchildren coming over, he introduced to his grandson Xia Mingye: "Xiao Ye, this is the Grandpa Yan I told you about. These are Grandpa Yan's apprentices, and they are all your uncles. Your sister is now in Yan In Grandpa’s apprentice’s shop.”

Xia Mingye quickly and respectfully greeted Master Yan, and said hello to Feng Zhengming and his two senior brothers respectively.

At the same time, behind Xia Mingye, he and Xia Hui's father, Xia Zhennan, had their eyes locked on their daughter.

Xia Hui was a little afraid to face her father's gaze at first.

Feng Zhengming noticed it and reminded him in a low voice: "If you don't dare to face your own family, how can you prove that you are good at cooking?"

After being reminded in such a low voice by Feng Zhengming, Xia Hui took a deep breath, finally mustered up the courage, and raised her head to meet her father's gaze.

"Dad, I want to participate in this competition. I will go all out from the finals. I will prove to you and grandpa that although I am a girl, I can also learn and practice cooking well."

Master Xia and his son Xia Zhennan were both a little surprised. They didn't expect Xia Hui to say this to them.

Feng Zhengming reminded Xia Hui in a low voice that their actions were seen by them.

Xia Zhennan looked at his daughter, and then looked at Feng Zhengming carefully.

"You should be Master Yan's last apprentice, right? You are now very famous in Quancheng. I heard Master Jufeng Desu and others say that you are the best among the young chefs in Quancheng."

Feng Zhengming responded to Xia Zhennan with a smile: "Hello, Senior Brother Xia, Uncle Su and others' evaluation of me is a bit exaggerated. I just try my best to do what Master taught me, and I will not disgrace Master's reputation."

Xia Zhennan continued: "Since you call me Senior Brother, Senior Brother, can I ask you something? Can you let my daughter leave your restaurant?"

When Xia Hui heard her father's words, she immediately wanted to argue with her father.

But Feng Zhengming reached out and grabbed Xia Hui, who was about to argue.

Feng Zhengming asked with a smile on his face: "Senior Brother Xia, does he not trust my skills? Do you think Xia Hui can't learn skills from me?"

Master Xia immediately said: "Xiao Feng, don't get me wrong. It's not that we don't trust your craftsmanship, nor do we think you are not qualified to teach Hui Hui. It's just that there are a bunch of big men in the kitchen, and Hui Hui is a girl. It's not good for a girl to be crowded in the kitchen with you, smoky and smoky."

"Master, I'd like to be in the kitchen. I'm not afraid of the smoke and fire." Xia Hui immediately spoke up after hearing her grandfather's words.

When Xia Zhennan heard what his daughter said, his expression changed instantly.

"What do you know? What does it look like for you, a girl, to work in the kitchen with a group of men every day and get covered in sweat every day? Those tasks in the kitchen are not what you, a girl, should do."

Xia Hui was naturally unwilling to listen to her father's words, otherwise she would not have gone to a vocational school to learn cooking without telling her family.

Now that she heard her father's words, Xia Hui still didn't flinch.

"I like cooking, and I don't mind being covered in stinky sweat. I sweat in the kitchen, but if I can make dishes that diners will praise, I think the sweat I shed is worth it."

In Xia Zhennan's eyes, her daughter was making it difficult for her father to step down in public.

Therefore, Xia Zhennan's expression worsened further, and his words became a bit harsh.

"You, a girl, should cherish your reputation. You don't care about fooling around with a bunch of big men in the kitchen, but you have never thought about being found out. Can your family hold your head high in front of outsiders?"

After hearing this, Master Yan couldn't help but said, "Lao Xia, is this what you think too? Do you think our chefs can't stand on the stage? Can't we hold our heads up in front of others?"

Master Xia immediately scolded his son: "Shut up, what are you talking about here?"

Xia Zhennan was scolded by his father and quickly apologized to Master Yan.

"Uncle Yan, I'm sorry. I said something wrong. I'm not saying that our chef's job is not good. I just think that Xia Hui, a girl, working with a group of big men in the kitchen is really bad for women. The child gets a bad rap.”

Seeing his son, Master Xia wanted to talk, so he could only say again: "Can you shut up? Where do you think the kitchen is? Is it that dirty place in your heart? As a father, you actually said this about your daughter ? Are you still a qualified father? Get aside and don’t embarrass me here."

This time Master Xia was really angry.

Feng Zhengming and the others also looked very unhappy.

Xia Zhennan's words really made everyone feel very uncomfortable.

Seeing that his father was really angry, Xia Zhennan didn't dare to say anything, so he could only turn around and leave.

Although when he left, Xia Zhennan still wanted to take his daughter away.

But seeing that Feng Zhengming was clearly blocking her, and that both his father and Master Yan looked bad, Xia Zhennan had no choice but to give up taking her daughter away and leave alone.

After Xia Zhennan left, Master Xia solemnly apologized to Master Yan.

"What happened today was due to my lax discipline. What my son just said was indeed wrong. I apologize to you."

After apologizing, Master Xia looked at Xia Hui and said to his granddaughter helplessly.

"Hui Hui, what your father said just now is not actually to slander the kitchen business. He is just a father who doesn't want his daughter to do such hard work in a hard place like the kitchen. He feels sorry for you in his heart. Because he is also a chef and knows the hard work in the kitchen, and he doesn't want you to work that hard." Xia Hui looked at her grandfather and said seriously: "Grandpa, you don't have to say anything, I won't go back, I will prove it to you. , girls can also learn cooking skills well, and girls can also become master chefs and take charge of the kitchen."

As a result, as soon as Xia Hui finished speaking and Master Xia hadn't spoken yet, Xia Hui's younger brother Xia Mingye immediately clapped his hands and applauded.

"Sister, you are awesome. I believe you can do it. Ever since I was a child, I have known that there is nothing my sister can't do that she wants to do. I support you."

Xia Mingye's words blocked what Master Xia originally wanted to say.

Master Yan smiled and said, "Xiaoxia is very supportive of her sister. She is a good child."

Xia Mingye said with a smile: "Grandpa Yan, I have always supported my sister. In the past, my sister secretly learned cooking at home, and I lent her the notes I had written down."

After hearing this, Master Xia looked at his grandson, his face also filled with laughter and tears.

Good guy, it turns out that your boy is the spy for your sister.

Today, Master Xia finally knew how his granddaughter knew so many cooking things without being taught at home.

After a long quarrel, it was Xia Mingye who gave his notes to his sister.

Now that the matter has come to this, Master Xia can only say: "Well, Huihui, prepare well. I hope you can be shortlisted smoothly."

Xia Hui said to her grandfather: "I will definitely be shortlisted."

Before Xia Mingye left with his grandfather, he said to his sister with a smile: "Come on, I'm waiting to compete with you, sister."

Xia Hui smiled and nodded to her brother.

Watch Master Xia lead people away.

Master Yan couldn't help but sigh: "Xia Zhennan's craftsmanship is good, but it's a bit too rigid. What era is it in? He still sticks to those old traditions."

Li Huidong said from the side: "Master, I can actually understand. After all, the Xia family cooks Confucian cuisine, and the rules are very strict."

By this time, Feng Zhengming had truly gained a deeper understanding of the Xia Hui family.

The Xia Hui family is not only a family of chefs, the Xia family is also the inheritor of Confucian cuisine.

It is even said that the ancestor of the Xia family worked as a master spoon chef in Yan Shenggong's mansion.

It’s also because of the Confucian cuisine inherited from the Xia family.

Some of the Xia family's family traditions are more traditional.

Therefore, girls in the Xia family are not allowed to learn cooking.

Other women in the Xia family also follow this rule.

Until Xia Hui appeared, she had been favored by her family since she was born, and was the only woman in the Xia family allowed to work in the kitchen.

Because she was able to join the kitchen, Xia Hui was able to listen to stories about various dishes since she was a child, while watching her grandfather, father and uncles from her father's generation cook various Confucian dishes with stories and delicious flavors.

Naturally, Xia Hui fell in love with cooking under the influence of her ears and eyes.

And Xia Hui is indeed very talented.

Her sense of smell and taste are very good. When she was a child, she could tell what some spices were based on her sense of smell. And can you taste roughly what spices are in some dishes?

It can be said that Xia Hui does have some unique talents in cooking.

However, when she officially wanted to learn cooking, her whole family immediately opposed it.

Even her grandfather, who loves her the most, is against her learning to cook.

Xia Hui's father Xia Zhennan got angry more than once.

Like the situation that Feng Zhengming and the others encountered just now, Xia Hui had seen it more than once at home before.

Sometimes, her father's angry words to her were even more vicious than before.

But because Xia Hui is a daughter, and she is protected by her grandparents.

Xia Zhennan could only get angry at her and did not dare to actually do anything to his daughter.

Later, Xia Hui ran away from home without telling her and went to a vocational school to learn cooking.

Xia Zhennan didn't dare to take his daughter back because he didn't have his father's consent.

I saw my daughter today, especially my daughter following Feng Zhengming. I don’t know why? Xia Zhennan couldn't control his anger, so he lost his temper and said some stupid things in public.

After Feng Zhengming got to know the Xia family, he still encouraged Xia Hui: "It doesn't matter, prepare well for the shortlist. I believe you can break through and prove yourself to your family."

Encouraged by Feng Zhengming, Xia Hui's depressed mood improved and her fighting spirit was rekindled.

Master Yan also smiled and said, "Don't be too nervous. Do what you have learned well and you will be fine."

The opening ceremony finally began, and Master Yan was invited to go up to the stage with some senior masters.

First, the leaders of the province came forward to preside over the opening ceremony, and then the jury representative from the Ministry of Labor spoke first and encouraged the young chefs from Shandong Province at the scene.

Then the president of the Provincial Culinary Association took the stage to speak, asking the young chefs to show what they have learned.

Later, the old masters took the stage to speak one after another.

When it was Master Yan's turn to speak, he was very serious. The young chefs present must not only perform well in the upcoming exchange competition, but also learn the techniques of Shandong cuisine well and solidly through the exchange competition.

In the future, I hope that young chefs will make their own contribution to the development and promotion of Shandong cuisine.

After the speeches and encouragement from the master chefs, the Young Chefs Cooking Exchange Competition officially began.

First, there will be a shortlisting competition for young chefs from all over the country.

Xia Hui and Sun Hai, as well as Zhang Lei and Yang Peng, arranged their clothes respectively, entered the waiting area as required, waited for the young chefs in front to finish cooking, and entered the cooking stations in batches to cook.

When the Xia family saw Xia Hui, Xia Zhennan showed no expression on the surface, but there was still concern in his eyes.

Xia Mingye didn't dare to talk to his father nearby, so he told his grandfather.

"Master, do you think my sister can be shortlisted?"

Master Xia looked at his granddaughter and had a certain degree of confidence in her.

"It should be possible. Your sister has been using your notes to learn secretly. Later, she went to study with your Grandpa Yan for a while, and then followed Feng Zhengming to practice in places like food stalls. It is not difficult for her to be shortlisted. "

After listening to his grandfather's words, Xia Mingye turned to look at Feng Zhengming and the others, especially taking a careful peek at Feng Zhengming.

Then he muttered to himself: "I wonder what Feng Zhengming can cook?"

(End of this chapter)