The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 393 Cloud Patterns
The arrival of the Zhiweiju family greatly enriched Huangji's breakfast offerings.

The next morning, when Qin Huai stepped into Huang Ji's kitchen, he was greeted by the aroma of various delicious breakfasts.

You don't even need to look; just by smelling it, you can tell that Qinhuai must have mutton stew noodles, pan-fried buns, and shredded shumai.

Okay, the reason why I can make shredded shumai isn't just because I can smell it. It's mainly because Guli always makes shredded shumai when he comes, so it's a must-have dessert.

As soon as Qin Huai arrived, all the chefs from Zhiweiju gathered around him.

"Good morning, Master Qin. This cup of tea might be a bit cold, let me pour you another one. What would you like to eat first this morning? Soup dumplings, mutton stew noodles, beef rice noodle rolls, sesame balls, or..."

"Master Qin, you said last time that my red bean paste filling was too sweet. These are the red bean buns I made today. Would you like to try some?"

"Master Qin, this is what I made..."

"Master Qin..."

Surrounded by breakfast diners, Qin Huai adhered to the principle of sharing everything, tasting a bite of each and commenting on them one by one. Finally, she walked over to Gu Li and started eating the golden shredded shumai.

Everyone was used to it, because Qin Huai had always been fond of the pastries made by Gu Li, and would often take the initiative to try them, whether it was the golden shredded shumai or the auspicious rolls.

In addition, although Gu Li has been known for his lack of talent over the years, he is, after all, a disciple of a famous master, and his culinary skills are definitely much better than those of ordinary apprentices. His pastries are indeed more worth eating than those of others, so it is reasonable that he has won Qin Huai's favor.

Even Su Qian didn't pay much attention.

When Qin Huai walked over to Gu Li to eat the shredded shumai, Gu Li was still making pastries. He was always like this; even when they were just watching the drama unfold, Gu Li was always the one quietly listening from behind the crowd while making pastries.

"Good morning, Master Qin." Gu Li greeted Qin Huai, which was the highest respect he could show him.

Qin Huai was chewing on golden thread shumai.

From Master Qin's perspective, Qin Huai actually really likes Gu Li.

No teacher dislikes a hardworking student, even if that student isn't particularly talented but is still very diligent. Qin Huai could tell from Gu Li's pastries that he was indeed making efforts in the right direction and was improving, although the pace of improvement was very slow, far slower than that of his relatively lazy senior.

Gu Li is making a Ruyi scroll.

Qin Huai was watching how he made the cloud patterns.

To be fair, Gu Li's cloud pattern is really not very good.

The most important aspect of the Ruyi Roll is that it should have beautiful cloud-like patterns when cut open; only when these patterns are visible can the pastry be considered successful. These cloud-like patterns not only represent the pastry's shape but also the success of controlling the heat and shaping, making them a key indicator of the chef's skill level.

Gu Li's skill level is not high enough.

His cloud pattern wasn't entirely absent, but it was also hard to say it truly existed; it was in a peculiar state where it seemed to be there but wasn't.

Just like his culinary skills and the relatively difficult desserts he makes at this stage, you can't say he can't make these desserts, but you can't say he can make them either. At the same time, the desserts he makes don't taste bad.

Qin Huai felt that Gu Li knew how to make the Ruyi Scroll and the methods and techniques for cloud patterns, but his physical abilities were not up to par and his internal energy cultivation was also lacking, so the things he made were awkward.

"How long have you been practicing your cloud pattern?" Qin Huai asked.

Gu Li was surprised that Qin Huai didn't comment on the golden shredded shumai, but instead asked about the cloud pattern on the ruyi roll. He paused for a moment and then told the truth: "less than three years."

To achieve this after three years of research requires considerable talent.

"Ruyi Roll is my master's signature dessert. When my master was alive, my cooking skills were far from good enough to make Ruyi Roll, so my master did not teach me in a systematic way. He only taught me the general method and did not require me to practice cloud patterns."

"Several of my senior brothers are the same."

"This directly led to my master's poor health. After he passed away from illness, none of us were able to make an authentic Ruyi scroll."

"I know it's a bit unrealistic for me to try making Ruyi Rolls every day. My senior brother also advised me not to fixate on Ruyi Rolls and Golden Thread Shumai. With my current cooking skills, it's impossible for me to make these two desserts well."

"But I don't think that not being able to do it well now means I won't be able to do it well in the future. The early bird catches the worm. I don't have much natural talent, so I need to spend more time building a solid foundation. I'll first master the basics of these two desserts, so that one day when my culinary skills are sufficient..."

Gu Li didn't finish his sentence.

This was the first time Qin Huai had heard Gu Li talk to him so much. Gu Li was usually a man of few words and taciturnity. Back at Huang's restaurant, no matter how sensational or exciting the gossip Dong Shi told, Gu Li would never utter a word.

Qin Huai knew that Gu Li had probably misunderstood and that's why he explained so much, so he quickly revealed his true intention: "Is the cloud pattern of the Ruyi Scroll considered difficult?"

Gu Li was taken aback again, but his hands didn't stop. He nodded firmly and said, "It's quite difficult."

"How long do you think it would take to master the cloud patterns on ordinary pastries?" Qin Huai asked again.

This question stumped Gu Li, who stopped what he was doing and thought for a full two minutes: "Master Qin, I don't know what you mean by ordinary pastries, but pastries with cloud patterns are usually quite difficult to make."

“When my master taught me, he said that the cloud pattern in the shape of a ruyi is itself a display of skill. Most of these kinds of pastries are imperial pastries, and imperial pastries involve a lot of fancy and impractical things, just like imperial cuisine.”

"They make the desserts and dishes very complicated, but in reality, they don't improve the dishes much. However, these are the most crucial elements, which is the root cause of the loss of many ancient dessert recipes."

"This is why many pastry chefs are unwilling to spend time restoring ancient recipes, because the restored pastries may not be as delicious or amazing, but they will definitely be very troublesome."

"So if you want to get started, an ordinary apprentice... needs to lay a foundation for at least two years first."

"What about someone like me?" Qin Huai asked directly.

Gu Li looked at Qin Huai, clearly conflicted. He hesitated for a long time before finally stammering out a question: "One...ten...eight months?"

Seeing that Qin Huai remained silent, Gu Li shortened the timeframe even further: "Six months?"

Qin Huai could imagine that the cloud patterns of the Four Joys Scroll might be very complex, but he did not expect it to be this difficult.

If he stays at Huang Ji for 6 months, won't the new and old customers of Yunzhong Restaurant go crazy?

"Do you know about Four Happiness Rolls?" Qin Huai asked.

Guli shook his head very honestly.

It's clear that the Four Happiness Roll is a niche dessert limited to state-run restaurants.

Qin Huai hadn't expected Xu Nuo's cooking skills to be even better than he had imagined. His friend was truly a hidden talent; he could make such difficult desserts so casually and secretly at home.

Qin Huai briefly described the appearance and production process of the Four Happiness Scroll (Shi Dadan had seen Xu Nuo make Four Happiness Scrolls), and asked Gu Li how the difficulty of the cloud pattern on the Four Happiness Scroll compared to the Ruyi Scroll. Gu Li replied that it was much simpler than the Ruyi Scroll.

"So... Four Happiness Rolls are a royal dessert from an ancient recipe. Master Qin, have you been researching this ancient recipe recently?" Gu Li asked tentatively.

"Ancient recipe? Imperial dessert? Why would you think that?" Qin Huai asked curiously.

Gu Li answered honestly: "Because this is the standard way of making royal pastries. As I just told you, it makes what could have been a simple pastry very complicated. But the complicated part doesn't improve the taste of the pastry much, yet it is the most important part."

"The Four Happiness Rolls I just described are actually flower rolls, but the way they are made is very imperial, and I've never heard of them before, so I thought you were trying to recreate a dessert from some ancient recipe."

“My master really enjoys studying ancient prescriptions, and I’ve had a lot of exposure to them before, so I have this feeling.”

Qin Huai trusted Gu Li's judgment. Tan Weian had previously told Qin Huai that Gu Li was very interested in this area, and that Gu Li was definitely more professional than Qin Huai in this matter.

Gu Li provided a completely new direction and approach for the Four Joys Roll, one that Qin Huai had never considered.

Qin Huai decided to come and ask Gu Liyun about the matter because Huang Shengli analyzed yesterday that Zheng Da would disappear for at least 6 days.

Qin Huai had nothing better to do than make double crab buns and practice making lotus root starch balls during those six days. But plans can't keep up with changes, and the Zhiweiju team arrived at lightning speed.

Qin Huai figured that Gu Li, who made Ruyi rolls every day, must know more about cloud patterns than he did. "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me." Usually, Master Qin instructed Gu Li on his cooking skills; now it was Gu Li's turn to instruct Qin Li on cloud patterns.

Before we even got to the main topic, we came up with something new, which was a pleasant surprise.

Qin Huai stared at Gu Li with expectant eyes and asked, "I have something I don't understand."

"Do you have time recently to guide... no, teach me how to make cloud patterns on the Four Happiness Rolls?"

Gu Li was continuing to make pastries when Qin Huai's words startled him so much that he dropped the chopsticks he was using to mix the filling and stuck them directly into the filling in the bowl.

Gu Li was stunned. After a long while, he finally opened his mouth and uttered a barely audible sound: "Me...me?"

"Yes!" Qin Huai nodded firmly. "It's you!"
.
As a man of action, Qin Huai said he would start learning ancient cloud patterns that very day if he wanted to find them.

During the lunch break, Qin Huai tried making Four Happiness Rolls for the first time.

Admittedly, Qin Huai hadn't found the recipe for Four Happiness Rolls, nor could she find any video tutorials. Zheng Da wasn't there either, so he couldn't teach Qin Huai how to make them, and Zheng Siyuan had absolutely no idea how to make this dessert.

However, this did not prevent Qin Huai from making her first attempt.

Because Shi Dadan's statement was actually quite clear.

As Xu Nuo's good friend, Shi Dadan had personally witnessed Xu Nuo making Four Happiness Rolls many times. When he recounted the process of making Four Happiness Rolls to Qin Huai, he was able to explain everything he had seen and understood in detail.

Therefore, Qin Huai knew the general process and prototype of Four Happiness Rolls. In a sense, this is similar to restoring an ancient recipe. You know the general process but not the specific techniques, so you need to figure it out.

Qin Huai tried his best to replicate Shi Dadan's description.

Making flower rolls is simple, making filled flower rolls is simple, and making flower rolls with two layers of filling is simple. However, making flower rolls with two layers of filling and a cloud-like pattern that can be cut out with one stroke is very difficult.

This cloud-like pattern makes the process of spreading the filling, pressing it firmly, rolling it, and then rolling it back into place extremely difficult.

Qin Huai told Gu Li to stand by and watch, and to point out any problems with his cloud pattern.

Gu Li was under immense pressure, but he was a man of few words and rarely showed any expression, so it was difficult for others to notice.

It's alright, Tan Weian noticed.

Tan Weian not only noticed it, but was also very excited, and even stood right next to Gu Li, excitedly.

"Wow, isn't this the scene from my dream? I rarely dream that I can stand by the Qinhuai River and instruct him on how to make pastries. At most, I dream that Qinhuai respectfully calls me Master Tan, then asks me questions, praises how delicious my pastries are, and says that he really admires me."

“Junior brother, you’ll have a lot to brag about when you get back. If this happened to me, I’d brag about it for at least 10 years.”

"If Qin Huai hadn't stopped me, I would have loved to take a video camera and record this historic lesson."

In response to Tan Weian's words, Gu Li stammered, which was very unusual for him, "Senior... Senior Brother, please stop talking."

As he said this, Gu Li tugged at Tan Weian's sleeve, signaling him not to get so excited that he started gesturing wildly.

Tan Weian completely disregarded his junior brother's life or death and continued excitedly: "If I had known that Qin Huai would want to learn cloud-patterned pastries one day, I would have practiced diligently a few years ago. No, I didn't even know Qin Huai a few years ago, but never mind. Junior brother, quickly take a look at Qin Huai's Four Happiness Roll and see if there are any problems. If there are, point them out quickly, or you'll miss this opportunity."

Gu Li almost wanted to dig a hole and bury himself. While watching Qin Huai make the Four Happiness Rolls, he said, "Senior brother, I can't tell that Master Qin is still mixing the filling. I don't know how to make these Four Happiness Rolls at all."

Tan Weian was completely absorbed in his own fantasy, unable to extricate himself, and the corners of his mouth were turned up in a wild smile that he couldn't suppress: "If it were me, I would definitely call Qin Huai 'Little Qin' a few times to satisfy my craving."

Gu Li looked at Tan Weian in despair, thinking that his senior brother had gone mad.

He's gone mad, wanting to instruct Qin Huai and usurp the throne to become the leader of the Feeling Cult.

Gu Li could only watch Qin Huai make the pastries. He didn't really understand the Four Happiness Rolls, but he had studied Ruyi Rolls for many years and was quite familiar with cloud patterns.

As Qin Huai was layering the filling onto the dough, Gu Li spoke up for the first time to stop him: "Master Qin, you may have layered the filling a little too thickly. The way you make this Four Happiness Roll is to roll it right-side up first and then roll it up in the opposite direction. If the filling is this thick, the cloud pattern will definitely not come out."

Qin Huai quickly corrected it.

When it came time to roll the paper, Gu Li spoke up again: "Master Qin, your curves are too rigid. You need to exaggerate them a little, otherwise it will be very troublesome to roll it backwards later."

Qin Huai quickly corrected it.

Soon, Gu Li spoke again: "Master Qin, your..."

Qin Huai quickly corrected it.

……

Huang Shengli stood at a distance and silently took a photo, which he then sent to Zheng Da.

Huang Shengli: Is your neighbor's dog's gastroenteritis better yet? If it is, come over when you have time. You don't need to teach Xiao Qin Sixi, there are plenty of other people who can. Gu Li has already started teaching him.

Zheng Da, who was at home contemplating life and escaping reality: ? ? ?

Who?
Gu Li?
He taught Qinhuai Four Joys Scroll?
(End of this chapter)