The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 396: Don’t miss the opportunity
That evening, Gong Liang's wife, Guo Mingzhu, enjoyed the meat-filled steamed buns. Despite their somewhat unusual shape, Guo Mingzhu gave them high praise, saying they were the best steamed buns she had ever eaten. She remarked that Chef Qin truly deserved his reputation, even making such delicious meat-filled steamed buns.

Gong Liang truthfully conveyed his wife's praise, which warmed Qin Huai's heart but also sent a chill down his spine.

Guo Mingzhu most likely ate Four Happiness Rolls when she was young, but she didn't recognize them at all.

Luckily, he was prepared. Don't ask, the answer is always Huajuan.

That night, Qin Huai spent the entire night in his dreams reviewing the Four Joys Roll.

The specific way he reviewed the dream was that he was making Four Happiness Rolls, and they were incredibly delicious and amazing. Zheng Dayi was so amazed that he ate them until he cried. He lamented that if he had made Four Happiness Rolls like that back then, he wouldn't have been so dissed by his neighbors, and his reputation as a pastry maker wouldn't have been so bad in his early years.

Qin Huai was finally awakened by Zheng Da's crying in his dream, and when he woke up, Zheng Da's words of repentance in the dream still lingered in his ears.

“I was so stupid, really. I only knew that making the Four Happiness Cloud Pattern was important, and that the shape was important, but I didn’t realize that the shape was so important. I started secretly practicing the Four Happiness Cloud Pattern six months before the Lunar New Year, and I spent most of my salary on it. In the end, the finished product was criticized by the neighbors from the first year to the second year. I didn’t do it well in the second year, and they criticized me from the second year to the third year.”

The above words were all Gong Liang's description last night. It can only be said that Gong Liang's description was so vivid that Qin Huai had a picture in his mind when he listened to Gong Liang's description, and dreamed about it directly that night.

Qin Huai was reminiscing about last night's dream while brushing her teeth.

Oh, this is absolutely amazing! Master Zheng broke down in tears.

After washing up, Qin Huai glanced at the time: 7:18 a.m., neither too early nor too late. It would take about 5 to 8 minutes to walk from his house to Huang Ji's, and arriving at Huang Ji's in about 1:25 a.m. would be just in time for the first batch of breakfast.

Now that Huangji has Su Qian, the deputy team leader who is very good at guessing the master chef's thoughts and observing the work schedule, as long as Qin Huai doesn't arrive late or early due to unforeseen circumstances, he can drink the tea at the perfect temperature and eat the breakfast he wants the most the moment he walks into the kitchen.

Qin Huai smacked his lips, thinking about what he wanted to eat today.

What's your first breakfast choice: rice noodle rolls, soup dumplings, pan-fried buns, or hot dry noodles?

Wontons seem pretty good too, and spicy braised noodles are definitely worth trying.

Forget it, I'll stop thinking about it. I'll see when I go into the kitchen. Su Qian will definitely be able to handle it.

Qin Huai has confidence in Su Qian.

Before leaving, Qin Huai took a cheese stick from the refrigerator and went to work.

On his way to Huang Ji's, Qin Huai ran into many of his regular customers from the neighborhood. Some were office workers rushing to work, others were full-time housewives returning from grocery shopping and preparing to do housework, and of course, there were many more elderly people.

This is an old community with virtually no new residents moving in. Most of the young people who are able have moved away, and the proportion of retired elderly people is much higher than in Yunzhong Community.

Everyone greeted Qin Huai warmly.

Qin Huai doesn't know if the news of Chef Qin's limited-time return has spread throughout the entire Huangji food circle, but it has at least spread throughout this neighborhood, and everyone has been able to try Qin Huai's new dishes.

Compared to the previous fermented rice buns and premium three-ingredient buns, the double crab buns did not sell as well.

It's understandable, as the price of double crab buns is simply too high. Buying one to try once in a while might be okay, but eating them every day is definitely not something the average working-class person can afford.

In addition, Zheng Da was so motivated that day that he made double crab buns all day long, basically satisfying the demand of both new and old customers. Therefore, the double crab buns did not cause the buying frenzy that Huang Ji's manager was worried about. Huang Ji's business did improve in the past two days due to the limited-time return of Qinhuai, but it was not exaggerated, and it did not reach the popularity of the launch of "Zhiwei" magazine on New Year's Day.

While reviewing the cloud pattern in his mind, Qin Huai walked briskly to Huang Ji's kitchen, changed his clothes, and entered the kitchen, where he saw a scene he had never imagined.

He saw Zheng Da in the kitchen.

The living Zheng Da.

After changing into the kitchen staff uniform, it was clear at a glance that Zheng Da was planning to work in the kitchen.

Qin Huai suspected that he was still dreaming, otherwise it would be hard to explain why Zheng Da would appear in Huang Ji's kitchen before him at 7:24 in the morning, and why he would be standing next to Gu Li, whispering to Gu Li as if giving him instructions.

Qin Huai glanced around the kitchen and realized that Tan Weian hadn't arrived yet.

Yeah, Tan Weian hasn't even arrived yet, so why is Zheng Da here already?!

Is this reasonable?

Am I really not dreaming?

"Master Qin, here's your tea. This cup is Phoenix Dancong. If you don't like that, we also have Lu'an Melon Seed and Longjing."

Qin Huai took the teacup and nodded, indicating that anything was fine; he was satisfied as long as the tea was brewed by the apprentices of Zhiweiju. He couldn't actually tell what kind of tea it was; he could only sense that different teas tasted quite different.

Qin Huai, holding a teacup, craned his neck to look at Zheng Da, but Zheng Da didn't even notice Qin Huai's arrival; all his attention was focused on Gu Li.

Gu Li's pastries are easily recognizable from a distance; they're called "Ruyi Rolls." Gu Li makes them every morning lately.

Qin Huai walked quietly toward Zheng Da. A clueless apprentice from Zhiweiju tried to offer Qin Huai breakfast for a taste, but Su Qian stopped him and gestured for him to keep quiet so as not to delay Master Qin's business.

Qin Huai's main business was eavesdropping.

He saw Zheng Da frowning, his frown containing three parts incomprehension, five parts contempt, and two parts "Is that all?" Zheng Da's entire emotion and expression were basically concentrated in this frown.

Gu Li didn't notice at all, because he didn't even look up at Zheng Da; he was completely focused on rolling up the cloud patterns on the Ruyi scroll.

Yesterday, when Gu Li was teaching Qin Huai how to make the cloud pattern for the Four Happiness Roll, he told Qin Huai that the cloud pattern for the Four Happiness Roll is a little more difficult to make than the ordinary cloud pattern because it requires both forward and reverse rolling. However, it is much simpler than the Ruyi Roll because the Ruyi Roll is fried, while the Four Happiness Roll is steamed.

Regardless of the type of dessert, steamed desserts are relatively simpler because they don't require precise control of the heat.

With Gu Li's current skill level, he simply couldn't create an authentic Ruyi scroll, nor could he properly replicate its cloud patterns. Therefore, Qin Huai could understand the five parts contempt and two parts "That's all?" in Zheng Da's eyes, but where did the three parts of confusion come from?

I don't understand why Gu Li would make the Ruyi Scroll like this.
That's understandable. The Ruyi Scroll has been lost to time. For Gu Li to be able to make it like this with his current skill level is already quite an achievement.

Qin Huai stared at Zheng Da while holding his teacup. Finally, after frowning for seventeen seconds, Zheng Da couldn't help but say, "How can you be so curled up?"

“I’ve eaten Master Tan’s Ruyi Rolls before. They’re fried. How can the cloud patterns formed by high temperature and the cloud patterns formed by steaming be the same way of rolling?” This was the clearest expression Zheng Da had ever made.

But it soon became unclear.

"You can't roll it like that, you have to roll it like that. The curve you're making is too exaggerated, and how can you spread the egg skin out like before? You have to use a little skill to roll the cloud pattern, do you know what a little skill is? With the way you roll it, it'll explode and you'll have to cut it to set it, how is it possible to see the cloud pattern?"

Gu Li stopped what he was doing and humbly asked, "Master Zheng, what should I do? I know there's something wrong with what I'm doing, but... I really don't know where my problem lies."

"That's right...didn't I just tell you? You have problems everywhere!"

Gu Li continued to humbly ask for advice: "I understand what you just said, so where is the problem in this step?"

"It's right where I was talking. Your movements were too exaggerated. Making pastries requires flexibility, not rigidity. There was already a problem when you were laying out the egg crepe. If there was a problem at that step, you should correct it at this step. But instead of correcting it, you continued with the old method, which was wrong. How could the final product be without problems?" Zheng Da was so anxious that he wanted to help Gu Li directly, but he didn't know how to make Ruyi Rolls, so he couldn't help.

"Is this all you've got for making cloud patterns? How did you teach Qin Huai and the others yesterday?" Zheng Da finally asked the question that had been on his mind, practically implying that one of them was truly daring to teach and the other truly daring to learn. "Teaching them like that just now?" "Was that right?"

"Is this how Yunwen does it?"

Do you know how to make Four Happiness Rolls?

"I don't know how," Gu Li said honestly. He looked up and saw Qin Huai. He was about to speak when Qin Huai stopped him with a look, signaling Gu Li to pretend he didn't see him and continue.

Although Gu Li's acting skills are not very good, he has the advantage of not having many expressions, so his poor acting skills are not noticeable.

Gu Li continued, "Master Qin knows how to make Four Happiness Rolls. He knows the general process and recipe, but he doesn't know how to make cloud patterns."

“My skill in making cloud patterns is indeed lacking, but I know what good cloud patterns look like. After all, I have seen my master make many Ruyi scrolls in previous years, and my master also taught me step by step, so that’s how I taught him yesterday.”

Zheng Da muttered under his breath, "Isn't this just reckless?"

"Cloud patterns are a very difficult technique to apply to any pastry. If you practice like this and develop bad habits, you won't be able to break them later. How can you do this so carelessly? It's just reckless. Siyuan didn't stop you, and he even learned with you. How did I give birth to such a son?"

Hearing Zheng Da's mutterings, Gu Li dared not speak. Qin Huai knew it was his turn to make a grand entrance, so he pretended to have just walked over and asked, "Master Zheng, you're here very early today!"

“I just heard you mention cloud patterns, what nonsense. Do you know about our discussion about cloud patterns yesterday? I originally wanted to ask you for advice, but you had to take care of your dog yesterday, so I was afraid of bothering you. That's why I thought I'd have Guli give us a simple practice session first, so we can build up our foundation and avoid the hassle of you having to teach us from scratch later.”

Qin Huai's sudden voice startled Zheng Da. Zheng Da snapped to attention and blurted out before he could think: "It's not my dog, it belongs to my neighbor. I just didn't want to come yesterday."

Qin Huai: ...

Zheng Da: ...

Guli: ?
The situation became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Zheng Da quickly explained, "It's not that I didn't want to come, it's just that I wasn't feeling well yesterday. Yes, I wasn't feeling well! Ouch, my shoulder hurts. I'm getting too old, and suddenly making pastries for so long took a toll on my body. I had to stay home and rest all day yesterday."

"I was thinking that you, Xiao Qin, were waiting to learn the Four Joys Scroll, and you came early this morning, even earlier than Siyuan, right, Siyuan?" Zheng Da said loudly.

Zheng Siyuan gave Zheng Da a look, then nodded reluctantly and said, "Yes, my dad came early this morning, but he didn't have the key, so he waited for me to come and open the door."

Zheng Da straightened his back proudly.

Qin Huai knew what Zheng Da wanted to hear most at this moment, so he cooperated and said what Zheng Da wanted to hear most: "Wow, Master Zheng, you actually came so early today, that must be very kind of you!"

"I didn't expect you to still remember Four Happiness Rolls. It would be great if you had time today. We've been waiting for you to come and teach us how to make Four Happiness Rolls."

Zheng Da felt refreshed after being called "Master Zheng" by Qin Huai a few times. He was about to say that he had some free time today and could give some pointers when he suddenly realized: "You guys?"

"several?"

“Yes, Siyuan, Tan Weian, Guli, and I are all very interested in the Four Happiness Scroll, especially Guli. He is the one among us who knows the most about cloud patterns. We are all counting on him to learn it first and then teach us.”

Guli: ?
Is that true? How come he didn't know?
Zheng Da was a little flustered as things developed beyond his expectations, but he still pretended to be calm and said, "It's nothing. Cloud patterns are difficult to make, but they are also easy to make. Your Master Zheng is the best at making cloud patterns. When I was learning how to make Four Happiness Rolls, I could make very beautiful Four Happiness Rolls right away. My master, who is also Siyuan's grandmaster, praised my Four Happiness Rolls very highly. If you don't believe me, you can ask your Master Huang."

Qin Huai nodded frantically in agreement.

Zheng Da was secretly relieved. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance. He only slept for three hours last night and spent the rest of the time cramming for the Four Happiness Rolls. He finally managed to make a batch that was passable enough to impress people.

Oh, this damn cloud pattern, it's not something a human could make!
Thinking this, Zheng Da yawned.

Qin Huai quickly asked with concern, "Master Zheng, did you not get enough rest? Or are you hungry?"

There seemed to be two options, but in reality there was only one answer. Zheng Da said without hesitation, "I'm hungry."

Qin Huai began searching for Su Qian. Their eyes met, and he asked with his eyes if there was breakfast.

Su Qian gave everyone a wink, and the apprentices of Zhiweiju rushed forward with various breakfasts, each saying something different.

"Master Qin, this is red date steamed cake, the one you praised last time."

"Master Zheng, have some hot dry noodles to tide you over first!"

"Master Zheng, would you like some shrimp wontons?"

"Master Qin, steamed buns!"

Zheng Da was overwhelmed by the breakfast and felt a little lost. Qin Huai tasted each one with great skill, then took away the soup dumplings that he had wanted to eat the most that morning and went to his own cooking station to start making lotus root starch balls.

You must learn how to make Four Happiness Rolls, and you can't slack off on making Lotus Root Starch Du

Qin Huai had already figured it out from Zheng Siyuan's eyes just now: Zheng Siyuan hadn't made wontons this morning, and was just waiting to eat chicken noodle soup and lotus root starch balls.

After all, if Chef Zheng had shown any interest in trying the breakfast, just a glance from Su Qian would have been enough to make him start burping right now.

Qin Huai plans to make lotus root starch balls first, then chicken noodle soup.

Zheng Siyuan had already kneaded the dough for Qin Huai, and Qin Huai noticed that.

Sure enough, when Qin Huai started shaking the dumplings, Zheng Siyuan came over carrying a dough ball.

"What happened to Master Zheng? Why did he come today?" Qin Huai asked directly.

“It seems that yesterday my master told my dad that Gu Li was teaching us how to make cloud patterns, and my dad was really upset,” Zheng Siyuan explained succinctly. “This morning he arrived at Huang’s shop at 6:30 and kept calling to urge me to come and open the door.”

“Guli arrived at 6:47. From the moment Guli started making the Ruyi Roll, my dad stood next to him, watching him and picking on him, telling him that this was wrong, that was wrong, this wouldn’t work, that wouldn’t work.”

"Guli was so scared that he came over to ask me while my dad was in the bathroom. We wanted to express our gratitude because he taught us how to make cloud patterns yesterday, so we specially invited my dad over today to teach him how to make Ruyi rolls."

Qin Huai: ...

That's great. With this mindset, Gu Li will succeed at anything.

"So how long do you think Master Zheng can maintain this state of being on guard, arriving at 6 a.m. every morning?"

"Today," Zheng Siyuan said decisively, "this is an opportunity not to be missed, so let's seize the moment today."

"Starting tomorrow, it will be good if we can see him before noon."

(End of this chapter)