The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 403 Fishing
Four Happiness Flower Rolls caused a huge sensation among Huang Ji's diners. They are beautifully shaped, taste excellent, and are very affordable (the same price as Fermented Rice Buns).

Huang Ji's customers haven't seen such good value for money at Huang Ji for a long time. As a well-known high-end restaurant in Suzhou, Huang Ji's biggest feature is its serious price markup.

Upon hearing that the Four Happiness Flower Rolls were available ahead of schedule, boasting exceptional value and delicious taste, customers flocked to the store, queuing up to buy them. Even those who were too busy to queue due to work made a special trip to buy them. In no time, the area outside Huang Ji's store was as bustling as it was during New Year's Day.

At this point, some people might question how it could be as bustling as New Year's Day. New Year's Day is when Huang Ji's customer traffic explodes, thanks to the endorsement of "Zhiwei" (a popular food magazine). Every day, countless out-of-towners come from far and wide, willing to queue for hours just to buy some snacks.

Even if the Four Happiness Flower Rolls from Qinhuai were the best value for money, they couldn't possibly cause such a sensation in just one day.

Theoretically it is.

However, there is another marketing method called scarcity marketing.

Huang Ji didn't intend to engage in scarcity marketing; it was mainly because production couldn't keep up that forced them into it.

"Master Qin, was that the last batch of Four Happiness Flower Rolls we made today? Do you know the exact quantity? The supervisor asked me to come and ask you so she can discourage the customers queuing outside."

Around 3 p.m., a round-faced waiter peeked out from the kitchen doorway and asked loudly.

Qin Huai accurately reported the data and continued to slack off while eating lotus root starch balls.

The round-faced waiter finished taking the tally, nodded, and quickly left.

Dong Shi, who had been wondering what had happened to Qin Huai since morning and how his Four Happiness Rolls had suddenly become so beautiful, took the opportunity to approach him. When he got close, he was still holding half a cucumber that he hadn't finished eating. He lowered his voice and asked, "Qin Huai, it's only 3 pm and you're already not making Four Happiness Rolls?"

Qin Huai nodded decisively: "No more, that's enough for today's Four Happiness Rolls."

"Are you feeling unwell?" Dong Shi asked tentatively, secretly observing Qin Huai's complexion, and felt that he didn't seem to be.

His complexion was rosy, his lips were a normal color, and most importantly, he looked radiant and full of energy, appearing to be in good health.

"No, I don't." Qin Huai was still calmly eating his glutinous rice balls, not understanding why Dong Shi suddenly asked this. "I don't feel uncomfortable anywhere. What's wrong, is it because my complexion isn't very good?"

Dong Shi shook his head and continued staring at Qin Huai: "Then why are you leaving get off work at this time? Do you have something to do later?"

Qin Huai looked completely bewildered. He put down his bowl and started staring at Dong Shi, wondering if his friend hadn't had any exciting gossip lately and was therefore not quite right in the head.

"Who told you I got off work?" Qin Huai asked. "Isn't my normal off-get off work time 5:40? I still have other snacks to make later."

"What snack?"

"Four Happiness Tangyuan"

Dong Shi: ? ? ?
Qin Huai watched as Dong Shi's expression shifted from shock to confusion, then to contemplation, then to sudden realization, then back to confusion and contemplation again, unable to guess what Dong Shi was imagining.

Dong Shi's thinking is too unpredictable. If you try to judge him by conventional reasoning, he usually doesn't play by the rules. But if you don't judge him by conventional reasoning, he will play by the rules.

Qin Huai chose to ask directly, "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering how you've changed," Dong Shi said, uttering a philosophical statement that Wang Jun had made to more than one of his ex-girlfriends.

Qin Huai: ?
"How have I changed?"

Wang Jun has said this to more than one of his ex-girlfriends.

“Well…” Dong Shi scratched his neck, trying to organize his thoughts, “This isn’t your usual way of doing things.”

"Did you catch Tan Weian's laziness from spending too much time with him?"

Tan Weian, who was slacking off nearby and eavesdropping on Dong Shi and Qin Huai's conversation: ? !!! !

Tan Weian, clutching a half-eaten tomato, stormed towards Dong Shi, shouting, "Dong Shi, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'playing with me for too long has infected me with laziness'? Do you know what time I get up every day? Do you know what time I go to bed every day? Do you know how many pastries I make every day? Do you know that every night when I get home I frantically search through recipes, looking for pastries that fit Qin Huai's aesthetic? Those random, haphazard pastries he's good at, like Four Happiness Dumplings and Lotus Root Starch Balls, aren't even in my family's ancestral recipes. My grandfather and great-grandfather weren't good at those!"

Tan Weian's frantic output shocked Qin Huai. Qin Huai hadn't expected that he had only mentioned it casually that day, and Tan Weian had only given a casual reply. He hadn't mentioned it again and had forgotten about it. But Tan Weian had actually kept it in mind and frantically searched for the prescription in his treasure bag every night when he got home.

Qin Huai was somewhat moved.

He began to reflect on whether he had neglected Tan Weian during this period, since Tan Weian really liked to slack off, sometimes to the point that he was barely noticeable.

Besides barely keeping up with the team's pace and making some related pastries every day, Tan Weian also casually practiced the pastries he was good at. His workload was the lightest and easiest among the pastry chefs of his batch.

Tan Weian even possesses a sense of relaxation, a relaxation that is simply impossible to find in a chef who came from Zhiweiju.

Every day when he stands in the kitchen, his face says it all: "If you can practice, then practice; if you can't, then forget it."

After being moved, Qin Huai quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "That's not what Dong Shi meant. Hey, Tan Weian, where did you get these tomatoes? Can I have one?"

Tan Weian was quickly swayed by the change of topic, pointing to the vegetable shelf: "I got these from over there. The tomatoes are pretty good today, juicy and sweet and sour."

Tan Weian was tricked by Qin Huai into helping him get tomatoes. Qin Huai seized the opportunity to ask Dong Shi, "Do you think that, given my previous personality, it's impossible that after I've improved my Four Happiness Rolls' shape, I'd just practice casually and not practice anymore at 3 pm, but instead practice other desserts?"

Dong Shi nodded, his face full of confusion: "You used to practice making one kind of pastry and then just keep practicing, without making any other pastries. You would only make a few easy pastries to pass the time when you were tired from practicing."

“When you’re not around, my senior brother often uses your practice of making Four Happiness Tangyuan and Crab Roe Shumai as examples to teach me not to get distracted when I’m chopping vegetables, to focus my attention on the cutting board, and to learn from your state of mind and concentration.”

Dong Shi's face clearly said: Brother, you were supposed to be a teaching model, how come you've become a collection of wrong questions?

Qin Huai hadn't expected that during his absence from Huang's restaurant, Huang Jia would use him as a prime example to educate Dong Shi. But upon reflection, it made sense. Dong Shi was good in every way, with exceptional talent, but his personality was too impulsive, and he had an extremely short attention span.

It's also related to Dong Shi's hobbies. Dong Shi usually likes to listen to and talk about gossip. If he wants to not miss any gossip around him, he can't concentrate on one thing. He must be listening to everything around him and keeping an eye on everything.

Qin Huai explained, "That was before; the situation is different now."

"What's different?" Tan Weian picked out a big, red, and good-looking tomato and came back, handing it to Qin Huai.

"The Four Happiness Roll is different from the pastries I've practiced before," Qin Huai continued. "The Four Happiness Roll is too difficult; I can't learn it."

Dong Shi & Tan Weian: ? ? ?
Both of them stared at Qin Huai in utter shock, with Tan Weian's expression being particularly exaggerated.

Tan Weian witnessed firsthand how Qin Huai conquered each and every dessert.

He joined Qin Huai's small team time and time again, only to consistently lag behind, slack off, be clueless, fumble around, and feel completely uninvolved. He couldn't grasp the essence of the dish, and he couldn't learn how to make it.

However, Tan Wei'an didn't care; he was indifferent. He could accept that Qin Huai had some mental issues, and that the game system he imagined was actually very useful. He could accept that Qin Huai was a pervert, that Qin Huai might not have drunk all the Meng Po soup (a legendary soup for forgetting past lives), that Qin Huai's pastries might once again grace the cover of "Zhiwei" magazine, that Qin Huai might quickly squeeze into the list of famous chefs, and that Qin Huai might break the record for the highest ranking of pastry chefs in the list...

Tan Wei'an felt that he could accept it if Qin Huai told him one day that he was actually a child of the Tan family who had been separated from his family.

However, he couldn't accept that Qin Huai said one of the pastries was too difficult for him to learn.

Tan Wei'an desperately wanted to grab Qin Huai's shoulders and shake him wildly, questioning him, and roaring and howling.

Ask him how he could say such a thing. You're Master Qin! You're the all-powerful Qin Huai! You can figure out a way to conquer any difficult or outrageous dessert! You can solve the problem of the double crab bun, a dessert that's been so difficult for everyone, by going to an amusement park and riding a few roller coasters!

How could Master Qin say no!

Is the Four Happiness Scroll really that difficult to make? It's just a cloud pattern...

Okay, Four Happiness Rolls are indeed quite difficult.

But... is it really that difficult?!
Are you, a dignified man from Qinhuai, going to back down, give up, and follow my example, Tan Weian?
I, Tan Weian, am truly incompetent, but you, Qin Huai, are not. You are a true genius, your talent is so high it's almost overflowing from you, making an ordinary person like me wish I could grab a basin and pick up some of it and stuff it onto myself.

How can you say no?
Tan Weian even began to suspect that he was the one who had led Qin Huai to become like this. What Dong Shi said earlier was actually true. He had been slacking off too blatantly, too brazenly, and too obviously lately, and had corrupted Qin Huai.

Tan Wei'an slapped his head hard, revealing an annoyed expression, almost saying, "I deserve to die."

Qin Huai couldn't guess what Dong Shi's expression meant, but he guessed Tan Weian's expression pretty accurately.

Qin Huai was somewhat amused and exasperated, and explained again, "I didn't give up on the Four Joys Roll."

"I realized that it was impossible for me to make this dessert with my current skill level."

“Finger technique is difficult and important, and I underestimated it before. I was like a frog in a well, looking up at the small patch of sky and thinking that's what the sky was like. But this morning I climbed out of the well, saw the real world, and found that it wasn't like that, and that I couldn't do it.”

"I am a very self-aware person, and I will not force myself to do things that I cannot do."

"So you didn't give up?" Tan Weian asked.

"Of course not, Four Happiness Rolls are a dessert I absolutely have to make." Qin Huai glanced at Dong Shi. "I promised Mr. Shi. Although I didn't understand how difficult this dessert was when I made the promise, I have to keep my word."

"When I realized that I was in no position to make Four Happiness Rolls at this stage, I felt there was no need to force myself."

"It's good to relax and take it easy, just like you. Make the desserts you're supposed to make every day, do what you want to do, instead of forcing yourself to put all your effort into making the desserts you're supposed to make and using a lot of practice to force yourself."

"I thought about it carefully at noon and realized that there was something wrong with my condition these past two days."

"I was so eager to master the Four Happiness Rolls that I made so many failed ones every day, but I still didn't really understand what the fingering was."

"This is probably why I've been stuck on the last two points of proficiency in intermediate finger technique for more than two whole days. Making desserts shouldn't be like this. Even if I'm not in a hurry to succeed, I'm still a bit too focused on achieving a qualitative change through quantity, without thinking about stopping to reflect."

Qin Huai spoke very seriously; what he said to Tan Weian was the truth, without a single lie.

Tan Wei'an was stunned.

“So…” Tan Wei’an began to have some doubts about life. “Actually, I’m in pretty good shape. I’m very relaxed every day and I don’t think about practicing a lot to hone those so-called skills that you imagine.”

"No wonder Master Zhou sometimes praises me for having a good attitude."

Qin Huai: ...

That's probably not a compliment.

As far as Qin Huai knows, Chef Zhou of Zhiweiju occasionally practices hermaphroditism and has a little hobby in this regard.

After finishing the lotus root starch balls, Qin Huai put down the bowl and felt a little thirsty from eating too much sweet food. He wanted to drink some tea to soothe his throat.

Just as Qin Huai was searching everywhere for the teapot, Su Qian emerged from a corner carrying a cup of perfectly warm tea.

Qin Huai once again marveled in his heart at how well-rounded Su Qian was, and took the teacup, taking two large gulps.

Su Qian didn't leave. He stood beside Qin Huai, seemingly considering his options, and waited until Qin Huai finished his tea before slowly asking, "Master Qin, I overheard a few words just now. I'd like to ask, how long do you plan to stay at Huang's Restaurant for this exchange?"

Qin Huai assumed that Zhiweiju was too busy and urged Su Qian and the others to go back, saying, "I may have to stay at Huangji for a while longer. As you just heard, I can't master the Four Happiness Rolls in a short time."

“I plan to stay at Huang’s for at least another 20 days to consolidate my business before returning to Yunzhong Canteen. I can’t stay away for too long.”

"Your exchange period should be almost over, right? Do you have a set return date?"

“We’re not in a rush. My second uncle told me last night that we should study here with you for a while longer and not rush back,” Su Qian said with a smile. “Actually, I wanted to tell you something else.”

Qin Huai showed an expression of listening attentively.

"Although I have not studied cloud pattern making, Chef Zhou from Zhiweiju can actually make cloud pattern pastries."

"Huh?" Qin Huai seemed to have guessed what Su Qian meant.

"As far as I know, there are many types of cloud-patterned pastries. They have different directions, different schools, and even different levels of difficulty. If you feel that your current finger technique is not enough to make Four Happiness Rolls, you can try other simpler cloud-patterned pastries or try simpler cloud-patterning techniques."

"There might be some good results."

"If you're interested in this, I can ask Master Zhou tonight to see if he'd be willing to share his techniques with you."

"However, Chef Zhou is definitely unwilling to leave Zhiweiju, so if we want to communicate, it may be necessary for you to make a special trip to Zhiweiju."

Qin Huai was overjoyed: "Is that alright? Isn't that a bit too presumptuous?"

"Of course, our Chef Zhou usually enjoys exchanging ideas with other chefs. Every year, Zhiweiju has many chefs from other places come to exchange ideas."

"Then I'll trouble you to ask for me."

"However, there are more chefs coming for exchanges next month, so Chef Zhou might not have time. Let me ask how the exchanges for this month are going?"

"of course can!"

(End of this chapter)