The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 415 Zhiweiju's Art Style is Surprisingly Good
"What's the most important thing in making puff pastry? It's temperature. Have you reached the level where you can even consider temperature? How many times do I have to say 'aiming too high'? You're trying to run before you can walk. Why didn't I have you knead the dough in a low-temperature room? Was it necessary? At your current level, is it really necessary for you to go there specifically to knead the dough?"

“Look at the dough you kneaded, and then look at Lao San’s. Lao San is only a few years older than you. You are Xiao Su’s nephew and have been an apprentice at Zhiweiju since you were a child. Have you gotten too cocky from all the praise you’ve received these past few years? Do you even remember what the dough Lao San kneaded looked like when you were his age?”

"Tell me what kind of dough this is? Is it for puff pastry? Steamed buns? Or just regular steamed buns?"

"Have I repeatedly emphasized that different dim sum require different types of dough? During the apprenticeship stage, it's all about complexity, precision, and meticulous attention to every detail. Have you achieved that?"

"I asked you to draw an orchid, and you added a grasshopper to it, which is superfluous. Do you think you're funny? You don't do what you should do, but you insist on doing what you shouldn't. I just praised you for your obvious progress yesterday, and today you knead the dough like this. Are you carsick? Did you get dizzy from walking here from home, or is the sun outside too strong and made you dizzy? Has it not cooled down yet?"

Under Master Zhou's machine-gun-like barrage of verbal attacks, Su Qian dared not even breathe loudly or raise his head, and could only obediently endure the scolding.

This contrasts sharply with Su Qian's spirited demeanor in the Cloud Cafeteria.

Qin Huai stood on the sidelines watching from a distance, not daring to make a sound. He subconsciously moved two steps closer to Zhao Cheng'an, who was closest to him, away from the center of the battle, and glanced at the dough that Zhao Cheng'an was kneading.

To be fair, Qin Huai thought there wasn't much wrong with the dough Su Qian had just kneaded; it was up to his skill level. Qin Huai could roughly tell what Su Qian was going to make with the dough, and if nothing unexpected happened, it was probably steamed buns, and most likely, three-ingredient steamed buns.

When Su Qian was at the Cloud Cafeteria, he practiced making San Ding Bao the most, because Qin Huai explained San Ding Bao the most thoroughly. Su Qian may have been trying to please Qin Huai, or perhaps he wanted to learn as much as possible from him, so he spent most of his time making San Ding Bao every day, and he even made his specialty, flaky pastries, in his spare time.

Qin Huai believed that Master Zhou must have realized it too, which was why he scolded him so harshly, because Su Qian's dough for the San Ding Bao was not up to standard.

The requirements for making San Ding Bao (a type of steamed bun) are very high. After returning to Zhiweiju, Su Qian still chose to make San Ding Bao, partly because he wanted to show off his skills to Chef Zhou. Just as Chef Zhou had just scolded him, it's like trying to run before you can walk. Wanting to show off is good, but if the result of that show is not up to par, there's no point in showing off.

Qin Huai glanced at the dough that Zhao Cheng'an was kneading.

Qin Huai wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Zhao Cheng'an's dough was also used to make San Ding Bao (a type of steamed bun), and it was kneaded very beautifully, the kind that could instantly outshine Su Qian's dough when placed next to it.

"Hi." While Master Zhou was cursing, Zhao Cheng'an still had the leisure to smile and greet Qin Huai. "I ate the three-ingredient buns you made yesterday. They were quite good, not bad compared to the ones I make. I was in the low-temperature room at the time. I wanted to go over and say hello, but I couldn't leave because I hadn't finished making the pastries. By the time I finished, you had already gone home."

"The three-ingredient buns yesterday were really good. No wonder Tan Weian has been bragging about you every day since he came back from Huang Ji. He said I've finally met my match, that he's met someone even more monstrous than me."

Qin Huai: ...

Tan Weian, you didn't mention yesterday that you were promoting me like this at Zhiweiju.

"Master Zhao... Master Zhao, you're also good at making three-ingredient buns?" Qin Huai asked politely.

In fact, Qin Huai knew that Zhao Cheng'an had a wide range of interests in snacks. Tan Weian had mentioned this to him and casually remarked that you geniuses are really willful. Others can only focus on one thing at most, but you guys research everything.

Zhao Cheng'an has not been as amazing as before in recent years, which is partly because he wanted to learn everything and dabble in everything, without specializing or mastering anything.

"I know a little bit," Zhao Cheng'an said with a smile. "Of course, my specialty is puff pastry. I used to make it almost every day when I was a kid, and I was sick of it. But I haven't been as fond of making it in recent years. Tan Weian said you're good at many kinds of pastries. Are you good at Western pastries? Are you interested in Western pastries? I've been thinking about studying Western pastries lately. I've been watching my master bake egg tarts every day, and it's made me want to bake some myself. Last time I secretly baked a batch, but my master found out and scolded me for not doing my job properly."

"Is that an egg tart?" Zhou Yan, who was at the next kitchen counter, couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. She continued working as she spoke, "You saw the chef using the puff pastry technique to make egg tarts and it seemed to be working well, so you wanted to try it yourself. But you were too lazy to make egg tarts from scratch, so you actually went to the supermarket and bought a bottle of egg tart filling."

"Are you still the pastry chef at Zhiweiju? You actually went to the supermarket to buy egg tart filling to make egg tarts. Why didn't you buy the egg tart crusts at the same time? What did your master say wrong when he scolded you?" As she spoke, Zhou Yan handed the filling she had just prepared to Zhao Cheng'an. "Help me taste it to see if there's a problem. The last batch was still a bit bland."

Zhao Cheng'an skillfully took it, picked up a bit with his chopsticks, licked it, and shook his head: "I think it's still too bland."

Zhou Yan frowned: "Is it still bland? My master said that the proportion of shrimp in this filling is too high and it's hard to control. I reduced the amount of shrimp and added cabbage, shredded carrots and shiitake mushrooms, but no matter how I season it, it still tastes bland. Is it a problem with the combination of ingredients?"

"Or maybe my idea was wrong from the beginning. The ingredients of this white jade shrimp roll are not suitable for making shrimp rolls or steamed dumplings wrapped in dough."

Zhou Yan fell into deep thought.

Zhao Cheng'an continued processing her filling, seasoning the meat as she said, "Since Master didn't say there was anything wrong with your idea, it's worth trying. If you ask me, Senior Sister, you're just too cautious. Why overthink things when making desserts? Just do it! Why do you only doubt your own ideas and not your own cooking skills? Is it possible that your cooking skills aren't good enough, which is why you can't do it?"

Zhou Yan's eyes widened in anger instantly.

Just as Qin Huai thought the big battle between the senior and junior disciples was about to break out, Wang Jiayi, who had been quietly making pastries in front, stopped what she was doing, looked back at the situation, and then comforted her: "Xiao Yan, what the third brother said is right. You don't need to be too careful when making pastries. Be bold and innovative. If it doesn't work the first time, try it a few more times. If it doesn't work a few times, try it dozens or hundreds of times. Trying more will definitely not hurt."

"Making desserts isn't that simple. It's rare for you to have this idea and inspiration. You should seize the opportunity when it comes and not give up at the very beginning."

"And you, third brother, what did you just say? Your senior sister's cooking skills aren't good enough, but yours are? You only made a half-baked three-ingredient bun, and you still have the nerve to brag to Xiao Qin that your buns are almost as good as his? Have we never eaten your three-ingredient buns before or what? Almost the same?"

“You actually thought of buying egg tart filling and making egg tarts? I think six hours a day is not enough for you to make pastries. You need to make eight hours. Your master said yesterday that you need to make at least four hours of puff pastry today and even set a quota. Your senior sister and I will be watching you closely to make sure you don’t slack off.”

Wang Jiayi's words silenced Zhao Cheng'an. Just as Qin Huai was listening with great interest and thought this part was about to end, Zhao Cheng'an suddenly blurted out, "You've been watching me for four hours this afternoon, aren't you going to pick up your kid, senior brother?"

“My wife is picking up the kids today,” Wang Jiayi readily agreed.

“Hey, senior, I remember your child took a painting class before. How was that class? Was it worth it? I’m thinking of enrolling my son in a painting class too,” Zhou Yan asked.

Wang Jiayi had already turned back to making pastries, while replying, "The price was a bit expensive, but the teacher was quite dedicated and responsible. Most importantly, my daughter enjoyed learning there back then. It was several years ago, and I don't know if that teacher is still offering classes. If you're interested, I'll have my wife check tonight to see if she still has that teacher's contact information and ask her for you."

Then the three of them started chatting, from kids to school to the neighbors, and finally they talked about how a master chef's disciple seemed to be juggling two relationships and operating on multiple fronts. The three of them even considered opening a bet on when this guy would finally crash and burn.

The wager is to help the winner work an extra day. The disciples of Zhiweiju have holidays, with four days off per month.

Qin Huai: ?
Is this overly casual way of chatting while making desserts acceptable in front of the master chef?

Qin Huai glanced discreetly at Master Zhou, who was still cursing.

Master Zhou's language had become so rich that Su Qian was called a blockhead, a fool, a clumsy bird that can't fly, and an early bird that can't find any worms. He was cursing and pointing at Su Qian at the same time, completely ignoring the gossip on the side of his three disciples.

Master Zhou even caught a glimpse of Qin Huai looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and took the time to say to Qin Huai, "Little Qin, you should keep an eye on Lao San and the others. There's no need to look at Su Qian's side; there's no point in looking at them now."

It wasn't hard to tell from Master Zhou's tone that he was worried Qin Huai would contaminate his database by looking at too many of Su Qian's pastries. Zhou Yan was still engrossed in chatting with Wang Jia about children, a topic that Zhao Cheng'an, being unmarried, couldn't quite join in on. So he glanced at Qin Huai a few more times, noticing Qin Huai's slightly bewildered expression, and explained with a smile:

"Aren't you surprised that Zhiweiju has a personal disciple who teaches how to make these pastries?"

Qin Huai nodded very honestly.

Even though life at Zhiweiju was different from what he had imagined, it was actually very different from what he had imagined.

Is this the style of Zhiweiju behind the scenes? It's quite different from its reputation as the top military academy of pastry chefs.

"Won't it be distracting to chat like this while making desserts?" Qin Huai couldn't help but ask.

Qin Huai is also someone who enjoys listening to gossip while making pastries. When he was working hard every day making pastries at Huang Ji, what motivated him to go to work was having Dong Shi chattering away about gossip next to him.

Dong Shi's behavior was, to some extent, tacitly approved by everyone. Even if they didn't approve, there was nothing they could do. He would still talk about it anyway; Dong Shi just loved to gossip.

But in Huang Ji's huge kitchen, only Dong Shi loved to gossip, while Qin Huai saw three of them at once in Zhiweiju's even bigger kitchen today.

Qin Huai initially thought that Wang Jiayi was as taciturn as Gu Li, Zhou Yan was thoughtful and steady, and only Zhao Cheng'an was relatively more outgoing.

As it turned out, Zhao Cheng'an was the one who talked the least about gossip among the three. Zhou Yan and Wang Jiayi, on the other hand, couldn't stop talking about the children. The two of them didn't even look up, just kept talking and doing their jobs.

Unfortunately, these three people were Master Zhou's personal disciples, and Master Zhou stood by without interfering.

What a fantastical scene.

“Of course,” Zhao Cheng’an said. “But making desserts alone in silence can be boring and tedious, and it can also affect your performance.”

Qin Huai was taken aback.

“Don’t let Master’s seemingly rigid appearance fool you; he is actually a very open-minded person,” Zhao Cheng’an said. “Master even spends an hour watching short videos every day after get off work.”

Qin Huai: ...The last sentence doesn't sound like he's praising your master.

"My master's philosophy is that no matter what method you use or how you do it, as long as the result is good and you don't make mistakes, he can accept it."

"As long as you can make good desserts, even if you have the strange habit of dancing a waltz before making desserts, your master will find an empty room for you to dance in."

Qin Huai: That's a very good description. Don't use that description again next time; it already evokes a vivid image.

Seeing that Qin Huai was still somewhat dazed, Zhao Cheng'an smiled and asked, "Do you now feel that our Zhiweiju is very different from what you imagined?"

Qin Huai nodded emphatically: "It's...it's so different. I never imagined that Zhiweiju would be like this before I came here."

"This is nothing! Let me check the time. Oh, it's already 10:52. There are only 8 minutes left before the morning meeting. When the morning meeting starts, you'll see what kind of place Zhiweiju really is. You haven't met Boss Su yet, have you? Don't worry, after the morning meeting, you'll think Boss Su is a god at Zhiweiju, just like I do."

Qin Huai: ?
"Do you know why Zhiweiju holds a morning meeting at 11 a.m.?" Zhao Cheng'an asked in a low voice.

"Why?" Qin Huai asked.

"Because there was a master chef who liked to sleep in late and couldn't get up early, the morning meeting used to be at 10:30, but he was always late, so we had to postpone it to 11 o'clock."

"This works too?" Qin Huai exclaimed in surprise.

"What's wrong with that? Do you know why the working hours for the head chef at Zhiweiju are set at 6 hours?"

"why?"

"Because one of the head chefs has obsessive-compulsive disorder and is not in good health, he insists on working whole hours. Five hours is too short, and seven hours is too long, so it's six hours."

Qin Huai: ?! This works too?!

"Do you know why the apprentices at Zhiweiju are all so good at brewing tea?"

"Why?" Qin Huai was genuinely curious. He had always felt that even if the apprentices at Zhiweiju didn't have much talent in cooking, after a few years of training in tea-making at Zhiweiju, they could at least find a job in a teahouse.

"Because Zhiweiju previously had a master chef who was particularly skilled in tea ceremony, an apprentice, in order to become his apprentice, studied tea ceremony every day after get off work and eventually succeeded. Others saw this as an opportunity and began to practice. As they practiced, it became a trend and a habit. Later, the master chef retired, but the apprentices' habit of diligently practicing tea brewing techniques remained."

Qin Huai was stunned.

After a long silence, Qin Huai sighed, "How come Tan Weian never told me any of these things?"

Zhao Cheng'an chuckled dismissively: "These are all top-secret gossips. Tan Wei'an's grandfather doesn't really care about gossip, so what could he possibly know?"

"Much of what he knows was told to him by me."

"Qin Huai, let me tell you, you made the right choice in following my master. Tan Weian told me you love gossip. You're not very familiar with us yet, so you can't join in when we chat. Once you're more familiar, we'll set up a special cooking station for you, and the four of us can make desserts while we chat. I'll also tell you some exciting stories."

Qin Huai is already looking forward to it.

Just as they were getting excited, Master Zhou finished scolding Su Qian and let him continue making pastries. He then waved to Qin Huai and said, "Little Qin, Jia Yi, let's go to the morning meeting."

Qin Huai quickly followed.

(End of this chapter)