The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 491 Mime Performance
The yam cakes and rice cakes in the pot still need a few more minutes to cook, so Qin Huai continues kneading the dough.

Judging from the numbers alone, Qin Huai's skills have already reached the edge of the master level. Any skill that is even remotely related to the master level is quite remarkable. In addition, Qin Huai's progress has been consistent, not the kind of sudden enlightenment that happens overnight. In Zheng Siyuan's opinion, Qin Huai's current level has improved by an absurd degree.

Zhao Cheng'an spent every day with Qin Huai, constantly marveling at Qin Huai's unwavering progress. He lamented the unfairness of the world, wondering how a genius like himself, who had lived eight lifetimes, could not catch up with Qin Huai, who came from humble beginnings. In system novels, the male protagonist is the main character; can't a mayfly who successfully transcends tribulation also be a protagonist?
It should be noted that Zheng Siyuan had not seen Qin Huai for several months.

According to Tan Weian's cultivation system, Zheng Siyuan separated from Qin Huai several months ago, knowing that Qin Huai had gone to a secret realm to cultivate. Several months later, Qin Huai came out of the secret realm and broke through from the Nascent Soul stage.

Zheng Siyuan is still stuck at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage.

Even the usually taciturn Zheng Siyuan couldn't help but ask at this moment, "Master Zhou... is he very good at teaching?"

Zheng Siyuan's voice carried a hint of doubt that he himself did not realize. You should know that Master Zhou was known for his eccentricities and for turning his once-prodigy apprentice into an ordinary pastry chef who had become just another face in the crowd.

Now it seems...

Zheng Siyuan felt that his father was being somewhat prejudiced; he couldn't teach well himself, so he assumed that Master Zhou couldn't teach well either.

Qin Huai hadn't yet grasped Zheng Siyuan's implication and nodded calmly: "Master Zhou has his own teaching methods. He's better at teaching his apprentices concepts than techniques. He's a... very unique master."

Qin Huai genuinely believed this. Master Zhou mostly left his disciples to their own devices, only intervening at crucial moments or when he found it unbelievable (such as when Zhao Cheng'an suddenly fell seriously ill).

Master Zhou's teaching method can only teach geniuses, not mediocre ones. Students with average talent will really not understand the lessons under his tutelage.

Zheng Siyuan nodded, continuing not to work and staring at Qin Huai.

Qin Huai: ?
Has Zheng Siyuan been under a lot of work pressure lately? Normally, the first thing he does when he enters the kitchen is knead dough, but now the first thing he does is slack off. What have Grandpa Xu, Grandpa Qian, and Grandma Ding been up to lately? How did they manage to fool our young chef Zheng like this?

Before the Qinhuai noodles had even been kneaded much, the rice cakes and yam cakes were ready.

Both of these snacks are very light, even a bit bland.

You can tell from the color that they're all white; they're the kind of desserts whose color alone evokes the taste, a nostalgic childhood memory. Because they're not elaborate, don't have many layers, and aren't fancy, they can sometimes be categorized as something your mom would make.

This type of pastry usually means you shouldn't have too high expectations for it; after all, you wouldn't expect a steamed bun to taste like a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.

But now, Zheng Siyuan has high expectations for them.

When Zheng Siyuan saw Qin Huai kneading the dough, he realized that Qin Huai was not bragging. The current Qin Huai was indeed a completely different person. His visit to Zhiweiju was not a simple exchange and learning experience, but a comprehensive and qualitative transformation.

The helper brought over two plates of freshly cooked rice cakes and yam cakes, still steaming hot.

Qin Huai glanced at it, and after seeing the grade, he continued kneading the dough with peace of mind.

[Grade A Rice Cake]

[Yam Cake Grade A]

Perform consistently.

Zheng Siyuan examined the two plates of pastries in front of him very seriously. He was so serious that his whole aura changed. Chen An, who had been working while secretly observing the two of them, noticed that something was wrong with Zheng Siyuan immediately. He couldn't help but stop working and crane his neck to stare at Zheng Siyuan.

Zheng Siyuan looked at them very carefully, as if the two ordinary plates of pastries in front of him were works of art.

"Your finger technique has indeed improved," Zheng Siyuan said.

Qin Huai: ? Dude, you can tell my finger technique has improved by looking at the yam cake and rice cake I made.

Have a vision!
Hehe, you've definitely improved.

Before Qin Huai could speak, Zheng Siyuan continued, "A few months ago, you couldn't have made every pastry so perfectly. You like making molded pastries, but you don't like using molds. Master Zhou truly deserves to be ranked number one in the list of famous chefs for pastry making."

Qin Huai said, "This yam cake is best eaten after it has cooled down a bit, but the rice cake is best eaten while it's hot, it's more fragrant then."

fragrant?
Zheng Siyuan didn't quite understand why Qin Huai used the word "fragrant" to describe rice cake, but he obediently reached out and picked up a hot, even slightly scalding, rice cake, and took a small bite.

hot.

It's hot, but it has a rich rice aroma.

These simple, basic pastries rely on heat to bring out their full aroma; the simplest, most original flavors are often hidden in the temperature. Zheng Siyuan understood Qin Huai's meaning almost the moment the rice cake entered his mouth, and began to chew it carefully.

This is the advantage of having an expert appreciate it; you don't need to explain too much to them, just tell them how to eat it, and they will quickly understand.

Zheng Siyuan ate in silence.

As he silently chewed, the aroma of rice cake filled the air. The aroma wasn't strong, nor did it spread widely, but it was enough for Chen An to smell.

Chen An swallowed hard.

As Qin Huai's most loyal employee, whom he was unaware of, Chen An stopped working again and secretly examined the rice cake, swallowing hard once more.

With Chen An's limited knowledge, he couldn't see what was so special about this plate of rice cakes. In his eyes, it was just an ordinary plate of rice cakes, except that it was brighter in color and had a stronger aroma than ordinary rice cakes.

He's not usually a big fan of rice cakes, but right now he really wants some.

It's strange, I just really want to eat it. Just looking at it and smelling it makes me want to eat it. Just smelling it makes me imagine the texture and taste and I want to eat it.

Zheng Siyuan was still chewing; he chewed the small bite of rice cake for a long time.

Just as he picked up the rice cake again to take a second bite, a clear, cheerful voice, both familiar and unfamiliar to Qin Huai, came from afar.

"Wow, it smells so good! Brother, you made rice cakes! How did you know I've been craving rice cakes lately? You're so kind, brother! Siyuan, what are you making this morning? Brother, am I the first one here? Is He Cheng still asleep? I knew he wasn't sincere. He lives with you and still can't get up. He doesn't care about you at all. Unlike me, I set eight alarms this morning just to be the first to eat your pastries!" Qin Luo ran happily to the shop window, wishing she could stick her head in through the window to talk to Qin Huai.

Qin Luo craned her neck to look into the kitchen and saw the rice cake in Zheng Siyuan's hand, as well as another plate of Chen Sheng brand yam cake in front of Zheng Siyuan. With her excellent eyesight, Qin Luo clearly saw the two characters "Chen Sheng" on the yam cake, and her eyes lit up.

"Brother, what's that plate? What kind of cake is that? Is it hibiscus cake? How did you know I really wanted to eat hibiscus cake this morning? Brother, we're really in sync, like half-siblings!"

It's clear that Qin Luo has been losing to He Cheng in tattling lately, and he's been holding back his anger, just waiting for Qin Huai to come back so he can flatter him.

Facing Qin Luo's exaggerated and fake voice, Qin Huai said calmly, "It's yam cake!"

Qin Luo immediately changed her tune: "Wow, brother, how did you know that what I really wanted to eat was yam cake? I was just kidding when I said I wanted hibiscus cake. We really are on the same wavelength!"

Qin Huai knew that if he didn't stuff something into Qin Luo's mouth at this time, he wouldn't be able to shut this gluttonous girl up. Anyway, Qin Luo wasn't afraid of getting burned, so Qin Huai directly handed her the plate of yam cakes that hadn't cooled down to the perfect temperature through the window. Qin Luo couldn't wait to take the plate, picked up a piece with her hand, and ate it in one bite.

"Wow, so..." Qin Luo's performance came to an abrupt halt. In the face of genuine emotion, a fake performance is utterly ineffective. Qin Luo had originally intended to use exaggerated acting to highlight the deliciousness of the pastries, but now it was unnecessary.

Grade A yam cake is delicious enough.

The most subtle flavor, the most delicate texture, the most original ingredients, and the simplest method will create the most amazing yam cake.

Qin Luo and Zheng Siyuan were eating yam cake and rice cake, respectively.

One person's expressions are so exaggerated that it's like performing a pantomime; they can only express their rich inner emotions through body language and facial expressions, without any sound.

He stood motionless with a blank expression, and only subtle changes in his eyes suggested that he was thinking.

One of them was practically leaning on the counter, eating yam cake while staring at rice cake, perfectly embodying the phrase "eating what's in the bowl while eyeing what's in the pot," his entire body screaming "waiting to be fed."

One person held a plate of rice cakes in their left hand and a piece of rice cake in their right, but their eyes were fixed on the dough that Qin Huai was kneading. It was as if the pastries in front of them were not important at all, but the person making the pastries was the most important.

One of them practically wanted to squeeze in through the window.

Judging from his condition, it would be more appropriate for him to come out of the kitchen, find a table by the window, and sit down for morning tea.

The sight of two people in completely different states made Chen An, who was watching intently from the sidelines, particularly want to eat those two plates of snacks.

Although rice cake and yam cake are both very common snacks, and Chen An knew roughly what they tasted like, he still wanted to eat them.

He felt that what Master Qin did today was definitely different from what he remembered.

Don't worry about where they're different, they're definitely different anyway.

"How does it taste?" Qin Huai asked Zheng Siyuan this question.

Zheng Siyuan opened his mouth but didn't know what to say for a moment. In his habit, he would definitely say something like "not bad," "pretty good," "better than I imagined," or "you've improved again." But faced with such a plate of pastries, Zheng Siyuan felt that these words were too bland and insufficient to express his shock.

He also lacked a vocabulary that conveyed strong emotions, which led to Zheng Siyuan being speechless for the first time, a rare occurrence for him.

Qin Luo spoke on behalf of Zheng Siyuan.

"It's so delicious! Bro, the yam cake you made today is amazing! The taste... wow! What's that word again? It's... it's... sweet but not cloying, fragrant, unforgettable, lingering, and simply divine!"

"Brother, this yam cake you made is even tastier than your three-ingredient buns!"

Considering Qin Luo's level of Chinese language proficiency, the fact that she could rattle off six idioms is quite remarkable.

After his belated, exaggerated performance, Qin Luo suppressed the urge to lick the plate clean and stared intently at the dish in Zheng Siyuan's hand: "Brother Siyuan, do you still want some rice cake?"

Qin Luo was practically gaping, cosplaying as a hippo waiting to be fed at a scenic spot, with a sign next to him that read:

Show it off in my mouth!

Zheng Siyuan took two steps toward the window and silently handed over the rice cake. Qin Luo eagerly took the plate, grabbed a piece of rice cake, and swallowed it whole, continuing her pantomime performance.

Qin Huai gestured to the helper to quickly fill a few more plates with rice cakes and yam cakes. At Qin Luo's wolfing speed, a plate of three rice cakes would only last her a minute. If they didn't continue, his sister would starve to death in the next minute.

The helper hurried off to work.

Qin Huai suggested, "Pack a few more dishes so everyone can have a taste."

Then Qin Huai looked at Zheng Siyuan and asked again, "What do you think?"

Zheng Siyuan did not answer Qin Huai's question directly. Instead, he looked at Qin Huai and asked, "How did you do that?"

Zheng Siyuan felt that this question and this scene had appeared before, but it didn't matter. Whenever this happened, this was the question he most wanted to ask. He really didn't understand how Qin Huai could exceed his imagination time and time again.

how did you do that?
"Which aspect are you referring to?" Qin Huai asked.

“It’s just rice cake.” Zheng Siyuan’s expressionless face revealed a hint of numbness after shock. “Such a simple snack, and you made it very simply, but how did you manage to make it taste like everyone imagined?”

Human imagination always carries an embellishing effect. The beauty of imagination lies in its ability to represent the most perfect image in your mind before you see the actual object. However, in most cases, perfection remains confined to the realm of imagination. Now, some people are bringing their imagination into reality…

Zheng Siyuan couldn't help but ask again, "How did you do that?"

Qin Huai did not directly answer Zheng Siyuan's question: "Actually, Master Zheng can also make rice cakes of this quality, as can Master Zhou, and the master chefs of Zhiweiju who are good at this kind of pastry should also be able to do it."

"It's just that rice cakes are too common, too ordinary, too ordinary, and even a bit too low-class to match the status of a master chef who has been famous for many years. In addition, they don't usually like to make this kind of snack, so they are unwilling and will not make it."

“But I’m different. I just love making this kind of ordinary breakfast,” Qin Huai said. “When I was at Huang’s, Chef Zheng and Chef Huang told me that I needed to broaden my horizons and that I needed to complete the transformation from a breakfast chef to a pastry chef, and I did. But even after I became a pastry chef, I still love making breakfast, which means that I’m a breakfast chef at heart.”

"I can't get up at two or three o'clock every day to make breakfast, but I'm willing to get up at four or five o'clock to make breakfast."

"Rice cake and yam cake are not difficult to make, but they are the types of desserts I am best at. I have learned so many complicated desserts, but when I really want to practice, the first thing I think of is still making white steamed buns. When I feel that my skills have improved and I want to show them to others, the first thing I think of is also making white steamed buns."

"I don't know if Tan Weian has told you, but I've actually been practicing making dough cakes all this time. But I think it's better to show you the results of what I've learned at Zhiweiju these past few months by making white steamed buns, rice cakes, and yam cakes."

Zheng Siyuan nodded: "I understand."

"I originally wanted to practice making Four Happiness Flower Rolls at the Cloud Canteen these past few months, but I actually made fresh meat mooncakes the most."

"You like white steamed buns, I like savory meat mooncakes. We both have our own style and stick to it."

“But…” Zheng Siyuan’s expression shifted, becoming somewhat complicated, “I still want to ask you how you did it?”

"Every time I don't see you for a while, your progress is amazing."

Qin Huai recalled the video tutorials by Chen Qiusheng and Jiang Chengde that he had been diligently watching recently, and sincerely said, "Teaching by famous teachers is really useful."

Chen Qiusheng and Jiang Chengde were able to teach even a well-known idiot like Chen Sheng, so their teaching ability is beyond doubt.

Zheng Siyuan heard the answer he wanted to hear and agreed, "Indeed, Master Zhou truly deserves to be called the best chef."

Chen An listened silently to their conversation, unconsciously straightening his chest, a sentence floating in his mind:

Even the most ordinary breakfast chef in the Cloud Canteen will unconsciously straighten his chest when he talks about Chef Qin's skills and sees Chef Qin's formidable rival bowing down to him.

Chen An took out his phone and silently sent a message to Tan Weian:
Master Tan, your worries will not come true. As soon as Master Qin returned, he regained control of Yunzhong Canteen. Master Zheng has already submitted and been recruited. Our Yunzhong Canteen will always be Master Qin's most trustworthy haven!
(End of this chapter)