The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 566 Huang Ji's group was shocked

After landing in Suzhou, Qin Huai went straight to Huang Ji Hotel after checking in.

When Qin Huai arrived at Huang Ji, it was just past lunchtime, and there were still a few tables of customers in the lobby who hadn't finished eating. Qin Huai glanced around and knew that Huang Ji's business was definitely not as good as before. When Guo'er first appeared on "Taste of China," the kitchen closing and closing time were two completely different things.

Back then, Huang Ji's dine-in customers usually finished their lunch around 4 p.m., followed immediately by dinner customers at 5:30 p.m. For a time, it was hard to tell whether the waiters in the dining area or the chefs in the kitchen were under more pressure. Everyone was working non-stop, wishing they had four legs and eight arms.

Things are different now. Now Huang Anyao can even sit leisurely at a small four-person table in the lobby and eat fried rice.

Qin Huai glanced at it from afar and saw it was Yangzhou fried rice, clearly made by Huang Shengli. It had a generous amount of side dishes, each color distinct, and the grains were loose and fluffy, giving it a refreshing look. It lacked the greasiness of fried rice sold at street stalls; it was definitely a bowl of fried rice that would make anyone's mouth water.

Qin Huai plopped down opposite Huang Anyao.

"Qin Huai!" Huang Anyao was overjoyed. A few grains of rice that he had stuffed into his mouth fell out, which effectively stopped Qin Huai from having a bite of Yangzhou fried rice. "You came today! Uncle Gong said you were going to stay in Shanghai for a few more days. I thought you wouldn't come until next week."

"The business in Shanghai is done," Qin Huai said. "How's business at Huang's Restaurant lately?"

"It's alright, not bad, but definitely not a loss." Huang Anyao said excitedly while stuffing fried rice into his mouth. "I've kept all the accounts for you, all the accounts from the past few months are here, take them back to Shanshi to check!"

Qin Huai: ?
I'm Huangji's largest shareholder, not its largest employee. So, buddy, you can't figure out the accounts, so you're just waiting for me to come back and ask Uncle Wang to do it for you?

“Jun’s mother just had surgery, and Jun is still taking care of her at the hospital back home. Jun asked me to apologize to you, and he will go to Yunzhong Canteen after his mother is discharged,” Huang Anyao continued.

“Jun-ge already told me about this, and I told him there’s no rush,” Qin Huai nodded.

After Qin Huai became Huang Ji's largest shareholder, Wang Jun's long-term exchange at Yunzhong Canteen was put on the agenda. Originally, Wang Jun had already packed his bags and was ready to leave, but his mother was found to have a tumor during a medical check-up and needed to be removed, so Wang Jun took a long leave to go home and take care of his mother.

This is actually a small matter, but it's a bit of a hardship for the loyal customers of Yunzhong Canteen. If Wang Jun were to become the chef for the main dishes at Yunzhong Canteen, the customers could at least eat something better, and wouldn't have to eat such salty braised pork with preserved vegetables.

Qin Huai still can't understand why the braised pork with preserved vegetables cooked by his two diligent, conscientious, and never lazy chefs is so salty.

Perhaps this is the reason why the community canteen chefs persevere.

Just like Qin Congwen insisted on making savory dumplings.

Huang Anyao quickly finished his fried rice in a few bites and excitedly pulled Qin Huai towards the kitchen. This was Qin Huai's first visit to Huangji since becoming its largest shareholder, but his treatment hadn't changed much. Even as the largest shareholder, he still couldn't enter the kitchen without changing his work clothes, so Qin Huai could only stand at the door and chat with everyone.

Dong Shi chattered away, sharing the fascinating gossip he'd accumulated over the past few days with Qin Huai, but before he could finish two sentences, Huang Shengli, who had just returned from physiotherapy, interrupted him.

Huang Shengli's back has recovered, but he still needs to have regular physical therapy. The doctor also repeatedly told him not to overwork himself, otherwise his back injury would easily relapse.

Huang Shengli looked at Qin Huai with a smile, examined him carefully, and said, "You've lost weight."

Qin Huai touched his face and felt alright.

There's a kind of thinness that only elders think you're thin.

Since he was already there, Qin Huai didn't intend to sit idle. When Qin Huai wasn't at Huang Ji, Huang Ji didn't have a pastry chef, and all pastries would be removed from the menu.

If Zheng Siyuan and Zheng Da are willing to randomly drop items, then the dim sum will briefly return to the menu. However, if Qin Huai is not at Huang Ji, Zheng Siyuan and Zheng Da are unlikely to drop items, especially Zheng Da.

After asking Qin Huai a few questions about his recent situation, Huang Shengli launched into a tirade about how lazy his chef, Master Zheng, had been lately. Master Zheng wouldn't make pastries, was unlikely to work hard, and didn't seem to have much to worry about in the business, but he definitely wouldn't leave without a free meal.

Aside from occasionally arranging blind dates for Zheng Siyuan, which would lead to a big argument between father and son if Zheng Siyuan refused, and Zheng Da angrily declaring that he would not care about Zheng Siyuan's future and would arrange another blind date for him a week later, thus falling into a vicious cycle, Zheng Da would visit his daughter's house to play with his granddaughter and enjoy a happy retirement.

Zheng Da not only retired himself, but also frequently advised Huang Shengli not to work so hard and urged Huang Jia to work hard and take over the heavy responsibility of Huang Ji as soon as possible.

Huang Anyao is definitely out of the question, just like his unfortunate son Zheng Siyuan. If Huang Anyao, this young master, wants to avenge his past humiliations, he'll have to go to Shanshi and persuade Qin Huai to move to Suzhou permanently.

Qin Huai: ...

That would be a bit difficult for Huang Anyao.

Huang Shengli was ranting and raving when Zheng Da arrived.

Upon meeting Zheng Da for the first time, Qin Huai understood why Huang Shengli's first reaction upon seeing him was to remark on how thin he had become.

Fat and thin are relative.

Qin Huai may not have lost weight, but Zheng Da has definitely gained weight.

Zheng Da's retirement life must be quite happy. He has gained weight and his body is now round and well-proportioned, which makes him look much kinder.

"Master Zheng, you've come at just the right time. The fermented rice buns will be ready soon. I reported to you and Master Huang on WeChat that my kneading skills have improved, but it's not very noticeable in videos and pictures. I'm here early today, so I have time to make them for you two."

"I originally wanted to make some other pastries, but I didn't have enough time. I have to meet with Mr. Gong later to discuss visiting Director Xu at the nursing home tomorrow. I'll make other pastries when I get back from the nursing home tomorrow."

Zheng Da almost burst into tears when Qin Huai called him "Master Zheng".

Zheng Da didn't know what he was moved by, but he was always touched whenever Qin Huai called him "Master." He would have preferred it if "Master" didn't have the character "Zheng" in front of it.

Alternatively, you could change "郑" to "正" and "周" to "副" (assistant master).

Ugh, how infuriating! Why doesn't that guy surnamed Zhou have the surname Fu?
Huang Shengli didn't know what Zheng Da was thinking, but he vaguely felt that his junior brother had relapsed. He smiled and said, "Then I'll have to eat two more later."

“I heard from Gong Liang that one of your canteen employees is the granddaughter of an old friend of Director Xu. It’s quite a coincidence. I definitely won’t have time to accompany you to the nursing home tomorrow. I’m not familiar with Director Xu, and I haven’t visited him at the nursing home in recent years. It wouldn’t be appropriate to go so abruptly. Why don’t you have your Master Zheng accompany you?”

"He wasn't very familiar with Director Xu, but he was quick-witted."

Zheng Da straightened his back.

Qin Huai hesitated. They had originally agreed that unless the conditions were absolutely right, it would be best not to acknowledge each other. But there was no guarantee that the conditions would actually be right, and now Qin Huai felt that the underlings An Youyou had brought along all had their own logic.

Before meeting Lin Qi, Qin Huai hadn't expected Lin Qi to have such a self-contained logic. What if Factory Director Xu also had his own set of logic?
What if Director Xu has really been waiting all these years for his deceased boss to return?

Zheng Da is, after all, a completely innocent person, so it wouldn't be convenient for them to recognize each other when the time comes.

“Youyou is a little shy.” Qin Huai offered a reasonable excuse to decline. “Although Youyou knows Master Zheng, she never helped him when they were at the Cloud Cafeteria, so they’re not actually very close.”

"Speaking of which, I have something to trouble Master Zheng with. Master Zheng, could you come to Huang's early tomorrow to help me prepare the ingredients? I've recently gained some insights into locust flower steamed buns, but there are still some things I don't quite understand that I'd like to discuss with you. I'm going to the nursing home tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll be back. It would be great if you could help me prepare some ingredients in advance." Discussing locust flower steamed buns wasn't an excuse Qin Huai made up beforehand; he genuinely wanted to discuss it with Zheng Da.

Qin Huai is currently at the point where he can understand the video tutorials for making locust flower steamed buns, but there are still some parts he doesn't quite grasp. If he could understand them completely, he would be able to make S-grade locust flower steamed buns; it's a case of having the teaching materials but lacking a teacher.

But this kind of teacher is hard to find.

The locust flower steamed buns were a recipe from Jiang Chengde, a dish he created to amuse his children. Although Zheng Da didn't know how to make them, and Master Jing hadn't taught him, or perhaps Master Jing himself didn't know how, Zheng Da was Master Jing's personally trained disciple, and Master Jing was Jiang Chengde's son.

Techniques passed down through generations are generally similar, and since Qin Huai had no one else to consult or discuss with, Zheng Da was the best person to talk to.

In a sense, Qin Huai could actually be considered Zheng Da's junior apprentice. Qin Huai's culinary skills, especially his current advanced skills, are 90% derived from Jiang Chengde's recipes; he learned them from Jiang Chengde.

The apprentice who hadn't received the apprenticeship drastically altered the junior master's appearance.

Zheng Da, of course, had no idea what Qin Huai was thinking. Hearing Qin Huai say this, he was overjoyed and straightened his back even more, indicating that he would definitely come to Huang Ji early the next morning to help Qin Huai prepare the ingredients.

Zheng Da loves preparing ingredients. Lately, he's been bored at home playing with his granddaughter all day, so he wanted to find something to do and make some snacks and prepare ingredients.

Huang Shengli: ...

Five minutes later, everyone in Huang's kitchen was enjoying fresh, hot fermented rice buns.

Everyone fell silent.

This silence was different from the silence at Lin Juan's house a few days ago. Out of so many people that day, there were at most 1.8 people who knew the stuff, Xu Cheng was one, and Jiang Yong was 0.8.

Everyone is at the level where they can tell this steamed bun is amazing, but they don't really understand how to eat it.

Huang's Kitchen is different; even the odd jobs there can be done well.

Not only can they taste the food well, but they have also eaten many pastries made in Qinhuai and have a deep understanding of Qinhuai's craftsmanship.

Zheng Da was completely dumbfounded, his eyes filled with confusion. His gaze towards Huang Shengli was filled with helplessness, as if asking, "Is Zhiweiju really that amazing?" Qin Huai had come to Huang's restaurant for training so many times, and although he had improved each time, it had never been this exaggerated. He'd only been to Zhiweiju for a few months and already achieved enlightenment?

Is that guy surnamed Zhou really good at teaching his apprentices?
With both offline and video sessions, why didn't he teach his previous apprentices to any good? Just how badly did Zhao Cheng'an manage to turn a prodigy into a mediocre one?

Only Dong Shi, momentarily speechless with shock, managed to murmur in amazement, "Qin Huai, are you really this good at making sweet fermented rice buns now? I think his buns taste even better than Master Zheng's?"

"Is he going to be on the cover of 'Taste of China' again? When 'Taste of China' is released, I'm going to buy 10 copies to sleep on. Bro, when do you think I'll be on the cover of 'Taste of China'?"

Dong Li glanced at his younger brother speechlessly, said nothing, and continued to eat his steamed bun.

Finally, Huang Shengli exclaimed, "You've truly surpassed your teacher, Xiao Qin! Your dough-kneading skills have improved so much that even your Master Zheng might have to catch up with you in the future."

"Please say hello to Director Xu for me when you go to the nursing home tomorrow. If it's convenient for Director Xu to come out, come to Huang's Restaurant for dinner tonight." Huang Shengli said with a smile, "You've made such rapid progress that it's putting pressure on me."

Master Zheng, who may have to follow in the footsteps of Qin Huai in the future, is still silently eating his steamed bun.

After Qin Huai finished making the last batch of fermented rice buns, he bid farewell to everyone and returned to the hotel to discuss the matter of going to the nursing home the next day. During this time, Zheng Da did not say anything, but silently escorted Qin Huai to the entrance of Huang Ji's restaurant.

After Qin Huai left, Huang Shengli nudged Zheng Da and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Did you get upset again? Even if you were upset, I didn't see you become more motivated. You don't work hard, and you don't even make snacks. Why are you so easily upset every day?"

Zheng Da watched Qin Huai leave, and said with great regret, "I just regret it."

"I regret that when I first met Xiao Qin, I shamelessly tricked him into becoming my apprentice. If he didn't become my apprentice, I wouldn't have taught him how to make locust flower steamed buns."

Huang Shengli: "...Forced relationships are never sweet."

"But it quenches thirst." Zheng Da shed two lines of tears in his heart. "If Xiao Qin were my apprentice now, would that guy surnamed Zhou still dare to yell at me on WeChat? When I told them that their pastry recipes were problematic and couldn't be used on the production line, he still argued with me."

"As the number one master of the art of white-themed dishes, I have to write down what I say and analyze it word by word."

Huang Shengli is certain: his junior apprentice has gone mad.

Have you been reading novels lately?

"How did you know, senior brother?"

“Watch less. An Yao has been reading too many novels, TV series and biographies of celebrities. He thinks he can work hard and has implemented a series of preferential policies. While I was resting, Huang Ji’s turnover dropped to an all-time low.”

Huang Anyao: ? ? ? There's a part here where I got scolded?

Zheng Da sighed.

"Senior brother, don't you think the steamed buns Qin Huai made just now look a lot like the ones Master made?"

Huang Shengli nodded: "It is quite similar. When I took the first bite, I was a little dazed. It felt like I was back when I was an apprentice, sitting around the low steamer waiting to get my share of steamed buns."

"If only Xiao Qin had been born a few decades earlier," Zheng Da sighed. "If Master had taken him as his last disciple, he would definitely have inherited Master's mantle and wouldn't have disgraced Master's skills."

"He's definitely much better than me."

Huang Shengli glanced at Zheng Da: "Master wouldn't care about these things."

“Master will be happy as long as he sees us doing well. If you sell your pastries all over the country, Master will be just as happy for you.”

"You're a grandfather now, don't be like you were when you were young, always thinking about this and that. Qin Huai won't be our junior apprentice, nor will he inherit our master's mantle and carry on our master's skills. However, our master won't be disappointed in you either, and besides, you've already passed on your skills to Xiao Qin and Siyuan."

"Those two are much better than you."

“Yes,” Zheng Da subconsciously agreed, then—

?

"Much better than me???"

(End of this chapter)