In the 1970s, it started with contracting out communal dining.

In the porcelain-white enamel pot, the milky-white, thick trotter soup was still steaming, with a faint fragrance of angelica and kidney beans mingling with the rich aroma of meat, making one's mouth water.

Zhao Lanzhi's Adam's apple bobbed as she looked at the bowl of soup in front of her with some surprise.

She was a native of Jinshi and had never seen anything like it before.

The young man in front of her today really opened her eyes. She had heard Lin Xiaoyan mention him before, saying that he was a head chef at Tianjin No. 1 Steel Company. But when she met him today, Zhao Lanzhi found him to be humble and polite, which she liked very much.

Seeing that her two children had already picked up the soup spoons and filled their bowls, Zhao Lanzhi hesitated for a moment before scooping a spoonful of soup into her own bowl.

There was only a pig's trotter and a few green beans in the bowl. To be honest, Zhao Lanzhi didn't usually like this kind of white meat soup, but for some reason today, she wanted to take a spoonful just from the smell.

Looking at the bowl of tender, falling-off-the-bone pig's trotter soup in front of her, she hesitated before finally reaching out with her spoon and carefully putting a mouthful of clear broth into her mouth.

The moment the soup touched her lips, Zhao Lanzhi was momentarily stunned.

The broth is infused with the rich aroma of pork trotters, and has a tender, gelatinous texture that melts in your mouth. As the broth slides onto your tongue, a subtle fragrance and the aroma of medicinal herbs emerge in the aftertaste. It's sweet, smooth, and flavorful, offering a multi-layered experience with every bite.

"It's delicious!" Zhao Lanzhi couldn't help but praise.

Zhao Lanzhi quickly picked up her chopsticks again, carefully picked up the stewed pig's trotter that was stewed until it was soft and tender, and gently put it in her mouth.

The pig's trotters are tender and glutinous, with soft skin and tender tendons. They melt in your mouth with just a gentle touch of your tongue, and a mouthful of rich collagen slides directly into your mouth. Zhao Lanzhi couldn't help but smile and forget to talk, immediately burying her head to savor the food.

The mother and her two children ate in silence, and soon each of them finished a bowl of pig's trotter soup, and they were all covered in sweat.

"Ah...that feels good!" Lin Xiaohu wiped his face like an adult and let out a satisfied sigh.

Seeing him like that made Chen Wei want to laugh.

Lin Xiaoyan, who was standing next to her, pushed the other two dishes toward her mother and younger brother.

He said excitedly, "Quickly try these two dishes! Chef Chen's dishes are delicious! They're especially good with rice!"

This time, Zhao Lanzhi had no doubts and immediately reached out with her chopsticks to take a bite.

Her expression softened with enjoyment, clearly showing that she was very satisfied with Chen Wei's cooking.

After finishing the meal, the bowls and plates were cleaned, and Chen Wei also felt quite full.

To be honest, he barely ate a few bites of the food at the state-run restaurant before Lin Xiaoyan pulled him out.

After dinner, Zhao Lanzhi cleared the table and washed the dishes, and the relationship between Lin Xiaoyan and her siblings and Chen Wei became even closer.

When Chen Wei was leaving, Zhao Lanzhi specifically instructed Lin Xiaoyan to see him off at the door and also specifically told Chen Wei to come again next time.

-

Since the news of Chen Wei winning the culinary competition reached the factory, Chen Wei's status in the factory has risen accordingly.

Everyone who sees him respectfully calls him Chef Chen.

The cafeteria food was still being prepared, but Chen Wei's status was indeed different now.

Just because the factory manager kept his promise, he raised Chen Wei's salary and position.

Now Chen Wei is the real head of the cafeteria, and the entire kitchen staff is happy for him.

More importantly, Chen Jianguo actually managed to get the refrigerator he had promised Chen Wei!

Chen Wei had no idea where his uncle got so much money that he could even get a ration coupon for something as rare as a refrigerator.

However, this was not something he should worry about. With great difficulty, Chen Wei finally received his salary and managed to scrape together 48 yuan to return to Wang Defa.

Because of this, Chen Wei even made a special trip to Wang Defa's house.

Wang Defa didn't care about Chen Wei repaying the money; he just inquired in detail about Chen Wei winning the championship.

In the end, he exclaimed, "You're talented! Don't waste that talent. Work hard, and you'll have your chance to shine in the future!"

Chen Wei didn't really care whether he could make a big splash or not; he only had one thing on his mind lately.

That means Wang Xiuli is retiring from the kitchen.

Wang Xiuli was originally too old to retire, so she applied for medical retirement this time.

Having worked in the factory for so many years, I have some connections, so although I was officially discharged due to illness, I wasn't actually sick.

According to Wang Xiuli, her daughter-in-law is about to give birth to a grandson, and she has to go home to take care of her daughter-in-law and the grandson. She is afraid that she will not have time to come back to work after this trip, so she simply took sick leave early and gave her position in the kitchen to her youngest son.

Wang Xiuli's youngest son is 22 years old this year, not much older than Chen Weixu. He is a quiet, dark-faced, round-headed boy who is quite efficient at his work and has good skills. I heard that he used to work in the kitchen of another large factory, but he was a temporary worker there, not a permanent employee.

So now that Wang Xiuli has retired, she immediately introduced her youngest son to the company, where he became a full-time employee and took her place.

Chen Wei was quite satisfied with this young man named Yang Zhengbao. He didn't talk much, was quick and efficient, and had some skill in chopping and cutting. He could also help Chen Wei improve his skills.

So as soon as this kid arrived, Chen Wei immediately discussed with Wang Xiuli whether they could take him on as an apprentice.

Wang Xiuli was naturally delighted. Chen Wei's skills were undeniable, and if her son could become his apprentice, he would surely be able to learn a skill from Chen Wei in the future, just like Lin Jun and Wu Xiaochun.

Putting everything else aside, just considering Chen Wei's skills, even if he only learned two or three tenths of them, it would be enough for him to live on for a lifetime.

As for the apprentices' wages being lower than those of regular employees, Wang Xiuli considered this trivial matter far less important than her son's long-term future, so she readily agreed.

Chen Wei noticed that although Wang Xiuli was missing from the kitchen and a new person had joined, the number of people eating had increased due to the recent drop in temperature and the increasing number of overtime shifts at the factory.

The kitchen is always busy, especially with that kid Wu Xiaochun, who is always trying to cheat and shirk his responsibilities. Whether it's chopping or cooking, the quality of his food is very inconsistent. When there's a real rush to serve a dish, Chen Wei has to step in himself.

So Chen Wei started thinking about whether he could recruit two more apprentices.

It just so happened that Chen Jianguo was on duty at the factory that day. He brought a big bag of sesame paste eggs to Chen Wei, so Chen Wei simply pulled Chen Jianguo into the dormitory to discuss the matter with him.

"Uncle, I'd like to hire two apprentices, but I don't know if your factory has any plans to do so recently."