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

"Snap—"

Just then, I heard Chen Wei from the kitchen throw the batter in his hand directly into the bowl and say with a happy expression.

"Perfect!"

Then I saw the other person pick up the large basin of pickled fish and the half-basin of batter, and stride over to the stove.

The coal-fired stove was already burning brightly under Lin Jun's fire. Lin Jun was using another stove, Chen Wei's stove. As soon as he opened the air damper, the flames shot up with a whoosh.

Without saying a word, he placed the large double-handled pot on the stove and poured the oil from under the stove into the pot.

"Ton ton ton—"

The stale smell only stopped after most of the oil had been poured out.

This scene made the apprentices behind him click their tongues in amazement. Good heavens, how much oil must that have taken!

This is truly a precious dish!

While they were still in a daze, they saw Chen Wei steadily lift the fish, place it in the batter, flip it over, and coat the fish evenly with the batter. He even carefully smoothed every crevice of the fish with his fingers.

This step is to ensure the batter coats the fish evenly, making it easier to form a crispy crust during frying and preventing the moisture and flavor of the fish inside from escaping.

【Ding--】

Just after I finished doing all that, I heard a system notification in my ear. It turned out that the oil temperature had risen to 60% of its maximum heat.

This is the optimal oil temperature for frying fish. When frying the fish for the first time, ensure the oil temperature is 60% hot to set the skin. Then, fry the fish again at 80% hot to ensure it is cooked through and has a crispy exterior and tender interior.

Chen Wei held the fish steadily in his wrist, and with a flick of his wrist, the decorative cuts already made on the fish instantly fell down, like a large peony blooming.

"Sizzle—"

The fish was already in the pot, and the hot oil boiled instantly. The fish body was slightly bent in the oil, and the tail was still held in Chenwei's hand.

Chenwei, seemingly unaffected by the temperature of the hot oil, firmly gripped the fish's tail with a pair of iron hands, steadily bending the fish into a posture of leaping over the dragon gate, while the outer skin quickly turned golden and set in the appropriate oil temperature.

Chen Wei then picked up a large ladle, scooped up a spoonful of hot oil, and slowly poured it over the upside-down fish.

The peony flower gradually hardened in the hot oil, and finally, seeing that it was almost done frying, Chen Wei immersed the fish completely into the hot oil.

He turned around and quickly went to get another fish to coat with batter.

After hanging the second fish, the first fish was fried to perfection. Chen Wei immediately scooped the first fish onto a slotted spoon and set it aside to drain the oil.

This step is to remove the oily taste from the fish and make it crispier.

Within minutes, the second fish was fried until it was set, and Chenwei repeated the above steps until all seven fish were fried.

Chen Wei then scooped all the fish out and set them aside, then turned up the heat to raise the oil temperature by another degree.

When the oil temperature reaches 80% of its maximum heat, all the fish are thrown into the pot for a second fry. This step serves two purposes: first, to make the outer skin brighter, and second, to ensure that the fish meat is cooked through from the inside out.

The aroma of the fried carp wafted out as soon as it hit the pan.

It's a unique aroma that belongs to wild carp. Anyone who loves to eat fish will recognize this smell. Farmed fish can never have this kind of chewy texture that wild carp have.

"Wow, it smells good! Is it ready?"

Even Qian Rumei, who was standing outside the small window looking expectantly, smelled the fragrance and looked at Lin Xiaoyan in surprise.

To everyone's surprise, Lin Xiaoyan shook her head firmly: "Not yet, the final step of coating the sauce on this dish is what makes it so fragrant!"

"Wow! It seems you've been researching quite a few dishes in private. Is it for your chef Chen?"

Qian Rumei teased Lin Xiaoyan in a loud voice, which prompted Lin Xiaoyan to throw a punch at her.

"You're making fun of me! I'm not going to be friends with you anymore!"

"I was wrong, I was wrong! My dear lady, please don't be angry!"

The two girls were bickering, while Chen Wei had already begun the final step.

This is also the most crucial step in making this dish—preparing the sweet and sour sauce.

Chen Wei quickly grabbed a clean double-handled pot from the side, casually scooped in a little oil, heated it up, and then added scallions, ginger, and garlic to sauté until fragrant. Afterward, he used a large ladle to stir-fry the sweet and sour sauce, strictly following the golden ratio given by the system.

7 parts aged vinegar, 3 parts rock sugar, a little light soy sauce, a small spoonful of tomato sauce, and an appropriate amount of water.

Under the precise control of the large ladle, the sweet and sour ratio is perfectly balanced; a touch more and it's too sour, a touch less and it's too sweet.

The broth simmered in the pot, slowly thickening and turning a glossy red. The aroma filled the nostrils, a blend of sour and sweet, making one's stomach rumble with anticipation.

The few people who were busy cooking in the kitchen all put down what they were doing, swallowed hard, and looked toward Chen Wei's stove.

Even Lin Jun momentarily forgot about the dishes he was cooking in the pot.

The broth was almost ready. Chen Wei took a little bit of clear oil from the side and poured it into the broth from a height. In that instant, the sweet and sour sauce turned bright red and crystal clear, clinging to the spoon without dripping.

"Sizzle—!"

The scalding hot sweet and sour sauce was poured over the already plated fish in one go.

The rich sauce dripped down the crispy outer layer, immediately seeping into every crevice of the intricate cuts, filling the entire kitchen with its aroma.

[Congratulations, host, on successfully preparing the sweet and sour carp! Now serve it to your guests and get ready for their praise!]

Just then, the system emitted a bright notification sound.

Chen Wei then remembered that this dish also had the function of increasing reputation points.

He held the plate of sweet and sour carp he had just made, and turned around to look for the first customer to try it. But he saw a long line of seven or eight pairs of eyes staring at him.

Even Lin Xiaoyan and her friends, who were originally waiting outside the cafeteria, slipped into the kitchen from the cafeteria entrance at some point. The girls' mouths were practically dripping with saliva, and they all stared blankly at the sweet and sour carp in their hands, as if they couldn't wait to pounce on it.

Chen Wei felt a little scared by that look in his eyes.

"Um... the sweet and sour carp is ready, who wants to try it...?"

"I!"

"Me! Me! Me!"

Before he could finish speaking, the people opposite him immediately responded as if they were trying to answer.

They all turned to grab chopsticks and swarmed over like a beehive.

Lin Xiaoyan couldn't hold back any longer. She quickly pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder next to her and ran to Chen Wei's side first, carefully picking up a piece of fish belly meat.

"Click—"

Before even taking a bite, you hear a crisp snapping sound as the pastry breaks.

Lin Xiaoyan couldn't help but exclaim, "So crisp!"