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

Wu Xiaochun rubbed his nose, which was itchy from being choked by the fumes, and peered over to the stove.

Chen Wei was holding a large ladle and pouring the freshly fried Sichuan peppercorn oil into a large basin next to him.

Since this was a cold dish, neither of the two dishes was stir-fried separately in a small pot.

Chen Wei uses a method of marinating large batches together—of course, another reason is that he now has the large ladle, which allows for more precise control over the seasoning.

"Sizzle—"

The minced garlic and chopped chili peppers sprinkled on the surface of the large bowl instantly released their garlicky and charred aromas when heated by the hot oil.

"Cough cough—"

Wu Xiaochun coughed repeatedly from the choking, rubbing his eyes but still couldn't help taking a deep breath.

"You know what, Brother Chen! This time, the taste is definitely different!"

Chen Wei didn't even look up. He casually put the pot with the hot oil poured on it aside, and then reached out to push Wu Xiaochun back.

"It's too pungent here. If you move back a bit, you'll stop coughing!"

"Hehe..." Wu Xiaochun chuckled, scratching his head. "This smells kind of good. Although it's pungent, it actually makes your mouth water!"

Chen Wei couldn't help but shake his head. This kid, which of his own dishes doesn't make his mouth water?

He ignored Wu Xiaochun, picked up his chopsticks, and flipped all the cucumbers in the large bowl over.

The dish of cucumber with a straw raincoat isn't finished after drizzling it with oil; it needs to be soaked in the sauce for a while to absorb the flavor.

"Brother Chen!" Wu Xiaochun, who was stirring the food next to him, suddenly reached out a pair of chopsticks, with a fawning smile on his face.

"Let me try a bite! This smells so different from what you made before! Let me see how your improved version is!"

"I'll give it to you once it's marinated." Chen Wei smiled helplessly.

This kid has a habit of sneaking food from the stove, and he always has to be the first to eat.

But the base flavor hasn't penetrated the cucumber yet, so how can it taste good!

The aroma from the large basin had already reached Wu Xiaochun's nose, and he was so anxious that he scratched his head and swallowed hard.

I don't know why, but when Chen Wei's dish was first taken out of the pot, I could only smell the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and the pungent smell of millet peppers, and I couldn't smell a strong fragrance.

But now, after sitting for a while, the oily and sweet flavor of the sauce suddenly surged up.

Meanwhile, Chen Wei was stirring with chopsticks, turning each cucumber over. Wu Xiaochun looked at the amber sauce, glistening with oil, a mixture of sour, spicy, and sweet flavors. No matter how you smelled it, the aroma seemed perfectly harmonious.

The flavor of this dish was even stronger than the previous shredded radish dish, making Wu Xiaochun's mouth water. He felt that if he didn't get to eat it in the next second, he would regret it for 800 years.

He looked down at his slightly bulging belly, a look of struggle appearing on his face.

If I had known better, I wouldn't have stolen so much when I went to the well to fish for those shredded radishes! Now that he's had his belly full of shredded radishes, he can't possibly eat any more cucumbers.

He had only thought that Chen Wei's cucumber salad wouldn't taste as good as the shredded radish salad, so he ate as much as he wanted.

Who knew it would smell so good so quickly!

"Brother Chen, just let me try a little bit, just one slice, okay?"

Wu Xiaochun had only been standing there for two minutes when he spoke again. He couldn't resist any longer; the aroma was getting stronger and stronger, it was just too delicious!

"No!"

The half-sentence he had just uttered was ruthlessly rejected by Chen Wei.

To prevent Wu Xiaochun from stealing any, Chen Wei specially moved the bowl of cucumbers to the other side of the stove and covered it with a large basin.

The delicately pickled, fan-shaped cucumbers in the large basin were immediately covered up, and even their aroma was somewhat lost, making Wu Xiaochun scratch his head in frustration.

But there was no use in him being anxious, as it wasn't dinnertime yet.

If we wait until we get to eat, it will be at least another hour.

Actually, this time is just right for the aged flavor. Generally speaking, cucumbers need to be marinated for more than half an hour after being poured into the sauce to absorb the flavor.

When the cucumbers are green like jade fans, they will become crystal clear after being soaked in sauce, showing a unique amber-colored pattern. That will be absolutely amazing!

Knife skills (beginner): 100/100

Chen Wei ignored Wu Xiaochun's pleading gaze and simply opened the system panel in his mind.

At a glance, it was clear that the proficiency level of the second-tier refined steel kitchen knife in his hand had been maxed out.

He was overjoyed and immediately clicked to upgrade.

[Ding— Congratulations, host, your knife skills have leveled up: Beginner → Proficient]

[Reward: 2 chances to win a prize in the in-game store]

Chen Wei was taken aback. He thought he would be rewarded with a better recipe or unlock a new equipment slot, but this was all?

Those who have read this book know that Chen Wei's hands are black, even blacker than those of an African.

He didn't believe he could pull out anything good from the mall!

He pursed his lips and simply put the matter aside.

Since I currently have the skills to analyze recipes, I shouldn't be short of new recipes anytime soon.

Let's just take it one day at a time.

Thinking this, Chen Wei left everything in the kitchen to Wu Xiaochun to clean up, while he turned around and went outside, burying himself under the tap outside the kitchen and drenching himself thoroughly.

This darn weather is so hot today!

I don't know why, but the afternoons were getting increasingly unbearably hot.

The cicadas in the trees were too hot to chirp anymore. The entire factory area was like a giant oven that had been baked dry, and the flattened brick floor was so hot that it was almost reflective.

Chen Wei seriously suspected that if the grilling continued like this, he would eventually faint from the heat in the kitchen.

If all else fails, we can carry the electric fan Chen Jianguo gave us to the kitchen; hot air is still air, isn't it?

People of that era would be reluctant to put electrical appliances in a place like the kitchen where there is a lot of oil and smoke, but Chen Wei didn't think that old-fashioned electric fan was anything special—this kind of thing is everywhere in later generations, and ordinary people don't care about it.

Home appliances, as the name suggests, are for people to use! If they can't bring convenience and comfort to people after being bought, then what's the point of having them!

After giving his upper body a hard rinse under the tap, Chen Wei finally caught his breath from the sweltering heat.

After catching his breath in the cool shade of a tree for a while, he got up to go back to his dormitory to get an electric fan.

-

Meanwhile, groans of agony filled the steelmaking workshop of Tianjin No. 1 Steel Plant.

The industrial furnace was burning brightly, baking the entire workshop.

The workers in the workshop were all wearing triangular pockets, shirtless, and sweating profusely, as if they wanted to peel their skin off.

"Comrades, the water's here! Everyone take a break and have some water! Don't faint from the heat!"

Zhao Xuegong, the line manager in the steelmaking workshop, shouted loudly.