Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 174 Graduation

Han San nodded and said, "Go for it. Your team's success in going for it is pretty impressive. Look at all the other classes these days, they're all privately run. You guys go directly to the Longcheng Labor Bureau's Vocational and Technical Training Center, and that immediately elevates your status. A lot of people want to learn technical skills, but this stuff costs money, and people are afraid of being ripped off. But yours is a public institution, and you have restaurants and food factories backing you up, so you won't have to worry about students."

Xiao Wei said, "We have no problem with the chefs and pastry chefs; the instructors are all from Liu Jingxian's team. But how do you arrange the pastry instructors?"

Han San said, "Damn, you two are really something! You actually got Liu Jingxian to provide you with a teacher? That's incredible. Don't worry about me, the teacher is from Guangdong. Ever heard of Li Guoxiong? You guys probably haven't heard of him since you're not in this industry. He's the best in the Western-style pastry business in China. He's received some kind of national award. I have his books here, I'll bring you a couple back to take a look. I've got him here, and his apprentice will be able to run a class with ease. Just use his books as teaching materials, and I'll provide the tools and everything else, but the students will have to buy them, okay? And when you open a shop, I'll provide a master craftsman to help you open it. I'll also provide a discount on all the equipment and raw materials, okay? I'll even give you the equipment you two wanted."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "That's fine. We don't need you to send our equipment; just buy it for us. You can get a set for the training center. We don't know anything about this yet, and we don't know what we need. We'll see when the instructor comes. Anyway, the first batch of trainees will open the factory soon. We'll get the equipment and raw materials from you. But can we wait until the factory is fully operational before paying?"

Han San nodded and said, "Okay, I already said I'd give it to you. I'd be happy if you paid me. Paying later is still money, right? Haha."

Xia Maosheng said, "I see quite a few shops doing this on the street, including several large ones. Why don't we do it this way? We can source all the equipment and raw materials from the school, set up a materials and equipment department there, and then the students can source their goods from there when they go back to open their own shops, instead of coming all the way to Fengtian. This might be better for you, Boss Han. Of course, our prices can't be outrageous; they have to be the normal market prices."

Han San thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's a good idea, okay, let's do it this way. I'll ship directly to you, and you can then supply your stores. I'll give you a price, and whether you pay more or not is up to you; I won't interfere. Here's the arrangement: if we have more than ten stores, we'll find a place in Fengtian to hold a meeting once a year. I'll book a hotel, bring Lao Li over, and we'll have a three-day meeting to discuss the latest techniques and formulas—all for free. You'll only need to pay for your round-trip transportation and accommodation; we'll cover all the food. How about that?"

Xiao Wei said, "That's great. I was thinking the same thing. Returning students can come back for a few days of training each year to increase the school's influence and student cohesion."

Han San slapped his thigh and said, "Then it's settled. When are you two free? Come over and we'll sign an agreement. After that, I'll go to your place to check things out. We'll get everything ready before the New Year, and then we can start classes right after. I'll be counting on you guys to make money from now on! Haha."

Xiao Wei glanced at Xia Maosheng and said, "Let's forget about today. How about tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow? We'll come over early the day after tomorrow. We still need to buy some cooking utensils and such. Third Brother, could you help us get everything we need? I'll give you the money all at once afterward."

Han San said, "Okay, that's settled then. You two go ahead and get busy. I'll also do some calculations and call Lao Li." He stood up, walked to the side, took two books from a paper package on the shelf, and handed them to Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng: "Take a look when you get back; these aren't available on the market."

The two took it and saw that it was a rather thick book with colorful pages. The cover had pictures of cakes and pastries printed on it, and the inside cover had the title: "Li Guoxiong's Art Cakes" and a photo of a middle-aged man with a typical eastern Guangdong appearance. Without a doubt, this was Li Guoxiong.

The two people left Guanyuan with the books, went straight out along the alley, and turned a corner to reach the Cultural Palace.

After exchanging a few words with the old man on the first floor and lighting a cigarette, the two of them went upstairs. There was no one in the classroom. As they walked further in, they opened the door to the dormitory and saw several classmates sitting there talking.

During this period, there were still about twenty people staying in Fengtian to find places for internships, but only seven of them lived here. The rest stayed at their internship locations because of the distance. For example, Luo Qinghe and Yang Tiebin stayed in hotels there.

The two entered the house, and everyone greeted them. Xiao Wei glanced around and saw that they were all people who had stayed in Fengtian and hadn't left; none of them had gone home. He asked, "Why aren't they all back? Is it because of exams tomorrow?"

Qi Guangjun said, "I estimate that most of them will be back tonight. It starts at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. If you don't participate, you won't get your certificate. Who wouldn't come back?"

An Saijun strolled over, looking like he'd gained even more weight. He was carrying a large plastic teacup, a new item that was popular in the early 90s. It was quite expensive and had a high-class feel.

He walked to the door, took the thermos to refill the teacup, and said, "What exam? Everyone who paid the money got a certificate. Tomorrow is just a formality. It doesn't matter whether you come or not."

Xiao Wei asked him, "Who told you that?"

An Saijun slurped down a mouthful of hot water and said, "Little Li Na came up to register yesterday to see how many people are taking the exam. We need to prepare materials, four dishes per person, that's quite a lot. The boss would love if no one came to take the exam, it would save us a lot of money."

Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng looked at each other in disbelief: Is this even possible?

Xiao Wei turned to An Saijun and asked, "Are you still going to take the exam?"

An Saijun nodded and said, "Sure, why not? A time limit and specific dishes—it's a great opportunity to practice. After you're done, you'll have a better understanding of your own abilities. Those of you who don't practice much should definitely take a test to get a feel for the atmosphere; it'll be beneficial."

Xia Maosheng asked, "Do you know how many people came to take the exam?"

An Saijun shook his head and said, "I don't know. You guys are so close to Li Na, why don't you just go down and ask her? I asked her, but she ignored me."

Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng turned and went downstairs, searching the hotel lobby but finding no one. They went down again and, sure enough, found their target in Sister Jin's boudoir.

"Oh? You two are back? When did you arrive?" Sister Jin, sitting in a chair, turned her head and saw the two of them. Li Na, who was lying on Sister Jin's small bed, only turned her head to look when she heard Sister Jin speak: "What's going on with you two? Taking an exam?"

Xiao Wei said, "Of course! After we finish learning, we have to take a test, right? To see how many people come back to take it."

Li Na thought for a moment and said, "There are about thirty people, almost half of them. Old Zhao is going to cry, haha."

Xiao Wei asked, "Why are you crying?"

Li Na sat up and said, "Four dishes: braised pork slices, stir-fried pork with celery, braised fish, candied sweet potatoes, and three deep-fried dishes. Two fish per person. As for the meat, four ounces, you'll want that. And the oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar—you do the math, it'll cost quite a bit."

Xiao Wei asked, "What do we do with the vegetables now? Throw them away?"

Li Na said, "That's about enough. Who would eat that much? Besides, can anyone even eat it? Old Zhao can just take it back and give it to the neighbors."

(End of this chapter)