Chapter 742 The Best (Wish everyone a healthy Dragon Boat Festival!)
Regarding Chef Arnold's escape, Sun Maocai and others did not react much. .
There wasn't much of a reaction, mainly because Tao Shu was just an ordinary assistant chef in the top-floor restaurant, and what he said had little credibility, just like if Sang Ming told others that Jiang Feng had run away and changed jobs to Yongheju, not many people would believe it.
Sun Maocai told Jiang Feng that when he was working at a Hong Kong restaurant, he would often take several days of leave to go abroad for exchanges or competitions. This was especially true for a competition maniac like Chef Arnold. Sudden disappearance was very normal and there was no need to make a fuss.
It's just that the timing of his disappearance happened to be coincidental, so it looked a bit like he ran away. Chef Arnold's character is not someone who runs away at all.
Hearing what Sun Maocai said, Jiang Feng actually felt a little relieved.
Rather than what Chef Arnold will do when he returns to the United States, everyone is more concerned about when Peng Changping will arrive.
Jiang Feng had just told everyone that Peng Changping wanted to take Zhou Shi as his disciple. It was a happy event and it would make everyone happy. Some of the people were happy, some were jealous, and some were confused about the situation, but one thing was undoubted. The protagonist today was Zhou Shi, and no one could steal his grace.
Even the cold sea cucumber prepared by Zhou Shi was protected and placed in a very safe place. Make sure that no one accidentally touches it while passing by or anything strange floats in, which will affect its taste and taste.
It can be called VIP level protection.
Zhou Shi knew nothing about it and even chatted with Tao Shu who was very calm.
Zhou Shi, who had just finished ordering, found that the menu of Tai Feng Restaurant had been updated a lot. He couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect that the menu would have changed after I left for more than half a year."
"Oh, have there been a lot of changes?" Tao Shu asked curiously.
“The price has increased a lot.”
Tao Shu:?
Zhou Shi sighed and sighed sadly: "If I had left my job half a year later, I might have been able to take over the larger store nearby."
Tao Shu:? ? ?
Tao Shu had nothing to eat before the food was served, so he could only drink a few sips of free kumquat lemonade: "How do I feel? You seem...a little regretful."
Tao Shu didn't understand why Zhou Shi spoke with such a nostalgic tone about his old club. He felt that if one day he saved enough money to go back to his hometown to open a store, he would definitely leave the top-floor restaurant happily without any nostalgia.
Zhou Shi is now living the life he longed for.
"Are you sorry?" Zhou Shi himself didn't even realize that his tone just now was not quite right. "Maybe it was only after I opened the store that I realized...it was different from what I originally imagined."
Tao Shu looked at Zhou Shi, rarely chattering, and listened to him quietly.
"I always felt that it was not good to live outside, without a fixed place to live, and without security. No matter how hard or tiring I was, I was still working for others, and the money I could get every month was just a dead salary. Even if I got a bonus, I still made a lot of money. It’s not much, so I might as well save enough money to open a shop back home, have a more stable life, and be able to spend time with my parents.”
Tao Shu nodded, he thought so too.
"But when I actually opened the store, I found that it was not as beautiful as I thought. I have stayed in Peking for more than ten years, and I have long been accustomed to the busy life of nine to five every day. I was actually tired after I returned. , especially when selecting a site for the early decoration and recruiting workers, although my mother helped But during those few months, I was still busy from morning to night, but I always felt that I was still too leisurely. I was very busy every day, and I didn’t even want to say anything after I came home from the store and took a shower, just lying in bed. I just want to sleep, but I always feel relaxed, but something is missing.”
"After opening the store, the business in the store was indeed pretty good. I made much more money than when I was in Peiping, but...but I just felt something was wrong. I just felt that this was not what I wanted. Isn't it a little too pretentious?" Zhou Shi laughed at himself. He smiled and said, "Especially when I went into the kitchen and took a look around, I didn't even say a few words. I just made a dish. The feeling was the same as when I was at work, but when I was making this dish, I felt very Enriched.”
Tao Shu:?
"I think you are just a little nostalgic for the old working environment when you entered the kitchen just now. Didn't you tell me that the working environment in Tai Feng Building was good before? You are just a little nostalgic. Let me tell you, if you really If you close your shop and come back to work, you will definitely miss the time when you opened the shop again." Tao Shudao glanced at the waiter walking towards him and said hurriedly, "The food is served, let's eat first. I’m starving.”
Zhou Shi smiled and said nothing, and ate quietly.
The dishes were all ordered during the week, and I didn’t order more than three dishes and one soup. Although Tao Shu works in the top-floor restaurant, the top-floor restaurant does not let each chef take turns cooking like Tai Feng Tower. The staff meals in the top-floor restaurant are even worse than those in Yongheju, and they are more perfunctory.
It's not like Zhou Shi who just got a girlfriend when he was 30 years old. He has a family, a wife and children. He has a lot of daily expenses and lives a tight life. It is impossible for him to come to Tai Feng House. A restaurant of this price range.
I ate the meal with such gusto that I didn’t even want to say anything, and only after I finished eating did I turn on the chatterbox mode.
"Zhou Shi, let me tell you, don't even think about closing the store in your hometown and running to Peiping again." Tao Shu still remembered what Zhou Shi told him before eating, "Our original store Do you still have contact with those people who work together there? ”
Zhou Shi shook his head. The only person he had kept in touch with over the years was Tao Shu.
"Let me tell you, someone like me is pretty good. Xiao Wang, remember, I was recruited into the store in the same batch as you. When I first entered the store, I knew nothing like you. The one who can do the chores but is not allowed to cut them.”
Jing Taoshu seemed to have some impression on Zhou Shi when he said this.
"I have an impression, the tall one?" Zhou Shi asked.
"Yes, that's it. He returned to his hometown a few years ago and stopped working as a chef. I heard that he later went to work in sales, first selling furniture, and then selling houses. It seemed that he made some money selling houses. Back to my hometown," Tao Shu said. "I still have some contact with him. When you returned to your hometown to open a store, I mentioned it to him casually. You don't know that he envied you. Let me tell you, there were so many people in our store at the beginning, but now you are the most popular. OK.”
"Actually, I have always thought that you are the best. I am lucky. My father is a chef. I have learned a little from him since I was a child. Later, I worked in a store and learned a few skills from the old master because of my connections. I can also Work as a kitchen assistant in one of those big hotels." Tao Shu burped, "Although I haven't saved much money over the years, I haven't starved to death at all. Fortunately, I bought a house early when I got married, otherwise I want to buy a house and pay off the mortgage to the bank. Don’t even give me this chance.”
Zhou Shi was amused by his last sentence.
"Don't laugh, I'm telling you the truth. I'll tell you the truth, I thought you were awesome from the beginning. You told me what you knew when you first entered the store. You knew how to hold a knife, and you couldn't hold it correctly for cutting vegetables. I don’t know how to do it, and no one teaches me. I just watch others and learn it secretly.”
"I remember that I didn't know how to cut meat at that time. I always cut it in a mess and got scolded by Master Zhan. It was you who taught me later." Zhou Shi said with a smile.
"How can I be a teacher? Meat cutting is so easy. Even if I don't teach you how to watch other people watch it, you can still watch it in a week or two. At that time, I just felt strange. I had to come to the kitchen to find a job, and it was hard. You are tired and have no money, and you know nothing. You work the most and get the least.”
"I was only a teenager at that time, how could I think so much? I happened to see a job recruitment notice posted at the door of the hotel and I went to apply for it. I applied for the job in a daze. I had no money in my pocket and couldn't even pay the rent, so I had to force myself. Keep going with your scalp," Zhou Shi said.
"Actually, I wasn't convinced at first. Master Zhan has such a bad temper. At that time, I always asked Master Zhan to teach me something because of my connections. He didn't teach me much, and he didn't give me a good look. What about you? You have only been in the store for less than half a year, and Master Zhan is willing to teach you two good dishes. At that time, I was much better than you." Uncle Tao said too much. I felt my mouth was a little dry, so I drank another half cup of kumquat and lemon juice, "But in fact, I can figure it out later, why didn't Master Zhan teach you? You are just a handyman, and I let you cut vegetables because there are not enough people in the kitchen. You are the last I didn’t even know how to cut meat at first, but after just a few months, the dishes looked pretty good.”
"You are so smart. If I were Master Zhan, I would teach you too."
"Actually, Master Zhan didn't take the initiative to teach me. I learned it secretly at first." Zhou Shi said.
Tao Shu was shocked.
"At first, I just felt that the miscellaneous money was too little. If I could get better at cooking and become a cutter or even a stove cook, my salary would be much higher. So I wanted to see how other people did it. Yes, learn a little bit yourself.”
"At that time, my idea was very simple. Although our store was not big, the business was always good, all because of Master Zhan's excellent cooking skills. I felt that we were stealing lessons anyway. If you want to steal, just steal the best, and you are not afraid of death. I was courteous to Master Zhan every day, and went to hang out with him. I wanted to see more, but I actually learned something from him. ”
Tao Shu was so shocked that he couldn't speak. He didn't expect Zhou Shi to embark on the journey of being a chef like this.
"Because it wasn't very honorable, I never dared to tell others. Later, Master Zhan discovered that I was cheating on my studies. Master Zhan was actually quite angry, but it was rare that he didn't get angry. Instead, he taught me two dishes. He helped me lay a solid foundation and taught me a lot of basic skills," Zhou Shi said, "Master Zhan is a very good person."
"Yes, Master Zhan is a very nice person." Tao Shu agreed, "You are so stupid. You should have directly accepted Master Zhan as your disciple."
"I'm not afraid of your jokes. Do you know who I wanted to be my teacher at that time?"
"Who?" Tao Shu asked curiously.
"Didn't Master Zhan say that you can only worship one serious master? Once you accept it, you can't change it, otherwise it will be betraying the master and deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors. At that time, I wanted to be the best in everything I did and I learned it secretly. When I wanted to steal the best, I stole the master's business, and when I became a disciple, I also wanted to be the best, so..." Zhou Shi was joking as he spoke, leaving Tao Shu confused.
"Do you remember that Master Zhan always told us that his father was the chef in Yongheju?" Zhou Shi asked.
"Remember, of course I remember, Master Zhan always said that he wished he could say it three times a day. What he said was that his father was originally a chef in Yongheju, but he was not very lucky and was a little older than he was before he could become Master Peng Changping as his apprentice. His father If I had been able to take Master Peng as my disciple back then, I would definitely be different now. , Big difference. Master Zhan brags about Master Peng Changping every day, wishing he could blow Master Peng to the sky, as if he had seen it before." Tao Shu became excited when he talked about it, and he suddenly reacted with an expression of disbelief. Looking at Zhou Shi, he even stretched out his hand to point at him, his hand stopped in mid-air.
"You...you shouldn't..."
Zhou Shi nodded helplessly.
"Wow, can you...can you..." Tao Shuke couldn't say a word for a long time, "You can think clearly. No wonder you told me that you wanted to go to the United States. I thought you were I want to go play.”
"At that time, I just wanted to take a look. Didn't I give up later because I didn't know where Master Peng lived? Besides, how old was I at that time? I was only 20, okay? 10 years ago!"
"But now that Master Peng has returned to China, why don't you give it a try?" A voice that did not belong to Zhou Shi and Tao Shu came from behind Zhou Shi.
Zhou Shi turned around and saw Peng Changping with a smile on his face and Lu Sheng who was staring at the ground as if the floor tiles in Tai Feng Building were very beautiful, very unique and very attractive.
"Why are you here? Didn't you go to Yonghe for tea in the afternoon?" Zhou Shi was a little surprised.
"I have something to do today so I didn't come to Tai Feng Building for a casual meal with my juniors. I didn't expect to see you. The table I booked is right next to yours." Peng Changping said with a smile and pointed to the table next door that had always been empty. table.
Lu Sheng continued to stare at the ground.
"You haven't answered me yet. Hasn't Master Peng Changping returned to China now? I think you have a chance. Weren't you originally the chef of Tai Feng House? Now Tai Feng House is unparalleled and outstanding. I think You can try it, maybe Master Peng will say that you are... a closed disciple."
Lu Sheng was still staring at the ground, eager to find a crack for him to jump to.
"Don't make fun of me. I'm just an ordinary chef. I've never been on the list of famous chefs. How can I be recognized by Master Peng and accept him as an apprentice? Didn't I tell you before? Master Peng is already a hundred years old. How could I still accept an apprentice? Besides, I am already 30, who would accept such a big apprentice these days?" Zhou Shiquan thought Peng Changping was joking with him.
Lu Sheng had something to say, but he knew that he couldn't say it, at least not now.
"How will you know if you don't try? Maybe the Master Peng you mentioned just wants to recruit a closed disciple, and maybe he likes to recruit people in their 30s." Peng Changping had the words "I am a master" written all over his face.
"Stop joking."
Peng Changping stopped talking, went to sit at the table next to Zhou Shi, and said to Lu Sheng, "Send a message to ask them to serve."
Lu Sheng immediately took out his mobile phone and started sending messages.
Over in the kitchen, Jiang Feng had been holding on to his cell phone and waiting for news from Lu Sheng since he received the news from Lu Sheng that they were about to arrive. Seeing that Lu Sheng finally sent a message telling him that the food was ready to be served, Jiang Feng quickly brought the cold sea cucumber to the serving window. Qian warned the waiter in charge to remember to hold it carefully and not to spill it.
The waiter carried the cold sea cucumber with a solemn expression and walked extremely slowly and carefully.
Tao Shu had sharp eyes and could tell from a distance that the waiter was going to serve Peng Changping and his group the food on the table. He sighed: "It's best to make a reservation in advance. The food can be served as soon as you arrive without having to wait."
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Zhou Shi subconsciously looked towards the waiter and immediately saw the plate of cold sea cucumbers she was holding.
Very familiar.
This is exactly the same set he made just now!
It's still the kind that hasn't been touched at all.
Zhou Shi watched helplessly as the waiter brought the cold sea cucumber he made earlier to Peng Changping's table. He looked at Peng Changping, who smiled at him and picked up his chopsticks.
Zhou Shi:?
He suddenly felt that something was not quite right.
It's not that something is wrong, it's very wrong.
Who is this old gentleman? (End of chapter)