Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 771 - 391: Mastered Snacks

On that day, many chefs at Huang Ji noticed that while Master Qin was preparing snacks, he would take out a small iron tube and shake it, seemingly making some kind of balls. The shaking didn’t last long, usually a few minutes before he went back to kneading dough or preparing the filling.

Everyone was curious but didn’t dare to ask because Qin Huai’s odd behavior wasn’t new. Qin Huai had been at Huang Ji for quite some time, and all the chefs in Huang’s Kitchen, including helpers, knew that since he was young, Qin Huai loved to fantasize, often imagining he had a system that gave him tasks, which required him to frequently complete various mysterious tasks.

His symptoms seemed strange enough to warrant hospitalization, but given Qin Huai’s outstanding culinary skills and rapid progress, such peculiar symptoms could be deemed the common trait of a genius.

After all, with geniuses on the left, madmen on the right, I just stood in the middle watching dumbfoundedly. Watching is fine; don’t think too much.

By lunchtime, everyone finally found out what Qin Huai was shaking.

Lotus root powder balls.

Over the course of the morning, Qin Huai made quite a few lotus root powder balls, as their preparation was truly simple. From everyone’s reactions, Qin Huai could see that this method of making balls was indeed rare, as many only realized what Qin Huai was shaking when they picked up the lotus root powder balls.

Dong Shi didn’t know.

But he loved eating them.

The recipe stipulated that one bowl should contain only 6 lotus root powder balls, but as Qin Huai was just starting out, he was very cautious each time he added lotus root powder.

Without mastering the technique, less lotus root powder made it easier to shake, so Qin Huai was at a stage where he didn’t dare add too much powder or shake them too many times. Better to make smaller balls than to make a mess.

Since the balls were rather small, a bowl couldn’t be limited to just 6. Qin Huai cooked them in a big pot and added white sugar and honey to the soup, allowing everyone to serve themselves and enjoy the lotus root powder balls buffet-style.

Initially, Dong Shi feared Qin Huai’s lotus root powder balls might be like the previous Four Happiness glutinous rice balls where he had used family members as guinea pigs, so he cautiously took only three or four balls. After finding them delicious, he filled a whole bowl.

With the bowl in hand, Dong Shi approached Qin Huai, munching as he asked unclearly, "Qin Huai, what made you suddenly decide to make these lotus root powder balls? I thought you wanted to learn Four Happiness Rolls; last time, you even asked me to find out why Junior Master Zheng didn’t make them."

"Don’t you think lotus root powder balls are delicious?" Qin Huai also held a bowl of lotus root powder balls, glancing at Zheng Siyuan not far away munching on them, "They are easy to make and relaxing, plus it helps practice finesse; I think they’re great."

Dong Shi was convinced and continued munching, "They are tasty, though the balls are a bit small."

Finishing, Dong Shi suddenly lowered his voice, "I heard a juicy piece of gossip last night."

Seeing Dong Shi’s manner, Qin Huai knew it was likely a pretty spicy piece of gossip because for ordinary gossip, Dong Shi would just say it out without the build-up.

"What?" Qin Huai asked cooperatively.

"Fen Garden is going to close for a month."

"Ah?" Qin Huai was genuinely shocked. Gong Liang had just returned from Fen Garden, and Qin Huai had planned to visit Beiping someday and dine at Fen Garden to experience the skills of chefs ranked in the top 10 of the legendary Chef Record.

"Why?" Qin Huai pursued.

"Apparently, Master Xia’s apprentice, who studied in Japan, has returned, and Master Xia plans to shut down and research new dishes with him for a month. The news caused a stir among Fen Garden’s patrons; everyone is scrambling to reserve seats a month in advance. I heard the price for a table has skyrocketed to over a hundred thousand, not counting drinks."

Qin Huai gained a new understanding of Fen Garden’s pricing.

"I remember you once mentioned Master Xia’s apprentice is a Chinese-French mix; how did he end up studying in Japan?" Qin Huai asked.

"Who knows, maybe he speaks Japanese." Dong Shi humorously quipped and, feeling a bit wistful, said, "Sigh, when will I have the money to eat at Fen Garden?"

"What, dissatisfied with Master Xia’s regular dishes and thinking about eating at Fen Garden?" Huang Shengli’s teasing voice came from behind Dong Shi, startling him to the point of almost dropping the bowl.

"Master." Dong Shi could only smile sheepishly, "I didn’t mean... I meant... I’m just..."

"Alright, finish your lotus root powder balls. Want to eat at Fen Garden? With your current skills, if you went there, Master Xia wouldn’t spare you from harsh critique." Huang Shengli joked.

"Master, has Master Xia ever criticized you?" Dong Shi curiously asked.

Huang Shengli: ...

"Your master never went to Beiping, and Master Xia never came to Gusu, so we’ve never even met for him to criticize me. Master Xia specializes in Shandong cuisine, while your master is skilled in Huaiyang cuisine, and we don’t even have each other’s WeChats."

Dong Shi exclaimed, "Is Master Xia so old that he still uses WeChat?"

Huang Shengli cursed playfully, "Master Xia is so old that he still eats, Little Ninth, finish your lotus root powder balls and marinate the tenderloin over there when you’re done."

Dong Shi quickly sped up eating his lotus root powder balls.

Huang Shengli smiled at Qin Huai, who hadn’t had much conversation with Huang Shengli since coming to Huang Ji, mainly exchanging brief pleasantries.