Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 773 - 392: Cloud Pattern

The arrival of everyone from Zhiwei Restaurant greatly enriched the breakfast variety at Huang Ji.

Early the next morning, when Qin Huai stepped into Huang’s Kitchen, he was greeted by the aroma of various fragrant breakfasts.

He didn’t even need to look; just one sniff and Qin Huai knew there must be lamb noodle soup, pan-fried buns, and Golden Thread Shaomai.

Alright, Golden Thread Shaomai wasn’t detected just by smell; it was mainly because whenever Guli came, he would certainly make them. They’re considered guaranteed snacks.

As soon as Qin Huai arrived, all the chefs from Zhiwei Restaurant gathered around.

"Good morning, Master Qin. This tea might be a bit cold; let me pour a fresh cup for you. What would you like to start with this morning? Soup dumplings, lamb noodle soup, beef rice rolls, sesame balls, or..."

"Master Qin, last time you said my red bean filling was too sweet; here are the red bean paste buns I made today. Would you like to try them?"

"Master Qin, I made this..."

"Master Qin..."

Surrounded by breakfast offerings, Qin Huai adhered to the principle of fair sampling, tasting a bit of everything and offering comments, then finally moving to Guli’s side to eat Golden Thread Shaomai.

Everyone was used to this, because Qin Huai always held a special fondness for Guli’s snacks, whether it was Golden Thread Shaomai or Ruyi Roll; he often proactively went to taste them.

Furthermore, although Guli had been known for not being particularly gifted, he was still the Direct Disciple of a renowned master. His culinary skills were definitely much better than ordinary apprentices, and his snacks were indeed worth tasting. Qin Huai’s favoritism seemed reasonable.

Even Su Qian paid little attention.

When Qin Huai approached Guli to eat Golden Thread Shaomai, Guli was still busy making snacks. Guli was always like this, quietly listening while making snacks, even during exciting conversations.

"Good morning, Master Qin." Guli greeted Qin Huai, which was his highest respect for him.

Qin Huai was chewing on Golden Thread Shaomai.

From Master Qin’s perspective, Qin Huai actually quite liked Guli.

No teacher dislikes a hard-working student, even if the student isn’t very gifted. But they’re diligent. Qin Huai could taste in Guli’s snacks that he was indeed making efforts in the right direction, making progress, albeit slowly, far behind his relatively lazy senior.

Guli was making Ruyi Roll.

Qin Huai was watching how he made the Cloud Pattern.

To be fair, Guli’s Cloud Pattern wasn’t very well made.

The most important thing about Ruyi Roll is the beautiful Cloud Pattern seen when cut. The Cloud Pattern represents success in both shape and Fire Control, visibly reflecting the chef’s skill level.

Guli’s skill wasn’t high level.

His Cloud Pattern wasn’t entirely absent, but it wasn’t truly present either, lingering in a peculiar state of seeming to exist yet not.

Just like his culinary level and the relatively complex snacks he made; you couldn’t say he couldn’t make them, but it was hard to say he could either. Yet the taste of his snacks wasn’t bad.

Qin Huai thought Guli understood the method and techniques for Ruyi Roll and Cloud Pattern but was held back by hardware conditions and lacking Internal Cultivation Methods, making his creations awkward.

"How long have you been practicing your Cloud Pattern?" Qin Huai asked.

Guli didn’t expect Qin Huai to inquire about the Cloud Pattern of Ruyi Roll instead of commenting on Golden Thread Shaomai, and after a pause he replied honestly, "Not yet three years."

Studying for three years and still turning out like this; his talent truly wasn’t great.

"Ruyi Roll was Master’s signature snack, and during his life, my culinary level was far below that to make them, so he didn’t systematically teach me, just roughly showed me how, without demanding I practice the Cloud Pattern intensively."

"The same applied to a few of my seniors."

"As a direct result, when Master’s health declined and he passed away from illness, none of us could make authentic Ruyi Rolls."

"I know my daily attempts at Ruyi Roll seem unrealistic. My senior advised me not to stubbornly focus on these snacks, considering my current skill level makes mastering them impossible."

"But I believe not doing well now doesn’t mean it can’t be done well later. Slow birds fly first; my lack of talent requires more foundational time investment. If I solidify the fundamentals of these snacks now, someday when my culinary skills suffice, I can..."

Guli didn’t finish his sentence.

It was the first time Qin Huai heard Guli speak so much; he was usually a reticent person. Even when Dong Shi’s gossip was sensational, Guli wouldn’t say a word.

Qin Huai realized Guli misunderstood him and quickly clarified his intention: "Is the Cloud Pattern of Ruyi Roll considered difficult?"

Guli paused again, but his hands kept moving, nodding affirmatively: "It’s regarded as very difficult."

"Then for regular snack Cloud Patterns, how long do you think practice might take to master?" Qin Huai asked again.

This question stumped Guli, making him stop his task and think for a full two minutes: "Master Qin, I’m not sure what you mean by regular snacks, but snacks involving Cloud Patterns are typically quite challenging."