Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 855 - 426: Carbohydrate Feast (Part 2)

Hearing Zhao Cheng’an’s mournful voice, Qin Huai suddenly found it hard to continue questioning him. Looking at it this way, Zhao Cheng’an was indeed quite miserable.

"So you really don’t know the reason?" Qin Huai asked.

Hearing the question, Zhao Cheng’an became somewhat uncertain. He glanced at the dumplings in the pot, contemplating how much longer he could stall. After a brief hesitation, he said, "I might have a bit of an idea."

"It could be because both of us and An Youyou are off today, and perhaps Tan Wei’an also wanted a break, so my master probably guessed we were planning some event."

"I’ll tell you this quietly now, but when you go out later, you must act like you know nothing."

"My master has always wanted to showcase his true skills in front of you."

Qin Huai: ?

"Really, don’t you doubt it." Zhao Cheng’an cautiously glanced at the kitchen door. "You must know how much my master likes you without me saying it. Anyone with eyes in Zhiwei Restaurant can see it. Simply put, my master likes those with talent and diligence, ideally someone who can read people and is articulate."

"Haven’t you found it strange these past few days? Why does my master like you so much, insisting you learn from him, but it seems like he’s taught you nothing and only let me guide you instead?"

Qin Huai nodded slightly: "I did find it a bit odd, but I can understand. Master Zhou has been too busy to teach me himself, and having you guide me has been more than sufficient. I’ve learned a lot. What I don’t quite understand is...why Master Zhou never lets me make snacks myself—I think it’s fine to try my hand a little, right?"

Seeing Qin Huai hit the nail on the head, Zhao Cheng’an covered his mouth, lowered his brows, and bent over in a conspiratorial stance, speaking so softly that Qin Huai had to lean in to hear him.

"This is to build your anticipation."

Qin Huai: ?

"Anticipation?"

"It’s an old trick of my master’s. Think about it: my master is the number one in pastry making. Wouldn’t anyone be excited and expectant to be guided by him? When my master told you to follow him from now on, weren’t you thrilled, already envisioning what you might learn from him, how he might guide you, whether you’ll get scolded or if it’ll be tough."

Qin Huai nodded in agreement.

"And then, at such a time, my master deliberately doesn’t guide you personally but randomly assigns someone for you to follow. He even stops you from making snacks, only letting you watch and making you anxious. Then you might start worrying, wondering if there’s something wrong with you that made my master overlook you and not guide you personally, instead sending me to guide you."

Qin Huai shook his head: "Not at all, I just thought Master Zhou was busy lately."

"And I’m sure Master Zhou has his reasons for not letting me make snacks."

Zhao Cheng’an: ...

Even though he considers himself one in a million in talent, he still wants to compete with a true genius like Qin Huai. Damn, where does he get such confidence? Even he was anxious once, yet Qin Huai seems completely unfazed.

Damn.

Zhao Cheng’an was rendered speechless for a moment, pretending not to hear Qin Huai’s last words, continuing, "At such a time, my master will then carefully select an appropriate day, make a table full of his specialties to fully showcase his skill. And when you anxiously finish the meal, uncertain about what my master thinks, he will warmly tell you he has high hopes for you and will officially start teaching you how to make snacks from tomorrow. Won’t you be particularly touched then?"

"Wouldn’t you want to bow down and pay homage right then and there?"

Qin Huai: ...?

Zhao Cheng’an must have read too many cheesy novels, what’s up with this analysis?

"No." Qin Huai said firmly.

Zhao Cheng’an: ...

"I understand now." Qin Huai straightened up, looking directly at Zhao Cheng’an, "This must be the mental journey you went through when you became an apprentice. Don’t tell me, my situation is different from yours, just tell me what you know."

Zhao Cheng’an: "... As far as I know, my master loves to put on a show."

"Since you arrived at Zhiwei Restaurant, my master has been looking for a chance to showcase. But as the first snack you ate was an egg tart, and since you love egg tarts so much, my master hasn’t made anything else. He’s always wanted to find an opportunity to show his skills."

"Today, he finally got the chance to show off in front of you."

Qin Huai: (＊￣(エ)￣)

Zhao Cheng’an, you are truly your master’s disciple, openly admitting your master loves to put on a show in front of others.

Qin Huai didn’t know what to say. He glanced at the pot of dumplings and said, "The dumplings are cooked, let’s serve the dishes."

Zhao Cheng’an quickly went to scoop out the dumplings, muttering to himself as he did so. Qin Huai wasn’t watching Zhao Cheng’an’s lip movements, nor was he paying attention to what he was saying. He just moved to the kitchen door, opened it, and started taking out the snacks one by one.

At the dining table, Shi Dadan was still chatting with Master Zhou while An Youyou sat in the corner, eating fruit scraps. On the table, there were two fruit platters that didn’t look very appealing.

When the kitchen door opened, both looked toward Qin Huai. Qin Huai smiled at Master Zhou and asked, "Master Zhou, should I bring out all the snacks from the kitchen?"

Master Zhou nodded slightly, and An Youyou quickly got up to help carry the snacks, exclaiming at the sight of so many snacks in the kitchen.

"Wow, so much to eat. I thought there were only dumplings, buns, and rolls. Had I known, I wouldn’t have eaten so much fruit!" An Youyou spoke regretfully.

At moments like this, professionalism shines through. To An Youyou, the Qianhua Gongdeng Bun and the Four Happiness Rolls were just buns and rolls.

"What were Old Shi and Master Zhou talking about earlier?" Qin Huai asked casually.

"Mr. Shi was inquiring about your current status at Zhiwei Restaurant. Master Zhou assumed Mr. Shi was a relative of yours and gave him a detailed account of the benefits and treatments at Zhiwei Restaurant."

"Master Qin, are you planning to switch to Zhiwei Restaurant?"

Qin Huai: ?

He’s the boss of Yunzhong Restaurant, how could he switch to Zhiwei?

An Youyou, did you even read the career guide I sent you? Oh right, I guess that part wasn’t in the guide, not even Shi Dadan would ask such an absurd question.

"Let’s serve the dishes," Qin Huai could only say.

Two minutes later, the 8-person dining table at Zhao Cheng’an’s house was filled with snacks.

The most exquisite assorted fruits were placed in the center, with lotus cakes and peach cakes beside them. Other flaky pastries were interspersed with green bean cakes, buns, and sweet triangles. The Crab Shell Cakes were stacked on top of the flaky pastries, while Zhao Cheng’an’s dumplings barely made it onto the table, with pumpkin cakes unworthy of the table, placed on the shoe cabinet.

Anyone seeing such a table full of snacks would have to remark on the carbohydrate feast.

Shi Dadan’s favorite.

An Youyou, not worldly-wise, was dumbfounded.

An Youyou had completely forgotten that she came to Zhao Cheng’an’s house for dumplings today. What pork, sour cabbage dumplings, pork celery dumplings, or beef scallion dumplings—were all unfamiliar. After all, today she was more acquainted with the lotus, peach, cakes, buns, and that beautiful platter of fruit buns on the table.

Qin Huai looked at Master Zhou.

Master Zhou sat by the table, wearing a serene smile, sitting upright with a straight back, relaxed—showing the demeanor of a hermit.

"Luckily, I had some time today, so I made some snacks. I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had the chance to communicate with you, Xiao Qin. I’m not sure about your tastes. Take a look and see what you like. From tomorrow on, you don’t need to watch Lao San make snacks; you can start making them with me."

"No need to come so early in the morning either, starting at 9 is too early, arriving before 10 is fine."

"I’ve been busy, so I’ve only been able to make simple snacks like small dumplings. Try today’s snacks and see if there’s anything you particularly like. If there is, I can make it for you every morning."

"Everyone, don’t just sit there, let’s dig in."

For some reason, at this moment, Qin Huai could only recall Zhao Cheng’an’s earlier remark.

’My master loves to put on a show.’

Qin Huai looked at Master Zhou, and only two thoughts ran through his mind:

Oh dear, Master Zhou is putting on a show.

So good at putting on a show, is this the confidence of the number one in pastries? When I reach the top, I must put on a show like this too.