Chef at the University Canteen-Chapter 339 - 239: Working for the Boss Means Good Food 2
Just before getting off work yesterday, as Du Guangning was tidying up the kitchen and getting ready to leave, Jiang Yu suddenly called him over and asked earnestly:
"Xiaodu, you’ve been working at the Seventh Dining Hall for a while now. Do you feel you’re being wasted just assisting me every day?"
At that moment, hearing this question made Du Guangning completely dumbfounded. He had never even considered this question!
Besides, is there even a need to think about it?
Even though he had some culinary skills, his level was clearly not as good as the boss’s. The dishes he made weren’t as tasty as the boss’s, and even the recipes he knew weren’t as good...
For example, the boss once made Blessed Pork, a royal dish he had never even heard of before.
With his current skill level, being able to assist the boss was already pretty good. Not only could he learn a lot of culinary skills, but he also got to learn many new dishes he couldn’t master before.
Most importantly, by following the boss, he got to eat meat!
Ah, no! That’s not it! He got to eat delicious dishes!
As for being wasted? One must have talent to be wasted!
He didn’t even think he was talented, so how could he be wasted?
So, without even thinking, Du Guangning shook his head vigorously and said firmly:
"Boss, I don’t feel I’m being wasted at all. I’m very grateful you were willing to keep me as an assistant in the first place. How could I feel wasted? 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
No way, not at all!"
"Do you have any ideas yourself?"
Jiang Yu smiled and continued,
"I remember when you first came here, you were thinking of becoming the chef of the Seventh Dining Hall. What about now?
Do you plan to keep assisting me here, or do you also want to learn some skills and cook independently in the future?
Or, perhaps, after staying here for a while, you might consider going to other restaurants?
What do you think?"
Hearing this, Du Guangning felt his heart skip a beat.
This question from the boss was not simple at all. It felt like no matter how he answered, it was like a "trap question" with dire consequences.
However, he’s always had a "stubborn head," or else he wouldn’t have clashed with other chefs in several restaurants, which led to being ostracized.
After thinking for a moment, he earnestly asked,
"Boss, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
Jiang Yu was taken aback, then laughed, "What’s the truth, and what’s the lie?"
"The lie is that I just want to assist under the boss, it’s so easy!"
Du Guangning scratched his nose, a bit embarrassed, and said,
"As for the truth, I definitely want to learn some real skills. In the future, I want to be able to cook independently, and if I’m capable enough to have the chance to be the head chef, of course, I’d like that too.
As a chef, everyone wishes their dishes could be liked by customers. I also want to hear people praise my dishes for being delicious.
But I’ve never thought about going to other restaurants. My personality doesn’t fit well in crowded places, and wasn’t that why I was kicked out before?
I really don’t want to experience that again, so if I really have the skills, I’d rather open my own small restaurant."
"Okay, I got it."
Hearing Du Guangning’s "truth and lie," Jiang Yu couldn’t help laughing as well, nodding and saying,
"If all you want is to assist, it would really be hard for me. Since you have ideas of becoming a chef and want to learn cooking skills, I will give you an opportunity.
Come early tomorrow, and start learning to make cold dishes with me. Once you master the common cold dishes in our restaurant, I’ll start teaching you hot dishes."
"Really?"
Du Guangning was stunned.
He had thought Jiang Yu was asking him so many questions to see if he would "jump ship," but who would have thought Jiang Yu planned to teach him how to cook?
From ancient times till now, in any skilled industry, it’s always "skills are not passed lightly, and knowledge is not sold cheaply." Even if there’s a master willing to take on an apprentice, they wouldn’t pass on everything willingly. Even if they do teach, they’d hold something back in the end.
This was to ensure that in case "the apprentice surpasses the master," the master wouldn’t end up starving.
Who ever saw skills being passed on so casually, let alone someone actively offering to teach?
But now Du Guangning encountered just that, how could he not be surprised?
"Really."
Jiang Yu, not minding Du Guangning’s shocked expression, smiled and said,
"Of course, if you’re unwilling, just take it as if I said nothing, and I’ll find someone else by then."
Jiang Yu had actually started teaching Du Guangning cooking techniques earlier, though it was only occasionally teaching a dish or two whenever there was time, without a systematic approach.
And the reason for bringing this up now was because Jiang Yu felt that he couldn’t always be tied to the Seventh Dining Hall, just like he couldn’t be tied to the Seventh Cafeteria in the past.
The Seventh Dining Hall couldn’t survive with just one chef, because if he had to leave for any reason, the restaurant would have to close down.
It’s not far-fetched to mention that in August there would be the Huaxia Youth Chef Culinary Competition in Tanzhou, which he’d like to attend, and he was also thinking of visiting Lu Shuwu’s grandpa, Lu Jinseng.
Being away would take at least two or three days, so what about the restaurant? It couldn’t close down, right?
Even though he ran the restaurant, it required reservations for private rooms and implemented a "double rest days" policy—luxurious indeed—but closing frequently would truly be unfair to those customers who loved the Seventh Dining Hall.
