Chef at the University Canteen-Chapter 470 - 272: Jiang Yu Is Single, Do I Have a Chance?
Jiang Yu had anticipated this situation. As soon as the cafeteria opened, he had already gone back to the prep room to continue preparing the bracken starch noodles and various other ingredients.
Just as the window ran out of them, he brought over another full tray.
"Hey, didn’t the experts say that bracken starch noodles contain carcinogenic substances? How dare you sell them to students?"
The thesis defense wasn’t over yet. Generally, it wouldn’t wrap up until around 12 o’clock. But according to Hu Zhihai’s sign number, he was among the last few people, so he would definitely have to wait until the afternoon for his turn.
So, seeing the cafeteria start business, he couldn’t sit still any longer. He found an opportunity to sneak out and head straight to the Seventh Dining Hall.
At this moment, Hu Zhihai was holding an empty bowl and chopsticks, constantly tapping the bottom of the bowl with the chopsticks, swallowing his saliva around the tray of sour and spicy bracken starch noodles on the kitchen counter. Yet, what he was saying was completely different, which was simply bewildering.
"Then don’t eat it later, eat something else instead."
Even Jiang Yu couldn’t stand the look of greed on Hu Zhihai’s face, and pushed him a bit further with a look of disdain.
If his saliva dripped into the tray, no matter how delicious the dish was, no one would be able to eat it.
As for what Hu Zhihai said earlier about bracken starch containing carcinogens, Jiang Yu had naturally heard of it. It’s because bracken contains a compound called "ptaquiloside," which can increase cancer risk.
However, researchers also found that "ptaquiloside" itself is very unstable and can dissolve in hot water or hot alcohol. Under room temperature conditions, it can transform into the non-carcinogenic substance pterosin B.
This means, if you blanch bracken or soak it in wood ash or baking soda before eating, and add a bit of vinegar during cooking, you can effectively remove the harmful substances in bracken.
Another point is not to consume large amounts of bracken or bracken starch in one go.
After all, even the most delicious food is not healthy in large amounts at once. Even if it’s ginseng, if you eat too much at once, you’ll feel uncomfortable.
Moreover, the cafeteria only occasionally makes sour and spicy bracken starch noodles. You wouldn’t even have the chance to eat large quantities even if you wanted to...
"How could that be? How can something toxic be served to harm people?"
Hu Zhihai puffed out his chest and said righteously,
"Leave it all to me. For everyone’s safety, I willingly sacrifice myself!"
"Give it a rest."
Jiang Yu had already finished his work. There were still two trays of cold bracken starch salad at the sales counter, which should be enough for sale. Of course, if it’s not enough, they won’t make more. They have to give other dishes a chance to sell too.
He didn’t feel comfortable leaving Hu Zhihai unattended nearby. As soon as he turned around, this guy might sneak a bite.
He pulled Hu Zhihai over to sit down and asked,
"When you left, how many people had finished their defense?"
"Why do you ask?"
Hu Zhihai was a bit puzzled by Jiang Yu’s question, but he thought about it and said,
"I left at 11:30. When I left, number 14 had just come out. I estimate that finishing 16 or 17 people’s thesis defenses by this morning is already pretty decent."
Jiang Yu asked again, "Oh, what time does the afternoon defense start?"
"It starts at 2 PM. I estimate it’ll be over around 5 PM."
"Oh, I know then."
Jiang Yu nodded, suddenly seemed to recall something, and quickly changed the topic,
"By the way, let me ask you something.
After I finished my defense and came out of the meeting room, I happened to run into Lao Wang, and he must have drawn number 7, right behind me.
When we passed each other, Lao Wang didn’t even look at me and went into the meeting room with no expression...
I’ve been puzzled for a long time, thinking that I hadn’t offended him in any way. Why does it seem like I owe him eight million?
After coming back, I’ve been thinking for a while, and I still can’t figure out what is going on.
Do you know why?"
The Lao Wang Jiang Yu mentioned was, of course, their roommate who applied to the philosophy department for a master’s program at Jingcheng University, passed the initial exam but was eliminated in the re-examination, Wang Xueyi.
"Is there even a need to think about it?"
As soon as Jiang Yu mentioned this matter, Hu Zhihai snorted coldly and said with a pout, 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
"Don’t you know Lao Wang is someone who appears cheerful on the surface but curses behind your back?
If he feels you’re doing better than him, then he’ll greet you with a smile to feel superior.
But if he feels that you’re doing better than him, he’ll feel jealous, angry, and think you’re not deserving.
Now, he’s ignoring you because you’re doing better than him, isn’t it?"
Jiang Yu was surprised, "Is he really like that?"
"What do you think?"
Hu Zhihai let out a cold laugh, tapped his bowl with the chopsticks in his hand, and said,
"Did he ever talk much with me before in the dorm?
Wasn’t it because he knew his family background wasn’t as good as mine, and couldn’t have any backbone in front of me?"
"Well, you seem to have a point."
Jiang Yu thought back and found that it was indeed the case.
He rarely spent much time in the dorm as he had been working as a tutor and doing part-time jobs since his freshman year to earn money.
For Jiang Yu, the campus dorm was just a place to return to rest at night.
So, he didn’t know much about Wang Xueyi and He Tao, even less than other classmates in the class did.
