Time flies, and it was already past 10 a.m.
Sister Chen glanced at her watch and, feeling that it was about time, decided to let He Daqing start cooking.
So she smiled and said, "Master He, it's almost noon, I'll have to trouble you to stretch your legs a bit."
He Daqing had no objection to this, he just smiled slightly, dusted off his sleeves, and replied, "Okay! No problem."
He had been incredibly bored all morning, and now it was finally his turn to perform.
If not now, when?
He Daqing didn't waste any words. He went straight to the stove, skillfully adjusted the heat, and then quickly heated the oil in the wok.
Before long, the kitchen was filled with the sizzling sound of cold dishes being put into the pan, followed by the sound of a large spatula stirring the food, occasionally mixed with the sound of the pan being turned over.
As the saying goes, you can tell a master's skill with just one move.
In addition, the research institute had a small number of people and used a central stove, which made it even easier for He Daqing to use it with ease.
Seeing his skillful movements, Sister Zhang was completely relieved and exclaimed that he was in control. After that, she stopped paying too much attention.
The two apprentices stood at a distance, gazing longingly at He Daqing with eyes full of envy.
While they were envious, they also kept watching, hoping to learn some skills and experience by observing in person…
At noon, it was lunchtime again, and the cafeteria became busy.
The workers who came to get their meals noticed that today's dishes not only smelled delicious, but also looked very appealing.
"One serving of hot and sour cabbage, one serving of braised eggplant, and three steamed buns, please!"
After he finished speaking, worker Xiao Li handed over the meal ticket, but smelling the aroma, he couldn't help but ask again.
"Sister Zhang, didn't Chef He go home to get married? Has she come back?"
"Hehehe!" Sister Zhang laughed happily, then made a joke.
"Little Li! Chef He hasn't come back yet; he's still on vacation at home! But today's meal will still be cooked by Chef He."
"Well…?!"
Xiao Li said he didn't understand at all, but there were still many people getting food later, so he didn't want to ask again and take up other people's time.
So he took the food he had been served, found a random spot, and prepared to taste it.
As soon as he took the first bite, Xiao Li couldn't help but praise it.
"This tastes really good, even better than Chef He's."
Just then, Sun Zhengnan and his wife Zhou Weihua arrived, carrying lunchboxes.
Hearing Xiao Li's words, he felt something was off, so he casually asked.
"Xiao Li, what are you saying? What do you mean by 'it tastes better than Chef He's'? Wasn't this dish made by Chef He?"
As soon as Xiao Li saw the person arrive, he quickly moved aside and respectfully said, "Brother Nan, you've come. Please have a seat."
Hearing the address "Brother Nan," Sun Zhengnan didn't mind and sat down immediately, then called for his wife to sit with him.
Zhou Weihua glanced at Xiao Li, barely managing to suppress a laugh, and then sat down.
Because this guy is older than Sun Zhengnan, yet he still has the nerve to call him Brother Nan.
As soon as the two sat down, Xiao Li humbly asked for advice.
"Brother Nan, you just said I was wrong, but what exactly did I do wrong?"
"Xiao Li, I've noticed you're really dense. This dish was made by Chef He, but what did you just say? That it tastes even better than Chef He's? Isn't that a contradiction?"
"Didn't Master He take leave?"
Xiao Li was completely flustered. Today was really strange. First it was Sister Zhang, then it was Sun Zhengnan. The things they said were too hard to understand.
"Xiao Li, it's good that Chef He took leave, but the person who's covering for her and cooking is her father, Lao He, also known as Chef He. Do you understand now?"
After Sun Zhengnan's explanation, Xiao Li finally understood what Sister Zhang meant. No wonder people called him stupid...
"Hey! Honey, this tastes really good, you should try some too."
Sun Zhengnan had just taken a bite when he pushed his lunchbox to Zhou Weihua.
"Okay, this dish is good too, you should try this one."
Zhou Weihua also pushed his lunchbox over, and the two exchanged lunchboxes, shamelessly flaunting their affection.
This made Xiao Li, who was standing nearby, very envious, and the food didn't seem so appealing anymore...
At this moment, Sun Zhengguo and Zhao Guoping also entered the cafeteria. The two lined up and talked quietly.
Soon it was Sun Zhengguo's turn to get his food. When Sister Zhang saw the director arrive, she naturally went up to him to strike up a conversation.
"Chief, you're really amazing. Everyone praises the chef you found."
"Really? Sister Zhang, then please prepare one for me so I can try some too."
"Okay!" After saying that, Sister Zhang started serving the dishes.
After getting his food, Sun Zhengguo sat down next to several cadres.
After all, there are fewer people here, so the workers won't crowd in. It seems that both sides have reached a tacit understanding.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, Deputy Director Zhang came over with his lunchbox.
"Director Sun, the chef you hired today is exceptionally skilled! Is he the head chef from some restaurant?"
"Old Zhang, Master He did work in a restaurant before, but he's unemployed now."
"Why?" Deputy Director Zhang asked, puzzled.
Sun Zhengguo looked around, then lowered his voice and said, "There's a problem with his background, and he's been to the police station before."
Well! Deputy Director Zhang had originally planned to try and win them over, but after hearing this, he could only remain silent and continue eating…
Gradually, the workers finished their lunch, and the canteen became quiet.
Several handymen and apprentices were cleaning in an orderly manner.
Now that he had some free time, He Daqing finally sat down, picked up his enamel cup, and leisurely sipped his tea.
At this moment, Sister Zhang came over again and explained it to him.
"I'm sorry, Mr. He, although we don't have much to do this afternoon, we still have to wait until we get off work before we can leave."
"I understand, I understand. To be honest, I used to work in this unit, so I know what's going on."
He Daqing didn't care at all and continued to leisurely drink his tea.
Hearing him say that instantly piqued Sister Zhang's curiosity.
"Master He, where did you work before?"
"Hey! I wouldn't call it high-ranking." He Daqing took another sip of tea and then began to boast about his glorious history.
"Before liberation, I worked as a cook at Dongxinglou. After liberation, Lou Bancheng poached me and got me a job at their steel rolling mill, where I specialized in cooking for the small kitchen."
"You're clearly a very capable person. So where are you working now?" Sister Zhang, who was listening intently, continued to ask.
Her question left He Daqing speechless, unsure of what to say.
"Master He, is it inconvenient to say? If it's really inconvenient, then forget it."
Ms. Zhang was a little embarrassed, thinking she had encountered something difficult to talk about.
"No, no, Squad Leader Zhang, I'm currently unemployed due to some special reasons and can only stay at home."
Hearing him say that, Sister Zhang didn't think much of it, but a thought suddenly popped into her mind.
"Master He, since you're free now, you must be taking on side jobs!"
"Take it! Of course you'll take it! You're living off side jobs!"
He Daqing slapped his thigh and stood up happily.
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