Yu Li quickly went to get a bottle of Wuliangye liquor, and Grandpa Lu, who hadn't drunk alcohol for several years, drank three cups in a row.
After everyone had left, the fat man invited his master into his office. The old man didn't mince words with him: "I've already taken on two apprentices before, and they've both graduated. The two senior brothers you brought this time are here in the capital to hone their skills. Take care of them when you have time. You are my fifth apprentice, also known as the fifth brother. I have two teaching plans for you. Choose one."
The fat man hurriedly said, "Master, please speak."
"The first option is for you to come with me to Jinan Prefecture and study under me for a year. I will teach you everything I know. The second option is for me to stay in the capital for a month. How much you learn depends entirely on your abilities. Which one do you choose?"
"..."
The fat man was very much to the old man's liking, and it only took the time it took to meet him and become his apprentice.
This involved both Old Wang's recommendation and the old man's own judgment.
Masters choose apprentices, and apprentices naturally choose masters as well. Through their brief interactions, Fatty also discovered that Old Master Lu was an impatient man, a typical Shandong man with a strong temper, eager to help others and straightforward in his words.
Therefore, I didn't bother with any of those empty formalities: "Master, all my affairs are in the capital, and I really can't leave them behind, so I choose option two."
The old man nodded: "I knew you would choose option two. Let's start tomorrow, and I'll teach you how to cook a dish every day."
"Isn't this a bit too hasty?" Fatty said, "Master, there's no need to be in such a hurry. It's only right and proper for me to accompany you around the capital, and then invite my fellow disciples to go to the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, and the like."
Grandpa Lu waved his hands repeatedly: "It's nothing. I've only ever loved cooking all my life. I don't have many other interests. I don't gamble, I don't drink, I don't like opera, and I especially don't enjoy traveling. I appreciate your filial piety."
Even after escorting the old man back to his hotel, the fat man still felt like everything that had happened that night was a dream.
In a few days, I'll invite my colleagues from Beijing over for a meal so everyone can witness this. Then he'll be considered an insider.
From now on, Qilige can use the title of "Shandong Cuisine Successor" without being ostracized by its peers.
Grandpa Lu was decisive and efficient; if he said the next day, it was the next day. He was even more efficient than the fat man.
Although it was break time in the afternoon, everyone in the kitchen was present, without exception.
To everyone's surprise, the old man came alone; neither of his two senior brothers came with him!
Seeing the fat man's exaggerated reaction, he was displeased: "It's not like I can't move. I'm perfectly capable of doing anything and I know the way. Why do you have to make people follow me around to figure it out?"
This old man can be quite adorable sometimes.
Starting with Auntie Pang, the fat man introduced each member of the kitchen team that Old Master Lu had painstakingly built up to him:
“Master, don’t let our team’s older age fool you, everyone in our team is incredibly capable. We all came from the same factory, we trust each other and support each other’s success. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
First, there's Aunt Pang. From the day I started my apprenticeship at the factory, she's taken care of me and treated me like her own nephew. Now she's the head chef in the kitchen of my small restaurant, and also the master pastry chef. My aunt is proficient in both Chinese and Western pastries, and her specialty is imperial pastries, especially the silver ingot cakes.
The fat man immediately introduced himself to Lu Xingbang in a grand manner. The fat aunt was beaming with pride and quickly said modestly, "Oh, I'm not as good as you say."
Next up is Master Wang: "This is Master Wang, Wang Zhiqiang. He was my mentor when I was an apprentice. He's retired now, but I've brought him here to continue enduring hardship and toil..."
Master Wang was both amused and exasperated: "Good heavens, if a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan is still considered hard work and exhaustion, how are people in other trades supposed to survive?"
When it was Liu Lan's turn, the fat man introduced her, saying, "Her name is Liu Lan. She is the perfect link between the kitchen and the front of house. You should have seen her yesterday, Master."
Grandpa Lu rarely commented, "He is so versatile, even more so than a famous chef."
Liu Lan was both surprised and delighted to hear this, and said repeatedly, "You flatter me too much, I don't deserve it."
Then there's Zhao Lao Er: "Zhao Bin is also a veteran in the kitchen. There's nothing he can't do—cooking, baking, grilling… He's my right-hand man. We've been secretly making extra money by preparing banquets for others since the Spring Festival of '65!"
Hearing the fat man praising himself in front of the master, Zhao Lao Er laughed so hard he almost turned into a chrysanthemum.
Next, Shen Xuemei, Tian Kai, Zhao Long, and others were introduced to the teachers one by one.
Finally, it was time for the two apprentices. The fat man introduced them, saying, "These are two graduates recruited from the culinary school this year. They are still in the internship stage and have not yet been formally assigned mentors."
After inspecting Fatty's kitchen team, Grandpa Lu was very satisfied: "You did a great job, far exceeding my expectations. We chefs are now called head chefs, and besides being able to cook, we also need to be able to manage. It's just like how famous Peking Opera actors used to be called bosses. A group of people under you are eating for you, and whether you can make sure they are well-fed and satisfied depends on your ability. Keep up the good work, okay? Don't be complacent."
After saying this, the old man offered a few more words of encouragement to the two young men, and then instructed the fat man: "Your team has a good balance of old, middle-aged, and young people. You could also appropriately increase the proportion of young people. Craftsmanship is something that must be passed down; it can't be kept secret. Let me tell you a story..."
The fat man helped the old man sit down first, and then brewed him tea with the best tea leaves. The old man wrinkled his nose and said, "This tea is very fragrant. You've gone to so much trouble."
He continued his story: "Do you know Sichuan cuisine? In 1972, a book called 'Sichuan Cuisine Recipe' was published. It included 312 dishes, divided into seven categories: meat, fish and shrimp, delicacies from the mountains and seas, desserts, and vegetables. Liu Lan, let me test you: what are the characteristics of Sichuan cuisine?"
The sudden roll call caught Liu Lan off guard, but luckily she had a lot of experience with Sichuan cuisine; Sha Zhu and Fatty both used to cook Sichuan food.
Liu Lan was not intimidated and answered fluently, "Sichuan cuisine is heavy on oil and spice, and has a numbing, spicy and fragrant flavor; Sichuan chefs can be said to be the best at using oil, at least from what I have seen."
The old man sighed upon hearing this: "You all heard that, right? Nowadays, in the public's perception of Sichuan cuisine, all that's left are those eight words: heavy oil, heavy spiciness, numbing spiciness, and freshness. But did you know that in the 'Sichuan Cuisine Cookbook,' numbing spiciness dishes only account for a maximum of one-tenth?"
"..."
Even the air suddenly became quiet. Liu Lan, who had been caught red-faced with embarrassment, didn't dare to breathe loudly.
Grandpa Lu waved his hand: "I'm not targeting you, but the story I'm about to tell is related to this. What exactly caused this situation? First, it's too high-end, and ordinary people can't afford it. There are many dishes that you may not have even heard of. For example, can anyone tell me what fried finger noodles are?"
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