After resting at home for a day, Chen Jing finally returned to work at the restaurant as usual on Monday morning.
Everything in the shop remained as usual, and it did not stop operating because of her absence. Although Chen Jing felt that something was missing, she believed that it would not affect her or the shop's business.
Around 10 o'clock, the two chefs from Fanxin Restaurant who were competing with Chen Jing arrived at the restaurant.
At first, the two of them stood in the restaurant with a hint of disdain.
Even his attitude towards Chen Jing was excessively arrogant.
Chen Jing didn't react to this. She simply told them to sit at a spare two-person table in the restaurant and rest for a while, as she had to attend to the customers who came for lunch.
If Zhu Qianying could see Chen Jing at this moment, she would surely feel gratified.
My mother, who used to be timid, cowardly, and insecure, has finally learned to be neither arrogant nor humble, and has begun to have a strong sense of pride.
The two chefs had actually met Chen Jing once before, through Luo Yifan's introduction. At that time, even though they disliked Chen Jing, they didn't show it much.
Now that Luo Yifan is gone, the contempt and arrogance in their eyes are blatantly revealed.
The waiters in the restaurant noticed this, including Xiaoya and the two handsome young men. They didn't like the two chefs at all and treated them like they were invisible. They didn't even bother to serve them tea, let alone lunch.
So, seeing that customers were gradually coming into the restaurant, the two chefs began to discuss whether they should go out for lunch.
Xiaoya overheard the two whispering to each other. A while later, two guests came in, saying they hadn't made a reservation and wanted to see if they could add a table.
Xiaoya walked directly to the two chefs and asked, "Gentlemen, are you two going out to eat? If so, would you like to go now? I'd like to clear this table for these two guests."
The two chefs were a little embarrassed and were about to get up when a young man at the next table kindly reminded them.
"Brothers, there's nowhere in L City that tastes better than Jingjing Restaurant. The best part is, it's reasonably priced. We booked over half a month in advance and finally got a table. And you want to go somewhere else? Isn't that a shame? Next time you want to come, you'll have to wait another half month!"
The two chefs hesitated after being talked to, but Xiaoya stood by and waited for them to leave.
Just then, Chen Jing brought out a plate of snacks and placed it on the two large kitchen tables. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry, I was busy earlier and forgot to invite you. Please have some snacks and wait for me. I'll have time after I finish serving this group of customers."
The snacks that Chen Jing brought out were complimentary snacks from the restaurant, usually two pieces per person.
Today she made durian pastries, and served them to the two chefs, giving them four pieces according to the guests' portion sizes.
Seeing that the proprietress had come to persuade them to stay, Xiaoya had no choice but to apologize to the two guests and see them out.
The two chefs then sat down again.
After all, even if they act like divas, they still have to give Chen Jing some face. Otherwise, if they offend her, who knows how the boss will deal with them.
At this point, they all concluded that the boss chose to compete with Chen Jing only because he was interested in Chen Jing's powerful connections.
This Chen Jing is the mother-in-law of Yan Han, a well-known young entrepreneur in China. With such a background, they really can't afford to offend her.
As for the gold medal she won more than 20 years ago, although it was highly prestigious, it was still more than 20 years ago. After being a concubine in someone's family for so many years, who knows how much her skills would have deteriorated?
The shop specially brewed Tieguanyin tea today, just to pair with this durian pastry.
Speaking of which, the choice of tea at Jingjing Restaurant is determined by the tea and snacks served that day.
The two chefs exchanged a glance, then each took a golden-yellow durian pastry that smelled wonderful and put it in their mouths.
The pastry was incredibly flaky and melted in your mouth, while the durian filling inside was tender, smooth, and rich in flavor. The two exchanged a complicated look, finished their durian pastry, and took a sip of tea.
The refreshing taste of Tieguanyin tea glides across the tongue, blending with the lingering durian flavor on the teeth. This reduces the sweetness of the durian, leaving a subtle fragrance in the mouth that is unforgettable.
Within seconds, the two decided to stay for lunch.
In some respects, Fanxin Restaurant's business philosophy is quite similar to Jingjing Restaurant's. Both pay great attention to details and are very strict about food ingredients and taste.
From just a cup of tea and two durian pastries, they sensed the meticulousness and professionalism of Jingjing Restaurant.
They vaguely understood why their boss chose to cooperate with her instead of just picking people from Fanxin Pavilion.
Although they didn't want to admit it, they had to admit that the two durian pastries they had just eaten were the best-tasting durian pastries they had ever had.
Chen Jing calmly resolved the conflict between Xiaoya and the two chefs, then returned to the kitchen to continue her own work.
Although she wasn't familiar with them, they were still people sent by Luo Yifan. Losing them was the same as losing Luo Yifan.
To be honest, she didn't want to see this outcome.
The two chefs ended up having lunch with the restaurant staff, including Chen Jing, who also ate with them.
For lunch, three dishes were made by Chen Jing herself, while the rest were made by her two apprentices.
As usual, the three dishes that Chen Jing made were quickly devoured by everyone.
The two chefs at Fanxin Restaurant were fortunate enough to have a few bites, and now they were completely convinced.
So, after lunch, the two of them put aside their formalities and discussed the final steps of making the last vegetarian dish with Chen Jing in the kitchen.
Chen Jing brought out the vegetarian dishes she had cooked using four different cooking wines, which she had discussed with Luo Yifan a couple of days ago, and asked the two chefs to taste them.
After trying all four, the two agreed that each had its own unique features, making it difficult to choose. Moreover, they felt that they were already perfect and that any one of them would easily win the competition without needing any further improvements.
Although it was meant to be a compliment, Chen Jing didn't feel happy at all.
It's not that what they said was insincere flattery, because she genuinely saw surprise in their eyes the moment they tasted the food.
In other words, what they say is what they think.
But she still felt something was off, because she felt that something was missing from these four methods.
It's like getting 99 points on a test; if you're just one point short, it's not perfect. But she wants a perfect 100 points, not 99.
"Gentlemen, when is your boss expected to arrive?"
Chen Jing took off her chef's hat and hung it up, because since the two chefs thought the dishes were perfect, the discussion between the three of them could end.
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