Chapter 54 Lend Me a Night
After arriving at the command hall, in order to avoid being too conspicuous, Jiufang Yu specially assigned four guards to follow Qi Huan in the name of helping to carry food and do heavy work.
The ingredients sent over by Uncle Wan filled seven or eight trucks with refrigerators. With the help of the guards, Sai Wen's three kitchen assistants, and two servants, they transported all the items to the kitchen of Tianfeng Pavilion in one trip.
Although there are machines available for peeling chestnuts, washing and shredding vegetables, and cutting animal meat, people are still needed to supervise the machines and replenish the ingredients in a timely manner. Fish and shrimps mostly need to be processed manually.
Those guards had never been in the kitchen before, but the two servants sent by the chef to help had some experience. In the past, when the kitchen was too busy, they were often sent to help out. They were quite skilled in washing and cutting kitchen utensils. Qi Huan arranged for the two servants to take the guards to use the machine to process other ingredients, and he led the three kitchen assistants to work with the fish and shrimp that needed to be delicately processed.
The kitchen helpers who were peeling shrimps were all used to it and were very skillful in peeling shells and removing shrimp threads, but it was their first time to shave fish meat to make fish balls. Qi Huan taught them first and then let them go about their business.
"Those who are tired can take a ten-minute break. We still have enough time." After nearly an hour of preparing food, Qi Huan reminded everyone.
Those guards were all sentinels and did not take it seriously at all. However, the kitchen helpers and servants were obviously tired, and with his permission, they all went out to rest and get some fresh air. Only one was still preparing the fish.
Qi Huan didn't stop either. There were three fish on the chopping board and he planned to finish them all at once.
He was carefully shaving the fascia on the fish skin when he suddenly heard soft sobbing beside him. Turning around, he found that the kitchen helper who stayed behind was clumsily handling the fish while crying.
Qi Huan remembered this man. It was him who wiped all the kitchen utensils before Sai Wen came last time. The chef introduced him as A Tu.
Qi Huan didn't see it just now because of the people in between, but now he found that there were large irregular dark red marks on the man's arm when he rolled up his sleeves, which was obviously a burn. It was most likely that he was burned by the guards when they smashed the plates yesterday. Fortunately, the temperature was not so high that it didn't cause blisters.
Qi Huan put down the knife in his hand, walked over and asked softly, "Does your arm hurt?"
"No, it's not." Ah Tu tried to wipe away his tears anxiously, but his tears fell even harder.
"Are you not feeling well? Do you need to go back and rest?" The man had dark skin and was skinny, but if you looked closely, his features were very young, and he looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. There were no strange lines on his neck, so he should be a human.
“Not really…” Ah Tu bit his lip hard. After a long while, seeing that Qi Huan was still waiting for his answer, he spoke, “I just feel that I am too stupid, and I feel a little uncomfortable.”
Qi Huan glanced at the ingredients around the chopping boards of the three kitchen helpers. As expected, this one was the slowest, and the fish meat he shaved was inferior to that of the other two. The fish skin piled next to it was all crumbs, and it was difficult to find a large piece.
"It's been two years, and I really don't seem to have a talent for cooking. Maybe I should give up early." A Tu said dejectedly.
"Do you like cooking?" Qi Huan pulled out a boning knife from the knife rack and twirled it between his fingers casually.
"I like it," Ah Tu's eyes followed the movement of the blade between his fingers, and he was a little disappointed, "but I can't cook it well. I was the one who got scolded the most in the past, and the dish that was scolded the most yesterday was also the one I made."
"If you really like it, don't give up easily, or try to set a goal for yourself, such as making yesterday's dish within ten days, and see if you can make it taste satisfactory to everyone."
"Ten days, how is that possible?" Ah Tu was stunned, "I studied for two years before."
"How do you know if you don't try?" Qi Huan picked up a piece of fish from the side, slowed down, and demonstrated the process of shaving the fish step by step.
Ah Tu was stunned, half surprised and half happy, "You mean... you are willing to teach me?"
"It just so happens that I'll be here for the next ten days." Qi Huan picked up a piece of fish and put it on the chopping board with a faint smile.
He was a self-taught chef who had never attended a formal cooking school. When he first started livestreaming, he was ridiculed because of his rough knife skills and lack of knowledge of professional terms such as red and white cases. After he became a little famous, he specifically sought out many chefs to teach him how to cook famous dishes. Several of these chefs had a good impression of him and privately taught him a lot of basic skills and techniques, which made his cooking skills improve by leaps and bounds. Only then did the mocking voices gradually die down. He had received this kind of kindness, so when other colleagues came to ask for advice later, he would not hide it.
The clumsy feeling of having his confidence shattered reminded Ah Tu of himself when he was ridiculed by everyone.
Because of nervousness, Ah Tu became more and more clumsy. Qi Huan patiently watched the whole process of his cutting, picked up another piece of fish, and carefully taught him to identify the texture of the fish meat, correct the cutting angle and the position of force when holding the knife.
"Another." Qi Huan handed another piece of fish to the chopping board.
Ah Tu looked at him timidly while holding the knife. Qi Huan nodded at him encouragingly. He took a deep breath, found the position and angle according to what Qi Huan said, gripped the knife handle tightly and cut again. Sure enough, he cut off a large piece of fish skin. He was happy and tilted the blade slightly, and the fish skin broke again.
Ah Tu sighed in annoyance.
"It's okay. I've already reached the threshold. I'm just not very experienced. Try again. Make sure the angle of the knife is maintained at around ten to twelve degrees."
By the time the other two kitchen helpers came back, Ah Tu's technique of preparing fish had become much smoother.
At 10:50, the prepared four dishes, one soup and rice were transported to the canteen and placed in thermos plates and thermos buckets respectively.
The rich aroma made the four guards who had been busy all morning couldn't help but sniff. Kitchen helper Erpan's stomach also growled. The sound was particularly loud in the empty cafeteria area. He covered his stomach embarrassedly.
"Go get the plates." Qi Huan pushed the guard who was in the lead, and also signaled the three kitchen helpers and two servants.
The guards exchanged glances with each other, two went over to serve the rice, and two remained standing where they were, obviously planning to take turns eating. The kitchen helpers and servants were not so courageous and did not dare to move at all.
"You can serve others better only when you are full." Seeing that they did not move, Qi Huan directly grabbed a plate, scooped a large spoonful of each dish on it, and first gave it to Erpan, who looked the hungriest.
"We can't afford such expensive food." Erpan held the plate, his face a little panicked. Normally, if the guards had leftovers after lunch, they would get some, but they would never dare to eat in front of the guards.
"No problem, I'll treat you." Qi Huan had already finished the second plate and passed it to Ah Fei next to him. He had prepared extra portions for some guards with special races and big appetites, so three portions were more than enough for the kitchen helpers.
Ah Fei was holding the plate and subconsciously glanced at his aching lower back. It was he who helped Sai Wen pass the message to the guards last time, and he was also beaten with ten whips after the incident.
By the time Qi Huan had served A Tu the food, Er Pan, A Fei and the two servants were still holding their plates stupidly, not daring to pick up their chopsticks.
"Eat. If there are any problems with the chef, I will take responsibility." Qi Huan served himself another portion and smiled at the others, "Don't you want to try my cooking?"
Everyone looked at each other and thought, of course they wanted to.
This morning, smelling the aroma of each dish, my soul was half taken away.
Erpan lowered his eyelids and glanced at the tray in his hand. There was the roasted beast meat with chestnuts in rich sauce and bright red color, the crispy fried shredded meat with bright green and red colors, the stir-fried meat with moderate fat and leanness and tempting oiliness, the shrimp stewed egg that was fragrant, tender, and as delicate as silk. What curious him most was the soup he had never seen before. The fish balls were plump and round, the color of spring snow, floating on the soup, and the fragrance was trying hard to drill into his nose.
He had been with Sai Wen for so long, had been to dozens of dinners, had seen all of the specialties of the two-star chef, and sometimes had the chance to taste them. The dishes on the plate in front of him were not complicated, nor were they presented in the exquisite dishes of a dinner party, but for some reason, they aroused one's appetite, and the more he looked at them, the more delicious they seemed.
Erpanduan was tortured by the aroma for the longest time, and was the first one who couldn't resist. He made up his mind and picked up the chopsticks to eat a piece of chestnut meat. Ah Tu looked at Qi Huan, then at Erpan, and was the second one to pick up the chopsticks. They both ate, and Ah Fei's remaining persistence immediately collapsed, and he also picked up a piece of fried meat. The remaining two servants also quietly picked up the chopsticks.
When the food entered their mouths, everyone's expressions froze for a moment, and then they couldn't wait to pick up their chopsticks again and started eating with big mouthfuls.
Qi Huan smiled and shook his head, scooped a fish ball into his mouth with a spoon. I forgot about it today because I was busy. I will let everyone eat in the kitchen tomorrow to avoid being so restrained.
On this day, the cafeteria was crowded with people, and the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious. The chef who came to settle the bill was grinning from ear to ear.
The evening market of Renjian Restaurant was open, and more guards came to visit. The eight tables were almost full from beginning to end. Qi Huan was busy until closing time and had time to prepare the "rent" and the advanced version of Qiankun eggs for the next day's live broadcast. I used to think that the restaurant with eight tables was too small, but now I think that as a restaurant with only one chef, eight tables is still very reasonable.
For the first day's 'rent', Qi Huan felt that he had to show his sincerity, and finally decided to customize five unique 'birth' cake rolls for the four pets and Shen Ye based on their appearance.
For this kind of cake roll with patterns as its feature, some focus on the cut side, using cake bases of different colors to "piece together" the required patterns, such as pig faces, pandas, etc.; some focus on the upward side of the cake roll, using colored batter to draw various patterns on greaseproof paper in advance, and then covering the entire thing with base color batter after it is shaped. After baking, turn it upside down and remove the greaseproof paper, and the pattern composed of colored batter will appear on the outside of the cake. The patterns made in this way are bright in color, and the details of the patterns are more delicate and rich. Most importantly, they are not easy to deform or flip over.
Qi Huan did the second kind. His painting was not as good as Song Dynasty porcelain, but he tried his best to highlight the charm of each of the little guys.
While the cake was baking, he rushed upstairs to pack his luggage. In the morning, he and Jiufang Yu had agreed to move tonight. In fact, the distance was so close that he could just go there after taking a shower every night and go to bed. He could always come back to get anything he needed, so after thinking it over, he finally decided to only bring two sets of underwear as pajamas, plus the black cat doll to sleep with him.
When he was halfway through folding the clothes, Quan Hai sent a message saying that the next day was Quan Yu's birthday, and he wanted to ask him to help cook a few dishes, and invite Quan Yu's two friends, plus Qi Huan and Rondo, six people to have a meal together, and the budget was controlled at fifty silver coins. Qi Huan would naturally not refuse, and silently calculated, and decided on the time with Quan Hai half an hour after the evening market. As for the originally planned live broadcast, he could only wait and see whether the Qiankun egg tasted perfect and whether it was in time to finish the meal.
After packing up his clothes, Qi Huan took out several cake bases that had been baked downstairs to cool down, prepared the cream and started making the side dishes. He was busy cutting fruits and puddings and didn't notice that a little kid with white hair and green eyes was having a lot of fun playing with the bowl of whipped cream filling.
When he brought five cake rolls of different colors for everyone to taste, the entire Ferocious Beast Squad, both the humans and their spirits, were stunned.
On the cake roll in front of Qingxiao was a picture of a slender white wolf with slightly narrowed eyes and its fur outlined by meringue gently rising up as if swaying in the wind. Its calm and aloof state was almost exactly the same as that of the wolf itself. The filling was also specially made according to its taste by adding meat floss to the cream to make it salty and sweet.
On the kelp cake roll is a giant python that is exaggeratedly coiled into a spring shape. The pattern on its back is exactly the same as the one on its body. It looks handsome and cute. The filling is delicate and soft cream and its favorite fruits.
The 'portrait' of the plug-in is in a state of spreading its wings as if about to fly, with the dark blue feathers on its wings overlapping each other, delicate and lively, and lifelike, and the fillings are its favorite nuts and crispy rice crackers.
Zhou Qiba held his head high, thinking that his cake roll was the most handsome. In addition to its jet-black fur, Qi Huan even used transparent jelly pudding to imitate its citrine-like crystal horns and four hooves!
There was a cute round face painted on Chen Ye's cake roll, with a beast mask stuck on the top of his head. The strap on one side hooked the red braid on the side of his cheek, which was curled up like tentacles. It was exactly how he looked when Qi Huan first saw him. Chen Ye excitedly held the cake roll and looked at it left and right. He was always greedy and couldn't bear to eat it.
Qi Huan's 'rent' made several landlords extremely satisfied. Even the usually aloof Qingxiao and the cute plug-in came over to rub his arm for the first time. However, the extremely possessive Zhouqiba could only tolerate two rubs. After two rubs, he would immediately issue a warning with a throat sound, and then occupy Qi Huan's arm openly.
There are six rooms in the backyard, and the vacant room is between Shen Ye and Jiu Fangyu's rooms. Qi Huan had already washed up before coming over, and planned to go straight to bed as soon as he entered the room.
The quilts were all black, and the material was similar to satin, smooth and soft, and had a very good skin-friendly feel. There was also a faint scent of plants when lying in it, which made him feel very happy. For a moment, Qi Huan even felt that he had left the waste planet and returned to the prosperous society.
We still have to work hard to make money and improve our quality of life. Qi Huan, who had been tortured by the coarse cloth for more than a month, happily hugged the pillow and rubbed it several times.
He originally wanted to go to bed straight away, but he tossed and turned a few times while holding his black cat doll and couldn't fall asleep at all. He looked out the window and saw that the window next door was still lit, so he got up from the bed again and planned to go and "harass" Jiufang Yu next door.
He has been coveting a certain furry and cute creature for a long time, but he was too embarrassed to ask to let the black ball stay to sleep with him before. But now it's next door, so it should be okay to borrow it and cuddle with it for a night, right?
So, he knocked on Jiufang Yu's door with confidence.
"Something?" The man sitting at the table looked up from his personal terminal. He was wearing a lead-gray bathrobe. The blue light from the display screen cast a watery shadow on his silver hair and robe, faintly outlining the solid and beautiful outline of his chest muscles.
"I want to discuss something with you," Qi Huan, who was standing opposite the table, paused, pursed his lips nervously, and looked away.
Qi Huan happily hugged the little guy who threw himself into his arms, and remembered the reason why he knocked on the door, "Can you lend me Qi Huan for one night?"
Wednesday: ???
Jiufang Yu: ...
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