"I also tried making twice-cooked pork when I was in school. Yours is much more delicious than mine!" Ye Tian exclaimed in surprise.
"Silly child, it's not that you didn't cook well, it's mainly a problem of ingredients. Can the meat and bean paste used in the school cafeteria be compared with this raw material? The pork is from black pigs raised in the mountains, the bean paste is directly supplied from Pi County, and the chili peppers are also from Sichuan. They are definitely different from the goods from your school's ordinary suppliers. If the school cafeteria uses these from the restaurant, the cost of students' meals will be high!" said Chef Luo.
He continued, "You used ordinary ingredients and made something so attractive that it gave me diarrhea. You should have more confidence in yourself! Hahaha!"
Ye Tian was certainly confident in herself. She'd been making the twice-cooked pork dish by trial and error, and she knew the ingredients were a big factor. But Chef Luo was truly a true master chef; his cooking was truly exceptional. Many of the details were the product of years of experience.
Ye Tian couldn't guarantee she'd be able to make twice-cooked pork to the same quality after just one viewing. But given two attempts, she was confident she could get it almost right. So, when Chef Luo asked her, "Did you look carefully at those three dishes?" she nodded.
Her master in her previous life had a secret sauce recipe that he kept hidden away, but he never dared to let her see it when he was making it, knowing that she was a formidable learner. Since she was only one of his disciples, not his successor, he didn't want to pass the secret recipe on to Ye Tian.
The master knew that she could replicate more than 90% of a dish just by eating it once. After careful study, she could even improve the original shortcomings and make it taste even better. Her talent was truly amazing.
He had once wanted her to be his daughter-in-law, so that there would be a successor. If his son wasn't so useless, he wouldn't have to be so defensive. Of course, Ye Tian refused. His good-for-nothing son only knew how to eat, drink, gamble, and whore, and he eventually squandered the family fortune.
But before that, Ye Tian met the Sixth Prince and left her master's restaurant.
Ye Tian's thoughts returned to the meal. She ate pickled fish and Chinese kale in soup. Both were on a completely different level from those in ordinary restaurants. They were absolutely masterpieces.
The pickled fish was incredibly tender, with just the right amount of sour and spicy. The pickled cabbage was especially special, unlike some other pickled cabbages that have a strange, pungent smell. The kale was emerald green, crisp and refreshing, yet very fresh, with almost no noticeable bitterness.
The simple four dishes—chicken, fish, meat, and vegetables—were surprisingly delicious, so good you'd want to swallow them all. Both the pickled fish and the twice-cooked pork went really well with rice, and Ye Tian quickly finished her bowl of rice.
Unfortunately, Chef Luo didn't eat a single bite of his own food, while Chef Yu ate a bit of everything. But perhaps he was tired of it, or was on a diet, because Ye Tian ate the most of all.
After the meal, Ye Tian casually asked Chef Luo, "Master Luo, what are the general procedures for becoming an apprentice in the chef world here?"
"Procedure? What era is this? People don't care about those things anymore. Just call me Master." Chef Luo was puzzled, then suddenly realized and secretly rejoiced.
"Then let me offer you a cup of tea!" Ye Tian stood up, poured a cup of tea for Chef Luo, and solemnly held it up with both hands, calling out, "Master!"
"Oh, kid, you are quite particular. Haha...hahaha..." Chef Luo couldn't help laughing, then he solemnly took the tea and drank the warm tea in one gulp.
"Master, thank you for choosing me. I have learned three dishes from you, and I will be your disciple forever. But I have to tell you that I am afraid I can't come to study with you every day recently. I agreed to work part-time at Jingweilou. The head chef there, Master Yun Yi, is the director of the cafeteria at Hubin University. He has taken good care of me before, and I can't go back on my word to him." Ye Tian said sincerely.
"Jingweilou, I know Chef Yun. He is Master Yan's disciple. Although their restaurant has declined, they still make good roast duck. It's okay. People should keep their promises. We are not in a hurry. Just come and have a look when you have time. You don't have to follow me every day. You have the basics. I can only give you some pointers on the details of specific dishes. We don't need to be so rigid. I am satisfied to have you as my disciple! Hahaha..." Chef Luo's round face was filled with a bright smile, and the fine crow's feet at the corners of his eyes were revealed by his smile.
Chef Yu went back to the kitchen after finishing his meal. After witnessing the apprenticeship, he was too lazy to listen to Chef Luo showing off. He comforted himself: I have apprentices of my own, huh!
Chef Luo worriedly inquired about Ye Tian's accommodations, telling her to tell him directly if she had any needs. "The dormitory conditions are definitely not going to be very good. I've been in the capital for nearly 20 years, so I've bought a fairly large house. Your mistress is gentle and kind, and your junior brother is playful and adorable. If you'd like, you can live at Master's house, but it's up to you."
"Thank you, Master. At first, some girls in the dormitory were a little unfriendly to me. Later, when they saw that I was a chef and that I had no vested interests with them, it was no problem for us to get along peacefully." Chef Ye Tianluo explained.
Chef Luo nodded. "Interpersonal relationships are certainly important, but don't take them too seriously. People interact with each other based on fate, so you don't need to be friends with everyone. If you're compatible, spend more time with each other. If not, just get along for the sake of face. Don't ever compromise; your own feelings are what matter. This is the life lesson I can teach you! I'm a pretty laid-back person, and my only regret in life is my stomach. Whenever I eat spicy food, I get diarrhea. Sigh!"
"Thank you, Master. Hearing you say that, I feel a lot more relieved." Ye Tian discovered that Chef Luo was truly a man of wisdom in life.
"Let me say a few more words! The main reasons why people are unhappy are bad interpersonal relationships and lack of money. As long as we make more money, don't care about what others think, and live our true selves, it will be difficult to be unhappy!" Master Luo was really happy to say this.
Ye Tian knew that this new master really treated her as one of his own, so she didn't drink and expressed her inner thoughts.
Touched, she suddenly remembered that the Sixth Prince had a retainer who was skilled in medicine. He seemed to have prescribed a prescription for a similar gastrointestinal ailment at her shop for an official the Sixth Prince wanted to recruit. She had also read the prescription at the time, and she began to think back: What were those eight herbs?
Ye Tian said goodbye and went back all the way thinking about the prescription: Bupleurum, Amomum villosum, Poria... what else was there? Oh, by the way, what was the unit of measurement back then? One jin was 16 liang, how do you convert it?
She calculated it over and over in her mind, and once she got back to her dorm, she simply found a pen and paper and started scribbling. However, time had passed, and she still couldn't remember the last ingredient, so she had to put her pen down. Even in her dreams at night, she was still thinking about the prescription, but she still hadn't dreamed of the last ingredient.
…
The next day, Jingweilou was still on holiday, so Ye Tian went to Houhai by herself.
The stream is not wide, and there are many tourists walking on the roads on both sides. There are also local elderly people playing chess in the shade of trees on the roadside.
A tabby cat was lazily lying at the door of an ancient building. The red-painted door was solemn and majestic. There was actually a parking space at the door, where three luxury cars were parked.
The style of the ancient buildings here is not what she used to live in, but it still makes her feel trance-like. She can't help but sigh, how many stories have been scattered in the long river of time from ancient times to the present, and how many tributaries does this river have?
She continued walking forward, not noticing the red door behind her open and a handsome figure walk out. The driver following her quickly opened the door of the Rolls-Royce and got in.
The tabby cat on the wall that had just been frightened by the door opening jumped down again and continued to lie in front of the door to bask in the sun.
Ye Tian then went to a nearby temple, where a memorial service was being held. It was quite crowded. In her previous life, she didn't believe in gods or Buddhas, but after traveling through time, she felt that this world was too magical and she couldn't deny the possibility of anything existing.
She worshipped devoutly and put 100 yuan in the donation box in front of the Buddha, but she did not ask for anything. She still felt that even if there were gods and Buddhas, everything could not be obtained by praying. It depends more on how you act and what kind of person you are.
A monk of medium build and ordinary appearance stopped and looked at her for a long time. When she turned around and looked at him, the monk smiled at her and turned away.
The chanting stopped, and several elderly volunteer aunts went to have a vegetarian meal together, chatting and laughing.
The small temple became increasingly quiet, and Ye Tian also strolled out of the gate.
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