Chapter 93. The Young Chef Competition Begins
"What? Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was made by this little girl? How old is she this year? Is she 20 years old?" The old director was shocked for a moment. This was something he had never expected.
"Just 20 years old." Chef Luo answered this irrelevant question seriously.
"Let me calm down first. Are kids nowadays so talented? This is probably the youngest chef for a state banquet!" The old director scratched his not-so-thick hair.
"Then you can't not study at such a young age!"
"Thank you for your concern, Director. I'm a junior in college, and being a chef is my biggest hobby. I might even make it my main career in the future." Ye Tian stepped forward and asked hesitantly, "Then, on the day of the formal banquet, can I still... cook Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?"
"If you don't do it, who will? Where can I find someone on short notice?" the old director said sternly. He turned to his subordinate and said, "Xiao Li, go back and change the roster. Change her from assistant to chef."
"Okay, Director," the subordinate replied.
"Your name is Ye Tian, right? It's a nice name. Actually, I need your help with something. I think the printed menu they prepared is not good enough, and there is no need to ask a master to write it. I see that your handwriting is good with a fountain pen, and you can also write with a brush, right? If you have time, can you help us copy a menu?" The old director asked politely.
Ye Tian looked at her master and nodded, "Okay, I'll definitely do my best to write it well."
The old director smiled and said, "You are a good girl. You are confident and capable. We were not as capable as you when we were young."
After returning to the hotel, the staff delivered the customized menu paper to Ye Tian's room. Ye Tian practiced calligraphy several times seriously before she dared to write on it.
After finishing her copy and setting it aside to dry, Ye Tian reviewed it again and again, making sure there were no typos. The more she reviewed it, the more she felt her handwriting was neat and beautiful, and she praised it highly.
The old director held up the menu Ye Tian had written and couldn't help but sigh, "Look at this kid. He cooks like a chef, is a student at a key university, has excellent calligraphy, and even appeared on a variety show. He's truly well-rounded. Unlike my daughter, who spends all her time doing art. I don't understand."
"Your daughter is studying at Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, which is very impressive!" said the subordinate with a smile.
"Oh, I'm too lazy to care about her!" said the old director with relief.
…
Before the formal banquet, Ye Tian and her master began to prepare Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and chicken soup for boiled cabbage.
Because both of them were talented and well-prepared, their dishes were excellent. On the day of the banquet, all three of their dishes received rave reviews, as evidenced by the empty plates and bowls left by the guests.
Ye Tian left the day after the meeting, having to catch a flight back to school to prepare for exam week. Later, the reception desk issued her an allowance, which her master collected for her.
She was used to exam week by now. She studied for each subject, taking each one, and it seemed like no big deal. Perhaps her academic talent couldn't compare to her culinary skills, so she was content to maintain average grades and pass each subject without a doubt, never minding the scholarship.
Outstanding ones like Li Yue and Zhao Yu are always among the top three in the class. One is preparing to study abroad and the other is preparing to continue her studies in graduate school. Lu Xinyi, whose grades are worse than Ye Tian's, is obsessed with becoming an internet celebrity blogger. There is also Ye Tian, a chef and frequent guest on variety shows. Everyone is working hard in different fields, but they have all achieved something.
So, it is not necessary to study well. Women in the new era have goals and directions in their hearts, know what they want, and can persist in their passion. There will definitely be a path that suits them. This is also the reason why Ye Tian likes this era more and more.
…
Winter comes and summer goes, autumn harvests and winter stores, and in a blink of an eye, Ye Tian is in her senior year.
At the end of her first semester of her senior year, Ye Tian took her final English test, the Band 4. Although the Band 4 was no longer linked to her degree and would not affect her graduation, it seemed to have become an obsession, and she was determined to take the test one last time.
Her roommate had given up trying to comfort her and told her to just take the exam. It was the last time anyway, and it would be a relief for her.
After that comes exam week. Everyone has completed all the college courses this semester, and this should be the last final exam for them as seniors.
The postgraduate entrance examination is about to begin.
Zhao Yu, a roommate from their dormitory, had been accepted into graduate school, and Li Yue had also confirmed her study abroad. Lü Xinyi and Ye Tian weren't planning on taking the entrance exam, so they didn't have to take the test. After this final semester, all that remained for them was internships and thesis work. Graduation was drawing ever closer.
After finishing the last exam, before Ye Tian had time to relax, she received a call from her master.
"Xiao Ye, there's a national youth chef competition coming up soon. I think you could sign up. First, register in your province. After you win the preliminary round, represent your province and then come to the capital to compete in the finals." Chef Luo had already thought it through for her, not even considering whether Ye Tian could make it to the finals. His apprentice was a genius, so how could he not make it?
"Master, is the competition necessary? I've already made plans. After graduation, I'm going to open a small private restaurant in the capital. It doesn't matter whether I participate in the competition or not, right?"
"How can you say it doesn't matter? Didn't you say you wanted to keep learning? Competitions are opportunities to learn. If you don't compete, how will you know what great new talents there are in China these years? Besides, this is a great opportunity to increase your profile, and it will also help you participate in variety shows and create your own video account. It's a win-win situation."
"Of course, the most important point is that if you win the championship, I can show off to my colleagues!" Chef Luo laughed.
Ye Tian was suddenly startled. "Yeah, how could I have forgotten that I needed to keep learning? Is my life too comfortable? Just because I've been at the state banquet, am I resting on my laurels? With all the fusion of different cuisines, Chinese and Western cuisines learning from each other, and all sorts of improved dishes emerging, how can I just sit back and relax now?"
"Okay, Master, I will go sign up now and prepare well for the competition so as not to let you down!" Ye Tian said very solemnly.
Chef Luo hung up the phone, feeling confident that his plan had paid off. Having a motivated apprentice was a blessing. His boasting wasn't fake; it was his true feelings.
After hanging up the phone, Ye Tian searched online for the Young Chef Competition registration page. It turned out the deadline was just one day away. Perhaps her master had told her this out of fear of affecting her exam performance. She immediately clicked on the registration form, filled in her basic information, uploaded a photo, and selected Hubin City as the venue for the preliminary round.
She thought about it and called Li Bing again, asking him to sign up and give it a try. Even if he couldn't make it to the finals, as long as he got a ranking in the province, it would still be beneficial for his future development.
Li Bing began to hesitate, thinking that as a chef in a cafeteria, he was worried that his skills were not good enough.
Ye Tian thought he would be no problem, since he was her half-apprentice after all. She had taught him many techniques and often urged him to practice his knife skills. He didn't think much of it, just thinking he could cook. But once he went out and compared himself with others, he would know that he was quite good. Participating in the competition was also an opportunity to boost his confidence.
Xiaojuan, who is married to Li Bing, also encouraged him to sign up. She concluded that listening to Ye Tian was the right advice. At key moments in their lives, Ye Tian's involvement helped them improve.
As a result, in their school cafeteria alone, two people signed up for the National Youth Chef Competition, which is a very high density.
With one week left before the competition, Ye Tian urged Li Bing to practice more. She also thought of some recipes that could be used in the competition and gave Li Bing some tips on the questions.
Li Bing also practiced hard every day, not wanting to be eliminated in the first round and let his master Xiao Ye down.
Soon, it was the day of the preliminary round.
Ye Tian and Li Bing arrived at the scene early and did not let anyone else accompany them. After all, it was just the preliminary round.
There were more chefs participating in the competition than expected, more than 200 people. Ye Tian and Li Bing were No. 199 and 212 respectively.
The preliminary round is divided into two rounds. The first round is a knife-cutting competition, and the second round is for each person to cook a dish that they are good at. There is no specified dish.
The venue was not too big and could only accommodate 20 people competing at the same time, so Ye Tian and Li Bing were both ranked relatively far back.
After waiting for nearly two hours, it was finally Ye Tian's turn to enter the competition venue.
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