Zheng Ya accepted the challenge in front of everyone, winning a standing ovation from the canteen workers: "Clap clap clap!"
Sha Zhu laughed, but he also gave a thumbs up, saying the opposite of what he meant: "Zheng Ya, are you a man?"
I apologize for serving you food and messing with your cooking skills earlier. I'm sorry.
"Ha, you're too kind."
"But since you admit to provoking me first, this cooking competition will be conducted according to my rules. Do you dare to accept?" Zheng Ya had no intention of cooking on the spot and making a fool of himself.
There are many ways to demonstrate culinary skills; there's no need to do it yourself.
Sha Zhu sneered, "Of course you can. You draw the line, and you decide how we compete."
In case you lose the cooking competition and then deny it?
"I, Sha Zhu, am always ready, please?"
“Well, since you’ve agreed to my proposal, I’ll take on apprentices on the spot and teach them how to cook. The workers will taste and judge the quality of the dishes to determine the winner. Do you dare to take the job?” Zheng Ya was impressed by Ma Hua’s hardworking and conscientious character.
Since Sha Zhu took the initiative to cause trouble, it would be a disservice not to teach him a profound lesson!
Sha Zhu was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth in anger and said, "Zheng Ya, you've gone too far..."
"Silly Zhu, are you afraid of losing?" Zheng Ya put the lunchbox on the table, raised his hand to wave at Ma Hua, and continued to mock Silly Zhu, "So what if I bully him?"
Seeing the workers jeering, Sha Zhu, his face flushed, roared, "Fine, since you're going to brag in public and teach your apprentices to cook with me, I'll take it."
But I have a request.
"Speak?" Zheng Ya brought Ma Hua to his side, which sparked a heated discussion among the workers. Everyone knew that Ma Hua had only been working in the canteen for less than half a year and was just a temporary worker washing vegetables and dishes.
This amazed the workers, who became even more curious about how Zheng Ya had taught MCA to win the cooking competition against Sha Zhu.
Even Director Yang and Secretary Hu, before Sun Xiang could summon Sha Zhu to handle the problem, both went into the canteen to watch the show without saying a word.
Three or four thousand workers gathered in the canteen to watch the spectacle. As expected, the leaders couldn't afford to anger the crowd and stop the cooking competition.
Moreover, with Secretary Song, an outsider, present, Director Yang and Secretary Hu couldn't easily intervene, lest they give others grounds for criticism and cause negative repercussions.
When Sha Zhu saw that Director Yang and Secretary Hu had arrived, he said arrogantly, "You guys are awesome, I admire you."
But I cannot tolerate the humiliation of you casually hiring a temporary worker from the cafeteria and threatening to compete with me in cooking among the believers on site.
If you teach your apprentice to cook and beat me, I'll publicly admit defeat and call you "Dad"?
But if you lose to me while teaching your apprentice to cook, I demand that you shout three times in public, "I'm a pig!" Do you dare to accept?
"Hmm, that's a good idea, but if I teach my apprentice to cook and beat you, I don't want you to call me 'Dad.' It sounds like I'm an old man, like someone wants to take you in as their son..." Zheng Ya waved his hand dismissively, which caused a burst of laughter from the workers in the room.
Sha Zhu, his face flushed, sneered: "All talk and no action is useless. Come on then."
"I'd like to see how you teach your apprentices to cook and beat me, a master chef, on the spot! Humph!"
"Ahem, well, Comrade Zheng Ya, I, I really can't do it. You, you should find someone else, right?" Ma Hua felt uneasy seeing the workers pointing and whispering, afraid that he would fail and embarrass Zheng Ya.
Even Liu Lan squeezed to the front to persuade him: "Comrade Zheng Ya, Ma Hua has only been in the kitchen for a short time and can't even wash vegetables properly."
He's not exactly cut out for cooking, is he?
Why don't you give some pointers to Chef Yang at our fourth canteen? I don't think Sha Zhu would mind, right, Sha Zhu?
"Haha, you think I, Sha Zhu, am afraid of losing to Master Yang? That's ridiculous! Let Zheng Ya choose whoever he wants. If anyone in the factory can beat me, Sha Zhu, in cooking, I'll admit defeat!" Sha Zhu boldly challenged.
This infuriated all the chefs in the factory, but their cooking skills were no match for Sha Zhu's; they couldn't possibly argue with him!
But Sha Zhu openly humiliated people, which made people hate him.
Many chefs were eager to try their hand at cooking, hoping that Zheng Ya would choose them to teach them. They thought they might actually improve their skills and win the competition, giving Sha Zhu a good beating and venting their anger.
The only one who didn't have the courage was the chef to stand up and confront Sha Zhu.
No one stepped forward to ask Zheng Ya for cooking advice; they were all clearly too intimidated.
They lost their fighting spirit before even competing.
Zheng Ya naturally looked down on their level and waved his hand, saying, "Ma Hua, I'll just ask you one question: be honest, do you want to learn cooking?"
“I, I want to learn cooking, but…” Ma Hua has always believed in the common saying among his neighbors: “It’s better to live a miserable life than to die. Cooks have never gone hungry throughout history. I’ve wanted to learn cooking since I was a child so I won’t go hungry.”
There are six siblings in my family, plus my parents and grandmother, making a total of nine people. My family was extremely poor, often going hungry for three days after one meal.
Once he entered the kitchen of the steel rolling mill, Ma Hua was determined to learn cooking skills so that he would not go hungry and would have the opportunity to solve the problem of his family's cold and hunger.
Zheng Ya didn't know what Ma Hua was thinking, but she could see his indomitable spirit from Ma Hua's firm yet reluctant eyes, and smiled: "Alright, since you want to learn cooking, that's fine."
What you need to do now is to clear your mind of all distractions and grasp the culinary skills I'm about to impart to you, do you understand?
"Huh? What? What is an eye-opening experience?!" Ma Hua asked, scratching the back of his head in bewilderment. What does that even mean?
Workers who had read martial arts novels before started to jeer: "Wow, that's like a sudden enlightenment! Isn't that like a martial arts master infusing someone with internal energy?"
I've learned so much today; even cooking can be a revelation!
"Yes, that's really interesting. Maybe it will actually work out. Anyway, I have high hopes for Comrade Zheng Ya."
"That's true, but I have a feeling this is unlikely."
"Haha, there's no way this is going to work. Zheng Ya, you're openly promoting feudal superstition and making a mistake!" Sha Zhu was looking for an opportunity to trip him up. He brought this on himself and has no one else to blame but himself.
Promoting feudal superstition in public is a serious crime.
If you make a big fuss, you'll end up in jail, ruining your life and reputation.
Liu Lan scoffed disdainfully, "Shazhu, all you do is spout nonsense. You're slandering Comrade Zheng Ya without any evidence. How malicious you are!"
"Liu Lan, what business is it of yours?" Sha Zhu asked angrily, and Liu Lan retorted with her hands on her hips, "Sha Zhu, you dare to slander people but are you afraid of what people will say?"
"Alright, all of you, stop arguing."
I am Zheng Ya, a martial arts master. It is not difficult for me to impart my inner cultivation and culinary skills to others.
This is not feudal superstition.
Everyone can witness my enlightening culinary skills for MCA, and be a witness so that no one can use it to slander or confuse the public.” Zheng Ya gestured for MCA to sit on a bench and calmly reflect.
Ma Hua nodded seriously, sat down and said, "Comrade Zheng Ya, from now on you are my mentor!"
"That's unnecessary. With the new atmosphere in society, the old rules about taking on apprentices and passing on skills are no longer necessary."
I believe that sincerity is key; having the will is enough.
Do you understand? Zheng Ya has high standards for not accepting apprentices; not just anyone can be his apprentice.
Even the MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) only sees him differently, and he's just a tool for passing on cooking skills to beat Sha Zhu on a whim.
MCA is far from qualified to be Zheng Ya's apprentice.
At this moment, Ma Hua said, seemingly understanding but not quite, "Yes, Master, I will definitely work hard to meet the requirements for you to formally accept me as your disciple!"
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