Solid backing
Due to the presence of Jian Jianan, all the men in the Ma family were commanded by Ma Xiuli and were at her disposal.
But in fact, no one was convinced, which was not surprising. After all, at that time, many sexist ideas were still deeply rooted. Take the Ma family troupe as an example. Many people in this team even believed that women could not be good chefs.
Because people think that their fingers are not nimble, or they have no passion for cooking, or they simply cannot learn advanced cooking techniques.
In the eyes of the Ma family, Ma Xiuli should take care of her husband and children, and then cook for her husband or children in her own small family. This is her duty as a woman, instead of squeezing into the Jinhuiju kitchen team just for the sake of cooking like she is now.
What's the use? It's still useless!
Because of her unruly ways and delusional nature, no one respected her. Her fellow apprentices even tried to ignore her, wanting to treat her as if she didn't exist. They thought that at this point, Ma Xiuli would give up. But for some reason, Ma Xiuli refused to back down, and even now, despite all the hardships, she still gritted her teeth and persevered at her post.
But it has to be said that her forbearance and persistence were effective. Didn't she show up in front of Jian Jianan today, and she was specifically designated by her to save the situation this time. I don't know when Ma Xiuli learned the trick of making Swan Durian Pastry. It's really strange. Judging from Ma Zhiping's usual attitude towards his daughter, he should have never taught Ma Xiuli to make Swan Durian Pastry and other specialties. Could it be that Ma Xiuli is really a culinary genius?
When people thought of this, they immediately sneered as if they had heard something out of the blue. How could this be possible? They turned their heads away and stopped thinking about it.
In addition to directing others around, Ma Xiuli was also very busy herself. The dough was handed to her, and Ma Xiuli's gloved hands were still so flexible and flexible, coordinating with the cutting knife harmoniously and perfectly. She quickly carved out the swan's round and oval body. After everything was done, she inserted the swan's long and slender neck with a graceful curve on it.
The last step is to put it in the oven for baking. Everyone in the kitchen is watching this side consciously or unconsciously, waiting for the final baking result.
When the oven was opened and the first result came out, everyone, even if they looked down on Ma Xiu Li, vaguely knew one fact: this piece of Swan Durian Pastry was really successful!
Ma Xiuli had no time to check the baking results. The first freshly baked swan durian pastry was hurriedly brought to the customer's table by the foreman. The customer had been waiting for more than half an hour and was already starving, having urged for his food countless times.
"Is this dish here? Is it coming yet? We've all finished eating here. Can you give me a definite answer? I've eaten at your place so many times and I've never had to wait for half an hour like this time. This is the last time. I'm asking for it one last time. If it doesn't come, I'll return it. I'm full anyway. Remember this, next time you come, either serve me durian pastry or pay for it."
It was only after the waitress smiled a lot, said a lot of nice things, and promised that the food would be served soon that the customer calmed down.
The diners were an elderly couple. When the durian pastry came, they didn't even glance at each other. They were really annoyed by the delay of this dish. After the waiter served the dish and left, the old lady's hand tremblingly reached out to the pastry in front of her.
The two of them had already finished their breakfast. If the durian pastry had not been served, they would have returned the dish, paid the bill and left. But since it was served now, there was nothing wrong with having it.
They are old and have bad teeth, but this durian pastry is crispy layer by layer, and the pastry skin is extremely thin and not thick at all. You can't even tell that it is made of flour, it just tastes crispy and oily.
It is even more perfect when it comes to the inner filling. Durian is a rare thing to begin with, and now it is wrapped in layers. The flesh of the freshly baked durian pastry is piping hot and runny. It bursts out like liquid when you bite it in your mouth, complementing the pastry perfectly.
The old lady had experienced too much bitterness and also a lot of sweetness in her life. Even if she was satisfied, she did not express it. Instead, she touched the porcelain plate with her chopsticks, signaling her husband to come and eat.
"Hey, Lao Li, you eat one piece too. I'll take care of the last piece!"
Old Li was surprised. His wife was not a greedy person and had never shown any particular fondness for durian pastries before. Why did she suddenly take the initiative to ask for the task of removing the last piece of durian from the tree?
The waitress didn't actually leave. She stood not far from the couple, watching their actions. When she found that neither of them showed any dissatisfaction, she hurried back to the kitchen to report the situation.
There were many other waiters with her, and their stories were similar.
Even if Ma Xiuli's durian pastry was not successful and did not reach the level of her father Ma Zhiping's profound skills, it could not be said to be a failure as it won so many favors.
This incident has effectively dispelled the brainwash that women cannot be chefs. Ma Xiuli proved with her own strength that the durian pastry she made is the best among all the men in the Ma family team. Therefore, she is well-deserved to be the savior of today.
Jian Jianan nodded repeatedly as she watched from the side. It was an extremely correct decision for her to appoint Ma Xiuli to come to the rescue today. However, this was not only because she and Ma Xiuli were both women. One of the important reasons was that Ma Xiuli insisted on coming to the Ma family troupe to work every day and doing what she could, so that she would have the chance to be seen by Jian Jianan.
Jian Jianan just asked the foreman and found out that although Ma Xiuli was not favored and was excluded from important work, and was not even allowed to watch when some dishes were being cooked, Ma Xiuli still insisted on going through it, regardless of rain or shine, and did not give up even after being subjected to countless contempt and ridicule. In her opinion, cooking is her favorite thing, and it doesn’t matter if learning cooking skills is a bit hard and tiring, as long as she can learn it.
"Okay, in that case, Sister Ma Xiuli, you continue to save the day here. There's no need to cross the durian pastry off the menu. I remember that every chef has their day when they become masters. Maybe you've only been doing odd jobs in the kitchen before, without much opportunity to actually work. Only through practice can you gain true knowledge. Today, you've proven with your strength that you can stand among them, even in the front row."
During Ma Xiuli's intermission, Jian Jianan whispered to her.
The supervisor and a few waitresses who had taken a break from their busy schedule came over and congratulated her on her success today.
Ma Xiuli was still a little bit unbelievable: "What? Really? They all like it?"
Jian Jianan smiled and replied, "Of course, everyone likes it. You should know that I also liked the durian pastry you made a while ago. I haven't had any customers point at the durian pastry and get angry and ask for a refund. Don't scare yourself."
God knows when Ma Xiuli was named by Jian Jianan, she really imagined a lot, including what she said. It was terrible that she started off badly and got the product returned!
Ma Xiuli smiled sheepishly, feeling rather embarrassed. "My father always says I'm clumsy, with poor eyesight and poor cooking skills. Plus, as a girl, I don't have much strength, so I can't do the hard work of working in the kitchen. He used to look down on me when I was helping out, which made me feel really insecure."
The foreman interrupted and said, "I've never seen Master Ma not look down on others. He treats everyone equally and often scolds people for being clumsy." What he meant was that Ma Xiu Li was not the only one who received bad comments from him, so don't take it to heart.
Jian Jianan was now close to Ma Xiuli, and could clearly see her delicate features. Although she was short, who would have thought that she had so much energy within her small frame? If she had kneaded the dough just now, her hands and feet would have been sore, but she had persisted for hours and only just rested. How could she not have much strength? On the contrary, she had great strength in her hands, and was born to be a chef!
Jian Jianan asked curiously, "Sister Xiuli, how did you learn to make durian pastry?"
Ma Xiuli scratched her head embarrassedly: "I learned it from my father."
Huh? Isn't it said that when Chef Ma makes these signature dishes, he always avoids other people. How did Ma Xiu Li see it?
"Dad would study at home without sleep or food, often going for hours without a drink or a meal. When I went to the kitchen to bring him food and water, I would sometimes stay and watch. After watching and practicing for a while, I got the hang of it."
These words made Jian Jianan's eyes almost pop out. Ma Xiuli said it too easily. If Lu Zude and the others knew that something that they needed to practice so much for Ma Xiuli became so easy, they would probably be so jealous that they would vomit blood on the spot.
Jian Jianan suddenly felt like she had found a treasure, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she continued to ask, "Sister Xiuli, do you know any other dishes?"
Ma Xiu Li said: "I know a little bit about the others, but not much. Most of them I think I can do, but I haven't actually done them myself, so I can't guarantee anything."
Jian Jianan nodded in understanding. In this case, isn't Ma Xiuli a genius who has not yet been tested? If a genius is given a chance to practice, won't she soar to the sky immediately?
Jian Jianan said to Ma Xiuli encouragingly, "Sister Xiuli, you are a great cook. You can cook more and be more confident. Even if Master Ma comes back, you can start to be the actual chef here at Jinhuiju. You don't have to help others anymore. Leave the chores of cutting vegetables, serving meals, or finding various sundries to help others. You have such great talent, you should use it in the right place!"
Ma Xiuli had been praised like this too many times today. When she heard this, she was at a loss at the beginning and just shook her hands and said "No, no, no". Gradually, she developed into now. Although there was still a shy smile on her face, she lowered her head and admitted it embarrassedly.
"Hahaha? Really? Really? Is it really that good?"
No one doesn't like praise, let alone someone like Ma Xiuli who has been denied too many times. Although she may be a little uncomfortable at first, she gradually adapts to the praise from everyone. As long as she is given some time, Jian Jianan believes that Ma Xiuli will become more and more confident in the future.
After 2:30 p.m., the flow of people gradually decreased, and by three or four o'clock, there were almost no customers. Ma Xiuli could finally free herself from the busy and mechanical work of making durian pastries and take a short break to catch her breath.
She gasped and sat down on the chair, spreading her hands and looking in disbelief.
The two hands in front of me were covered with thick calluses from long-term labor. They felt extremely rough to the touch and no longer had the smooth skin of women of the same age.
She couldn't believe that the small and delicious Swan Durian Pastry was born from such a pair of hands.
After watching for a while, she laughed as if she suddenly realized something. The laugh was so inexplicable that it attracted the attention of others. Everyone looked at her in disbelief, as if no one believed that Ma Xiuli could really make a perfect swan durian pastry.
So what? What does it matter if others don't believe it? It's enough for her to know it herself. It's these hands, these hands that have long been criticized for being thick and ugly, and even her parents worried that she would not be able to get married because of her ugly appearance, but they are dexterous and powerful. When everyone else fails, they stand up and save the situation perfectly.
It's amazing!
Today's experience rekindled Ma Xiuli's passion for cooking skills and reminded her of her original intention of standing in the kitchen. As a child, Ma Xiuli wore a chef's hat that didn't fit her size, stood in front of a tall boiler, and waved a spatula with a serious expression. Her father smiled and gave her orders beside her. The exotic aroma of food wafted from inside. This was all Ma Xiuli's earliest memory of the kitchen.
Jian Jianan watched from the side for a while, and when Ma Xiuli showed a thoughtful look on her face, he walked over and said to her, "Sister Xiuli, today is all thanks to you. If you weren't here, I don't know how much trouble Jinhuiju would be in today. Among all the people present, you are the only one who can perform Master Ma Zhiping's specialty. What can I say, you really deserve to be his successor!"
Ma Xiuli stood up, and her first reaction was to modestly wave her hands, "No, no, I haven't learned all of my dad's skills yet!"
She did not refute the three words "successor"!
Jian Jianan was very satisfied. He smiled and continued, "Don't be so modest, Sister Xiuli. Today's rescue will be entirely up to you. There's still afternoon left. If we encounter the same situation in the afternoon, I'll have to trouble you to take action."
Ma Xiuli agreed immediately: "Okay, no problem, leave it to me!"
Ma Xiuli's heart is now pounding. She seems to have finally found a way out after being confused for hundreds of days and nights. Although she has not really embarked on this path yet, there is an opportunity in front of her, and she must seize it firmly!
The conversation between Jian Jianan and Ma Xiu Li was naturally heard by other members of the Ma family, and Ma Xiu Li's fellow apprentices immediately raised objections.
"What? She's going to come save the day all day?"
"Can she do that?"
"What do you mean? What do you mean? Does the boss mean we have to obey that person's orders all day long?"
"Forget it, forget it, just bear with it. Fortunately, Ma Xiuli is only here to command for one day. When Master Ma comes back, we can be free!"
"Oh, the young boss is still too emotional. When he saw Ma Xiuli suffering, he wanted to rescue her from the menial job. Maybe he wants to promote her to head chef in the future. But it's not surprising for girls to be emotional. Just wait for her father Jian Yangping to come back."
The two women, one older and one younger, pretended not to hear what they said, smiled at each other, and encouraged each other.
Jian Jianan did not walk far after leaving Ma Xiuli. She watched her for a while from an inconspicuous position at the back. Then she found that Ma Xiuli had swept away the depressed and dull look when they met, and became confident and generous. She stood in the spacious kitchen like a music conductor, except that the conductor conducts the musicians below, while Ma Xiuli conducts the various kitchen utensils.
Ma Xiuli's transformation naturally caught the attention of other people. Everyone in the Ma family was very dissatisfied. Unlike Jian Jianan and the foreman, they were not happy about Ma Xiuli's transformation at all. On the contrary, they were very disgusted and even hostile to her.
The brothers from the Ma family gathered together, and he surrounded Lu Zude, with a vague tendency for him to take the lead.
"Big Brother," someone nearby called out to him, "Big Brother, look at her, she's so proud today! If she had a tail, it would probably be flying high up in the sky!"
Some people were indignant: "That's right, Senior Brother, a woman stood up in such an occasion, but we don't know how to do it. Isn't this a slap in our faces!" These people were angry because Ma Xiuli embarrassed them, but don't you see yourself? If you weren't so useless, would you be so embarrassed?
Some people thought more deeply about it, from the deep impression left by Ma Xiuli's rescue in front of Jian Jianan today to her subsequent change of status within the Ma family, they thought about it and connected the two things together.
He said in a low voice, "Big Brother, this can't be done. Although it seems like a small matter, many big things in this world develop from various small things. We must nip it in the bud. If we are not careful and let it grow bigger and bigger, what will happen? When the time comes and irreversible consequences occur, we will have nowhere to cry. You have to know that although Ma Xiuli is not allowed to enter the kitchen to learn how to cook, she is the master's daughter after all, her biological daughter. The blood relationship is closer than any of us. Big Brother, you have to think of a way yourself..."
At this point, the man lowered his voice even more, "Big Brother, you really need to think carefully about what I said. You have worked diligently in the Ma family for so many years, and everyone has seen it. The brothers only respect you. If others want to lead, there is no way! Ma Xiuli, a woman, wants to step on the heads of us men. Although the brothers don't say it on the surface, they are all dissatisfied in their hearts. Big Brother, you better have a plan in mind!"
Lu Zude gritted his teeth and said, "I know. Let me think about this carefully. I absolutely cannot let her go back to the kitchen like this!"
We have finally managed to eliminate this competitor, and we can’t let her come back!
Jian Jianan went home after dealing with the turmoil at Jinhuiju today. She had not taken the matter seriously at first. It was impossible for a hotel of such a large scale to not have several emergencies that needed to be resolved urgently.
Jian Jianan has become accustomed to this kind of life. As soon as one problem is solved, a new one will arise. She doesn't feel it is hard or difficult at all. On the contrary, she is looking forward to it and enjoys it.
However, today's incident is not simple. The problems it exposes are far greater than the superficial meaning of changing someone to cook.
When Jian Jianan returned home, her mother Su Qinxuan was looking at a report in the living room, so she immediately sat over.
When Su Qinxuan heard her daughter coming back, she immediately stopped what she was doing and looked over with a smile.
"Are you back? How was your time with your classmates? Do they like Jinhuiju?"
Jian Jianan immediately jumped onto the sofa and sat down. "Of course I like it! Look at how much effort my mother put into making this recipe. How could it not be delicious?"
Su Qinxuan was immediately amused.
"Hahaha, you are such a sweet-talking little smart guy."
The mother and daughter cuddled together for a while. Su Qinxuan listened carefully to Jian Jianan's story and suddenly became serious. She asked solemnly, "Did they really say that?"
Jian Jianan nodded, "Yes, they said that word for word."
This is a serious matter. Su Qinxuan feels that this matter is a bit serious. It is no longer just a problem of subordinates disobeying management.
This exposes a problem, that is, the path of inheritance for Jian Jianan. If the Ma family and people with their thinking still exist, then the path for Jian Jianan will be difficult.
Su Qinxuan seemed to be thinking about something. "When I went to Chaoshan to recruit people, I saw this kind of atmosphere, but it is slowly getting better now. In addition, the skills of the Ma family troupe are really good, so I brought them to Jinhuiju. Everything was fine, but I didn't expect them to do this privately."
Jian Jianan nodded: "I couldn't think of that either."
Who would have thought!
Although no one has said it explicitly, it is a foregone conclusion that Jian Jianan will become the heir of Nanbei Hotel and Jinhuiju Catering Group in the future.
This is a fact that is already taken for granted by people around me.
Just looking at the talent that Jian Jianan has shown since childhood, Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangping favor Jian Jianan.
Although Jian Yangping still wanted to hand over part of the business to his son Jian Jiabei privately, when Jian Jiabei, who was forced to attend a meeting, fell asleep, Jian Yangping gave up.
At that time, Su Qinxuan winked at her lover, "Old Jian, what kind of work do you think a son like this can do?"
Jian Yangping held his forehead helplessly: "Forget it, forget it, let him do what he likes!"
I don’t understand why a teenager, who is at the best and most active age, would fall asleep when faced with business matters, but become full of energy when he hears the words “go out and play”.
Did they have a dog? It's even more outrageous than the fish maw that always loves to run outside!
As the business grew bigger, Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangping gradually became worried. What if there was a rift between their two children? What if they became enemies over the money?
You know, their neighbors from their hometown, their three children, had a big fight over a fruit stall!
The two parents still remember the many warm childhood memories of the brother and sister.
Jian Jiabei would argue with his sister angrily, but he would still hold her in his arms and coax her to sleep; his sister would quarrel with others for her naive brother, and even though she was a head shorter than him, she would still hold him behind her...
Each of these things are warm and loving scenes. Which parent doesn’t like to watch them? If possible, they don’t want them to disappear!
If possible, they still hope that the two brothers and sisters can develop in the direction of healthy competition.
But now, let alone healthy competition or vicious competition, there is not even a shadow of competition. They can't see any signs of competition at all.
The brother and sister seemed to have reached some kind of agreement in private. They had no intention of fighting for each other. Instead, the brother would hide behind his sister, and the sister would take over everything he didn't want to do, just like when they were children, and cover for him to escape.
It's a strange thing that the brother-sister alliance is unbreakable!
Having said that, the two parents are actually quite happy in their hearts. It’s best if their children get along harmoniously!
My son had no objection and was very happy about it. Of course, the two adults had even less objection.
Jian Jianan washed her hands and sat down at the dining table. Su Qinxuan put the food away for her daughter and put a piece of her daughter's favorite fried whitebait and eggs into her bowl with chopsticks.
Jian Jianan scooped a mouthful of rice into his mouth, then asked his mother vaguely, "Mom, did you know that in the Ma family troupe at Jinhuiju, there is actually Master Ma Zhiping's biological daughter!"
Su Qinxuan thought about it, "Well, I know, I know this. When I went to Chaoshan, I happened to see this little girl helping her father. That was the first time I saw them. Later, I heard from their neighbors that Ma Xiuli's cooking skills were no less than her father's. She was also very good at doing any hard and dirty work. But I don't know what happened later. Anyway, since I came to Shenzhen, I rarely saw Ma Xiuli in the kitchen. Most of the time, it was Master Ma Zhiping who came out in person, and the rest of the time, it was his eldest apprentice, Lü Zude, who did it for her."
Jian Jianan seemed to be lost in thought. From what his mother had said, this was a slow process in which a great contributor to the Ma family was sidelined. It was strange to say, as he had been in contact with the Ma family's chef team for a while, but had never heard of Ma Xiuli's name. It turned out that she had been sidelined intentionally or unintentionally.
Judging from today's conflict, Ma Xiuli's cooking skills are unquestionable, but for various reasons, the Ma family group headed by Lu Zude is so hostile to her, which reflects a very bad phenomenon.
Jian Jianan knew that oftentimes, in the complaints from other waitresses, one could also see the Ma family's snobbery, bullying, and other bad behaviors.
If I come to power in the future and become the head of the Ma Clan, then many times they will not accept me and the policies I implement will not go smoothly.
The Ma Clan is now in a period of transition between the old and the new. Ma Zhiping is getting older. As he gets older, there will definitely be a day when he will lose interest in cooking. Finding a suitable successor to the Ma Clan is urgent.
Judging from the situation today, there is a great possibility that Lu Zude will become one of the candidates for the next successor of the Ma family. By that time, the situation will be even more serious than today, which is something Jian Jianan does not want to see at all.
Jian Jiabei was very puzzled. He asked his mother, "Oh my God, doesn't Master Ma Zhiping have a biological daughter? Why doesn't he leave his Ma Clan to her?"
Although Jian Jiabei's attitude was clear, and it was clear that he didn't want to get involved in any of the big or small matters of his own business, he was happy to listen to a few gossips as long as there was no need for him to intervene.
He just listened to a long conversation between his mother and sister at the dinner table, all about the internal affairs of the Ma family. He couldn't help but wonder why it was so difficult to find an heir. Wasn't there a ready-made candidate?
Su Qinxuan smiled bitterly: "This is the limitation determined by local customs and the background of the times."
Although Ma Xiuli's cooking skills are no less than her father's, due to her gender, no one believes that Ma Xiuli, as a woman, can become an excellent chef in the future.
So even though she had gone through so much trouble to join the Ma family troupe, she could only start from the lowest level. Until now, she was only doing odd jobs like preparing, washing and cutting vegetables, and had no way of getting close to the core work.
Su Qinxuan explained all these things to the children, and finally instructed them, "Master Ma still has a recipe book handed down from his ancestors. It's a family heirloom, passed down from a long time ago, dozens or even hundreds of years ago. Every generation of Ma family chefs has innovated and improved on it, and of course, all of this is recorded in detail in the recipe book."
"According to the master chef, this recipe was passed down from generation to generation, according to our ancestors. This might be something that Master Ma Zhiping is very concerned about."
Jian Jianan frowned silently. What era is it now? Are there still things that are passed down to males but not females?
Su Qinxuan looked at her daughter with a smile: "I will help you, Nannan. You know, I will always be behind you. As long as you need me, Mom will be there. But I can't guarantee that I can always show up in time. Plus, you've grown up, so it's time for you to step forward and do something."
"You can handle this matter by yourself. Dad and I will not interfere."
She will be her daughter's strongest support, but it is time for the newborn eagle to go out and gain experience. No matter what, she will always be there to support her daughter.
Jian Jianan put down his chopsticks and looked at his mother. It seemed that it was time to find an opportunity to visit Master Ma Zhiping tomorrow.
"Mom, which hospital is Master Ma Zhiping recuperating in now? I'll go visit him tomorrow for you two!"
"It's a good opportunity to mention this to him."
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