They had co looking for a fight, but now they were eating more happily than anyone else.
「Five minutes later.」
The thirty buns and two bottles of juice on the table were gone in a flash.
Hu Yongfa patted his big belly, still wanting more. "If I could eat another fifty of these, I’d be truly satisfied today."
"Aren’t you afraid you’ll eat yourself to death? You’re already so fat, and you’re still eating!"
"You ate more than I did, didn’t you?"
"Are you coming back at noon? I’m planning to take the rest of the day off. Screw that crappy job. I need to eat my fill first!"
The two of them grumbled to each other.
Just then, a wage slave at the next table finished his yak at, too stuffed to eat anymore.
A few scraps of at, so potato, and the broth were left on his plate.
Hu Yongfa and Yue Longfan exchanged a look.
’With food this good, who needs face?!’
The two scrambled to pull the plate over.
Hu Yongfa and Yue Longfan both dipped their fingers into the broth at the sa ti, putting them in their mouths and closing their eyes to savor the taste.
Their brows furrowed instantly.
The Maitreya Buddha, Hu Yongfa, asked, "Did you figure it out?"
Yue Longfan shook his head. "I can’t tell what’s in it at all. The flavor is so unique. Just a single drop of broth filled my mouth with the aroma of beef. It seems... like it has the rich fragrance of bone marrow, but I’m not sure."
"Try the at... Hey, holy crap, where’d that bigger piece of at go?"
"I already ate it," Hu Yongfa said, a look of pure bliss on his face.
The yak at was unbelievably delicious! Just incredible!
He’d been in the business for years, but all his culinary knowledge failed him; he had no idea how to describe it.
The two of them divvied up the leftover broth, wiping the plate clean.
"I can’t imagine how this boss manages to make four different dishes. It’s terrifying."
"Even if I tried to learn just one of them, I feel like I’d only reach half his level after a lifeti of practice."
"But even if you could master just half of one of Boss Jiang’s dishes, you’d definitely be able to make a na for yourself in South City."
"You can say that again."
The two sighed with emotion.
After decades of pride, they finally understood today that there were always greater heights to reach and masters beyond masters.
Hu Yongfa said thoughtfully, "Old Yue, you know our family backgrounds are average, and things aren’t going well for us at Juyuan Inn. Why don’t we just ask this Boss Jiang to be our master?"
He realized this was a golden opportunity to climb the ladder.
Yue Longfan’s eyes widened. "Beco his apprentices? Are you crazy? We’re both over twenty years older than Boss Jiang."
Hu Yongfa was thick-skinned and had a very go-getter attitude.
"Fine, if you don’t want to, then don’t. I’ll wait for the custors to leave and ask him myself."
"Hey, don’t do that!"
Hearing his friend was about to jump ship, Yue Longfan grew anxious and grabbed Hu Yongfa’s chubby hand.
"Let’s go together. I can’t let you be the only one to humble yourself. If there’s any difficulty, we’ll face it together!"
"Alright, together it is!"
The two gazed at each other with "deep affection."
「8:10 AM.」
All the food in Jiang Liu’s restaurant was sold out.
His body had long since adapted to this level of work, and he handled it with ease.
Jiang Liu had just finished mopping the floor. He opened the glass door to let the cool morning breeze dry the ground.
Hu Yongfa dragged a hesitant Yue Longfan into the shop.
Jiang Liu said politely,
"I’m sorry, gentlen, but we’re closed for the morning. Please co back earlier for lunch."
Yue Longfan mustered his courage and spoke first. "Boss Jiang, I want to be your apprentice."
Jiang Liu was stunned for a mont.
"My apprentice??"
He looked the two of them up and down.
Hu Yongfa said seriously,
"That’s right. We want to ask you to be our master. We sincerely ask that you accept us, Boss Jiang."
Afraid Jiang Liu would refuse, Hu Yongfa quickly added, "If you agree, Boss Jiang, we’re willing to work as your helpers for three years. We only need a salary that covers basic living expenses. We have so savings, so we can manage. We just ask that you teach us how to make the buns and the yak at."
An auntie still eating in the shop pursed her lips.
"Xiao Jiang’s food is so delicious, tons of people want to be his apprentice. I even wanted my grandson to co learn from him."
"These two are dreaming."
"But then again, if they work as helpers for Boss Jiang, does that an he’ll be able to make more buns?"
Hearing this last sentence, the eyes of the remaining custors lit up.
’That would be great!’
If that were the case, they were all for it.
Jiang Liu refused. "Thank you for the kind offer, and I admire your go-getter spirit, but my techniques are very difficult to learn. It’s better not to."
’It’s impossible for anyone to learn my thods.’
’Without top-tier ingredients, they could never replicate the authentic flavor.’
’Even if they mastered the techniques, they’d only be a pale imitation of what I can do.’
’They’d be formidable in South City, but outside of it? Forget the international stage, they wouldn’t even stand out in the whole of Hua Country.’
The two felt a bit defeated after being rejected.
Hu Yongfa pleaded relentlessly, "Master Jiang, I’m not afraid of difficulty. Even if you don’t have ti to teach , I can learn just by watching."
"From now on, I’ll be your apprentice for life. Can I just follow you and work here?"
Yue Longfan quickly added, " too, Master Jiang."
Jiang Liu sighed.
"Have a seat first."
He turned, grabbed three bottles of juice, and placed them on the table.
"Thank you, Master Jiang!"
Their eyes were full of expectation, as if they saw a glimr of hope.
Hu Yongfa said, "Master Jiang, actually, we ca yesterday too. Our original purpose was to compare our skills with yours. I always believed my cooking was already delicious. I thought that even compared to your food, it would hold its own, or perhaps even be better."
He shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. "But after eating your buns today, I finally understand how lacking I am. No wonder I’m still just an ordinary head chef after muddling along in the restaurant industry for over thirty years."
When Hu Yongfa’s mother was hospitalized back then, he couldn’t even afford the 400,000 for her surgery.
As Jiang Liu listened to Hu Yongfa’s rambling monologue, he suddenly asked, "You said you’ve been a chef for over thirty years?"
He was a bit surprised, and his interest was piqued.
Jiang Liu had been planning to open a branch for a while now.
’Of course, this branch wouldn’t be one that used the ’Second Best in the World’ brand.’
’It would be a more ordinary breakfast spot.’
’Focusing on buns and nutritious porridge, playing it safe and steady.’
’If no one ntioned it, nobody would even know it was his branch.’
"Yes, Master Jiang." Hu Yongfa nodded. "I completed my apprenticeship at sixteen. Although I haven’t achieved anything great, I’m proud of my perseverance."
Yue Longfan, at his side, hastily added, "I’ve also been in the industry for over thirty years."
Jiang Liu nodded.
’He was very tempted. Weren’t these two the perfect hired hands, delivered right to his doorstep?’
"Let ask you two a direct question. Do you have any black marks on your record in the culinary world? Also, have you ever run your own shop? I hope you’ll answer honestly."
Jiang Liu watched them quietly, his gaze slightly intense.
The two of them swallowed hard.
’The pressure is intense! What’s this Boss Jiang’s background? His presence is way more powerful than our own boss’s!’
Hu Yongfa chose his words carefully, answering without hiding anything. "The two of us are pretty honest and decent. We don’t have any black marks on our record, and we don’t smoke or drink. As for a shop, we’ve never opened one. We’ve always worked for others."
"I see..."
Jiang Liu sipped his juice and didn’t say anything more.
He was contemplating the feasibility of his plan.
’Who wouldn’t be tempted by the chance to lie back and make easy money?’
"Master Jiang... what do you think?"
The two were so nervous their palms were sweating, their smiles stiff.
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