Jiang Liu waved his hand, signaling the two to co closer.
Hu Yongfa and his companion were ecstatic.
They quickly hurried closer.
Jiang Liu said in a low voice, "I plan to open a breakfast shop, mainly selling buns and nutritious porridge, and also a few stir-fried dishes. If you’re willing, you can cook so of your specialty dishes for here. If the flavor is up to par, you can co work at my new shop. What do you think?"
’He planned to buy another shop.’
’He currently had nearly two million in savings.’
’It was barely enough to buy an ordinary house; buying a nice one would likely be very difficult.’
’Jiang Liu decided to invest in his business first.’
And then there were Hu Yongfa and his companion.
In Jiang Liu’s eyes, they were honest, down-to-earth people.
Besides, the fact that they’d co to his shop and humbled themselves to ask to be his apprentices showed they had ambition and were truly dedicated to the culinary industry.
What’s more,
Jiang Liu had been looking for an opportunity to expand his influence in the culinary world, and these two were an absolute godsend.
’Maybe in the future, South City will be full of his bootleg branches.’
’And this shop on Yangzhai Street will serve as the flagship, making only the most delicious, top-tier cuisine.’
Hu Yongfa and Yue Longfan were ecstatic, their breathing growing heavy with excitent.
"Master, you’re agreeing to take us on?!"
"Not exactly. Let’s say you’d be semi-apprentices. I don’t plan on teaching you everything I know."
Jiang Liu said frankly.
"As long as you teach us one thing, we’ll be satisfied!"
They both understood that a master’s skills aren’t passed on lightly.
Besides, ’for Boss Jiang to be so upfront and not deceive us shows he’s a man of good character.’
Hu Yongfa suddenly asked, looking embarrassed, "Master, if we go work at your new shop... what would the salary be?"
Yue Longfan’s gaze sharpened; he was very interested in the answer as well.
Both of them had parents and children to support; whole families depended on them.
Jiang Liu thought for a mont. "It depends. How much were you making before?"
"As head chef, my salary was twenty-eight thousand a month. I have the pay stubs and clock-in records on my phone. Do you want to see them, Master?"
"I didn’t make as much as Old Fa. Mine was twenty-one thousand."
"By the way, Master, my na is Yue Longfan, and this big guy is Hu Yongfa."
Jiang Liu nodded.
He couldn’t help but click his tongue when he heard their high salaries.
’That’s almost on par with a foreign-owned enterprise.’
’Good thing I have enough savings...’
Jiang Liu thought for about ten seconds before speaking. "Alright, how about this: if everything works out, I’ll start you at a salary of seven thousand a month, plus bonuses. The bonuses will depend on the shop’s revenue. And the seven-thousand base salary isn’t fixed—we’ll review it for a raise every six months, depending on the situation. What do you two think?"
The two exchanged a look.
They bit the bullet. "Okay. We’ll do as you say, Master. Seven thousand is fine."
"We’ll just have to tighten our belts!"
Although the drop was huge, they weren’t discouraged.
’Working for Master Jiang might be much better than slaving away like an animal at a big restaurant.’
"What are your specialties? I need savory dishes that pair well with the nutritious porridge and buns."
Jiang Liu didn’t need things like roast duck or savory crepes.
What he wanted were savory dishes.
Hu Yongfa said, "We both specialize in Sichuan cuisine. I’m particularly good at dishes like Fish in Chili Oil, Kung Pao Chicken, and Twice-cooked Pork."
’Those were the dishes he had made the most often and was most proficient with.’
’He also knew how to prepare so expensive, classic dishes, but since the Master had said it was for a breakfast shop, it was obviously ant for the general public. Affordable and delicious was the way to go to match the Master’s vision.’
Yue Longfan spoke up. "My Spicy Chili Chicken is one of a kind, and my Cabbage in Supre Broth is also excellent."
After listening, Jiang Liu said,
"Good. Then I’ll take you to buy ingredients, and you two can cook for right here."
"You don’t have ingredients in the shop? Twice-cooked Pork is made with pork. Master, you should have so here, right?"
Hu Yongfa was puzzled.
Jiang Liu said with a perfectly straight face, "My ingredients are delivered from a special supplier in fixed quantities each day. But I have a full range of seasonings; everything you need is here."
"Alright, we’ll do as you say, Master."
Jiang Liu took the two of them to the market to buy ingredients.
Returning to the kitchen.
Hu Yongfa began to cook the Twice-cooked Pork.
Jiang Liu said, "Talk through it as you cook. I want to see if there are any areas that need improvent."
"Okay, Master."
Hu Yongfa didn’t give it a second thought. "Twice-cooked Pork requires Thai chilies and garlic sprouts. Pork is the main ingredient; you want a good mix of fat and lean at. The better the quality of the pork, the more fragrant the finished dish..."
"First, you have to dry-sear it in the wok to remove the pork’s gamy sll. You can’t remove too much of it, though, which is one of the tricky parts of making Twice-cooked Pork..."
Jiang Liu was beside him, nodding constantly, occasionally interjecting a few words.
He had learned a great deal about handling ingredients from the Gourt Album.
These were very special techniques, and sotis, a single tip from Jiang Liu would give Hu Yongfa a mont of epiphany.
The two of them respected Jiang Liu even more.
Before long, a fragrant plate of Twice-cooked Pork was ready.
Jiang Liu had already morized all the steps.
’He had the ingredients, but he didn’t know how to make the dish himself, aside from picking up a few things here and there online.’
"Master, would you like to try it?"
"Okay."
Jiang Liu picked up a piece with his chopsticks, held it before him, and gave a solemn nod.
He took a bite.
"Mm, not bad. The presentation is vibrant, with bright reds and greens. The flavor is uniquely fragrant and spicy, with a subtle sweetness and a hint of garlic. The pork is rich but not greasy. The only weak point is that the outside is seared, but the inside isn’t quite tender. Overall, I’d say it’s pretty good."
Yue Longfan was astonished. "A master is truly a master. In just a few words, you’ve perfectly analyzed the entire dish."
Hu Yongfa was grinning from ear to ear.
’Is the master praising ?’
’He must be! Haha.’
"So, Master, do you think I can work at the new shop?"
Jiang Liu glanced at him. "Yes. At the new shop, you’ll make your three specialty dishes."
"Haha, no problem! I’ll be sure to win over every single custor and live up to your expectations, Master."
Yue Longfan also made a dish of Cabbage in Supre Broth.
The flavor was clean and elegant, with a rich and savory broth.
He also passed with flying colors.
Jiang Liu said with satisfaction, "You both have very solid fundantals."
"Not at all. Compared to you, Master, we’ve only just learned how to walk."
"You flatter us, Master."
Jiang Liu waved his hand. "Alright, since you’ll be at the new shop, you’ll need to know how to make the buns and nutritious porridge. The new shop itself will probably take a few more days to get ready."
"In a little while, I’ll teach you both how to make the buns. I’ll go through it once from start to finish, so pay close attention. The nutritious porridge isn’t too difficult; I’ll show you the trick to it."
"No problem, Master!" Hu Yongfa said, looking at Jiang Liu. "Master, how about we just help you out here in the shop for the next few days? Besides you teaching us how to make the buns and porridge, we promise we won’t peek or listen in on anything else. Would that be alright?"
"That’s right, Master! We have no intention of going back to our old jobs. We’re free for the next few days anyway, so we’d like to stick around and learn more from you."
The two of them were very perceptive.
After all, they had started their apprenticeships as teenagers, enduring all sorts of bullying and cold shoulders.
They understood even more how to cherish a hard-won opportunity.
Back when they were learning to cook.
Forget about getting paid—they had to pay tuition and were even expected to give their master gifts on holidays.
But now?
Jiang Liu hadn’t made any demands and was even offering them a salary.
He was going to teach them directly and then send them to the new shop to gain experience.
The two were very grateful.
That’s why they wanted to help Jiang Liu out more, as a way of showing their respect and gratitude.
Reviews
All reviews (0)