Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle
Chapter 246 - 171 Eat, All Edible!_2

Chapter 246: Chapter 171 Eat, All Edible!_2

Every day is the same.

He doesn’t take a break.

Huang Ji offers four regular days off each month. In special circumstances, like family emergencies or if the chef is sick or injured, they can request additional leave.

Normal people need rest, even Huang Shengli needs it, and so does Qin Huai. When Qin Huai was running Yunzhong Restaurant, he would occasionally give himself a break.

But Zheng Siyuan doesn’t rest.

According to Dong Shi, when Zheng Siyuan was running a pastry shop, it was open every day of the year, all 365 days. Even on New Year’s Eve, he’d open in the morning, sell out by noon, and close in the afternoon. Almost nothing could stop him from opening and selling snacks. His dedication is truly moving.

Qin Huai began to handle the crabs and shrimp, removing the meat while asking, "Si Yuan, don’t you get tired of making the same pastries every day?"

"I just make fewer kinds of pastries at Huang Ji. At my own shop, I make a lot more kinds." Zheng Siyuan said calmly.

"Then why don’t you change it up every day like I do?" Qin Huai asked again.

Zheng Siyuan: "...Isn’t it possible that I’m not as good at making as many types of pastries as you are?"

"I don’t learn things as quickly as you do either."

Zheng Siyuan started working on the filling: "Sometimes I’m really curious how you have so many things you want to learn. From locust flower buns to crab dumplings, you want to learn every single one, and you do learn them all, but you never master any of them completely."

"Yet every time I think you might be the type who moves on impulsively, you pick up what you’ve learned before and practice it again."

Qin Huai thought for a moment and gave an answer Zheng Siyuan would find acceptable: "Maybe it’s because... I love to learn?"

"I know where my abilities lie. Once I’ve made a pastry to a level where I think it’s hard to improve further with my current skill, I stop practicing it. Only when I think it has room for improvement will I pick it up again."

Qin Huai separated the crab roe and crab meat, "Isn’t that a unique form of having self-awareness?"

Zheng Siyuan neither agreed nor disagreed.

"I heard you learned to make crab dumplings for Uncle Gong." Zheng Siyuan rarely indulged in gossip.

"Yeah." Qin Huai confirmed with a nod, "Initially it wasn’t the case. Before I came to Gusu, I didn’t even know about crab dumplings, at first I just wanted to learn out of pure curiosity."

"It just so happened that Mr. Gong likes crab dumplings too. You know me, I’ve always learned snacks because someone liked them; otherwise, I’d lack motivation."

"Mr. Gong gave me a card for the Bone Setting Shop, fruit, snacks, and even added a lot of smart home gadgets to the place I live. Just a few days ago, he got a new massage chair. He did all this for something to eat, so learning a couple of snacks for Mr. Gong’s preferences doesn’t seem to be a big deal."

"Besides, don’t you think crab dumplings suit me perfectly? I’ve never seen a snack so fitting to my knowledge points."

"Si Yuan, are you and Mr. Gong very close?" Qin Huai asked curiously.

"He left a strong impression when I was young." Zheng Siyuan said lightly, glancing toward the kitchen door stealthily, making sure no one was there before continuing.

"When I first started learning to cook, I was really reluctant. Practicing basic skills was tough, exhausting, and time-consuming. My dad had already ventured into business and earned his first pot of gold, so we were considered well-off. My sister, who lacked the talent and couldn’t bear hardships, stopped practicing after a few months because my parents wouldn’t let her continue."

"She’s just three years older than me. I watched her play at home every day while I had to practice basic skills with sandbags and horse stance. I didn’t want to learn to cook, but Uncle used Uncle Gong’s story to motivate me."

"Motivate?" Qin Huai’s interest was piqued.

Gong Liang’s seemingly smooth and affluent life surprisingly had a story to motivate a child.

Zheng Siyuan glanced again at the kitchen door, evidently not comfortable talking about others openly.

"When Uncle Gong first joined the workforce after graduating from technical secondary school, he had some really rough years."

"He was the only child in his family, got terrific grades, went to technical school, and after graduating, was assigned to the Silk Factory, entering the sales department."

"The sales department was a good position, but the Silk Factory’s business wasn’t doing well at that time, lagging behind the nearby cotton plants. Uncle Gong’s mother had asthma and high blood pressure, requiring continuous medication, and his father suddenly had a stroke, paralyzing half his body, needing long-term care."

"When Uncle Gong just started working, he barely got regularized. Only he and his father had jobs in the family, but his father had to retire early due to the stroke."

"When Uncle Gong started working, his boss introduced him to someone, and they almost reached the point of discussing marriage. After his father’s stroke, the girl felt that Uncle Gong’s family was too burdensome, with no siblings to help, so they broke up."

"After such a double blow, Gong was very despondent."

"Uncle Gong was a neighbor of my grandmaster, and at that time my dad and uncle were living in my grandmaster’s house. They had a really close relationship, and they often comforted each other."

"That year, there was an expo in the coastal area. The Silk Factory had slots the previous year, but due to poor sales, those slots were canceled. Uncle Gong had hoped to go for the travel allowance, but even that was lost."

"And then?" Qin Huai was engrossed in the story.

Normally, at this stage in the story, the main character is about to start turning things around dramatically.

"Reportedly my grandmaster advised Uncle Gong to strive as much as possible, saying opportunities are fought for. Just because the Silk Factory failed one year doesn’t mean it always will."