Volume One, Chapter 17: "Tan Family Cuisine, First-Class"

How laughable!

Seeing Su Jianshe feign ignorance and focus solely on cooking, Ma Hua grew anxious.

He had long since learned that although their master, Sha Zhu, was imprisoned, Yi Zhonghai from the courtyard was actively trying to rescue him.

If during this time Ma Hua pretended to be foolish, acted loyal, and defended Sha Zhu, then once Sha Zhu was released, he would undoubtedly impart all his culinary skills.

That was why Ma Hua had deliberately left the dishes undercooked yesterday.

Moreover, he had already scouted the nearby factory kitchens and found no chefs willing to jump ship.

Director Yang’s confidence stemmed from this.

But the appearance of Su Jianshe unsettled him.

Still, Ma Hua retained some composure and quickly proposed:

“Director Yang, why don’t I compete against Su Jianshe? If he surpasses me in culinary skill, I’ll step aside.

If not, then let’s not allow him into the kitchen. How about that?”

Upon hearing this, Director Yang and the others laughed heartily.

“You can’t even cook your dishes properly and you want to compete? Any woman’s cooking would be better than yours!”

But none of them had witnessed Su Jianshe’s true abilities, so Ma Hua’s move hit the mark.

Deputy Director Li chimed in:

“Old Yang, Su Jianshe is a newcomer after all. Why not let them compete? It’ll also show us how the kitchen staff have improved recently!”

Li Sheng truly deserved his position as deputy director; with a single casual remark, he transformed the rivalry between Su Jianshe and Ma Hua into healthy internal competition.

Director Yang said nothing in response but nodded thoughtfully, “Alright. I want to see how much of Sha Zhu’s skill his apprentice has actually learned.”

Su Jianshe nodded in agreement, thinking that he feared neither Ma Hua nor Sha Zhu. Besides, this was a perfect opportunity to dismiss a couple of people as a warning. Ma Hua’s provocation was practically handing him the knife.

He imagined the scene when Sha Zhu was released: his enemy had become his superior, and his apprentice was dismissed. The thought made Su Jianshe smirk.

He casually selected a piece of tender tofu and some seasonings, placing them on the cutting board to prepare. Ma Hua began working on a chicken.

“Su Jianshe, though Sha Zhu never let me learn the Tan family dishes, I managed to pick up a thing or two!” Ma Hua thought to himself, “You’re just a country cook; let’s see what you’ve got to compete with me!”

Ma Hua imitated Sha Zhu’s style of handling the chicken, but his movements were clumsy—like a child wielding a big knife—and he almost hurt himself. Director Yang and Deputy Director Li frowned deeply.

In contrast, Su Jianshe’s side was a breath of fresh air. Although the weather was cold and the tofu slightly hardened, his knife flashed precisely, slicing tofu pieces that landed perfectly on the plate. His movements flowed like a dance, eliciting admiration.

Director Yang and Guo Yiping nodded repeatedly, and the kitchen staff and helpers around them watched in awe.

That knife skill must have been honed over a decade or more; few could reach such a level, not even the former renowned chef Sha Zhu.

Though Su Jianshe looked young, his skill was astounding.

“Little Su’s knife work is incredibly precise; every cut is just right!”

“Wow, Su Jianshe’s knife skills are steadier than my lathe operation. He must have been hiding his talent all along. Next time I get food, I’ll watch if his technique remains steady!”

As for Ma Hua, it was obvious at a glance that he was already defeated.

Judging by Su Jianshe’s knife skills alone, how bad could his overall cooking be?

Heat the pan, pour oil, add ingredients...

Su Jianshe executed every step calmly and confidently.

As he finished with a perfect final ladle, a plate of Mapo tofu with vibrant color, aroma, and flavor was presented before Director Yang and the others.

“Little Su, I never dreamed you could make Mapo tofu this perfect!” Director Yang praised without restraint and eagerly picked up his chopsticks to taste it.

Deputy Director Li and Guo Yiping also quickly grabbed pieces, eating without concern for the heat.

Meanwhile, Ma Hua was sweating profusely with anxiety. His dish wasn’t fully cooked yet; he had already wasted much time on knife work alone, not to mention the longer cooking time needed for meat dishes.

At this moment, he was completely forgotten.

All eyes were fixed on Su Jianshe’s Mapo tofu.

“This is incredible, the best Mapo tofu I’ve ever tasted!”

“Cough cough, Director, don’t bully us. You have to savor the tofu like I do... Hey, why are you grabbing so fast?”

Within three minutes, Su Jianshe’s Mapo tofu was devoured, leaving only an empty plate.

Guo Yiping chuckled and somehow produced half a steamed bun. He used it to wipe the remaining tofu off the plate until it was gleaming, saving the trouble of washing.

Director Yang, still savoring the taste, put down his chopsticks and said, “Little Su, I really didn’t expect you to have such skill! This Mapo tofu is absolutely superb.”

Faced with compliments, Su Jianshe should have been modest, but his ambitions lay not in being a mere cook but in becoming the cafeteria director. Skill was the key.

“Director, Mapo tofu is just one of my specialties. It’s simple to prepare and good for testing skill. I’m familiar with all eight major cuisines, and I know a bit about Tan family dishes too.”

Tan family dishes! Director Yang was taken aback. He recalled that the former chef Sha Zhu was also skilled in this cuisine.

At that moment, Ma Hua, busy stewing chicken, was displeased. Just as he was about to showcase his skills, Su Jianshe’s simple plate of Mapo tofu stole the spotlight.

“You’re lying! My master’s Tan family dishes are a closely guarded secret and among the best in Si Jiu City!”

“You’re just a country bumpkin; what do you know?” Ma Hua glared angrily at Su Jianshe.

His words displeased Director Yang and Deputy Director Li, who had given him a chance only to see him lose control.

But Ma Hua was already burning with rage; these were the last words of his dwindling reason.

“Su Jianshe, if you hadn’t come, the head chef position would’ve been mine!”

The others scoffed, “You? Don’t make us laugh!”

Director Yang fell silent, scrutinizing Su Jianshe. Compared to Ma Hua, he wanted to know the newcomer’s true level.

In the world of Sichuan cuisine, mastering only Mapo tofu was far from enough.

If they could serve authentic Sichuan dishes to honored guests, the contract would surely be signed smoothly.

Looking at the nearly uncontrollable Ma Hua, who was verbally lashing out at him, Su Jianshe smiled wryly.

Under the standards of a master chef,

Ma Hua’s cooking was like a child swinging a big knife—clumsy and out of place.

Su Jianshe began to explain the history of Tan family cuisine:

“Tan family dishes originated in the late Qing Dynasty, founded by Mr. Tan Zongjun, a scholar of the capital’s Hanlin Academy. He was extremely strict in ingredient selection, precise in seasoning, meticulous in technique, perfect in heat control, and pure in flavor.”

Then he walked straight to Ma Hua’s cooking station.

Surveying the mess Ma Hua had left, Su Jianshe shook his head again.

“Tan family dishes have balanced sweet and salty flavors, pleasing both north and south palates. The seasonings emphasize natural taste... It seems what you learned isn’t authentic. Both your ingredients and methods are crude!”

Director Yang’s eyes flickered as he observed Su Jianshe. He knew Tan family cuisine well—it was a specialty of their kitchen staff.

What Su Jianshe said matched the characteristics of Tan family dishes exactly, even revealing details Yang hadn’t known before.

“No way! Impossible! How do you know about Tan family cuisine?!”

“That’s my master’s secret teaching. Outsiders can’t know!”

“Lies! It’s all lies! You’re lying!”

Ma Hua was stunned, muttering to himself, unable to accept that the Tan family dishes he hadn’t mastered were already widely known.

To him, Su Jianshe was just a rural cook. Otherwise, why would he have worked in the steel factory kitchen for so long?

But Su Jianshe wouldn’t miss this chance to establish his authority.

“What you’re making now should be the braised chicken from Tan family cuisine, right?”

Su Jianshe observed and commented,

“Too bad you got it wrong from the start. Neither the chicken nor the ingredients follow Tan family traditions. Judging by the aroma alone, the biggest mistake is using an iron pot for braising.”

Mentioning this, Su Jianshe sighed.

He didn’t even feel like criticizing Ma Hua outright.

Who braises meat in an iron pot?

That’s just nonsense!

“Didn’t Master Sha Zhu teach you that braising meat requires a clay pot?”

Upon hearing this, Ma Hua’s fury seemed doused by a bucket of cold water; his anger vanished, replaced by a look of grievance.

“Sha Zhu... my master only taught me how to cut vegetables. This is my first time leading the cooking...”

Ma Hua’s confidence dwindled as he spoke, lowering his head, unable to look at Su Jianshe or Director Yang.

Su Jianshe was surprised and couldn’t help but remark:

“Taking on an apprentice but not teaching them to cook? What good is such an apprentice—just a laborer?”

Then he relaxed, a thought dawning on him.

“Given Sha Zhu’s character and the current atmosphere, it’s not impossible that he withheld cooking skills to avoid starving the master.”

Sensing the awkward silence, Director Yang suddenly cleared his throat.

“Ahem, Little Su, you’ve seen it yourself: our cafeteria faces great challenges!”

“Since you have such superb culinary skills, you should step up and lead the cafeteria to new heights.”

“You’ve also seen the current state isn’t promising, and Ma Hua can’t shoulder the responsibility. So, I want to temporarily hire you as the head chef. What do you think?”

Director Yang’s tone was tactful, ending with some promises.

“Of course, your salary will increase from your current pay. Whether you become permanent depends on further discussion by the leadership.”

At this, Guo Yiping, who had thought this was merely a formality for Su Jianshe, was stunned.

“Su Jianshe... head chef already?”

But recalling the Mapo tofu he just ate, Guo Yiping was convinced.

Even Ma Hua thought the head chef position belonged to Su Jianshe.

Then, unexpectedly,

A voice spoke up at an inopportune moment.

“Director, I don’t think I’m suitable to be the cafeteria’s head chef.”

Director Yang and Guo Yiping, who had hoped for a fine meal, were surprised.

Guo Yiping quickly regained composure, nudging Su Jianshe gently.

“Jianshe, don’t be foolish. The head chef position is coveted by many. What are you doing? Apologize to the director, and let’s drop this. I’m still counting on your skills!”

Su Jianshe ignored Guo Yiping and continued:

“Director Yang, you’ve seen that when head chef Sha Zhu is absent, the factory cafeteria suffers greatly!”

Director Yang, unsure of Su Jianshe’s intentions, still nodded in agreement. Skilled chefs were scarce in the factory, which had always been his concern. Recently, with Ma Hua’s undercooked dishes, workers had complained and demanded solutions.

Su Jianshe went on:

“Therefore, I want to reform the cafeteria to eliminate these problems!”

“Reform?” Director Yang was startled. As director, he understood Su Jianshe’s meaning: this was a plea for a position. But he did not rush and decided to hear him out.

Su Jianshe appeared confident:

“Yes, reform! My plan is to establish a new department alongside the current cafeteria to train excellent chefs!”

“Under this department’s guidance and cultivation, chefs’ skills will improve significantly. Then, our workers can eat happily and work enthusiastically on construction!”

Su Jianshe’s words were earnest, his gaze fixed on Director Yang, awaiting his decision.

Su Jianshe had no intention of displacing the current cafeteria director. Positions were scarce; without sidelining others, the director role would be unreachable, perhaps only a deputy position.

Although the success of the new department was uncertain, it would greatly impact the kitchen staff. Who among them would not desire to improve their skills?

Take Ma Hua, for example—after years of chopping, he still couldn’t master the dishes he secretly learned. It was truly pitiful.

As for “teaching the apprentice to starve the master,” Su Jianshe cared little. His skills were at a master’s level. Unless he trained grandmasters, he would always have work and good treatment wherever he went.

A new department to teach culinary arts?

The observing kitchen staff and helpers were overjoyed at the prospect.

For them, this was undoubtedly wonderful news. Who here would want to spend their whole life chopping and never become a chef?

“Director, please agree! Then our culinary skills will improve, the cafeteria’s meals will be delicious and safe, and the workers will be satisfied. The factory’s efficiency will surely rise!”

“Yes, Director, you’ve seen how demanding the workers are about food. If you don’t agree, we can’t meet their needs!”

“Director! When Sha Zhu was around, he never taught us properly, which led to many mistakes. If we learn, there won’t be problems anymore, and you will be at ease.”

“Director, please say yes!”