LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 579 - 577: She Is a Genius
Chapter 579: Chapter 577: She Is a Genius
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Some people often say that the gap between people can be greater than between people and pigs, but Jiang Feng didn’t think this was an appropriate comparison.
Because even between pigs, there are differences. Some pigs strive to make themselves the tastiest they can be, dying young, tragically under the butcher’s knife, living grandly but dying fragrantly. Others are lazy and gluttonous, managing to live in quadrangle dwellings within the second ring of Beiping City, with heating in winter, air conditioning in summer, provided with three meals and supper daily, and often taken out for walks by their pseudo-owners.
Jiang Feng thought that if Xiaxia were a pig, she would probably be the kind of talented pig who, even if lazy and gluttonous, would manage to become the tastiest.
Wait, why did he think of his disciple as a pig?
Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi just sat at home watching Ji Xia make peach crisps.
Neither of them made a sound because they felt they weren’t just watching a simple peach crisp making process—they were witnessing the birth of a future Master White Chef.
If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they couldn’t believe that Ji Xia had only started learning how to make peach crisps the day before yesterday.
Having seen how Ji Xia learned to make crab-stuffed oranges and her noodle pulling, Wu Minqi couldn’t help but exclaim, “Xiaxia is truly destined to be a Master White Chef.”
Although they were amazed at her noodle pulling, they weren’t actually surprised because they hadn’t witnessed how Ji Xia learned it. But now, having seen the entire process of Ji Xia’s white pastry journey from beginner to the present, including breaks where she secretly watched several series at the convenience store next door, they realized how effortlessly she advanced.
Some chefs spend their life scheming and begging for sustenance from the heavens. Others have fortune spoon-fed by fate, and if unwilling to eat, even gently coaxed to take just one more bite.
Making peach crisps wasn’t complicated. Once Ji Xia had put them in the oven to bake, she excitedly ran to Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi asking for praise, “Master, Sister Wu, how did I do just now?”
“Great.” Jiang Feng smiled and nodded.
“Xiaxia is really great, better than anyone!” Wu Minqi said with a smile.
Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi exchanged a glance, and Wu Minqi nodded before turning to Ji Xia and asking, “Xiaxia, do you prefer Red Chef or White Chef more?”
While Ji Xia was busy making peach crisps, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had whispered a plan to find a true, more experienced, and professional master in the art of white pastries for Ji Xia.
The idea had always been in Jiang Jianguo’s mind but solidified while watching Ji Xia make the peach crisps.
Jiang Jianguo wasn’t suitable, nor were the two old sirs—they were not truly professional Master White Chefs. Zheng Da would have been the best choice, but he had no intention of taking disciples. It was already out of a fondness for talent that he taught Ji Xia as long as he did; continuous guidance was out of the question.
There weren’t many excellent Master White Chefs in Beiping City, and even if there were, it was unlikely they would want to mentor Ji Xia. If Ji Xia wanted to learn the craft, she would have to head to the south.
No one could accompany her; she’d have to go alone, just like Liu Maoxing in “Little Chinese Chef,” who left Shu to learn his craft at Yangquan Restaurant in Guangdong Province. The question was whether Ji Xia could find her own Yangquan Restaurant.
“I like White Chef.” Ji Xia said, her eyes twinkling like stars.
“Why?” asked Wu Minqi.
“It feels different. I think making pastries feels different from when I learned to chop vegetables with Master and when I learned to pull noodles with Master Liang.” Ji Xia was excited, “Pastries are unlike anything else. When Master Zheng taught me baking, I thought he was amazing. The same dough seemed to come to life in his hands, and the pastries he made were prettier and tastier than any others.”
“Then Xiaxia, would you like to learn how to make more pastries?” Jiang Feng asked.
“Yes!” Ji Xia thought Jiang Feng was about to teach her baking, and she was thrilled.
“But Master can’t teach you.” Jiang Feng spoke softly. “Before you became my apprentice, I told you that I am just a Red Chef, with very limited skills in white pastries. I can teach you Cooking Porridge, but I can’t teach you baking because I don’t know how to do these things myself.”
Ji Xia showed a disappointed expression, whispering, “Then… then I won’t learn. I’ll follow Master and learn Cooking Porridge!”
“But Xiaxia, if you only learn Cooking Porridge, you can’t become a Master White Chef,” Wu Minqi said.
“Then…” Ji Xia hadn’t realized she had been led into a set-up by Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi.
“Xiaxia, if you really want to become an excellent Master White Chef, you might have to leave Beiping and go to the south to learn pastry making. Master can help you find an excellent teacher to guide you, but it might take many years to master the craft, and before that, you’ll have to stay in the south,” Jiang Feng said.
Ji Xia thought for a moment and asked, “Master, is what you just said like the stories my grandma used to tell me about some people who leave their hometown alone to learn skills, starting from the bottom doing menial tasks, enduring all the dirty and hard work, even being bullied and beaten, thrown onto the streets or starved. But in the end, they surely succeed and return to their hometown to open a shop, becoming wealthy and respected and able to take many apprentices?”
Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi: …
What kinds of stories had Ji Xia’s grandmother told her over the years…
“Not at all, not at all,” Jiang Feng hastily denied.
In a society governed by laws, how could there still be a scenario filled with feudal oppression, forced to do dirty work with the threat of being beaten or locked in a dark room?
“Xiaxia, if you are going to the south to learn pastries, you just have to do like you do here, there’s no difference except the location.”
“Then will Master and Sister Wu go back?”
Jiang Feng shook his head.
“What about Sister Ji Yue and Sister Wu?”
Jiang Feng continued to shake his head.
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“Master, what about Grandmaster and the Great Master?”
Jiang Feng could only shake his head.
“So it’s just me going?”
Jiang Feng nodded, “Xiaxia, you’re going to learn cooking, we can’t accompany you.”
“Will it be for a long time?”
“It might be for many years. Xiaxia, you must understand that learning pastry is a very long process; there’s a long road to travel from beginner to mastery. But you’re very talented, Xiaxia. Many people might need ten or twenty years, but you might only need five or six years.”
“Can I still come back?”
Jiang Feng felt Ji Xia was about to cry.
He had never seen Ji Xia like this before, not even when she first arrived and had an argument with Ji Xue; she just squatted on the ground picking up her belongings, her face showing only indifference without a hint of grievance.
But now, Jiang Feng saw grievance on Ji Xia’s face.
And tears swirling in her eyes that were yet to fall.
“Of course, Xiaxia can come back. Transportation is so convenient now. Even if it’s far, Xiaxia could be here in half a day if you take a plane or a high-speed train.”
“Like going home to see Grandma over the New Year?” Ji Xia blinked, and a large tear fell straight from her right eye, hitting the ground.
As if she wasn’t crying.
“Xiaxia, many people go through this. Zhou Shi, who used to work in the shop, as well as Dong Shi and Dong Li, who are with us now, left home to apprentice and learn from others when they were very young,” Jiang Feng consoled.
He felt like a parent sending a child off to university or to work: although it was hard to let go, it was a step that had to be taken in the end.
“I also left.” Ji Xia sniffled, “I’m going really far away, it’ll take more than ten hours by train.”
“Master, I don’t want to go.” Ji Xia’s voice was pitifully small.
She had finally found a place where so many people liked her, and she didn’t want to leave again for a new place.
The oven dinged, the peach crumbles were ready.
“Then don’t go. Master and Wu were just discussing with Xiaxia. If Xiaxia doesn’t want to, then we won’t go,” Jiang Feng said with a smile, “Don’t be sad, Master has prepared a gift for you to celebrate your success in making peach crumbles. Wait here; I’ll get it from the room for you.”
Jiang Feng realized he couldn’t bear to let her go. He wasn’t ready for the child who had been growing up so fast to leave for college or go further in her studies.
Jiang Feng went to his room to get Ji Xia’s gift, which was actually just opening the attribute panel in his room and taking out the rolling pin rewarded from the game earlier.
Ji Xia’s noodle pulling level had reached advanced, and she could use this rolling pin.
When Jiang Feng came out with the rolling pin, Ji Xia had already taken the peach crumbles out of the oven.
The steaming peach crumbles were arranged on the baking tray, exuding an enticing aroma.
“Xiaxia, this is the rolling pin that Master specifically picked out for you,” Jiang Feng handed the rolling pin to Ji Xia. Although the gift seemed a bit odd, it was truly practical.
Every future Master White Chef should have a rolling pin with a buff enhancement.
Ji Xia took the rolling pin, as if signing a promise, “Master, I will study hard and I’ll learn even without anyone teaching me!”
Jiang Feng: …
He should have felt reassured, so why was he feeling like crying at this moment?
Jiang Feng glanced at the peach crumbles on the table, smiling and saying, “Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t worry about what I said earlier, Xiaxia. Master and Wu didn’t mean to push you away. If Xiaxia is unwilling, that’s fine; Master will find another teacher for you. If all else fails, Master will play matchmaker for you with Master Zheng every day. Once you and Master Zheng are married and Master Zheng’s grandmaster stays in Beiping, he can continue to teach you.”
Of course, Jiang Feng knew this was impossible.
Zheng Da had no interest in teaching apprentices, and it was the same with his grandstudents. An occasional pointer was fine, but asking him to teach continuously was unrealistic.
Ji Xia needed a real Master White Chef.
If she was willing, that is.
Jiang Feng looked again at the peach crumbles on the table.
[Peach Crumble (Failure) D-grade]
She was a genius.