Chương 35: I Want to Be a Chef!

The braised crucian carp with mint was served, and Zhao Tieying's braised eel was also ready. Zhou Yan stir-fried some greens and served a dish of pickled radishes, completing the dinner menu. They had originally planned to use the leftover toppings for dinner, but they sold out completely. Zhao Tieying filled an enamel basin with rice and placed it on the table, serving everyone a bowl first.

"This braised crucian carp with mint is amazing! The color is beautiful, and it smells wonderful. It looks even better than what you get at state-run restaurants," Zhou Fei exclaimed, looking at the plate of braised crucian carp.

"It looks good," Zhou Miao nodded, adding, "This braised eel looks even better, with a bright color and a wonderful aroma. It's truly skillful."

"Enough talk, eat yours," Zhao Tieying said, placing a bowl of rice in front of him, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"Okay." Zhou Miao replied with a smile, first pushing some broth aside, then picking up a piece of crucian carp belly meat for Zhou Momo, and said gently, "Sip it slowly, and spit out any bones."

"Mmm." Zhou Momo nodded, already eagerly picking up her chopsticks to take a bite. Tender! Smooth! Delicious! She pouted her little mouth, picked out a tiny bone, spat it out, and immediately shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth, chewing it with great relish. Zhou Momo had been eating fish since she was three years old, and was very talented at it. Of course, Zhao Tieying didn't dare let her eat too much, always letting her eat a little bit of the belly meat with fewer bones, just to taste it.

"Crucian carp has many small bones, Fanwa, you're not good with your mouth, so eat the eel your fourth aunt cooked." Zhao Hong picked up a piece of eel for Fanwa.

"I'm not that bad..." Fanwa was a little aggrieved, but he still enjoyed eating the eel very much. He had choked on fish before and was afraid to eat it in the first place. Zhao Tieying first picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks. The thick broth coated the fish, and upon tasting it, the spicy and savory flavor melted in her mouth, the aroma of the agastache being particularly prominent.

The fish had been pan-fried beforehand, but not overcooked; the skin was slightly charred, enhancing the aroma, while the flesh remained incredibly tender. It even had a hint of pickled pepper spiciness! Delicious! It was so much better than the agastache-flavored crucian carp she had made before; it was like a completely different dish. And it was so good with rice. Zhao Tieying shoveled down three mouthfuls of rice, feeling quite satisfied.

"This flavor is just right! It's much better than the braised carp you made last time," Zhao Tieying said, looking at Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan thought for a moment and immediately remembered the braised carp that Comrade Zhou had made last time—it was terrible! The muddy taste wasn't masked at all, and it was only finished because of the scarcity of resources and the fear of wasting food. Zhou Miao, hearing this, also eagerly picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth. One bite, and she was stunned.

This was too delicious! The fish was smooth and tender, soaked in the broth, with the aroma of mint taking center stage. The sour, spicy, and savory flavors danced on the tongue—it was incredibly delicious. He quickly shoveled down two mouthfuls of rice. He looked up at Zhou Yan and said, "Take two fish to your grandma tomorrow. She loves fish, and she'll definitely love this mint-flavored crucian carp you made."

"Okay," Zhou Yan nodded; it was a good idea. Zhou Yan himself tasted the mint-flavored crucian carp, his eyes lighting up as well. This dish wasn't uncommon in Sichuan restaurants, but he had never encountered one where the fish's texture and the sauce's flavor were controlled to this extent.

"Amazing, family!" he almost blurted out. So delicious, perfect with rice! A pound of crucian carp meant more bones, making it even more enjoyable to eat. Zhou Fei and Zhao Hong also tried the mint-flavored crucian carp, both exclaiming in amazement. One shouldn't talk too much while eating fish, as it's easy to choke on a bone. The fish head was sucked clean, and even the broth was used by Zhou Momo to mix with rice and devour it all.

Zhou Miao's plan to pack the broth to take home for noodles fell through, much to his disappointment.

"Next time, let's go fishing for crucian carp, they're delicious," Zhao Tieying assigned Old Zhou the task.

"Okay, next time I'll catch an even bigger one," Old Zhou's pockets bulged, his back straightened, and he was full of confidence.

"Uncle, you're amazing! The fish you made is the best I've ever eaten," Zhou Lihui looked at Zhou Yan with eyes full of admiration.

"I want to learn to cook from you." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Huh?" The hall suddenly fell silent. Zhao Hong, who was clearing the dishes, paused, looking at Zhou Lihui in surprise: "What did you say? You're not going to school anymore?"

"Yeah, I'm only in the third year of junior high." Zhou Fei also stared at him. Zhou Lihui scratched his head and whispered, "Anyway, I'm not good at studying. I'm always third from the bottom in every exam. I don't want to learn how to butcher cattle. I like cooking. I want to follow Uncle and become a chef, cooking for everyone." Zhou Yan looked at the boy, not daring to respond. In this era, studying was definitely the best way out.

But Zhou Lihui consistently ranked third from the bottom, clearly not cut out for academics. The restaurant business was booming, and with the upcoming additions of cooking and stir-frying, the kitchen workload was overwhelming; he couldn't manage it all alone. Taking Huihui as an apprentice was worth considering. The kid inherited his father's personality—hardworking, diligent, and observant. He was also physically strong, having inherited the Zhou family's sturdiness; he was a natural-born butcher and chef.

But this was a huge matter, concerning a child's future, and he dared not interfere. Zhao Hong and Zhou Fei exchanged a glance and fell silent. They certainly knew Zhou Lihui's academic level best. This kid wasn't reckless; he was adept at everything from catching fish and eels to climbing trees and stealing bird eggs, but he just couldn't study, consistently ranking third from the bottom—the two behind him were truly reckless.

He never caused trouble at school, and the teachers had never bothered them in all these years. He had even received awards multiple times for helping his classmates. He definitely wouldn't get into high school, so their plan was for him to learn a trade by working as a butcher after graduating from junior high. He was strong, learned quickly, and would be able to earn a living in a few years.

"Fourth Uncle, what do you think about this?" Zhou Fei looked at Zhou Miao, seeking the elder's opinion. His uncles hadn't quite understood why Zhou Yan hadn't learned butchering but instead became a cook's apprentice in the factory canteen. Zhou Miao looked at Zhou Yan, "Zhou Yan, you're the cook, you speak." Everyone looked at Zhou Yan.

"Huihui, is this just a spur-of-the-moment decision, or have you really thought it through and decided to learn to cook and become a chef?" Zhou Yan looked into Zhou Lihui's eyes, his expression serious. Zhou Lihui unconsciously straightened up, his face serious, and said, "I only thought about becoming a chef today, but I've thought it through. I don't want to slaughter cows; I want to be a chef. Slaughtering cows is the same every day. Being a chef, seeing customers eat the food I make, would be very fulfilling."

"Zhou Yan, do you think he can do it..." Zhou Fei hesitated. Zhou Yan's restaurant was thriving, something Zhao Hong had told him; it earned him more than he did from slaughtering cattle. If Zhou Lihui could learn to cook from Zhou Yan, it would be a valuable skill, and even more promising. No cook had ever starved to death. But Da Wa's sudden suggestion today caught them completely off guard.

They were afraid Zhou Yan would misunderstand, thinking they were jealous of his business and had encouraged Huihui to learn cooking from him.

"It's alright. My initial thought was the same as his—I didn't want to slaughter cattle, I just wanted to be a chef," Zhou Yan said with a smile, waving his hand—this was exactly the attitude he was waiting for. He looked at Zhou Lihui and said, "How about this: starting next week, you'll come to the restaurant with your mother every morning and learn cooking from me for two hours. Then you'll go to school at 7: 30. Experience it for a while and see if it matches your expectations.

If you can stick with it, you can learn cooking from me after you graduate from junior high."

"Great! Thank you, Uncle!" Zhou Lihui's eyes lit up, and he grinned widely.

"However, I have one requirement for you. I don't care about other subjects, but for the next six months or so, you need to learn to recognize all the characters and master the most basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division." Zhou Yan's smile faded, and his expression turned serious.

"My kitchen doesn't allow illiterate people."

"If you can't even understand the names of seasonings, and can't even calculate the bill when buying groceries, don't even think about becoming my apprentice." I want to be a writing master!!! I feel anxious if I don't write for a day!