Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 820 - 411: Fate

It seems that Zhiwei Restaurant’s selling snacks is the real blind box; you never know what surprise will be newly launched the next second.

Qin Huai walked directly to the end of the line and started queuing.

Tan Wei’an, still immersed in eating egg tarts: ?

Come on, buddy, we’re employees now. If you want to eat something, you can take it to go right away. I, Tan Wei’an, may not have that face, but you, Qin Huai, can get Master Zhou to personally bake a new batch of egg tarts. What can’t you take to go?

Do you love shopping so much?

Is this a new way of flaunting wealth?

Tan Wei’an could only follow Qin Huai in line, continue eating the egg tarts, and only after finishing did he have an empty mouth to explain, "It’s all thanks to you."

"Thanks to me?"

"Master Zhou said you just got here and are unfamiliar with the area. I live nearby and love to be lazy, so I’m more familiar with the local shops than Su Qian and the others. He asked me to accompany you around the area tonight, and by the way, take you to a few nearby fruit shops to pick some fruit to see which one you like. Master Zhou will negotiate with the fruit shop owner so that we can buy all the fruit from there in the future."

"Oh, and Master Zhou asked me to help you find a few traditional Chinese bone-setting shops nearby. Even though Boss Su isn’t invested in this area, our Zhiwei Restaurant can also help you with a membership card. Rest assured, what’s available at Huang Ji is definitely available at our Zhiwei Restaurant!"

"The traditional Chinese bone-setting techniques around here are pretty good too."

Qin Huai: ...

Qin Huai took a bite of the egg tart, expressionless. Yes, truly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Master Zhou’s exquisite baking technique used on egg tarts is simply a dimensionality reduction strike. Qin Huai could feel the flaky pastry of the egg tart peeling off layer by layer on his tongue, a wonderful sensation while chewing it.

It’s really hard to believe this is an egg tart.

"So." Qin Huai looked at Tan Wei’an, "How much did you actually say? Anything you didn’t?"

Tan Wei’an: ...

Tan Wei’an quietly glanced at another takeaway box in Qin Huai’s hand, which contained shrimp dumplings made by Master Zhang.

"Maybe...no." Tan Wei’an chuckled awkwardly. "You know me, Qin Huai. These master chefs at Zhiwei Restaurant watched me grow up and are like family to me. Everyone is very interested in you."

"This is a task given to me by the organization, and I dare not disobey!"

"How about this, I’ll buy you an entire golden pillow durian later as my apology!"

"Get lost, I don’t like durians."

"Then how about a bunch of bananas?"

"Okay."

.

In the end, Tan Wei’an managed to have a shrimp dumpling at Qin Huai’s house. After landing in Hangzhou and making the altered Four Happiness glutinous rice balls, Three Meat Buns, and Chicken Soup Noodles at Zhiwei Restaurant, Qin Huai went to the place arranged for him by Boss Su.

Boss Su’s house was an old house but had new furnishings, incorporating Qin Huai’s favorite smart home system. It was so smart that Ouyang could play with it all night and then get reported by the neighbors to the police for a chat.

By the way, Tan Wei’an didn’t buy bananas for Qin Huai because Su Qian had already prepared them.

There was a reason Su Qian came so late. Not only were Qin Huai’s favorite bananas and mangoes in the house, but the fridge also had his favorite cheese sticks.

Tan Wei’an lounged comfortably on Boss Su’s newly purchased sofa, nibbling cheese sticks while scrolling through videos, exclaiming, "Wow, Qin Huai, your internet is so much faster than mine. Can I apply to move in and live with you? After all, your place is a two-bedroom, and compared to mine, it’s closer to Zhiwei Restaurant. This way, I can wake up two minutes later in the morning."

"Don’t even think about it." Qin Huai decisively refused. If Tan Wei’an had made this request before today, Qin Huai might have agreed, but after witnessing today what Tan Wei’an had said...

Qin Huai didn’t want to hear from Zhiwei Restaurant’s master chefs in a few days: "Xiao Qin, I heard from Xiao Tan that you felt the pillow wasn’t comfortable. I have..."

Tan Wei’an could only continue watching videos: "What do you want to eat tonight? There aren’t many good restaurants nearby, but there’s a pork rice delivery that’s not bad. If you want to eat out, there’s a night market here. The food isn’t great, but it’s edible."

"It’s impossible to expect the level of Huang Ji. Huang Ji’s dishes are quite competitive throughout Hangzhou. Do you like dumplings? There’s a dumpling restaurant nearby that’s pretty good, and their pickles are especially delicious. I highly recommend the pickled radishes."

Qin Huai thought Tan Wei’an was a bit absent-minded from playing with his phone.

"I’m not that hungry, so just a little something will do," Qin Huai said, "What do you usually eat?"

"We usually eat at the restaurant. Oh, right, you have Boss Su’s WeChat, right? Let him know what dishes you want for tomorrow. If you don’t have a craving for anything, please message me. I want Dongpo pork, sweet and sour pineapple pork, and Song sister’s fish soup. The restaurant that Boss Su orders from makes these dishes really well!"

Qin Huai decided to trust Tan Wei’an’s recommendation and texted Boss Su. Boss Su didn’t reply instantly, probably because he was still in a meeting.

"Tan Wei’an, I have something to ask you," Qin Huai said.

"Go ahead," Tan Wei’an said, still playing on his phone.

"Today, Master Zhou said I should follow him tomorrow. I nodded and agreed without much thought, but now I find it a bit strange. Do you think Master Zhou wants me to learn and communicate with him, or does he want me to help him out? Are there any special rules for helping out at Zhiwei Restaurant, like making tea or something? I hardly recognize any tea leaves, and if I don’t make the tea well, Master Zhou won’t be mad, right?"

"Of course not. Master Zhou is..." Tan Wei’an’s attention was at least half distracted by his phone, and he nearly blurted out that Master Zhou was about to fight with Master Hua over snatching this precious apprentice, but years of gossip instincts made him think for two more seconds even if zipped up, glancing at Qin Huai.

Qin Huai was staring at him.

A very serious stare, clearly watching his expression.

Tan Wei’an’s alarm bells rang immediately.

"You’re not trying to trick me into talking, are you?" Tan Wei’an was shocked.

"Yes." Qin Huai nodded with a smile, silently cursing the game system for saying he was a master of lies; it was pure slander. He was super honest, wasn’t lying at all.

"Seeing you playing on your phone, just wanted to get some info."

"I’ve been feeling that Master Zhou has been a bit off today. I can tell that Master Zhou is not that kind of person, and his attitude towards me is indeed very different from others."

"Is Master Zhou trying to take me on as his apprentice?"

Tan Wei’an: Not only Master Zhou, but probably every master chef at Zhiwei Restaurant wants to now, just that apart from Master Hua, the other master chefs dare not compete with Master Zhou.

"Maybe...a little...perhaps...should...probably...okay, that’s right, your feeling is correct." Tan Wei’an, after struggling for a few seconds, chose to confess.

In terms of secretly gossiping, Qin Huai wasn’t as good as him. But in terms of interpreting expressions and getting information, ten Tan Wei’ans couldn’t surpass Qin Huai.

Qin Huai nodded.

Tan Wei’an was a little surprised: "You’re not surprised? You’re not...how to say, tangled? Hesitant? Pondering and tossing and turning at night?"

Qin Huai: ...he just knew, not letting Tan Wei’an move in was the right decision.

"What’s there to be tangled about?" Qin Huai peeled a banana. "Master Zheng also wants to take me as an apprentice. Actually, I was considering him as my master before, but later I found it might not be appropriate, plus Master Zheng’s temperament...is somewhat occasional, not very suitable to be a master, so I kept pretending to be ignorant."

"What?! You actually considered taking Zheng Da as your master!" Tan Wei’an’s face was full of disbelief at such an important matter. He didn’t know, what a miscalculation.

"Of course I thought about it. Master Zheng’s cooking skills are so high, it’s hard not to be tempted," Qin Huai said.

Tan Wei’an: Completely didn’t see that coming.

"What about Master Zhou then? If Master Zhou wants to take you as an apprentice, would you take him as your master?" Tan Wei’an eagerly asked.

"I don’t know," Qin Huai said half-honestly, "After all, today is my first day getting to know Master Zhou. I know that Master Zhou’s culinary skills are better, and his philosophy is better too, but becoming an apprentice is all about fate."

"If there is a connection, I’ll become an apprentice. Just like Master Cao, even though I never officially became Master Cao’s apprentice, he really is my master."

Tan Wei’an thought he understood.

Tan Wei’an looked earnestly at Qin Huai: "If you and Master Zhou have this connection, can you do me a favor?"

Qin Huai: ?

"Can you ask Master Zhou to make a complete boat-shaped pastry for me to eat once? The last time Master Zhou made a complete boat-shaped pastry was more than a year ago. It was an assignment from above to entertain foreign guests."

"I didn’t even have the chance to help out that time, didn’t even get a photo, couldn’t post on social media."

"I want to eat it properly once and thoroughly, and post it powerfully on social media!"

Qin Huai: ...