Chapter 9: Cooking
Wang Jianye collected his thoughts and glanced at the watch hanging on the wall.

"It's 8:15 in the morning now. The kitchen will be busy soon. I have to hurry up and cook a few more dishes to practice."

Wang Jianye heated up the oil in a pan and made another dish of leek and dried tofu.

[Ding, experience value +1]

"Huh? How come after I upgraded the leek and dried tofu to the third stove, I only gained a little experience point?"

Before, when he was only at the skilled level when making this dish, he could gain two experience points at a time. But now that he has reached the third level, he can only gain one experience point when making it again.

"I got two experience points this morning when I made the third-class spicy and sour potato shreds. If I only make the spicy and sour potato shreds at the skilled level, can I get three experience points?"

Wang Jianye had no idea, because the first dish he cooked after traveling through time was the spicy and sour potato shreds that he had made in the morning, which was at the third-level cooking level. He had never made a skilled dish before, so he had no idea how many experience points he would get for each time he cooked.

"Next, I will not make leek and dried tofu. I will try to make braised prawns. The level of this dish is only entry-level now. Let's see how many experience points I can get after making it. Then I will raise the level of this dish to the proficient level and see how many experience points I can get by making this dish. If it decreases, it means that as the level of a dish is improved, the experience points gained from making it will decrease."

"If that's the case, I'll cook more low-level dishes in the future to gain more experience points."

After figuring it out, Wang Jianye started to make braised shrimps.

He first found Master Zhang, who was in charge of the ingredients, and asked for a few prawns. Then he cleaned them and heated oil in a pan.

Because I'm just getting started and haven't reached the proficient level yet.

Wang Jianye was in a hurry when making this dish, and it took him a long time to finally make a dish of braised prawns.

[Ding, experience value +5]

"When I'm at the entry level, I can get 5 experience points for making this dish. What about when I'm at the skilled level?"

"System, upgrade my Braised Prawns to the proficient level."

[Ding, Braised Prawns in Oil (Entry Level 5+) has been upgraded successfully after spending 1 experience point. Congratulations to the host for mastering Braised Prawns in Oil (Experience Level 6+). ]

"I have now become an expert at making braised prawns. I will try making it again next time."

Wang Jianye heated up the oil in a pan and then made a dish of braised prawns.

[Ding, experience value +4]

"It's true. The better I cook a dish, the less experience points I get."

"It seems that I need to practice more dishes with lower levels in the future so that I can get more experience points."

Wang Jianye knew what he should do.

At this time, Sha Zhu came out smelling the fragrance.

"Brother Wang, you made braised prawns."

"Well, would you like to try it?"

"Okay."

Sha Zhu came here just for this. He picked up a braised prawn with chopsticks, pinched off the head, and put the whole thing into his mouth.

"what about the taste?"

"Hmm, it seems a bit salty."

Sha Zhu smacked his lips and said.

"Then try something from this plate."

Wang Jianye pushed the skillfully braised prawns he had just made in front of Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu didn't hesitate to try one and said, "Mm, this tastes just right."

It is natural that the skilled-level braised prawns are slightly better than the entry-level braised prawns.

Although the taste is better, it is still not as good as that made by a chef who can cook.

After all, this dish has just been upgraded to the skilled level, and it is still ten experience points away from the three-stove level.

"Why don't you practice cooking while you have some free time now?" Wang Jianye took a break and drank some water.

He hasn't seen Sha Zhu cooking since he came to the kitchen in the morning.

"I still have more than a year before I take the exam, so there's no rush."

Don't panic, Shazhu.

He felt that his talent was better than Wang Jianye's and he would definitely be able to pass the test successfully in the future.

But in fact, after his father He Daqing ran off with a widow named Bai, his temperament changed drastically. He became less interested in studying cooking, became perfunctory in his attitude, and his skills dropped a lot.

This led to his failure to pass the top-level assessment at Fengze Garden, and he had to find work in restaurants outside.

Later, when he couldn't find a job, Yi Zhonghai took the opportunity to introduce him to the factory. He became a cook in the kitchen of the steel rolling mill, and was eventually successfully tricked by Yi Zhonghai.

Wang Jianye had watched the TV series and knew about this.

"I remember that He Daqing ran away at the end of 1952. Half a month after he ran away, Qin Huairu married into the courtyard and became Jia Dongxu's wife. Now it is November of 1952, and it is almost the end of the year. He Daqing should have run away soon."

Wang Jianye thought to himself.

He had no intention of telling Sha Zhu right now. After all, his father He Daqing had not run away yet, so even if he told Sha Zhu, he would not believe it.

Forget it.

Wang Jianye didn't think any more about it. His first priority was to pass the assessment successfully and stay in Fengze Garden.

Let’s talk about other things later.

Wang Jianye continued to practice cooking to gain experience points.

On the other hand, Wang Jianye’s master Chai Wenshan found the manager of the kitchen and the master chef of the kitchen, Zhou Qingde.

The kitchen is a place where the level of cooking skills speaks volumes.

As the head chef, Zhou Qingde has the qualifications and ability to manage, and everyone is willing to listen to him.

"Master Zhou, we need apprentices to cook in the kitchen at noon and in the evening. I would like to recommend someone to you. My apprentice Wang Jianye has been in the industry for three years and will take the assessment next week. What do you think?"

"I remember this guy named Wang Jianye was just average."

As a manager, Zhou Qingde knows everyone in the kitchen quite well.

"His talent is a little lacking, but he works really hard. Look, he started practicing cooking as soon as he came here this morning, and he hasn't stopped yet. Just now he came to me and said he wanted to cook at noon. He's so proactive. Just give him this opportunity and let him try it once."

Even though Wang Jianye's talent and level are average, Chai Wenshan still speaks for him, after all, he is his biological disciple.

"Okay, then add him and ask him to go find Cao Xiaodong to prepare in advance."

Zhou Qingde agreed.

"Okay, then I'll thank you, Master Zhou, on his behalf."

Chai Wenshan came back and found Wang Jianye and told him about this.

Wang Jianye said happily: "Thank you, Master."

"You're welcome. Go find Cao Xiaodong later and prepare lunch."

Chai Wenshan left after he finished speaking.

The meals served to the people in the kitchen are now all prepared by apprentices, and Cao Xiaodong is recognized as the best among all the apprentices.

Therefore, the daily meals for the kitchen staff were all prepared by Cao Xiaodong.

Of course, there are so many people in the kitchen, Cao Xiaodong can’t handle it all by himself, so he has a few helpers.

The opportunity Zhou Qingde gave Wang Jianye was to allow him to help Cao Xiaodong cook with a few other people.

(End of this chapter)