Chapter 29: Who Can't Cook, The Hard Part Is Cooking!
Silently, Qin Mu opened the system mall. Soon, he found the [Grandmaster Cooking], which required 500 challenge points to exchange.
"If you have master-level cooking skills, it should be enough to complete the task," Qin Mu thought to himself.
Without hesitation, he exchanged this skill, and 500 points were deducted from his challenge value, leaving him with 2520 points. A wealth of information flooded into his mind, all about cooking skills, experience, cooking methods, and more.
After a few minutes, Qin Mu finished digesting these [Grandmaster Cooking] and slowly opened his eyes.
"There are still two hours before the meal," he noted, glancing at the time. Qin Mu then looked at the ingredients in the kitchen area, including eggs, vegetables, pork, and more.
"Why is the anchor standing still? I don't know what to do, right? Big pot dishes are completely different from home-style stir-fries, and it's hard to make," the audience commented.
"There are at least a few hundred people on this construction site. You have to cook meals for dozens of people at a time. How much seasoning and side dishes are there? Are you sure you understand the host?" another viewer questioned.
"It's over, it's over, the host is purely wasting ingredients."
"I bet fifty cents that dogs won't eat the dark dishes made by the anchor."
In the studio, the audience continued to discuss, and still, no one believed in Qin Mu's "cooking skills."
Making a small home-cooked dish was one thing, but cooking for a construction site crew was an entirely different challenge. Big pot dishes were notoriously difficult, as they needed to cater to everyone's preferences and tastes, which was no easy feat.
"Huh? Look, everyone, the anchor has started washing rice and cooking," someone finally noticed Qin Mu's actions.
The audience observed as Qin Mu began washing rice—fetching, washing, rinsing, and soaking it in water for fifteen minutes. Then, he drained the rice, put it in a pot, and started cooking it with firewood.
"Damn it?! It seems that the anchor is still a bit of a cook. This technique is a bit skilled, and he can even grow rice."
"It's been a long time since I saw such a wonderful rice washing. When I was in New Oriental, I saw an old professor perform rice washing."
"Wait! Isn't it just washing rice? Who can't, is it necessary to brag like this?"
"Anyway, I don't see any tricks. It's just cooking. Is this a normal operation? Just have hands!"
Some knowledgeable viewers appreciated Qin Mu's skills, but others still thought it was a routine operation that anyone could do.
A high-achieving student, claiming to have graduated from New Oriental, took the initiative to explain the intricacies of rice washing to the audience. They emphasized that a masterful rice washing technique preserved the rice's original flavor and fragrance through careful steps, and Qin Mu's actions were indeed meaningful.
Meanwhile, in the studio, the audience watched in astonishment as Qin Mu continued to cook. As predicted by an expert in the studio, Qin Mu opened the lid of the pot and stirred the rice once more.
"Hiss! I'm numb. It's just cooking, but there are so many details?"
"It's outrageous! I've lived so long, and today I suddenly realized that I can't even cook rice."
"Speechless, I want to see if the rice cooked in this way will become immortal after eating?"
"Shouldn't it be cooking? No matter how good the rice is, that's it. I think it's a big pot dish that really tests cooking skills!"
After listening to the explanation, some viewers still found this method of cooking too cumbersome for rice, focusing their attention on the upcoming cauldron dishes.
Back at the construction site, more than two hundred workers were busy under the scorching sun, their faces filled with smiles. They had received a bonus for helping excavate a tomb, and some even boasted about the cultural relics they had unearthed to their families.
"Huh? It smells so good," someone suddenly remarked, as a delightful scent wafted through the air above the construction site. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the construction site kitchen.