"Just because of this reason, you've come to bother me repeatedly?" Ye Chui, upon hearing Tian Xiaodu's words, couldn't help but be puzzled. By now, he was sure that Tian Xiaodu had no connection with Cao Kang.
However, he couldn't quite understand why Tian Xiaodu, a renowned chef, was so distressed over serving a guest. Ye Chui couldn't resist asking, "Is this guest a picky eater?"
"More than just picky," Tian Xiaodu said with a bitter smile. "He is a famous gourmet in the culinary world, named Han Xi, commonly known as Old Han. He's coming to Xizhou City soon for business negotiations, and our hotel manager pulled out all his cards to arrange for him to dine at our place."
"This has left me with a big problem. If the meal satisfies him, our Wan Lai Fu's reputation will skyrocket. However, if it doesn't please him, a single word from him could cut our business in half. Can you blame me for being so anxious these past few days?"
"Does this person really like chicken?" Ye Chui asked with interest.
"That's right. Old Han is over ninety years old now. In his youth, before the 'Vegetarian Movement,' meat dishes were flourishing. He particularly loved eating chicken. Now, after more than eighty years, with the lifting of the meat ban, he's been travelling all over the country, trying to find the tastes he enjoyed in his youth. But surprisingly, he hasn't found anything that satisfies him in these two years," explained Tian Xiaodu.
Since the Vegetarian Movement, an era when animals became toxic, the world experienced a biochemical disaster. This catastrophe had a devastating impact on culture, especially culinary culture. People believed that they could no longer consume meat, causing the majority of meat-based recipes to be lost. Even if some recipes were preserved, they were often incomplete.
Old Han had the fortune of experiencing the era before the Vegetarian Movement, where he had tasted the pinnacle of meat dishes. Eighty years later, those initial flavours in his memory were likely 'divine,' making it extremely challenging to recreate a dish that would satisfy this gourmet's palate.
Of course, for Ye Chui, this was not a problem.
"If that's the case, it seems like just a plate of Big Plate Chicken won't be enough," Ye Chui said thoughtfully as he pushed the three-wheeled cart.
"So, the dish is called Big Plate Chicken? The name is indeed straightforward..." Tian Xiaodu exclaimed and then curiously asked, "The taste of Big Plate Chicken is already incredibly delicious. I've attempted to replicate it several times, but surprisingly, I haven't succeeded. This clearly shows the dish's high level of sophistication. Why can't this dish satisfy Old Han?"
"How would I know?" Ye Chui rolled his eyes. "I don't know Old Han, but since it's a dish meant for a gourmet like him, Big Plate Chicken seems too common. If you want to satisfy his taste buds, it's better to go for more exquisite signature dishes."
"Are there other chicken dishes?" Hearing Ye Chui's suggestion, Tian Xiaodu eagerly inquired.
Big Plate Chicken had already amazed him, and now, it appeared that this young man knew other chicken dishes.
Ye Chui was in contemplation, and upon hearing Tian Xiaodu's question, he casually replied, "Of course, there are many, such as Steamed Chicken with Rice Flour, Wonton Chicken, Pepper and Sesame Chicken, Spicy Chicken, Hand-Shredded Chicken, Lotus Leaf Chicken, Saliva Chicken, Hainanese Chicken, White-Cut Chicken...Hey, why aren't you leaving?"
Tian Xiaodu was utterly shocked as if struck by five thunderbolts. How could he leave now?
He hadn't heard of any of the dish names Ye Chui mentioned, but he vaguely felt that these might be some once-famous dishes. Ye Chui casually listed them as if he were playing around. This made Tian Xiaodu look at Ye Chui with even more astonishment. He took a few quick steps and arrived in front of Ye Chui, "How...How do you know so many recipes? Could it be that you..."
In Ye Chui's mind, he exclaimed, 'This is bad.'
Was Tian Xiaodu starting to suspect that he wasn't from this world?
However, reality proved that Ye Chui was overly anxious. Tian Xiaodu, instead of suspecting Ye Chui's origin, exclaimed in shock, "Could it be that you possess those lost ancient recipe books?"
He continued, "After the Meat ban was lifted, and the revival of culinary culture started, what's the most valuable thing in this world now? Naturally, it's the crystallization of culinary culture representing hundreds or thousands of years –recipes!"
Upon hearing Tian Xiaodu say this, Ye Chui was slightly stunned. He smiled and nodded, "Exactly. I've come across ancient recipes that have been lost, but those are treasures passed down in my family. I can't let others see them."
"Understood, understood," Tian Xiaodu nodded eagerly, expressing admiration. "The culinary treasures of our country spanning thousands of years – wouldn't it be wonderful if they could see the light of day again one day?"
"Hehe, that day is not far off," Ye Chui hinted.
As they continued chatting, the two arrived at Ye Chui's residential area. Tian Xiaodu, with a flattering expression, said to Ye Chui, "Young man, can you sell me one recipe?"
"Of course, that's possible, but..." Ye Chui, who had already thought this through earlier, proposed to Tian Xiaodu, "I have a suggestion. I don't know if you're willing to consider it."
"What suggestion? Tell me," Tian Xiaodu eagerly asked.
"I'll be the one to host Old Han," Ye Chui said with a smile. "Since he's a gourmet with refined tastes, one dish won't be enough. I can prepare a hearty chicken feast for him, ensuring he reminisces about his youth."
Tian Xiaodu was dumbfounded by Ye Chui's proposal. A young man, who was merely seventeen or eighteen years old and sold grilled lamb skewers, suggested replacing him, a five-star chef, to entertain the gourmet?
If this conversation had happened before tonight, Tian Xiaodu might have walked away in disdain. However, at this moment, after the shock, he felt a sense of credibility. Pondering for a moment, he said, "I need to discuss this matter with our manager; after all, it represents the face of Wan Lai Fu."
"No problem. Tomorrow, I can especially come to Wan Lai Fu and personally prepare a chicken dish for your manager to taste," Ye Chui said with a smile. "If my dish can't impress him, then this proposal will naturally be invalid."
Ye Chui's confident demeanour was evident in his words.
Tian Xiaodu nodded vigorously, "Alright, let's settle it like this. Tomorrow, I'll arrange for someone to pick you up!" After a pause, he thought of something and continued, "But your services won't be free, right?"
"Of course, it's not free," Ye Chui grinned. In fact, he was hoping to earn some extra money from this opportunity. With his booming business selling lamb skewers, he was making a monthly income of at most three thousand. He calculated that to open a decent restaurant, he would need at least over ten thousand.
It would take him at least half a year to save up. This golden opportunity might allow him to open the restaurant earlier and improve his living conditions. After all, sharing a small house with his two sisters was not comfortable at all.
"What's your charging standard then?" Tian Xiaodu continued to inquire.
"Let's discuss that tomorrow. After I prepare the dish and you've tasted it, we can decide on the price," Ye Chui slyly remarked. If he mentioned several tens of thousands of yuan now, it would surely scare them away. It was better to propose a price with more confidence after showcasing his true skills tomorrow.
Of course, Ye Chui himself didn't think that asking for several tens of thousands for a table of dishes was unreasonable. After all, in his previous life, being the Food God, the phrase 'a dish worth a thousand pieces of gold' was entirely appropriate.
Charging several tens of thousands for a table of dishes was already a significant discount. Considering his current unknown status, he decided to make it affordable for them.