"Snowflake Chicken?!" Xu Yunliang's voice suddenly rose several decibels, his eyes filled with surprise. "No, my Master secretly taught your Master behind our backs?"
Zhou Yan saw shock, confusion, and a hint of heartbroken betrayal in his eyes.
He probably already mentally rehearsed a scene of his master favoring his junior brother and passing on his secret recipe.
"No, even my master doesn't know how." Zhou Yan quickly interrupted.
"Your master doesn't know how, and as far as I know, your grandmaster probably doesn't either. In Jiazhou, the only one who could make it well was Old Luo's father back then. Even your grandmaster missed it for many years, feeling it was a pity that the skill was lost, and tried to replicate it for many years, all ending in failure." Xu Yunliang looked at him and asked seriously, "So, how do you know how to make Snowflake Chicken?"
Zhou Yan looked at him, his expression equally serious, and said, "Would you believe me if I said I learned it by myself from a recipe?"
Xu Yunliang was silent for a moment, then nodded, "I wouldn't believe anyone else, but I believe you."
Zhou Yan's lips twitched, he almost couldn't suppress his laughter.
Well, that's what you call reputation!
Xu Yunliang then asked, "Has your master tried it? How was it? I've had authentic Snowflake Chicken in Rongcheng."
"I just learned this recently, and my master hasn't tried it either. I think it's alright." Zhou Yan said with a smile, "I've never had the authentic version, so I'd appreciate any guidance from my senior master uncle later."
"Your master is really magnanimous." Xu Yunliang was impressed. Today's guests included not only his fellow disciples but also a reporter from the Jiazhou Daily.
This report is both a coverage of Qian Siyuan's long journey to find his relatives and a joint report on his journey to find the taste and the Kong Sect, commemorating their deceased master, Master Kong Huaifeng.
As Kong Huaifeng's eldest disciple, he naturally had to attend. He returned to Jiazhou last night and had to rush back tonight, so he attached great importance to this event.
However, seeing Zhou Yan's nonchalant demeanor, he couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, may be your Snowflake Chicken will surprise everyone. If you really manage to make it, that would be a great thing, and it would also fulfill my master's last wish."
"I'll do my best." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Good temperament." Xu Yunliang reached out and patted Zhou Yan's arm, lowering his voice slightly. "Are you interested in changing your master? Your master is only level two, while I'm a level one chef now. If you're interested, I can recommend you to work at Rongcheng Restaurant."
Zhou Yan: ...
They truly are master and disciple.
One is thinking about whether he can change masters, and the other is thinking about whether he can change disciples.
"My master has shown me great kindness and guidance, so I won't change masters." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Hahaha, I was just teasing you." Xu Yunliang laughed loudly, then turned to Xiao Lei beside him and said, "Junior Brother, your disciple is really interesting, he even seriously considered it."
Xiao Lei nodded: "Exactly, unlike Master Zheng, who's so honest, telling me everyday he wants to become my disciple."
Xu Yunliang immediately stopped smiling.
The smile shifted to Zhou Yan's face, when it came to sarcastic remarks, Master Xiao was the best.
Xu Yunliang's gaze turned to Zheng Qiang, who was cutting meat nearby, and he said with a forced smile, "Master Zheng, is that so?"
Zheng Qiang felt a chill run down his spine, and turned around with a stiff smile: "Master, I was just kidding! You will always be my most beloved master!"
"I think you've gotten too big for your britches if I don't teach you a lesson in three days, huh?" Xu Yunliang pointed at him and said, "Wait until tonight, I'll deal with you then!"
Zheng Qiang grinned and said, "Master, weren't you supposed to be taking the bus back this afternoon? I have a feast to prepare tonight, so I won't see you off."
"Damn it..." Xu Yunliang raised his hand.
"Master, look over there, that's the reporter. He just interviewed me." Zheng Qiang quickly said, "I've said a lot of good things about you. I told him you're very good to your disciples. You never beat or scold them. You teach by example and have inherited the excellent style of my grandmaster."
Xu Yunliang glanced back at the young man standing at the door, wearing a white shirt and a black suit, holding a notebook. He then gently placed his hand on Zheng Qiang's shoulder and whispered, "I'll deal with you when you get back!"
"That might have to wait until the Chinese New Year." Zheng Qiang said with a laugh.
Xiao Lei, standing to the side, couldn't suppress the wide grin spreading across his face.
"You're still laughing? He's just been corrupted by you." Xu Yunliang shook his head repeatedly, his tone tinged with helplessness.
"What dishes are you planning to cook for lunch, Senior Brother?" Xiao Lei asked with a smile.
Xu Yunliang replied, "I'll just make a whole Dry-Braised Rock Carp. Our Kong Sect is good at cooking fish, and our master's signature dishes are mostly fish. I'll just make a representative one."
"Okay, your Dry-Braised Rock Carp is always pretty good." Xiao Lei nodded.
While the masters were reminiscing about the past, Zhou Yan couldn't just stand by and do nothing. He told Comrade Old Zhou to go watch the Sichuan opera face-changing performance with Aunt Zhao and the others. They said it was a troupe invited from Jiazhou, and a lot of villagers were already watching.
In an era of extreme scarcity of entertainment, Sichuan opera performances in the countryside were a rare and incredibly appealing event.
Zhou Yan took a bag from the basket containing kitchen knives and spices and walked towards the cutting board.
"Junior Brother Zhou, don't try to squeeze in. There are only four cutting boards, it's not our turn." Kong Liwei said with a smile, pulling him back.
Zhou Yan looked at the seven or eight fourth-generation disciples standing in front of the four chopping boards and stopped with a smile. Today, they would all take turns being the chopping board operators.
"I bought that magazine you're in! It's so prestigious! A cover, an interview, and photo!" Kong Liwei looked at him with envy. "When will I be as successful as you, able to be interviewed?"
"With your talent, Senior Brother, it was only a matter of time." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Really? You think so too?" Kong Liwei's eyes lit up immediately, and he grabbed Zhou Yan's hand, saying, "A kindred spirit is hard to find! I've finally met someone who understands me! Last time I said this to my master, he laughed at me for three days. Tell me, is that how a master should act?"
"That's right, I believe you." Zhou Yan nodded solemnly, trying hard to suppress a smile.
"From now on, you're my good brother!" Kong Liwei said, gripping his hand tightly.
Kong Liwei is Kong Guodong's apprentice and nephew, a direct descendant of the Kong Sect.
This young man is quite interesting.
There was a strange optimism about him.
Zhou Yan didn't get to work as a chopping board operator, but he did chat with his senior master uncles and master uncles who were also idle.
Last time, after the group photo of the Kong Sect, everyone went home without having a detailed chat.
Two weeks have passed, and everyone has read the magazine and gained a deeper understanding of Zhou Yan.
This kid can recreate a dish by studying an incomplete recipe, and even make adjustments to make it taste even better.
Such talent and ability are truly astonishing.
The more experienced one is in the culinary industry, the more they understand the difficulty of this approach.
His inclusion in the Sichuan Cuisine magazine is well-deserved.
It would be a lie to say they weren't envious, they were more envious of Xiao Lei for having such a good apprentice.
"Thank you for your hard work, masters. Those who aren't working can go inside, sit, have some tea, and watch the show. We've reserved seats for you." Qian Siyuan, dressed in a blue Tang suit today, came out with a smile, handing out cigarettes to everyone as he spoke.
Everyone accepted the cigarettes and offered their congratulations, their gazes towards Qian Siyuan all quite friendly.
First Master Kong's nephew returned from the United States, thousands of kilometers away, to search for his relatives. This bond transcends nationality.
"Master Little Zhou is here." Qian Siyuan's eyes lit up when he saw Zhou Yan, and he looked around. "Where's little Zhou Momo? Is she here?"
"She's here. My mom took her to get candy and go watch the show." Zhou Yan replied with a smile.
"It's good that she's here." Qian Siyuan nodded, and seeing that Zhou Yan was free, he said, "Since you don't have any work right now, why don't you go inside and take a look? Your grandmaster's old house, you probably haven't been here before, have you?"
"I've never been here before. I'll go with you for a look around." Zhou Yan nodded and followed Qian Siyuan into the courtyard.
The Kong family's old residence covers a large area, with a large semi-open courtyard. The stage is set up directly in the courtyard, and the courtyard and surrounding area are full of people watching the show. At this moment, a face-changing performance is being performed. Amidst the dense drumbeats, the face-changing master raises his hand, and the blue face instantly changes into a red face. The audience cheers continuously, and their faces are all smiling. The atmosphere is quite lively.
Zhou Yan spotted Zhou Momo sitting on Comrade Old Zhou's shoulders in the crowd. The little girl's eyes were wide open, completely mesmerized, her little hands clapping until they were red.
"She does enjoy watching show." Qian Siyuan said with a smile, having also seen Zhou Momo.
"Watching a show doesn't necessarily mean you'll like it, but no child can resist face-changing." Zhou Yan said with a smile. Even he couldn't resist watching a wonderful Sichuan opera face-changing performance.
Qian Siyuan took Zhou Yan on a tour, including a visit to the room where his mother had lived when she was a child.
Apart from the large courtyard, the old Kong family residence is quite simple. It has many rooms, and there should still be descendants of the Kong family living there.
He also greeted the elders of the Kong family who were sitting in the main room.
Kong Qingfeng sat at the head of the table. As the current head of the Kong Sect, he was also the head of the Kong family. Seeing Zhou Yan, he greeted him with a smile, "Little Zhou, you've arrived. Would you like to sit down for a while?"
"Grandmaster Uncle, I won't sit down. It's almost eleven o'clock, and I still have to cook later." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Okay, then go and make your preparations." Kong Qingfeng nodded with a friendly smile, and then introduced Zhou Yan to the others: "This is Zhou Yan, the disciple of Brother Huaifeng's youngest disciple. He was on the cover of the magazine and in an interview at the age of twenty. He is quite accomplished at a young age."
"It was also with Master Little Zhou's help that I was able to find my mother's hometown and all my relatives." Qian Siyuan added.
The way everyone looked at Zhou Yan immediately changed.
"By the way, what dishes are you planning to cook for lunch today?" Kong Qingfeng asked casually.
"I plan to make Snowflake Chicken." Zhou Yan replied.
"Snowflake..." Kong Qingfeng suddenly stood up from his chair, looking at him with some surprise: "You mean Snowflake Chicken?"
Zhou Yan nodded: "Yes, Snowflake Chicken."
"How do you know how to make Snowflake Chicken? My senior brother really made it? Xiao Lei learned it too? And even taught you?" Kong Qingfeng looked equally incredulous.
Zhou Yan explained, "I learned it from a recipe."
"Recipe..." Kong Qingfeng remained silent for a long time before quietly saying, "Then you're really something."
Yes, he didn't doubt it either.
He even thought it made some sense.
That's what you call word of mouth!
It's not just one person who believes it, everyone believes it.
"Grandmaster Uncle, I'll go prepare now." Zhou Yan smiled and took his leave, turning to walk out.
Before the banquet begins, the third generation chefs of the Kong Sect prepare a table of dishes to showcase the style of their sect.
This is somewhat performative in nature.
The general menu was already discussed and agreed upon yesterday.
It won't be repetitive, and it can make up a decent meal.
Today, Kong Qingfeng isn't cooking, so Xu Yunliang's Dry-Braised Rock Carp will be the grand finale.
Xiao Lei is the head chef for the banquet today, but he's too busy to cook.
Zhou Yan is taking over for his master and is the only fourth generation disciple cooking today.
He's been on the cover of the magazine. Although he's a fourth generation disciple, but it's still quite convincing to have him represent the Kong Sect in cooking a dish.
Zhong Yong's beef was already stewing in the pot. Today he was making his signature dish, braised beef brisket. Because the cooking time was relatively long, he definitely had to start cooking early.
The dishes needed to be served promptly at 11:30, and the other chefs began to work.
The opera music in the courtyard gradually subsided, and many guests gathered around to watch the cooking.
The Kong Sect chefs are renowned, but few people have actually seen them cook, and many want to learn a few tricks on the spot.
The reporter scribbled notes as he interviewed each chef in turn, trying to understand the origins of the dish and the reasons why the chefs chose it.
Zhou Yan called over Comrade Old Zhou to help him kill the young chicken he had brought.
He just assisted him, handing him bowls and such.
A group of senior brothers gathered around, all eager to see what Zhou Yan would do today.
Then they were all impressed by Comrade Old Zhou's superb knife skills and chicken-killing techniques.
"Is your father a chef too?" Kong Liwei asked curiously.
"He's not a chef, he's a butcher, the best butcher in Zhou Village." Zhou Yan said proudly.
Kong Liwei asked doubtfully, "Then you can't even kill a chicken?"
Zhou Yan: ...
No wonder his master didn't love him!
A tender chicken was quickly killed, taking no more than five minutes. It was still steaming on the cutting board, but not a single feather was left.
Zhou Yan took two kitchen knives out of his bag, washed and dried them, and with a few swift strokes, removed two pieces of chicken breast. He placed them on the cutting board to remove the skin and tendons.
Then, he turned the knives over and used the back of the blades to pound the chicken into a paste.
Tap tap! Tap! Tap tap! Tap!
The rhythmic sound of knives, like the sound of horses' hooves, immediately attracted the attention of all the chefs.
Luo Han had just finished cutting the meat when he heard the sound and turned around. He saw Zhou Yan holding two knives and using the backs of the knives to pound two pieces of chicken breast on the cutting board. His eyes widened suddenly.