The owner clearly thought the request was bizarre, but since he couldn't afford to offend the person who made it, he had no choice but to steel himself and come back to find a solution.
"Little Su, about this..."
"It's nothing, not a big deal."
"I know this is quite a... What?!" The owner, halfway through his sentence, finally processed what she had said and exclaimed, "Really?"
Su Yuhan calmly nodded, then turned to ask the kitchen helpers, "Do we have any mandarin fish?"
"No, but there's a seafood market nearby. We should be able to get some there."
"Then have someone go buy one now. Pick a nice, plump one."
"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."
"We do have tofu. Is there any clear chicken broth?"
"Yes. Master Zhu had people simmer a lot of chicken broth over the last two days for the Poached Cabbage in Broth. We should be able to use some of it."
Hearing this, Su Yuhan knew what to do.
"Boss, go back and tell the guests to forget about the Pagoda Pork. It's too time-consuming and labor-intensive; it requires an advance reservation. If they're only asking for it now, they won't be able to have it until tomorrow at the earliest. We can figure something out for the Wensi Tofu and Sweet and Sour Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish, though. Just ask them to wait a little."
"Alright, fine. I'll go tell them."
The owner, who had arrived with a face full of worry, left overjoyed. Su Yuhan, however, now had to rush to tackle this surprise challenge.
Both Wensi Tofu and Sweet and Sour Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish are dishes that put one's knife skills to the test. While the others were out buying the mandarin fish, Su Yuhan started with the Wensi Tofu.
The ingredients for this dish weren't particularly complex or expensive, but the demands on one's knife skills were exceptionally high.
Not only the tofu, but also the accompanying ingredients like shiitake mushrooms and ham, had to be cut into equally fine threads.
By this time, the number of customers in the restaurant had begun to dwindle, and the back kitchen was no longer as hectic.
Many of the staff gathered a short distance away to watch Su Yuhan showcase her skills, especially the apprentices of the somewhat unfortunate Master Zhu.
At first, they had thought Su Yuhan was just some young girl messing around in the kitchen, but now they were all respectfully calling her "Chef Su."
"Chef Su, who taught you these knife skills? They're incredible! It must have taken at least seven or eight years of practice to get this good, right?"
"I was never formally taught. I just picked it up from cutting a lot of vegetables while working part-time at a restaurant. It only took two or three years, I guess."
"..." 'I think you're humblebragging, but I don't have any proof.'
Once placed in water, the meticulously cut tofu bloomed like a chrysanthemum, its threads as fine as hair, yet each one perfectly distinct.
After skimming the fat from the clear, bright chicken broth, she added the tofu and other ingredients, then thickened the soup. In a matter of moments, the Wensi Tofu—a dish that seemed to everyone like a pure display of technical brilliance—was complete.
The owner had been watching from the back kitchen the entire time. Seeing Su Yuhan finish, the admiration in his eyes was no less than anyone else's, and he grew even more curious about her background.
"Little Su, is your master really not...?"
Su Yuhan knew what the owner wanted to ask. She smiled faintly. "Oh, just a little hole-in-the-wall. We weren't particular about cuisines. As long as a dish was delicious and popular, we could make it."
"...So it's true what they say: the real masters are hidden in plain sight."
With the dishes ready, this was the moment of truth. The owner didn't dare to delay and personally delivered them to the private room upstairs.
Just then, the mandarin fish was brought back. As per Su Yuhan's request, the fish was fresh and plump. The moment it hit the cutting board, its head was chopped off.
Everyone: "..." 'So... so brutal!'
This was another technical dish that demanded great knife skills. The kitchen helpers were fine for chopping garnishes, but they weren't quite skilled enough to prepare the fish, so Su Yuhan still had to complete this dish on her own.
After spending some time prepping the fish, she began frying it while simultaneously preparing the sauce. She was incredibly busy, but she finally finished the dish just before ten o'clock.
By this point, the restaurant was nearly empty.
Su Yuhan handled the few remaining small orders trickling into the kitchen while waiting for the owner to return and pay her.
Finally, around ten-thirty, the owner returned, beaming.
Just one look at his face made it obvious that the two impromptu dishes had brought him considerable benefits.
"Little Su, thank you so much for tonight. Here's what we agreed on: two thousand for your wage and a one-thousand bonus. Plus, because of that unexpected situation tonight—if you hadn't been here, I never would have been able to handle those two extra dishes—I'm adding another five hundred on top of that. It's three thousand five hundred in total. Go ahead and count it."
Su Yuhan appreciated this kind of boss—one who cut the small talk and got straight to the bonuses. He was generous and straightforward.
"Thirty-five hundred, it's all here. Thank you, Boss. I wish you prosperous business and great fortune."
"HAHAHA! I'll take those good wishes to heart." With his major problem solved, the owner was in an excellent mood, and his gaze toward Su Yuhan softened. "Little Su, your skills are truly top-notch. Have you considered working here part-time for a few days? We'll pay you at the same rate as tonight."
Although Su Yuhan genuinely liked the owner and the restaurant's atmosphere, she still shook her head and declined.
For one, she needed to keep a close eye on the situation with the Feng Family over the next few days and couldn't afford to be cooped up in a kitchen for long hours like tonight. For another, this body's stamina wasn't great. Just from tonight's workload, her muscles were already aching now that she had a moment to rest. She figured she would need a few days to recover, to say nothing of taking on a regular part-time job.
"No, thank you. Tonight was just a coincidence. I happened to be here eating with a friend and overheard that you were short a chef, so I thought I'd try my luck. I'm afraid I won't have the time going forward."
Although the owner was disappointed, he didn't press the issue. He just got Su Yuhan's contact information, hoping they could work together again if another emergency like this one arose.
A thrill to work, hell to recover.
The joy Su Yuhan felt while cooking the previous night was matched only by the agony of her aching back and sore muscles the next day.
Yuan Xiangxiang, who had come by early in the morning with a pile of gifts to visit Grandma Su, was startled when she saw Su Yuhan's lethargic state.
"Huanhuan, what on earth were you up to last night? You look completely worn out."
"...Can't you ever think anything good about me? I took a last-minute job as a kitchen helper last night. I was just chopping vegetables all evening. I'll be fine after a little rest."
Yuan Xiangxiang immediately stopped teasing and said with heartfelt concern, "Then you should just rest today. There's no rush to make money. If you're short, I've got some you can use. Don't run yourself into the ground just to earn a bit of cash."
"I know, don't worry. I've got it under control."
The topic felt a little heavy, so Yuan Xiangxiang thought for a moment and decided not to press the issue. Instead, she brought up something else she thought Su Yuhan might find interesting.
"Guess what? You know that super bizarre task I was telling you about? At the company where my friend works now? It's done!"