Qin Huai decided to chat for a while first.
"Master Zheng, I’ve always been a bit curious. How did you and Master Huang learn cooking back then? Was it like how you’re teaching me now?" Qin Huai asked.
It’s no wonder he was curious; Zheng Da and Huang Shengli’s teaching methods were so different that they didn’t seem like they learned from the same master.
"Back then..." Zheng Da, hearing Qin Huai’s question, couldn’t help but look nostalgic. "Did your Master Huang ever tell you?"
Qin Huai shook his head.
Zheng Da got excited and said, "Then I must tell you properly!"
"My senior brother and I have known each other since we were young. Our parents worked at the same unit, both at the Silk Factory. Back then, there were many children in each family. In my family, only my dad had a job, and my mom could only do odd jobs. Life was difficult. We had six siblings, and I was the fourth, right in the middle, always hungry and anxious. Your Master Huang was about the same. He had fewer siblings, only three, and he was the eldest, but his grandmother had tuberculosis and needed long-term medication, so his family situation was even worse than mine."
"Back then, being a master chef at a State owned Restaurant was a good job. My master had injuries on his face and a limp due to the war when he was young, but his skills were excellent. Among several State owned Restaurants in the city, my master’s skills were the best. For any important banquet, they would definitely need my master to be in charge, and when foreign guests or business leaders came, they would specifically request my master to cook. At that time, all around here were state-owned factories, and we kids from these factories might not know who the factory director was, but nobody didn’t know who Master Jing was."
"One day, my master announced that he wanted to take on some apprentices. Xiao Qin, you wouldn’t believe how sensational that news was. My master was in his thirties then, unmarried, and despite matchmakers breaking down his door, they couldn’t convince him. In those days, taking on apprentices was like accepting a son-in-law. My master had no children, so taking on apprentices was about passing on his skills to let the apprentices take care of him in old age. My senior brother and I were selected after many rounds, even beating the son of a workshop director, to finally stand out as my master’s apprentices!"
Zheng Da was beaming with pride, just short of reminiscing like Uncle Wang.
Qin Huai felt that Zheng Da wasn’t bad at talking. He was quite articulate and talkative. He asked Zheng Da how Master Jing taught apprentices back in the day, and Zheng Da rattled off a lot without getting to the point.
"So how did Master Jing teach you and Master Huang?" Qin Huai asked.
"Just like how I’m teaching today, hand over hand." Zheng Da replied.
"First, practice the basics, such as horse stance, hanging sandbags, carrying bricks, and building strength. Then cut vegetables, knead dough, toss the wok, and toss sand. My master’s way of teaching was actually very traditional, even lavish. His philosophy was to first ensure the apprentice had enough to eat, to be in good health, and then work on building strength, eating good food, and refining the palate."
"At that time, my senior brother and I were indeed skinny lads. The master had me live at his house, and for the first half year, I learned nothing but ate. Large bowls of white rice, I could eat two big bowls a day, and if that wasn’t enough, then coarse grain buns, corn, sweet potatoes. Not just food but also side dishes, and occasionally there was a special treat with meat. At that time, never mind calling him master, I was willing to call him dad, and happily so."
Qin Huai couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Zheng Da chuckled as well and said, "Xiao Qin, don’t laugh, it does sound funny, but back then, our master was really like another parent to us."
"Not only did we have enough to eat every meal, but we got new clothes during the New Year. Huang Shengli was the eldest in his family, and his siblings wore his old clothes. He never knew the hunger the poor felt after trying on new clothes. I am the fourth, and by the time clothes reached me, they had passed through four others, normally patched up on patches. Forget new clothes, not even second-hand clothes did I wear. When my master made me a set of new clothes for the first New Year, I couldn’t bear to wear them, secretly taking them off and hugging them to sleep."
"I swore at that time, when I became a master chef at a State owned Restaurant with a salary, I would buy new clothes for my master every year at New Year."
"Unfortunately..." Zheng Da sighed, "I didn’t become a master chef at a State owned Restaurant. They didn’t value a pastry chef like me and let Huang Shengli take the position. I didn’t get to buy clothes for my master for many years before my master..."
"Still, it’s okay, even though I didn’t take on apprentices, I have many apprentice nephews. Xiao Qin, you can ask Dong Shi about the New Year when my red envelope wasn’t the biggest one; Huang Shengli couldn’t compare. Xiao Qin, rest assured, as long as you’re willing to be my apprentice, your red envelope will be the biggest, bigger than all of theirs combined!"
"Not only buying clothes during New Year, but we can buy every quarter, whatever brand you like. If you don’t fancy those branded ones, we can have Gong Liang tailor-make them. He not only does silk business, but he also sells clothes and has his own brand, wear whatever you fancy!"
Qin Huai felt the topic drifted a bit and brought it back, "After finishing the basics, did Master Jing teach you and Master Huang how to make Crab Dumplings like you’re doing today?"
Zheng Da nodded, "Almost, my master had a traditional way of teaching apprentices, taking them to the kitchen to do odd jobs, first watching, then learning. First, use your eyes; what can be learned visually doesn’t need to be taught. For what the eyes can’t learn, just ask. With the master demonstrating year after year, even the slowest apprentice can find their way."