"What’s up with Guli? Is he very famous?" Qin Huai asked.
It was only then that Dong Shi realized that as a pure outsider, Qin Huai didn’t know a lot of the facts acknowledged in the culinary circle, or what everyone considered common knowledge.
Dong Shi immediately began to enlighten him.
Guli is Tan Wenyan’s closed-door disciple and his most famous apprentice. His fame doesn’t come from exceptional talent, but rather from his awkwardness.
Speaking of which, Guli also comes from a culinary family. His father is the head chef at Guanhe Building, a well-known Red Case Master in Gusu ranked 67th in the Chef Record. His mother is a pastry chef, not in the record but still holds some fame in Jiangnan as a rare female chef.
Normally, someone with such a background would follow a genius trajectory like Zheng Siyuan, or at least have a script like Young Master Huang An Yao.
But Guli is precisely the blend of these two.
With lackluster talent but a love for culinary arts, he insisted on following the path of pastry. His parents, though helpless, affectionately used their connections to get him into Zhiwei Restaurant through the back door.
In a place like Zhiwei Restaurant, where a single brick could strike several local pastry geniuses, Guli’s average talent made him stand out as a super lousy student, and a connected one at that.
This very student was chosen by Master Tan Wenyan, who dedicated his life to researching ancient snacks and restoring long-lost recipes, to be his closed-door disciple.
"Honestly speaking, Guli’s lack of talent is well-known in the culinary circle. Any apprentice of a famous chef, regardless of Red Case or pastry, knows it. But to say he’s untalented doesn’t mean you can throw all kinds of dirt at him. For years people have been claiming it was his parents’ connections that forced Master Tan to reluctantly take him as a closed-door disciple."
"They’re saying Master Tan took him unwillingly, hence why he never taught him any skills, just made him lay the foundations. While others starting out lay the foundations, he’s still laying them when they’re already learning techniques."
"This is sheer nonsense, ridiculous fabrication. Anyone with a hint of brain knows an apprentice reflects on their master. Especially for a long-established master like Tan, it’s impossible to accept someone based on absurd reasons and then waste them."
"However, it’s true that after being taken as a disciple by Tan, Guli spent many years on his fundamentals. Among the famed disciples, it’s tough to find anyone else with less talent than him. Over time, he became infamous, largely mocked and looked down upon."
"Maybe if he’d been born a decade earlier, things wouldn’t have been so bad. Guli hadn’t learned much when Tan’s health started failing just a year or two after he finished his basics. After Master Tan passed, it was likely Tan Wei’an who taught him."
"At Zhiwei Restaurant, if you have a master, you learn from them; if not, you can only look around here and there, trying to pick up a thing or two while they teach their apprentices."
"Now, Guli’s situation is worse than those without a master. At least they can legitimately stand in the corner and watch. If he stood there like a regular apprentice, it’d be too shameful, but unfortunately, Master Tan has already passed away."
"As far as I know, Tan Wei’an’s skills are only average. The senior brother teaching doesn’t compare to the master. There are genuinely great masters at Zhiwei Restaurant."
"If Guli were a prodigy, those masters would surely be eager to teach him, but unfortunately, he’s not."
Dong Shi didn’t continue further.
The situation for Guli now is that although he comes from a prestigious background and is a direct disciple of a large sect, his master has passed away, and he hasn’t learned much. With only status and seniority without skill, it’s easy for people to mock him behind his back.
This is straight out of an immortal cultivation underdog story!
"Master Tan was right to have him focus on the fundamentals for years," Qin Huai said, "If he’s not talented, he should solidify his basics. That way, when he learns other snacks in the future, he might become proficient in them."
"Is that so?" Dong Shi didn’t quite understand but felt that Qin Huai must be right since he said it.
"Should I also focus on my basics more? Master always scolds me for my shaky fundamentals."
Qin Huai:... First learn to keep your mouth shut and not chat or get distracted while cutting vegetables.
Dong Shi wanted to say more, but in the storage room, Huang Shengli and Gong Liang had already discussed the specifics of the Three Heads Banquet. Gong Liang came out satisfied and, seeing Qin Huai by the storage room door, warmly said:
"Master Qin, are you free tonight? Around 7 o’clock, I’d like to visit your place and bring you some fine teas."
Qin Huai thought to himself that the father and son had the same idea in gift-giving, nodded, and said, "I’m planning to try making Four Happiness glutinous rice at home tonight, so I’ll definitely be there at 7."
Gong Liang was moved again on the spot, even considering taking back the tea he gave Huang Shengli last month to give to Qin Huai instead.
"Xiao Qin, take another half-hour break, and then we’ll start practicing Fire Control," Huang Shengli said with a smile.
"Okay, Master Huang," Qin Huai replied.
After Huang Shengli finished speaking, he left. Qin Huai guessed he might have gone next door to the Bone Setting Shop for a 20-minute quick session.
Dong Shi still wanted to chat more gossip with Qin Huai, but Qin Huai was more interested in Guli, the subject of the recent gossip. He carried his teacup and wandered over to Guli.
Guli was making Ruyi Roll.
There was a plate already done on the culinary table, slightly cool, and Guli was making the second batch.