Seeing Shen Mianmian master the heat so well, the restaurant owner finally believed that this girl really knew how to cook. The way she cut the fish fillets was not at all inferior to his knife skills. He had truly found his lucky star this time.
"Crush the chili peppers and fry them in the pot to bring out the fragrance. Then put the fried fish cubes in to stir-fry and flavor them, add some water to simmer the fish until tender, and season with chicken essence, soy sauce, and chopped parsley before taking it out of the pot."
Shen Mianmian placed a plate of fish in front of Boss Jia, "Uncle Jia, the stir-fried fish is ready. Please, have a taste."
Boss Jia was also a man of fine taste. He took a clean bowl and chopsticks, picked up two pieces of fish into his bowl, took a bite, and his eyes immediately lit up. Then, excited, he called his wife over and had her eat the other piece.
Boss Jia’s wife’s eyes were shining.
She had long grown accustomed to the food her husband made, having had those same few dishes over and over. When her husband said he wanted to learn culinary skills from a young girl, she wasn’t too pleased, thinking that her husband was just captivated by the girl’s beauty and had improper thoughts.
So, from the moment Shen Mianmian came in, she had been acting as if she hadn’t seen her, not engaging with Shen Mianmian at all. Now, after tasting the fish, she finally believed her husband and her attitude towards Shen Mianmian did a complete one-eighty. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽
"Young lady, where did you learn your craft? It’s so tasty!"
"I learned it from a friend who came from Beijing," Shen Mianmian made up a story. After all, the boss didn’t know her background, and she could say anything without fear of being contradicted.
"Wow! So this is a recipe from Beijing? No wonder it’s so delicious." Boss Jia’s wife’s eyes began to light up. Now that they had a signature dish from Beijing in their restaurant, who would worry about not getting customers anymore?
Suddenly, a shout came from outside.
Madam Boss answered and quickly went out; after a short while, she came back and said to Boss Jia, "The table outside has had a bit too much to drink and is asking to add more dishes. They didn’t specify what they wanted, just something we haven’t served yet, any two dishes will do."
As she spoke, her eyes were gleaming as she looked at the freshly made plate of fish Shen Mianmian had prepared. Only two pieces had been eaten; it wouldn’t affect the presentation at all. With such a ready-made and tasty dish, it was the perfect choice to serve to the customers.
But Boss Jia could see right through his wife’s thought process. Before she could say a word, he said, "Go get a container, this dish will be packed for Mianmian to take home later."
To joke, if he were to serve this dish, his restaurant’s reputation would be ruined.
Even though it was the same dish, the taste would vary depending on who cooked it. Shen Mianmian’s version was delicious, but it tasted different from his own. If customers came back wanting the same flavor, where would he find it? The guests outside were not to be trifled with.
Boss Jia’s wife was somewhat reluctant, but since her husband had spoken in front of the young lady, she couldn’t contradict him and went out to get a container.
"Thank you, Uncle Jia." Shen Mianmian didn’t stand on ceremony. She was quite satisfied with his decision. It was comfortable dealing with smart people.
Truth be told, Boss Jia could have kept the dish for himself, but she wouldn’t agree to serving her own cooking for sale.
"I should be the one thanking you," Boss Jia said with a smile full of crow’s feet. "Are you in a hurry to leave? I will cook a batch now; you can help me check if I remembered the steps correctly."
He was generous, and Shen Mianmian was not stingy. She watched over him as he made the dish once more.
Being a chef himself, he learned quickly. It wasn’t long before a dish of stir-fried fish was ready. It differed from Shen Mianmian’s version; he used more oil, which made it a bit greasier, but the flavor was good too.