Li Aimin and his wife led Chen Xuan through a brief tour of their restaurant. The place was indeed small—three dining areas up front held just ten wooden tables total, with the largest barely accommodating ten diners. Deeper inside, three private rooms tucked into corners housed round tables that could seat twelve to fourteen people at most. The walls were painted plain white, the furniture made of faux-wood plastic commonly seen on the streets, and the tableware consisted of clear disposable containers. It exuded the warm, smoky charm of a humble neighborhood eatery.
Just as Chen Xuan had expected, the kitchen had only one cook—Li Aimin himself. There was no sign of an apprentice; whether they hadn't hired one or they simply weren't present today was unclear. Two waitresses, both in their forties, were squatting in a corner sorting vegetables. When the group entered, they smiled and nodded in greeting.
Meanwhile, the livestream comment feed was constantly buzzing:
"Yup, this restaurant really is small."
"Honestly, I find these kinds of places cozy."
"Out of twenty chef contestants, nineteen picked Michelin restaurants. This girl's the only one who didn't. She's really something."
"I'm starting to admire this contestant."
Li Aimin dusted flour off his apron and chuckled heartily. "Chen, no need to be nervous. When customers place orders, just help wash and prep the ingredients. Leave the actual cooking to me. If you're interested in learning the craft, just stand by and observe. Cooking isn't that hard—it's all about mastering the heat and seasoning."
Chen Xuan nodded seriously. Just then, Zhang Cuilan hurried over with a contract in hand. "Chen, here's your one-month agreement. It's 2,500 yuan, with meals included. Have a look." Normally they settled such matters with a verbal promise, but with cameras rolling, they had no choice but to formalize it.
Chen Xuan skimmed the terms quickly and signed her name without hesitation. The livestream lit up again:
"Only 2,500? That's so little!"
"Even waiters make four to five grand now. This is super low."
"Low? She's an apprentice, bro!"
"That's normal for apprentices. Most of them just want to learn enough to open their own place someday."
"Meals included but no housing? Where's she gonna stay?"
"Y'all worry too much. She's a grown adult—she'll figure it out."
Once the contract was signed, Li Aimin rubbed his hands together. "Alright, let's head to the kitchen. I'll teach you how to cut vegetables first."
"Thank you, Uncle Li."
"No need to thank me! If you're my apprentice, I'll teach you properly." As they walked, he added, "In our line of work, knife skills and wok handling are the foundation. Nail those, and you can start learning heat control. Do you know what that is?"
"I do," Chen Xuan replied promptly.
"Oh?" Li Aimin turned back, surprised. "Then tell me."
"It refers to mastering temperature and timing techniques in cooking."
"Whoa... not bad! Looks like you've done your homework." Li Aimin chuckled, assuming she must have looked it up online.
The kitchen was tidier than she had imagined. Fresh meat was stacked in the fridge, and a large glass tank held live fish blowing lazy bubbles. Li Aimin casually grabbed a potato and slapped it onto the cutting board. "Watch closely—cutting's all about stability, precision, and decisiveness." His wrist flicked, splitting the potato clean in half. The knife rose and fell swiftly, producing evenly stacked slices. As he transitioned to julienning, the knife tapped rhythmically against his fingers. "When you cut, keep your left hand in a claw shape, knuckles against the knife spine. That way, you won't nick yourself."
After demonstrating, Li Aimin set the knife down. "I'll go check on things outside. You practice a bit."
As soon as he left, Chen Xuan picked up the knife, eyes locking onto the potato. The system's gifted skill "First Glimpse of the Path" seemed basic, but it was far beyond average. The foundational techniques were already imprinted deep into her muscle memory.
Clack clack clack—the knife tapped crisply against the board, potato threads falling like silver threads. At first, the viewers assumed she was just putting on a show. But they soon realized her slicing rhythm was as steady as a metronome. Each strip was uniform in thickness, and even the scraps were neatly cut.
"Damn, this girl can slice!"
"She's seriously good—no way she's new at this."
"Is this the classic case of playing dumb to catch the tiger?"
"What's her name again?"
"Chen Xuan!"
"Sis, I admit defeat. From today on, you're my Chef Chen!"
"As a New East Culinary School grad, I swear—this knife work? You're not pulling that off without at least two or three years of training."
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]