The Martial Doctor

Chapter 328: Chapter 295: Learning to Cook

The business at Huaye Tower is booming, almost full every day. The official opening is set for the first day of September, and they have already recruited two batches of people.

Only women are recruited as front desk attendants.

The original ladies of Huaye Tower, except for some who have left, all shifted to become waitresses.

Accordingly, their contracts of service have changed to ten or twenty-year contracts, and apart from those whom the court explicitly prohibits from leaving slave status, Lin Miao arranged for those who can to be freed.

Because of this, every lady at Huaye Tower willingly signs a twenty-year service contract.

They might not survive if they leave, but now with freedom from slavery, they can marry freely. Previously, even if they were redeemed, they couldn’t become legitimate wives, sometimes not even concubines.

Now, though their income might not be as high as before, most are better off than previously, except for a small number with outstanding looks, whose income may have sharply decreased. Those working in odd jobs and service roles actually haven’t seen a decrease in income, and the rules are much more relaxed than before.

When Qin Lou was transformed into a restaurant, the business improved further.

Due to people leaving and some being taken away by Si Miaoxue, along with Furong Garden taking a portion...

Almost half of the people are not at the new Huaye Tower, and no one knew how business would be after the opening, to be so thriving.

Initially, everyone came because of Lin Miao. Lin Miao, known for offering affordable and effective medical treatments, opened his own restaurant. Even if local residents couldn’t frequent it, they would come to support and have a meal now and then.

During the trial operation, there were discounts.

Thus, those who ate there praised it highly, and soon the customer rate at nearby restaurants decreased by 30%, as the diners flocked over.

Reputation is spread by word of mouth.

One tells ten, ten tell a hundred.

Tables at Huaye Tower in the evening had to be reserved in advance, and at noon, if you went late, there would be no tables, with even table turnovers occurring.

The first table of guests would finish and leave, and the next table of guests would arrive.

Positioned as a high-end dining establishment, Huaye Tower naturally didn’t emphasize table turnover; as long as it was full, it was already good enough, since the profit from each table was not low.

Someone always needs to be given a chance, and low-price competition would disrupt the market, which benefits no one.

For high-end dining, if you can afford it, you can eat. If not, no one is forcing you in to spend. It’s targeted at the top tier in Dongshan.

Xiuyue Square used to be a gathering place for the affluent of Dongshan Prefecture; the guests visiting weren’t financially lacking. Can a poor person afford to visit a high-end Qin Lou?

They’d probably go bankrupt before even holding a lady’s hand.

Eating is one of life’s primary concerns.

The transformation of Huaye Tower from a Qin Lou into a restaurant itself was a topic, and its association with Lin Miao, a prominent figure in the apricot grove community, added to it.

Many came out of curiosity.

Once they came, they got hooked.

The food at Huaye Tower was too delicate and delicious, with special medicated meals that left one feeling invigorated. As a result, these spendthrift patrons began to dismiss the offerings from other Qin Lou, requesting whether they could order dishes from Huaye Tower for delivery instead.

After all, it wasn’t far, and delivery was quick when done right. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

At first, the orders were placed secretly, having someone retrieve them, but eventually, everyone was doing it, and hence the workload in the kitchen noticeably increased, leaving them short-staffed.

Initially, Shi Yin thought the kitchen built was a bit too large, with at least half unused, empty stoves being wasteful.

Now it seems the foresight back then was wise; the kitchen has no idle stoves, all are occupied.

The kitchen staff, including various assistants, expanded by a full double. Even so, they were still understaffed, still needing to hire more.

At this rate, Huaye Tower will soon open a branch.

"Madam Shi Yin, here’s today’s list of kitchen recruitments for your review." An assistant handed Shi Yin a list.

Most kitchen hires now start as helpers, and if a promising candidate comes along, they get promoted to learn cooking, but initially, they’re not given that chance.

The chef’s skills are the most guarded secret; if learned, how could Huaye Tower sustain its edge?

So, candidates must pass evaluations.

However, on the list, Shi Yin saw a name immediately assigned the "culinary apprentice" status, a note handwritten by Mr. Luu, only she wielding the authority to bypass evaluations and directly assign someone as an apprentice.

"What’s the story behind this Hai Tang, how come they entered as an apprentice?"

"Mrs Luu said this Hai Tang has excellent knife skills and a great talent for cooking, so she chose them, wanting to keep them as her apprentice."

"Oh, did she interview them herself?"

"Yes, Mrs Luu said that Huaye Tower is bound to open branches in the future, so it’s necessary to train promising culinary talents beforehand. From this batch of applicants, she hopes to find one with talent."

"I see." Shi Yin didn’t comment further, signing her name on the list, marking the recruitment list as official.

...

"Mrs. Wan, I’ve joined, heehee!"

"Stop with the silly grins; also, in the kitchen, you can’t call me Mrs. Wan, you must address me as Mr. Luu, or Mrs Luu will do." Luu Wan said sternly, "Though I’ve given you the role of apprentice, you must start with the basics, like peeling garlic and onions."

"Ah..."

"Don’t be lazy, this is your own choice, don’t say Aunt Wan didn’t warn you before." Mrs. Luu reminded.

"Wan, yes, Mr. Luu."

"If you can endure this hardship and stay here, I guarantee no one will find out." Mrs. Luu said. freeweɓnovel.cøm

"Got it."

...

After settling Qingtang, Mrs. Luu went directly to see Shi Yin. She knew very well that this action would definitely arouse Shi Yin’s suspicion.

They’re neither family nor relatives, but she’s using such influence. Even if she values her highly, she should still follow the rules of kitchen apprenticeship.

Doing odd jobs, handling chores, and such, these have no technical content. Come one day, leave the next, it wouldn’t make much of a problem.

But learning as a chef involves the cooking methods and techniques of the kitchen, which is strictly confidential and the core secret of Huaye Tower’s survival.

The identity and character of a chef apprentice need to be investigated and observed. Once Shi Yin arranges for someone to investigate Qingtang, even if they can’t find out Qingtang’s identity, it would still arouse suspicion.

Therefore, it’s better to come over and explain it myself to eliminate doubts.

"Madam Shi Yin, this girl, Hai Tang, is the daughter of my cousin from my mother’s side. She’s here to seek refuge with me this time, so I used a privilege to give her a chef apprentice identity. Rest assured, I won’t let her loaf around in the kitchen. Wherever she should start learning, she’ll start from there, with the same treatment as those who first join."

"Your cousin from your mother’s side, isn’t she your niece? Why didn’t you say earlier? Isn’t arranging her into the kitchen a bit wronged?" Shi Yin said with a slight smile after hearing.

"This child is somewhat introverted and not good at communicating with people. She’s a good worker, but the front hall doesn’t suit her; back kitchen is quite good."

Even if Qingtang stayed in the front hall, she might not be recognized, but there’s still a probability, whereas, in the back kitchen, she wouldn’t easily appear in public and wouldn’t come into contact with guests. Those cooks and hands are at the bottom of society and haven’t had the chance to meet Qingtang, so they naturally wouldn’t recognize her.

"Alright, then please trouble Mrs. Luu to complete her entry records."

"Okay."

Of course, being a chef apprentice requires keeping records, as per the rules of Huaye Tower, which she, as the head chef, cannot break.

"Mrs. Luu, a new batch of peanuts has arrived. Please take a look and see how to make it into a dish?"

"No one else can touch that, wait until I get there." As soon as Mrs. Luu heard the peanuts arrived, she immediately got up and rushed over.

...

On the dinner table, there was an additional plate of fried peanuts. Lin Miao was quite surprised as he had already forgotten about this matter, and indeed with the harvest season upon them.

"Mrs. Luu made this today and brought it over for you to try?" Sun Youwei explained with a smile.

Lin Miao nodded, reached out with his chopsticks to pick one up, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed it — it was crunchy and fragrant, a long-missed taste.

It’s the perfect match for drinks.

"Senior sister, you should try some too. These are good for you. Eating a few daily can prolong life." Lin Miao said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Not entirely true, but not false either, although they need to be eaten raw. But these cooked ones taste better." Lin Miao laughed.

Sun Youwei also picked one up, tasted it, and found it indeed delicious.

"We didn’t plant many this year. Next year, we can expand planting to quickly achieve peanut freedom."

"Mrs. Luu already launched this dish today, and the guests’ response was very good, though a single plate costs one or two silver, which people find a bit expensive?" Shi Yin said.

"Now, items are priced by rarity. If they feel it’s expensive, they can opt not to eat. When the quantity grows, the price will naturally come down." Lin Miao said, "This stuff, Shanglin Temple probably planted quite a bit too, but they never thought of promoting it. In their vegetarian dishes, they use oil from this, which is why it has a special fragrance."

"Ah, no wonder I couldn’t figure it out. So, it’s seasoned with this peanut oil." Sun Youwei exclaimed in surprise.

Talking about Shanglin Temple, Lin Miao pondered for a moment; Fahai should have made a breakthrough to Tianyuan by now. Even if consolidating his power and collecting his aura, he should have returned already.

The monk left Pei Rui with him, following Lin Mao and practicing for days now. Who knows what’s happening with that?

If he can’t even meet the daily exercise requirements of Lin Mao, how could he have the nerve to come see him still?

He actually wished for days of just practicing without any concerns, but what could he do without having a good father?

"Where’s Xia Zhu? Why wasn’t she seen tonight?"

"She went back home. Lately, as long as there’s no evening class, she returns home each night." Sun Youwei explained.

"Did something happen? It didn’t use to be like this?" Lin Miao asked strangely. Xia Zhu used to only go back if something happened. Now she’s running home all the time. It’s strange. Could there be something wrong with Xia Zhu’s mother’s health?

If there’s really an issue, she shouldn’t keep quiet.

"I don’t know. You’re her master. Why don’t you ask her yourself?"

"It’s true that I’m her master, but I’m also a man. You’re her master’s wife, and you’re both women. Some issues are easier for you to talk about." Lin Miao shirked.

"I guess it’s not for Shen Haidong, but for Wen Ruyu. Xia Zhu is having a hard time being caught in the middle." Sun Youwei analyzed.

"Old Xia just hasn’t figured it out yet. That Shen Haidong truly isn’t suitable for Xia Zhu. Forcing them together, how could there be happiness?"

"Even so, they’re already engaged. If Xia Zhu disagreed, they wouldn’t have established this relationship!"

"Every family has its difficulties. I better talk to Xia Zhu tomorrow, save us from guessing around here." Lin Miao said.