The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 438 Life and Death (Part Four)

Zhao Cheng'an and Xia Sheng slept comfortably in the woodshed all night. They were very comfortable, but Chen Qiusheng and the old servant were not comfortable at all.

The old servant's small room was just an ordinary side room next to the woodshed, very small in size and close to it. As a loyal old servant, he tossed and turned all night, getting up every now and then to eavesdrop on the sounds coming from inside the woodshed.

I wonder if the two people inside are asleep. Will that thief rob the house tonight?

Compared to the old servant's pure dedication, Chen Qiusheng's situation was much more complicated. Qin Huai could tell that Chen Qiusheng probably regretted bringing Zhao Cheng'an back, and he didn't sleep much all night.

The next morning, the haggard old servant and Chen Qiusheng opened the door to the woodshed. When they saw Zhao Cheng'an and Xia Sheng, who looked quite well, they exchanged glances, their eyes filled with the helplessness of their anxiety from the previous night.

Chen Qiusheng stared at Zhao Cheng'an: "Get yourself together, I'll take you to Taifeng Restaurant."

The old servant stared at Xia Sheng: "Go fetch a bucket of water. Young Master has a weak stomach and needs to drink millet porridge every morning."

Xia Sheng hurriedly went to fetch water. He had already observed the yard when he came in last night. There were many miscellaneous items piled up in the yard, including water buckets and a well.

Zhao Cheng'an's focus was completely different: "Mr. Chen, thank you so much. If Xia Sheng hadn't told me last night, I wouldn't have known you recommended such a good job to me. So a cook makes food for people!"

Chen Qiusheng: ...

Chen Qiusheng was helpless against the fool in front of him. He didn't say anything and walked straight out, signaling Zhao Cheng'an to follow. When he passed by Xia Sheng, he said, "Follow Uncle Liu for now. He will tell you what to do in the future. If you don't know something, learn from him."

"Master...Master..." Xia Sheng suddenly spoke, hesitating for a moment, but still said, "Can I come along?"

"What?" Chen Qiusheng frowned, then realized what he meant and his gaze towards Xia Sheng changed instantly. He looked Xia Sheng up and down. "You also want to apply for an apprenticeship at Taifeng Restaurant?"

“You are the page I bought. The indenture is in my hands, and it’s a contract that will never be signed. Once the slave trader and I go to the government office this morning to complete the formalities, you will be my servant. No restaurant or shop will hire someone like this.”

Xia Sheng realized that Chen Qiusheng was a little unhappy, so he quickly explained, "Master, I will take good care of the young master, and I will do the chores at home. I just want to go with him to see the world."

Hearing Xia Sheng say that, Chen Qiusheng softened his tone: "Alright, let's follow."

Xia Sheng hurriedly followed.

Zhao Cheng'an asked Xia Sheng, "You've already been bought by Master Chen and have work to do, why do you still need to look for work?"

Xia Sheng didn't say anything.

Qin Huai followed them all the way to Taifeng Restaurant. Taifeng Restaurant was exactly the same as Qin Huai had seen in Chen Huihong's memory: a two-story restaurant with a plaque bearing the three characters "Taifeng Restaurant" that looked very old, definitely an antique.

It was still very early, only two hours after dawn, and Qin Huai estimated it was around 7 a.m. As far as Qin Huai knew, Taifeng Restaurant did not serve breakfast, so there were no customers in the restaurant. However, the door was open, and many waiters were already busy. Several carts and horse-drawn carriages carrying goods were parked in front of the restaurant, loaded with fresh vegetables and clean spring water transported from outside the city.

Chen Huihong and Qin Huai had discussed this point. Most of the guests at Taifeng Restaurant were nobles who considered well water to be polluted and believed that only spring water from a mountain outside the city was worthy of their precious bodies. Therefore, Taifeng Restaurant had to send people to fetch water from outside the city every morning, at a considerable cost.

This was also the selling point of Taifenglou when it first established itself in Beiping. Manager Lu repeatedly told Chen Huihong to memorize the poem well and to praise the taste of the soup while drinking it, saying that it must be made with the best spring water.

Chen Qiusheng led the two up the steps. Before they even entered the door, a water carrier greeted Chen Qiusheng warmly: "Master Chen, you've arrived! What a coincidence! Master Jiang's wife is here too. She said today is the 100th day of their seventh son's birth and brought a lot of red eggs. If you go in now, you can still get a red egg from Madam Jiang herself and share in the joy."

Upon hearing what the waiter said, Chen Qiusheng looked down and calculated the days, then smiled and said, "That's really true."

Just then, Qin Wan, with her hair styled like a married woman and carrying a basket, came out of the kitchen. Despite it not being winter or even autumn, she was already wearing thick clothes and her face was very pale, clearly indicating that she hadn't been feeling well lately. She was accompanied by a child who looked to be about eight or nine years old, carrying a food box, similar in age to Xia Sheng.

Qin Huai's gaze was instantly drawn to Qin Wan. He stared at her and noticed that her complexion was really bad, and her lips were almost bloodless. It was obvious that she had a serious deficiency of blood and qi.

"Give me the thing. It's just a wooden food box, it's not like I can't lift it. There's a banquet ordered by the Prince's Mansion at noon today, the kitchen must be very busy. It will take you half an hour to go back and forth if you help me take the food box back, don't delay my work." Qin Wan said gently to the boy next to her.

Qin Huai initially thought the child was Qin Wan's son, but after hearing Qin Wan's words, he realized that the child was probably a helper or apprentice at Taifeng Restaurant. In this era, there was no such thing as child labor; eight- or nine-year-old children could already work, and they were cheap, making them the boss's favorites.

“Master Jiang told me to help you carry your things back. You’re not feeling well right now and can’t lift heavy things. You shouldn’t go out either. The doctor said you can’t be exposed to the wind.” The apprentice said stubbornly, jumping up and taking the baskets directly from Qin Wan’s hands, carrying one in each arm.

"It's not like I'm in postpartum confinement, so why shouldn't I be exposed to the wind? I'm practically living like a pampered lady now, having a bowl of bird's nest every morning and a bowl of chicken soup every night. What's there to be afraid of? I even boiled all the eggs myself today." Qin Wan smiled, then looked up and saw Chen Qiusheng approaching. She took a few steps forward to greet him, "Master Chen, it's been a long time."

"Today is my seventh child's 100th day. I boiled some red eggs and brought them over. We should have a feast for the 100th day, but I haven't been feeling well lately and have spent a lot of money. Bohe's idea is to keep it simple. When you have time, I'll invite you to my house for a simple meal, and that will count as a feast for my seventh child."

"You don't need to bring a gift when you come for dinner."

"That won't do. Sister-in-law, you and Master Jiang are overjoyed to have your seventh son, so you definitely need to bring a gift. I'll bring my son along too. He loves playing with your boys, but he's not very healthy and gets sick whenever he goes out, so I'm a little hesitant to let him go out."

Qin Wan nodded: "You need to take good care of your health. I heard from my uncle that you are planning to buy a page for Ping An to play with. I think it's a good idea. Ping An is so young, it's not good to keep him locked up at home all day. He needs to interact more with children his own age."

“I’ve already bought him.” Chen Qiusheng pointed to Xia Sheng. “He’s from a farming family, knows a few words, is quite clever, and has a good character. I brought him to the restaurant today to broaden his horizons. We’ve been too busy lately, and Manager Lu is planning to recruit another batch of apprentices and helpers. I thought I’d let him try it out too. If he really has a talent for it, I can teach him a few dishes so it will be easier for him to take care of Ping An in the future.”

"Then this child is..." Qin Wan looked at Zhao Cheng'an.

Before Chen Qiusheng could speak, Zhao Chengan took the initiative to introduce himself loudly: "Hello, Madam Jiang, I'm here to participate in the job recruitment. I have nowhere to stay, but my Mr. Chen is a very kind man and has taken me in for the night."

"Madam Jiang, may I have a red egg?"

The apprentice next to Qin Wan glared at Zhao Cheng'an, probably because he was too loud and might scare Qin Wan.

Qin Wan smiled good-naturedly: "Of course, I brought extra today."

"Master Chen, my fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh children are still at home. Huiqin can't take care of any of them, so I'll head back first."

After saying that, Qin Wan left, with the apprentice carrying a basket and a food box following closely beside her. Chen Qiusheng turned around and glanced helplessly at Zhao Cheng'an, his face saying, "Forget it, there's no point in arguing with a fool."

"I'll go get you some red eggs. You just stay here and don't move." Chen Qiusheng went into the kitchen and got two red eggs, one for each of them.

Xia Sheng carefully tucked the red egg into his pocket, and Zhao Cheng'an happily started eating it right away.

Chen Qiusheng came to work and randomly grabbed an older worker to keep an eye on Zhao Cheng'an, while he went straight into the kitchen to work. Qin Huai followed him in out of curiosity.

Qin Huai had been to Taifenglou before in Chen Huihong's memory, but he hadn't really been inside the kitchen, mainly because it was too far away. Chen Huihong was a pure diner and actress, and her activities were concentrated on the windowsill on the first floor and the private booths on the second floor. These two locations were the furthest from the kitchen, so Qin Huai couldn't get in at all.

In Zhao Cheng'an's memory, Qin Huai's activities were quite extensive, allowing him to freely follow Chef Chen into the kitchen for a thorough observation.

Taifenglou's kitchen is very large.

Although it was a standard old-fashioned kitchen from the last century without any modern technology, it was clear that it was well-managed, with a strict hierarchy and orderly system.

The washing, chopping, and cooking areas are all far apart. In Qinhuai, you can even tell that vegetables, poultry, wild game, and river/seafood are not processed in the same area.

At the same time, this was the first time Qin Huai had seen Jiang Chengde make S-grade locust flower steamed buns with such ease.

As an excellent chef, Jiang Chengde's physique was undoubtedly very robust for this era. You could see the muscles hidden under his clothes and that he was strong enough to take on at least five people at once. However, this Chef Jiang did not seem to be in a good mood. His face was very serious, and he was surrounded by three teenagers who looked somewhat similar to him and were obviously his sons.

"Wei Jin, how many times have I told you? When chopping vegetables, you can't just focus on speed. You need a steady hand and a calm mind. Wei Ze has been practicing for a year longer than you. What makes you think you can compare to him?"

"Wei Ming, just keep doing your thing and don't let my words affect you." Seeing Chen Qiusheng arrive, Jiang Chengde gave a smile as if greeting a colleague and said, "I heard you brought two people to apply for apprenticeships, Old Chen. Are they relatives?"

Chen Qiusheng rubbed his forehead, realizing he had misjudged the situation. He shouldn't have written "bringing Zhao Cheng'an home" on his face last night. He said helplessly, "It's only been a short time and the rumors have spread like this. There are two children, one is a page I bought for my Ping An, and the other is... a mentally challenged idiot."

"Idiot?" Jiang Chengde was taken aback, but didn't ask any more questions. "Then let's not waste any time. Bring him in so I can see his talent."

"Manager Lu has gone out of the city and won't be back until around noon. Yesterday, while you were resting, Manager Lu said that I would just take a look at the apprentices who came to apply, and keep those who were suitable. We are indeed a bit short-handed right now."

"The second son of the Fubel family is getting married next month, and he's engaged to us."

Chen Qiusheng immediately shuddered: "Prince Fu is not someone to be trifled with. I heard that just last month, two people were dragged out of their Prince's mansion..."

Jiang Chengde gestured for Chen Qiusheng to stop talking, and Chen Qiusheng quickly shut up.

Chen Qiusheng sighed: "Back in the Northeast, I was thinking that when I got older, I would find a wealthy family and become their cook, which would make things a little easier. Now that I'm in the capital, I don't dare to think about it anymore. What's the use of being easy? It's easy to lose your life."

Jiang Chengde laughed and said, "There are still good families out there. Don't think about the future now. I'll help you find one that's easy, has plenty of money, and is safe."

"Lend your auspicious words."

Amidst the laughter and conversation, a kitchen helper led Xia Sheng and Zhao Cheng'an in. Jiang Chengde first asked the two if they had any kitchen experience, and they both shook their heads. Jiang Chengde was used to this; these days, being a chef was an absolute skill, and it was impossible to find someone with basic skills through ordinary recruitment.

Jiang Chengde had a helper bring a bunch of small, poorly-looking green vegetables that he had picked out, and asked Xia Sheng and Zhao Chengan to cut them.

The two of them were working at a spot next to Jiang Chengde's three sons. Xia Sheng carefully weighed the cleaver in his hand for a while before cautiously starting to cut.

Qin Huai: ? ? ?
Qin Huai was dumbfounded.

He was surprised to find that Xia Sheng's technique of holding the knife was correct.

No one understood the importance of proper knife handling better than Qin Huai. He spent so much time trying to correct his bad habits, but Xia Sheng, this greenhorn, got it right from the start.

Hey buddy, are you open yet?

Are you really a farming family?

Zhao Cheng'an picked up the knife later than Xia Sheng and also began to cut.

The way he held the knife was correct, but Xia Sheng's technique was more standard, and Zhao Cheng'an could see the problem to some extent.

As for the chopped greens...

Anyway, the guests of Taifenglou will not be able to eat it. Taifenglou even uses spring water from outside the city. Such poor-quality vegetable leaves would never appear in the ingredients served to the guests.

"Very good." Jiang Chengde nodded approvingly, especially praising Xia Sheng. He turned to Chen Qiusheng and smiled, "Old Chen, are you going outside the city to pick a page? You've picked a good one, much better than my eldest and third sons."

Chen Qiusheng: ...

"You haven't learned this before?" Jiang Chengde asked.

"No," they both said in unison.

"So how did you learn to hold the knife and how did you cut it?" Jiang Chengde asked again.

Xia Sheng honestly pointed to Jiang Weize next door and said, "I imitated his way of holding the knife and cutting the knife in his style."

"I'll cut it exactly like Xia Sheng!" Zhao Cheng'an shouted. "I'll cut it exactly the way he cuts it!"

Jiang Chengde gave Chen Qiusheng another look: "You have good taste, you picked two right away."

Chen Qiusheng: ...

“You brought these people, so you’ll be in charge of training these two. Train them well, because your future apprentices might be among them. You haven’t taken on any apprentices yet, have you? With Ping An’s health, he definitely can’t be a chef anymore. You need to find someone to pass on your skills. While you still have the energy, quickly pick out a few good prospects.”

Chen Qiusheng: ...

Chen Qiusheng sighed. He really hadn't expected things to develop like this.

Xia Sheng looked at Chen Qiusheng nervously, clearly not understanding why he sighed, wondering if he had done something wrong.

Zhao Cheng'an chose to ask directly, "Mr. Chen, what's next? Is it to move water or vegetables? I can do either! I promise I won't steal!"

Chen Qiusheng sighed again.

“Xia Sheng.” Chen Qiusheng chose not to look at Zhao Cheng’an for the time being. He had no way of facing this fool who had a special skill. “From today onwards, you don’t need to follow Uncle Liu anymore. Come to Taifeng Restaurant with me every day, and take care of Ping An after you go back at night.”

"Let's leave it at that for now."

“You…” Chen Qiusheng looked at Zhao Chengan, “Stay here. From now on, you’ll work for me. You’ll do whatever I tell you to do. I’ll keep my promises to you. I’ll rent you the woodshed in the house for free from now on.”

"Also, don't call me Master Chen, call me Master Chen."

"Master Chen," Zhao Cheng'an nodded happily, "Could you give me a name?"

"I'm not your boss, Manager Lu is." Chen Qiusheng used a tactic of shifting the blame.

"Master Chen, I have another question."

"Now I finally have some work to do. You said there's no pay for this job but meals are provided. Can I eat now? I didn't get enough from that egg earlier."

Chen Qiusheng: ...

"You didn't have breakfast? Here are two pieces of rice cake for you to have. My dad made these rice cakes this morning. Taifeng Restaurant only provides apprentices with two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning meal will be served in an hour." Jiang Weiming took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, opened it, and inside were two pieces of rice cake that had already cooled down.

Zhao Cheng'an happily took the rice cake and stuffed it into his mouth to eat. While eating, he mumbled, "Wow, this rice cake is even tastier than white steamed buns. I thought white steamed buns were the best food."

"You're such a good person, even better than Xia Sheng!"

Xia Sheng:......

Jiang Weiming smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "My name is Jiang Weiming, what's your name?"

"I don't have a name. A name is very important. I must wait for my employer to give me one!"

Jiang Weiming: ...?
Amidst everyone's ellipses and question marks, Qin Huai left the dream.

(End of this chapter)