Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

"Boom!"

With a muffled thud, the wall on the east side of Li's Restaurant collapsed under the hammer blows of several bricklayers directed by Wang the carpenter.

Dust billowed, and sunlight streamed in unhindered through the gaps in the facade, instantly merging the somewhat cramped lobby with the adjacent grocery store. Although the floor was still covered in broken bricks and tiles, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of lime, standing at the doorway, one could already imagine the spaciousness and grandeur of the space once the storefronts were connected.

"Ahem!"

Li Chunsheng waved his hand to sweep away the dust in front of him and retreated to the backyard. The commotion in front was so loud that it made people's eardrums buzz, but the sound of breaking down the old and building up the new was particularly comforting to the heart.

While the workers were cleaning, Li Chunsheng returned to his east wing, poured himself a cup of cool tea, and moistened his dusty throat.

These past few days have been nerve-wracking, with both the cooking competition and the need to guard against Dongxinglou's sabotage. Now that everything has settled down, he can finally catch his breath and properly take stock of what he's gained this time.

With a thought, the familiar light blue translucent panel appeared before his eyes.

Seeing his reputation points jump back to over 10,000, Li Chunsheng was overjoyed.

"Claim the extra reward," Li Chunsheng silently prayed to himself.

[Randomly selecting dishes]

Li Chunsheng held his breath. If he could draw a few impressive dishes, the reopening a week later would definitely be a big surprise for diners in Beijing.

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully unlocked the Shandong dish: Sweet and Sour Carp]

[Dish Description: The Yellow River carp leaps over the Dragon Gate. This dish is golden in color, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Its shape, with its head held high and tail curled up, symbolizes abundance and good fortune. It is a classic Shandong dish that tests knife skills and cooking time, and is an indispensable main course at banquets.]

Sweet and sour carp is the signature dish of Shandong cuisine. Although the previous stir-fried double crispy dish was amazing, it was a skill-showing dish with small portions and strict requirements for ingredients, so it was not suitable for large banquets. But sweet and sour carp is different. It has an impressive appearance, a sweet and sour taste that is suitable for all ages, and most importantly, it has a good meaning!

Isn't Li Ji Restaurant's expansion and reopening a perfect omen of good fortune, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate?

Immediately afterwards, the system notification sounded again.

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully unlocked the Sichuan dish: Mao Xue Wang (Spicy Blood Tofu)]

[Dish Description: This is Chongqing! Originating from Ciqikou, it gained fame throughout the city! Using duck blood as the main ingredient, it's complemented by tripe, beef tripe, and other offal, offering a spicy, savory, and flavorful experience with a rich, satisfying broth! Perfect for satisfying the rumbling stomachs of laborers.]

"Mao Xue Wang?!" Li Chunsheng almost burst out laughing.

The most distinctive feature of this dish is its variety! Duck blood is cheap, offal is cheap, so the cost can be kept extremely low. And the flavor is truly amazing! When a bowl is served, the red oil is bubbling, the aroma of numbing spiciness is irresistible, and the ingredients are plentiful. For a northern man who is hungry for oily food and prefers strong flavors, one bite is incredibly satisfying!

Moreover, this dish makes great use of the offal resources at Butcher Zheng's place, with braised pork and roasted meat on one side and spicy blood curd on the other!

Before Li Chunsheng could recover from the surprise of the spicy blood curd, the reward for the third dish popped up.

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully unlocked the king of Hunan home-style cuisine: stir-fried pork with chili peppers]

[Dish Description: Seemingly ordinary, yet incredibly difficult to prepare. The perfectly balanced lean and fatty pork belly collides with spicy green peppers under high heat, resulting in a perfect fusion of meaty and peppery aromas. A rice killer, a divine dish to eat with rice!]

Li Chunsheng took a deep breath and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Sweet and sour carp makes a grand entrance, spicy blood curd satisfies cravings and fills you up, while stir-fried pork with chili is the most affordable and quick dish. These three dishes are a perfect match!

"Boss!"

Da Hu's voice came from outside the door, "Someone delivered a few baskets of vegetables, saying they were ordered by you?"

"They're here!"

Li Chunsheng pushed open the door and went out. He saw Da Hu carrying hundreds of kilograms of vegetables by himself, and then glanced at Lao Wu, who was helping to organize the accounts behind the counter.

We are severely understaffed.

Now the store has doubled in size and the number of tables has increased significantly. If Da Hu were still running the waiters by himself, he would have to work himself to death. If he were still cooking in the kitchen with Yun Niang as his assistant, he would be exhausted from preparing hundreds of dishes every day.

We absolutely have to hire someone.

"Mr. Wu."

"Master, what are your orders?"

"Bring us pen and ink," Li Chunsheng rolled up his sleeves. "We still need to recruit some people."

"You're hiring again?" Old Wu was taken aback. "Boss, didn't you say you only needed two waiters? I've already put up the notice."

"We still need to recruit some more people." Li Chunsheng picked up his pen and wrote a few large characters on the red paper.

Li's Restaurant is recruiting apprentices.

"An apprentice?" Old Wu and Da Hu both came over.

In the Republic of China era, being an apprentice was no easy task. There was an old saying, "Teach your apprentice and you'll starve." Masters in all walks of life kept their core skills tightly under wraps, passing them down only to men and only to their own family members.

When ordinary families send their children to be apprentices, they have to sign an agreement. For the first three years, they are treated like slaves. Let alone learning a skill, they are lucky if they are not beaten and can eat their fill. After three years of apprenticeship, they still have to work for their master for free for one year. This is called "three years of apprenticeship, one year of service".

Li Chunsheng continued writing:

To expand its operations, our restaurant is now recruiting three kitchen apprentices in Beijing.

【Require:】

[1. Age 12 to 16, with a clean family background, no bad habits, and able to endure hardship.]

Second, respect your teachers and keep your hands and feet clean.

【treatment:】

[1. Lunch and dinner are included.]

II. Accommodation is not included.

[Third, no apprenticeship fee is required. Basic skills will be taught upon joining the shop. There will be an assessment every three months, and those who pass will be taught additional techniques; there will also be an assessment once a year, and those who excel will be taught advanced cooking skills.]

After finishing writing, Li Chunsheng blew on the ink.

"Master...you...?" Old Wu looked at the red paper in disbelief. "No apprenticeship gift? And meals included? A year to teach kitchen skills? This...this is too generous!"

You should know that in a big restaurant like Dongxinglou, it would take an apprentice five or six years to even get a chance to work in the kitchen.

"Mr. Wu, our Li's restaurant started late and has a weak foundation. If we want to grow and become stronger, we must be unconventional," Li Chunsheng said seriously. "If they can learn the skills, they can be the managers and head chefs when we open branches in the future!"

"But... it only includes meals, not accommodation, this..." Da Hu scratched his head, "What if someone lives far away in the middle of winter?"

"This is also a screening threshold," Li Chunsheng explained. "We really don't have a place to live right now. If someone is genuinely interested in learning a trade, or if they are a poor kid from nearby, they will naturally find a way to overcome that. Besides, not providing accommodation can also filter out some lazy people who just want to coast through life."

"Big Tiger, go and put this red paper up!"

The moment the red paper was posted, it immediately attracted people's attention.

The area outside Qianmen is mostly inhabited by poor people. In the courtyards, many young boys spend their days idly, not because they don't want to work, but because there's no work to do!

Carry heavy loads at the dock? My body isn't fully developed yet, I can't carry them.

Want to work as a rickshaw puller? I don't have the money to pay the share.

To become an apprentice? That requires connections and gifts; poor families don't have that kind of money.

Now, Li Ji Restaurant, the restaurant that defeated the chef of Dongxinglou, is actually recruiting apprentices!

And it's free! They even provide meals! And they teach you real skills!

"Oh dear! Second Aunt! Stop washing clothes! Quickly call your dog, Gou Dan, back! Li's restaurant is hiring apprentices!"

"Really?"

"It's written in black and white! As long as you're willing to work hard, you can be a chef within a year!"

In less than half a day, the area in front of Li's Restaurant was completely surrounded by a crowd.

Hundreds of people crowded at the entrance of the alley. Some were adults leading children, while others were teenagers who had come on their own. They all stared longingly inside. Some of the children were wearing ill-fitting, tattered cotton-padded jackets, while others were barefoot in straw sandals, their faces red from the cold.

"Don't push! Don't push! Line up!" Da Hu stood at the door directing the order.

Li Chunsheng set up a table at the door, and he and Lao Wu sat behind the table to begin this special interview.

"Name?"

"My name is... my name is Tiezhu." A chubby-faced boy stood in front of the table, unsure of what to do with his hands, which were covered in chilblains.

How old are you?

"fourteen."

"Show me your hand."

The boy stretched out a pair of dark hands.

Li Chunsheng didn't find it offensive. Instead, he carefully examined the man's fingernails and joints. Although the fingernails were black, they were cut very short; the joints were large, indicating that he was strong.

Why do you want to learn to cook?

"I...I want to eat my fill." The boy lowered his head. "My mother is sick, and my father is in prison. I want to learn a skill so that I can cook a hot meal for my mother in the future."

"Okay, you stand to the side for now."

One by one.

Li Chunsheng looked at it very carefully.

Some children may be clever, but their eyes wander, which clearly indicates they have ulterior motives. Don't choose them.

Some children have black dirt under their fingernails, and they don't care when I tell them. No, hygiene is the most important thing for a chef.

Just as the interview was halfway through, a small, thin figure came to the table.

The child looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old, as thin as a bamboo pole, with a dirty face. The cotton-padded jacket he was wearing was so worn that the original color was no longer discernible, with patches upon patches, yet it didn't smell bad.

"What's your name?" Li Chunsheng asked.

"My name is Guo Xiao," the boy's voice was clear and crisp. "Shopkeeper, I can read, I can do accounting, and I can tell stories!"

"Oh?" Li Chunsheng's interest was piqued. This was the first person to claim they could read. "Have you been to school?"

"I studied for two years, but then... then my family suffered a disaster, and I couldn't finish my studies. So I listened to storytelling under the overpass."

"Learning to read is a good thing," Li Chunsheng nodded, "but the rules of the culinary world dictate that no matter how skilled you are, you have to start from chopping and washing vegetables. Can you handle that?"

"I can handle it!" Guo Xiao answered loudly. "As long as I get food, I'll do anything!"

Li Chunsheng smiled: "Okay, you and Tiezhu stand together first."

"Alright!"

As time went by, the crowd at the entrance gradually dispersed, and finally, Li Chunsheng selected three children from among them.

The third child was named Sun Xiaobao. He was thirteen years old, fair-skinned, and didn't look like someone who had suffered. He spoke slowly and deliberately. He said he came from out of town to seek refuge with relatives, but they ignored him, which is why he ended up here.

[Start Main Quest 2: The Inheritance of Chinese Cuisine]

Just then, the system voice came through.

[Task Description: A single tree cannot make a forest; a grandmaster needs countless disciples. The host must be proficient in the eight major cuisines and find a successor for each, training them until they graduate.]

[Current Status: Proficient in the following cuisines: Hunan cuisine (advanced), Sichuan cuisine (beginner), Shandong cuisine (beginner)]

[Current successors: 0/8.]

[Mission Reward: For each successor you train to graduate, you will receive a mysterious reward and a significant boost to your physical abilities.]

"The successor of destiny," he murmured to himself, his gaze falling once again on the three children.

He originally recruited these three apprentices simply to alleviate the urgent shortage of manpower after the store expanded, but now, the system's task has elevated this matter to another level.