Chapter 388 - 199: Now, That’s What You Call Reputation

Chapter 388: Chapter 199: Now, That’s What You Call Reputation

"Really? You think so too?" Kong Liwei’s eyes instantly lit up. He grabbed Zhou Yan’s hand and said, "A true confidant is hard to find! I’ve finally met someone who gets me! I told my master the same thing last time, and he laughed at me for three days. I mean, what kind of master does that?"

"That’s right. I believe in you." Zhou Yan nodded solemnly, fighting to keep a smile from his face.

"From now on, you’re my brother!" Kong Liwei said, gripping his hand tightly.

Kong Liwei was Kong Guodong’s apprentice and also his nephew, a core member of the Kong Sect’s direct lineage.

’This young man is quite interesting.’

’He has a strange sort of optimism.’

Zhou Yan didn’t get assigned to a chopping station, so he ended up chatting with the senior masters who were also free.

Last time, everyone left right after the group photo, so there wasn’t time for a detailed chat.

Now, two weeks later, most of them had seen the magazine and had a much deeper understanding of Zhou Yan.

This kid could take a fragmented recipe, replicate the dish, and even adjust it to make the flavor even more exquisite.

Such talent and skill were truly astounding.

The more of an insider you were, the more you understood just how difficult that was.

His feature in *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine was well and truly deserved.

To say they weren’t envious would be a lie. More than anything, they were envious that Xiao Lei had found such a good apprentice.

"Thank you for your hard work, Masters. Any masters who aren’t busy, please feel free to go inside, have some tea, and watch the opera. We’ve saved seats for you." Qian Siyuan, dressed in a blue Tang-style suit today, came out to hand out cigarettes with a smile on his face as he spoke.

The crowd accepted the cigarettes and offered their congratulations, their gazes toward Qian Siyuan turning quite friendly.

He was Kong’s grand-nephew, who had returned from the United States, thousands of miles away, to find his family. It was a display of kinship that transcended nationality.

"Master Zhou, you’re here." Qian Siyuan’s eyes lit up when he saw Zhou Yan, and he glanced around. "Where’s little Zhou Momo? Did she come?"

"She’s here. My mom took her to get some candy and watch the opera," Zhou Yan replied with a smile.

"As long as she’s here." Qian Siyuan nodded. Seeing Zhou Yan was free, he said, "Since you’re not busy right now, how about a look inside? It’s your Master’s old home. You’ve probably never seen it, have you?"

"You’re right, I haven’t. I’ll go take a look with you, then." Zhou Yan nodded and followed Qian Siyuan toward the inner courtyard.

The Kong Family’s old residence was sprawling. The semi-open courtyard was vast, with an opera stage built directly inside it. A crowd of spectators from both inside and outside the courtyard had gathered to watch the show. Right now, a face-changing performance was underway. Amidst a dense roll of drums, the performer lifted a hand, and a blue mask instantly transformed into a red one. The audience cheered repeatedly, smiles on their faces, and the atmosphere was electric.

Zhou Yan spotted Zhou Momo in the crowd, perched on Comrade Zhou’s shoulders. The little girl’s eyes were wide, completely captivated, her small hands red from clapping.

"So she likes watching the opera too," Qian Siyuan said with a laugh, having also spotted Zhou Momo.

"She might not necessarily like opera, but no kid can resist face-changing," Zhou Yan laughed. "Even I can’t pass up a spectacular Sichuan face-changing performance."

Qian Siyuan gave Zhou Yan a tour, taking him to see the room where his mother had lived as a child.

Aside from the large courtyard, the Kong Family’s old residence was quite simple. It had many rooms, and it seemed some of the Kong family’s descendants still lived there.

He also took the opportunity to greet the Kong Family elders sitting in the main hall.

Kong Qingfeng was seated in the place of honor. As the current head of the Kong Sect, he was also the head of the Kong Family. Seeing Zhou Yan, he smiled and called out, "Ah, Zhou is here. Would you like to sit for a while?"

"Grandmaster-Uncle, I won’t sit. It’s almost eleven, and I need to go prepare to cook soon," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Alright, then you go get ready." Kong Qingfeng nodded amicably and took the opportunity to introduce him to the others. "This is the Zhou Yan I was telling you about—Huaifeng’s youngest disciple’s disciple. He was featured on a magazine cover with a special interview at the age of twenty. An incredibly accomplished young man."

"It was also with Master Zhou’s help that I was able to find my mother’s hometown and all of my relatives," Qian Siyuan added.

The way the others looked at Zhou Yan immediately changed.

"By the way, what dish are you planning to make for lunch today?" Kong Qingfeng asked casually.

"I plan to make Snowflake Chicken Porridge," Zhou Yan replied.

"Snowflake..." Kong Qingfeng shot up from his chair, staring at him in astonishment. "Did you say Snowflake Chicken Porridge?"

Zhou Yan nodded. "Yes, Snowflake Chicken Porridge."

"How do you know how to make Snowflake Chicken Porridge? Did my senior brother actually perfect it? Did Xiao Lei learn it too? And then he taught you?" Kong Qingfeng asked, his face a mask of disbelief.

Zhou Yan explained, "I learned it from a recipe."

"A recipe..." Kong Qingfeng was silent for a long moment before saying quietly, "Well, that just proves how incredible you are."

And indeed, he didn’t doubt him.

In fact, it seemed rather plausible.

Now *that* was what you call a reputation!

It wasn’t just one person who believed it; everyone did.

"Grandmaster-Uncle, I’ll go and prepare now," Zhou Yan said with a smile, taking his leave and turning to walk out.

Before the banquet began, three generations of Kong Sect chefs were to prepare a table of dishes to showcase the sect’s culinary prowess.

It was partly a performance.

They had already discussed and settled on the general menu yesterday.

This was to avoid repetition and ensure they could present a respectable spread.

Kong Qingfeng wasn’t cooking today, so Xu Yunliang’s Dry-Burned Rock Carp would serve as the grand finale.

Xiao Lei was the head chef for the main banquet today and was too busy to contribute a dish.

Zhou Yan was stepping up in his master’s place, the only fourth-generation disciple to be cooking today.

After all, he had been on a magazine cover. Even though he was a fourth-generation disciple, having him represent the Kong Sect with a dish was still quite persuasive.

Zhong Yong’s beef was already simmering in the pot. He was making his specialty, braised beef brisket, and since it required a long cooking time, he had to start early.

The dishes had to be on the table by eleven-thirty sharp, so the other chefs all began their work.

The sound of the opera in the courtyard began to fade as many of the guests gathered around to watch the chefs cook.

The Kong Sect chefs had a great reputation, but few people had ever seen them cook, so everyone wanted to watch and perhaps learn a trick or two.

Reporters scribbled in their notebooks, interviewing each chef in turn to learn about the origins of their chosen dishes and their reasons for selecting them.

Zhou Yan called Comrade Zhou over to help him slaughter the young chicken he had brought.

He just stood by his side to assist, passing a bowl or whatever was needed.

A crowd of his senior apprentice-brothers gathered around, all eager to see what Zhou Yan would make today.

But they were quickly captivated by Comrade Zhou’s exquisite Sword Technique and chicken-slaughtering skills.

"Is your old man a chef too?" Kong Liwei couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity piqued.

"He’s not a chef, he’s a cow slaughterer. The best cow slaughterer in all of Zhou Village," Zhou Yan said with a proud look on his face.

Kong Liwei was baffled. "Then you can’t even slaughter a chicken?"

Zhou Yan was speechless.

’No wonder his master doesn’t like him!’

The young chicken was quickly dispatched. In less than five minutes, it was on the chopping block, still steaming, but without a single feather left on its body.

Zhou Yan took two cleavers from his bag, washed and dried them, then with two swift strokes, removed the two chicken breasts. He placed them on the cutting board, removed the skin, and deveined them.

Then, he flipped the cleavers over and began pounding the chicken into a fine paste with the back of the blades.

THWACK THWACK! THWACK! THWACK THWACK! THWACK! ℴ

A rhythmic sound, like the clatter of a horse’s hooves, rang out, immediately drawing the gazes of all the chefs.

Arhat, who had just finished dicing his meat, turned at the sound. When he saw Zhou Yan wielding two cleavers, pounding the two chicken breasts on the block with the backs of the blades, his eyes widened in surprise.