Rebirth: Starting from the Cafeteria

Chapter 141 Thunder
After Du Shaojie got the [First-Class Chef] certificate, he went to the Personnel Department of the Electric Power Industry Bureau again.

He found that he had become a frequent visitor here. Last time he won an award and his salary was raised by one level, not long after, he came here again to apply for re-classification.

"First-class chef? Master Du, your promotion speed is terrifying. I think we will all call you Master Du in a few years."

The staff of the Personnel Department were a little confused. Generally speaking, for workers in all walks of life, it was considered fast to be promoted one level within three to five years. Some people were only fourth or fifth level workers after working for their entire lives.

The chef grade system is based on the eight-level worker grade system, and a level one chef is basically equivalent to a level five worker.

In just a few years, Du Shaojie completed a journey that would take others more than ten years or even decades to complete. No wonder everyone finds it incredible.

No matter how unbelievable it is, the necessary procedures still have to be completed. After all, the policy is very clear and no one will make things difficult for others on this issue.

After completing the formalities, Du Shaojie left the office building.

Starting from next month, his basic salary will become 77.85 yuan per month. With allowances and subsidies, the total salary he can get will be about 85 yuan.

The standard for a first-level chef is that of a fifth-level worker. Combined with the first-level salary increase he received due to the award, his current salary is already on par with that of a sixth-level worker.

Du Shaojie went to see Liao Yongxin in great joy, and even the other party found it outrageous.

"Xiao Du, you are an inhuman being, born to attack others. However, I am very happy, after all, you are half my apprentice. Come over tonight, and I will cook two dishes to celebrate."

After Liao Yongxin fell ill, he seemed to have figured out a lot of things.

During the Chinese New Year next year, he will bring his wife over, and his son's family can also come over if they are free, so that the whole family can be reunited for more time.

If it is true as Du Shaojie said, the wind direction will change dramatically in the future, and he plans to meet his master in his lifetime.

Then he prepared to retire. If the personnel department refused to process the formalities, he would choose to retire due to illness. It didn't matter if he lost a few wages, he wouldn't be short of money anyway.

night.

Du Shaojie arrived at Liao Yongxin's house, with a bottle of wine and two dishes, and the two of them ate, drank and chatted.

But Liao Yongxin was different today than usual. He didn't say weird things or complain, but talked a lot about traditional Sichuan cuisine.

"Master Liao, you've shown off all your special skills. Aren't you afraid that you'll starve to death if you teach your apprentice?"

Du Shaojie quickly realized that the other party was talking about the secrets of his school. A young chef might not understand this knowledge, but with his strength, how could he not understand it?
Even though he had been thinking about it for many years, he always felt something strange when the time came.

"Do you have the guts to starve me to death? I have finally figured it out. The skills passed down by my master cannot be lost from me. My descendants are unwilling to inherit my father's business, and I don't want to accept a proper disciple, so I have no choice but to let you do the job."

Liao Yongxin was quite calm. It was already this late and they were still sticking to the old rules. Was he really going to take his master's inheritance into the grave?
Du Shaojie's talent, understanding, character, and personality all meet the requirements. Who else should he pass it on to? It seems abrupt, but it is actually a natural thing.

"Thank you, Master. Don't worry, I will never embarrass you."

After Du Shaojie figured out the whole story, he openly accepted Liao Yongxin's inheritance.

"Okay, I'm tired today, let's continue tomorrow."

Liao Yongxin's abilities cannot be explained in just a few words.

If Du Shaojie wants to learn, he has to come here often to listen to his teachings.

In addition, Liao Yongxin also has to find time to teach by example. Cooking is not something that can be learned by words alone. It requires hands-on and brain-based practice to achieve results.

Although Du Shaojie was a master, Liao Yongxin's inheritance was still very important to him. It was okay not to hold a formal apprenticeship ceremony, but a banquet was essential.

On weekends, he returned to his old house in Chunfeng Lane early in the morning and tidied up the house.

He started to light the wall fire and the stove in the kitchen, then took out the remaining ingredients from the storage space and went out to buy some vegetables.

Other spices, seasonings and cooking oil are all here. After all, he has to come over to help Su Dapeng make [Dezhou Braised Chicken] from time to time.

The kitchen in the new house is relatively small and does not have professional equipment. It is fine for home cooking, but it is not very convenient for other things. Therefore, I chose the old house to invite Liao Yongxin for dinner today. The old man is quite picky about the dishes.

By around twelve o'clock, Du Shaojie had completed his preparations.

Today's dishes include [Boiled Beef], [Dry-fried Fish], [Sour Cabbage and Pork Intestines], [Spicy Chicken Dices], [Fish-flavored Shredded Pork] and [Vegetarian Assortment].

There are six dishes in total, basically all of Liao Yongxin’s favorites.

"Brother, we are here."

Du Shaojie went to fetch two buckets of water and came back. Wang Yuxiu, Xiaomei and Xiaoya also arrived.

The new house was comfortable and convenient, but it was still a little cramped, and they would occasionally miss the old house with a yard. Today, they had the chance to stay here for three nights.

There was nothing to do at the moment, so Du Shaojie took his two sisters to clear the snow in front of and behind the house.

After one o'clock, Liao Yongxin walked in from outside.

"I brought some fruit for Xiaomei and the others. Do you want me to help in the kitchen?"

Liao Yongxin brought a big bag of fruit. Du Shaojie asked Xiaomei to take it into the house and then prepared to cook.

The old man stood at the kitchen door with a smile on his face and asked in a hypocritical tone.

"Please go in and have some tea. I don't dare to bother you." Du Shaojie rolled his eyes. Even Liao Yongxin's polite words were very perfunctory. How could he dare to ask him for help?
Liao Yongxin turned around and went into the house to chat with Wang Yuxiu.

Du Shaojie moved quickly and before long, six dishes were served on the table.

"Master, I offer you a glass of wine to thank you for teaching me the art."

After opening a bottle of wine, Du Shaojie poured two glasses, then stood up and toasted Liao Yongxin.

Liao Yongxin did not refuse. His expression became more serious and he said, "I hope you can carry forward traditional Sichuan cuisine and pass on the skills I taught you when you meet the right person."

Then the old man tilted his head back and did it.

"Come on, Master, don't be shy, try these dishes."

Du Shaojie changed his words. In private, he would call the other party "Master", but in normal times he still called him "Master Liao" as before.

Liao Yongxin picked up the chopsticks and tasted each dish. Only then did Wang Yuxiu, Xiaomei and Xiaoya start to eat.

"Well, not bad, they are all very good. In the future, you can combine the techniques I taught you and try to make these dishes using traditional methods. Perhaps you will get unexpected results."

Liao Yongxin said this to tell Du Shaojie that every chef has his or her own unique skills, and if one wants to learn from the strengths of others, one must first lay a solid foundation.

Du Shaojie nodded thoughtfully, and then continued drinking with Liao Yongxin.

The meal lasted until the afternoon. Liao Yongxin was in high spirits today and told some legendary stories of the older generation of Sichuan cuisine masters.

Xiaomei and Xiaoya listened with great interest. These things were not usually accessible to them, so they felt very novel.

After eating and drinking, Liao Yongxin stood up and said goodbye. He had a very happy meal today. What he ate was not important. The key was that his skills could be passed on well.

To be honest, the skill level of the dishes Du Shaojie cooked today even exceeded his expectations.

If he hadn't known that the other party had no master, he would have suspected that Du Shaojie was a disciple of a master. Although this kid was not very old, his skills were close to perfection.

"Master, I'll take you there."

Liao Yongxin drank a lot of wine, and Du Shaojie didn't dare let him ride back alone.

After changing his clothes, he took the man all the way to the staff quarters of the Electric Power Industry Bureau, but the old man pulled him into the house and gave him a lesson.

In the blink of an eye, it is the end of the year, and a loud thunder resounds across the land of China.

The curtain of reform and opening up slowly opens.

Next time I go to work, I have one more task. In addition to daily work, I also have to organize everyone to study the communiqué of the plenary session.

Whenever Liao Yongxin had a break, he would go out to help people prepare banquets. Du Shaojie tried his best to use his time off to help the old man. The old comrade was usually lazy, but he was very energetic when he had money to earn.

Liao Yongxin no longer cares what Huang Yicheng says. As long as it does not take up working time, he can face everything with a clear conscience.

Unlike the old man, Du Shaojie has always been very low-key. But he has saved more and more money, and the balance has finally exceeded the 1200 yuan mark, reaching yuan.

This amount of money may not be a big deal in the future, but it is a huge sum of money now.

The family doesn't need to buy any big items for now, so let's save them for now. When Xiaomei gets admitted to university, I'll buy her some nice clothes and a watch.

Du Shaojie himself didn't buy a watch. Now an "SH" brand all-steel watch costs 120 yuan, which is definitely a luxury item.

New Year's Day 1979.

He received a letter from Qi Yan.

The other party would basically write him two to three envelopes every month, talking about things in life and studies. Sometimes, if he had a small conflict with his roommate, he would fill a page of letters.

Du Shaojie hasn't received any letter from Liang Meiqin for a long time. Since Liang Meiqin returned to the team after visiting her relatives, there has been no news from her.

There were several tables of banquets in the evening, and he got home very late after work. When he opened the door and walked into the room, Xiaomei was sitting at the table reviewing her homework, looking focused and serious.

"Brother, why did you just come back?"

"I was quite busy today and got off work a little late. Are Mom and Xiaoya asleep?"

"Well, they're asleep, and I still have to do some more exercises."

The desk lamp on the dining table was bought by Du Shaojie last year. The light is bright and soft.

The older sister will take the college entrance examination this year, and the study burden is heavy. She is basically the last one to go to bed every day. In order not to disturb Xiaoya's rest, she studies at the dining table at night.

"Don't stay up too late. You can't get enough rest."

Du Shaojie didn't say much. Xiaomei was a girl with a strong opinion of her own and basically he didn't have to worry about her.

In comparison, Xiaoya is not as hardworking as her sister. She studies when she should study and sleeps when she should sleep, and never stays up late, but her grades are better than her sister's, and sometimes even Xiaomei is jealous.

(End of this chapter)