The Rise and Fall of the Last Imperial Cook

13. Inexplicable Urgency

Translator: Zhang Duo

Proofread by Peter Gong

In fact, Xu Zhiwei has felt strange around him for some days before members of Chef Clique rushed into Huiquan Hall. According to chefs’ rules, every kitchen has its particular seat belonging to a particular god. If chefs from elsewhere enter without permission, it means irreverence. Actually, this rule was set to prevent other chefs from rushing in and plagiarizing cooking skills. However, these days it is quite strange that there are always some people who rush into Huiquan Hall’s kitchen somehow.

Other second-class chefs in kitchen and helpers all know those mysterious intruders, because they are all famous chefs in Wuxi and the heads of some cuisines. But they just look around at the entrance of kitchen. They don’t conceal anything on purpose, but obviously they are not plagiarizing anything, either. It seems that they are looking for someone.

Besides, when Xu Zhiwei is on the way to the hall every morning, he also feels someone is following him. It was particularly obvious that day when he was crossing the canal by ferry, and it seemed that several people were waiting there to look him up and down on purpose. And they kept murmuring when looking at him.

Xu Zhiwei told Fan Ada about these matters. Fan Ada said maybe it was because Xu Zhiwei was quite famous now. Xu Zhiwei is not only the top at Niren Street, but also is talked about in the whole Wuxi, so it is also normal that other chefs and idlers come to see him, and people on the street point at him and whisper.

Anyway, Xu Zhiwei should have told these matters to Zhao Hudong, who would think carefully to find out the reason. If he can get the real cause, it will be possible for him to have some way to deal with it in advance. He can find a figure in Chef Clique who has fame and prestige, and lets him claim that he has recommended Xu Zhiwei. By this means he can solve all the problems on the sly, and won’t be caught in a competition of cooking skill, which is a dilemma which everyone cannot abandon or change.

The moment members of Chef Clique entered Huiquan Hall, the chef manager immediately greeted them with a smile and cups of tea. The chef manager can be described as manager and cashier nowadays, who is usually a skilled hand in catering. He is familiar with all the fellows in Chef Clique, so when he saw so many members of Chef Clique come in, many of whom are important figures in Chef Clique, he realized it couldn’t be anything good at once. He politely greeted them, on the other hand, he sent someone to inform the owner, Zhao Hudong.

The news that so many important figures in Chef Clique gather in Huiquan Hall immediately startles the whole Niren Street and families around. So many shops’ bosses and staff, as well as residents and helpers who want to know what happens, all go to Huiquan Hall to have a look.

When Zhao Hudong arrives, he first folds his hands and bows to everyone. “Distinguished bosses, I feel very much honored that you all gather in Huiquan Hall. Normally you won’t give me such an honor even if I invite you. It is a special day. Please seat yourself well, and I will let the kitchen prepare a banquet. I will appreciate it if you can make comments on dishes and generously give me suggestions. Aha, then my business can also be run smoothly.”

Anyone who is somebody in Chef Clique is called boss. They are distinguished by the range of business. Every boss has his own sphere of influence. But some of them can also be distinguished by cuisine styles. They don’t have clear sphere of influence, while their influence can be even stronger and the staff who are at their command work all over Wuxi. Among them, the most powerful one is Wang Zhunian, the head of Wuxi dishes. Local restaurants are common in and around Wuxi, so he has the most followers and counts significantly in Chef Clique.

“Boss Zhao, we come here not for making comments on dishes, but on chef.” Wang Zhunian interrupts Zhao Huddong’s courtesies.

“Make comments on chef?” Zhao Hudong frowns. He immediately remembers the fact that several bosses came to him some days before. Probably they are making trouble. “Boss Wang, please rest assured. Anyone in my kitchen has your bosses’ recommendation, and none of them came from crooked ways.”

“But I heard that someone in your hall is an intruder, and it has proven to be true.” Chef Clique is of gangsterdom, but actually it is quite different from factions. The most powerful boss like Wang Zhunian also used to be a chef, so he directly goes to the topic instead of beating about the bush.

“How could it be? Who can prove it?” Of course, Zhao Hudong cannot admit it, or his business will be down. If he has an intruder in his hall, it means he goes against Chef Clique.

“We can prove it, because none of Chef Clique knows your head chef, not to mention writing a recommendation letter. We come here together just for fear that you deny it.” Hearing Wang Zhunian’s sure statement, Zhao Hudong cannot help feeling nervous. He realizes that there may be some mistakes in the process of testing dishes.

Xu Zhiwei is called to the hall. Though he used to serve in the Forbidden City and has experienced many grand situations, he cannot but shiver mentally when surrounded by so many friends, who appear to be even more fiendish in front of him.

“Head Xu, who wrote you the recommendation? Take it easy. Say what you know. Say it clearly.” Zhao Hudong actually has left a way out for Xu Zhiwei in his words. He worries that Xu Zhiwei knows little about the Chef Clique in Wuxi and gets a recommendation letter from an unqualified chef, or a false one from a liar.

“What? You say recommendation?” Xu Zhiwei replies mistily. Zhao Hudong feels a buzz in mind. What Xu Zhiwei said shows clearly that he didn’t have any recommendation.

“What is your number in the test of dishes? Maybe there is a record of your introducer in counter.” Zhao Hudong hastens to say. He tries to save Xu Zhiwei by other means. For example, if he came with someone or served as someone’s helper, he could share his recommendation.

“I don’t know my number. The staff called a number without response and he saw I had been waiting for a long time, so he asked me to test dishes.” Xu Zhiwei tells the truth, but what he said has completely obstructed all room for maneuver. Even Zhao Hudong cannot mediate anymore.

Wang Zhunian bangs the table and stands up, which suddenly scares Xu Zhiwei.

Wang Zhunian is angry indeed. He has heard that the head chef of Huiquan Hall is really skillful. Today he comes here because this chef doesn’t have recommendation, but if Xu Zhiwei could be more roundabout and positively make some connections, or even make up some excuses, they are likely to let him off as long as the Chef Clique’s pride is not hurt. Maybe they will ask Xu Zhiwei for some bribery and a banquet for entering the Chef Clique. If so, both parties could be okay and the Chef Clique in Wuxi could also gain a bit with an extra skilled chef. However, Xu Zhiwei’s response in front of the crowd not only obstructs all his likelihood for maneuver, but also drives the Chef Clique into a blind alley.

“In other words, you admit you are an intruder.” Wang Zhunian says coldly.

Xu Zhiwei is not familiar with the Chef Clique in Wuxi, but he understands chef’s jargon with his experience of so many years, or he cannot make dishes at all. So he knows what Wang Zhunian said means. At that point he is also aware that they may be representatives of local chefs, and he has guessed he may have breached some local chef rules so they come here to argue with him.

“I was born in Shibawan Village in the outskirts of the city, so I’m not stranger. I serve in Huiquan Hall as a local chef, which is just a livelihood in hometown. I’m no intruder from any point.” Xu Zhiwei doesn’t know what they want to argue about, but since they mentioned intruder, he states the fact that he is native at first. It may be no use softening the predicament, but at least he can make some connections.

As expected, Wang Zhunian’s face becomes a bit mild when he hears that Xu Zhiwei is native. “Then you also learned local style of dishes?”

“Of course I have learned Wuxi cuisine.”

“So you mean you also have learned other styles. Which one you do best?” Wang Zhunian asks curiously.

“A chef should learn all the cuisines and can make all the dishes over the land under heaven. I can’t say which one is best, but all the dishes are just edible.” Xu Zhiwei’s statement is a polite formula, and also a truth. He has indeed travelled all over the land under heaven, and learned famous dishes of all cuisines and brought them together in the Imperial Kitchen.

However, his words are suitable in the Forbidden City, in feudal officials’ houses or among customers in the hall, but when he says them to bosses of Chef Clique, who always tend to tower themselves over common chefs, his remarks sound terribly unpleasant. All the members of Chef Clique think that Xu Zhiwei means he can make all the dishes and each of them is his specialty. It is an extreme arrogance, and the whole Chef Clique is looked down on.

Wang Zhinian’s face changes for several times, but finally he manages to hold back. “You say you are native, but we never meet you. Probably you just returned home. So where did you serve as head chef?”

Xu Zhiwei sighs lightly. “Alas. I have been wandering for many years, but never did I have any achievement. Before I returned home, I was an imperial chef in the Forbidden City.”

As soon as he says this, the hall is full of noise. Someone breaks the teacup, and someone kicks the bench down. “Boss Wang, he is making fun of you.” “This guy is too arrogant. He provokes our Chef Clique on purpose.” “We must have a competition with him. Let me compete against him on the knife.” “Pinch burning charcoal. Let me compete against him on pinching burning charcoal.”

Xu Zhiwei doesn’t know why his statement has caused such a chaos. The situation makes him feel scared and flurried, but he still keeps calm because they are still clamoring instead of using force. Besides, what they are clamoring about concern events of chefs’ competition. Only pinching burning charcoal is a form of competition between chefs and rogues. As long as it is competition, it means they will not use force without reason. In addition, there are many staff and neighbors in broad daylight around the hall. Normally they cannot do anything undue to him.

“Well, since you are a master chef from the Forbidden City, we must ask for a lesson. Boss Zhao, today we have to use your Huiquan Hall. We Chef Clique will set stoves to compete on dishes here. Please forgive the inconveniences we cause. If there is any loss, the loser has to pay for it.”

Wang Zhunian finally explodes. He wanted to quiet things down at first, for the fact that Zhao Hudong is also somebody in Wuxi and many chefs use his salt. They are not so close but not estranged, either. Yet when Xu Zhiwei said those words, it became an overt challenge. He cannot give in anymore, or he couldn’t get along with bosses of Chef Clique.

“I won’t compete on dishes.” Xu Zhiwei says lightly when the crowd is a little quiet,

“You won’t compete on dishes, so you want to compete on knife?” Wang Zhunian’s fat left cheek trembles.

“I won’t compete, no matter dishes, knife or fire. Competition is improper in cooking skills. What is emphasized is harmony. All the condiments, all the foods and all the chefs must be harmonious. Only in this way can we make perfect dishes.”

Xu Zhiwei is still saying the truth. Competition is taboo in cooking chefs. Even they compete, they usually compete on words because it doesn’t have winner. They all flaunt themselves but fail to criticize others. As a result, people always think chefs all have a smooth tongue and are good at bragging. Some chefs may appear awkward when talking about other things, but are likely to be glib talkers when it comes to cooking skills.

If competition on words cannot work, it will turn to dishes. It is already an injury on harmony, for it must have a result. Yet the taste of dishes is hard to measure. Judges can only make the judgement according to their own tastes and preferences. Those real top chefs and gourmets won’t measure and judge optionally, because what they mention are usually vital points and the biggest flaws of others’ dishes. They will probably lose their work and strong enmity will be contracted irreversibly.

Next to that comes competition on knife, which is not only on knife skills, but also entails a risk. It is a competition on courage to a large extent. This kind of competition yields a clear result, and is easy to cause injuries. Some chefs cannot use knife any more after a single competition.

As for competition on fire, it is already a kind of self-mutilation. Chefs formed parties and then they combined competition forms in factions with cooking features, and gradually it has developed to what it is now. So real chefs scorn to do that.

“You won’t compete? Then you must endure the three punishments and set a big banquet, and apologize to our Chef Clique. You cannot serve as chef in and around Wuxi. If you want to, you must go away for at least one hundred li.” Wang Zhunian’s fat left cheek trembles again.

“I make my living by capability, and I observe law and discipline. How on earth did I provoke you? How could you give illegal punishments to me?” Xu Zhiwei’s inborn stubbornness surges up at that point.