Chapter 106

Chapter 106: Charity Dinner

The children on the playground had no idea what the strange uncle near the railing was doing. They just curiously glanced at him and then went about their activities.

The funding for this Hope Primary School wasn’t enough, as could be seen from the dilapidated campus.

The playground was uneven, the surrounding wall was worn out, and one of the windows in the back kitchen of the cafeteria was broken. Otherwise, the line of diners wouldn’t have been able to smell the alluring fragrance in the air.

Despite the lack of funds, it was evident that the teachers and staff were putting in a lot of effort.

The playground was very clean. Although there wasn’t a plastic track, there wasn’t even a single pebble on the ground.

Though the window in the cafeteria wasn’t repaired yet, everything else was wiped clean.

Class was about to start. Zhao Siwen had scored ninety points in the food defense battle, only losing a slice of pork belly and two pieces of winter melon.

"Come early in the evening! You’ll have to return all the meat you eat then."

Her colleague argued, "Why don’t you just get me a portion too? What harm is there in giving me a bite or two of such delicious food?"

Not only the teachers noticed the difference in the food between the two windows, but even the students did.

Today, the food at window two was outrageously delicious!

Even when class started in the afternoon, a group of elementary students couldn’t help but whisper to each other.

"The stir-fried chili with pork is really good, the rice tastes amazing."

"The pork skin and yellow beans are also tasty! The beans are chewy, and the pork skin is chewy too. The sauce is sticky, it even glued my lips together!"

"The cabbage and eggs taste great! It has a crab-like flavor!"

Zhao Siwen couldn’t help but knock on the blackboard: "Alright! No more discussing, focus on the class! If you keep talking, I’ll send you to the cafeteria!"

The students immediately sat upright, their faces serious, as if trying too hard to be well-behaved.

No kidding, with such delicious food, they'd have to run after school to get their share. If they walked, by the time they got to the cafeteria, the food would be gone!

Not just the students, even the cafeteria staff felt the same way.

Normally, the cafeteria workers served food to the teachers and students first, and only after they had finished eating, they would sneak a bite themselves.

But today, even Aunt Hao couldn’t hold back.

"Chef Chen, what are you cooking tonight? I’ll dish it out for you... I’ll eat after serving the food."

"I want to eat too! I was so tempted by that stir-fried chili with pork at lunch, but there was none left!"

"Make it again! Stir-fried chili with pork, mixed with rice, I’d be in heaven!"

Chen Ran looked around at everyone and couldn’t help but glance at the other chef.

The other chef, the one from window one, was over fifty, surnamed Zhou, with dark skin and neatly tied hair in a slick bun.

She had kept a low profile while cooking today, not wanting to offend any colleagues in this setting.

Chef Zhou tossed her spatula aside and walked over. Just as Chen Ran was about to speak, she heard her say, "Chef Chen, let me assist you, you be the head chef! I’ll be your sous chef!"

Huh?Chen Ran was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Alright, let's work together tonight!"

Knowing how to handle the wok indicated that Chef Zhou had at least worked in a restaurant, and certainly wasn’t a newcomer.

The ingredients for the evening meal were slightly less than those at lunch. Chen Ran directed the entire kitchen staff, efficiently guiding everyone while discreetly giving a few tips to Chef Zhou.

"Chef Zhou, your knife skills are really good. You must have practiced a lot, right? I also practiced knife skills every day, and my grip is quite similar to yours. But later, I heard from others that this way of holding the knife is tiring."

Chef Zhou, looking simple and unassuming, turned her head: "Really? Then Xiao Chen, teach me the right way to hold it."

The two of them worked together, and surprisingly, dinner was prepared even faster than lunch!

Chen Ran became increasingly adept at managing the kitchen!

When she used to work as a helper in a kindergarten, even though the others admired her cooking skills, Chen Ran mostly focused on cooking without much directing or teaching.

This was a good thing for a chef still learning her craft, but not for a chef about to open her own restaurant or even start a culinary school.

As Chef Zhou followed Chen Ran’s instructions to prepare the ingredients, she shyly laughed: "Chef Chen, your skills are so good. I thought you were going to scold me."

When she worked in a restaurant, though she had been a sous-chef for three years, she never learned any real skills. The head chef treated her like a thief, but this young Chef Chen not only taught her, but was also careful in showing her the right techniques.

Grateful for this, Chef Zhou became even faster in her cooking!

By the time there were still about twenty minutes before the elementary students finished school, the meal was ready.

Today, the person in charge of the cafeteria was actually the vice-principal of the school, Mr. Li, who usually had so much on his plate that he rarely came to the cafeteria.

Now, the elementary school cafeteria was under Chen Ran's command.

"Alright, there’s still twenty minutes until school ends. You guys eat first, and after you’re full, we can work hard."

Everyone was overjoyed and quickly filled their plates and began eating!

Halfway through their meal, Principal Li arrived.

As soon as she entered the cafeteria, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

As a very responsible educator, Principal Li spent most of her time walking through classrooms, listening to the children talk.

She knew each and every student in the school by name.

It was because of this that Hope Primary School was able to keep every child enrolled. Even in a school that provided full tuition waivers, this kind of result was rare.

After all, for some parents, if their child didn’t go to school, they could still be a little slave at home doing chores.

For them, sending their child to school, even for free, wasn’t worth it.

For some poor families, children might be their greatest "asset."

"Why are you eating so early?"

Principal Li had deep, knife-like frown lines on her forehead. Looking at the students eating, she scowled: "I heard from the students today that the food at one window is good, but the food at the other window is terrible. You’re not even trying to solve this, but you’re already eating?"

Chef Zhou awkwardly stood up, twisting her hands together in an almost knot-like fashion.

"Principal, it’s my cooking that’s bad…"

"Then why are you eating it?" Principal Li’s temper wasn’t great. "You should learn how to make food like others...""Principal Li!"

Chen Ran stood up: "Today's meals were all my responsibility. There will be no more issues with inconsistent flavors for dinner. I will also work closely with Chef Zhou to improve our culinary skills, making sure we balance hygiene, nutrition, and taste."

Principal Li glanced at Chen Ran but didn't speak. She picked up a tray and walked over, carefully tasting each dish.

After years of dealing with all kinds of parents, she had long since learned not to take others' words at face value.

There had been many parents who promised to send their children to school when talking to her, even asking for subsidies, only to turn around and send the child to work in the fields.

She first picked up a chopstick of cabbage.

Cabbage was one of the cheapest and easiest vegetables to store. In fact, there were even some grown in the wasteland behind the school.

Aunt Hao watched as Principal Li tasted the food, cautiously asking: "Is it delicious? Our Xiao Chen is very meticulous when cooking…"

Fearing that Principal Li might get angry with Chen Ran, she carefully explained: "Chef Chen uses only the tender leaves for this hand-shredded cabbage, all the old stems have been removed."

Principal Li furrowed her brow: "The old stems were thrown away?"

"No!"

Chef Zhou, excited, rushed over and brought a jar from the side. Hearing Principal Li praise Chen Ran made her even more excited than if she were being praised herself.

"Look, Chef Chen has pickled the old stems of the cabbage. In a few days, when it's ready, we can add it to the children's meals!"

Principal Li reached over and lifted the cloth covering the jar to take a look, then withdrew her hand. She glanced at Chen Ran again before continuing to taste the dishes.

Seeing Principal Li continue to sample the food with a stern expression, Chen Ran found it hard to judge her.

In her opinion, this principal was very different from the little kindergarten director she used to know—her attitude wasn’t great, and she seemed to have a bad temper.

When she first came in, she even smelled a hint of alcohol on Principal Li.

However, judging by the attitude of the staff toward her, though there was fear, there was more respect.

"Mm, the cooking skills are pretty good."

Just as Chen Ran was contemplating, she saw Principal Li walk over and pat her on the shoulder: "How about this, I'll go buy some good meat. Can you make some dishes for drinking? I want you to prepare a better table of snacks for me tonight."

Chen Ran's attitude quickly changed, and she pushed Principal Li's hand away in frustration.

She was here to cook for the children, not to prepare drinking snacks for these school leaders!

Before she could say anything, Aunt Hao rushed over, panicked, and grabbed Principal Li's arm.

"Principal, you can’t drink anymore! Your stomach can’t handle it! If you keep drinking, it’ll be ruined!"

The staff around them also chimed in: "Why should we let him drink? Isn’t the funding already guaranteed? What about our principal? Let him do the running!"

"Yeah, Li Jie, you can’t drink anymore!"

Principal Li frowned and shook off Aunt Hao's arm: "This semester has passed smoothly, but what about next semester? If we don’t secure more funds for the school, will we have fewer students again next term?"

She turned to Chen Ran and asked: "Chef Chen, do you have any signature dishes? I'll go buy the ingredients."

If the funding was slow, she'd have to run around. Since she couldn’t afford to bribe people, she might as well drink with the leaders.

When she first came here, she was a shy, embarrassed young teacher, but now, she was someone who could drink without a change in her expression and even call for toasts without hesitation.Hearing the staff's various attempts to stop her, Chen Ran slowly understood what was going on.

"Can our Hope Primary School accept social donations?"

"Yes, but our school is in a very remote area... and we have very few students. In the past, someone misused funds from the Spring Bud Program for the boys, and Principal Li had to slam the desk and offended people..."

"Chef Chen, just make a list. I'll go buy the ingredients, and tonight prepare a banquet for me."

Principal Li's voice was still cold, and her expression was even colder than her voice. Chen Ran found it hard to imagine how this face could convince others to drink at a banquet.

Such a face should be used to smile at the students.

Aunt Hao came over to persuade Chen Ran: "Chef Chen, don't listen to her..."

Chen Ran patted Aunt Hao and smiled: "Alright, then buy some fresh pork, both belly pork and pork knuckles. I'll make a list for you, and you can buy everything on it."

She was indeed going to set up a banquet, but it wouldn’t be for their drinking party.

Aunt Hao watched Principal Li take the list and leave in a hurry, feeling a bit angry. Chen Ran patted her and then sent a post on her social media.

"Charity dinner, anyone coming?"