Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Chapter 33 “Why does this taste a bit bitter?”...

Chen Ran hadn’t expected Guo Bao Rou to be so popular.

However, since it was an S-level recipe with a sweet and sour flavor loved by all ages, its popularity was quite normal.

Chen Ran continued to stew the pork knuckle according to the newly acquired double S-level recipe, then took out a piece of tenderloin from the fridge to start making Guo Bao Rou again.

No choice—the whole tenderloin wasn’t easy to buy, and small shops halfway up the mountain wouldn’t stock much of such ingredients.

Though tenderloin is more tender than whole tenderloin, it could still be used for Guo Bao Rou. It just required frying at a slightly higher temperature, and the batter needed to be a bit thinner.

“Fry three times? Young lady, your skills are impressive.”

At some unknown moment, a smiling elderly lady appeared at the entrance of the small restaurant.

...No, she should be called a madam.

This lady looked not young; her hair was completely gray. She had large waves permed in her silver hair, just reaching behind her ears. At a glance, she looked astonishingly fashionable.

With such a stylish hairstyle, paired with a light green qipao, she looked exactly like a model shooting for a magazine.

Hearing her speak, Chen Ran sensed she knew about cooking and smiled at her: “Frying three times is more authentic—I just learned it recently.”

The silver-haired madam nodded gracefully: “I don’t know whose famous disciple you are, but the frying time is a bit long. However, you controlled the oil temperature very well; although a bit long, the color is very authentic.”

Chen Ran hadn’t expected that this lady not only understood cooking but was quite knowledgeable.

The frying time for Guo Bao Rou is neither short nor long; being able to judge that at a glance definitely made her an expert.

She explained, “The ingredients today weren’t good. There’s no whole tenderloin, only tenderloin, so I had to fry it a bit longer. Otherwise, using tenderloin alone would be too tender, resulting in inconsistent texture inside and outside.”

“Young lady, you understand well.”

The silver-haired madam had initially just been watching at the door, not planning to eat inside. Upon hearing this, she gathered her shawl and gracefully walked into the small restaurant.

“Oh, ma’am... what would you like to eat?”

The aunt greeted her. She had initially wanted to call her “miss,” but after seeing her attire, she swallowed the word.

“Can I only order from the menu?”

The aunt nodded; the restaurant naturally only accepted orders from the menu.

“One sour plum ribs, one garlic pork knuckle, and one more...” Chang Nian looked at the menu, then ordered a vegetable dish, “also a shredded cabbage dish.”

“Our portions... are quite large.”

The small restaurant’s prices were high, and Chen Ran often felt a bit guilty about it, but the portion sizes never skimped—every plate was full.

The two young ladies before almost left the plate of shredded potatoes untouched.

Though her hair was completely white, Chang Nian’s smile still had a bit of youthful charm: “It’s okay, if I can’t finish it, I’ll pack it.”

Only then did the aunt nod and ask, “Would you like rice? Any drinks?”

“Is there tea?”

“Please wait, I’ll brew some right away!”The aunt went to the preparation room to brew tea while quietly saying to Chen Ran, “Isn’t this filming a show up on the mountain? I think this lady might be some kind of celebrity.”

Chen Ran also felt that the lady looked dignified and elegant. But since she was here as a guest, Chen Ran only needed to prepare the dishes the customer ordered well.

She had prepared two portions of the sour plum ribs and took out one to start cooking.

As the ribs simmered, the aroma began to fill the whole room. Out of Chen Ran’s sight, the silver-haired lady quietly nodded.

She took out her phone and opened a chat with Wang Zhaoshan: “This young girl you recommended is really good.”

Wang Zhaoshan replied very quickly and respectfully: “Director, do you think she can make it onto the Master Chef roster this time?”

“We’ll have to see. Even if she makes it, her ranking won’t be very high.”

This result was exactly what Wang Zhaoshan expected.

The Master Chef roster has been running for decades, gathering the best Chinese chefs worldwide. Even the Lin family, who fled abroad due to war, had their descendants hunted down and added to the list.

Such a list full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—someone as young as Chen Ran making it on, even at the bottom, would shock everyone.

The whole Master Chef roster has a distinct Chinese style, divided into three lists: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Thirty-six names on the Heaven list, seventy-two on the Earth list, and one hundred eighty on the Human list, totaling two hundred eighty-eight.

In the entire Chinese culinary world, only these two hundred eighty-eight chefs are named.

According to Wang Zhaoshan’s estimate, Chen Ran might make the Human list this time, but even if not, just having her name in Director Chang Nian’s mind would be worth it.

“All right, I’ll taste it first.”

Chang Nian turned her gaze to Chen Ran in the kitchen, watching her skillfully lift the pork knuckle from the pot.

As soon as the knuckle was lifted out, an extremely rich meaty aroma mixed with sweet fragrance spread throughout the room.

Chang Nian glanced in surprise.

Most people might not distinguish the distribution of this scent, but her nose was extremely sensitive and instantly recognized that this sweet fragrance was not from seasonings or sugar but from vegetables.

When she was young, her health was poor, so she was raised in a temple and thus given the somewhat Zen-like name Chang Nian. There, she learned cooking from a master famous for vegetarian dishes.

Although she later studied under several famous chefs to master meat dishes, her most sensitive skill remained vegetarian cooking.

What surprised Chang Nian even more was that this mixed vegetable sweet aroma combined with the meat fragrance all came from the clear stew of the pork knuckle’s broth!

The knuckle’s own aroma was concentrated yet did not dissipate!

The aunt had already brought the sour plum ribs over and placed them in front of Madam Chang Nian.

This sour plum ribs dish had won full praise in a cooking competition between Chen Ran and Uncle Chen Zheng; naturally, it excelled in color, aroma, and taste.

Especially the sour plum fragrance—when the aunt carried the dish, she couldn’t help but swallow and hoped that Chen Ran would cook it again someday so she could eat a couple of pieces too.

This was an S-level sour plum ribs!

But in Madam Chang Nian’s eyes, she kept her gaze firmly fixed on Chen Ran cutting the pork knuckle.

The small restaurant wasn’t very large; she even stood up just to get a clearer view of the pork knuckle under Chen Ran’s hands.

Still, she couldn’t smell the knuckle’s aroma...

She admired Chen Ran’s knife skills; this young girl’s foundational skills were indeed as solid as Wang Zhaoshan had said.The pork knuckle that had just been taken out trembled with the outer layer of fat and pig skin, while the firm lean meat inside had been cut several times from the middle. Each cut, like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox, followed the grain of the lean meat, slicing through the tendons.

Only by preparing the knuckle this way could the rich flavors stew deeply inside while preserving the juiciness of the lean meat, achieving an extremely firm texture without any dryness.

Such knife work could only be seen once Chen Ran had already cut the knuckle open.

Before stewing the knuckle, those cuts had been made bit by bit from the outside by feel alone.

The double-S-level recipe truly had its impressive aspects.

Before inserting the knife to carve the decorative cuts on the knuckle, even with the system assisting, Chen Ran did not dare to act rashly. She simulated the procedure several times mentally, found a quiet place, and then completed the cuts in one go.

With the insight gained from this recipe, she even felt that after a few more attempts, her knife skills could be upgraded!

She cut one-quarter of the knuckle into slices, each exactly the same thickness. The beautifully grained meat slices were arranged on a plate. Just as she was about to add the garlic paste, she suddenly heard the lady speak.

“Serve the garlic paste and soy sauce separately.”

“Okay.”

Chen Ran made a small dish of garlic paste with soy sauce and handed it to the aunt, then started stir-frying the last dish the lady ordered: shredded cabbage.

The cabbage had been washed and shredded. Chen Ran took a deep breath and began cooking.

For some reason, she felt that this last dish the lady ordered was what she really wanted to eat.

Having just made an S-level sour plum ribs dish and cut a double-S-level clear stew pork knuckle, now using her full B-level skill to cook shredded cabbage, Chen Ran felt that something was off everywhere.

The feeling was like having a calligraphy master guiding her hand: when the master’s hand held hers, her brush strokes were delicate and flowing like a startled swan or a dancing dragon. But once the master’s hand let go, having experienced that sensation, the brush suddenly felt unbearably heavy.

She braved through and finished the shredded cabbage dish.

Chen Ran was very serious, but still felt her skills were somehow off.

She asked the system in her mind, “Can I really reach the level of a double-S-level recipe?”

The system answered confidently:

【Yes】

Her current feelings and experiences with the S-level recipes were different. When experiencing the S-level recipes, she believed that with effort, she could achieve that level.

But experiencing the double-S-level recipes, she felt that no matter how hard she tried, she might not reach that feeling... such a huge gap—could she really do it?

The system seemed to sense the host’s lack of confidence and popped up some encouraging words:

【Quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes. Please keep striving forward.】

Chen Ran lowered her head, glanced at the shredded cabbage dish she had just made, and saw a short system evaluation pop up:

【A standard but undercooked shredded cabbage dish】

Undercooked.

If she raised her heat control skill to B, would it be better? What if she improved even more?

Chen Ran took a deep breath and brought the less-than-perfect shredded cabbage dish to the silver-haired lady’s table.

Chang Nian smiled and thanked her: “Thank you, young lady. You’ve cooked everything very earnestly. Would you like to sit here and rest for a while?”The small restaurant didn’t have many customers yet, and the boxed meals for the evening were already prepared. The aunt was packing the boxes.

She called out loudly from the back kitchen, “Ranran, take a break! Auntie will handle the packing herself.”

Chen Ran nodded and sat across from Chang Nian, watching her gracefully pick up a slice of pork knuckle and take a bite.

Perfect.

The first tender, swaying slice of pork knuckle, Chang Nian didn’t dip it in soy sauce or garlic paste but ate it plain.

Once that fresh flavor of the vegetable broth emerged, she immediately knew the stew had a little salt added. However, to make it easier to add garlic paste later, the base seasoning of this pork knuckle was only half salted.

“This seasoning is absolutely perfect.”

If any other chef had been there, they would be amazed. Hearing Chang Nian say “perfect” was an extremely rare and unlikely event.

Chen Ran felt a bit embarrassed. The success of this pork knuckle was mainly thanks to the double-S-level recipe, not her own skill. Especially when stir-frying the shredded cabbage just now, she felt her own limitations even more clearly.

“This subtle half-salted base, eaten plain, is fragrant and tender. If it were pan-fried or eaten with dipping sauce, it would become bold and full-flavored.”

Chang Nian highly appreciated the pork knuckle’s seasoning. Even when eaten dipped in garlic sauce, if the pork knuckle itself had no seasoning, it wouldn’t perfectly blend with the soy sauce and garlic flavor.

She picked up another slice, dipped it in the garlic paste and soy sauce Chen Ran prepared, and put it in her mouth again.

Just as she had expected, the pork knuckle’s own half-salted base flavor quietly faded away under the garlic and soy sauce, pushing the overall taste to a new level.

But...

Chang Nian frowned.

Chen Ran asked worriedly, “What’s wrong?”

The elegant silver-haired lady sighed and shook her head.

“This soy sauce... is too poor.”

Such pork knuckle should be paired with the pure spring master’s handmade Qingquan special sauce, or the Baoyi premium soy sauce selected from the top of the unique flavor collection...

Indeed, Chen Ran couldn’t help but glance at the bottle of Yipin Xian in the back kitchen. Using it for this pork knuckle did feel a bit mismatched.

Taking a small sip of tea, Chang Nian’s chopsticks reached again for the sour plum ribs.

The taste of sour plum, vinegar, sweetness, and meat fragrance exploded perfectly in her mouth, seamlessly blended.

With one strong bite, the whole piece of meat slid off the bone. After a few chews, the layers of sweet and sour flavors intertwined splendidly, making the entire rib free of any greasiness.

And the final lingering taste in her mouth was quietly just a trace of sour plum aroma...

Chang Nian assessed the plum flavor in her mouth and felt this rib dish was slightly inferior to the pork knuckle she had just tasted but was still extremely excellent.

With just these two dishes, this young girl deserved to be on the chefs’ list.

Next was the dish she valued most and was most skilled at.

Shredded cabbage.

Watching Chang Nian pick up some cabbage and put it in her mouth, Chen Ran inexplicably started feeling a little nervous.

Compared to the two dishes from the system’s recipes just now, this shredded cabbage was the truest reflection of her current real level.This silver-haired lady clearly had very impressive culinary skills. Would she think... this dish was terrible?

Chen Ran held her breath, not daring to speak, just watching Chang Nian eat bite after bite with an unchanged expression.

She ate through nearly half the plate before putting down her chopsticks.

Seeing Chen Ran’s nervous expression, she smiled and asked, “Are you very nervous?”

Chen Ran nodded.

Chang Nian pointed at the ribs and pork knuckle and asked, “These two dishes, are they secret recipes from your master’s school?”

Chen Ran’s heart sank a little but still nodded.

Since the lady asked this, it probably meant that her shredded cabbage was far inferior to the ribs and pork knuckle?

Chen Ran was never very calculating; Chang Nian glanced at the young girl’s face—every emotion was clearly written there.

But when Chen Ran was focused cutting the pork knuckle earlier, her expression was as if nothing in the world could disturb her.

Wang Zhaoshan was right; her entire heart was devoted to cooking.

“Don’t worry.”

Chang Nian took another sip of tea before continuing.

“These two dishes are both outstanding, and you’ve done very well. I can say with certainty that even in the capital’s top restaurants, these dishes could be signature dishes.”

“But... these two dishes aren’t my personal favorites. They don’t show your own unique flavor.”

She pointed to the shredded cabbage: “Shredded cabbage looks like a very simple dish. In any run-down restaurant or street stall, if you order it, the chef will always be able to make a plate.”

“But this dish is truly one person’s unique flavor.”

She ordered this dish to taste the “flavor” of this young chef in front of her.

To be fair, a dish relying purely on skill needs years and years of experience and technique to perfect.

But Chen Ran’s dish could not be called bad.

In the shredding process, she carefully distinguished between the stems and leaves, choosing the parts most suitable for stir-frying.

During cooking, her technique and control of heat were strong. Although the seasoning sauce was ordinary, the proportions were carefully balanced and even slightly adjusted based on the characteristics of this cabbage.

Chen Ran’s previously sinking heart was lifted by this silver-haired lady.

She was eager to know how her “shredded cabbage” tasted in the other’s mouth.

“Have you tried it yourself?”

When this question was asked, Chen Ran’s expression darkened a bit. She pursed her lips but straightened her back: “I’ve lost my sense of taste. I can’t taste it.”

Chang Nian’s hand relaxed, and the silver chopsticks fell sharply on the table, clinking against the porcelain bowl.

The crisp sound brought a moment of silence.

“Sorry,” Chang Nian said after a pause, first apologizing, then, as if afraid Chen Ran might feel sad, quickly added, “Your shredded cabbage tastes very similar to the ones I used to make.”

Back then, she was a playful, laughing young girl, but because of some vague talk of fate, she was trapped in the nunnery.The only solace she had back then was cooking.

In this plate of shredded cabbage, she saw the same determination that she herself had at that age.

She looked at Chen Ran again, noticing the bit of confused puzzlement between her brows.

Thinking of the background information she’d previously received, Chang Nian knew this young girl, driven out by the Chen family, planned to follow in the footsteps of her ancestor—travel the world, and cook in every corner of it.

A child with ambition.

Soon after, Chen Ran would surely find out that this was a visit from the Famous Chef Records program. Not wanting her to be disheartened, Chang Nian explained it to her.

“Just by the level of your clear-braised pork knuckle alone, there's no doubt you’d make the top of the People’s List—maybe even qualify for the Earth List. The sour plum ribs are also excellent, and your skill with that sweet and sour pork earlier is beyond question.”

“But taken altogether,” Chang Nian pointed at the shredded cabbage, “you’d probably only barely make it to the end of the People’s List.”

Still, with that, this young girl would receive attention comparable to a celebrity.

Before she could say this last part, Chen Ran couldn’t help but ask, “Then this dish…”

She didn’t finish the sentence, swallowing it back.

Clearly, with her current skills, making a shredded cabbage dish that satisfied ordinary diners was easy. But trying to rely on that to get into Famous Chef Records—that was far from enough.

Looking at Chen Ran, Chang Nian recalled how someone once made it onto the bottom of the People’s List and was immediately recruited as a private chef for a wealthy family. Within five years, their skill had declined significantly.

Before she could say anything, Chen Ran spoke up first.

“I… is there any chance I could make it into the Famous Chef Records based on a dish like this, done all on my own?”

“There is!” Chang Nian answered with certainty. “And it won’t be too far off.”

She opened her handbag and took out a black ebony name card inlaid with gold.

“My name is Chang Nian. If, in the future, you feel ready and want to learn this shredded cabbage dish from me, come find me.”

Chen Ran wiped her hands and solemnly accepted the card. It had only the name “Chang Nian” and contact info on the back—nothing else. It was clear this silver-haired lady held herself in high regard.

“Thank you. I’ll remember.”

They didn’t say anything more. Chang Nian paid the bill and asked Chen Ran to pack a few dishes. Just like when she came, she left quietly and gracefully.

Auntie didn’t understand anything about People List or Earth List, but seeing the slight disappointment on Chen Ran’s face, she came over to comfort her.

“You’re so young and already cook this well—it's amazing! When the crew came to pick up the boxed meals earlier, did you see that little girl drooling over the sweet and sour pork?”

Chen Ran smiled sheepishly. “All those boxed meals just now—I made you pack them all by yourself. Next time I’ll help too.”

“Ay, packing a few meals is nothing! Getting to eat your cooking every day—Auntie’s living in bliss!”

She pointed in the direction of the production crew. “Look at them, drooling over the food and only getting one box. Me? I can eat as much as I want! Come on, let’s eat too.”

Chen Ran nodded, served herself a standard portion, and began her usual tasteless meal.

But for Chen Ran, it was tasteless because she couldn’t taste it—some others, however, wished their tongues couldn’t taste.

Tonight was the final dinner of this episode’s filming. To make sure the finale looked great on camera, the production team had arranged exciting games in the afternoon with generous ingredient rewards, letting everyone win more ingredients.

But since the games took too long and Teacher Lü Yi’s “not a single drop of water” recipe took over an hour to stew, the crew quietly allowed the guests a little sneaky tasting time.These celebrities, in order to maintain their figures, are basically in a state of mild malnutrition year-round. They were genuinely afraid that if it went on too long, someone would get low blood sugar.

The diva, clearly experienced, snuck a few bites. Ye Cunxin stealthily grabbed two pieces of meat. Even Liu Zi ate a couple spoonfuls of rice to avoid being wrecked by alcohol on an empty stomach.

Gu Yifeng, who had been secretly observing the whole time, couldn’t help himself after one bite and turned back for two more. Only when someone called out that dinner was starting did he move the muscles on his face a bit.

All the guests had arrived, and the large pork knuckle braised in two jin of yellow wine was about to come out of the pot.

As the tightly sealed lid was lifted, the director’s instructions buzzed in the earpieces, and several cameras simultaneously aimed at the pot.

“Pull back for a wide shot—get everyone’s expressions in! Sound crew, make sure you capture this!”

Teacher Bai Jing delivered his usual three-stage exclamation, ending with a perfectly honed “Superb.”

However, after that, there was a slight hush on set. Only a faintly puzzled voice could be heard.

“Why does it smell a little… bitter?”