"My hands are thick and hard, and I only have brute force. I can't even knead a piece of dough, let alone make snacks! If you don't mind, I don't even dare to ask you to teach me!"
Master Li was amused. He didn't know if he was suddenly touched by something on his mind, but the smile at the corner of his mouth dropped.
"To be honest, many dim sum skills are left by our ancestors, and there are not many things that I can create myself. The most regretful thing in my life... I think I have no successors."
Ah Chao saw that he looked a little sad and couldn't help but want to make him happy.
"Isn't it? Shouldn't it be that you can't buy a high-end mansion in the imperial capital? Shouldn't it be that you build a villa in your hometown? Shouldn't it be that you have millions in pension funds when you retire?"
After hearing this, Master Li waved his hands with a wry smile.
"You don't understand. When you reach my age, you will no longer be so eager for money and some external things... that... by the way, that word is called 'persistence'. You are not so persistent for those things, really.
.If it weren’t for my son and grandchildren, I wouldn’t have to work so hard to raise money now. What I’m most worried about is that the skills passed down to me by the old masters have been lost in my hands... This kind of regret is really useless.
In words."
Ah Chao thought for a while and blurted out: "What's so difficult about this? When you retire, find a cooking school to take classes, one class a day, or one class every two days. You can make money easily and teach your disciples at the same time.
It would be really hard work if you teach them one by one. It is different when you go to class. There are a large group in one area. One group every year, and there are teachers every year, so there is no need to worry at all."
But Master Li shook his head and explained: "That's teaching students, not taking apprentices. In our profession, we have to learn skillfully and accurately, otherwise the things we make will lack soul."
Ah Chao didn't understand much.
Master Li changed his rhetoric and gestured: "It's like you are a professional bodyguard. You can box and use weapons. There are some trainers in boxing gyms and gyms, but they are not professional enough and are not in the same category as you."
On the same level, you can’t compare and you can’t compare. That’s different, do you understand?”
Ah Chao finally understood and said: "You are worried that the students you teach are too poor, or that they cannot learn the essence of dim sum skills at all."
"That's right... that's the truth." Master Li sighed helplessly: "Teach students, especially the school model. One teacher, dozens of students, teach one dish, dozens of people and dozens of flavors -
-What kind of learning is that? It’s not like being a disciple. If you want to truly learn the essence of cooking, you have to be brought in by a professional master, and then you have to study hard on your own, and add a lot of love, otherwise you won’t learn it at all.
"
"That's too difficult, right?" Ah Chao teased in a funny way: "Study hard? And you still have to like it very much? Fortunately, I was joking with you just now. Otherwise, if you really nodded, I would have to give up in the end."
Master Li laughed and said: "As long as you work hard and grind an iron pestle into a needle. As long as you study hard, you can still learn it."
Ah Chao thought for a while and asked: "Is it possible to learn this industry without talent? Is it necessary? People with talent must learn everything quickly, and the results will be better and taste better."
"Yes, that's for sure." Master Li nodded: "The most important thing is that you have a good sense of smell and taste. In the world, there are people of all kinds. People with a strong sense of smell and taste are definitely more suitable for this industry."
Some people are born with sensitive hearing, some people are born with a keen sense of color, and some people are born with a sensitive sense of taste. People who have the advantage of learning are gifted people.
Master Li explained: "I used to be very good at tasting things with my tongue. As long as I ate something, I could roughly tell what ingredients were used and how it was made. The old master who took care of me originally thought I was not smart enough, but later I met
I still have some talent, so I finally agreed to teach me. People with talent can get twice the result with half the effort. Those without talent must work harder than others."
"I don't have a good sense of taste." Ah Chao chuckled: "And I'm not picky about what I eat. I just eat whatever is available as long as it can fill my stomach. Of course, the food cooked in the big kitchen is always delicious. I have become accustomed to eating it in the past few years.
, I occasionally take my wife and children out to eat during holidays, saying that I want to improve the food, but I always feel that it is not as delicious as what Master Li cooks. However, for the sake of my wife and children, I still have to go out for a change of taste and feel the atmosphere."
Master Li smiled kindly, narrowed his eyes, and said, "As long as you don't dislike me, otherwise I would have been fired long ago."
"That's right!" Ah Chao said quickly: "My senior sister has a very good sense of smell! She can clearly remember and identify everything she has smelled, even after many years!"
"Really or not?" Master Li asked doubtfully: "How many years? A taste? It should be a familiar taste, right?"
Ah Chao shook his head again and again, lowering his voice: "When my senior sister was very young, master paid special attention to cultivating her facial features and flexibility. My senior sister's best is her sense of smell. Let me give you an example, it's real.
I won’t brag for a long time!”
"Oh!" Master Li urged: "You tell me."
Ah Chao explained carefully: "Once, my master took her out to play, and a young woman defrauded the elderly man next to her from her wallet. She was too young at the time and didn't know what a fraud was. It wasn't until my master explained it to her later that
Such a person is a criminal, and the police will catch her. Unexpectedly, a few years later, the senior sister who had grown up suddenly ran home and said that she happened to meet that woman on her way home from school, and then caught her
, and even arrested her and took her to the police station. My master thought she remembered that woman’s appearance. Unexpectedly, the senior sister said that she could not remember her appearance, but remembered that her body odor was a little special, so she remembered it in her mind. Even after several years, she
I can all remember it.”
"That...that's really good." Master Li praised.
Ah Chao gave a thumbs up and said excitedly: "That's a good thing! My master couldn't believe it. Later he asked his friends at the police station and said that the woman had confessed a lot and that she was indeed cheating in this city back then.
It took a few old women's money for my master to finally believe it. In fact, a large part of the reason why my senior sister is so powerful is because of her sensitive facial features and high kung fu. She is quite talented in our line of work. It's a pity...
…It’s a pity.”
Master Li couldn't help but ask: "What's the pity?"
"Her arm was seriously injured." Li Chao sighed and whispered: "She can't lift heavy objects, and she doesn't have the strength."
Master Li was confused: "Is it true or false? I didn't see it!"
"Of course you can't tell." Ah Chao explained: "She can still pick up and lift, but she can't use force. Her normal daily life is not affected much, but it is not affected by hard work."