The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

The four-day trip to Bei’an involved hiking, outdoor cooking, and house-hunting.

The elders, being of a certain age, were ready to retire early in the evening.

Lin Minghao was the first to slip away back to his room.

My aunt and uncle also left together.

Fu Yu stayed behind to chat a little longer with his parents.

Mrs. Fu asked with concern, ”You said you’d have a three-day holiday, but you didn’t go to work today either. Will it affect your job?”

Because of the house purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Fu decided to stay an extra day, and Fu Yu had to hurriedly request another day off from Zhao Meng.

Luckily, there was a helper in the kitchen who was local, didn’t have plans, and agreed to swap a day with Fu Yu.

Fu Yu smiled and explained, ”No worries, I got permission from Chef Zhao, and a colleague switched shifts with me. I’ll make up for it next week’s day off.”

Mrs. Fu breathed a sigh of relief but still felt a bit sorry: ”That means you won’t be able to rest next week?”

With no outsiders present, Fu Yu, not wanting his mom to worry, spoke the truth: ”It’s fine, otherwise next week I’ll have to go to the music restaurant to prepare medicinal dishes, and Chef Yao will figure something out for me.”

Mrs. Fu nodded, feeling a bit emotional: ”Your boss is really good to you, and so is your mentor. So many vouchers, it must have cost him a lot, right?”

Fu Yu was surprised, ”It didn’t cost anything; Chef Yao knows someone in charge at the Sifeng Mountain Scenic Area, and he gave the tickets to Chef Zhao.”

Mrs. Fu disagreed, ”Even if it’s not money, those tickets couldn’t have been given for free. It’s all about relationships, and you’ll probably have to return the favor later.”

Fu Yu then realized.

Indeed, no matter how good the friends are, getting a benefit worth thousands for free means you’ll need to reciprocate somehow, both personally and professionally.

The tickets Yao Shi got from a friend would need to be reciprocated.

The tickets Zhao Meng received from Yao Shi would also require some reciprocation.

Ultimately, Zhao Meng likely spent his own money to host their family.

Fu Yu felt warm at heart, recalling Zhao Meng handing him the vouchers with a chuckle.

Chef Zhao was truly good to him.

Fu Yu had already bought the house, and Lin Minghao had toured the school.

After resting for a night, the elders were ready to head back.

Besides feeling a bit reluctant to leave their son, Mr. and Mrs. Fu were more excited and expectant about the return journey.

Finally, they had something to boast about, vowing to visit every close friend and relative to talk about Fu Yu’s job and life in Bei’an.

Having settled and bought a house in Bei’an just one year after graduating and in his early twenties—this was a topic they could brag about until the New Year, surely?

Before leaving, Mrs. Fu repeatedly reminded him and insisted on leaving the money they brought from home with Fu Yu.

”You need the money to pay off the mortgage; it’s too much pressure. Keep this money, your dad and I don’t usually need it anyway.”

Fu Yu reassured them as best as he could, almost detailing all his income until Mrs. Fu finally put the bank card away.

But she still insisted on giving Fu Yu the five thousand yuan in her pocket.

”You need to keep some cash on you, just in case you lose your phone.”

Fu Yu had no choice but to accept the money.

Compared to Mrs. Fu, Mr. Fu was less expressive emotionally.

With a lot of words to say to his son, he only managed: ”Take care of yourself, and call home if you need anything.”

After a reluctant farewell, the elders got into the car.

Fu Yu and Lin Minghao watched as the car drove away.

They watched it blend into the traffic until it was out of sight.

Fu Yu put an arm around Lin Minghao’s shoulder, ”It’s just us brothers again, depending on each other.”

Lin Minghao nodded, unsure if he was speaking to Fu Yu or self-assuring: ”Brother, do you believe I can succeed? I’m not stupid, I’m not just going to do whatever comes to mind!”

”I will make a name for myself, just like you, and settle down in a big city!”

...

Lin Minghao had classes to attend, so he hurried back, and Fu Yu called a taxi to send him off.

Once Lin Minghao left, Fu Yu also rushed back to Qianlima.

Previously, he didn’t notice, but having taken three days off suddenly, Zhao Meng felt strangely unaccustomed.

Sun Qingning was equally eager to welcome Fu Yu back.

Without Fu Yu around to lighten the mood, most of Zhao Meng’s criticism fell on Sun Qingning instead.

Sun Qingning was puzzled; he wasn’t stupid, his basics were solid, yet his culinary skills seemed to progress so slowly?

Especially compared to Fu Yu, he appeared as slow as a donkey!

But this wasn’t an urgent matter, and it required patience.

With the three-day holiday rotation not yet over, and with fewer customers dining in, the kitchen wasn’t too busy.

During this time, Fu Yu received an invitation to a dinner.

Liu Yunong, who had been traveling for work, returned and specifically invited Fu Yu out for a meal.

At the dinner table, Liu Yunong’s demeanor was cordial and normal, but Fu Yu couldn’t shake a sense of something being off.

Especially when he accidentally looked up and noticed Liu Yunong gazing at him with an exceedingly complex expression.

This made Fu Yu feel uneasy.

Could it be...

To avoid overthinking, Fu Yu checked Liu Yunong’s favorability very skillfully.

[Favorability: 3] [Attribute Details]

Fu Yu: ”!”

How did it drop to ”3”?

It was over 40 before, wasn’t it?

What happened?

Even though his relationship with Liu Yunong was just superficial, it didn’t actually count.

And privately, he had never addressed Liu Yunong as mentor.

However, he genuinely wanted to get along well with Liu Yunong.

After all, Liu Yunong was Lady Liu’s descendant, well-connected, and reputable in the field.

Being backed by such a notable person was something many could only dream of!

Thinking of this made Fu Yu a bit anxious, pondering how to improve Liu Yunong’s favorability towards him.

After the meal, Fu Yu sat in the taxi and couldn’t help but browse his phone.

Searching: How to please a mentor?

A string of related links immediately appeared.

[What kind of apprentices do mentors like?]

[How to skillfully seek advice from senior mentors?]

...

Seemed not quite applicable.

Scrolling further:

[How can a young professional endear themselves to a mentor?]

Fu Yu clicked the link.

[Insight Forum: It’s quite simple, really, treat your mentor like your father-in-law or mother-in-law. Approach him with this mindset, maintain this relationship, let him know you’re someone who appreciates others...]

Fu Yu: ”...”

It makes sense, but why like a father-in-law or mother-in-law, not just like a parent?