The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Gao Chongbo came to dine, Fu Yu greeted him and followed the young man to a nearby rotating bar.

Although the young man wasn’t in a uniform, he was doing the job of a waiter and quickly brought over a pot of warm tea for Fu Yu.

Fu Yu took a sip from his cup, unable to discern what kind of tea it was, but it smelled wonderful.

Even someone like him, who doesn’t understand tea, could tell it was made from good tea leaves.

Feeling bored, he casually picked up the beautifully bound hard paper menu tied with silk ribbon in front of him.

Isn’t it said that private kitchens generally don’t have menus?

Unexpectedly, Liu Yunong was quite down-to-earth.

But when he noticed the prices on it, Fu Yu nearly spat out his tea.

Holy crap!

Qianlima’s drunken fish is priced at 128, which is already considered expensive, but here it’s marked at 688.

This fish must have grown legs, huh?

They really dare to charge, don’t they!

Fu Yu looked around and noticed that the side by the window had a few small tables for two.

Those who choose the window seats are usually couples.

Seated on a small wooden stool, one can enjoy the lively scenes in the community square not far outside the window.

Customers dining solo or in groups generally prefer to sit around the bar.

Dishes continuously came out from the spinning bar from the kitchen window, ready for customers to pick up and enjoy.

The menu consists of ten dishes, so the dishes served were also those ten kinds.

Each dish was plated in a novel and exquisite manner, and if a customer liked what they saw, they simply reached out to take it.

The menu is only for reference; customers who dine here generally don’t care about spending money.

Fu Yu sat waiting for over half an hour before Liu Yunong arrived.

Fu Yu quickly stood up to greet her, ”Teacher Liu!”

Liu Yunong had already taken off her apron but was wearing a chef’s hat. She casually removed her mask and smiled, ”I had some work on hand; I was tied up for a bit.”

Speaking, Liu Yunong sat next to Fu Yu, crossing her long legs to sit more comfortably.

Having worked on three sets of dishes in a row, her legs felt stiff from standing.

Fu Yu nodded understandingly.

They’re in the same industry, so he understood the hard work.

Liu Yunong said, ”This is the branch I opened in Bei’an. I couldn’t make it back for the opening day, so I didn’t inform you.”

Fu Yu smiled, ”I was wondering, I hadn’t heard of your new opening, but our head chef came to try it and said the dishes tasted great and were very distinctive.”

Liu Yunong, not being a local, only had a slight idea about Qianlima Restaurant and wasn’t very familiar.

Hearing this, she simply said, ”Oh, I’ll give you some coupons later; you can take them back to give away.”

Fu Yu didn’t decline.

His master was actually quite good to him.

Even though Fu Yu didn’t really see Liu Yunong as a master in his heart, he very much admired and respected her.

Liu Yunong asked, ”Been busy with work lately?”

Fu Yu replied honestly, ”It’s alright, the flow of customers is average, but it should pick up in about half a month.”

Liu Yunong nodded, ”Qianlima is usually quite busy, with the kitchen typically having one day off per week, right?”

Fu Yu looked at Liu Yunong, unsure why she suddenly asked this.

”Yes, we get a day off each week.”

Liu Yunong seemed contemplative, was silent for a few minutes, then said to Fu Yu, ”Since you’ve acknowledged me as your master, I’ll fulfill a master’s duty and teach you cooking skills.”

”I’m usually quite busy, but I’ll be staying in Bei’an for a while. Your situation is unique, already working at Qianlima, and you don’t have much spare time. I can try to accommodate your schedule, but you also need to find a way to coordinate.”

Fu Yu was stunned, overjoyed inside, realizing a new learning mode was about to start?

As a descendant of Lady Liu, Liu Yunong had deep family roots in the culinary arts; even a bit of her knowledge would benefit him immensely.

Thinking of this, Fu Yu quickly expressed, ”Teacher Liu, rest assured, I will definitely find a way to match your timing. I truly love cooking and genuinely want to learn from you.”

Liu Yunong was evidently pleased with his attitude, smiling and nodding, ”But this means time might be a bit tight.”

After a while, she suddenly said, ”I should be staying at the store for the time being, so you can come over to learn from me after you get off work every day. If anything special comes up, let me know in advance, and we can arrange something else.”

Liu Yunong seriously said, ”Although I don’t take many orders here daily, the menu changes constantly. To learn cooking techniques, you need to come here frequently, study, observe, practice, and try to get hands-on experience as soon as possible.”

After hearing this, Fu Yu nodded, ”No problem, Teacher Liu. Don’t worry, I’ll work hard to learn.”

Fu Yu heard in Liu Yunong’s words a fondness for nurturing talent.

His earlier resentment towards her intentions completely dissipated.

No wonder his favorability score was low; the limited points were solely for appreciating his culinary talent.

However, this indirectly proves Liu Yunong is indeed quite a great person.

When Gao Chongbo finished his meal and was about to pay, he turned his head and saw Fu Yu talking happily with a young woman.

Looking closer, Gao Chongbo was stunned.

The young woman next to Fu Yu, though not in chef attire, wore a chef’s hat, and her face was strikingly beautiful and memorable at first glance.

The young woman was clearly the owner of Shangshi Private Kitchen, Liu Yunong.

And Fu Yu seemed to have a deep relationship with Liu Yunong.

Liu Yunong was just talking to Fu Yu when someone quickly came out from the kitchen.

”Chef Liu, there’s a new order, the customer will arrive in half an hour, ordering drunken fish and stir-fried celery with sausage.”

Though Shangshi Private Kitchen doesn’t have a fixed menu, it comes out with a new menu each day, with different dishes.

Customers can pick according to the day’s menu, making Shangshi a bit more approachable than typical private kitchens.

Liu Yunong immediately stood up, ”How many people are dining? Any special taste preferences? Is it a date or a gathering with friends? Have you sorted out the seating arrangements?”

Liu Yunong’s string of questions made Fu Yu perk up!

These are things the front desk order taker should have sorted out in advance.

The person quickly replied, ”Just one person dining, mentioning a special craving for authentic drunken fish, having called several times before only to cancel upon hearing the day’s menu didn’t have it. Today, the menu includes it, so they ordered.”

Liu Yunong said, ”Alright, I’ll take this order.”

The person promptly headed towards the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Liu Yunong furrowed her brows slightly, thinking to herself, this person must be a gourmet critic, wanting authentic drunken fish implies high standards!