Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 7: Assistant Xiao Qin (Thanks to the alliance leader Canglang Fengya for the reward!)

Chapter 7 - 7: Assistant Xiao Qin (Thanks to the alliance leader Canglang Fengya for the reward!)

That evening, Chen Huihong sent a WeChat message to Qin Huai, asking about the difficulty of making Red Bean Hedgehog Buns. After learning that anyone with hands could do it, Chen Huihong proactively asked if Qin Huai could spare some time to teach her. After receiving a positive response, she directly took on the tasks of cafeteria renovation and employee recruitment as a token of thanks. She also generously mentioned that if Qin Huai's house was too cramped, her vacant apartment could be temporarily used by Qin Congwen, Zhao Rong, and Qin Luo, since she wasn't planning on renting it out in the short term.

To Chen Huihong, finding a reliable renovation company for a simple makeover of the first floor of the cafeteria and having her brother's company help post job openings were far less troublesome than learning to make Red Bean Hedgehog Buns.

.

"So, this is Sister Hong's result after skipping work for three days?!" Ouyang looked at the variously shaped and sized Red Bean Hedgehog Buns on the table, eyeing Qin Huai with suspicion.

Qin Huai had sent him a message early that morning, asking him to come upstairs to taste Chen Huihong's results from these past few days and discuss teaching strategies. Ouyang thought that under Qin Huai's tutelage, Chen Huihong's culinary skills had skyrocketed, and he eagerly went up, ready for a feast, only to find—

What are these scattered hedgehogs?

Some have crooked heads, some have filling leaking out, some are disproportionate, and some look like mice with a few spikes, resembling abstract art hedgehogs.

Ouyang recalled that the Red Bean Hedgehog Buns he ate a few days ago didn't look like this.

No way, man, didn't you say that this bun was a beginner's model, easy for anyone to make?

Are you perhaps the legendary type of teacher who excels academically but is poor in teaching?

Qin Huai picked up a fat Hedgehog Bun the size of an adult's fist, with sparser spikes than the hair of a programmer facing a hair loss crisis, and said, "They all taste the same. I made the dough and the filling; the shape doesn't affect the taste."

With that, Qin Huai took the first bite.

The main reason Qin Huai called Ouyang over today was to clear out the stock.

Although Chen Huihong's learning outcome wasn't ideal, her attitude was commendable. She made so many Hedgehog Buns in three days that several refrigerators couldn't hold them. Qin Luo was almost sick of them, feeling nauseous at the sight of red bean filling.

In the spirit of not wasting food, Qin Huai used the pretense of discussing teaching strategies to lure Ouyang into eating buns.

After all, it's Saturday, and there's no work. Might as well have some Red Bean Hedgehog Buns.

Ouyang found this reasonable, so he grabbed one and stuffed it into his mouth, saying while eating, "Sure, but these buns look too shabby. Is Sister Hong really going to make these for the parent-child cooking day the day after tomorrow?"

"I'm not saying these buns are bad, it's just... Did Sister Hong tell you about the parent-child days from previous years?"

Qin Huai nodded.

She certainly did.

The parent-child day at Experimental Primary School is set one week before the end-of-term exams at the end of each academic semester. It was originally established to strengthen parent-child relationships, enhance friendships among students, and increase parent interaction. Yet, contrary to intentions, under the nonsensical rivalry and competition among the wealthy parents, the parent-child day gradually lost its original purpose.

You can even tell from the property prices in Yunzhong District that the families of students at Experimental Primary School are quite well-off.

For someone like Chen Huihong, her family's standing is only considered slightly above average among the parents. Imagine how extreme the competition can be among these affluent parents.

Ouyang swallowed the bun and started his rant: "Last year's parent-child innovation day had seven dragon boats just for the paper ships part, not to mention things like steamships; if they were allowed, they might have folded the Titanic."

"The year before last, on parent-child technology day, twenty-six projects applied for patents, and it seems two even went into production. I heard it was because the previous years were so ridiculously competitive, so obviously bought with money, that the school decided on a parent-child cooking day this year, specifying that it had to be done on-site."

"They even did away with rankings, opting for awards instead. Things like 'Most Popular Award', 'Most Innovative Award', without hierarchical ranking, to prevent chaos among the parents."

"Dragon vessels could have pre-folded parts brought to school for assembly, technology day projects just needed to be transported; cooking at least requires parents to act personally, maybe with an assistant to help, but it can't go too far."

"Sister Hong could have hired help in past years, you know. It's not like it was impossible. But she dislikes those gimmicks. She feels parent-child day should have parents and children working together, resulting in poor results for Huihui in previous years."

"Though I think Huihui might not care about the rankings, Sister Hong felt uncomfortable, always thinking she embarrassed Huihui. Since this year's cooking day requires hands-on, she feels it's a chance to redeem herself. Let me tell you, Qin Huai, don't be fooled by Sister Hong's seemingly indifferent appearance; she's been secretly preparing since the notice came three months ago."

Leading up to this, Ouyang gestured to his left hand, pointing at the webbing between the thumb and index finger: "Have you noticed the scar on Sister Hong's left hand? It was from when she was chopping vegetables two months ago. She originally intended to practice stir-frying, but ended up cutting her hand while chopping, so Huihui stopped her from stir-frying."

"With stir-frying out, she thought of making dumplings. The scar on her instep you might not see, but it's there! About a month ago, while mincing dumpling filling, she accidentally knocked the knife off the cutting board, and it directly landed on her instep."

"Now dumplings were out too, so Sister Hong practiced baking instead, but she couldn't grasp it, so she switched to cold dishes. Then found those too simple, and if I'm not mistaken, switched to spiced and marinated dishes a couple of weeks ago."

Speaking rapidly made Ouyang choke a bit, making him grab his cup and drink a gulp of water before continuing.

"Honestly, I think spiced dishes are fine, they might seem like cheating but are foolproof, since seasoning packets can be pre-mixed. If Huihui hadn't praised the Red Bean Hedgehog Buns a couple of days ago, I'm sure Sister Hong would have been at home marinating intestines right now."

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Qin Huai: ...

Spiced intestines for school parent-child cooking day...

Qin Huai could only say that Chen Huihong is truly someone who doesn't follow the usual paths.

"So, what's your plan now?" Ouyang asked, picking up the last Red Bean Hedgehog Bun.

"We think the Red Bean Hedgehog Buns are not going to cut it," Qin Huai stated frankly, "Sister Hong subtly inquired over the past two days, and among the parents of Huihui's classmates, though there are no master chefs, there are families owning restaurants."

"By then, having the restaurant chefs make some ready-cooked dishes needing only heating would align with school requirements."

Ouyang immediately sat up straight: "Then what to do? Are there any particularly famous chefs in our city, and if worst comes to worst, should Sister Hong seek them out too!"

"However, it's likely too late now; haven't they all been booked already?"

Qin Huai shook his head: "You know Sister Hong's character better than I do; making the dough and filling herself is already her limit; using pre-made items just needing boiling isn't something she'd go for."

Ouyang anxiously slapped his thigh: "Then what? Isn't Huihui going to end up at the bottom again this year!"

Qin Huai: ?

Why are you so concerned about Huihui ending up at the bottom? Do you have some kind of system task?

Then Qin Huai heard Ouyang's murmuring.

"I was hoping for Huihui to shine this year, and if Sister Hong got happy, she'd give me an extra 2,000 yuan bonus. My mom isn't giving me a penny, and I'm practically broke."

Qin Huai: ...

"So, I proposed plan B," said Qin Huai.

"If we can't compete on quality, win on quantity. My dad has a collection of snack molds, capable of making over twenty different designs including cats, dogs, rabbits, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, The White Dragon Horse, The Bodhisattva Guanyin's Lotus Throne, among others. I called my aunt yesterday to send them over, and they should arrive this afternoon."

"The only downside is the styles are a bit outdated, no Peppa Pig, Suzy Sheep, Pikachu, or Teletubbies styles. After all, these molds were custom made by the best carpenter in our county over 30 years ago, so they're a bit dated."

"But it doesn't matter, we can focus on a nostalgic retro theme."

"I'll prepare the dough and fillings a day in advance: red bean, mung bean, rose, purple sweet potato, and lotus seed paste as sweet fillings. The only salty filling would be salted egg yolk; fresh meat is best, but Sister Hong isn't adept with ovens, making it likely to end in disaster, so let's skip it."

"Our goal for parent-child cooking day is to ensure everyone gets a taste; aim for every student and parent in the school to have a bite."

Wouldn't that undoubtedly earn recognition!

Ouyang listened, a bit stupefied, thinking Qin Huai's idea made sense but seemed a bit far-fetched, pondered for a moment, and finally found a flaw.

"So many types of snacks, does Sister Hong know how to make them?"

Current works by Chen Huihong are quite abstract!

"As long as the filling is wrapped in, the molds handle the rest."

"But..." Ouyang thought it still unreliable, "Given Sister Hong's skill level, can she make them taste good by herself?"

"Aren't snacks also need steaming or baking? Can Sister Hong handle it alone?"

"Of course not."

Ouyang: ?

"Therefore, Sister Hong needs an assistant to move things for her and oversee everything," Qin Huai said.

Ouyang: "... The school will definitely be strict this year, how can you sneak in with your identity?"

Qin Huai looked absolutely serious: "To be honest, my biological mother and Sister Hong are actually from the same hometown."

Ouyang: ??

"Though not from the same village or county, they are from the same city. While slightly distant, my biological mom's third aunt's niece married into a family related to an uncle-grandpa in Sister Hong's village."

"Though the relation might sound complicated, technically—I'm Huihui's distant uncle."

"As a poor relative, seeking shelter with my affluent distant cousin as her assistant, then helping out during the parent-child day would seem reasonable."

"After all, the batch of molds my aunt is sending weighs thirty to forty pounds. Can't just let Sister Hong and Huihui carry them alone, can I?"

Saying this, assistant Xiao Qin showcased his work badge.

Hongyuan Company, Board of Directors Assistant, Qin Huai.

Just received it this morning, fresh, the cover all brand new.

Ouyang: ???