Chapter 856: Chapter 855: Stagnant Knife Skills
The kind knife skills!
Without a doubt, when it comes to knife skills, Xia Yu has to admit that he can’t even come close to the old man and still has a lot to learn.
And the implications of knife skills extend further…
Xia Yu looked down at the two bowls of chicken consomme on the table, the calm surface of the soup reflecting his slightly surprised face.
“There’s a gap in knife skills, which leads to a gap in the chicken cutting step.”
“Is the difference in the soup coming from the quality of the chicken meat?”
A suffocating silence.
Bang!
With both hands on the table, Xia Yu looked down and let out an inexplicable laugh: “This is the ‘pull one thread and the whole garment moves’ principle of cooking!”
“It’s just knife skills!”
Ping.
Without needing him to call, the system had already automatically evaluated the two bowls of chicken consomme on the table.
Work 1, 85% completion.
Work 2, 100% completion!
The direct full score made Xia Yu’s eyes twitch.
“Do you understand now?”
The old man removed his apron, washed the knife and put it back on the rack, tidied up the cooking counter spotlessly, then turned around leisurelly to point at Xia Yu’s chicken consomme, “Do you still think your dish can be deemed qualified now?”
In the word “qualified,” the old man pronounced it heavily.
His gaze was sharp.
Xia Qing looked at his grandson with a scrutinizing gaze.
“This qualified is not the same as that qualified,” Xia Yu laughed again, “I guess I understand, but honestly, you’re really strict, old man!”
He silently complained inside.
Damn.
In the past, getting a 60% completion from the system was considered qualified; even now, the system’s standard for qualification hasn’t changed.
But for the old man, the standard might shoot up to 90% immediately.
Only at 90 points is it excellent, and possibly “qualified.”
Moreover, 90% completion is the most basic condition for a dish to shine.
“Old man, is that what you’re trying to tell me?” Xia Yu asked.
Hearing his grandson’s answer, Xia Qing finally showed a slight smile, and his cold face softened.
“Your tail behind your butt hasn’t gone up to the sky yet.”
He first slightly praised Xia Yu’s mindset. After all, too many young talents become complacent under the massive applause of the entire circle, leading to stagnation, getting beaten, and followed by a 360-degree spiral explosion.
Moreover, facing the global exclamations of “Demon King,” the sense of inflation might intensify, but Xia Qing hasn’t observed this in his grandson.
At least his grandson still knows how to reflect and think about shortcomings.
With this thought, the unexpressed hidden worries in Xia Qing’s heart dissipated considerably.
“Your achievements in heat control and seasoning already make you stand out among your peers and might even be high up in the Qilin Realm pyramid, but your knife skills…” Xia Qing shook his head at this point, “Have probably stagnated for a long time, right?”
“Yes, my knife skills are far less accomplished than heat control and seasoning, these two basic skills.”
Xia Yu admitted honestly.
There’s nothing to hide here, achieving mastery in these two basic skills, even with system assistance, such rapid progress is inseparable from Xia Yu’s dedicated practice.
Previously, he always focused his limited energy on practicing heat control and spice techniques, and as a result, knife skills fell into a long-term stagnation after he created the special Killing Recipe “Peacock Dance.”
In other words, Xia Yu’s knife skills, in terms of realm, remain at the special level stage!
Therefore, knife skills are a weak point for Xia Yu, who has already broken the Qilin Realm.
Today, the old man showed no mercy in tearing open this flaw.
Moreover.
I haven’t made a shining dish in a long time, have I?
At this thought, Xia Yu broke into a cold sweat down his spine.
Probably, he understood the balance between the three basic skills, that’s right, “balance,” might be the sharp arrow directly pointing towards the shining dish.
“Old man, when it comes to cutting chickens, we both used the same mulberry knife, identical tools, how did the quality level of the chicken meat differ?”
Xia Yu asked humbly.
In front of his own old man, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
If you don’t understand, you should ask.
“Come here—”
The old man said coolly, so the grandfather and grandson were crowded in front of the cooking counter on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with visitors coming to pay respects, one teaching and one learning, being very serious.
Lan Fengxian was glamorously ignored by the grandfather and grandson.
“This is really… ”
He found it amusing. With his status, if he went to any mansion to pay respects at this time, the welcoming scene would be grand.
However, Lan Fengxian wasn’t annoyed at all, and hearing the murmured voices from the grandfather and grandson, he felt it was quite interesting.
Zhu Qing and Lan Chuhai also entered the kitchen.
The air was filled with the aroma of chicken soup, and upon entering, Zhu Qing’s attention was immediately drawn to the two bowls of chicken soup on the table.
To be honest, Zhu Qing had a very poor quality of sleep last night, or rather she didn’t sleep at all, tossing and turning in bed. As for the reason for her insomnia, wasn’t it because of Xia Yu’s mistake at the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner.
Thus, the energy of garlic in the soup, with just a few inhalations, Zhu Qing felt full of spirit, sweeping away the drowsiness of insomnia.
Oh!
Involuntarily getting closer to the table, Zhu Qing stared at it for a few moments before spinning around energetically to fetch bowls and spoons.
“Perfect timing, I haven’t had breakfast yet, my stomach is hungry!”
Using chicken soup as breakfast seemed overly nourishing, and Zhu Qing was quite concerned about the soup being greasy, but after a small sip, she found it fresh and exclaimed, “Fresh!”
Zhu Qing didn’t know the bowl of soup she was drinking was brewed by the old man.
After drinking a whole bowl, her face shone with youthful vitality, and Zhu Qing turned her attention to Xia Yu’s steam pot, her brows furrowing in concern, “Two identical chicken consommés?”
At this point, Lan Fengxian chimed in: “This is the work of your Demon King Xia.”
He rarely jested, calling out the title of Demon King Xia.
“Oh?”
“So this one is…”
“That’s Brother Xia’s.”
Zhu Qing immediately filled in the missing storyline, guessing that the grandfather and grandson were competing with the same soup dish, and by the results, it was unquestionably the grandfather with greater skill.
However, Zhu Qing’s curiosity was about the gap between grandson and grandfather.
Well, by tasting, you’ll know.
Zhu Qing tasted the second bowl of soup, watched closely by Lan Fengxian and Lan Chuhai.
Tasting the soup, Zhu Qing frowned, “Wow—”
Feeling her bottom suddenly begin to burn, she hurriedly left the stool, sensing the kitchen air becoming stifling and steaming like a big furnace, her forehead and cheeks sweating, and her clothes feeling greasy with sweat.
Zhu Qing quickly dashed outside, panting in the courtyard, leaving Lan Fengxian and Lan Chuhai looking at each other.
Eventually, Zhu Qing returned, having changed into a clean dress.
The grandfather and grandson were still deeply engaged in discussing knife skills.
Seeing Zhu Qing return, the curious Lan Fengxian pointed at the two soups on the table, “I and Ah Han also want to give it a try, is that alright?”
“Sure!”
With a mischievous sparkle in her eye, Zhu Qing fetched bowls and spoons for them.
Lan Fengxian mimicked Zhu Qing, first tasting the old man’s soup, and praised, “What a refreshing flavor!”
Lan Chuhai’s eyes also showed a look of astonishment.
Delicious?
Of course, it is, but merely calling it delicious wouldn’t encompass this soup, the tongue seemingly hosting the phantom of a chicken, its wings flapping within the mouth, bringing vital energy of the dish that blown into the deepest parts of the body through the throat, making every pore quiver.
Lan Fengxian and Lan Chuhai then tasted Xia Yu’s soup.
Ugh!
Both choked.
Not because it wasn’t delicious, but…
Compared to Xia Qing’s traditional refreshing style, Xia Yu’s soup gave an odd taste and culinary impression.
“Ah, I’ve made up my mind!”
A voice suddenly came from the direction of the cooktop, “I’ll simmer another pot of chicken soup!”
“This is a ramen recipe!”
“Can’t get stuck at the soup base stage! I want to make a complete bowl of ramen!”