Chapter 23: “Chef Xiao Shen”

Shen Jintao had no idea about the gossip and scheming of those aunties. Once she arrived at the state-run restaurant, she found Sister Zhang to get her work certificate done, then threw herself straight into the kitchen.

As soon as she walked in, she noticed Luo Ya looking at her. Shen Jintao could roughly guess what was going on behind the scenes—she could piece together some of it from what Sister Zhang had said to Luo Ya the day before.

“Hello, Comrade Luo Ya!” Shen Jintao greeted her calmly.

“Hello,” Luo Ya replied, pressing her lips together. Her attitude was cold, but at least she didn’t ignore her.

Luo Ya had originally come here to learn cooking, so she was always busy in the kitchen. Whether it was intentional or not, she kept herself occupied peeling garlic and snapping vegetables, never once showing any sign of wanting to practice knife work.

Shen Jintao didn’t say anything. She just went ahead and chopped all the vegetables that had been cleaned.

Luo Ya didn’t help, nor did she observe and learn from the side. Sister Zhang noticed this and wasn’t pleased. She walked into the kitchen and said, “Xiao Ya, Xiao Shen’s cooking and knife skills are both excellent. You should learn properly—and you need to practice with your own hands too.”

Her tone was gentle and indirect—she didn’t outright accuse Luo Ya of slacking off.

Still, Luo Ya looked a little aggrieved. “I just think her cuts look nicer than mine. I didn’t want to embarrass myself.”

“You’ll never learn anything with that mindset. Can you master a skill just by watching? You must practice it yourself. Otherwise, it’s all a waste. That’s all I’ll say—you figure out what to do.”

State-run work units never lacked people. If Luo Ya left, there’d still be Li Ya, Wang Ya, Zhang Ya… If it weren’t for her family connections, this kind of job wouldn’t have come to her at all.

Shen Jintao felt a bit awkward. The most frustrating thing in the workplace is being used as a comparison tool—someone held up as an example for others. That easily leads to being ostracized.

But she wasn’t the type to keep pushing herself into people who clearly didn’t like her. Since Luo Ya clearly had a problem with her, she saw no need to be overly friendly.

So after that, she only answered Luo Ya’s questions politely when asked, but didn’t try to talk more than necessary.

After finishing the prep work, she went out into the main hall to chat with the other staff. Besides Sister Zhang, there were two other young women in charge of taking payments, and an older woman who handled clearing and washing the dishes.

Actually, aside from Luo Ya, everyone liked the new “Chef Xiao Shen.” She was skilled and pretty—what’s not to like?

Just before mealtime, Shen Jintao spotted a few familiar faces outside the shop. Weren’t they the aunties she ran into that morning?

Not all of them came—just three or four. They were probably here to check if what she said was true.

“Oh wow, Taozi really is working here!” one of the aunties exclaimed in surprise.

“Mm!” Shen Jintao nodded. “Aunties, what would you like to eat?”

“I’ll just have a bowl of plain noodles!”

“Me too!”

“I’ll have shredded pork noodles!” Aunt Niu raised her chin and said proudly.

“Alright!” Shen Jintao turned around and went straight into the kitchen to start cooking.

This left the aunties completely stunned.

Aunt Niu looked over at the two young girls in charge of collecting payment, Xiao Hu and Xiao Yan. They seemed more approachable, unlike Luo Ya who stood off to the side with a stiff face.

Even though Aunt Niu strutted around in the village, proud that her son was in middle school and that he was now a temp worker, once she got to town, she was no different from a quail—timid and quiet.

“Little girl, why is she the one cooking in there?” Aunt Niu asked, voicing what the other aunties were all thinking.

“You didn’t know? Aren’t you all from the same place? Looks like Chef Xiao Shen is really low-key!” Xiao Yan, the more lively one, immediately responded.

“Chef Xiao Shen?”

What an unusual title. Anyone who could be called “Chef” wouldn’t be simple, but who would use a “little” as a prefix?

“Yeah! Chef Xiao Shen is our head chef at this state-run restaurant!”

“She’s that young and already a chef?” Aunt Niu’s voice nearly cracked from disbelief.

“Why not? Chef Xiao Shen’s cooking is amazing!” Xiao Yan said, clearly not pleased. “Just yesterday, a top leader from the city came and said Chef Xiao Shen is the best!”

Seeing Xiao Yan’s big thumbs-up, the aunties fell into thoughtful silence.

Soon, the noodles were ready. Once they tasted the food, they were completely shocked. It was just plain noodles—so how could it taste so different?

“Taozi, you’ve really made it now! Tsk tsk tsk…”

“Yeah, there’s no other girl in our whole brigade as amazing as you. Head chef at a state-run restaurant? We wouldn’t even dare dream of it!”

“Exactly! And you said you’re a regular worker—this isn’t just any regular job. You’re just being humble!”

Aunt Niu’s expression darkened as the other aunties continued praising Shen Jintao. She had always believed her son was the most promising young person in the Huaxi brigade. Who would’ve thought that Shen Jintao, without making a sound, had quietly become the head chef of a state-run restaurant? How could they even compete now?

Even though the shredded pork noodles in her bowl were fragrant and appetizing, Aunt Niu had no appetite.

Shen Jintao never intended to compete with anyone. She simply said, “Aunties, enjoy your meal!” and returned to the kitchen.

By then, it was already mealtime, and a few tables of customers had started arriving at the restaurant.

Unexpectedly, several customers specifically asked for steamed chicken in a clay pot.

Fortunately, Sister Zhang had the foresight to ask Shen Jintao to prepare some in the morning, so they weren’t caught completely unprepared.

However, as more and more customers wanted the dish, the amount they had ready clearly wasn’t enough. Sister Zhang had no choice but to explain the situation patiently.

This effectively turned the dish into a limited offer. Those who got it were delighted, while those who didn’t looked visibly disappointed.

“If you all want to eat the steamed chicken next time, just let us know in advance so we can prepare the ingredients. You know it takes time to make. But don’t be upset—our Chef Xiao Shen is really skilled. Steamed chicken isn’t the only dish she’s good at!”

As a result, not only did the number of customers not decrease—it actually increased.

By the time Aunt Niu and the others were leaving, the state-run restaurant was completely packed. People were still coming in, hoping to find a seat.

As soon as they got up from their seats, others immediately took them.

Once they stepped outside, one of the aunties patted her chest and said, “Good thing we came early—otherwise, we wouldn’t have even gotten in!”

“Shen Jintao is really something now. Didn’t you see? All those people came just for her!”

“Exactly! I’ve never seen the state-run restaurant with not a single empty seat. Now there’s a line, and some people even have to take their food to go!”

Aunt Niu let out a cold snort and stomped off ahead, fuming.

The other aunties exchanged glances, their eyes full of schadenfreude. Who told Aunt Niu to always look down on others?

She always sneered at her fellow villagers—who would want to put up with that?

Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Shen Jintao was flying around the kitchen, working three stoves at once. And just like that, the news that she had become the head chef of the state-run restaurant exploded throughout Huaxi brigade.