The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 55

When they filmed the first season of A Bite of China, funding was tight, so Cheng Shifei didn’t go to Dongjiang Province. Now that he was rich and famous, he felt it was time to do what he truly wanted.

After tasting the dishes Jiang Tingzhou made, Cheng Shifei became more certain and said seriously, “I studied cooking for so long. Even though I was interested in photography, I didn’t have the courage to really do it because of my family’s tradition. They didn’t agree. Tingzhou, you told me after watching what I filmed that people can’t give up on becoming the best version of themselves, no matter how much effort they put in—it’s never too much.”

Jiang Tingzhou wasn’t like most people. He didn’t care about all sorts of concerns and told him bluntly, “You should do it. Just go for it and apologize later.”

So Cheng Shifei mustered the courage to submit the clips he shot to CCTV, earning a rare opportunity. Although he had to wait a while, he was lucky enough to realize his once unattainable dream.

Now, it was Jiang Tingzhou who told him—when Cheng Shifei was troubled—not to overthink and just shoot what he wanted to shoot.

The person he wanted to film was Jiang Tingzhou himself.

From the perspective of success or failure, there was already good material. The Yongqing tofu and the award-winning Stuffed Rivers and Mountains he had tasted could be considered representative dishes of Yongqing. They were meaningful, tasteful, and nearly perfect.

But Jiang Tingzhou knew that after being featured on A Bite of China, those dishes stirred up controversy. While Jiang You’s malicious interference played a part, the doubts and criticism from the public were real.

After the dish became a hit at the Gongyan two years ago, many restaurants tried to imitate it. Wild vegetables, if not handled properly, could taste bitter. Some people even used artificial coloring to mimic the look—resulting in tofu that looked similar on the outside but tasted terrible. People unfamiliar with the truth were easily misled, and Stuffed Rivers and Mountains was even harder to make.

The ending was unpleasant. Jiang Tingzhou, older than Cheng Shifei, believed he was a bad influence on him, that he caused him to be scolded and led relatives to say unpleasant things. He also believed that Li Shuyan, An Xiaoping, and Cheng Shifei were all dragged into the mess.

At that time, even when Cheng Shifei tried to comfort him, he wouldn’t listen. He saw himself as a jinx and didn’t dare get close to these rare friends, isolating himself more and more.

Now, Jiang Tingzhou no longer got stuck in that kind of thinking.

He smiled briefly but still shook his head. “Senior Brother, I may not be suitable.”

“How could that be?” Cheng Shifei didn’t understand why he refused and asked anxiously, “I didn’t mention this at first because I thought you had truly retired. When I watched your competition back then, you looked tired. I also heard you were ill, so I thought you didn’t have the strength. Now I see you obviously can still do it.”

If Jiang Tingzhou really had stayed bedridden all this time, he wouldn’t have insisted. But he quickly whipped up several small dishes, then focused on adjusting the roast goose oven, added enough firewood before sitting down to rest briefly. Not long after, he made tea.

He owned a complete tea set, a gift from a neighbor. Though he hadn’t known how to use it before, now he was very skilled. Jiang Tingzhou learned even complicated tea art quickly—so long as he was interested.

He poured a cup of tea for Cheng Shifei and, after thinking for a moment, told him about the sugar factory and bakery he visited a few days ago, An Xiaoping and Zhou Lifen’s matters, and the lively netizens under his account.

He seemed genuinely happy and even smiled faintly while talking.

Cheng Shifei said, “You look happy just hearing about it. That means you’re a good fit to be our director.”

Jiang Tingzhou: “… Senior brother.”

Cheng Shifei waved him off.

Jiang Tingzhou then asked, “Seriously, what kind of person do you think I am?”

Cheng Shifei answered without hesitation, “Of course, the best chef.”

Jiang Tingzhou said, “Chef Wang said the same. He said I would definitely become the best chef, and I believed it then.”

If you became the best chef, you naturally had to face the best customers. After all, only a small group at the top could enjoy “the best.”

These high-minded customers were hard to satisfy. Jiang Tingzhou tried his best with Yongqing Tofu and Stuffed Rivers and Mountains, but only a few got to taste them, and ultimately, they weren’t widely accepted.

Now, even he wasn’t sure whether those dishes were truly suitable. Maybe he was too deep in it to see clearly. It was easier to see others clearly than oneself. He lived this way for so long that he often forgot he was a chef. Even if skilled, he couldn’t compete with The Lu Group heir.

But now, making simple bread and candies on a whim brought him far more ease. He didn’t even need to do it himself to be welcomed.

What he was sure of now was that he wanted to live this life.

Cooking was his talent and his true joy.

When he first came here, he became interested in growing vegetables after seeing Master Zhu’s yard and imagined the delicious things fresh vegetables could make.

Back then, he just wanted to be a self-sufficient chef. But now, things had changed.

“Of course, I’m a chef, but I won’t be a ‘good chef’ just for those so-called noble guests,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “Being seen by more people on A Bite of China isn’t really what I want, and it may not be my real calling. For a chef, the greatest success is creating food that more ordinary people can enjoy.”

Cheng Shifei still didn’t quite understand.

But soon he saw the “ordinary people” Jiang Tingzhou meant.

Two people couldn’t finish the big roast goose. When it came out of the oven that afternoon, the rain stopped. Jiang Tingzhou invited Cheng Shifei and the neighbors over.

That day’s afternoon tea was hot roast goose noodles.

The roast goose skin was crispy, with a layer of fat underneath. When cut open, oil oozed out. It was very fragrant when eaten directly. It was good with a plate of sour plum sauce, but even better with a bowl of noodles. The gravy and broth mixed with vegetarian noodles, with a few slices of freshly picked crispy greens added. Eating a bowl on such an afternoon felt energizing.

Cheng Shifei ate this before when apprenticing under Chef Wang, but Jiang Tingzhou’s skills improved.

He really learned any dish quickly. No matter the cuisine, he could cook it well. He remembered at a tasting banquet hosted by Chef Wang, a guest insisted Jiang Tingzhou become his private chef. After he refused, the guest still tried to bribe him with a stack of money, calling it a tip.

Now, the “tips” Jiang Tingzhou received were all kinds of gifts from neighbors who ate his noodles.

Some brought pickled radishes and peppers, especially wild peppers that were very flavorful, rivaling those made by chefs. Fresh vegetables freshly picked from home were also delicious.

Cheng Shifei ate some and said in surprise, “This is amazing.”

The neighbor smiled, “Of course, this is real wild pepper grown in the mountains. Relatives in the village sent it. There weren’t many, so we only got three cans. Xiao Jiang tried it for the first time and liked it, so I sent a can.”

Everyone remembered his kindness. Though they couldn’t outcook him, they always had something special to offer.

If Jiang Tingzhou complimented something, they’d send more the next day.

After a while, the whole roast goose was distributed. Though the neighbors ate more, it still seemed less than Jiang Tingzhou expected.

Just as Cheng Shifei was about to ask for more, Li Shuyan burst in.

She arrived late, hurriedly ate the last bowl of roast goose noodles, sighed at the delicious taste, and stuffed something into Jiang Tingzhou’s mouth while eating: “Try this.”

Jiang Tingzhou looked and found it was a biscuit.

It looked like the calcium milk biscuits often made at the sugar factory. The ingredients probably changed. It smelled more fragrant.

He took a bite and said, “Is this a Black Sugar… sandwich biscuit?”

The biscuit itself wasn’t anything special, but the thick black sugar filling stretched like caramel. Combined with the crisp biscuit, it created a unique texture.

“Very good, isn’t it? I took the sugar you gave me back to the factory, and the masters got an idea when they saw it. They said that since they could make stuffed biscuits, they can also make it with black sugar filling, so they thought about baking these,” Li Shuyan said. “I think it tastes good. How about it? Could this be a new product?”

Jiang Tingzhou nodded. “Yes.”

He took another bite, thought it over, and said, “The proportions of the ingredients can be adjusted, and the cookies don’t need to be so sweet. They’d taste better if made thin and crispy. I’ll work on that tomorrow, but the idea of making sandwich cookies is really good.”

Li Shuyan smiled. “They must be very happy to hear you say that! This new black sugar was developed because of you. I didn’t expect to come up with so many interesting things.”

Jiang Tingzhou also offered a piece to Cheng Shifei, who nodded in approval. Ordinary people didn’t spend money like his previous VIP guests, but their feedback was priceless.

Cheng Shifei bit into the cookie and seemed to realize something.

“You’ve opened a food factory? Not bad,” he said, carefully examining the packaging Li Shuyan brought. “Yongqing Sugar Factory?”

He felt the name sounded familiar—it wasn’t just any factory, but one with history.

Jiang Tingzhou nodded. “Yes, I do plan to pursue this project now.”

Li Shuyan was stunned, then overjoyed. “Tingzhou, you’re really doing it?!”

“Don’t get too excited yet,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “If I’m going to do this, it comes with conditions.”

“Name them. I’ll fund it,” Li Shuyan beamed. “Without you, this sugar factory project wouldn’t go anywhere.”

She was self-aware.

Once her excitement passed, she noticed Director Cheng nearby, still holding his bowl of noodles. Not knowing the backstory, Cheng Shifei chatted with her and quickly learned about Jiang Tingzhou’s recent endeavors.

So, he was doing livestreams now?

Cheng Shifei was busy and rarely used the Internet. He registered a social media account before but hadn’t logged in for over a year. That day, to check Jiang Tingzhou’s page, he logged in and received several notifications, but something felt off.

Reporters at the airport took photos of Jiang Tingzhou picking him up.

Jiang Tingzhou deliberately avoided the camera, so only those who knew him could recognize him. The photos mostly showed his figure; his face was captured only occasionally, and never clearly.

Still, Jiang Tingzhou’s fans recognized him and posted messages saying this looked like a food blogger they followed.

If you looked carefully at the live broadcast screenshots, you could tell it was the same person.

Though his fanbase was growing quickly, he only had 200,000 followers, making him a small, rising blogger in the eyes of the internet. The public wasn’t familiar with him, and many ignored him or mocked him.

【”Hey, here comes another one trying to ride the hype.”】

【”With only 200,000 fans? Jiang You still has the chat records, what do you have?”】

【”These small bloggers get more shameless by the day. Just trying to cash in because Director Cheng is too quiet online.”】

Soon, a Jiang Tingzhou fan came to clarify, proving the resemblance with many matching details. Reporters overheard Director Cheng mention goose—matching the livestream content exactly.

But the ridicule continued.

Cheng Shifei usually ignored internet noise, but this time was different.

He immediately posted a new tweet without hesitation:

【”This time I came to Yongqing and finally met the best chef in my heart. Unfortunately, I failed to invite him to ‘A Bite of China’ this time. He said he wants to be an ordinary chef now, but it was worth eating the dishes he made himself.”】

He posted a nine-grid photo collage and a video showing the delicious food at Jiang Tingzhou’s place. Jiang Tingzhou was in the kitchen in the center photo.

Lychee wood was tossed into the stove, burning bright. The firelight flickered in his eyes.

Other photos showed a cozy house on a rainy day, freshly baked soft and sweet “Fortune” cake, and roast goose cooked over lychee wood, looking even more tempting through Cheng Shifei’s lens. There were also several ordinary people in the courtyard.

The video, shot on a phone, was a little blurry, but Cheng Shifei’s camera work was excellent—it brought the place to life.

After a light rain, the courtyard was fresh and natural. Jiang Tingzhou lay on a wooden recliner, swaying gently. He didn’t need to be busy now. He ate all kinds of food sent by people and listened to their trivial stories.

Cheng Shifei ate so much he squatted in the garden, inspecting the vegetables Jiang grew, saying he’d try them once they were ready. Then he turned and spotted a bare tree stump. “Hey, what’s this?”

It was the lemon tree Jiang Tingzhou pruned and replanted.

“It’s growing again,” Cheng Shifei said, examining it carefully. “Look, new buds are sprouting here.”

Jiang Tingzhou smiled. “Yes, I’ll plant more.”

He didn’t understand Jiang Tingzhou at first, but now that he experienced it himself, he got it and stopped trying to persuade him.

Still, Cheng Shifei had his own thoughts.

“Tingzhou, no matter what you say, my invitation stands. Running the sugar factory and being on A Bite of China aren’t mutually exclusive,” he said seriously. “I’ll be staying in Dongjiang for a while. I’ll visit you often. You let me shoot what I want, and I hope you keep being yourself like when I first met you—just doing what you want, without letting anyone else’s opinions change or influence you. Now, it’s my turn to support you.”

He still had more to say.

Back during the CCTV competition, he already sensed a change in Jiang Tingzhou. He became a prize-winning chef, but his life became filled with responsibilities beyond cooking—managing guests, running a business. No other chef was this busy.

Coming there that day, listening to Jiang casually chat while making a fire, Cheng Shifei felt he changed even more.

—He was less like a chef now, more like another Lu Baiyu.

The world of fame and fortune could easily change people. For example, Cheng Shifei became blinded by right and wrong. If Jiang didn’t point that out, he might have fallen into the quagmire of corporate infighting too.

But a shining diamond remained a diamond wherever it was placed, growing more dazzling after being polished.

Jiang Tingzhou was always special.

Even when he came to pick someone up at the airport, wearing a hood and mask tightly, anyone who looked into those eyes could recognize Jiang Tingzhou.

Jiang Tingzhou was stunned, then looked at him and smiled. “Yeah, I know. Thank you, senior brother.”