Volume One, Chapter 18: Su Jianshe Becomes Head Chef

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Suddenly, everyone surged toward the factory director, eager to extol the benefits of establishing a new department. Director Yang maintained a calm expression, speaking vaguely without giving a direct response, merely smoothing things over.

“Creating a new department is indeed urgent; it’s a necessity for the factory.”

“But such a significant decision must be discussed at a factory meeting. I am aware of your proposal and will consider it carefully.”

“However, at present, the cafeteria urgently needs leadership. I believe Su Jianshe is well suited for this role. From today onward, Su Jianshe will be the head chef of the cafeteria!”

Su Jianshe smiled silently, understanding in his heart that this was merely the director’s excuse. He was not flustered—if his master-level culinary skills couldn’t secure him the director position, that was the director’s personal decision.

“I will follow your arrangements fully,” he said.

As for the others, now that the director had agreed, who would dare to oppose?

Director Yang nodded with satisfaction, patting Su Jianshe on the shoulder and saying earnestly, “Young Su, work hard. You’re still young, the future is bright!”

With that, Director Yang departed contentedly.

Those around looked at Su Jianshe with envy.

Deputy Director Li Sheng also came over and patted his shoulder, offering some encouragement.

As for Li Sheng, Su Jianshe was indifferent—as long as he didn’t cause trouble, that was enough.

After the director left, the others gathered around.

“Su Jianshe, I knew you could do it. Didn’t expect you’d become the cafeteria’s head chef so quickly!” Guo Yiping said with envy.

These days, although chefs didn’t earn much, they ate well.

“Old Guo, don’t worry. From now on, when I serve the dishes, my hands won’t tremble!” Su Jianshe smiled.

Guo Yiping hurried off; work awaited him in the workshop.

The others dispersed.

Su Jianshe began to survey the crowd before him, including Ma Hua, Liu Lan, and others who usually handled chopping and miscellaneous chores. They all breathed heavily, their eyes filled with expectation toward Su Jianshe, not having forgotten his recent proposal to establish a new department aimed at training them. This was a chance to associate with him. Liu Lan smiled and suggested, “Su Jianshe—no, Chef Su—why not take a look at our workflow and assign tasks accordingly?” Ma Hua hesitated but then stepped back to the side. Su Jianshe ignored him, thinking that if he wanted to pick a quarrel, he’d have to be prepared to be criticized.

Su Jianshe inspected the kitchen but made no major changes. Instead, he began cooking a large pot of stew. Though a culinary master like himself found this somewhat beneath his talents, since he now held this position, he had to demonstrate his abilities.

By noon, workers gathered in groups of three or five heading toward the cafeteria. Some wore worried expressions. “The food is getting worse and worse. I wonder how it’ll be today.” Another said, “I heard the director couldn’t find a good chef and let a fitter take over Shazhu’s position.” “How can a fitter handle the cooking?” “Let’s just hope the fitter can at least cook the dishes properly!”

Before even reaching the cafeteria, the aroma of the food wafted through the air, making even those not hungry feel their stomachs rumble.

“This smell… even when Shazhu was here, it wasn’t this good,” someone marveled.

“Quick, or it’ll be all gone!”

“Don’t worry, there’s definitely enough to eat!”

In an instant, the entire factory seemed to boil over as workers rushed toward the source of the enticing aroma, afraid of being late and missing the meal.

At the serving window, workers crowded, waving meal tickets.

“Give me three steamed buns fast! This dish smells so good, I need to eat more!”

“The aroma is incredible—better than meat!”

Some started eating eagerly even before reaching the tables.

“It’s really delicious, so fragrant!”

Eventually, the scene spiraled out of control.

Kitchen staff paused their work and quickly stepped forward to restore order, ejecting those who cut in line one by one.

Only then did the cafeteria regain its calm.

“Chef Su, your food smells amazing. What’s your secret?”

Liu Lan, standing behind Su Xiyang, subtly tried to get close to Su Jianshe, their intentions unspoken.

“Nothing special, just heart. As long as you put your heart in it, you can make such delicious food too.”

Su Jianshe quietly stepped back, evading Liu Lan’s approach.

“From now on, focus more on honing your cooking skills. Relying too much on others isn’t a long-term solution.”

After this remark, Su Jianshe prepared to leave.

This was one of the perks of being head chef.

Since the factory didn’t manage dinner, there was no need for the head chef to cook then.

Though cooking large pots of stew was effortless for him, he was still reluctant to do it.

It was simply too laborious.

“Large pot cooking doesn’t require high culinary skills, but the timing and heat control are extremely demanding,” Su Jianshe sighed.

Nearby, Liu Dazhuang swiftly folded the chef’s uniform Su Jianshe had removed.

“Chef Su, you go ahead and take care of your work. I’ll handle these small tasks,” Liu Dazhuang said, busily tidying up.

Clearly, he was familiar with such duties.

“Good! Just for your cleverness, tomorrow when you cook, you take the lead, and I’ll watch over you!” Su Jianshe said with a smile, then left the kitchen leisurely after changing.

He planned to stroll through the factory grounds.

Liu Dazhuang was overjoyed and momentarily speechless.

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“Can I… really take the lead cooking tomorrow?!”

Usually assigned miscellaneous tasks, he hadn’t expected to get such an opportunity so easily.

“Thank you, Chef Su! Thank you so much!”

As Liu Dazhuang excitedly tidied his clothes, he secretly contemplated all the benefits that would come from standing out.

Others’ faces were full of envy and jealousy.

Some even regretted deeply.

“Ah! If I’d known Chef Su was so reasonable, I’d have gone to tidy up earlier!”

“Liu Dazhuang’s luck is amazing—just tidying up and he gets this chance!”

“No way. From now on, I’ll take care of all Chef Su’s miscellaneous chores. No one else better compete with me. If they do, I’ll be furious.”

…

In a corner, Liu Lan bit her lip, deep in thought.

After a moment, she seemed to make a decision, glanced around to ensure no one was watching, and quietly followed Su Jianshe.

At this moment, Su Jianshe was strolling along a wide avenue, admiring the ancient buildings around him.

These structures blended Su-style charm with the unique craftsmanship of local architects.

Take the clock tower-like building before him, for example:

The dome bore an exotic style, while the wooden framework and window lattices revealed the meticulous work of the country’s designers.

“Young man, what are you doing? This is the factory warehouse; don’t wander around!”

Suddenly, an elderly man opened a window and spoke to Su Jianshe.

“Grandpa, no problem. I’m the new chef here, just taking a look around,” Su Jianshe greeted politely.

Seeing someone blocking him, he abandoned the idea of wandering further.

As Su Jianshe was about to leave, the elderly man suddenly grew anxious.

“Wait, wait a moment!”

He hurriedly opened the door and rushed out.

Though appearing over sixty, he moved briskly.

In the blink of an eye, he stood before Su Jianshe.

“Are you… the new chef here?”

The old man seemed excited and grasped Su Jianshe’s hand firmly.

“I planned to find you after work but didn’t expect to meet you here.”

“I ate all the dishes you made at noon—they were delicious, even more fragrant than meat.”

Su Jianshe smiled silently, puzzled by the old man’s enthusiasm.

It was just a large pot stew—was it really so special?

Seeing Su Jianshe silent, the old man stopped beating around the bush and hurriedly said:

“It’s like this—I want to invite you to cook a meal for my birthday banquet!”

Cook a meal?

Su Jianshe frowned slightly.

As the cafeteria chef, he had his pride.

Except for close acquaintances, others had to pay accordingly.

As for this elderly man…

“Grandpa, it’s better to skip it. Next time you come to the cafeteria, I’ll serve you extra dishes!”

Su Jianshe said and was about to leave, but the old man held his hand tightly.

“Young man, don’t be in such a hurry. This meal is important; if you do well, there might be benefits for you.”

Benefits?

Su Jianshe looked at the old man, puzzled.

“Have you heard of Lou Bancheng?”

Lou Bancheng?

Suddenly, Su Jianshe recalled—this was a minor character in the original story.

Lou Bancheng, father of Lou Xiao’e, was a prominent figure in Forty-Nine City.

Even the steel plant where Su Jianshe worked had Lou Bancheng as one of its major shareholders.

However, Lou Bancheng’s later fate had been quite turbulent.

“I’ve heard of him. So, grandpa wants me to cook for his birthday banquet?”

Su Jianshe was full of doubt.

He couldn’t understand how this elderly man was connected to Lou Bancheng.

If so, the old man wouldn’t be guarding a warehouse but enjoying a more comfortable post.

The old man looked embarrassed, stammering:

“Actually, it’s not a direct connection. But if you can cook well, I’m willing to recommend you to Lou Bancheng’s steward.”

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Su Jianshe looked at the old man and couldn’t help but smile.

No wonder he was so excited and clung to him so desperately—this was his ulterior motive.

“Grandpa, I appreciate your kindness, but as you know, it’s not easy here at the factory. I can’t spare the time,” Su Jianshe declined politely.

Normally, he might have tried, but now he had more important matters to handle—his marriage to Xiao Yan.

With the year’s end approaching, marrying soon would avoid many troubles.

The old man pressed the matter, but Su Jianshe couldn’t refuse outright and had to decline again: “I really can’t make it. You should attend to your own business first.”

With that, Su Jianshe decided to leave the steel plant, his face grave.

The old man’s words reminded him that a major event was approaching, and preparations were needed.

“Xu Damou is still unmarried, but time is running out; probably not much longer,” Su Jianshe’s gaze darkened as he walked down the corridor, intending to go home.

The top priority was to confirm his marriage with Xiao Yan and then figure out the rest.

Before he could step outside, someone appeared around the corner—Liu Lan.

The factory was bustling, but this spot was relatively quiet.

Liu Lan wore gray clothes; her appearance was average, fading in comparison to Xiao Yan’s beauty.

“Chef Su!”

“What is it?”

Seeing no one around, Liu Lan acted somewhat brazenly, slowly approaching Su Jianshe with a teasing air.

“Chef Su, I have some questions. I want to ask you.”

But Su Jianshe, skilled in Bajiquan, was not someone she could approach lightly.

He shifted slightly, easily evading Liu Lan, who nearly bumped into the wall behind her.

“I don’t think you need to ask.”

“You’d better focus on your work and stop thinking those naughty thoughts!”

Watching Su Jianshe’s retreating figure, Liu Lan’s eyes glistened with tears.

“Why? Why don’t you agree? Are all men so lustful?”

At that moment, footsteps approached.

Liu Lan quickly wiped her tears and turned to leave, but was stunned when she saw who it was.

It was Deputy Director Li Sheng.

“This steel plant truly never ceases to be troublesome!” Su Jianshe sighed inwardly.

However, he didn’t dwell on it.

“The most important thing now is the marriage with Xiao Yan; everything else can wait.”

Thinking of the wedding, Su Jianshe felt a headache coming on.

In his previous life, the wedding had been handled by professionals—he only needed to pay.

But things were different now.

“I need to ask about wedding arrangements.”

“And notify all the relatives!”

…

After some thought, Su Jianshe rubbed his throbbing temples.

“When I get home, I’ll first buy clothes with Xiao Yan. The wedding can’t be rushed—we need someone knowledgeable to consult.”

If it were before, he might have asked the people in the courtyard.

But he definitely wouldn’t do that now.

He recalled that many older women at Xiao Yan’s workplace might provide clues.

Before reaching home, Su Jianshe unexpectedly bumped into Qin Huairu, who was hurrying out.

She moved swiftly and didn’t notice him, furtively clutching her abdomen as if hiding treasure.

The object looked like a lunchbox, and there was more than one.

Su Jianshe had no intention of getting involved, but Qin Huairu suddenly collided with him just outside the courtyard.

Fortunately, Su Jianshe dodged in time to avoid contact.

“Su… Jianshe!” Qin Huairu was startled, trying to hide the lunchboxes.

Su Jianshe ignored her and continued home, eager to go shopping with Xiao Yan and uninterested in Qin Huairu’s trivial matters.

Qin Huairu watched his retreating figure, filled with resentment, silently thinking: “If not for you, why would I resort to such means to scavenge leftovers? Because of you, Shazhu is still imprisoned! If not for you, I wouldn’t have to sneak around like this!” With that, she carefully bundled the lunchboxes.

At that moment, matters concerning public property were no small issue. A slight mistake could cost her her job. After confirming no one was watching, Qin Huairu hurried away.

Back home, Su Jianshe gathered the cloth coupons and cotton vouchers saved by his family, took 500 yuan, and went to Xiao Yan’s workplace.

—“Xiao Yan, how are things going with your beloved lately?” an older woman asked curiously, her fingers nimbly sewing clothes as she spoke.

Xiao Yan hadn’t expected the question and blushed deeply.