Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 36 Teacher Lan

"Later, my master couldn't stand it anymore. By then, my senior apprentice, Liu Jingxian, had already moved out and was living on his own. Even if he were home, I wouldn't get a chance to cook. One day, before I even entered the kitchen, my master said to me, 'Jiezi, you'd better not go. If you really want to learn to cook, come to Shaoyuan tomorrow.' That's how I became my master's apprentice and Liu Jingxian's junior apprentice. At that time, I knelt down and kowtowed nine times."

"But the older generation, how should I put it, still holds some traditional ideas. Let me tell you something, something my master often laughs about now. What is it? It's what I just mentioned, the issue of holding back some skills. This isn't a matter of character; it's a tradition of our older generation of Chinese craftsmen—passing down skills to sons but not daughters, to family members but not outsiders. In fact, when something good happens, we always think of our own family first, right?"

"What happened? My master had a famous dish, I won't go into the details, but it had a side dish of fried eggs, which were then drizzled with sauce. We all know that eggs, no matter if you put them in water or oil, they'll just fly around. Once they go in, they'll turn into a pot of shredded bits, and you can't make them neat and round, right? But my master could do it, making them neat and round, and without even frying them."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, looked down, and said, "How about we take a break? Aren't you going to use the restroom?"

The students below all laughed and started making a fuss.

"Teacher Lan, are you finished?"

"No, no, just tell me already."

"Tell me what exactly happened!"

"Kill the dog with the broken chapter."

Teacher Lan smoothed her hair again and said with a smile, "Want to know? Let me tell you, this is a secret of my sect. I worked my butt off to learn it, and you want to know it so easily?"

Xia Maosheng said loudly, "Teacher, what do you suggest? How about I treat you to dinner?"

Teacher Lan waved her hand and said, "Forget about eating. You don't have much money. I can't stomach the food at those small shops, and you don't have the money for the big restaurants. Here, give me a cigarette. Which one's good?"

Xia Maosheng took out a cigarette, stood up, and handed it to him. A classmate next to him came over with a lighter to help light it. Teacher Lan took a puff, then took a sip of water, and said, "Back then, when you were making this dish, my master told me to go get something or go buy something. At first, I didn't pay attention. If my master told me to go, I would go, right? But later I thought about it and realized something was wrong. My master was doing this on purpose. I've been learning for over a year and have seen this dish dozens of times, and I still can't make it."

"I was so shrewd. One day, after my master had prepared the materials, he said, 'Jiezi, go out and buy me a pack of cigarettes.' I agreed and headed out. I couldn't refuse, or I'd get scolded. As soon as I got to the door, I peeked out. I already had cigarettes in my pocket; I'd prepared them beforehand."

"Then I watched my master take a ladle, put a spoonful of warm oil in, crack an egg into it, wait a while, flip it over, poke it a few times with a toothpick, put it in the oil, fry it until both sides change color, and take it out. It's a perfectly round fried egg. It's that simple."

"Many times, technical things, once you learn and understand them, are so simple, even disappointingly so. But these are things that, without someone teaching you, you might never figure out in your entire life. What is technique? What is craftsmanship? What is a secret? This is it. It's not about how difficult it is, but about the results. We'll all be chefs in the future, so we need to think things through before we start working. Only by thinking things through can we improve our skills and make good dishes."

A round of applause erupted in the classroom.

Teacher Lan waved her hand and said, "If you want to smoke, smoke; if you want to pee, pee. Take a break. It's fine for you to sit, but I've been standing the whole time."

The students stood up in twos and threes, talking as they walked out, while others stayed in their seats, chatting and laughing with the students next to them. This class was unforgettable for everyone, and the content was firmly remembered. Everyone found it interesting, and they were truly lucky to have such a teacher.

Teacher Lan stepped down from the podium and sat down in a random seat in the first row.

Xia Maosheng didn't go to the restroom; instead, he leaned over the table and asked, "Teacher Lan."

Teacher Lan's seat was on the edge of the middle row in the first row. Xia Maosheng and Xiao Wei were sitting in the middle of the first row, three people apart. Xia Maosheng was leaning on the table, his legs over Xiao Wei, and said to Teacher Lan, "Teacher Lan, how much do you get paid per day to teach here? Can you tell me?"

Teacher Lan paused for a moment, then asked, "Why are you asking about this? What are you planning to do?"

Xia Maosheng blushed and said, "If I could do this, would I be here? I was thinking that if I could afford it, I'd invite you to give lectures in our area after this is all done. We don't have any classes like this there yet. I think you teach well, Teacher Lan. That's right." Xia Maosheng gave Teacher Lan a thumbs up as he spoke.

Teacher Lan took a drag of her cigarette and looked at Xia Maosheng, saying, "Starting a class isn't that easy. You need resources from both the government and higher levels. Procedures, fees, classrooms, teaching materials, teachers, internship locations, and job placement recommendations all need to be in place. If your teachers aren't qualified, your job placement rate isn't at least one-third of the total students, or your internship locations aren't legitimate, you can't start. And then there's the government—whether they'll issue the necessary permits, how much to charge, how much tuition they're allowed to charge—all of these things require connections. It's not something you can just decide on a whim."

Xia Maosheng smiled and said, "It's no problem at all, Teacher Lan. My aunt is the Party Secretary of Beipiao. You can trust us to handle things. In our area, even the smallest matters will be taken care of for you."

Teacher Lan became interested, her expression turning serious as she asked, "Really? What kind of secretary?"

Xia Maosheng lowered his voice and said, "City officials, is that alright?"

Teacher Lan took a drag of her cigarette, thought for a moment, leaned forward slightly, and said, "You really want to do it? Are you sure they don't have it over there?"

Xia Maosheng slammed his hand on the table and said, "Really. What kind of joke would I make about this? Is it funny? Teacher Lan, you're right, aren't you?"

Teacher Lan licked his lips, considered for a moment, and said, "It can be done. Here's the thing, let's talk about it sometime. I'll come over and check it out; training classes are still profitable. We need to discuss the details beforehand, so we don't ruin our friendship. It's not worth it."

Xia Maosheng thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, let's find some time to have a good chat." He got up from the table and sat down in his seat.

Xiao Wei asked, "Are you really going to do this?"

Xia Maosheng nodded, leaned close to Xiao Wei's ear and said, "This kind of work doesn't last long, but it's a quick way to make money. I calculated that one class can make over 100,000 yuan in three months. We can't recruit these people, but we can charge a higher fee. Anyway, it's a real skill-teaching job. It's doable. Why don't we do it together? I'll use my connections, you contribute some money, and we'll get Teacher Lan to find teachers. We'll split the profits among the three of us."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "Can it work? Forget it, you two can do it, why would I need to? None of you can afford that ten thousand or eight thousand yuan."

Xia Maosheng said, "I have to work. I work in the government canteen, so I don't have the time. I want to do this myself, and the money will be mine. I don't want my family involved. Besides, my sister has a business, so she doesn't have the time either. Teacher Lan, you can manage the teaching assignments. I'll find connections and places to help. Is that okay?"

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "I'll go back and discuss it with my wife. You should also discuss it with your family. After all, it's not a small matter, and it wouldn't be good if things went wrong."

Xia Maosheng nodded and said, "Okay. Anyway, it's next spring. By the time everything is finished here and we get the certificate, it'll be almost January before Chinese New Year."

After exchanging a few words, the students who had gone to the restroom gradually returned. Teacher Lan carried her teacup to the podium, and the second class began.