Head Chef? You?” The two head chefs and three assistants in the kitchen burst out laughing.
“Boss Wei only hires male chefs. Come on, little girl, don’t make trouble here,” someone said, trying to shoo her away.
“So you discriminate against women even when hiring cooks? How backward can you be?” Shen Zhiyi challenged. “Why don’t we have a competition? Using the dishes on this menu I bet mine will taste better than yours.”
“Where does this arrogant girl come from?” Boss Wei had just come downstairs when he heard her arguing with his expensive chefs, whom he had hired all the way from Nancheng. He was very protective of his staff and wouldn’t allow outsiders to bully them.
“…Are you the boss?”
Shen Zhiyi looked at the middle-aged man approaching. He wore a navy-blue Dacron shirt with a pen clipped to the pocket, giving him a respectable appearance.
His hair was combed back neatly with hair oil.
Behind his thick-rimmed glasses and slightly flat nose, his eyes were sharp and piercing.
It was no wonder he ran the best restaurant in town. He was clever, hiding his true intelligence behind a simple facade definitely the type to play the fool while eating the tiger.
“Yes, I am the owner. My surname is Wei. And what is your name, young lady?”
“My surname is Shen. And I’m not so young anymore I was married, but I’m getting divorced soon. That’s why I’m looking for work here. Would you be willing to give me a chance, Boss Wei?”
“There’s also something I must tell you first. I was just released from prison today.”
“If you want to reject me because of my past, I understand. I’ll leave right away.”
“Go on then! We can’t have people with a record working here,” the chef who had smiled at her earlier turned hostile instantly.
“Now, now, that’s not how we do things,” Boss Wei stopped him. He looked at Shen Zhiyi. “Miss Shen, here we judge people by their ability, not their background. You said you wanted to compete with my chefs? I’ll give you that chance. Are you brave enough?”
“Of course. Though I’m afraid your chefs might look down on me.”
“Don’t worry. If they refuse to compete, they forfeit, and you win. You can stay, and I’ll give you a base salary of 150 yuan.”
“150? That high?” Shen Zhiyi was surprised. She knew the food was expensive here, but the labor cost was surprisingly high.
“Yes,” Boss Wei nodded.
“And if I win fairly based on skill?”
“Then base salary of 180 yuan. How does that sound?”
“Huh? Only 30 more?” She had thought he might offer 200.
Still, 30 yuan was a significant amount of money in this era. It had great purchasing power.
“Not enough?” Boss Wei raised an eyebrow.
Would she prove to be skilled, or just all talk? They would find out soon enough.
“Fine. It’s a deal. Let’s begin. What ingredients do you have in the kitchen?” Shen Zhiyi stood up, accepting the challenge.
Boss Wei sent someone to check.
“Boss Wei, we have eggs, radishes, and tofu left.”
“Is that okay, Miss Shen?”
“Perfect.”
There were three stoves and three chefs, each taking one station. The assistants and Boss Wei would act as judges, waiting in the dining hall.
They had the same ingredients. They could cook dishes from the menu or improvise freely the only goal was to make it delicious.
Twenty minutes later, all three chefs were done.
The other two were veteran staff. With these three ingredients, they made the standard dishes: Steamed Egg Custard, Mapo Tofu (a Nancheng favorite), and Shredded Radish Meatballs.
It required excellent knife skills.
Shen Zhiyi’s dishes were: Steamed Egg Custard, Mapo Tofu, and Spicy & Sour Pickled Radish.
The first two were the same as theirs. Boss Wei tasted them first. After all, Shen Zhiyi had claimed she could make the same dishes taste better.
And she was right.
Her egg custard was incredibly smooth and tender, melting in the mouth without a single grainy texture.
Her Mapo Tofu was softer, with a richer mouthfeel.
As for the pickled radish it was freshly made yet fully flavored. Usually, restaurants had to soak radishes for days, and in hot weather, the brine could easily go bad, ruining everything.
How did she make it so crispy and flavorful right away?
Boss Wei succeeded because he had a palate for fine food and an eye for talent.
“Girl, you’re hired. Name your price,” he said, clearly satisfied.
“Base salary of 100 yuan, plus commission per dish,” Shen Zhiyi stated her terms clearly.
“…”
Boss Wei hesitated. He was well-traveled and recognized this structure immediately base salary plus commission. This was how top chefs were paid in big cities.
Because they created high value, the owners shared the profits to keep them.
“However, Boss Wei, you can put me on probation for six months. During these six months, we can do as you suggested 180 yuan fixed salary.”
‘Fixed salary’ meant no commission, just a flat 180 yuan.
Compared to regular workers, this was a very good income. Compared to farmers, it was excellent.
To put it in perspective, the original Shen Zhiyi earned less than 50 yuan a month as a teacher. Even after three years, that salary would likely only increase by 10 yuan, if at all.
“Deal. We’ll do six months probation at 180 yuan.”
“Agreed.”
“Then you start tomorrow. I’ll have brand new utensils prepared for you immediately,” Boss Wei said eagerly.
“…”
Shen Zhiyi was stunned. She had planned to laze around at home for a few days and spend time with her family.
Was it really that urgent?
It was. Boss Wei was protective, but he also cared deeply about his customers. Since Shen Zhiyi had such skill, he wanted his guests to taste her cooking as soon as possible.
“Why? Is that too soon?” Boss Wei smiled mischievously. “Miss Shen, you said you’re getting divorced, right? You need to make money fast so you can show that blind husband of yours what he lost!”
Shen Zhiyi looked up at the older man, who actually winked at her playfully.
She laughed and nodded. “Alright. I’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Great! Welcome aboard, Chef Shen.”
“Thank you, Boss Wei.”
The other two chefs were initially resentful. But once they picked up their chopsticks and tasted her food, they slowly lowered their heads in shame.
It was genuinely delicious.
They had no choice but to admit defeat.