Seventies Sweetheart: From Breakup to Billionaire-Chapter 277: You Don’t Want Me to Come Home?

Chapter 277: Chapter 277: You Don’t Want Me to Come Home?
Since Lin Xiang loves all six Lu-style dishes, her original plan only allowed for one chef.
Just as Lin Xiang was hesitating, the rest of the roommates had also finished tasting their assigned dishes.
Wu Yan said, "The Kung Pao Chicken and Chicken Tofu are very authentic, but the Couple’s Lung Slices lacked a bit of spiciness, feeling like something was missing."
Ironically, the Couple’s Lung Slices were this chef’s signature dish from Yu Province.
The Yu Province chef quickly explained, "Because the taste preferences in Beijing are not as heavy as in Yu Province, I was worried that if I made it too spicy, people wouldn’t be used to it. So, I specially adjusted the seasoning for the Couple’s Lung Slices, but this way, it couldn’t retain the original taste."
This explanation made sense, but Wu Yan replied, "Manager Lin wanted you to make authentic Yu Province cuisine, so you should follow her instructions. Why make changes on your own accord?"
"I... this..."
Wu Yan and the chef fell silent, quietly looking at Lin Xiang.
"Yanzi is right. Quanfu Building caters not only to people from Beijing but to all of Hua Country and even the world. Not all the diners at Quanfu Building are from Beijing. If someone from Yu Province comes looking for the taste of home, but it’s not authentic, what’s the point of them coming here?"
"Before you started cooking, I already asked Manager Shi and Chef Mao to clearly explain my requirements. You just need to follow them without adding your own interpretations."
The Yu Province chef quickly said, "It’s my fault this time. Manager Lin, please give me another chance."
"We’ll discuss this later. I need to review the others first."
The second to comment was Qian Miaomiao, "This chef’s dishes are authentic, but the problem is that the taste from Zhejiang Province is too different from Beijing; authentic doesn’t always mean delicious."
Zhejiang Province chef: ...
"Do I still have a chance?"
Qian Miaomiao quickly added, "From the chef’s perspective, he is professional, but considering your standpoint, Lin Xiang, I’m afraid Beijing’s customers might not like this taste."
Lin Xiang nodded, "This concern does exist. Let’s discuss it later. Yingying, Yueyue, have you chosen your favorite dishes?"
Zheng Miaoyue’s favorite dishes were Nine-turned Intestines, Grandma’s Dish, and Fish Head with Chopped Pepper.
Mao Ying’s favorite dishes were Sweet and Sour Pork, Chicken Tofu, and Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin.
Su Yu tasted the six dishes made by the Lu Province chef, choosing Nine-turned Intestines, Sweet and Sour Carp, and Boshan Tofu from three of the six.
Including Lin Xiang, none of the six judges chose dishes from the Zhejiang Province chef.
Just like Qian Miaomiao said, there was nothing wrong with the Zhejiang Province chef’s skills, but the dishes simply didn’t suit their palate.
Lin Xiang recalled a saying from a previous life, calling Zhejiang Province a culinary desert.
Thus, the Zhejiang Province chef exited without objection.
The chefs from Xiang Province and Guangdong Province remained, and Lin Xiang asked the Yu Province chef to remake the Couple’s Lung Slices to test his culinary skills.
The current challenge lay in choosing between the two Lu Province chefs.
Generally, only one Lu Province chef was needed, but two had come at once, both with authentic skills and their own specialties, making it hard to decide whom to keep or discard.
"How about this: each of you makes two main dishes and two home-cooked dishes. You can discuss amongst yourselves what to make and try not to repeat each other."
After nearly an hour, the three chefs entering the semifinals, with the cooperation of the waitstaff, brought out their respective dishes.
The Yu Province chef proved with his skills that he was just disobedient but had no issues with his craftsmanship, so he was kept.
The two Lu Province chefs each made their specialties; Lin Xiang and the others chose their favorite dishes, all from different chefs.
Seeing the two chefs’ nervous and apprehensive expressions, Lin Xiang, understanding that feeling all too well, waved her hand and said, "You both can stay!"
In the midst of everyone’s disbelief, Lin Xiang added, "Chef Mao will still be the head chef. The five of you will follow Chef Mao’s arrangements. As for salary, every chef has a three-month probation period. During this period, your base salary will only be thirty yuan, but after passing, your salary will increase to between eighty and one hundred yuan."
"Apart from the salary, including Chef Mao, all six chefs have commissions. Later, compile a list of all the dishes you can make and submit it to Manager Shi, so he can create a comprehensive menu."
"When a customer orders a dish, the chef responsible for making it will receive the commission. Counting at one-tenth of a dish’s price, if a customer orders a one-yuan dish, the responsible chef gets ten cents as commission."
Lin Xiang’s gaze fell on the two Lu Province chefs, "Try to coordinate your menus as much as possible to avoid repetition, so calculating the commission later is clearer. Let me state this upfront: you two must keep this in mind; disputes over commission allocation will result in immediate dismissal if discovered."
All six chefs, including Chef Mao, eagerly nodded in agreement.
Although the probation salary was only thirty yuan, it would be at least eighty yuan after passing.
Even state-owned restaurant chefs didn’t earn such a high salary.
And they also had commissions!
The more they worked, the higher the commission.
Given Quanfu Building’s customer volume, wouldn’t they earn at least a few yuan in commission every day?
When calculated monthly, it was quite a sum.
And even with Quanfu Building’s business slightly declining, it was still unmatched by ordinary restaurants.
After leaving Quanfu Building, Lin Xiang extended an invitation to her roommates, "Do you want to come over to my house?"
The group all shook their heads in unison, "No, no, it’s not a bother."
"If we visit, Mrs. Lin would have to host us, it would be too much trouble."
"Maybe next time, we need to go back and digest the good food we had today."
"Oh, Lin Xiang, next time I go to Quanfu Building for a meal, can I just mention your name? No need to make a reservation?"
"You can just go; I’ve already informed Manager Shi. You all really don’t want to come by my house?"
All five roommates were tactful, so they once again politely declined Lin Xiang’s offer.
Lin Xiang didn’t press any further and, after parting with her roommates, headed straight home.
"You’re back?" As soon as Lin Xiang walked in, she saw Cheng Jinyun helping Mrs. Lin with the chores.
She placed the items brought from Quanfu Building on the table and curiously asked Cheng Jinyun, "Brother, why are you back again?"
Cheng Jinyun paused in his actions, "You don’t want me to come home?"