Chapter 30: Playing the Apprentice Chef, the Weirdness Value Increases Once More!-Era Bizarra: Um Talento Exclusivo a Cada Mês(Ancião de dez mil anos)

Chapter 30: Playing the Chef's Apprentice, the Growth of Eerie Value Increases Once More!

Rumble!!!

As the furnace fire rose again, the old lady selling chestnuts poured dozens of "pine cones" into the pot all at once. She proceeded to stir-fry them in the same manner as before.

However, compared to the previous time, the old lady’s movements were even faster! As she wielded the spatula, it seemed to trace streaks of afterimages, striking with lightning speed. Under the repeated pounding, the "pine cones" were transformed into the shape of sugar-roasted chestnuts, fried to a golden, crispy perfection within the intense heat.

At that moment, the old lady quickly maneuvered the spatula to scoop the sugar-roasted chestnuts into an oil-paper bag.

She turned off the fire. The material of the pot was peculiar; despite being scorched by extreme heat, the temperature inside the furnace plummeted the moment the fire was extinguished, and the red glow on its surface faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, seemingly defying the laws of physics.

Following this, the old lady turned around, faced Chen Ye, and chuckled, "That is how you make successful sugar-roasted chestnuts."

"The entire process is simple: ignite the fire, heat the pot, add oil, and once the surface is searing hot, add the ingredients immediately."

"Once the oil reaches a boil, toss the ingredients into the furnace and stir-fry rapidly."

"It is best to hammer these ingredients into the shape of sugar-roasted chestnuts... Of course, strange shapes are not out of the question. However, an excellent chef must possess the heart of a gourmet who pursues art."

"Aesthetically pleasing food often stimulates the customer's appetite."

"Take you youngsters, for example—you usually only pay attention if you see a pretty face... Hehe, if you saw an old hag like me, with teeth nearly falling out, would you even have an appetite?"

"If you don't make the ingredients look refined and simply leave them in their original, raw state, customers might not buy it."

"Therefore, as a chef, you must utilize extensive knowledge of seasonings and use proper methods to refine ingredients into works of art. Only then will customers willingly open their wallets."

Indeed... if one were to know the original form of those "pine cones," the first bite would surely induce vomiting. But when crafted into the shape of sugar-roasted chestnuts, with a flavor that was practically indistinguishable, it was quite acceptable.

Chen Ye remained calm. He had already eaten them, after all; they had done him no harm and, in fact, had even been beneficial to his health. There was no need to dwell too much on the original appearance of the ingredients. Even in the normal world, if one were to consume raw chicken or pork in a savage, blood-drinking manner, the sight would be no more pleasant than eating the "pine cones" from Miss Squirrel Fish’s back.

Thus, ingredient preparation, cooking, seasoning, and packaging were all parts of what a [Chef] had to learn.

[Eerie Value +100!]

Just then, Chen Ye suddenly noticed a notification for an increase in Eerie Value popping up on his blood-colored phone. Wait... he hadn't even been walking just now... How did this Eerie Value increase?

Suddenly, Chen Ye realized he could recall the entire process of making sugar-roasted chestnuts. Every single detail, having been reviewed just once, was now deeply branded into his mind.

"Could it be that because of my insights, my understanding of the [Apprentice] role has been digested, and thus my learning ability has improved?"

Chen Ye realized the change within himself and was suddenly enlightened, as if the door to a new world had been opened. Observation and learning were also part of being an apprentice. As his insights improved, the capabilities of the [Apprentice] role were enhanced, leading to a boost in his learning efficiency.

Now, Chen Ye didn't even need to practice hands-on; simply observing the entire process allowed him to achieve significant learning results. The growth in Eerie Value reached one hundred—not low at all! And this was just the efficiency gained from standing by and watching! If he were to practice personally... the growth would likely be even higher than he had imagined.

"Young man, you understand the steps of the process now. It is time to try it yourself."

"Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles."

"Only through practice can one obtain true knowledge."

The old lady recited one classic saying after another... Hearing this, Chen Ye nodded and walked over to the side of the furnace.

"Granny, if I borrow your pot, that wouldn't count as a trade, would it?" Chen Ye suddenly realized something and asked an extra question.

"Hehe, of course not," the old lady laughed. "You are willing to play music for me, and I am willing to teach you how to cook."

"Since I am teaching you to cook, naturally you must use the kitchen utensils."

"What you are receiving from me is culinary skill, not anything else. Where would such messy complications come from?"

Chen Ye smiled slightly: "Then I will find time to play for you every day."

This statement essentially confirmed that what the old lady wanted was simply for Chen Ye to use the suona in his hand to play music she was once familiar with. Borrowing the furnace was part of learning culinary arts and did not count as any form of trade. Even if Chen Ye were to damage the furnace due to an operational error, it would not violate the rules of "equivalent exchange," as this did not fall under the category of an "exchange."

This was his first attempt at cooking. Chen Ye did not attempt to cook dozens of chestnuts at once like the old lady. He did not possess such a complete [Chef] trait... To avoid wasting ingredients, Chen Ye chose to lower the difficulty of the operation to increase his success rate.

Therefore, for his first try, he took only a few "pine cones" and placed them on the stove. Then, he gently turned the knob to ignite the fire.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!!!

The suddenly rising flames, carrying an intense, searing heat, scorched the surface of the furnace until it turned crimson. Chen Ye’s pupils contracted slightly; judging the temperature to be just right, he grabbed the oil bottle and poured a generous amount of oil from the edge.

As a college student who spent his time at home relying on takeout in the new era, Chen Ye’s investment in culinary skills was pitifully low. Aside from making instant noodles and rice, his understanding of cooking was limited to the food preparation videos he occasionally scrolled past on short-video platforms.

However, ever since watching the entire process of making sugar-roasted chestnuts, Chen Ye found that his control over the oil temperature seemed to be that of an experienced expert. The moment the oil was hot, he moved with agility, quickly grabbing a few "pine cones" and tossing them into the pot.

Then, he began to pound them repeatedly with the spatula!

Bang, bang, bang!!!

The sound of ironworking echoed through the silent Xining alley.

However, the process was not as smooth as he had imagined... Under the forceful strikes of the spatula, the sugar-roasted chestnuts were subjected to greater impact than anticipated, flying wildly in the pot as if they were about to go out of control at any moment.

Chen Ye discovered that the texture of the "pine cones" was harder than he had imagined. To hammer them into the shape he wanted required immense strength and control. Without sufficient strength, he couldn't even make a dent in the "pine cones," let alone change their shape. Without control, the "pine cones" under such intense impact would easily fly out of the furnace. If it weren't for the depth of this furnace, they would have flown off somewhere long ago!

However, through practical practice, Chen Ye discovered that the rate of his Eerie Value growth had increased once again compared to before!

[Eerie Value +160]