Chapter 160: The Taste is Absolutely Superb

Yezheng took a look around the second-floor kitchen and found that the equipment was basically complete, with everything he needed readily available.

He planned to cook a few simple dishes that he personally favored, along with a few upscale creations to ensure that today's interview would be a guaranteed success.

A monthly salary of ten thousand seemed securely within his grasp.

Although he was by no means lacking in money, what he needed right now was this job, and he was determined to put his heart into it in the future.

At present, handling culinary tasks came as naturally to him as drawing talismans or casting incantations, so serving as a qualified chef was more than enough for his abilities.

With all the ingredients neatly prepared in the kitchen, Yezheng swiftly readied his utensils and set the wok blazing with oil.

Cooking was, in truth, quite a therapeutic endeavor, though dealing with certain difficult customers could occasionally be troublesome.

Yezheng understood this quite well by now, but as a mere chef, he did not need to concern himself with too many external matters; winning the approval of the majority was entirely sufficient.

There was no need to relentlessly demand that everyone appreciate his work, as each individual possessed different perceptions and understandings. One should neither force others nor make things difficult for oneself.

While lost in these thoughts, his hands never slowed down. Combining meats and vegetables in perfect harmony, he prepared a table full of sumptuous dishes within the allotted time.

At ten past eleven in the morning, Yezheng's meal was fully prepared, and Uncle Zhang's friends had all arrived, marking the official beginning of today's interview phase.

Yezheng maintained a calm demeanor, full of confidence in his own abilities, knowing that he would easily pass the test set by Uncle Zhang and his companions.

Through this single meal, he would not only win the approval of this group of men, but he would also make a name for himself throughout this town and even the surrounding districts.

The dishes he prepared—whether it was the raw ingredients, the seasonings, the auxiliary spices, or even the precise control over the heat—were executed with absolute precision and uniformity, something ordinary people could never achieve.

Consequently, no one would be able to replicate his culinary creations, giving him a solid foundation to establish a firm foothold here.

Come to think of it, it was rather comical. He, the dignified Lord Chiling, the esteemed Divine Lord Yezheng of the Upper Three Realms, was now working as a cook in a small mortal restaurant.

If those beings from his past life found out, would they ridicule him for falling from grace? Would they stand on the sidelines, jeering and watching the spectacle, or would they eagerly desire to taste the culinary craftsmanship of a divine lord?

"Little Ye, why aren't you joining us? It must have been so exhausting making all these dishes. Come over, have a seat with your uncles, and enjoy some food and wine." Uncle Zhang was a magnanimous man who cared little for rigid formalities.

He found Yezheng exceptional and his cooking delicious. Thinking of him as family from now on, he saw no reason to stand on ceremony.

"Uncle Zhang, you guys drink way too fiercely. I wouldn't dare drink with you, though I'd be happy to share some food." Yezheng politely declined the alcohol, fearing that if he lost control, he might accidentally knock all of them out cold.

Retrieving a bowl and a pair of chopsticks, he took a seat among the group of older men. At first, they only exchanged occasional pleasantries and picked at the food.

Eventually, unable to withstand the overwhelming enthusiasm of the uncles, Yezheng picked up a cup and joined in, keeping his consumption modest and pretending to be a poor drinker.

However, Uncle Zhang and his friends proved far too enthusiastic. Left with no other choice, Yezheng inadvertently ended up knocking all of them flat out.

Looking at the six uncles sprawled across the table, Yezheng rubbed his nose in embarrassment. Who could blame him when they were simply too hospitable?

Fortunately, the restaurant was not open for business today, so Uncle Zhang's drunkenness posed no issue. The shop was still in the middle of recruiting staff, leaving half a month before the official grand opening.

During these two weeks, Yezheng could return to Shanning Village to inspect the progress of the house construction and road paving, allowing him to decide whether to hire additional hands or attend to other matters.

He was as invested in this project as the village chief himself, who personally supervised the work every single day and busied himself tirelessly from dawn to dusk.

"You must be Little Ye, the new head chef, right? I'm Uncle Zhang's wife. You can just call me Aunt Fang. Where is your Uncle Zhang?" A plump middle-aged woman with a very amiable appearance looked at Yezheng sitting on a stool by the shop entrance.

"Aunt Fang, Uncle Zhang and the others all drank too much. Do you think we should arrange for them to be taken home to rest? They probably won't be waking up anytime soon before tomorrow morning." Yezheng chuckled, pointing toward the group inside the first-floor lobby.

Aunt Fang cast a glance inside, stepped back with a look of utter disgust, and then busied herself tapping furiously on her phone.

A dozen minutes later, five other aunties arrived. Upon seeing the scene inside, they all wore identical expressions of profound disdain.

"Little Ye, you should head back and rest today! Come back to work before the opening. Once I manage to hire some new staff, we'll officially open the doors." Aunt Fang gave Yezheng an apologetic look, clearly exasperated by her unreliable husband.

He was supposed to be handling serious business today, only to end up dead drunk alongside all his sworn brothers.

She and her girlfriends often wondered why they had been so blind in the past to marry these six sworn brothers, feeling as though six fine flowers had been stuck in patches of cow dung.

Noticing the dark expressions on the aunties' faces, Yezheng packed up his belongings, hopped on his motorcycle, and departed. He figured that early tomorrow morning, the uncles would undoubtedly find themselves kneeling on washboards together as punishment.

The six aunties clearly were not women to be trifled with, and those uncles were unmistakably henpecked, so anyone could easily guess what the outcome would be.

Upon returning to the village, he found that the construction team's pace was quite impressive. Within a single morning, the old house had been completely demolished, and the foundation trenches were mostly excavated.

The village chief's approach was indeed effective; hiring a larger crew of construction workers made use of collective strength, allowing the main framework of the house to be erected in just a few days.

The entire dwelling would be fully renovated within half a month.

Since it was currently summer, everyone would be able to move in after a month's time.

Granted, making trips back and forth was a bit troublesome, but it was of little consequence. Before long, he would be making the same daily commute once the road repairs were completed.

Yezheng assisted the village chief with supervision, occasionally helping to locate tools or handle miscellaneous tasks and organizing everyone's duties, making the day pass by swiftly.

Operating on a two-shift system, the construction crew worked through the night, which significantly accelerated the progress.

Instead of returning to town, Yezheng stayed the night at the village chief's home, discussing a series of follow-up arrangements until the chief fully grasped the details before finally lying down to rest.

Unable to sleep immediately, he took out his phone and saw that Aunt Fang had sent him a message using Uncle Zhang's phone, praising the dishes he had cooked that day.

Uncle Zhang: [Little Ye, this is Aunt Fang. I tasted the dishes you made, and the flavor is truly peerless.]

Uncle Zhang: [We'll open early next month. Take a good rest in the meantime. Your Uncle Zhang and I will recruit a few more people to help out, and our business is bound to thrive.]

Uncle Zhang: [We'll have to trouble you after the grand opening, but since your Uncle Zhang and Aunt Fang are honest people, if the business does well, your rewards will be generous. You can trust our character.]

Yezheng: [Thank you for your recognition, Aunt Fang. I will work hard in the future.]

After replying to Aunt Fang, Yezheng put his phone aside and settled down to sleep, knowing a mountain of tasks awaited him tomorrow!