Chapter 24: The Reason for Choosing Bai Ye

Bai Ye immediately requested to see the kitchen and ingredients upon arrival, which greatly pleased Director Chen.

Whether or not they shook hands was irrelevant — Director Chen appreciated young people who got straight to the point without unnecessary small talk.

He immediately had Zhao Tonghu take Bai Ye to inspect everything.

The banquet that evening was to be held right in front of the villa. It was a typical rural-style villa — large house, large courtyard.The tents had already been set up, just waiting to be opened later. The courtyard could fit ten tables, and another five could be set up in the villa's spacious first-floor living room — plenty of room for fifteen tables in total.

Zhao Tonghu led Bai Ye through the courtyard and straight to the kitchen area.

To call it a kitchen was a bit of a stretch — it was a temporary setup with two sections: the inner room for chopping ingredients and preparing seasonings, and the outer room with several large stoves built just for the event.The household kitchen couldn't possibly handle the firepower needed for a banquet.

"Brother Bai, take a look. These stoves were built just yesterday. See if they'll work for you. If anything's not right, or if you need more, there's still time to make changes," Zhao said.

Bai Ye looked around.The people who set this up clearly knew what they were doing — everything was in good order.He suggested only a few minor adjustments based on his own habits, just to make cooking even smoother for him.

"We've already asked some villagers to help. I'll call them over now," Zhao added.

"What dishes are we making? Is there a menu?" Bai Ye asked.

"That I don't know. Let's go back inside and ask," Zhao replied.

"Wait a minute. I'll cook a dish first and bring it over," Bai Ye said.

Although Bai Ye hadn't independently handled a banquet before, he understood the process:With him being so young, skepticism was inevitable.The smart move was to cook a couple of dishes upfront — if they liked it, great. If not, better to part ways now rather than ruin someone's important occasion.

Quickly and skillfully, Bai Ye cooked two dishes: Crispy Fried Pork Bites and Stir-Fried Eggs with Scallions.

From washing and cutting ingredients to stir-frying in the pan, his movements were clean, sharp, and efficient.

With two finished dishes in hand, Bai Ye and Zhao each carried a plate into the house.

The family was halfway through lunch.When they saw two more dishes brought in, they were momentarily stunned.Realizing Bai Ye's intention, the eldest and second sons of the Chen family exchanged a look and each picked up a piece to taste.

Director Chen, who had already experienced Bai Ye's cooking, simply smiled and said nothing as he watched his two brothers eat.

Chen Zhiguo and Chen Zhigang, the two brothers, chewed quietly at first.They had been dissatisfied at the idea of such a young man cooking for an important banquet, and at first glance, the dishes hadn't looked particularly impressive.

But the moment the pork hit their taste buds, they both froze, exchanging stunned looks toward Chen Zhibin.

"Well, big brother, second brother — how is it?" Chen Zhibin asked.

The two brothers couldn't hide their excitement and blurted out in unison, "Excellent! He's the one!"

The rest of the family, confused, also picked up their chopsticks and tasted the dishes.

They agreed the food was good — but not mind-blowingly amazing — so they didn't quite understand why the two brothers were so worked up.

Even Bai Ye himself was a little puzzled.

Only Director Chen truly understood:When Bai Ye asked about the menu, Chen Zhibin and his brothers exchanged a few quiet words, and then Chen said,"For the rest of the menu, cook as you see fit. But make sure to include these four dishes: Crispy Fried Pork Bites, Braised Black Cabbage, Stir-Fried Green Peppers with Dried Tofu, and Stewed Fish."

"Understood!" Bai Ye replied confidently.

For the sake of the 5,000 yuan payment and the system's bonus rewards, Bai Ye was determined to do his best.

As soon as Bai Ye left the dining room, Chen Zhiguo couldn't help but speak up:

"Second Brother, Third Brother, you both noticed it too, right?"

Chen Zhigang nodded."The moment I took a bite, I realized it. I never thought someone could replicate it so closely. Now Dad can finally enjoy a proper meal again."

Chen Zhibin also nodded silently.

Their mother had passed away years ago.During their father's birthdays in the past, there had always been a few dishes she cooked especially well.In the last couple of years, around his birthday, their father would lose his appetite, clearly missing their mother.

When Chen Zhibin had tasted Bai Ye's boxed meals, he'd noticed the nostalgic flavors — and had already decided to bring him in for the banquet.

"Well done, Third Brother," said the eldest, Chen Zhiguo.

"Hopefully, Dad will be in better spirits tonight," Chen Zhigang added.

—

After Bai Ye came back out, he immediately dove into work like a spinning top.

The banquet was scheduled for 8:00 p.m., and it was already 1:00 p.m. — not much time left.

By the time Bai Ye returned to the temporary kitchen, several helpers had already arrived:mostly village aunties who could help with washing and prepping vegetables.

Just then, Zhao Tonghu's phone rang.After answering the call off to the side, his expression turned grim.

Bai Ye didn't pry.He focused on planning the menu in his head while assigning the helpers to wash the confirmed meats and vegetables.

The temporary kitchen had four stoves, each offering a different level of heat.

Bai Ye instructed a few people to get pots of water boiling on each stove — hot water would be needed constantly for prepping ingredients.

Then he went to his car to fetch his personal knife set and seasoning kit.

The Chen family had clearly prepared a lot of ingredients for the banquet.After inspecting everything, Bai Ye formed a rough plan and finalized about half the menu.

As he worked and chatted with the helpers, he also asked about the family's flavor preferences, refining his plans further.

He picked out neatly shaped pork belly, chopped it into cubes —half was boiled with his secret seasoning pack,the other half was blanched, deep-fried until the skin shriveled, then sliced into thick cuts for marinating before being steamed later.

This marinated pork needed time to absorb the flavors for a perfect Steamed Pork with Rice Flour dish.

While Bai Ye focused on prep work inside, the aunties were bustling around the outside kitchen — washing, peeling, cleaning vegetables — and gossiping.

"Did you notice? This young chef is pretty impressive," one said.

"I didn't really pay attention," another replied.

"I don't know what the Chen family was thinking, hiring someone so young. Can he really cook?" a third wondered.

"Maybe they just wanted to save money?" someone speculated.

"No way! The Chen family is loaded. Their three sons are all incredibly successful. If they wanted to, they could easily hire any top banquet chef," another countered.

"Exactly. Since they chose him despite his age, he must have some real skills.Oh, right — you were about to say something earlier?"

"I was saying — didn't you notice his knife skills? Amazing! I dropped off a basket of potatoes earlier, and he's already sliced them all into perfect shreds."

Potatoes, rich in starch, quickly turn brownish when exposed to air, and if not handled properly, they don't fry up crisp.Sliced potatoes need to be soaked in clean water immediately.

The helpers would bring freshly washed ingredients to the kitchen door, and before long, Bai Ye would return perfectly prepped food back out.

His speed was simply astonishing.

"Let me go take a closer look!"