Chapter 211 Not confident

Xu Qing stared at Master Luo Tian and said, "Master, you are a veteran of the Guangzhou Chefs Association and a highly respected figure in the Guangzhou culinary community. Give me a definite answer, is that true? Or is it just a made-up legend?"

Master Luo Tian hesitated and said, "Half and half."

Xu Qing stared, "What do you mean half and half?"

"There is some truth to it, but most of it is made-up legend."

“Can this be called half and half?”

"At least it's not a complete bluff."

Xu Qing exhaled lightly, "Then where is the factual basis?"

Master Luo Tian pointed to the pile of ancient cookbooks on the ground and said, "It's right there."

The elders of the Guangdong Chefs Association carefully placed the ancient books on the table. These ordinary-looking ancient books were each a unique copy handed down from generation to generation, and it was difficult to find a second copy in the world.

These yellowed pages are very fragile and every turn will reduce their lifespan.

If human lives were not at stake this time, and if it weren't for the strong requests from the Guangzhou prefect and the imperial envoy's entourage, the elders of the Guangdong Chefs' Association would never have taken out the ancient books.

Xu Qing was surprised to see these ancient books. He had been to the library of the Guangdong Chulian Association and judging from the number, it could be said that the Guangdong Chulian Association had taken out all of its collection this time.

"Does that legend have so much basis in fact?"

Xu Qing asked in surprise, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

If that legendary recipe is recorded in so many ancient books, then after verifying it from several sources, perhaps the ancient medicinal food can be recreated.

Master Luo Tian shook his head and said, "No, I mean the factual evidence is hidden in these ancient books. I don't know which ancient book records this incident."

Xu Qing remained silent.

He felt more and more that this matter was unreliable.

He stared at the ancient books on the table and said, "Master, even if we find the recipe, will it really work? We are not facing a legend, but reality. There are people who are really terminally ill and waiting for the only life-saving straw. Who can be sure that this recipe will work?"

Master Luo Tian said: "No one can be sure. But we must try, even if the possibility is only one in ten thousand. Even if we still can't save people in the end, we can't give up trying."

Xu Qing agreed with this in his heart.

Yes.

Even if there is only the slightest possibility.

But before all methods have been exhausted, no one dares or is willing to give up easily.

After all, human life matters.

but……

Xu Qing whispered, "Master, after all, we are just chefs, not doctors."

Master Luo Tian glared at him and said unconvincedly, "What's wrong with the chef? China has had the concept of medicinal food since ancient times. Medicine and food have the same origin! Don't you pay attention to nutritional balance when you cook? Don't you want your diners to be healthy? Your master Abei should have taught you about this."

Xu Qing nodded slightly.

Chef Abei is most concerned about the health of her diners. She always pays attention to the physical condition of each diner and tailors delicious dishes for them. She not only wants diners to enjoy delicious food, but also wants diners to be healthy and strong.

It can be said that Master Abei has considerable experience in medicinal food.

It is precisely because Chef Abei always pays so much attention to the physical and mental health of her diners that she has such unique and outstanding cooking skills.

As for Xu Qing, he was not very keen on medicinal food. But if he was asked to make it, he would be able to do it. After all, he had a talent and could learn anything related to cooking.

It’s no problem to create nutritionally balanced dishes, and it’s no problem to create extremely delicious dishes.

However, Xu Qing felt very depressed when cooking with the diners' health on his shoulders at all times.

Chef, all you have to do is cook the dishes well. If you take on responsibilities that don’t belong to you, aren’t you just asking for trouble?

In comparison, he still prefers pure cooking. He only needs to try his best to keep improving in the pursuit of ultimate deliciousness without considering anything else.

However, what lay before him now was the scene he was most reluctant to face.

What's more, he is facing a life that is worth more than a thousand gold.

Xu Qing said softly: "I understand the truth, but..."

Master Luo Tian patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Xu Qing, you have always been confident in your cooking skills and never flinched no matter how strong the enemy is. Why are you so hesitant now? This is not like you."

Xu Qing said bitterly: "Because the enemy standing in front of me is the disease."

Whenever Xu Qing thought that the food he cooked might not be able to save other people's lives, he would feel like he was falling into an icy cave, his whole body would be cold, and he would not be able to muster any motivation.

No matter how delicious the dishes he made, it would be of no use.

Master Luo Tian had never seen Xu Qing with such a depressed and resistant expression.

The Xu Qing he knew was always confident and calm. Along the way, whether he was facing the Guangzhou Chefs Association, the leader in Guangzhou, or the extraordinary top chefs from the Imperial City, or even the Dragon Chef, who was at the top of the culinary world and had the longest experience, Xu Qing was never afraid. Even if it was a life-and-death battle with the dark culinary world, Xu Qing was not afraid and faced the challenge head-on.

And Xu Qing always continues to surpass people's imagination and achieve amazing results.

Precisely because he knows Xu Qing’s strength, Master Luo Tian is quite confident in Xu Qing.

Isn't it just reproducing the legendary recipe? Others may not be able to do it, but if it is Xu Qing, it is still very likely.

Luo Tian didn't expect that the person with the least confidence now was Xu Qing himself.

When the confidence and composure of the past disappeared from Xu Qing, Master Luo Tian realized that the Xu Qing in front of him was just a twelve-year-old child, not much older than Mei Li.

Master Luo Tian encouraged Meili in a gentle voice, using the tone he usually used to coax her: "Don't worry. We are all here, including the elders of the Guangzhou Chefs' Association, the chefs of major restaurants in Guangzhou, and famous doctors from Guangzhou. If we all work together, we will definitely find a solution."

Xu Qing nodded silently, but he still found it hard to feel relaxed.

Master Luo Tian continued, "Isn't it the legendary recipe? You can even recreate the taste of the legendary spiritual bird - the black-bone chicken. Even Ku Rou said that he was able to find the black-bone chicken because of you. I think you have a connection with legendary things."

It would have been better if the matter of the black-bone chicken had not been mentioned. After Master Luo Tian said this, the little bit of courage that Xu Qing had just mustered up in his heart instantly disappeared.

He was so confident because he knew in advance that the black-bone chicken definitely existed.

Now this is something completely unfamiliar.

Moreover, the two words "human life" made Xu Qing feel suffocated.

Xu Qing kept taking deep breaths and finally managed to adjust his mentality.

Xu Qing was finding it so difficult to adjust his mindset, and the other chefs were also feeling bad.

If human lives are suddenly thrown onto their shoulders and they are asked to carry it all on their own, no one would be able to bear it.

In other words, the doctors are used to seeing birth, aging, sickness and death. At this moment, they can still calmly drink tea and look at a group of chefs whose faces are pale and bloodless.

(End of this chapter)