Chapter 51 Awakening
Chapter 51

Hearing Xu Qing's question, Chen Hu took a deep breath and slowly vented the pent-up emotions in his heart into words. He said, "My Lord, do you still remember the shabu-shabu pork you made when we first met?"

Xu Qing nodded: "I remember, I still remember that you looked very ugly after eating the meat slices."

Chen Hu sighed and said, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, sir. Before that day, I lived in a muddle, just pursuing higher skills and more exquisite techniques. There are too many things in the dark cuisine world that ordinary people can't imagine. It is like a bottomless abyss, tempting those who want to understand it to walk in, and once you enter it, it is difficult to get out."

"People in the dark cooking world respect the strong, and they think that human morality and conscience are completely useless. They often do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, and people like them can often achieve their goals smoothly. In that environment, I gradually developed the same ideas as them, and regarded morality, conscience, and kindness as burdens and shackles that constrained me. Only after abandoning these shackles can I use any means to obtain everything that is beneficial to me."

"Every time I achieved success, this idea was encouraged and took root deeper in my heart. It seemed to be calling me, instructing me, asking me to do more and do more extreme things. In my mind, it seemed that there was no other way except this one. It seemed that this was the only correct way."

"If I hadn't eaten the dish you made, I would have lived my whole life with this thought, and would still be a slave controlled by it until I died."

As Chen Hu spoke, fear flashed in his eyes.

"Fortunately, I found my lost original intention. My initial yearning for cooking came from an accidental experience when I was a teenager. That year, there was a severe drought and no crops were harvested. Everyone was starving. Even the grass roots and tree barks were being eaten. One day, someone accidentally caught a wild rabbit. This was the first food we had seen in several days, and everyone went crazy at the time."

"Before that, we endured hunger and supported each other through the most difficult days. Although we had no blood connection, we were closer than family members. However, at that moment, just a small hare made everyone become enemies. We scrambled, bit and fought each other frantically. The crazy scene scared me completely. This familiar world became extremely strange and terrifying at that moment."

"However, at this moment, a middle-aged man stood up. He snatched the hare from everyone and used his sharp knife skills to completely cut the whole rabbit in half. Not a single piece of meat was wasted, and the rabbit was evenly distributed to everyone. At that time, everyone was silently eating the food in their hands, and everything returned to the way it was before. The world that made me so strange and frightened disappeared in an instant. That man used his superb knife skills to save us, and also saved my world."

"Not long after that, it started raining and we survived the most difficult time. I thought at that time that I must be a great chef like him and a chef who can save others."

"However, on my way to the pinnacle of knife skills, I lost my way. I became those people back then, willing to hurt others for a hare called knife skills, so crazy and insane. That was clearly what I once feared the most, but I became that kind of person."

"I am very lucky. When I was young, I was saved by someone's knife skills. When I was older, I was saved again by knife skills. Sir, it was your knife skills and food that saved me from that horrible world, allowing me to break free from the world created by the dark culinary world and return to where I should be."

"I know I have done too many wrong things, many of which are irreversible. I no longer ask for anything else. Now I just hope to use the rest of my life to atone for my actions."

After Chen Hu finished speaking, he looked at Xu Qing with implicit expectation. He desperately hoped that Xu Qing would believe him. He hoped to get the recognition of the person who saved him. Only in this way could he be sure that he would not make the same mistake again this time.

Xu Qing nodded and said, "I believe what you said. However, as a chef, I hope to see more clear evidence."

"What is it?"

Chen Hu was stunned for a moment and asked.

Xu Qing said: "Food is a communication between hearts. The most effective way to see a chef clearly is to eat a bite of his dish."

Chen Hu looked around. There was a simple stove in the room, and on the table was a piece of pork belly and many seasonings.

This familiar scene reminded Chen Hu of the first time Xu Qing showed his knife skills. The amazing knife light has been lingering in his mind. He once thought that he would never pick up a knife again in his life because he could never defeat that knife light.

However, at this moment, Chen Hu, who had regained his original intention, no longer resisted picking up the knife.

The flash of knife light was no longer his nightmare, but the goal he would pursue in the future. Even if he could not reach it at all in his entire life, he would not be discouraged.

Chen Hu walked to the table, picked up the knife, and used all his strength to chase the knife light.

The sudden flash of the knife made Xu Qing look sideways.

Very similar. Although Chen Hu only learned the basics and tried his best to imitate, Chen Hu finally took a crucial step, and his knife skills are no longer out of reach.

The meat is sliced ​​so thin it's almost transparent.

The thin slices of meat are dipped in boiling water twice, then quickly taken out and placed in a bowl. Chili, onion, garlic, salt, sesame, soy sauce and other seasonings are added to the bowl and quickly stirred evenly.

A bowl of hot pot pork was placed in front of Xu Qing.

Chen Hu said: "Please taste it."

Xu Qing didn't need to taste it, he could tell from the smell that this dish still had many shortcomings.

But at this moment, great taste is not the final answer.

Xu Qing picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat and put it into his mouth.

After the slightly rough taste, the chef's intentions slowly emerge.

Regret, anger, and resentment towards oneself are like spicy chili peppers that choke you.

Behind these flavors is the imperfectly cut meat slices. Unlike the natural look it had when cooked by Xu Qing, the meat is rough and simple.

However, this roughness and simplicity brings a different taste. It faces its own imperfections and does not cover up or escape from them. Instead, it accepts them and turns them into part of the taste and part of life.

No one is born perfect, but it is precisely because of our shortcomings that we can constantly improve, grow, and innovate.

Chen Hu's awareness has been fully demonstrated in this dish.

(End of this chapter)