"When my master taught me, he said that the Ruyi-shaped Cloud Pattern itself is a display of skill. These kinds of snacks are mostly imperial snacks, and like imperial cuisine, they involve many flashy elements that are not very practical."
"They tend to make the snacks and dishes very complex, but in reality, there's not much improvement to the base, yet these elements are crucial, which is why many historical recipes for snacks have been lost."
"It's a reason many snack masters are unwilling to spend time restoring historical recipes, because the snacks made from them might not be particularly delicious or impressive, but they're definitely troublesome to make."
"So if you want to start learning, an average apprentice... needs at least two years of foundational training."
"What about someone like me?" Qin Huai asked directly.
Guli looked at Qin Huai, clearly troubled, hesitating with his words for a long time before stammering out a question: "E... eighteen... months?"
