"Yes, I own this place."
Jiang Yu also sensed the awkward atmosphere and couldn't help but take another look at the person in front of him, then asked,
"Are you looking for me? Is there something you need?"
"Oh, yes, yes, yes! There's something, there's something!"
Lu Shuwu snapped back to reality, took a deep breath to suppress his astonishment, and nodded with a smile, saying,
"Hello, boss, my last name is Lu, and I am Lu Shuwu. I came to ask if your store is in need of staff?"
Seeing the hesitant expression on Jiang Yu's face, he quickly added,
"I can do a bit of everything, and I'm okay with not getting paid, as long as I get food and accommodation!"
Before Jiang Yu could respond, Hu Zhihai, who had been watching from the side, couldn't help but ask,
"Then tell us, what can you do?"
"I can do plenty of things!"
Mentioning this brought a hint of confidence back to Lu Shuwu's face, and he said with a smile,
"I can do jobs like selling steamed buns, handling the cash register, I can wash steamers, wash dishes, mop floors, and clean tables, those kinds of odd jobs are no problem.
For more complex tasks, like kneading dough, rolling dough, making buns, or even cooking a few dishes to go with drinks, I can do those without hesitation."
"Oh wow, with skills like that, why aren't you going to a big restaurant, why come to our little stall?"
Whether it was a clash of personalities or something else, Hu Zhihai found Lu Shuwu's handsome yet slightly rogue-looking face a bit off-putting and couldn't help but speak with a bit of sarcasm.
"The reason I came here is of course because the boss is a culinary master. There's nothing to hide about that."
Lu Shuwu looked at Hu Zhihai with a peculiar expression and seriously retorted,
"Can a big restaurant produce such delicious soup dumplings and hot and sour soup?"
"This..."
Hu Zhihai was instantly at a loss for words, his face turning red.
"You just mentioned you can knead dough, roll dough, and make buns?"
Seeing that the two seemed to have a bit of tension, Jiang Yu couldn't just stand by. He quickly interjected to change the subject, saying,
"We do indeed need a pastry chef right now, not for anything else, just being able to make soup dumplings will do."
"The method for soup dumplings isn't different from making regular buns. The only difference is that authentic soup dumplings use dead dough, unlike regular buns, which require fermentation."
Lu Shuwu nodded and said,
"When I was attending university in the North, I learned to make soup dumplings from a master chef. My skills are decent."
As they say, every true foodie has a chef living inside them.
As a big foodie, Lu Shuwu didn't just love eating; he also loved researching how to make food. Whenever he encountered a dish that captured his heart, he would try to make it himself.
Over time, this habit helped him hone impressive culinary skills.
In reality, the primary "conflict" between him and his grandfather wasn't about learning culinary skills; it was about whether to become a chef.
Lu Shuwu learned culinary skills so he could eat the foods he craved whenever he wanted and enjoyed the process of turning various ingredients into delicious dishes. But he didn't want to become a chef like his grandfather, confined to the kitchen for life, cooking for the sake of cooking.
On the other hand, his grandfather, a Xiang Cuisine master, hoped he'd specialize in Xiang Cuisine and didn't want to see him learn just any dish, mastering none fully.
Yet, he followed his heart, learning whatever he liked to eat.
This was another "conflict" between Lu Shuwu and his grandfather.
Of course, none of this matters; what's important is that he does know how to make soup dumplings.
"You're right, the dough for soup dumplings is indeed non-fermented because fermented dough is fluffy and soft, making it hard to keep the soup inside the dumplings."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worrying about where to find a pastry chef, and now, not even a day later, one walked through the door. It seemed his luck had been good lately.
He nodded at Lu Shuwu with a smile, saying,
"It seems you have indeed made soup dumplings before. In that case, if you're willing, you can stay on for a few days.
Considering how busy the shop gets, especially with many people coming to buy soup dumplings every day, the workload is heavy. I'm concerned you might not handle the intensity.
If you can adapt, then we can discuss the terms later on.
By the way, do you have your ID and health certificate?"
"Yes, I do!"
Relieved that he could stay, Lu Shuwu was secretly pleased, fearing rejection would have meant returning home embarrassed, as his sister had suggested. Thankfully, that didn't happen.
After some thought, he added,
"Boss, I truly don't need a salary, as long as I have food and a place to stay, it's fine with me. What do you think?"
"You need a place to stay too?"
After remaining silent for a while, Hu Zhihai couldn't resist speaking up,
"You don't have a place to stay? Where are you staying now?"
"At a hotel in the city."
Lu Shuwu replied candidly, "It's that Qing Lake Hotel across the square."
Hu Zhihai was surprised: "Wow, staying at a five-star hotel while applying to work at a bun stall!"
"It was only for a couple of days. I'm running out of money soon."
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Lu Shuwu chuckled awkwardly, saying,
"That's why I was thinking about asking the boss for a place. I'm not picky, just somewhere to sleep at night will do."
Hu Zhihai looked at him in disbelief, sizing him up again and muttering:
"Running out of money and still staying at a five-star hotel, what are you thinking?"
Lu Shuwu: "..."
What am I supposed to think?
Who knew I'd meet such a culinary wizard here in the canteen in Jiangzhou?
If it weren't for wanting to eat his dishes as soon as possible, I wouldn't have stayed. If I didn't stay, my grandpa wouldn't have had my dad freeze my bank cards. If he hadn't frozen my bank cards, I could have continued living in a five-star hotel...
"How about this, why don't you go rent a room nearby?"
Jiang Yu lived in a dormitory himself, so he couldn't offer accommodation. After thinking it over, he suggested that Lu Shuwu rent a place on his own, saying,
"Do you have enough money to rent a place now? If not, you can take some from me and consider the rent as covered by the shop."
"Oh, there's no need to make it so complicated."
"I have an empty room at my place. Since it's vacant, let Xiaolu stay there!"
Before Lu Shuwu could speak, Hu Zhihai waved his hand and turned to pat Lu Shuwu on the shoulder, speaking earnestly,
"Xiaolu, don't bother renting a place alone. Being new to the city and living by yourself can be unsafe and lonely. If you stay with me, we could chat and keep each other company.
I'd suggest staying to get familiar with the store, help out a bit during the day, and after the shop closes at night, I'll take you over."
He thought to himself that since this guy's background was unclear, who knew if he had any ill intentions. Better to keep a close watch!
Jiang Yu considered this and thought it made sense. Glancing at Lu Shuwu, he asked tentatively:
"What do you think?"
"No problem, that sounds great, thank you, boss!"
Lu Shuwu agreed with a smile but internally lamented over Hu Zhihai:
Xiaolu...
Xiaolu? What nonsense, I'm older than you, you know?!