Chapter 270 - 163: You Got into the Sichuan Cuisine Magazine Without Me?

Chapter 270: Chapter 163: You Got into the Sichuan Cuisine Magazine Without Me?

The drowsy feeling of information overload returned, his ears ringing. Zhou Yan silently closed his eyes and gently rubbed his temples as his mind slowly recovered.

Fragments of memory spanning decades flooded his mind, as if he were skimming through the first half of Kong Qingfeng’s life.

From a clueless, scrawny youth, he had grown step by step into a famous Chef in Jiazhou, and eventually, a master himself.

And from an observer’s perspective, he had also glimpsed into half of the life of the Master.

The Kong Sect’s eldest disciple, the true heir of the direct line, whose craft was a family inheritance.

To pass on his skills, he decisively opened classes and began teaching, successfully allowing the Kong Sect to branch out and flourish.

Such vision and spirit of dedication moved and deeply impressed him.

"Qing Jie left and never came back. We don’t even know where he died or where he’s buried. We set up a cenotaph for him on the mountain behind our old home. Every year on the anniversary of the war’s end, I go pour him two cups of wine and chat with him for half an hour.

My master and my senior brother are buried there too.

It’s been almost forty years since I’ve called anyone ’master.’ Now, I’m the one they call master.

When I’m six feet under, my grave will be right next to theirs. The four of us can get together for a game of mahjong then..."

In the conference room, Kong Qingfeng’s laughter was hearty.

Zhou Yan opened his eyes, only to see the glint of tears in the corners of the old man’s eyes.

’He must miss his master and his brother.’

When the interview ended, the faces of the Kong Sect Chefs were filled with pride—a pride born from a deep, heartfelt identification with their sect.

If not for an occasion like today, these ’grand-disciples’ might have gone their whole lives without ever learning this history.

Kong Guodong turned his head away, silently wiping the tears from his eyes.

Li put down his pen, sighing in relief. He twisted his wrist with a pained expression; he had written two entire fountain pens dry and had to refill the ink several times mid-interview.

’A transcript that long! It’s going to be the death of me!’

As a professional stenographer, he couldn’t afford any mistakes or omissions, and his handwriting had to be neat. Back at the office, the editorial department would be using his transcript to write the article.

Kong Qingfeng had orally recounted the history of three generations of the Kong Sect. The content was incredibly detailed and complex; they would probably have to cut a significant amount of it back at the office.

’But that wasn’t a problem for a mere stenographer like him. Let the chief editor and his deputy get a headache over it.’

"Second Master Kong, that was a wonderful story. The history of the Kong Sect is the best story of lineage I’ve heard in the past two years. We will definitely polish it into a beautiful piece," He Zhiyuan said, his voice full of emotion as he shook Kong Qingfeng’s hand.

Kong Qingfeng looked at him and asked with a smile, "He, do you think it can make it into the first issue of *Sichuan Cuisine* next year?"

In the conference room, the other Kong Sect Chefs all turned to look at Kong Qingfeng, their faces filled with anticipation.

Everyone had gathered here today not just to exchange and discuss their culinary skills, but specifically for this feature in *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine.

Kong Guodong sat up straighter.

Xiao Lei also subconsciously straightened his clothes.

Earlier, when Kong Qingfeng spoke of the Kong Sect’s legacy, he had mentioned all the second-generation disciples present.

If this story got into the magazine, they might see their own names in print. An honor like that might not come again until they reached Second Master Kong’s age and had become renowned Chefs in their own right.

"Don’t you worry, Second Master Kong. It’s guaranteed for the ’Four Famous Masters’ column in the first issue of next year," He Zhiyuan said with a hearty laugh.

"That’s good. Then I won’t have to ask these disciples of mine to burn a copy for me in the afterlife," Kong Qingfeng joked back.

He Zhiyuan patted his hand. "Don’t say such things! From the looks of it, you’re in better shape than I am. When you turn one hundred, I’ll come back and do another exclusive interview with you. We’ll call it: *How a Centenarian Grandmaster is Forged*."

"Deal," Kong Qingfeng said, nodding with a smile.

The rest of the room joined in the good-natured laughter, and a joyful atmosphere filled the conference room.

"What are you grinning like an idiot for?" Zhou Yan couldn’t help but ask with a laugh, looking at Zheng Qiang who was chuckling foolishly beside him.

"Our Kong Sect is going to be in *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine! As grand-disciples, we share in the glory. Maybe my master’s name will even be in there. After all, he’s the eldest disciple under Master Huaifeng, isn’t he?" Zheng Qiang grinned. "I’m going to order eight or ten copies to hand out to my relatives and friends, just so they know I’m part of the Kong Sect too."

"Makes sense," Zhou Yan nodded.

"Junior Brother Zhou, how many copies are you planning to buy?" Zheng Qiang asked. He glanced at Xiao Lei and lowered his voice. "But was our Uncle-Master really such a stubborn ’Shitou’ when he was young? If word of this gets out, aren’t you worried people will laugh at you?"

"I haven’t decided how many to buy yet," Zhou Yan shook his head. "You don’t get it. This is the classic underdog story—’never underestimate the clumsy kid.’ Everyone loves that kind of drama. It might even earn him a few extra lines in the article."

"Is that so..." Zheng Qiang murmured, lost in thought. He clearly didn’t quite get it.

"Alright, let’s get the group photo taken before it gets dark!" He Zhiyuan stood up, picking up the camera from the table and slinging it over his shoulder.

Li also put his notebook back in his bag and followed them out.

"Master, didn’t you say you were so exceptionally talented that the Master himself chose you as his final disciple?" Zhou Yan asked, taking a few quick steps to catch up to Xiao Lei, a teasing smile on his face.

Zheng Qiang, who was about to follow, instinctively slowed his pace upon hearing this. He fell back a step, looking at Zhou Yan with pure admiration.

’Junior Brother Zhou is a real beast! He’s going straight for the kill shot.’

"Didn’t you hear your Master say it? Diligence is a talent in itself, and when I was young, I had that talent maxed out." Xiao Lei smiled, looking at Zhou Yan. "When you first started at the factory cafeteria, you couldn’t even hold a kitchen knife properly after a month of practice. For every three cuts you made, two of them were on your own hand..."

"Alright, alright, Master, that’s enough."

"And that one time I had you kill a fish? I told you to grab that nine-pound carp from the tank, and the moment you picked it up, it slapped you right across the face with its tail. Your cheek was swollen for two weeks..."

"Master, I’m starting to think you hold a grudge," Zhou Yan said, his smile gone.

Behind them, Zheng Qiang was having a hard time holding back his laughter, his grin threatening to split his face.

’When it comes to passive-aggressive clapbacks, the older generation is still king.’

’Young people really shouldn’t start fights they can’t finish.’

"Do you know why I still took you on as my disciple, even though you were so clumsy?"

"Could it be... that in me, you saw a reflection of your younger self?"

His master didn’t answer. He just started unbuckling his belt.

The group went outside the main gate. A large, traditional armchair had been placed in the front row, with Kong Qingfeng seated right in the middle. The others arranged themselves according to seniority.

Kong Guodong was in charge of arranging everyone, making sure they were aligned with the gate and that everyone was in their proper position.

Zhou Yan stood off to the side, watching. As the one with the lowest seniority, he’d just stand wherever they told him to.

"Master! I’m back! Wait for me!" Kong Liwei shouted, running toward them with a wooden bucket, his forehead beaded with sweat. He saw them arranging themselves for the photo and called out.

Kong Guodong smiled and said, "Go put the fish in the tank first. We’ll wait for you."

"You got it!" Kong Liwei replied, then cheerfully carried the bucket inside.

"Xiao Lei, you come stand next to Master."

"Senior Brother, that’s not appropriate. You should be the one to stand there."

"Today, you’re the representative of our Senior Uncle’s branch of the family..."

He Zhiyuan had already set up the camera on its tripod. Seeing that they were all still politely arguing over their positions, he glanced at Zhou Yan, who was standing off to the side, then turned and said a few words to Li.

Li opened his cloth bag, rummaged through it, and handed him a magazine.

He Zhiyuan walked over to Zhou Yan and presented the magazine like a trophy. "Comrade Zhou Yan," he said with a grin, "take a look at our fourth issue of *Sichuan Cuisine*. The cover photo is the Kneeling Beef you made."

The scene instantly fell silent.

Dozens of eyes swiveled in unison toward He Zhiyuan and the magazine in his hands.

Everyone’s expression was a mixture of shock and confusion.

’What did Chief Editor He just say?’

’What did he mean, "the Kneeling Beef you made"?’

Zhou Yan didn’t think much of it and took the magazine. It still smelled of fresh ink. The color-printed cover featured the very same Kneeling Beef they had spent so long photographing that day.

The patterns on the Blue and White Porcelain Bowl, the tender pink beef, the fine texture of the tripe, and the clear broth were all printed with perfect clarity. Beside it, the red dipping dish with its distinct chili flakes complemented the Kneeling Beef, creating a surprisingly harmonious clash of colors.

The large-print title, *Sichuan Cuisine*, was written in a blank space, and below it was the issue number: 1984, Issue No. 4.

"This photo is amazing! Chief Editor He, your photography skills are incredible," Zhou Yan couldn’t help but praise. This wasn’t empty flattery, but a sincere compliment.

The effect this photograph produced far exceeded his expectations.

Making the cover of the magazine was an even bigger surprise.

"Your Kneeling Beef was well-made, the Blue and White Porcelain Bowl is beautiful, and the sunlight was perfect that day. My photography skills were just the icing on the cake." He Zhiyuan was clearly pleased by the praise and continued with a smile, "Our editor-in-chief was also extremely satisfied with this photo. We had already decided on a cover, but he pulled it at the last minute to use this one instead. Your feature interview is the lead article in the ’Four Famous Masters’ column, and we even included a separate photo of just you."

"That’s a huge honor. Thank you so much for the recognition, Chief Editor He," Zhou Yan said quickly.

"You deserve it. Our editor-in-chief also said the article was well-written. It uncovered a great Jiazhou dish with a rich history and also discovered a new rising star in the culinary world." He Zhiyuan smiled. "I’m planning to make another trip to Suji tomorrow. When I do, you can tell me all about Zhang’s Braised Shop, alright? If it’s a good fit, maybe we can do another feature on braised dishes?"

"Deal, no problem at all," Zhou Yan nodded.

He Zhiyuan’s smile grew even wider. "I had two copies of your family photo developed. They’re tucked inside the magazine. Make sure you put them in your bag and don’t lose them."

"Thank you, thank you! My mom was just asking about the photo the other day. She’ll be thrilled when I bring this back to her today." Zhou Yan quickly gripped the magazine tighter, afraid the photos might fall out.

The two were chatting away animatedly when they finally noticed how quiet the scene had become. They turned around and were met with the dumbfounded expressions of the entire Kong Sect.

"Zhou Yan, you... you’re in *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine?" Kong Qingfeng’s voice was a bit hoarse—he had indeed talked a lot that afternoon. He stared at Zhou Yan, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"Zhou Yan, you... you got into *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine and didn’t include me?" Xiao Lei’s voice was raspy, the words seemingly squeezed from his throat. He looked at Zhou Yan with an expression of shock mixed with a hint of resentment.

"Zhou Yan, you... you got into *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine and didn’t tell me?" Zheng Qiang’s voice trembled slightly, his shock tinged with utter bewilderment.