Siheyuan: Mastery started in the 50s

Chapter 398 Suddenly stopped

Wang Qiang forced a smile, "Yeah, I thought we should try a few more new dishes."

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Well, let's try these seafood today and see if we can come up with something new."

The two of them got busy, preparing the ingredients. Although Wang Qiang was still a little uneasy, he forced himself to concentrate and devote himself to cooking. He decided to make a steamed fish first to test his taste.

When the steamed fish was served, He Yuzhu picked up a piece of fish with chopsticks. Wang Qiang stood by, staring at He Yuzhu's expression, his heartbeat slightly faster. He wanted to catch a clue from He Yuzhu's reaction to confirm whether he had done it successfully.

He Yuzhu swallowed the fish and nodded: "Not bad, the taste is just right. You used the seasoning very carefully, a little innovative." But at the same time, he was a little frustrated because he couldn't taste the specific flavor of the dish. He tried to hide his uneasiness and said with a smile: "That's good, I was worried that the taste was not fresh enough."

Next, the two continued to work and prepared several dishes. He Yuzhu was very satisfied with Wang Qiang's performance and even praised his unique way of seasoning. This eased Wang Qiang's anxiety a little, but he knew in his heart that this could not cover up the existence of his taste problem.

At the end of the day, Wang Qiang still hadn't found a solution to the problem. He could only temporarily suppress his worries and continue to discuss the next plan with He Yuzhu. They agreed on a few core dishes and decided to conduct a few more trial dishes before the official opening.

After returning home, Wang Qiang sat in the kitchen tiredly, looking at the few remaining seasonings on the table, his mind in a mess. He began to reflect on whether he relied too much on taste. Perhaps he should rely more on experience and intuition instead of just taste?

This thought flashed through his mind, but it didn't bring him much comfort. Wang Qiang knew that taste was a core ability that could not be replaced. He had to find a solution as soon as possible, otherwise all his efforts might fall short. Wang Qiang continued to try various methods to restore his sense of taste. He drank various soups, tried different seasonings, and even tried some folk remedies, but to no avail. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get rid of the dullness of his taste.

However, he did not give up. In his collaboration with He Yuzhu, Wang Qiang began to rely more on his understanding of ingredients and cooking techniques, and tried to make up for the lack of taste by controlling the heat and texture. He knew that this was not a long-term solution, but for now he could only take it one step at a time.

Every time Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu tasted dishes, he would carefully observe He Yuzhu's reaction and try to get more feedback from him. This allowed him to gradually learn a new way of cooking, relying more on experience and feedback from others rather than simply relying on taste.

Wang Qiang knew that this method was not perfect and might even seem unconfident at times, but he had no choice. In order not to affect the cooperation plan, he had to persevere. Wang Qiang's cooking skills were improved with constant practice. He learned more techniques and constantly adjusted his mindset. He had a feeling that this taste problem might become a turning point in his cooking career, forcing him to step out of his comfort zone and explore a new way of cooking.

A few days later, Wang Qiang felt that he should take a break. After several days of intense food tasting and anxiety about taste issues, he was exhausted physically and mentally. He felt that it was time to sort out his state. So, he decided to get a haircut and sort out his thoughts.

Wang Qiang looked at himself in the mirror. His hair had grown a bit messy, and the hair on his forehead even began to cover his eyes. He usually didn't pay much attention to his appearance. Most of the time, he would just comb his hair casually and go to work with a messy head of hair. But recently, he always felt that he should change. It might be a psychological reaction - like he wanted to deal with his inner anxiety through external changes.

So, he walked into the old barber shop at the entrance of the alley. This barber shop was a place he often went to since he was a child. The owner was an old barber in his fifties with excellent skills. Wang Qiang had his hair cut here when he was a child. When he opened the door, the familiar smell of soap filled his nose, which made Wang Qiang feel much more at ease.

"Hey, Master Wang, I haven't seen you for a long time." The old barber looked up and greeted with a smile.

"Yes, I've been busy lately, and my hair has grown like this." Wang Qiang replied with a smile and patted his messy hair.

The old barber looked at Wang Qiang carefully and frowned: "Master Wang, have you been very tired recently? Your hair looks a little haggard, and your spirit is not as good as before. Then he covered it up and said: "I am busy with the restaurant business, and I am indeed a little tired."

"Oh, it's not easy to run a restaurant business." The old barber sighed and pointed to the chair, "Come, sit down, I'll give you a haircut."

Wang Qiang sat down and thought about whether he should get a new hairstyle. He had always had short haircuts, which were neat and easy to manage, but now he wanted a change. He talked to the old barber about his recent troubles, especially the problem of taste.

"My sense of taste has not been very good recently, and I always fail to control the saltiness of the dishes when cooking." Wang Qiang said helplessly.

"This is a serious matter." The old barber was a little worried after hearing this. "Why don't you go to the hospital? There may be some minor problems with your body."

Wang Qiang shook his head: "Take it easy for now. I've been busy with work lately and can't spare the time to go to the hospital. Besides, I don't have any other discomfort, just a little dull sense of taste."

"That won't do. It's not a good thing to drag it out." The old barber said as he sprayed some water on Wang Qiang's hair, then picked up the scissors and prepared to start work.

Wang Qiang closed his eyes and tried to relax. The atmosphere of this barber shop always made him feel at ease. When he came here to get a haircut as a child, the old barber would always tell him stories and even give him a candy. He felt that as long as he was here, he could always find some warmth from his childhood.

However, just when the scissors were about to touch his hair, the old barber suddenly stopped, as if he suddenly thought of something. Wang Qiang felt the pause and couldn't help but open his eyes and look at the barber in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" Wang Qiang asked.

The old barber put down his scissors, frowned, and had a somewhat embarrassed expression on his face: "Master Wang, I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not." Not knowing what he was going to say, he nodded gently: "Go ahead, what's the problem?"

The old barber sighed and seemed to have made up his mind: "I think I'd better not cut this hair."