When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 37: Chapter 33: The Scorned Wife of the 50s (Part 3)

’That sly old fox,’ she thought. ’First, he has me covering two posts, and now he’s saddling me with a pile of apprentices. Isn’t he just trying to tie me down for good and squeeze me for every last drop of my talent?’

Zhu Yun wasn’t old-fashioned. She wasn’t as possessive of her craft as others were. ’Let them learn. Only a fool would pass up a good opportunity.’

Suddenly, she had so many sons and daughters—bah, apprentices. It was one way of putting down roots here, she supposed.

”Alright, let’s go talk over there.” It was still early. Zhu Yun had temporarily entrusted her usual tasks to Sister-in-law Qian and Xu Xiaohui. The desserts and cold drinks had been made yesterday to test their reception today, so for once, she was unusually free.

The round-faced girl was really playing the part of a little squad leader, calling out commands like ”Fall in! Right face! Dress right, dress! Goose-step...”

Zhu Yun watched them, the corner of her mouth twitching. ”A quick march would be fine.”

The girl smiled sweetly. ”Master, don’t you think goose-stepping is sharp and imposing? It represents our respect for you and our eagerness for your approval.”

Zhu Yun nodded. ’Fine, you can keep playing.’

After moving to an empty space nearby, the girl spent five minutes drilling her ”troops.” Once they were done counting off, performing facing movements, quick marching, goose-stepping, and jogging in place, she finally shouted, ”At ease!”

”Reporting to Master! The apprentices of Master Zhu Yun of the Bright Machinery Factory’s First Canteen have assembled. Twelve were expected, and twelve are present. Awaiting your instructions!”

Zhu Yun’s mouth twitched again, but she played along. ”Rejoin your squad.”

The girl jogged back to her place in line.

Zhu Yun glanced at them. They were all kids with pleasant features and bright eyes. You could tell at a glance that they hadn’t been tainted by the corrupting influence of the world.

”You should all know why you’re here, right? I’ll keep it brief. I want each of you to give me a simple self-introduction. Tell me your age, education level, any special talents, your cooking experience, and your plans for the future.”

The group looked at each other until the girl puffed out her chest and stepped forward to report. ”Reporting to Master! My name is Wang Simi, and I’m seventeen years old. When I was born, my family had run out of rice, so they named me Simi in the hope that I would one day live a good life where I could eat rice at every meal. It’s also a reminder to never forget how precious food is and to cherish what I have.”

”I’m a high school graduate. I wasn’t great at my studies, but I love experimenting with food. I hope you’ll accept me as your apprentice, Master. I promise I’ll study hard and will never forget what you’ve taught me.”

”And... even though my father is Wang Youliang, please believe that he’s a fair man. He won’t put any pressure on you. You can evaluate me just like everyone else.”

’Director Wang’s daughter,’ Zhu Yun noted inwardly, giving a nod.

The other youths then stepped forward one by one to introduce themselves. They all followed her instructions, but in an effort to make a stronger impression, each one explained the origin of their name in great detail, declared their determination to be a good apprentice, and then casually mentioned their connections.

There was the niece of one factory manager, the son of another director... basically, they were all second-generation kids from well-connected families within the factory, and none of them had been good students.

’But this is also a network of connections,’ Zhu Yun thought, her mind racing.

When they had all finished, they looked at her eagerly. Zhu Yun simply gave another cool, noncommittal nod. ”I’m not one for formalities. I can’t learn anything about you just by hearing you talk.”

”Let’s do this. For now, you’ll help out on the second floor. You’ll rotate through washing vegetables, hauling supplies, and cleaning. You’ll spend three days on each task, and at the end of each day, you’ll write a 1,000-word work summary. Any questions?”

These kids had arrived full of ambition, but now they were being asked to do the dirtiest, most tiring jobs. They glanced at each other in dismay, but then they thought about Chef Zhu’s incredible skills, gritted their teeth, and shook their heads, vowing to complete the tasks.

One by one, they put on their work uniforms, divided up the tasks amongst themselves, and got busy.

The popsicles had finished freezing. After being removed from their molds, each one was wrapped in wax paper stamped with ”Bright Machinery Factory - First Canteen.” They had made five hundred in total. It didn’t take many ingredients, but the quantity was impressive.

By now, the day’s heat was beginning to set in, and the canteen felt like a steam basket. Director Wang had every canteen employee try one of the popsicles.

They each reverently chose a flavor and unwrapped it with great ceremony. They took a lick—it was sweet, icy, and refreshing. Then they took a gentle bite. Tsk. It was every bit as good as the ones sold outside. Because of Zhu Yun’s meticulous control over every step and all the ingredients, she had not only guaranteed a perfect texture and taste but had also maximized the popsicle’s ability to cool you down and quench your thirst!