Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Ah, Great Master

In the end, they still walked into the restaurant.

It was still a while before the dinner rush, so most of the tables were empty.

The owner remembered the big celebrity, Fu Chao, and came out early to greet him.

"Hey, the big star is back! Come, come, quick, take a picture with me!"

Fu Chao said with a helpless tone:

"Boss, you’re still thinking about that photo? I’m not some international superstar. Not everyone who walks in here is going to recognize me..."

Despite what he said, he walked over quite willingly.

A hint of smug delight, a look that said ’I really am famous,’ could be seen on Fu Chao’s face.

His fans, who knew him well, recognized he was showing off and immediately started teasing him in the live comments.

They didn’t forget to take screenshots to preserve the precious photo op.

The owner muttered that he’d gotten his phone fixed just in time, then grinned and eagerly pulled Fu Chao in for a photo.

After completing this crucial task, the owner finally noticed Nan Zhi. His gaze froze.

"Oh! You’re... Nan Zhi?"

Fu Chao: ?

Quickly forgotten by the owner, the smile on Fu Chao’s face stiffened slightly.

’Wait, am I a fake Best Actor?’

’The dream of millions of young women, a top male star of this generation...’

’Was it all just a dream?’

’Otherwise, why couldn’t the owner even remember his name yesterday, yet could now call Nan Zhi by hers so accurately?’

In fact, Nan Zhi was just as confused.

She knew she wasn’t some top-tier superstar.

"Boss, have we met?"

"On Douyin! You were teaching cooking in that documentary! A fellow professional! A celebrity chef!"

The owner waved his phone, his expression smug.

Nan Zhi: "A documentary... Director Zhong Yu’s documentary? Has it already aired?"

’It couldn’t be that fast, could it?’

"It’s a behind-the-scenes clip."

The owner specifically found the video he had saved and liked on his phone to show Nan Zhi.

It turned out that Zhong Yu had just announced the release date for the new season of his documentary today.

As the successor to the globally renowned Food documentary series *A Bite of China*, the announcement was heavily promoted by multiple state media outlets and dominated the hot search rankings for almost the entire day.

As a teaser and behind-the-scenes look at the first episode, Zhong Yu released a few short clips. The style was slightly different from *A Bite of China*, but the production quality seemed even more refined and distinctive.

And the person featured most prominently in these clips was Nan Zhi.

The video the sour fish soup restaurant owner had seen was a specific part of the clips focusing on Nan Zhi. It happened to be the moment when, at her fried rice stall, she expertly and skillfully tossed the wok. The Golden Egg Fried Rice formed a golden arc, glistening under the lights.

This display of dazzling skill seemed to defy the laws of physics. Combined with the documentary’s own popularity, it was no wonder the ten-second-plus short video had spread across the internet at lightning speed, reaching even this restaurant owner in the mountainous region of Guisheng Province!

Nan Zhi was a little surprised.

Of course, she didn’t believe that Director Zhong Yu choosing today to release the clip was a coincidence.

On the contrary, Director Zhong’s action felt more like a silent show of support for her.

Nan Zhi had thought her encounter with Director Zhong Yu was merely a chance meeting.

She never expected that during the busy production period of the documentary, Director Zhong Yu would still be thinking of her.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t touched. Nan Zhi even smiled unconsciously, her eyes filled with an incredibly gentle light.

Nan Zhi understood, and so did the viewers in the livestream:

[I’ve been camped out in this livestream for half the day, and I’m only just now seeing the hot search!]

[Me too! This reversal is so satisfying. That’s our beloved Director Zhong for you!]

[Her skills are certified by a professional Food documentary. Where are all those people online who said Nan Zhi’s skills were amateurish?]

[Netizens are like goldfish with a seven-second memory. When I saw those people slandering Nan Zhi to praise Lai Liang, I remembered the documentary and knew they’d be eating their words sooner or later!]

[Nan Zhi has been through three episodes of this show. How blind do you have to be to still call her an amateur?!]

[How do you know if they’re really blind or just pretending to be?]

...

The video Director Zhong Yu posted had indeed helped Nan Zhi regain some public support.

Even the voices of doubt had quieted down.

Fu Chao was, of course, happy for Nan Zhi.

He was just curious:

"I didn’t think you’d be on Douyin, Boss."

The owner huffed proudly.

"Don’t look down on us mountain folk! The internet is everywhere now. Our connection speed for Douyin is super fast!"

He then ignored Fu Chao and turned to enthusiastically ask Nan Zhi for a photo.

The suddenly-snubbed Fu Chao: ??

The owner not only took more than ten photos with Nan Zhi, but a moment later, he personally ran into the kitchen, shooed out his son who was cooking, and announced he would cook himself so that the master chef, Nan Zhi, could taste his handiwork.

The owner boasted without a shred of modesty:

"I won’t talk about anything else, but when it comes to this sour fish soup, there are few in all of Guisheng Province who can make it better than me!"

This statement raised everyone’s expectations.

Only the owner’s son, a young man who looked to be under 30, was exasperated with his overly energetic father.

"Dad, your rheumatism..."

"Shut up! I’m perfectly fine!"

The owner’s competitive spirit was burning fiercely!

Nan Zhi was equally serious.

"Alright. I’ll be waiting to taste it."

The owner aggressively rolled up his sleeves and marched into the kitchen.

Nan Zhi and the others found a place to sit.

While they waited, Nan Zhi began to talk about the culinary customs of Guisheng Province.

"The characteristics of any regional cuisine are tied to its geography, climate, and local produce. A key element of Guisheng Province’s cuisine is ’sourness’—specifically, a fermented sourness. This tradition has a history even longer than the ’spiciness’ more commonly associated with the cuisines of the Southwest provinces today..."

Nan Zhi spoke eloquently and unhurriedly.

As she discussed the culinary customs, she also touched upon the geography of Guisheng Province.

What should have been complex and obscure knowledge became simple and easy to understand when she explained it.

Not just the three kids, but Fu Chao, the owner’s son, and even the audience in the livestream were all listening with rapt attention.

The kids were full of curiosity, asking one question after another.

Fu Chao was like a primary school student, raising his hand to ask questions.

The owner’s son also remarked that after so many years of cooking, this was the first time he’d heard these things, and he found it quite interesting.

As for the live comments:

[This is the first time I’m hearing this too. I’m learning so much from Nan Zhi!]

[That’s Nan Zhi for you. She has this kind of Food knowledge at her fingertips.]

[I feel like Nan Zhi isn’t just good at cooking; her Food tasting and critique must be top-notch too!]

[Duh, the best chefs are always the best eaters! Otherwise, how could they create dishes that transcend the ordinary?]

[Hey, don’t say that! Nan Zhi wouldn’t dare call herself a top chef! Someone will just take it out of context, post it online, and say she’s arrogant or something...]

[Tsk, tsk, tsk. Someone kicked Nan Zhi out of the cooking class at school, but who would’ve thought? Here she is, giving a cooking class in this restaurant! And it’s a Food appreciation class, no less! Brilliant!]

[My heart truly belongs to Chinese food. Listening to some ’master’ talk about Japanese cuisine does nothing for my appetite, but hearing Nan Zhi talk about Guisheng Province’s food, about its sour soups, is making my mouth water!]

[Keep talking, we love to hear it!]

...

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