AGN -Chapter 276 Aren’t You Supposed to Be Home for New Year?

What does master-level filling feel like?

In Qin Huai’s imagination, the moment his filling skills broke through from advanced to master level, he should have felt something shatter in his chest. Then a warm current would surge from his heart throughout his body, rush straight to his crown, and leave him feeling completely refreshed—as if his Ren and Du meridians had been opened. Like divine assistance had descended upon him.

At the very least, it should have been like those moments in TV dramas when a protagonist suddenly gains enlightenment. After a burst of cheap special-effect white light, the protagonist, who had been sitting with eyes tightly shut, suddenly opens them with a firm, determined gaze. Flashbacks of memories sweep through their mind, and under the weight of those recollections, they finally achieve enlightenment.

But the reality was—

Nothing.

He felt absolutely nothing.

Not a single sensation. Qin Huai didn’t even realize his filling skill had reached master level until he opened the game panel.

Based on experience, at the exact moment the skill leveled up, he should have been vigorously stirring a basin of meat filling.

Qin Huai looked at the meat filling in front of him.

If he had indeed leveled up while stirring this batch, then was this basin of filling made with master-level skill—or still advanced-level skill?

He could feel that his progress in filling over this period had improved greatly. Not only had his filling improved, but he also had a deeper understanding of starch water preparation. But he still didn’t know how much of a boost master-level filling would actually give him.

Would master-level filling without any “enlightenment moment” really provide significant improvements?

There was only one way to find out.

Qin Huai began preparing a fresh batch of filling.

The exact same steps as before.

Preparing starch water.

Mixing the filling.

There did seem to be a difference—each step felt slightly more effortless.

More confident. Extremely confident that he absolutely wouldn’t make a mistake. The kind of confidence where he could stir the filling while chatting with someone about how a certain family’s son suddenly quit his job and returned to the countryside to farm because he was harassed by his male boss, and still not mess up.

On the second day of the lunar new year, when the village head was telling Qin Huai that very gossip, he had been so engrossed that his hand shook while adding salt, and the meat filling ended up being sent to Grandma Qin to make meatball soup instead.

Now, Qin Huai was confident that would never happen again.

No matter how explosive the gossip was, he wouldn’t mess up again.

The filling was done.

Qin Huai wrapped a few tangyuan and boiled them.

[Four-Joy Tangyuan — A Grade]

After eight days, Qin Huai had once again produced A-grade Four-Joy Tangyuan!

At that moment, Qin Huai felt completely relaxed, as if he could finally stop seeing everything as tangyuan.

And at the same time, he didn’t really want to make tangyuan anymore.

At a time like this, why make more tangyuan? Of course he should call Master Cao and report the good news!

Qin Huai took a photo of the prepared meat filling and sent it to Cao Guixiang with a message:

“Master Cao, what do you think of my filling today?”

Then he waited.

He stopped kneading noodles, stopped making tangyuan, walked out of the kitchen, found the sunniest spot in the courtyard, and sat down with a chair to enjoy the sun.

Sunbathing while scrolling through Moments, waiting for Cao Guixiang’s reply.

At the same time, Cao Guixiang, who was chatting with her old friends in the park, put on her reading glasses and stared at the enlarged photo on her phone.

Over the past eight days, Qin Huai and Cao Guixiang hadn’t communicated much.

After all, they weren’t close. Qin Huai had no real questions to ask—he was simply grinding his skill proficiency. Occasionally, when he gained some insight into starch water, he would chat a little with her.

Cao Guixiang knew Qin Huai was very talented.

Being a chef required endurance, but also talent—and that was something else entirely.

Often, culinary talent referred to the tongue. A good palate allowed a chef to learn twice as fast. There had long been rumors in the culinary world that top chefs could identify secret recipes in a single bite—and many of those rumors were true.

As for “comprehension,” it referred more to breakthroughs at bottlenecks.

Ordinary people didn’t have a system like protagonists. They couldn’t see levels or proficiency. They could only improve through day after day of dull, repetitive practice.

Sometimes that improvement was fast. Sometimes slow. Sometimes it didn’t happen at all.

Like cultivation—small realms could be overcome through effort, but major breakthroughs required enlightenment.

Those with poor comprehension could be stuck at the same stage for life. Those with high comprehension might not even feel stages at all—they just kept breaking through.

In Cao Guixiang’s eyes, Qin Huai possessed talent, comprehension, and diligence all at once.

He might not love hardship, but he could endure it.

For a chef like that, and with such a strange path of training, nothing he did would surprise her.

At least—that’s what she had thought, before seeing the photo Qin Huai sent.

Now…

Cao Guixiang suspected her reading glasses might not have the correct prescription. Otherwise, it was hard to explain why the meat filling Qin Huai sent looked so beautiful.

Well-prepared meat filling is indeed beautiful. And “preparation” doesn’t just refer to knife skills—seasoning, mixing, and many other factors all contribute to making the filling look appealing.

When Cao Guixiang was still learning to cook, properly marinated meat didn’t even need to be cooked. Her master could walk by, glance at it, and immediately tell whether it had been done correctly.

“Guixiang, what are you looking at so seriously? Did your grandson message you, or your niece?” a friend joked.

Cao Guixiang adjusted her glasses.

“It’s a young man I just met a couple of days ago. He sent me a message asking me to look at the meat filling he prepared.”

Hearing this, her friend stopped asking further. Cao Guixiang’s cooking skills were well known in her social circle—whenever anyone had cooking problems, they often asked her for advice.

Looking at the meat filling, Cao Guixiang suddenly felt a little regret.

She regretted not meeting Qin Huai when he was a child. She regretted not returning to Quxian over a decade ago to take a look at the Three Street Children’s Welfare Home.

If she had met him back then—even if she didn’t adopt him as a son, taking him as a disciple would have been wonderful.

Starting basic training from childhood, shaping him into a proper hot-kitchen chef… just thinking about such an apprentice made her feel excited.

Qin Huai wouldn’t have ended up like this either—his strengths extremely strong, his weaknesses extremely weak. He wouldn’t be able to produce such beautiful meat filling while still chopping meat poorly with a knife.

After thinking for a moment, Cao Guixiang didn’t reply to Qin Huai right away. Instead, she called Zhang Chu.

Zhang Chu picked up almost instantly.

“Guixiang, what’s wrong? Need to buy something for the house? I’m near the supermarket right now.”

“Wood,” Cao Guixiang said.

“Huh?” Zhang Chu thought he misheard.

“You promised to make a few sets of free molds for Little Qin, right? The best wood. Did you buy it?”

Zhang Chu scratched his head in confusion.

“Wood… is it urgent? Isn’t Xiao Qin still spending the New Year in the countryside? We can decide what molds he needs when he comes back, and then pick the wood. That should still be in time, right?”

“Buy more. I’ll explain tonight when I get home. Follow what I say and make him a few tools. Most importantly, make six good cutting boards,” Cao Guixiang said seriously. “His knife skills are too poor. He needs training.”

“Tomorrow morning, go buy groceries. I also need to find a few knives suitable for him.”

Zhang Chu: “……”

Why was his wife suddenly so invested in Qin Huai?

Did Qin Huai send another batch of Four-Joy Tangyuan?

He didn’t understand—but he still nodded.

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Cao Guixiang finally replied to Qin Huai, without mentioning the meat filling at all.

Cao Guixiang: Xiao Qin, when are you free? Come have a meal at my place. Also, my husband and you can discuss the mold-making details.

Qin Huai: After Lantern Festival—so the 16th of the first lunar month works.

Cao Guixiang: Alright, let’s set it for noon on the 16th ∩_∩

Qin Huai looked at the message and felt a little puzzled.

Why didn’t she comment on the meat filling at all?

Then he thought about it and realized—it probably wasn’t worth commenting.

If even a casually chopped filling from Cao Guixiang could rival master-level results, then what he had sent might only be considered average in her eyes.

As expected, there is always someone better. Even when he thought Huang Shengli’s cooking was already extremely good, there were still people far beyond that level.

Experts were everywhere.

Having the chefs from Zhiwei Restaurant call him “Chef Qin” didn’t mean much. He still had plenty of room to improve.

Originally planning to rest for a few days, Qin Huai changed his mind—he would only rest for one day.

Today: rest.

Tomorrow morning: make tangyuan.

Afternoon: rest and celebrate Lantern Festival.

Then on the 16th, head straight to the city to finalize the molds, and officially end the Qin Family Village’s New Year limited Four-Joy Tangyuan delivery event.

Qin Huai looked again at the photo of his meat filling and felt it was a shame not to show it off.

So he quietly sent it to Zheng Da, Huang Shengli, Zheng Siyuan, Dong Shi, and Tan Weian.

Zheng Siyuan replied the fastest.

Qin Huai guessed his pastry shop had reopened—he was likely back to his relaxed routine of making and selling batches of pastries at a leisurely pace.

He was probably busy selling cakes when he replied so quickly.

Zheng Siyuan: Aren’t you supposed to be home for New Year?

Zheng Siyuan: Did your imagined game system give you a new quest again?

Zheng Siyuan: How did you even do this?

Zheng Siyuan: Is there really no master chef in your village?

Zheng Siyuan: Got a video? Send me a video.

Zheng Siyuan: When are you coming back to the city? I’ll come find you.

Zheng Siyuan: I want to try what your Four-Joy Tangyuan tastes like now.