The next day, Xu Xiuxiu had recruitment flyers made that flamboyantly called for talented individuals to join her team. These flyers were posted on the walls outside the Sichuan Pavilion.
Xu Xiuxiu fully utilized modern and trendy recruitment methods. The language used was not as formal as that of other recruitment ads nowadays. She vividly described the requirements for the head chef at the Sichuan Pavilion and the various benefits that come with the position. At the bottom, she provocatively added, "Do you have the skills to take on this high-paying challenge?"
Xu Xiuxiu thought that such a recruitment notice should catch people's attention, and she believed that the conditions she offered were generous. Given the average income of chefs nowadays, Xu Xiuxiu's salary offer was more than competitive. However, she wasn't naive—her standards were stringent, and she would only hire those who deserved the wage as it wasn't just given away!
The Sichuan Pavilion had recently gained popularity in the city. A newly opened Sichuan restaurant, it offered moderately priced dishes, fast service, and friendly staff. Moreover, the quality of the dishes was outstanding, turning almost everyone who tried it into a return customer. Even those who initially found the dishes painfully spicy couldn't stop themselves from coming back for the unique flavors.
Consequently, when Xu Xiuxiu posted the intriguing recruitment notice, it naturally attracted a lot of attention.
By noon, after having posted the flyers in the morning, many people had already come to apply. Xu Xiuxiu patiently met with several candidates and had them demonstrate their cooking skills to assess their proficiency. However, none of the applicants were up to par, leaving Xu Xiuxiu feeling somewhat disheartened.
She wondered if her standards were too high. After all, a truly skilled chef would likely have better opportunities elsewhere. The Sichuan Pavilion, being a small and newly opened establishment, might not have been appealing to truly talented chefs.
Just as Xu Xiuxiu was contemplating whether to lower her hiring standards and settle for someone with potential, a candidate arrived at the Sichuan Pavilion.
"Excuse me, is this place hiring Sichuan cuisine chefs?" A man walked in, standing at the entrance. His eyes were clear but hesitant, it was evident that it took him a lot of courage to step forward.
"Yes, sir. Are you here to apply for the position of head chef? Please come in!" Su Juan, who was sitting at the cash register, heard the door and promptly stood up with a smile to respond.
The middle-aged man at the door seemed nervous, uncomfortably rubbing his trousers before managing a strained smile. "I am a bit older, and my legs aren't very convenient, is that okay?" He hurriedly added, clearly serious, "I can cook quite a few Sichuan dishes." He was a man with a disability, an expert in cooking yet often rejected due to his physical limitations. Desperate, he decided to try his luck when he saw the recruitment ad.
"Please come in and take a seat, sir. I will call our boss to speak with you," replied Su Juan politely. She came out from behind the cash register to invite him to sit down and poured him a glass of water.
When the Sichuan Pavilion opened, Xu Xiuxiu had instilled a principle in Su Juan and Zhao Xiumei—the principle of not judging by appearances. Su Juan took this to heart, so despite knowing the man had difficulty walking, she was still polite and invited him in.
Seeing Su Juan's gentle demeanor, the middle-aged man's nervousness eased a bit and he nodded and walked into the Sichuan Pavilion.
It was only then that Su Juan got a good look at him and noticed his ungainly walk. She wondered if Xiuxiu would consider hiring him. Though hesitant, Su Juan poured him a glass of water and then went to the kitchen to call Xu Xiuxiu, who was preparing side dishes for the evening.
"Xiuxiu, there's a gentleman out front here for the job; do you want to meet him?" called Su Juan.
"Okay!" Xu Xiuxiu immediately put down her work, washed her hands, and prepared to step out of the kitchen.
"Xiuxiu, that..." Su Juan, seeing Xu Xiuxiu about to leave the kitchen, hesitated before whispering in her ear, "Xiuxiu, that man has some trouble with his legs."
Xu Xiuxiu paused for a moment, then responded, "Alright, I know." She didn't have any prejudices against people with disabilities. She was hiring a head chef for the Sichuan Pavilion to manage the kitchen in her absence. As long as the person's culinary skills were sufficient, everything else was secondary.
Xu Xiuxiu thought as she stepped out of the kitchen, she immediately saw a middle-aged man sitting upright at the dining table. Despite looking like he had undergone many hardships, the aura similar to Song Yuanhuan's hit her full in the face. Xu Xiuxiu thought to herself that even if his cooking skills were mediocre, in light of his prim posture, she would have to be polite to him.
"Hello, I am the owner of Sichuan Pavilion. Are you here for the head chef position?" Xu Xiuxiu greeted him with a smile as she sat down opposite the middle-aged man.
"Uh, yes, I... I'm here to apply. Hello, Boss!" The middle-aged man immediately stood up, feeling restrained. Looking at the young Xu Xiuxiu before him, he suddenly regretted coming to Sichuan Pavilion for the interview, thinking a young lady like her certainly wouldn't want to hire an old disabled man like him.
"Uncle, please don't stand on ceremony, sit down and let's talk!" Xu Xiuxiu quickly asked him to sit down. "Have some water, and we can talk as we drink." Xu Xiuxiu pushed the water glass in the center of the table toward him.
"Okay!" The middle-aged uncle composed himself and nodded firmly.
"What should I call you, Uncle?" Xu Xiuxiu continued to take the initiative to ask.
"My name is Huang Zhizhong, I'm 51 years old. Don't mind my age; I'm still quite spirited and it doesn't affect my cooking." Although he felt that the chances of securing the head chef position were slim, his habit made him still share a bit about himself.
"Then I'll call you Uncle Huang!"
"No problem."
"You should know we serve Sichuan cuisine here at Uncle Huang. Since you've come to interview for the head chef position, I assume you can cook Sichuan cuisine, right?" There was still a pile of side dishes for the evening that hadn't been prepared, so Xu Xiuxiu didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
"Yes, my grandmother was from Sichuan, and I grew up immersed in Sichuan cuisine."
"Then, Uncle Huang, could you please go to the kitchen and show me your cooking skills?" Xu Xiuxiu didn't care for mere talk; the real test would be in the kitchen, where no amount of eloquent description mattered.
"I can." The middle-aged uncle quickly agreed.
Xu Xiuxiu stood up with a slight smile, "Then please, Uncle Huang, could you make one of your specialties for me to see?"
"Okay!" Huang Zhizhong looked at the polite Xu Xiuxiu and thought since it was just one dish, he might as well go ahead to the kitchen.
Xu Xiuxiu stood behind, watched his walking posture for a moment, and then quietly followed him step by step.
In the kitchen, Huang Zhizhong indeed cooked Sichuan cuisine as he had claimed, and he was quite skilled at it. He even managed in a very short time to make a particularly representative Sichuan dish, boiled live fish.
Xu Xiuxiu watched his every move attentively; from slicing the fish to chopping the vegetables, he did everything meticulously, even more professionally than Xu Xiuxiu herself, which greatly impressed her. Even before she tasted the boiled live fish, she already had made up her mind.
She would definitely hire him as the chef!