Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 25 Cultural Palace

Biaozi thought for a moment, did some mental calculations, and said, "Give me four hundred and fifty. That Kun car is almost 80% new, a German Diamond brand. You'd need over a thousand to buy a new one. Just give me the license plate number. Huizi brought it, so I won't make any profit off you."

This price is quite reasonable. In 1990, a new Forever 28-inch motorcycle would cost over 300 yuan. The German-made small-framed Kunming motorcycle is even more expensive. Xiaowei doesn't know if it can reach 1,000 yuan, but it's definitely worth at least 800 yuan. Although these are all used motorcycles, the tires are newly replaced. At this price, Biaozi probably didn't make much money. Of course, whether he made money or not is relative to his usual business.

Xiao Wei felt a pang of regret, but he still readily paid, watching helplessly as Biaozi took the money and stuffed it into his pocket. Biaozi laughed and said, "What's with that look? Trying to snatch it back?"

Xiao Wei smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm really a little reluctant to spend this much; it's the first time I've ever spent so much at once."

Biaozi laughed and said, "Indeed. You're considered rich. Normally, if you were to buy a bike in shabby condition, you'd haggle with me for ages over a hundred yuan. Nobody prints money, so you can't be stingy with a few hundred yuan. Alright, ride off. If you need anything, just push it over."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "I'll take Kun's bike back first, and then I'll ride it with extra weight later. Is it okay to just leave it downstairs? Is this area safe?"

Biaozi scratched his forehead and said, "It's okay. Just lock it. Everyone knows my bike, no one will mess with yours. Even if it gets lost, I'll help you find it." He pointed to the area under the seat where the character "Biao" was stamped in steel, but you couldn't really see it unless you looked closely.

Xiao Wei nodded and reached out to pick up the pink Kun car. This German car had an aluminum frame, which was quite lightweight, unlike the heavy iron frames that were common in China at this time.

He rode Kun's bike back downstairs and locked it, then went back to Biaozi's shop, pushed the heavy-duty version out, patted the seat, looked it over, and asked Biaozi, "How do I get to the Cultural Palace?"

Biaozi pointed north and said, "Go out and walk to Wuma Road, turn right and keep going. There are big signs there, it'll be easy to find. That area is a bit chaotic, don't wander around aimlessly. It's best not to go any further north, or you'll reach the station."

Xiao Wei nodded in agreement, got on his bike, and headed in the direction Biaozi had indicated. He was going to the Cultural Palace to register for a chef's class.

Xiao Wei was very nervous as he rode his bike onto the streets of Fengtian for the first time.

This place is nothing like the county town, where you can ride around on bicycles since there aren't many cars or people. Here, the roads are bustling with traffic, and pedestrians are endless. Xiao Wei carefully pedaled forward, keeping to the side of the road, and he started sweating after only a short distance.

After more than ten minutes, we finally saw an old building that looked like a castle in the distance. It was located at a three-way intersection, surrounded by streets on all four sides, and stood out among the tall buildings. There were large red characters on the top and sides of the building: Fengtian City Cultural Palace.

After looking around at the pedestrians and vehicles, Xiao Wei pedaled harder, circling around for most of the way before finally finding the main entrance. He got off, locked his bike, and paid the old man watching over it a dime. This whole area was full of bicycles; from the Cultural Palace to the road in front, there were no fewer than a thousand bicycles parked in the three open spaces, densely packed together.

The main gate of the Cultural Palace was enclosed by a wooden-framed glass door, locked from the front, and one had to enter from the side. This was the standard gate style for state-owned units at that time. The side entrance was for protection against the cold in winter, but in summer it was usually left locked like that. People were too lazy to bother with it; when it got cold, they would just hang up a curtain and that was it.

The building was pitch black inside. There was a staircase against one wall, and the other three sides were all rooms. Except for the main entrance, there was no light from any side. A fluorescent light was shining overhead, making the building look bluish and even more gloomy.

There was a gatehouse at the bottom of the stairs. Xiao Wei walked over and saw an old man sitting inside.

Xiao Wei gently knocked on the window and asked, "Grandpa, where is that chef training class?"

The old man shook the newspaper in his hand, turned his head and glanced at Xiao Wei through his reading glasses, saying, "Second floor, the biggest room."

Xiao Wei thanked him and went up the cement stairs to the second floor. There were two open wooden doors in front of him, and the inside was bright. He stepped inside.

The room was furnished like a large classroom, with a podium, a lectern, a blackboard, and rows of desks below.

Four people were sitting behind the first table. There were five or six people standing in front of the table. Three of them were about the same age as Xiaowei, and the rest were all middle-aged people, talking to the people sitting behind the table.

Xiao Wei walked over and asked, "Is this where the chef training class is?"

The tall, thin girl sitting at the far end of the table looked up at Xiaowei and said, "Yes, the chef training class, are you signing up?"

Xiao Wei walked over and said, "Let's take a look. If it's good, then we'll report it."

The girl laughed, tucked her hair behind her ear, and said, "What do you mean 'okay'? This is a regular class. We get a certificate from the labor bureau upon graduation, which is valid anywhere. Our own hotel is on the first floor. You can learn and intern at the same time. Where else can you find conditions like this?"

Xiao Wei picked up a brochure from the table and looked at it, saying, "How long is the course? Do you really recommend jobs? Where do you recommend them?"

The girl said, "Three and a half months, learning from scratch. Our restaurant's head chef is Liu Jingxian's apprentice, and Master Liu will also be teaching. Master Liu's father, a national-level master chef and head chef of Shaoyuan Restaurant, will also be teaching. There are also Master Liu's fellow apprentices and disciples. Let me tell you, among all the chef training classes in Fengtian, our teachers are the best. And there are restaurants right downstairs, as well as Shaoyuan, Lumingchun, and Jiugecheng—you can even do internships and work there. What more do you want?"

Xiao Wei was taken aback for a moment, then said, "We can go to Jiuge City too?"

The girl nodded and said, "Of course! The head chef of Jiuge City is Master Liu's junior apprentice, so it's just a matter of a word for him. Let me tell you, our boss and Master Liu Jingxian are inseparable. Master Liu is practically a senior figure in the culinary world, you know? With a word from him, not only in Fengtian, but chefs across half of China have to give him face. His father is one of the few master chefs in our country. Come on, where else can you find such a good deal?"

Xiao Wei flipped through the application requirements at the back of the brochure and said, "There's no such thing as a guaranteed good deal."

The girl said, "Of course, you have to be at least at that level yourself. What are you going to do if you can't even cook celery properly? Am I right? You'll only be able to do odd jobs in the kitchen. Do we even need to introduce you to that? Any restaurant will hire odd jobs for a few hundred yuan a month. You don't need to come here to learn how to do that."

Xiao Wei smiled and asked, "How much does it cost to register?"

The girl rolled her eyes at him and said, "You've been looking for so long and still can't see it? It's 1600, 300 for accommodation, and meals aren't included. It's written right there on the sign. Are you doing this on purpose?"

Xiao Wei scratched his head and said, "Can't you give me a discount? It's too expensive; I could buy a color TV with that money."

The girl looked down and rummaged through the papers on the table, pulling out a form. She picked up a pen and said, "Fill out the form and pay. Enough with the nonsense. I'm telling you, I have a boyfriend, so don't get any ideas about me."

Xiao Wei took the pen, picked up the watch, and said, "I also have a girlfriend, but you're too thin. You look like you can't do any work, so I won't do it."

The people around them all burst out laughing, and the girl gritted her teeth and punched Xiao Wei on the arm.