eurekapd Chapter 439 Accepting a Disciple
Chapter 439 Accepting a Disciple
At this moment, in Shangouzi Village, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, a big event is happening - in the courtyard of the Gu family, a grand and solemn apprenticeship ceremony is being held.
Old Li was wearing an exquisite jacket, and his silver hair was combed neatly and gleaming, as if reflecting the sun's rays. He sat upright on a bamboo chair, looking serious yet kind.
Standing next to Old Li was Second Aunt Gu, holding a cup of fragrant tea. Her face was filled with joy and respect, and her eyes were full of admiration for this venerable senior.
Around them, there was a crowd of people. These people were all disciples that Old Li had taught carefully over the years. They were young or old, but without exception, they were full of gratitude and admiration for Old Li.
There were as many as sixty-seven people attending the apprenticeship ceremony this time, and each of them had learned cooking from Old Li.
However, there are still many people who cannot come to the scene in person for various reasons. Otherwise, even if Gu Guoqing's house is completely demolished, it may not be able to accommodate so many people who come to learn from him!
In the Fujian cuisine world, Lao Li's reputation has spread far and wide.
Not only is he an excellent cook, he has also won the respect and love of everyone with his noble character and selfless teachings.
Today, these disciples gathered together to witness this meaningful apprenticeship ceremony, which is also a way to express their deep respect to Old Li.
It can be said that Lao Li's disciples are all over the world! Not to mention in China, there are also Lao Li's disciples in many big cities abroad!
When these disciples learned that their teacher was going to accept a closed disciple, they were all shocked!
It’s been almost ten years since Old Li accepted any disciples!
So everyone wanted to see who on earth was able to make a teacher who had not accepted any disciples for many years reopen his school!
……
To be honest, everyone was very disappointed when they saw Second Aunt Gu!
A rural woman who is almost forty years old, has lived in the mountains and has rarely been out of the mountain all her life. She looks very ordinary, and the long years of hard work have left indelible marks on her!
Everyone is very curious, why did the teacher accept such a person as his last disciple?
……
"Bow, serve tea, teach etiquette, and read the teacher's instructions!"
These four rituals are essential parts of the Fujian cuisine inheritance ceremony.
The new apprentice, Aunt Gu, bowed deeply to show her respect to her master; then she offered a cup of steaming hot fragrant tea to her master with both hands. This cup of tea represented the apprentice's gratitude to her master.
Then the master will give the apprentice some special gifts or tokens as a gift of apprenticeship. These things symbolize the master's expectations and blessings for the apprentice.
Finally, the apprentices read out the master's instructions in unison, expressing their determination to abide by the master's rules, study hard and pass on the skills.
After completing these four ceremonies, it means that the apprentice has officially entered the master's door and become a member of this sect.
From this moment on, the master and the apprentice will respect and care for each other, and work together to carry forward the exquisite cooking skills of Fujian cuisine.
Old Li took the tea respectfully handed over by Aunt Gu with a smile, took a sip and said slowly: "Fujian cuisine, it originated in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province."
"Moreover, Fujian cuisine in Fuzhou is the most representative! However, with the passage of time and the influence of regional differences, three major schools have gradually formed: Fuzhou, Southern Fujian, and Western Fujian."
He paused and continued: "Strictly speaking, what has been inherited by our lineage is the Minxi school!" At this point, an expression of mixed pride and relief appeared on Old Li's face.
“Fuzhou cuisine is light, refreshing, fresh and delicious, focusing on the combination of sour and sweet flavors, and emphasizing the use of soup to enhance the umami flavor.”
"Southern Fujian cuisine covers Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhangzhou, and pays great attention to the seasoning and pursues a fresh and fragrant feeling. As for Western Fujian cuisine, it is mainly distributed in Changting and the southwest region, and tends to be salty and spicy. It uses a lot of mountain delicacies in cooking, showing a strong mountain style."
"Because of this, different schools of Fujian cuisine have jointly shaped the three unique features of Fujian cuisine. First, they are good at using red yeast rice for seasoning; second, they are good at making a variety of delicious soups; third, they are proficient in the use of sweet and sour techniques."
At this time, the disciples of Lao Li standing by were listening quietly. They recalled that when they were apprentices, they had heard Lao Li talk about the long history of Fujian cuisine! This memory made them feel very familiar!
"In my life, I have accepted nine direct disciples. As for those who have the status of master and apprentice, there are countless of them. And there are even more people who have not had the status of master and apprentice but have asked me for advice..."
At this point, Old Li's tone revealed a hint of pride.
The many disciples standing nearby also had knowing smiles on their faces.
The most commendable thing about Old Li in his life is that he never keeps anything to himself!
Regardless of whether the other party has a master-disciple relationship with him or not, as long as someone comes to him with an open mind to seek advice, he will give guidance equally!
It is precisely because of this that so many people came today to watch Old Li accept his last disciple.
These disciples recognized this teacher from the bottom of their hearts and were full of respect and gratitude for him!
"Today marks the end of my half-life of teaching and recruiting disciples!"