Chapter 28 Chapter VII

One year after entering the store, Umezaki told me, "I have decided to resign." At first I thought it was the "Food Show" thing that hit him hard, but he really doesn't look like a horny guy.If this is the case, I am very disappointed in him, because it is really naive to resign because of quarrel.Where did Umezaki, who was full of confidence, go when he said that he would change the design of the fruit tower?Is it because you are exhausted by the accumulated work pressure? Perhaps seeing my mixed expression, Umezaki took the initiative to explain: "I originally decided to resign after staying for a year. I didn't tell you clearly at the beginning. I'm sorry! Although I can't help you anymore, it's absolutely fine for you to be alone."

"Is it too much work pressure? Or do you not like the atmosphere here?" "No, it's not! As long as you work in the kitchen of a French pastry specialty store for one year, you can get familiar with the process of each season, and repeat the same process in the next year. Therefore, you can learn the management method effectively by changing to another store every year. my thoughts." "But didn't you stay in the first house for two years?" "Because it was the first store I stayed in, so I want to stay for another year and check my learning status. As long as I get the knack, I can change to another store every year to study."

"If you do it like this, one day no one will hire you! Don't you think there will be problems if you do this?" "If this is the case, it means that my study career has come to an end and I can prepare to open a shop." I always feel that as long as I study hard, there is no need to change it. I really can't agree with this approach... I muttered. "It's not your life, so there's no need to worry about it!" Umezaki said with a smile. "Then you don't want to be on TV? Even if "Food Show" is gone, as long as you stay here, you still have a chance!"

Umezaki snickered. "When I saw Chongmoto on TV, I realized that it was meaningless to be on TV. It did attract a lot of new customers, but the fever went away quickly. It made me see clearly!" It seems that he is a person who can observe things calmly... Umezaki is definitely not a brainless person, nor is it awkward because I got ahead of him.To put it bluntly, the naive guy is actually me. "So work hard! I will work hard too." "Ok." "May I give you a suggestion?" "what?" "Can you use more snacks on fruit?" "what?"

"My hometown has a fruit shop, and it is an old shop that has been passed down from my grandfather's generation. The suppliers and farmers who have been with our family are all reputable suppliers and farmers, so when the locals mention the fruit shop, they refer to our family. But As agricultural products are like industrial products, after the market is divided up by big companies, restaurants and dessert specialty stores no longer order from small shops, but directly order from farmers. The business in the store has plummeted since then. My dad even considered closing it. Fruit shop, so I boasted my words and determined to become a famous dessert chef to revitalize my fruit shop. Because Japan will enter the dessert era in the future, and the amount of desserts consumed every year is bound to be astonishing. I will use a lot of high-quality fresh fruits to make other The fruit cake, which is absolutely unavailable in the store, has become a hot commodity. In this way, not only my store will become a famous store, but also my fruit store can be promoted by the way, which is my goal.”

The fruit tower designed by Umezaki clearly appeared in my mind, like the fruit tower placed at the front of the fruit shop. It was Umezaki's sincerity and his dream. "When you open a restaurant..." I said, "Can I go and have a look? Not only desserts, but also dishes." "Of course! I will help you prepare the best seat, you are welcome to come anytime!" Umezaki's kitchen was missing, and no one came in for a while.For me, this space always feels like a hole. This hole was not caused by anyone's fault, but I felt an inexplicable sadness in the space.

"Isn't it lonely that my partner is gone?" Chef Iwata suddenly said to me one day. "Umezaki is not my partner," I said, "but he is a very good contemporaneous student." "You know that kid's hometown is a fruit shop, right?" "I know." "His father came to see me," Chef Iwata said while inspecting the finished pralines. "When I told Umezaki why he wanted to become a pastry chef, his father said, 'I know very well that my son doesn't I don’t think he can help the family business because of his ability to become a master of Tianwang, so I am mentally prepared to close the fruit shop at any time, not to be a burden for the children. But I cherish his willingness to shoulder the heavy burden and Zhiqi, can I trouble you to at least teach him the skills of being a pastry chef? It is my greatest wish to let that kid support himself...'"

Not a king-level pastry chef, but an ordinary pastry chef. As long as he can support himself— I wish I had talked to him more, I thought.Whether making desserts, fruits, or your own future. We happened to be at the same place at the same time, doing the same dessert.This is definitely not a state that lasts forever, but something that happens instantaneously.Regardless of whether we are like-minded friends or not, in the eyes of others, Umezaki and I are indeed partners, but I have never noticed it. "I have an agreement with him..." My eyes fell on the chocolate on the workbench: "In the future, Umezaki will have his own restaurant, and I will definitely go there; Umezaki also said that he is welcome at any time. But I am very afraid. Dreams cannot come true—after all, the catering industry is not an industry that relies on talent alone—if that day does not come, maybe I will regret it for the rest of my life! I regret that I would have given up the opportunity to be on TV if I knew it earlier. Him, at least help him realize one wish."

"Did Umezaki really not tell you anything?" "Say what?" "That kid admired your artistically shaped cake! He was so annoyed that he almost burst into tears and said: 'It's great that such a delicate chocolate work can represent "Iwata" on the screen. Even for fruit I'm a fastidious person, so I probably can't do it!' It seems that he only said these words to me, and he couldn't tell you! In fact, that kid is very envious of your strength." Yeah, he didn't say anything to me.