Chapter 264: Failed Bread
That evening, after Xiang Chuan returned home, she mentioned this matter to Lin Minzhi during dinner.
“A Bite of China? Is it also a TV series?”
Lin Minzhi frowned. She had originally planned to have Xiang Chuan help plan a science program, but Xiang Chuan suggested directly using ancient video material—wasn’t that just a TV series?
Xiang Chuan shook her head, swallowed the noodles in her mouth, and said:
“It’s not a TV series, it’s a documentary, only seven episodes. It’s a documentary specifically recording the food culture and customs of various places in the Huaxia country in the 21st century. It has a lot of popular science on the origins and development of staple foods, meat, and fermented products, and the humanistic folklore is filmed very well.”
Documentary?
Mr. and Mrs. Xiang Weiguo at the dining table, along with Xiang Xue and Lin Ming, looked at each other in bewilderment.
This word was not unfamiliar to them. Every time Xiang Chuan occasionally guest-starred in Xiang Xue’s live stream room, answering bullet comments on the screen about clothing and culture-related questions from TV series, she would occasionally drop this word.
Everyone originally thought it would be some slideshow of single pictures, but listening now… it felt like another form of video?
“Won’t seven episodes be a bit too few?” Xiang Xue said worriedly. “Our teacher said that the discussion of this draft is estimated to last at least until the Fleet Exchange Period. By then, sister, you would have graduated from university, right?”
“It’s not broadcast every day, just one episode per week is fine.” Xiang Chuan raised her eyebrows. “Each episode has its own theme, and the content in it can keep the Agriculture Bureau researching for a long time. Plus, this piece has withstood the test of past audiences and was the synonym for gourmet documentaries for a long time.”
“Sister Xiang Chuan’s club name wouldn’t be taken from this documentary, right?” Lin Ming asked.
Seeing Xiang Chuan nod, Lin Minzhi felt a bit more at ease in her heart. Although her eldest daughter sometimes did things based on sudden whims, her aesthetics were still very reassuring. With her daughter recommending it so strongly, this documentary must have something extraordinary.
However…
“Just seven episodes? No sequels?” Lin Minzhi asked persistently. “If the response is good, maybe the Agriculture Bureau will add a commission for you to find more new documentaries.”
Xiang Chuan frowned and said: “There are second and third seasons later, but the third season’s quality isn’t great… The second season also has seven episodes, barely usable, right? And besides this one, there are some other regional gourmet documentaries. Their quality probably doesn’t match this one, but I think they can still satisfy modern audiences.”
“But…”
Lin Minzhi wanted to say more, but at this moment Xiang Weiguo spoke up:
“Oh, Minzhi, talking so much about future matters is pointless. Why not first watch the documentary Xiao Chuan has and see. Xiao Xue, notify your live stream room in advance to push the live stream back by half an hour. Then we can all go watch what quality documentary Xiang Chuan has, so it’s easier to explain to the Agriculture Bureau.”
Hearing this, Lin Minzhi had nothing more to say for the time being.
Indeed, let’s watch this documentary first.
——
An hour later, in the room that had completely turned from a game room into a live broadcast room.
Mr. and Mrs. Xiang Weiguo, Xiang Xue, and Lin Ming stared dumbfounded at the big screen playing the end credits and production staff list, unable to recover for a long time.
Xiang Chuan hugged freshly fried French fries and munched on them, nodding repeatedly.
Although she didn’t remember how many times she had watched A Bite of China, it was fascinating every time, and also very appetizing.
She turned to look at her mother and asked:
“So, does it meet the Agriculture Bureau and Cultural Affairs Bureau’s requirements?”
Lin Minzhi came back to her senses, took two deep breaths to adjust her state, looked at the big screen with complex eyes, and said:
“Far more than meeting the standard—it’s way beyond the effect we wanted. Xiao Chuan, if you had brought out this documentary earlier, I think the draft’s public release could have been advanced by a few more months.”
Even the now-stillborn Production Escort Ship Reduction Draft might not have had a chance to be put on the table.
Xiang Weiguo also let out a heavy breath and sighed:
“Xiao Chuan, now I understand why after contacting the information turbulence, you’ve always wanted to mess with that pork no one wants to touch. After watching this, even I’d be tempted.”
Lotus root clips, ham, fried rice, Yan Du Xian… which one wouldn’t make the current Xiang Weiguo, who thinks he’s tasted all kinds of “latest” gourmet foods, drool? Let alone Xiang Chuan who can watch these anytime?
“I originally planned to at least wait until beans and castrated pork officially enter the ingredients before considering bringing out this documentary. If it weren’t for that uncle from the Agriculture Bureau coming personally this time…” Xiang Chuan muttered.
Seeing her like this, Xiang Weiguo and Lin Minzhi couldn’t help laughing. Lin Minzhi said: “Bringing it out earlier is better, right? After the uncles and aunts on the production escort ships watch this, their work motivation might multiply several times.”
This was true. After A Bite of China aired, the employee cadres on the production escort ships were like injected with chicken blood, arranging overnight the ingredient planting, breeding, and cloning technology reproduction work for extinct poultry ingredients in various departments, all to eat the various gourmet snacks in the documentary as soon as possible.
But these were all later stories.
——
Xiang Chuan sent the first season of A Bite of China along with several American TV dramas to the Information Turbulence Processing Office for audit, then continued her first year high school life.
The week after the exam, the results came out. As expected, Xiang Chuan had a bunch of failing grades, barely passing the liberal arts subjects, which made Ainuo, who tutored her in math, have exploding veins in his temples.
Xiang Chuan: Any 21st century top student you bring would probably not do much better than me. Give up.
But just as Ainuo said before, with the identities of information turbulence contactee and A Bite of China Club President, the principal and homeroom teacher Zhu Bingwen didn’t say much about it. They even often came together to the A Bite of China Club small restaurant during club activities to freeload food and drinks.
With the end-of-term exams over, more students came to the small restaurant to spend. Xiang Chuan was puzzled by the strange increase in turnover when Ouyang Yating and Ainuo, who were almost part of Xiang Chuan’s hippocampus, casually answered her doubt:
The A Bite of China Club small restaurant now had recipes that neither Yue Xiang Restaurant nor the school cafeteria had, and it was the only place providing reading access to three ancient novels along with dining services. Students wanting to read novels to relax after exams, and those wanting to eat their fill of fruit milk, cake, and various trial products from A Bite of China Club members before the holiday, naturally gathered here.
“Why not have the Cultural Affairs Bureau set up a reading cafe in the library?” Xiang Chuan couldn’t help complaining after hearing this analysis. “If the Cultural Affairs Bureau lacks recipe authorization, just talk to Yue Xiang Group for cooperation, supply some milk, juice, plus buns, cake, and such—perfect, right?”
After saying that, Xiang Chuan went back to fighting the dough in the kitchen, leaving the A Bite of China Club members and Class Eight folks deep in thought on the spot.
It wasn’t that Xiang Chuan had no interest in a reading cafe; she had just escaped exams with difficulty and wanted to focus on the roaster outside.
What was the roaster for? Of course not for roasted meat… well, at least Xiang Chuan’s main purpose wasn’t roasted meat; roasting some on the side was fine.
The most important purpose was to make bread.
Xiang Chuan looked at the light screens lined up in front of her, carefully put a hard-kneaded dough into a container, trotted outside excitedly, opened the roaster, and put it in.
Soon, the aroma wafted over. The familiar bread scent excited Xiang Chuan. She timed it right, opened the roaster, shoveled out the bread container, and immediately saw—burnt black bread.
Xiang Chuan: …
A medieval-style roaster was still quite challenging for a 21st century corporate slave who had never done proper baking.
