CHAPTER 445: CHAPTER 249: SCAMMER (PART 7)_2

"Shengli, keep an eye on the fire control, and add the sesame oil at the end."

"Got it, Master." Huang Shengli obediently watched the fire, while Jinglixiang heated the pot and poured in the oil, followed by the meat.

"Sizzle," went the sound as the high heat quickly stir-fried the dish.

Then Qin Huai witnessed what true advanced fire control was.

Under the intense heat, the meat quickly changed color. Jinglixiang swiftly wielded the spatula, ensuring each strand of meat was evenly heated. Once all the meat in the pot had changed color, Jinglixiang sprinkled a little salt and tossed in the cabbage.

Again, it was a quick stir-fry with high heat.

Qin Huai felt that this stir-fried cabbage with meat seemed easy, but he couldn’t do it himself.

When watching Huang Shengli’s demonstration, he thought so too. It seemed like all you had to do was this and that, and voila, the perfect stir-fried cabbage with meat was served.

But when he did it himself, it was all wrong, all mixed up, and certainly not a perfect dish of stir-fried cabbage with meat that he ended up with.

Though it was the same dish, Jinglixiang clearly handled it more deftly than Huang Shengli. Qin Huai even felt that Jinglixiang wasn’t paying full attention to the pot, focusing more on the simmering fish next door.

"Shengli, sesame oil."

Huang Shengli added the sesame oil.

Not much, just a few drops, floating on the surface of the fish soup like an oil layer, dispersing after a stir with chopsticks.

Magically, after adding the sesame oil and stirring, the aroma of the fish soup was immediately enhanced. Jinglixiang smelled the aroma, nodded, and signaled Huang Shengli to turn off the heat, let it stew for another minute, and then take it out.

A minute later, the stir-fried cabbage with meat was also done.

Huang Shengli served out the fish stew, carried it out, and as he reached the kitchen door, took a deep breath and loudly called out, "Zheng Da, serve the dishes!"

"Coming, coming!" Zheng Da happily rushed in, not giving Huang Shengli a chance to serve the dishes, holding braised pork in his left hand and stir-fried cabbage with meat in his right, while eyeing the steamer baskets and asking, "Master, what’s in the steamer..."

"No rush, eat first, I remember the time," Jinglixiang said calmly.

With that, Zheng Da relaxed, carrying the dishes out of the kitchen.

Three dishes and a snack, which isn’t much for a birthday feast, but in this era, they’re considered a big deal, a grand serve.

In the private room, the bowls of Zheng Da and Guo Mingzhu were empty, and the pot of Four Happiness glutinous rice had no one sneaking bites. Upon seeing the braised pork and stewed fish, both their eyes widened, not sparing a glance at the stir-fried cabbage with meat, showing it no respect.

Seeing Gong Liang’s bowl still empty, Jinglixiang smiled and asked, "Xiao Liang, why aren’t you eating? Don’t like glutinous rice?"

Gong Liang hurriedly answered, "Not at all, I barely get to eat glutinous rice once a year, how could I not like it? It’s just, Master you are still busy, how can we all start eating before the chef sits down?"

Jinglixiang smiled warmly and sat down, his face still pleasant despite a menacing scar.

"Today, since you’re the birthday boy, it’s only right you eat first. Letting the birthday boy starve would be the chef’s fault anyway," he said, then looked at Guo Mingzhu. "Xiao Guo, right? I’ve heard a lot about you from Xiao Liang, I remember you, didn’t you come to the State owned Restaurant to buy buns on the 2nd last month?"

"Yes, yes." Guo Mingzhu nodded repeatedly, "Master Jing, you have such a good memory, I only bought them once."

"It’s because you’re so good-looking, such a pretty girl in the crowd is unforgettable," Jinglixiang said with a smile, noticing that Guo Mingzhu was now eyeing the braised pork, with Gong Liang trying not to, and Huang Shengli and Zheng Da both staring hungrily at the fish stewed and Four Happiness glutinous rice. "Alright, the dishes are pretty much here."

"Birthday boy, dig in."

Gong Liang picked up his chopsticks, instinctively reaching for the braised pork, but stopped himself and pulled his chopsticks back, serving himself four Four Happiness glutinous rice balls first.

He remembered that Jinglixiang had told him to start with the rice balls.

Once Gong Liang started, everyone followed suit, each taking four rice balls, except for Jinglixiang, who took one.

"I’m getting old, eating too many rice balls at night makes my stomach uncomfortable," Jinglixiang said.

Upon hearing this, Huang Shengli quickly went to the kitchen and got a fresh bowl, serving Jinglixiang a bowl of fish soup.

Everyone was focused on eating the rice balls.

Zheng Da took a bite, "Why is this meat-filled?"

Gong Liang took a bite, "What is this winter melon candy filling again?"

Bite after bite, a rice ball here, some braised pork there, a rice ball, a bite of fish meat, and another rice ball, with some stir-fried cabbage tossed in; this bland and monotonous meal began.

As for why it was bland and monotonous.

Qin Huai said he couldn’t eat any of it, it was too bland, too monotonous, he desperately wanted to leave this place.

Damn, how could he not have found it this unbearable when looking into other people’s memories before?

Was Gong Liang’s memory nothing but eating? What a range of delicacies had he eaten before? Snacks were one thing, but now even good dishes were being eaten.

The overpowered novel protagonist was definitely eating too extensively.

Did he ever consider the feelings of the system narrative protagonist while eating?

By the time this bland meal ended, Gong Liang and Zheng Da could barely move. Now that everyone was pretty much done, only then did Master Jing leisurely get up, go to the kitchen, and bring out the Qianhua Gongdeng Bun.

Everyone was stunned.

It wasn’t the appearance of the Qianhua Gongdeng Bun that shocked them.

Master Jing’s Qianhua Gongdeng Bun wasn’t that extravagant, certainly not as fancy as the one Zheng Da made last time, just a very normal Qianhua Gongdeng Bun, even looking a bit shortcut in making.

Qin Huai noticed that the edges of this Qianhua Gongdeng Bun weren’t that detailed; the bun maker seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.

Even a master with the highest skills can sometimes slack off.

The shock was mainly because they were already 90% full and did not expect more snacks.

So at this point, eat or not?

Of course, eat!

Ninety percent full? The stomach’s potential is limitless, push a bit more, even 120% is possible.

Everyone tried hard to stuff the buns into their mouths.

Finally, Zheng Da and Gong Liang were supporting themselves off the walls as they walked.

Gong Liang still wanted to walk Guo Mingzhu back, but Guo Mingzhu waved it off, saying he should quickly go home and lie down to digest, and she needed to walk home by herself, organizing her words to emphatically talk about tonight’s dishes to her parents.

Gong Liang saw Guo Mingzhu back to the entrance of the State owned Restaurant, while Zheng Da and Huang Shengli cleaned up the kitchen.

Just as Gong Liang was about to head back, Jinglixiang called out to him.

"Xiao Liang." Jinglixiang gestured for him to come over; Gong Liang gingerly walked over, holding his waist on one side.

"I haven’t given you your birthday gift yet."

Gong Liang opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, clearly too full to even burp, fearing if he did, the food in his stomach might come out with it.

Jinglixiang went into the kitchen, brought out a small steamer basket, and slowly opened it in front of Gong Liang’s confused eyes.

Inside was a bun.

A Qianhua Gongdeng Bun.

A very beautiful Qianhua Gongdeng Bun.

If the ones they just ate were the basic model, and Zheng Da’s last made was a plus version, then this was the Pro Max version.

Skipping the intermediate Pro version, it was the ultimate enhanced version.

This Qianhua Gongdeng Bun was unbelievably beautiful.

Eight edges, each intricately pressed like measured with a ruler, with small characters at the base of each edge reading auspicious stars shining, Five Blessings at your door.

The eight edges represented the lantern’s sides, and Jinglixiang had even carefully finished the corners of the lantern with the edges, topped with red candied fruit as decoration.

This was truly an artwork.

Gong Liang was mesmerized.

"The Qianhua Gongdeng Bun symbolizes welcoming a new beginning; the ones you just had were to clear the past, and this is specially made for you to welcome your new start."

"I know you probably can’t eat it now, you can bring it home, eat it tonight or tomorrow morning, it’s fine."

"Ah, to be young, when I was your age and encountered good food, I’d eat like a fool until I was uncomfortably full."

"Can’t do that now, getting older, even eating a bit more hurts my stomach, keeping me up all night. Xiao Liang, enjoy your youth, eat, play, see, and learn more."

"Don’t always lack confidence, believe in yourself."

"You’re no longer an unknown Xiao Gong; you’re now the star of the Silk Factory, the famous Salesman Gong."

"Eating this bun marks your farewell to the old, and the beginning of your new life."

Gong Liang didn’t speak, he nodded heavily.

Then resolutely picked up the bun and bit into it fiercely.

"Hiccup." Gong Liang couldn’t hold it back and let out a burp.

Master Jing laughed heartily once again.

Qin Huai left the memory.