Chapter 42: The Flavor and Color Are Absolutely Perfect, Only Now Does He Get to Taste It

  This was a dish with an absolutely fantastic aroma, and the fat chef watched as Shanyong deeply inhaled, his expression serious. Lei Dapeng's face was filled with longing, while Xiao Cimou carefully observed, and the only female guest had already unconsciously inserted her chopsticks into the pot, not saying a word, smiling as she left. The chef and true foodies shared an understanding, and judging from the scene before him, this great chef became even more convinced that Shanyong was indeed the son-in-law of the Shi family, because only a true foodie could maintain his composure in front of such a delicious dish.

  Eating guests are not called eating guests because of gluttony and deliciousness, but rather because they understand how to eat and know how to appreciate food. When facing exquisite dishes, the dignified and respectful expression on their face will make the chef consider them a kindred spirit without needing to say a word.

  Wang Hua-ting took a piece of yam, Lei Da-peng scooped up a bowl of thick soup with meat, and Si Mu-xian's spoon also reached into this most eye-catching dish. Only then did Shan Yong open his eyes, sighed and said: "Awesome, the yam, Chinese angelica, dried dates, fragrant herbs and abalone sauce are all perfectly combined, and the color of the abalone sauce is changed to be so natural, this skill is almost at its peak. And this tableware, it's just right for the dish."

  A big, long-shaped pot of soup, not very impressive in Lei Dapeng's eyes. But he just kept eating and didn't say a word. Si Mu Xian also tasted it, but his eyes were on Wang Huating, who had put a round piece of meat into her mouth and was chewing... This startled him, and he didn't dare make a sound. He kicked Danyong and Lei Dapeng with his foot, and the three of them stopped moving, all staring at Wang Huating.

  The fluffy and crispy yam, combined with the rich flavor of abalone sauce, really opened up one's appetite. Wang Huating had not tried it before, but at this time, the abalone sauce in her mouth was quite different from what she remembered. Although she knew it was abalone sauce, it didn't taste like it, or rather, it was a combination of several common flavors that blended together with the abalone sauce. It looked thick and rich, but when she put it in her mouth, it was smooth and refreshing, not like pure abalone sauce which had a slightly sticky texture.

  After eating for a while, she tried another piece of meat, which was chewy yet crispy, crispy yet fragrant, with the fragrance of abalone sauce mixed with a hint of medicinal flavor and some other food ingredients. It was hard to describe, but when she put it in her mouth, the aftertaste was long-lasting and fragrant. Wang Huating couldn't help but eat several more pieces, forgetting that she had to be careful about what she ate when eating with these three gluttons.

  After a few more bites, when she came back to reality from her enjoyment, she noticed something strange - Lei Dapeng, Si Muxian, and Shan Yong were all staring at her, looking at her like an alien.

  "Eat, why have you stopped eating?" Wang Hua Ting persuaded.

  "Right, eat quickly, looking at this book's extraordinary talent can make you all stunned."

  Shan Yong covered it up, saying that Lei Dapeng was about to ask something, but before he could, Simu Xian quickly stuffed a piece of donkey rib into his mouth and kicked him in the foot. Lei Dapeng didn't dare make another sound. Shan Yong then picked up the ladle, scooped out some thick soup, and savored it with yam and meat slices. After a brief pause, he grabbed another piece of donkey rib and gnawed on it with relish.

  Good food can evoke a sense of atmosphere, no pretence. For example, this large bowl of Mongolian-style braised pork belly paired with hand-pulled noodles is called hearty and bold. Even timid people who take a few sips will feel like heroes. And this red soup stewed with gold coins, the atmosphere is also quite impressive... so impressive that these three are nervous and their hearts are racing.

  As they ate, the three of them stopped again, exchanging playful glances and intentionally or unintentionally looking at Wang Huating. Wang Huating almost unconsciously broke through her psychological barrier and even accepted the large piece of donkey ribs, taking a few bites before asking about the names of the dishes. Shan Yong explained that the clear, colorless one was donkey tendon meat, a type of sinewy food material; the white sliced strips were nine-turn donkey intestines, which excelled in their cutting technique. Holding up a strip, Shan Yong explained that the selected material came from naturally raised donkeys that developed very healthily, and after each segment of intestine was cut into strips, there were eight to nine folds, hence the name "nine-turn donkey intestines." This sparked everyone's curiosity, and they counted the folds on several strips, finding that indeed, most had nine bends.

  The fish-flavored donkey meat doesn't need to be explained, it's a signature dish in most donkey meat restaurants in Luoyang. The cooking method used is dry stir-frying to remove excess water, and the donkey meat threads are golden yellow. Wang Huating might have been able to accept this dish alone, but unexpectedly, she tasted all the other dishes at once.

  "What about this one? This dish is the best." Wang Hua-ting pointed to the red soup abalone stewed with golden money and asked.

  "This..." Dan Yong hesitated for a moment and gave Wang Huating an uncertain answer with a very serious tone: "Guess?"

  That's a great guess, Lei Dapeng can come in now, giving a thumbs up: "Awesome, Egg Brother, I knew it was worth doing this business, just for this dish alone, all the expenses are worth it."

  "Is that it?" Wang Huating didn't believe it.

  "That's right, a bowl of abalone rice can't be worth just a few hundred, let alone... " Lei Dapeng's foot hurt and he didn't dare say anymore. Si Mu Xian continued: "Let alone it was cooked by the great chef invited by the Shi family."

  "Don't just talk, hurry up and eat..." Dan Yong urged, as three big pork ribs were snatched into his plate. Lei Da Peng quickly grabbed two back and gave one to Wang Hua Ting. Si Mu Xian didn't grab any, but her chopsticks didn't stop moving. Wang Hua Ting was scooping up the abalone sauce again, saying: "This dish is still the best."

  After finishing, she picked up and started eating again. Her appetite was opened, and she ate with relish. After a while, the same strange phenomenon occurred again. Shanyong, Leidaipeng, and Simuxian stared at her, their eyes wide with wonder. This time, Wang Huating realized that something was wrong. It definitely wasn't her own extraordinary charm that had attracted these few people. She asked suspiciously: "What's going on? Not right... what is this made of? It seems to be abalone sauce..."

  Watching him eat almost done, Shan Yong endured his smile and calmly spat out two words: "Donkey whip."

  Lei Dapeng and Simu Xian burst out laughing, almost falling over, Wang Huating had just taken a sip, heard this, and with a "plop", she spat it out, spraying Lei Dapeng all over. Lei Dapeng didn't get angry, but laughed so hard he was crying, Wang Huating was furious, pointing at the three of them, stomping her foot, laughing and crying as she scolded: "You... you... you bunch of rascals, ganging up to trick me, huh!?"

  "Come on, we've all advised you, but you just won't listen... What's the point of having money if you're going to be stingy? In the past, being frugal was called 'copper coin flesh'." Dan Yong said, glancing at Wang Huating who was still fuming, and signaled for everyone not to laugh, explaining:

  "Why do I say this dish is perfect? Look, the color, tender and white, with a hint of sensuality; the aroma, you've smelled it, can overpower other dishes; the taste, you've tried it, no need for me to say more. Nutritionally, this thing is a top-notch tonic for nourishing yin and yang... The key lies in its shape and meaning, not intentionally trying to embarrass you, we often discuss this among ourselves. This dish uses sensual colors and alluring aromas, combined with the rustic yet sexy container, perfectly conveying the underlying message. This is truly cultural refinement on the tongue: color, aroma, taste, shape, meaning, nutrition... perfection! Without dressing up as a rich man, you wouldn't even think about getting to try this dish. The last time I heard about it was three years ago, when a coal boss in Shuozhou invited several VIPs and specially brought the chef from Dezhou to cook at his villa, just the round-trip expenses cost tens of thousands."

  "It's worth it anyway." Leida Peng said, opening his mouth and taking a bite, holding the bowl with one hand, staring at the food, and suddenly saying: "Huh? Egg brother, you didn't say it, I almost forgot, this thing really looks like that... …"

  It's coarse, long and big, what is it? Wang Hua-ting didn't dare to say anything after seeing Leiyida. Shanyong said with a tone as if intentionally provoking Wang Hua-ting: "To put it crudely, it's like JJ... To put it elegantly, it's called male genitalia. The food and utensils are all expressing the same atmosphere... Zhishu, you can't taste this one, eat something else."

  Wang Huating slightly lost her composure, but strangely didn't feel nauseous. She saw that Wang Yun had intentionally turned up his nose at her. Her own nose twitched with annoyance, and she stood up straight, holding the bowl, and started eating in big mouthfuls without any politeness. This made Lei Dapeng, who hadn't dared to speak, even more bewildered. He thought to himself: "We're always so refined and courteous, but Egg Brother can say dirty words right to our faces and nothing happens."

  This is crossing the line, there's no bottom limit anymore. Wang Huating was being stubborn and daring to try it like that. Fortunately, the taste here is really good, and she didn't feel any psychological barrier at all. It wasn't until a while later that she realized she had just spit on Lei Dapeng's chest. She felt embarrassed, took out some tissues, and handed them to Lei Dapeng. This guy was happily eating, shaking his head, and saying: "It's fine, it's fine, let's talk about it after we finish eating... Hurry up and eat, this guy is freeloading, don't let the fake uncle find out or we'll be in trouble."

  "No trouble, I'll just deduct it from your meal money." Danyong said with a smile, savoring the flavor to his heart's content.

  "You've said it all, I'm not worth much, can't even afford this meal, definitely won't deduct from me." Lei Dapeng said disdainfully. Shan Yong glanced at Wang Huating with a "what-can-you-do" expression, Wang Huating rolled her eyes and ignored him. Shan Yong continued: "No choice, can only deduct from our branch's account then."

  "How can that be? If there's going to be a deduction, it should be from both of you." Lei Dapeng was unhappy.

  "Second brother, you're really not taking us as brothers, are you?"

  Shan Yong still had a way out and thought of an even better idea, deliberately asking Lei Dapeng: "Dapeng, how about this, let's detain both you and Zhi Shu?"

  "Oh, that's not bad." Lei Dapeng thought for a moment and didn't mind being detained with Wang Huating. Si Mu Xian and Shan Yong couldn't help but laugh, when suddenly Shan Yong's foot hurt, he gritted his teeth and let out a muffled cry. When he looked down, he saw a black leather shoe pressing on his foot... Wang Huating was taking revenge, stepping on Shan Yong's foot with the sole of her shoe, while looking like nothing was wrong, she glanced at Shan Yong with a smug expression, as if asking if it hurt.

  At this moment, Shanyong shouted and it wasn't, didn't shout and it wasn't, just about to take action, but unexpectedly Wang Huating suddenly lifted her foot, eagerly handing a tissue to Lei Dapeng, Lei Dapeng was suddenly honored. Shanyong also instantly suppressed it, if he makes a move, Lei Dapeng will definitely become the shield again.

  His eyes moved with a hint of emotion, and the atmosphere seemed no less intense than the red abalone soup. Si Mu Xian was meticulous and noticed something, but couldn't quite put his finger on it, and secretly smiled at this love triangle that he didn't know how would end. Only Lei Da Peng was oblivious, gnawing on a piece of donkey meat, drinking wine with the brothers, and shouting loudly as they played a game of guessing fists.

  But unexpectedly, this fake uncle's comfortable and leisurely life was not so easy to come by. Just as the three brothers were about to start a fight, Wang Huating deliberately poured two large bowls of wine for Dan Yong, and outside the tent, they heard the loud roar of motorcycles. Everyone's heart skipped a beat, knowing it must be Shi Shao Ye's off-road motorcycle. In an instant, that fierce young man rushed into the tent, shouting at Dan Yong:

  "Brother-in-law... my sister is looking for you, she said to finish eating quickly and leave, why are you still drinking? If you drink too much, who's going to carry you? Don't say I'm the one who brought you in... Hurry up and leave, it's almost noon, soon my dad will be here with guests..."

  As soon as this was heard, everyone knew that the fake uncle's disguise was about to be exposed. Just then, Single Brave's phone rang, and it was indeed a call from the female boss of the donkey farm, urging everyone to get up quickly. This revealed the truth, and they were afraid of being held accountable. Lei Dapeng, however, was cleaning up the remaining donkey ribs he hadn't finished eating. Shi Young Master rushed out and then came back to remind him: "Single Brother, don't tell my sister, I'm done for."

  After speaking, they got on the car and left in a hurry. The four of them walked out of the tent and waved at the chef from afar before running towards the outer circle. Not far away, when they turned back to look, they suddenly realized that among the dozen or so tents was the kitchen, with canvas surrounding it and many people dressed as chefs rushing in and out.

  Fortunately, no one exposed him. When Lei Dapeng rushed out, a gentle breeze blew, and the wine he drank was quite refreshing. Rubbing his bulging belly, he casually asked Dan Yong: "Egg brother, you won't really have an affair with that kid's sister, will you? Why did she come to find you?"

  Si Mu Xian chuckled and smiled, Wang Hua Ting's face was flushed with wine, her head a bit dizzy. Today was another day of freeloading and drinking, it really was a bit too much. Just then, she said: "Maybe it is."

  "That's right, definitely." Lei Dapeng emphasized.

  "Hey, Wang Yong, why don't we head back first and avoid disturbing you and Miss Shi?" said Wang Huating.

  This linked several sentences squeezed out of single bravery, Lei Dapeng was unintentional, while Wang Huating was intentional. Normally, the brothers would casually chat about anything without restraint, but with this person present, there were some things that couldn't be said. Ignoring it, the more they ignored it, the more Lei Dapeng felt like there was something fishy going on. He chased after Single Bravery to ask him what's going on. When several people were about to reach the front of the car, Single Bravery stopped in his tracks and didn't say a word, looking like he had seen the department head or class advisor, with an unspeakable honesty.

  "Huh? The three of them were just puzzled when they heard a loud shout: "Dan Yong, where did you go? Come over here..."

  "Sister Shi, wait for me to bring up the gift." Shuang Yong replied.

  "Hurry up, my dad is looking for you. You haven't come last month." The person asked, coming out from the crowd, was a female voice, with a coarser tone than Lei Dapeng's.

  "I went to the countryside for an internship and didn't have time," Dan Yong said, opening the trunk of the car and carrying two jars of wine.

  Here is the translation:

  She's coming, that person is approaching, the legendary Miss Shi has appeared. Lei Dapeng and Si Muxian subconsciously made way for her, Wang Huating had already stepped aside. The newcomer was at least 1.8 meters tall, with short hair reaching her ears, thick eyebrows, big eyes, a prominent nose, and a wide mouth... no, this description isn't right, you can't describe a woman like that, but this older sister's appearance could only be described in this way.

  Shan Yong carried the wine, and Shi Xiaojie came forward, staring at Simu Xian, Lei Dapeng, and Wang Huating, asking Shan Yong: "Who are they?"

  "Oh, my friend."

  "Have you eaten? I'll have someone treat you."

  "No need, no need, Bao Gei brought us here, we've already eaten..."

  "Let's go, hurry up..."

  With one word, he waved his hand, and with a flourish, he took the jar from the woman's hands. The twenty-kilogram jar seemed weightless in her grasp. Single Courage turned around to arrange for everyone to wait, and went off, only to return immediately. Those few people had already been stunned into silence, not even nodding in response.

  Watching the two squeeze through the crowd and enter the Shi family's large courtyard, Lei Dapeng was still in a state of shock. He didn't mention that Egg Brother and that girl were having an affair, but instead asked Simu Xian directly: "Brother Xian, are you sure that's a woman?"

  Wang Hua Ting burst out laughing, her smile crooked. It's not often that she gets to see a woman who is so extremely masculine. Shi Jia Village has really opened her eyes. Si Mu Xian nodded and said, "It should be certain, not only is it a woman, but also a rich sister."

  "Hmph, I didn't used to take orders from Egg Brother before, but if he dares to flirt with this rich lady, then I'll truly admire him." Lei Dapeng said with a hint of drunkenness. Wang Huating heard something unpleasant and scolded him: "Don't talk nonsense, you've eaten someone's food and yet speak ill of them, is there anyone as shameless as you?"

  "What's wrong? Didn't you just say so?" Lei Dapeng was unhappy. Wang Huating didn't respond, got on the car and leaned against it, feeling a bit dizzy. Si Mu Xian and Lei Dapeng were about to get on the car when they saw another strange scene - the chef who had just cooked came out, shouting at the villagers, selecting donkeys along the fence like a talent show. The brothers heard the accent and realized that they were going to slaughter a few more heads.

  Wow! It's fun, Simu Xian and Lei Dapeng exchanged a glance, following the footsteps of the crowd. They saw that the big chef pointed to a good donkey, and the expert who drove the donkeys raised his hand, put on a handmade halter, and pulled out the selected donkeys from afar. He chose three or five heads and led them into a wooden fence not far away, where they could vaguely see bloodstains. Lei Dapeng remembered what Shan Yong said about taking advantage of the donkey's thing to slash a knife and take the whip. He discussed with his brother whether to go and take a look. It wasn't just this matter. Legend has it that the expert who slaughtered the donkeys used a two-finger-wide thin blade, which was called "one knife without seeing blood" and left a little heart tip. Only when the intact donkey skin was peeled off did the blood come out. The slightly drunk brothers were driven by curiosity, and unknowingly followed them into that place...