Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 677 - 347: The Awakened Spirit (Part 3)

Although I only cut yams for less than an hour this morning, I still worked hard. I’ll reward myself with an extra bowl of rice.

Lunch dishes are: shark fin with three shreds, palace-style Wanfu meat, abalone pigeon eggs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried water spinach, and old duck soup.

Cao Guixiang casually mentioned making a plate of braised pork, but the ingredients for the clear soup willow leaf swallow dish that wasn’t made today were saved for tomorrow to make pigeon eggs with shark fin. However, in practice, the braised pork turned into Wanfu meat, and the pigeon eggs couldn’t be saved until tomorrow. Today, they partnered with the abalone to become one dish.

Shi Dadan excitedly rubbed his hands, first served himself a portion of shark fin over rice, in the style of Zhang Zhiyun, and then added a big piece of Wanfu meat on top of his rice, and took a big bite.

One bite of meat and one bite of shark fin topped rice, eating with great flavor, his face filled with a look of happiness.

"Gui Xiang, wouldn’t it be great if you continued working as a chef in the restaurant? There’s no need for me to start a restaurant; I could just be a shareholder in that one," Shi Dadan said nostalgically after finishing his first bite, "Back when we were in Qiu County, our collaboration was so good. Our restaurant even made it to the newspapers; if it was still open now, it would definitely be an old brand, maybe even a franchise."

Cao Guixiang was also eating rice, but hers was scrambled eggs with tomatoes over rice. Hearing Shi Dadan say this, she couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head, "A Tan Family Cuisine franchise, if it were possible, we would be pioneer trailblazers."

"Opening your private kitchen would be great too; they’re quite profitable now. Have you heard of that Fen Garden in Beiping? Their dish prices are even crazier than ours back then. The prices we set back then already seemed insane, and I worried that customers would throw the menu at my face upon seeing the prices. But when I went to Fen Garden last time, I realized we were too conservative back then."

"But that private kitchen is well-decorated, located in a siheyuan, and the chef’s skills are excellent. It’s ranked in the top 10 on some list, quite impressive, but I think you’re better. If you participated in that ranking, you’d definitely score higher."

"I’ve been retired for years; there’s nothing to compare," Cao Guixiang said as she picked a piece of Wanfu meat for Qin Huai, "Xiao Qin, eat what you want, take more if you like. Old Shi eats fast, you might find all the dishes gone with just a blink."

Shi Dadan chuckled, showing a goofy but hearty smile.

Qin Huai quickly sped up his eating.

"By the way, Old Shi, both Old Zhang and I stayed in the countryside and Qiu County for years without venturing out much. Back then, you traveled a lot for business. Did you ever have Double Crab Bun? It’s supposedly a snack from Gusu." Cao Guixiang inquired.

Qin Huai was about to comment that given Shi Dadan’s age, he probably hadn’t eaten Double Crab Bun at a State owned Restaurant in Gusu, regardless of appearance or the self-introduction Shi Dadan just gave, Qin Huai could guess that Shi Dadan was more than 15 years younger than Zhang Chu and Cao Guixiang.

After all, Shi Dadan was only 18 when he opened a restaurant in Qiu County, around the time Cao Guixiang’s son Zhang Chiyuan was already in primary school.

Double Crab Bun hadn’t been sold at State owned Restaurants for many years. When Xu Nuo bought the recipe from Master Jing for Double Crab Bun, Zheng Da wasn’t even qualified to make fermented rice with steamed buns alone. Estimating the timeline casually, Qin Huai suspected that when Double Crab Bun was sold at State owned Restaurants, Shi Dadan hadn’t been born yet.

Just as Qin Huai’s thoughts hadn’t been voiced, Shi Dadan naturally chimed in, "Double Crab Bun? Oh yes, I’ve eaten it before; it’s an old snack from way back, made by Master Jing at a State owned Restaurant in Gusu."

Qin Huai: ?!

Shi Dadan actually ate it and knew Master Jing was the chef.

Could it be that you’re not a local born and bred in a family of three generations of fishermen? Are there families in Gusu with three generations of fishermen?

Qin Huai began doubting his arithmetic skills, judgment, and memory; where exactly did he get it wrong? No matter how he calculated, it was impossible for Shi Dadan to have eaten Double Crab Bun made by Master Jing given his age!

Perhaps Qin Huai’s shock was too apparent because Shi Dadan picked up on it directly. Shi Dadan first glanced at Qin Huai with a puzzled look, then suddenly realized something, put down his chopsticks, took out his phone enthusiastically, and said, "Come on, Xiao Qin, let’s add each other on WeChat. Should I scan you or you scan me?"

Qin Huai took out the QR code, still calculating where the error lay, and the two became friends.

The first message from Shi Dadan was.

AAA Seafood Wholesale Mr. Shi: Spirit? With memory? Which life?

Qin Huai: ??????

Qin Huai looked at Shi Dadan in utter shock; Shi Dadan gave him a composed look, indicating, "Let’s chat on WeChat; no need to let others in on this."

Qin Huai: I’m not a spirit, the situation is quite complex; maybe we can chat later.

Qin Huai: Are you... in the second life?

AAA Seafood Wholesale Mr. Shi: Yes, and I’m awakened, hehe.

AAA Seafood Wholesale Mr. Shi: [Image]

A blushing emoji.

Qin Huai: ...

Qin Huai didn’t know what to say for a moment; he pondered, then quietly added Shi Dadan to the Loving Family group.

’Qin Huai invited AAA Seafood Wholesale Mr. Shi to join the group chat’

Chen Huihong: ? Xiao Qin, you added the wrong group?

Qin Huai: No mistake, he’s awakened.

Chen Huihong: ???

Luo Jun: ??

Qu Jing: ? 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Cheng Gong: Welcome (>▽

AAA Seafood Wholesale Mr. Shi: Wow, there are so many similar ones, there’s a group, and I never knew about it! Hello, everyone!

AAA Seafood Wholesale Mr. Shi: [WeChat red envelope]

Qin Huai quickly grabbed a red envelope, got 66 yuan, and commented, "Boss is generous."

"What are you chatting about?" Cao Guixiang asked, glancing quizzically at Qin Huai and Shi Dadan, evidently confused why they were chatting so happily on WeChat without eating; it wasn’t their usual style.

"Old... Old Shi sent a red envelope," Qin Huai stated succinctly.

Cao Guixiang understood, "That’s just Old Shi’s nature; just accept it. Eat first; the dishes won’t taste good once cold."

Qin Huai quickly put down his phone to eat.

Shi Dadan also switched back to his friendly but hearty eater mode, devouring food heartily.

Cao Guixiang was indeed right.

He really eats fast!