Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 740 - 375: Heading to Gusu

That evening, Zheng Siyuan called Huang Shengli to inform him about Qin Huai wanting to sell Double Crab Buns at Huang Ji for a couple of days. Naturally, Huang Shengli welcomed the idea, patting his chest and assuring that his back had recovered well. As long as the work wasn’t too intense, he was sure he could handle it for another five years.

When Qin Huai last came to Huang Ji, Huang Shengli’s back was still in recovery, and he couldn’t perform at his best. Now that Qin Huai was coming, Huang Shengli was determined to cook a few dishes for him to taste his true culinary skills.

Zheng Da was so startled upon hearing about Qin Huai’s development of the Double Crab Bun that he cut his vacation short, booked a return flight, and took a high-speed train back to Gusu overnight.

"Siyuan, are you sure you’ve made the Double Crab Bun? And without using fresh crab roe?"

"That’s impossible; it doesn’t make any sense! Given the difficulty of making Double Crab Buns, it’s unlikely even 30 of you working together could do it, let alone just three. Even I stumble often when making Double Crab Buns."

"I secretly practiced a Double Crab Bun recipe in Sanya, yet still couldn’t stabilize it. If I had, I would have flown back sooner to guide Xiao Qin. How could you three possibly figure it out so quickly with just a recipe on your own? Are you sure what you made are Double Crab Buns?"

Frightened by the news, Zheng Da, who booked his flight overnight, questioned over the phone.

Zheng Siyuan spoke with exasperation: "So Dad, did you really stay in Sanya this whole time not for a vacation but to avoid being caught secretly practicing Double Crab Buns by Uncle in Gusu? Is that why you went to Sanya?"

"No wonder Mom texted me saying it was boring going on vacation with you, turns out you were vacationing in the kitchen every day."

Since it was already out, Zheng Da wasn’t afraid of being exposed for his secret efforts, as he didn’t really care.

"I just wanted to surprise you and Xiao Qin, plus Sanya is great for fresh sea cucumbers near the coast. But that’s not important, the key is did you really make it? Are you sure they’re Double Crab Buns, not Single Crab Buns, Crab Roe Buns, or Sea Cucumber Buns?"

Zheng Siyuan sensed that his dad had lost it.

Given that many had gone a bit crazy recently, Zheng Siyuan accepted it well and said calmly, "Probably, we slightly modified the original recipe, but the taste isn’t lacking, it aligns with the concept of Double Crab Buns."

Zheng Da fell silent on the other end.

"Dad, give it up, you can’t take Qin Huai as an apprentice, and most likely, Qin Huai wouldn’t want you as a master either. He seems to already have a mentor."

"Who?!"

"The one from Guangdong Province. Lately, I’ve overheard Qin Huai making video calls with her, always calling her master. Her culinary skills are indeed impressive, and she’s generous too, even letting Qin Huai pass on her secret method of thickening to Zang Liang. Just with this, you’ve already lost."

"But you don’t have any secret methods."

Zheng Da: ... Ungrateful brat, ungrateful brat!

In anger, Zheng Da hung up the phone, then posted three emo updates on his social media late at night. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Of course, Qin Huai wasn’t going to know about this little episode, and Zheng Siyuan wasn’t about to tell him that his dad wasn’t actually vacationing in Sanya, but secretly putting in effort without keeping up with the pace, looking like wasted effort.

As Zheng Da’s son, Zheng Siyuan still wanted to protect this bit of dignity for his dad.

Qin Huai was busy organizing the things he needed to deal with before heading to Gusu, planning to stay there for about 10 days.

Apart from completing Wang Gen Sheng’s side quest of making Double Crab Buns, Qin Huai also wanted to strengthen his relationship with Gong Liang in Gusu. Since Gong Liang mostly stayed in Gusu and only occasionally went to Beiping’s Fen Garden for meals, the only way to gain his favor was for Qin Huai to go to Gusu.

Planning to stay 10 days meant Qin Huai had a lot to prepare.

First, he needed to prepare the recipe for Qin Luo.

He couldn’t let Qin Luo eat too well; that girl would take a mile if given an inch and get carried away easily. Previously, using food as motivation to make her study hard was quite effective, but now that she’s showed some improvement, she tends to slack off on the spot, especially with the many temptations now at Yunzhong Restaurant.

Su Qian’s skills are good, Guli’s Golden Thread Shaomai is commendable, and the variety of snacks from the Zhiwei Restaurant’s apprentices is abundant. If he didn’t restrict Qin Luo, letting her eat freely, this girl would quickly let loose, causing her grades to hit rock bottom again.

Apart from Qin Luo, he also needed to handle Ouyang’s meals.

Ouyang had poured his heart and soul into making the Double Crab Buns. When they were stuck with no leads, Ouyang went without his usual three meals a day just to taste buns, demonstrating a dedication that touched others.

As Ouyang’s good brother, Qin Huai couldn’t just abandon him after finishing the Double Crab Buns, letting him fend for himself while Qin Huai heads off to Gusu.

Meanwhile, Ouyang was in a rising phase in his career, with Xiao Ou Handmade Lemon Tea Store’s business booming. It was impossible for him to take a 10-day leave just to accompany Qin Huai to Gusu for some good food.

So, to thank his good buddy for his wholehearted support in taste testing, Qin Huai decided to prepare more Double Crab Buns, Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns, and Elm Bark Steamed Buns for Ouyang to hold over until he returned.

Of course, these were all small matters; the real big task for Qin Huai was figuring out how to trick Wang Gen Sheng into going to Gusu.