Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 402 - 403: Little Gossip Between Titans

The elderly only had a brief period of clarity; medical miracles are not so easily achieved.

By the time Bai Zongchen and the others arrived, the elderly had returned to her usual state.

Although they didn’t make it in time, the elderly indeed finished the scallion-braised sea cucumber made by Wang Fan while she was fully conscious.

The plate contained only simple greens, sea cucumber, scallion segments, and rice, but it also reflected Wang Fan’s unique thoughts.

The sea cucumber and greens appeared whole, but in fact, Wang Fan had expertly sliced them into thin pieces with his superb knife skills!

Each thin slice adhered closely to one another with the help of the sauce, making it impossible to see unless pulled apart.

The moment the elderly’s spoon touched the sea cucumber, it scattered instantly, leaving her quite amazed.

"Young man, your technique is truly impressive. Even at the state guesthouse, they don’t serve it like this. Clearly you’re considering my weak teeth; thank you so much."

Wang Fan quickly responded, "I don’t deserve your thanks. It’s just a little gesture from the younger generation. Please enjoy it while it’s hot; the temperature is just right now."

Grandma Wu nodded with a smile, looking at Wang Fan and Zhuo Qianqian standing together, she couldn’t help but praise, "How handsome."

Wang Fan and Zhuo Qianqian blushed, but felt as if their hearts had been filled with honey.

Yet, this elderly’s ability to spread sweetness is arguably world-class, so being filled with a bit of honey was nothing to be surprised about?

"Let me have a taste."

Grandma Wu said, using a fork to scoop out a piece of sea cucumber slice.

Although called a slice, it resembled a pig’s ear, considering this thing was originally hollow.

The sea cucumber strands weren’t pierced through, but rather perfectly caught in the fork’s gaps.

Even before she put it in her mouth, Grandma Wu already smelled an intense scallion fragrance.

"Wow, at least this fragrance is not inferior to what I’ve had before; clearly it’s a true mastery."

Grandma Wu remarked as she placed the sea cucumber slice in her mouth.

As the sea cucumber entered her mouth, the rich scallion aroma filled her entire palate; even after she finished the broth, a bit of umami lingered, but found itself part of the overpowering scallion fragrance.

Gently chewing, the sea cucumber strands quickly broke apart in her mouth, but even such a thin piece still conveyed the sea cucumber’s astonishingly soft, sticky, and elastic texture, as if each chew made it dance on her tongue. That delicately chewy, yet bouncy texture was utterly irresistible.

The rich sauce clung firmly to the sea cucumber, gently stimulating the taste buds, with each bite intensifying the scallion flavor further.

Next, the fresh taste of sea cucumber gradually emerged, the kind of rich yet non-greasy flavor also captivating.

The sea cucumber’s umami fused with the scallion aroma, creating a unique and charming flavor.

The scallion-braised sea cucumber, perfectly seasoned, was neither bland nor overly salty, expertly balancing the flavors of various seasonings, making the dish remarkably delicious. As Grandma Wu swallowed gently, she even felt that the fragrance in her mouth lingered.

"The lingering aroma, no different from the state guesthouse, deserves the title of state banquet dish."

Grandma Wu exclaimed, praising, "To have such skills at a young age, truly remarkable."

Wang Fan dared not accept, quickly saying: "Not as impressive as you say; there’s still much to learn. Try mixing the sea cucumber with the rice. This rice is grown in my Northeast hometown; see if you notice anything different?"

Grandma Wu nodded, spreading out the rice with a spoon. The long-grain fragrant rice, when spread out, was clearly defined, exuding a fresh aroma.

The sauce soaked the white rice until it turned a bright red, making the rice even more enticing. When mixed with the elongated sea cucumber slices, it instantly made one’s mouth water.

Grandma Wu scooped a spoonful of rice, pausing with a soft "Eh," but didn’t speak, instead putting the spoon in her mouth.

Wrapped in sauce, the rice became flavorful, its initially rich umami taste supplemented by the refreshing rice grains, creating even more variety in taste, truly complementing each other.

Grandma Wu chewed slowly, feeling as though each rice grain was soft yet elastic, while chewing mixed the sea cucumber with the rice, providing a taste superior to eating the sea cucumber alone.

"This rice... has an old friend’s taste."

Grandma Wu suddenly felt sentimental: "The grains are plump, texture firm, each grain glossy and fragrant, with strong soup absorption, Longping core Wuchang’s new seasonal rice?"

Wang Fan was surprised: "You can even tell that?"

Grandma Wu laughed: "Of course, we’ve known each other for 70 years. He used to frequently send me new varieties of rice, but now he’s gone too."

Eating rice not forgetting Grandpa Yuan, eating melons not forgetting Grandma Wu, although Wang Fan knew both elders, he didn’t realize they shared such a close connection: "You knew Grandpa Yuan that well?"

Grandma Wu slightly lifted her head, full of memories: "That was back in 1950. Back then, I was just a braided girl, and he was also a young lad. We often shared our research findings with each other; he liked to call me ’school beauty senior.’"

"Later, I applied to come to the Great Border, rooted in the Northwest, while he went to Hunan. We didn’t see each other for nearly 20 years, right?"

At this point, Grandma Wu laughed: "When we met again later, he mischievously asked me, ’School beauty senior, why are you so tan now?’ I retorted, ’Junior, looks like you’re as tan as I am!’ Hahaha..."

Wang Fan and Zhuo Qianqian listened to the gossip between these two legendary figures, utterly engrossed; after all, gossip is something no one can resist.

Moreover, this kind of gossip isn’t something ordinary people get to know.

"Decades have passed again; he’s gone, and I am old. The country’s future will rely on you young people."

After saying this, Grandma Wu’s moment of clarity seemed to fade, returning to her usual state.

Wang Fan and Zhuo Qianqian exchanged glances, sighing in disappointment.

It was then that Bai Zongchen and the others finally arrived, seeing Grandma Wu back to her usual condition, all looked utterly disappointed and crestfallen.

"What did the elderly just say to you?"

Wang Fan said: "Nothing much, just some small gossip and encouragement for the young people."

Bai Zongchen was puzzled: "Small gossip?"

Wang Fan didn’t elaborate, gathering the dishes with Zhuo Qianqian and leaving the room, leaving behind a bunch of leaders nearly driven mad with jealousy.

Such a short moment of clarity, how did they not make it in time?

There was even gossip to be heard, and it’s Grandma Wu’s little gossip, something not everyone gets to hear!

Oh, it was so frustrating! Why couldn’t we have run faster?!