Lu Mo found it strange, "Didn't you contract your wedding banquet with Jinjiang Hotel? Can't their chefs cook?"

Jinjiang Hotel has even hosted state guests. Its kitchen is a collection of various cuisines, including both Chinese and Western dishes. How could there be any dish that they can't make?

Ding Ba shook his head. "They really don't know how to make it. I've already asked around. They know how to make other lotus dishes, but not this 'Lotus Emerging from Water' dish. They even said they've never heard of it before. Maybe it's a niche dish from some region."

"Why do you have to make this dish on your wedding day? You can find another one later. It's only three days until your wedding, there's no time." Lu Mo was even more puzzled. Ding Ba wasn't enthusiastic about marriage at all, so why was he suddenly interested now?

Ding Ba took a sip of wine and sighed, "I just found out myself. What a coincidence! It's Grandpa's birthday in three days. He'll be ninety-three. After ninety, every year is a big birthday. I was just thinking of treating him to something nice."

Lu Mo and He Weishao were both surprised. It was quite a coincidence. Master Daoyi had chosen the date for Ding Ba's wedding, so it was impossible for him to have specifically chosen Gong Yi's birthday. No wonder Ding Ba wanted to make this dish.

"Then go ask the old man where 'Hibiscus Emerging from Water' is from. If necessary, we can invite the best chef from that region over," Lu Mo suggested.

Ding Ba sighed again, "I asked around, and they said it was a small town in the north (this dish is fictional). I had someone go and ask a chef from there to make it, but the old man wasn't satisfied and said it wasn't the taste he wanted."

Who knew the old man was so picky? He and Gongsun Yu hired several chefs to make the dish "Lotus Emerging from Water," but the old man was not satisfied with any of them, saying that they were even worse than pig swill. He even suspected that the old man had never eaten "Lotus Emerging from Water" before.

Otherwise, what good could a lotus flower soup be? He had specifically inquired about it and found that the dish "Lotus Emerging from Water" was invented by poor people during a famine. They would mix lotus flowers with some cornmeal to make soup, just enough to fill their stomachs. It was originally called Lotus Flower Dumpling Soup.

Later, a scholar gave it an elegant name, "Hibiscus Emerging from Water," and even made some improvements, but it was still just the same flavor, nothing special.

"I guess the old man eats the modified version. How about this, post notices throughout the city to see if anyone knows how to make 'Hibiscus Emerging from Water'. We'll choose the one with the best taste. Even if the old man isn't satisfied, there's nothing we can do. As long as you've done your best," Lu Mo suggested.

Ding Ba sighed, "That's all we can do."

Lu Mo acted swiftly and decisively. The very next day, he had advertisements placed on television, radio, and major newspapers, inviting anyone who could make the "Lotus Emerging from Water" dish to apply. The successful candidate would receive a reward of 50,000.

At that time, the salary was only a few hundred yuan, so a reward of 50,000 yuan was definitely tempting. As soon as the advertisement was posted, countless people came to apply, and the location was Ye Qingqing's house.

Because Ye Qingqing took on this task herself, and Lu Mo was extremely busy, she naturally had to share the burden with her man since she was free. However, Ye Qingqing did not expect that there would be so many people applying for the job.

A huge crowd, a veritable sea of ​​people, completely blocked Fu'ai Road, even alarming the neighborhood committee. Hearing that Ye Qingqing was choosing a good cook, many bored elderly men and women came over excitedly to help them choose. The Ye family has been very lively these past few days.

Ye Qingqing even specially invited Tang Yuanyuan, the emperor's palate, to help her taste. If even Tang Yuanyuan thought it was delicious, Gong Yi would definitely be satisfied.