Mrs. Li was particularly interested in the "Hibiscus Broad Beans" dish.

She picked up a piece of white, soft object, but she didn't know what it was.

I tasted it, and it turned out to be egg white!

It doesn't have the chewy texture of regular cooked egg whites.

It has a light and soft texture, like a cloud.

The fresh, bright green broad beans are mixed with the sweet aroma of ham chunks.

As you chew, the unique freshness of spring bursts forth in your mouth.

[Li family's daughter-in-law, what does that dish taste like? It's the first time I've ever seen it.]

Mrs. Li elegantly wiped her mouth with a tissue and said coolly, "It's the taste of spring."

At this point, Sister Ju couldn't hold back any longer, saying, "I've been craving this braised pork and bamboo shoot soup for a long time."

After saying that, he got up and scooped a spoonful of soup into his own bowl.

The broth was thick and white, and the steam hit my face right away. I quickly took a sip. "My goodness, it's so delicious it's going to make my eyebrows fall off!"

Take another bite of the stewed, tender meat and fresh bamboo shoots.

It's rich but not greasy, and it makes your mouth water.

She drank two bowls of soup but wasn't satisfied, so she got up to get a third bowl.

[Sister Ju has proven with her actions that spring bamboo shoots truly are the king of mountain delicacies; when it comes to freshness, she has never lost!]

"Alright, I'm going to cut this Eight Treasure Gourd Duck now!"

It was Grandpa Yu's turn to take action.

He picked up the knife and made a straight cut down the middle of the gourd.

The duck skin was so crispy, I could hear the sound.

At this point, the gourd transformed into the shape of a peanut split in two.

The world inside their bellies was also divided in two. Grandpa Yu cut the duck meat into small portions and placed one piece in each person's bowl.

Pour the sauce from the bowl over the food and urge everyone to eat.

Hey! Bro, put a piece of duck in front of us too, we want to eat it virtually.

Hearing this, Grandpa Yu reluctantly placed a piece in front of the camera.

Look! The duck skin is glossy and shiny, and the eight-treasure glutinous rice wrapped inside looks soft and flavorful, having absorbed the sweetness of the duck oil. It must be even more delicious!

As Grandpa Yu listened to the on-site commentary, he stuffed a large chunk of duck meat into his mouth.

"Oh no, it's blown up!"

[Dude, what exploded?]

"It's so delicious it'll explode! Mushrooms, lotus seeds, diced ham, tendon, green peas, and dried longan! Multiple flavors burst in your mouth, mixed with the crispy and sweet crust, leaving a lingering fragrance with every chew!"

[My goodness, Lao Yu, where did you find your new chef? Little chef, how much are you paying me? I'll double! Come work for me, high salary, great benefits, all five social insurances and one housing fund included!]

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Yu also took the piece of duck meat from in front of the camera.

Then he pointed the camera at himself, looking quite pleased, and made funny faces as he chewed on the eight-treasure duck.

[Hey! Why are you touching our duck meat? Don't you have any manners?! It's just that we poached your chef, bro, why are you being so stingy!]

Seeing that Qin Yi was nowhere to be found, Grandpa Yu whispered to the screen, "She's not our cook. The Li family's daughter-in-law invited her to be a chef twice, but she refused both times. The boss has his own business to run, so she probably won't take the job!"

[Wow, they're folk artisans! It's a pity I'm too busy with work to come back right now. I definitely have to try it next time I'm back in Zicheng!]

"Little Lu, which city are you filming a variety show in lately?"

[Uncle Yu, I'm currently in Orange City, and I'll be going to Qingcheng in a while.]

"It's good for young people to be busy! I've watched all your variety shows, the obstacle course challenge is really interesting. If I weren't too old, I would participate too!"

"Alright, I'm not chatting with you guys anymore. I'm going to finish my meal with my friends. See you later!"

Grandpa Yu got up to get some rice.

Huh? I just realized there's nothing on the table.

"Aqin! Bring the rice up!"

Grandpa Yu called out to the aunt in charge.

"Here we go!"

Qin Yi and Aunt Qin each carried a cast iron pot by its handle and placed it directly on the small table next to the dining table.

"Mom, what's that smell?"

Li Nansang sniffed hard with her little nose, "What a huge pot! It's bigger than me!"

Grandpa Yu excitedly rushed to the iron pot and lifted the lid.

A fragrant aroma of burnt rice filled the air, and the steaming rice piled up like a small mountain, with layers of slightly yellow, caramelized rice grains clinging to the sides of the pot.

"It's crispy rice! It's actually firewood-cooked crispy rice! I haven't had it in years! Haha!"

Grandpa Yu's face crinkled with laughter. "When I was a child in the countryside, firewood could be used for both heating and cooking. Every time we ate firewood-cooked rice, I would use a spoon to reach to the bottom to see if a layer of crispy rice had formed."

"If there's any crispy rice at the bottom, I'll scrape all the rice off and carefully remove it. If I can scoop out the whole piece of crispy rice at once, that's really lucky!"

Qin Yi handed the spatula to Grandpa Yu: "Here, give it a try."

Grandpa Yu took the spatula and first scooped the white rice out of the pot and put it into a large rice bowl.

Then scrape off any rice stuck to the rice crust, and use a spatula to circle the edge of the pan twice.

Then, carefully pry up the rice crust little by little.

"Haha! It's done! I've pried off a perfectly intact rice cracker umbrella!"

Grandpa Yu scooped out a piece of crispy rice crust for each person.

This is the taste of his long-forgotten childhood.

It's different from the rice cooked by today's smart rice cookers with precise temperature control.

Even slightly burnt rice can become as delicious as crispy rice crust.

You can even pour a ladle of water into the burnt rice crust to turn it into a unique rice crust porridge.

Sister Ju: "Old Yu, we've really had a feast at your place today! We've tried everything, from mountain delicacies to wild game! My stomach is about to burst, but I still can't help eating!"

"Haha, eat more if you like it. This is all thanks to my friend Qin Yi for making this table of dishes for me!"

"Huh? Where did young friend Qin go?"

"Boss Qin! Boss Qin! Come and eat!"

Amidst shouts from the crowd.

Qin Yi had already driven the van away from the garage.

Grandpa Yu watched the departing van and the table full of dishes and crispy rice, and pondered for a while.

He made a phone call: "Hey, this is Lao Yu. I'd like to recommend a mysterious folk craftsman to the 'A Bite of Rainbow City' program..."

Back home, Qin Yi collapsed onto the sofa.

Organizing a birthday banquet is more tiring than cooking 100 boxed meals.

Luckily, I managed to slip away quickly.

Old Yu, who is used to fine food, clearly prefers the simple and unpretentious taste of farmhouses.

Staying to socialize would just make me more tired than cooking that huge feast.

Luckily, I managed to slip away quickly.

Tomorrow is the last day of this mission, and she needs to work hard to achieve her goals and finish the mission perfectly.

—————————

"Okay, I understand. You go ahead, I'll be there later."

Today, Qin Yi asked Tian Rong again about suitable and lively night markets for setting up a stall. This time, she emphasized that she should find a legal location, as she did not want to be driven away again.

6:00 PM.

The phone rang.

"Sister, come to Zining Night Market quickly! I saved a good spot for you with a bamboo basket, but a tricycle came and knocked my basket over, and even stole the spot I saved. I argued with her, but she pretended not to see anything and said that whoever got there first gets to set up a stall. I'm so angry! Now we're arguing, and we're doing business while arguing."

"What's infuriating is that her business is about as good as mine. In the queue, my customers help me, and her customers help her. I'm not going to have a peaceful night!"

Qin Yi frowned as she listened: "Tian Rong, you don't need to save me a spot. There are no designated stalls at the night market; it's all about who gets there first."

"But when it comes to arguing! I have to win! Otherwise, I'll be thinking all night about how I didn't do well and won't be able to sleep!"

"I'm coming right away, wait for me!"