Lunch was specially arranged by Master Ning through Qin Fu. After more than half a year, Fu Wan was able to eat proper Beijing cuisine again.
To be honest, she really came here today specifically to freeload off this meal. Since leaving Master Ning's place last time, Fu Wan has never had such delicious Beijing cuisine.
Take the roast duck, for example; it blows Quanjude and Siji Minfu out of the water. And the braised pork intestines are amazing—not only do they look glossy and shiny, but they're also incredibly tender and flavorful, with a perfect balance of saltiness and a hint of tangy spiciness.
Needless to say, the shredded pork with sweet bean sauce and the crystal pork knuckle were also excellent choices; Fu Ming had tried them before, but Ye Lin had a completely new experience.
As he ate, he muttered to himself that it was only because he followed Fu Wan that he could afford these things; otherwise, he probably would never have been able to eat them in his entire life.
Look at these dishes; they're the kind of food only officials used to be able to afford.
However, since he was visiting someone else's home and the food had been good over the past year, Ye Lin, although he enjoyed the food, was not particularly rude.
"How about it? I think the dishes I arranged were pretty good! Aren't they even better than the ones at Sun Youjin's restaurant the other day?"
Seeing the expressions on Fu Wan and the others' faces, Qin Fu couldn't help but ask.
Fu Wan nodded, "Of course. In the past, we could eat at Boss Sun's shop anytime. Now, we can only get a taste of what Boss Sun has to offer."
She hadn't forgotten that even Sun Youjin, the chef who cooked for Master Ning, was someone he couldn't even be considered worthy of.
Master Ning laughed heartily, "You silly girl, as long as you like it. If you want to eat it again later, just have Afu arrange it."
Old Liu's cooking skills are truly excellent; in the entire city of Beijing, only his dishes taste just like it!
"It's just about eating something new. We can't get your kinds of seafood here, so we can only think about these kinds of things."
Even the most delicious dishes can become tiresome after eating them for decades.
Fu Wan and the others could still run around and change their tastes, but Third Master Ning was unable to move around easily and couldn't run even if he wanted to.
"Oh, Third Master, what are you saying? If you want to eat seafood, just tell me later. Sun Youjin has a fleet of vehicles that specialize in transporting seafood. As long as you ask, I'll send you abalone or lobster."
Fu Wan's words made Master Ning beam with joy. Although he didn't care much for food and drink, he was happy that someone was thinking of him.
"Alright, alright, then I'll be waiting for your fish and shrimp!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Ming hurriedly called out, "Grandpa, I'll send you some too. I'll pick the biggest ones and have Boss Sun deliver them."
Having eaten two meals with Master Ning, Fu Ming felt a little embarrassed.
He really liked this elder; he was very approachable and even helped them in many ways.
"And me, my family are hunters. Do you eat wild boar or rabbit meat? I'll have my mother dry it and send it over. It tastes good, so please don't mind."
"Okay, okay, I don't mind, I don't mind!"
Master Ning smiled and agreed. Qin Fu, who was standing to the side, was overjoyed. This was the first time in years that he had seen Master Ning so happy.
In Qin Fu's memory, even when Master Ning was happy, it was always a faint feeling.
Even with ambergris burning, he could still sense the sadness in Master Ning's heart.
It seems that he was right to invite Fu Wan and the others over as guests.
After lunch, Master Ning didn't go for a nap right away. The things Fu Wan brought were still on the coffee table. As soon as Qin Fu picked them up, Master Ning smelled a salty aroma.
Besides its salty and savory flavor, it also has a smoky taste.
"Comrade Xiao Fu, what local specialty did you bring me? It smells very special."
Master Ning was really curious. Most of the things he usually received were antiques and calligraphy and paintings. It was quite rare for anyone to give him local specialties.
Fu Wan simply had Qin Fu open the package and introduced each item to him one by one.
"These are cuttlefish we brought back from our boat. My mother picked out some of the bigger ones and dried them. You can take them and have someone make soup with them later."
This is dried shrimp, which I dried myself. I used only the best and largest mantis shrimp. You can have it as a snack.
This bag contains rabbit meat smoked by my mother. I don't know if you'll like the taste, but it's delicious when stewed with radishes and potatoes.
And this bag contains seaweed and wakame seaweed. When it's hot and I don't have a appetite, I ask someone to take it to make a cold salad..."
Fu Wan introduced them one by one, and after going around, she realized that there were actually quite a few varieties.
The last bag contained products from canneries and food factories. Fu Wan specifically chose some that weren't very spicy, thinking of letting Third Master Ning try them.
Ning Sanye's smile never faded as he listened.
Oh dear, not long ago there were people saying behind his back that he had no children and no one cared about him. I really want to slap those people in the face and see what it means to be cared for.
After Fu Wan finished her introduction, she saw that Third Master Ning didn't say anything, and assumed that he didn't like it.
"Third Master, if you don't like them, you can give these to Brother Qin. I'll go out to sea again to look for ambergris next time..."
"Oh, I love it, I love it!" Before Fu Wan could finish speaking, Third Master Ning hurriedly interrupted her. "Afu, tomorrow, no, tonight, have someone make some for me to try!"
"Okay!"
Qin Fu responded and turned to look at Fu Wan.
"Comrade Xiao Fu, these canned fish and snacks, are they produced by your factory? Didn't you bring any for your older brother?"
Qin Fu was just joking; with so many things here, Master Ning would definitely have his share.
Unexpectedly, Fu Wan reached out to Ye Lin beside her upon hearing this, and Ye Lin quickly pulled over the large bag next to him.
"Don't worry, Brother Qin, how could I possibly skimp on you? You guys can try it out, and if you like anything, I'll send it over next time."
Qin Fu smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this; he quite liked this girl.
Seeing that it was getting late, Fu Wan bid farewell to Third Master Ning and set off for the auction venue with Qin Fu.
Fang Min and Fu Wan went together, while Ye Lin and Fu Ming were escorted by Qin Fu to the entrance of Jack's hotel.
Along the way, Qin Fu kept busy, talking to Fu Wan about the auction.
This auction was still organized by Wan Jin, and the venue was still the same theater that Fu Wan had visited last time.
Now, Wan Jinlai handles about 90% of the auctions in Beijing. He has extensive connections in the capital and is well-connected in both the legitimate and underworld circles.
The auction profits were also considerable. Qin Fu estimated that Wan Jinlai's assets should rank among the top ten among all business people in the capital.
Don't be fooled by the fact that he only took six percent when Fu Wan delivered the pearls and oxblood coral last time. After deducting costs, almost half of those six percent went into Wan Jinlai's pocket.
Moreover, Fu Wan's six points were only because of Master Ning's influence. Normally, if someone brings something to auction, they would get at least ten points.
As they spoke, they arrived at the auction venue. Looking at the cars parked at the entrance, Fu Wan noticed that there were significantly more people this time than last time.
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