Chapter 18 Simple Buddha Jumps Over the Wall
Four hours later, the stewing was complete.
Su Xiaonuan carefully opened the lid of the stew pot, and instantly, an indescribable, domineering aroma of steam burst forth, almost filling the entire room!
The broth in the stew pot has thickened, presenting an enticing golden and glossy color. Various ingredients are soaked in the broth, soft, tender, and oily, trembling as if they are glowing.
She gently scooped up a spoonful of soup; the broth was so thick it clung to the spoon, with a very gelatinous texture.
She took a small bite and her eyes widened immediately.
The flavor... is so complex!
The salty aroma of ham first awakens the taste buds, followed by the ultimate sweetness of various seafood. The collagen from fish maw and pig's trotters makes the texture smooth and sticky, while the mellow Shaoxing wine removes any fishy smell and enhances the aroma, leaving a long-lasting aftertaste...
It truly deserves to be called the number one soup in China, with its aroma so enticing that "even Buddha would abandon his meditation and jump over the wall to come and taste it!"
Even this "simplified version" is far more delicious than what you'd find in a regular restaurant.
She carefully placed the entire stew pot into the temperature-controlled warming cabinet of the stall.
Then, four small covered clay pots were prepared, along with a pot of high-quality Northeastern rice that was steamed until each grain was distinct and had a wonderful aroma.
Small plates and spoons for tasting were also prepared.
Around noon, Su Xiaonuan arrived at the Innovation Industrial Park on her tricycle.
Here, high-rise buildings stand tall, the environment is clean, and stylish young white-collar workers hurry by.
She stopped at a spot near the edge of the leisure square.
Opening the warming cabinet, the irresistible aroma once again filled the air. Although mostly covered by the lid, it still acted like a tangible temptation, forcefully penetrating the nostrils of every passerby.
"Mmm! What's that smell? It smells so good!"
"It looks like... Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? No way, how could they sell Buddha Jumps Over the Wall here?"
"This tastes amazing! It smells even better than what I had at the Michelin-starred restaurant last time!"
Soon, several white-collar workers, drawn by the aroma, gathered around, curiously examining the stall and the golden, rich broth in the pot.
"Boss, is this really Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? How much is it?"
"A simplified version of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, served with rice, is 188 yuan per serving, limited to 20 servings," Su Xiaonuan announced the price.
This price isn't outrageous given the high cost of living in the park, especially for such a substantial dish.
One serving, please!
"I want one too!"
Business has started.
Su Xiaonuan took out a small clay pot, filled it with an appropriate amount of rice, and then ladled out a piping hot soup containing abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw and other essential ingredients from a large stew pot and poured it over the rice. Finally, she placed a whole abalone and a pigeon egg on top as garnishes, and covered the clay pot with the lid to keep it warm.
Just then, a system notification sounded:
[WARNING! Target with 'Sin Value' of 47 detected within range! Location: Directly in front, 8 meters away!]
[Target Information: Embezzlement (misappropriation of public funds).]
Su Xiaonuan was slightly startled and looked up.
A middle-aged man dressed in a suit and tie, with slicked-back hair and a briefcase tucked under his arm, looking quite respectable, was frowning as he looked at his phone. He seemed to be attracted by the aroma as well, but his face showed impatience and a condescending expression.
Embezzlement of public funds? A crime score of 47? That's no small amount.
While packing food for the customer in front of her, Su Xiaonuan was thinking rapidly.
These kinds of economic crimes are very difficult to catch in the act.
what to do?
She suddenly remembered the "Truth Pepper" from the special item shop!
If only he could say it himself in public...
She immediately checked her merit points; after completing the hot and sour noodles task, she had 340 merit points remaining.
Buy Truth Pepper for only 80 points!
"Exchange for [Truth Pepper]!" she said without hesitation.
[Ding! Purchase successful, 80 merit points consumed. Item has been delivered to system space. Current merit points: 260.]
A small, spice-bottle-like object appeared in the system space.
At this moment, the man in the suit also walked over, his tone arrogant: "Hey, what kind of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is this? Is it clean? Give me a serving to try." His attitude was as if he wasn't there to buy something, but to give charity.
Su Xiaonuan suppressed her disgust and put on a professional smile: "Okay, sir, please wait a moment. There are small tables and chairs here, you can sit here and enjoy your meal."
She pointed to the simple table and plastic stool that had been set up next to her.
The man frowned, seemingly annoyed by the shabby surroundings, but he sat down anyway. He then put his briefcase aside, took out his phone, and started making a call. He arrogantly gestured into the phone, saying things like, "Make the accounts look neater," "Use that money temporarily, we'll make up for it quickly," and "What are you afraid of? I said it's fine, so it's fine..."
Su Xiaonuan sneered inwardly, "It's you!"
She turned her back, pretending to serve soup, and quickly took out [Truth Pepper] from her system space. She carefully sprinkled a little bit of white powder into the casserole dish that was about to be served to that man, which was already filled with soup.
The powder melted instantly in the boiling broth, leaving no trace.
She covered the casserole, ladled out a bowl of rice, and brought it to the man: "Sir, here is your Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Rice. Please enjoy."
The man had just hung up the phone, waved impatiently, and then lifted the lid of the casserole.
Instantly, the intensely fresh aroma wafted over him, making the words he was about to utter sarcasm stuck in his throat.
He looked at the oily, golden broth and the large abalone in the casserole, and couldn't help but swallow.
He picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of rice soaked in broth, along with half a piece of fish maw and a small piece of sea cucumber, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.
The next second, his eyes widened in shock! The impatient and arrogant expression on his face was instantly replaced by extreme enjoyment and astonishment!
"Mmm!!!" He let out a satisfied sigh, not caring that it was hot, and began to wolf down his food, making loud smacking noises as he ate, completely disregarding his image.
"Delicious! It's fucking delicious!"
While eating, he probably felt extremely good, or perhaps the pepper was starting to work, because he made another phone call, this time with an even more smug tone.
"Hey! Old Zhang! I've found a gem! A street vendor makes absolutely amazing Buddha Jumps Over the Wall! It's even better than the 3,800 yuan a bowl at XX Restaurant!"
"Money? Money's nothing! I just made... uh, I mean, I just made a big profit! What's wrong with eating something nice?"
"What's so interesting about those lousy accounts? I've been falsifying accounts for over a decade, who can find out?"
"Don't worry! I've invested that public money, and it'll double in no time! And nobody's going to know!"
"Burp~ This abalone is so chewy! The sea cucumber is delicious too! Worth it! So worth it!"
He got more and more excited as he talked, and his voice got louder and louder. He didn't realize that he had revealed his most secret and criminal secrets like beans spilling out!
Several white-collar workers who were eating nearby were stunned and stared at him in disbelief.
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