Chapter 66 (Dinner reception in progress...)
Xu Meng ran to the food stall with a long queue and found that it was selling oden!
It was an oden stall run by three women. Two of them were scooping food with small plastic bowls, and white steam was rising from the pot. The stall owner was wearing a mask, so her face couldn't be seen, but you could tell from her smiling eyes that she was in a very good mood.
Another stall owner was collecting money. She was standing next to her without a mask. She had a pretty face and looked surprisingly young. Xu Meng thought she was about the same age as her.
The vendor collecting money chatted with the students queuing to buy oden, his voice calm and gentle, but his hands never slowed down.
The three worked together very well, and although there were many students in line, the line moved forward very quickly.
A middle school girl bought some oden, took the small bowl, and started eating. Her eyes were slightly squinted, and her expression was one of pure bliss: "It's so delicious! I declare this the most delicious food in the world!"
The girl's companion took her hand and pleaded, "Can I try a piece of radish? I forgot to bring any money today."
As the girl stirred and shook the oden, its warm and delicious aroma wafted out, reaching Xu Meng's nose and making her shudder.
Oh dear, what is she doing! She's fallen into her old habit again, always observing people, almost forgetting she came to buy food!
She quickly joined the last line, constantly looking ahead. As a girl in her early twenties, she stood out among the group of middle and elementary school students, but Xu Meng was oblivious, her eyes only on the pots of oden.
Actually, there are also oden vendors on the food street outside their school, and their business is not bad, but Xu Meng could tell from the smell that the ones outside the school were definitely not as good as this one.
At this moment, the three students who had lagged behind caught up. Luo Zhu asked curiously, "What are they selling here? Why is business so good!"
Xu Meng: "Oden."
Sun Pengcheng chuckled: "Haven't you had enough of the oden at the school gate? You even came all the way here to queue up."
Xu Meng glanced at him disdainfully, thinking that she didn't want to pay any attention to Sun Peng's earlier comment about what good food could be found in a small town. He was just another narrow-minded person who thought that because he had grown up in a big city, small places were no good at anything.
Xu Meng, however, came from a small county town. Big cities sell a wider variety of things, including things she had never even imagined before. But small places have their own advantages. For example, Xu Meng has tried many delicacies, but she has never found the same taste as the mung bean shortbread from her hometown.
"The ones here must taste better." Xu Meng only said this last sentence, and she was very sure of it. She could tell just by smelling the aroma.
Luo Zhu quickly stepped behind her: "I believe in Xiao Meng, I'll try it too."
Sun Pengcheng said, "Then you guys line up, I'll go see if there's no need to line up."
As she spoke, she pulled Fang Song, who was also a boy, away: "They just like to queue up, but it's actually a waste of time. The food stalls all taste pretty much the same."
Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, carrying the aroma of oden to the two of them. They immediately smelled an extremely sweet and delicious aroma, which made their stomachs growl on the spot.
Fang Song gave a strange look, then suddenly stopped and looked to the side: "You go buy it, I've decided to go with them."
His nose wasn't as sharp as Xu Meng's, so he only smelled it now, but the moment he did, he immediately betrayed her.
What a joke! After a five- or six-hour drive, he only ate some biscuits along the way and was starving. Although he had just eaten some flatbread to fill his stomach, this oden looked much better than the flatbread.
The guokui (a type of flatbread) can be a bit hard to swallow, but when you eat oden (Japanese hot pot), a sip of warm and delicious soup is truly delightful.
Seeing Fang Song quickly run to join the queue behind Xu Meng and the others, it was clear that two more middle school students had joined them in just a short time, demonstrating just how popular this oden business was.
Sun Pengcheng was stunned. He hesitated for a moment, then smelled the delicious and tempting aroma of oden again. He decided to go back.
As soon as he approached, Xu Meng mocked him: "Sun, didn't you look down on us for queuing, saying that queuing is stupid, and even swearing that there's nothing good to eat in town? How come you're doing something so stupid now?"
Sun Pengcheng immediately said, "I'm not going to queue. I just came to see you guys."
Xu Meng snorted lightly, raising her chin slightly: "Now you see, why are you still standing here?"
Sun Pengcheng immediately headed back home and went to other food stalls to find something to eat. After all, food is just for filling one's stomach, and good taste is just icing on the cake.
The amount of pocket money that college students like them have is a huge advantage compared to that of middle school and elementary school students. Elementary school students share skewers when they buy them, so they can taste as many as they want. But Sun Pengcheng doesn't have that problem at all. He can just pay for whatever he wants.
The stall owner was overjoyed to have such a big customer, and his face beamed with joy. He acted quickly, and Sun Pengcheng had already bought a serving of mixed potatoes, a skewer of sugar-coated fried dough sticks, and a grilled sausage. Xu Meng and the others still had several people ahead of them in line.
Sun Pengcheng glanced at the time and realized that four or five minutes had passed. He was secretly delighted and walked over to his classmates with his purchases. While eating, he deliberately said, "How long have you been waiting in line? Aren't you hungry?"
While eating the mixed potatoes, she said, "This tastes alright, only a little worse than the ones outside our school. Fang Song and Luo Zhu, would you like to try it?"
I deliberately didn't call Xu Meng.
Luo Zhu was also amused by this. She thought to herself that Sun Pengcheng was such a grown man, yet he was still so childish. She said, "I don't need it. It's my turn soon."
Sun Pengcheng said, "What if the oden only smells good but doesn't taste as good as potatoes?"
Before the students could even object, a middle school student behind them said, "How could that be! How can potatoes compare to oden! Oden is the best! It smells delicious and tastes even better! Don't slander oden!"
His tone was very agitated, probably because he had been holding back his words for a long time after hearing Sun Pengcheng's words, and now he was finally bursting out.
Sun Pengcheng felt ashamed, but he couldn't be bothered to argue with the little brats. He saw these middle school students as no different from kindergarten kids.
Xu Meng chuckled and turned to say, "Little sister, although this is my first time eating oden here, I think it must be delicious."
The middle school student nodded: "Sister, you'll know once you try it. Where are you from? Aren't you from around here?"
Xu Meng said, "We came from Rong City, and we wanted to try some of your local delicacies today."
The middle school student immediately said, "Oden is the best! We can also buy braised meat at the market, that's great too..."
Before she could finish speaking, it was Xu Meng's turn. Upon closer inspection, she saw various ingredients floating and sinking in the clear amber broth. The broth itself was so beautiful, not to mention the irresistible aroma emanating from it. Xu Meng quickly took out twenty yuan: "I want two bowls, ten yuan per bowl."
She had just heard the students order food this way, so she followed suit.
I quickly received two bowls full of oden; I ate one now and took the other to go.
Xu Meng glanced at the time; only five minutes had passed. Although queuing took a little time, packing the food was quick.
She stood to the side with the oden in her hand and couldn't wait to start eating.
To put it bluntly, the moment Xu Meng put the food in her mouth, she felt that the oden she used to eat was like pig swill.
The broth, infused with the rich flavors of kelp and bonito flakes, coats every ingredient perfectly. The radish is soft, sweet, and tender; the fish balls are bouncy and juicy; and the kelp is smooth and refreshing. The whole bowl of oden is steaming hot, a perfect blend of salty and sweet.
It warms your heart as you eat it, leaving a delicious and savory taste in your mouth and stomach.
In an instant, she had only one thought in her mind: It's so delicious! How can there be such delicious oden? The place near their school is worlds apart from this one!
Xu Meng ate so much that she forgot to talk to her companions. She felt that every piece of food was just right to fill the hunger in her stomach. This feeling of fullness was not the kind of gluttony, but rather a very gentle feeling, with a moist heat and warmth, which was the greatest comfort to people in this still cold season.
Xu Meng suddenly remembered the mung bean pastries from her hometown. She loved to buy them when she was in junior high school. They had to be freshly made and still a little hot to the touch, so she had to blow on them before eating.
The outer layer is so crispy that it crumbles with every bite, and the inside is filled with a soft, sweet mung bean paste. It's still warm when you eat it, a taste that even the gods wouldn't trade.
At this moment, oden felt similar to mung bean cake to her. Although they are completely different foods, they are both warm and comforting, making people feel better after eating them.
Xu Meng blinked, her eyes slightly red from the heat.
When Sun Pengcheng saw this scene, he blurted out "Holy crap!" and immediately received a disdainful look from the kid next to him. He actually swore! In their class, he would get slapped by the teacher!
Sun Pengcheng said, "Xu Meng, are you alright? Why are you crying while eating? Is it really that bad?"
He said the second half of his sentence on purpose, trying to liven up the atmosphere.
But before Xu Meng could answer, Luo Zhu quickly retorted: "What do you mean 'disgusting'? It's so delicious it'll make you cry!"
Luo Zhu was one person behind Xu Meng in line. After Xu Meng took two bites, Luo Zhu also successfully bought oden and ate it in one bite.
They were almost immediately stunned.
Luo Zhu has tasted many kinds of food. Oden is relatively rare in small cities, but it is common in provincial capitals. She has also eaten a lot of it in the cold winter.
But she had never tasted anything so delicious before. Luo Zhu felt that it had transcended the realm of oden and was as delicious as a work of art.
As she ate, she thought to herself, "The students in this small town are so lucky! I never ate anything this delicious when I was in elementary and middle school!"
So when she heard Sun Pengcheng's slander, Luo Zhu retorted without hesitation. At this moment, she seemed to understand why the female middle school student behind them had bravely refuted Sun Pengcheng.
Because oden is so delicious, any unfounded speculation or slander is an insult to the food.
"Don't say the grapes are sour just because you can't have them," Luo Zhu said.
Sun Pengcheng was stunned. Among the four of them, Xu Meng was the most eloquent. Luo Zhu was usually mild-mannered and didn't like to have conflicts with people. Why was she talking like a machine gun today, and even aggressive?
Fang Song, who was two people behind him, immediately understood what was going on when he saw this. He stared intently at the ingredients in the pot, decisively took out thirty yuan, and ordered three portions.
He had a premonition that Sun Pengcheng might beg him for some oden later.
After all... there's not much oden left in the pot.
Fang Song thought that when Sun Pengcheng asked him for food later, he would raise the price!
When Fang Song finally got to eat the oden, he immediately understood why Xu Meng and Luo Zhu had reacted that way.
He reacted even faster, pulling Sun Pengcheng along and saying, "Let's find a place to sit and eat, and you should eat more of your potatoes too."
Xu Meng nodded; she also felt they should find a place to sit and properly enjoy the meal.
The oden vendor overheard this and pointed out a spot, saying there were tables and benches in the small pavilion outside the teahouse where they could sit wherever they wanted.
Xu Meng said, "Thank you, boss."
Following the owner's directions, the group walked for less than two minutes and saw the pavilion. They quickly went inside, plopped down on the stools, and began to enjoy their food.
As Xu Meng ate, she felt that the oden tasted better than the food in many restaurants in the provincial capital!
Some restaurants in the provincial capital advertise themselves as high-end, but they only spend a lot of money on interior design; the food is actually mediocre.
But compared to an elegant and high-class environment and expensive dishes with mediocre taste, she still prefers affordable and delicious food.
She felt that the first priority of food was to fill one's stomach, and the second was naturally the taste. Those high-end restaurants were not like places to eat, but rather social venues.
In contrast, this bowl of oden perfectly satisfied Xu Meng's definition of food; it not only filled her stomach but also warmed her up, and the taste was so enticing.
Luo Zhu and Fang Song, just like Xu Meng, were so engrossed in eating that they didn't even bother to talk.
Seeing them like this, Sun Pengcheng felt a little uncomfortable. Seeing how much they enjoyed their meal, the potato sausage in front of him suddenly tasted bland, especially since the aroma kept wafting into his nose.
I didn't smell such a rich and delicious aroma when I was on the food street. Now the more I smell it, the more my mouth waters.
Perhaps there were too many stalls on the food street, which mixed up the flavors of the oden, and Sun Pengcheng's sense of smell wasn't as sharp as Xu Meng's.
"Is it really that delicious?" Sun Pengcheng couldn't help but ask.
Luo Zhu, who was half full, nodded and said, "It's really delicious. Pengcheng, you should buy some and try it too. Don't let yourself regret coming all this way."
The other two were so busy eating that they completely ignored him.
Now Sun Pengcheng understood everything. Forgetting that he had contradicted himself by saying "What good food is there in the small town?", he hurried back. He had to try the oden.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. When Sun Pengcheng returned, he was surprised to find that the oden had already sold out.
He was stunned for two seconds, and walked over in disbelief. Sure enough, there was only soup left in the thermos. There were still a few students who hadn't bought any. They pleaded, "Aunt Song, please come back and sell more after your evening self-study session."
Song Xinran said, "I didn't prepare much today, and it's all sold out. I'll make more tomorrow, so please come back tomorrow."
The student, still looking dejected, didn't want to leave. Finally, he received a bowl of oden broth, and only then did he leave happily, saying he would take it home to make rice porridge.
Sun Pengcheng's pupils dilated in shock at the sight. It couldn't be true. Although Lingde Town was quite remote, it shouldn't be so remote that families in the town couldn't even afford a single dish and had to beg for the broth from the Oden to soak their rice.
Then there's only one possibility: the oden tastes too good.
He took two steps closer, hoping but still wanting to ask, "Boss, are you sold out of oden?"
Song Xinran felt that he looked familiar, and then she realized that he was one of those students.
Thinking about the reception work in the small town, there are not only leaders from the cultural bureau, but also university professors, and the teachers usually lead a few of their students to learn on site.
These people looked like college students, so Song Xinran guessed who they were.
Considering that it's not easy for them to come all this way, especially for the development of Lingde Town, Song Xinran said, "We're sold out. If you want to try some, I can ladle you a bowl of soup. If you like it, you can come back to buy some tomorrow."
You should know that only regular customers are eligible to get a free bowl of soup after the stock is sold out, and they have to be very generous regular customers. After all, if everyone came to ask for a bowl of soup, Song Xinran would probably have to make the soup base every day.
Sun Pengcheng stared blankly at the pot of steaming amber-colored soup, swallowing hard, but his pride prevailed: "No, no need, thank you..."
I wanted to say thank you, Auntie, because that's what we say when buying things from the stalls near the school gate.
But then I noticed the boss's face. Calling her "Auntie" is definitely not appropriate! She looks about the same age as him!
"Thank you, sister..." That doesn't seem quite right either. What if she's younger than him?
"Thank you, sis..." Something's even more wrong!
"Thank you, thank you!" After saying this last sentence, Sun Pengcheng quickly ran away.
Back at the pavilion, the three classmates noticed that Sun Pengcheng had returned empty-handed. Fang Song deliberately asked, "Why didn't you buy anything? Don't you like it?"
Sun Pengcheng felt that his words were a bit sarcastic, but Fang Song was not usually like that, so he shook his head and looked a little disappointed: "Sold out."
"Oh, sold out. What bad luck," Fang Song said. Actually, he had expected it. There weren't many left when he bought them, and at that buying speed, they would probably be sold out in less than ten minutes.
Sun Pengcheng was led to the pavilion by them and they talked together for more than ten minutes.
Xu Meng almost burst out laughing at this point, and began to eat slowly: "It tastes so good, I really want to interview the owner about how he made it. His skills are even better than those of a master chef."
Sun Pengcheng felt his stomach rumbling with hunger. He glanced at the table and saw that there were still three unopened bowls!
Two of the bowls were for Fang Song, and he immediately turned around and said, "Little Songzi, let me buy you a bowl. You definitely can't finish so many."
Fang Song said, "What do you mean by not being able to finish it? I only ate one bowl, but I can still eat another bowl. I'm taking the last bowl back to Teacher Ming."
Teacher Ming said he would bring them back any delicious food he had, so they naturally remembered him. Since the oden tasted so good, they brought it back for him.
Xu Meng pointed to her untouched bowl: "Mine is also for Teacher Ming."
Sun Pengcheng looked at them incredulously; his classmates had been far too thoughtful.
However, he quickly came up with an idea and focused his attention on Fang Song: "Little Songzi, sell me a bowl to try. Teacher Ming already has one, and he probably won't be able to eat much more after dinner, so don't waste it."
Fang Song pretended to ponder for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay."
Sun Pengcheng was delighted, but Fang Song immediately pressed down on the oden and made a request: "But not ten yuan a bowl, it's thirty."
Sun Pengcheng: "You're robbing me!"
Fang Song said proudly, "The oden on the street is sold out. Only I have one bowl left. It's a seller's market now. Take it or leave it."
Luo Zhu and Xu Meng burst out laughing when they heard this.
Sun Pengcheng gritted his teeth, wanting to say he didn't want it anymore.
But she still couldn't let it go, and finally bought thirty yuan, saying unhappily, "Fine, fine, I'll try it. If you're lying to me..."
I was going to say that if you guys lied to me and said it tasted good, I'd kill you all.
But once the food went into his mouth, he couldn't speak.
At that moment, all he wanted was for this bowl of oden to taste so good it could kill him! In comparison, the potatoes and sausages were utterly tasteless.
Sun Pengcheng wolfed down a bowl of oden, feeling that even his breath smelled of the sweet broth. He couldn't believe there was such a delicious thing in the world.
As expected, the public's judgment is accurate; if everyone is queuing up, it must be the right thing to do.
After finishing his meal, Sun Pengcheng felt there was still room in his stomach, so he set his sights on Fang Song's other bowl: "Little Songzi, give me this bowl too, I'll pay you thirty yuan more."
Fang Song was shocked; this was truly a rich man's complete fool.
He covered his face with his hand, saying, "I'm not selling it; I want to give it to Teacher Ming."
Sun Pengcheng was unwilling to give up, but had no choice but to do so.
At this time, Teacher Ming was also having dinner. There were five people sitting in the best private room of the guesthouse: two leaders from the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Teacher Ming, Zhou Jianfeng, and Wu, the deputy mayor of the town in charge of culture, education, and health.
Zhou Jianfeng first said some polite words, such as welcoming the visit and inspection, and then introduced today's dishes.
"Director Wang, Professor Ming, and other leaders, there's nothing special prepared. These are just our local home-cooked meals, all simple dishes. Please try them out and don't be shy."
He highlighted several dishes, the first of which was braised duck: "This is our local small duck. It doesn't grow very big, but it has a unique flavor."
The second dish was a mixed steamed assortment of preserved meats: "These preserved meats are all prepared by the locals for the New Year. They are not delicacies, but mainly to taste the rustic flavor."
The third dish is braised beef: "This is a braised dish made by a young girl in our town. It uses local yellow cattle and is made with a family recipe. The taste is absolutely amazing. Many people from outside come here specifically to buy it. We've added this dish for everyone today. Please be sure to try it and give us your valuable feedback."
The dishes Zhou Jianfeng introduced were all carefully selected by him and were the best he had tasted. Of course, in his heart, braised beef was number one.
However, since the braised beef wasn't particularly characteristic of the local area, it was served last, though Zhou Jianfeng felt it was the grand finale.
Professor Ming doesn't really like hearing or saying these kinds of polite words, but it's normal to encounter these things when conducting research, and the guesthouse has put a lot of effort into it.
He glanced at the dishes on the table; each had its own unique characteristics, but none of them immediately caught his attention. Thinking of his four students, he felt there was nothing particularly special about these dishes to bring them.
He smiled and continued, "Director Zhou, you're too kind. This is no ordinary meal. The dishes here are delicious and beautifully presented, and they also reflect the rich local culture. Folk cuisine is an important part of history and culture. We historians love this kind of down-to-earth food. Thank you for the town's thoughtful arrangements."
Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Wang of the Cultural Bureau smiled and said, "Professor Ming is absolutely right. This meal truly reflects the culture of Lingde Town. We came here today to explore and research cultural treasures like the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall. This meal is full of local flavor, which makes our trip worthwhile. We hope that the town will continue to cooperate with our work and work together to successfully complete the application for cultural relic protection status."
...
After a few pleasantries, it was finally time to eat. Professor Ming felt he had listened to enough and had little appetite. He looked up and picked up a piece of stir-fried vegetables.
The stir-fried vegetables on the table were made with pea shoots, each one being the freshest and most tender part from the top. They were stir-fried quickly and crisply, and the vegetables were still a vibrant green.
Professor Ming took a bite and nodded in approval. It was clear that the guesthouse had put in a lot of effort; even a simple vegetable dish was made fresh and crisp.
The second dish was the small duck that Zhou Jianfeng had introduced. When I picked up a piece, I found that the duck pieces were cut in an extremely clever way, with no bones left on them, avoiding the slightly unrefined feeling of having to gnaw on bones in such a place.
The duck meat was firm and tender, with a rich, savory sauce. The taste was alright.
Professor Ming tried several dishes and thought they were all acceptable, but he wasn't particularly impressed. He had eaten a lot of good food, so his threshold for appreciation had become increasingly high. He used to enjoy trying all kinds of delicacies, but later he found them to be nothing special, so he stopped paying attention to them.
After eating some food and feeling about 70% full, Professor Ming glanced at the dishes on the table. They all only had minor injuries, and the braised beef was still untouched.
Braised beef isn't a particularly special dish; it can be served in almost any restaurant or eatery. Besides, the weather is cold now, and eating something cold might irritate the stomach.
However, recalling Zhou Jianfeng's introduction, Professor Ming felt it wouldn't be right not to start eating, since it was someone who had gone to the trouble of preparing it.
He picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of evenly thick meat, and was about to put it to his mouth when he smelled the aroma. It was a particularly rich and mellow braised flavor. The spiciness of the braising sauce was not overpowering, as if it had been completely integrated into the meat's texture. So, when it was placed on the plate and on the table, you couldn't smell it, but as soon as you put it to your mouth, the aroma wafted out from the beef fibers.
Professor Ming, with his nose that has smelled all sorts of delicious food, knew it couldn't be bad even before tasting it, and his face lit up with energy.
Professor Ming realized his mistake as soon as he tasted it; the flavor and texture were clearly much better than it smelled!
The braised beef is still slightly warm, with firm yet tender meat that melts in your mouth with a gentle bite, releasing the savory aroma of the braising sauce. It has a subtle sweet aftertaste, and the warmth perfectly brings out the tenderness of the meat and the richness of the braising sauce. Every bite is a fusion of satisfying meat flavor and lingering braising aroma, making it so delicious that you can't stop eating it.
Professor Ming followed his heart. Since he couldn't stop eating, there was no need to stop. He ate one piece after another, glad that he had only eaten until he was seven-tenths full and had left three-tenths.
Professor Ming usually only eats until he's 80% full, which is better for his stomach, but today he decided to make an exception and let go of his habit of eating more delicious food.
He won't stay in Lingde Town for long, maybe three days at most. Once he returns to the provincial capital, he won't be able to enjoy this flavor again.
No kidding. Professor Ming has eaten a lot of braised food in the provincial capital, but none of them can compare to this taste. Perhaps even using the word "compare" is too high a word; it's not even one-tenth as good.
Two of them claimed to be century-old establishments, which Professor Ming always thought was false advertising. He thought that the chefs from those century-old establishments should come and see for themselves, and then see if it was shameful to use such a century-old brand!
While eating, Director Wang chatted with the deputy mayor. Director Wang was well aware of the key points of reception work; more important than eating was building relationships.
However, it wouldn't work to rely solely on him for dealing with things, so he brought up Professor Ming: "Professor Ming, don't you think so?"
I waited for two seconds, but there was no response.
Director Wang turned his head: "Professor Ming?"
But then he saw Professor Ming turn the plate of braised beef in front of him and eat it bite by bite, his chopsticks moving with incredible precision, his gaze never lingering on the other dishes, his eyes only on the braised beef.
Seemingly hearing his voice, Professor Ming put down his chopsticks, smiled slightly, and gentle lines appeared at the corners of his eyes: "Director Wang is right."
Director Wang: ...
Did you even hear what he said? Just say what he said is true.
Director Wang had never received such treatment before. However, Professor Ming is a professor at Rongcheng University and an expert in historical and cultural research. This time, Professor Ming led the technical aspects of the investigation and research on Zhang Family Ancestral Hall. Moreover, Professor Ming is already fifty years old this year, several years older than Director Wang.
Director Wang silently swallowed his anger and said with a smile, "With Professor Ming here, there's no need to worry about surveying and investigation."
The deputy mayor repeatedly agreed and offered a string of compliments.
Director Wang finally smiled and chatted for a few minutes, but how could Professor Ming remain silent?
He turned around and saw that Professor Ming was still eating the plate of braised beef, and he had already eaten a third of it...
Director Wang: ...
Those who don't know the situation might think that Professor Ming had a very hard life in the past, and that he would eat one of the dishes with great relish during a banquet or similar event when he went to the countryside for research.
But Professor Ming comes from a scholarly family, so how could he possibly have a hard life?
He glanced at the braised beef, his face showing no particular expression; it looked quite ordinary.
At such dinner parties, Director Wang would not focus on the food, and today was no exception. However, seeing Professor Ming's demeanor, Director Wang became a little curious.
He also reached out with his chopsticks and picked up a slice of braised beef.
He wanted to see what it tasted like that could make Professor Ming so engrossed in it.
When the braised beef entered his mouth, Director Wang suddenly became speechless.
He had eaten his fair share of delicious food, but when he put this plate of braised beef in his mouth, he couldn't recall any of the delicious dishes he had eaten before. His mind was instantly filled with the rich, savory flavor of the braised beef.
Two pairs of chopsticks met on a plate of food, but each had its own purpose, picking up food and leaving.
Their eyes met for a moment, and Professor Ming smiled slightly, everything understood without words.
Director Wang was a little dazed, thinking that he understood, he really understood Professor Ming's actions just now.
That's the power of good food; it can awaken our primal desires.
At the dinner table, Mayor Wu kept exchanging pleasantries with Director Wang over the dishes. He had attended many such dinners and was quite adept at handling them. However, because Director Wang and his team's inspection was crucial to the future development of Lingde Town, he was also cautious.
From the conversation, it was clear that Director Wang was an upright person. At first, they were exchanging words, but as the conversation went on, Director Wang became less talkative. When Mayor Wu looked over, he realized that he was eating something, and he had a particular fondness for the plate of braised beef.
Not only Director Wang, but also Professor Ming.
Mayor Wu felt much relieved and a smile appeared on his face.
If Director Wang and Professor Ming have a better first impression of Lingde Town, the application materials will be polished to look better, which will increase the chances of the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall and the memorial archway in Lingde Town being listed as cultural relics protection units.
Historically, people's most primal and profound affection for a place begins with their stomach. Food is an important part of local culture, easily winning people's hearts and stomachs. Seeing Director Wang and Professor Ming's fondness for these dishes, Mayor Wu quietly gave Zhou Jianfeng an appreciative look.
Zhou Jianfeng smiled slightly, but inwardly he was overjoyed.
Can he say that he had anticipated this scenario?
When he first tasted the braised beef, he was amazed.
Seeing the reactions of Director Wang and Professor Ming, Zhou Jianfeng could only think, "Boss Song's cooking skills are truly amazing! He has even won over these two important figures!"
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