It’s not yet 8 AM.
After finishing his work in the shop, Huang Tao drove Xuanxuan to the kindergarten gate.
"Daddy, I’m going now. I’ll miss you..."
With her dad’s help, Xuanxuan had her small backpack on, and she reluctantly waved bye with her little hand as she looked at her dad squatting down to tidy her clothes.
Baby, Daddy will miss you too!
Huang Tao felt a surge of warmth in his heart, looking lovingly at Xuanxuan as he reached out to rub her little head with a hat, smiling: "Go on, I’ll make sothing delicious for you tonight."
"Delicious?!"
Xuanxuan’s pretty eyes sparkled with light, and after a mont of surprise, she blinked her eyes full of joy: "Yay! Daddy, I love you the most."
With that, she puckered up her little pink lips and leaned in to give Huang Tao a kiss on the cheek.
Huang Tao chuckled: "Go on, don’t be late."
"Uh huh~"
Xuanxuan nodded like a little chick pecking rice, then made a heart gesture with Huang Tao, hugged him, and then bounced and hopped towards the school gate.
The little figure looked like a butterfly dancing gracefully, fluttering lightly in the cold winter wind, adorning this beautiful scene.
Seeing that his dear daughter had entered the campus, he drove off to the grocery market.
He bought ingredients and seasonings for making deep-fried crispy rings.
And he discussed future delivery arrangents with the vendors and added them on WeChat.
When he got back, it was just before 9 o’clock.
No more than 8:50 at most!
But in front of the shop, two tables for cards and one for chess had already been set up.
Many older folks, both n and won, indulged in their hobbies, so playing cards, others playing chess.
Li and Granny Li were also among them.
However, Li was with a few other older n watching Old Qin and Lao Liu play chess.
While Granny Li was sitting at the card table, holding playing cards in her hands, concentrating hard in thought.
It seed like it was her turn to play a card.
Next to them, a few older n had brought their insulated water bottles, sipping tea while chatting.
"Oh dear, your card ga is terrible... I’m telling you, hurry up and play a single card... He has no singles left, quick, catch him!"
"Hey, Old Cheng, don’t act more anxious than the Emperor’s eunuchs, just enjoy your tea and stop pointing around."
"Indeed, indeed, no more advising, ss with us again and you can cool off sowhere else."
"Exactly, exactly, a true gentleman says no words about others playing cards or chess!"
"Hey, Granny Li, are you sure that’s how the saying goes? Isn’t the saying ’a true gentleman keeps silent while watching chess’?"
"It’s all the sa, in short, whether watching cards or chess, don’t just go pointing around."
At that mont, when they saw Huang Tao getting out of the car, they smiled and greeted him.
"Hey, Boss Huang, you’re back~"
Huang Tao nodded: "Yes, I’m back."
After saying that, he opened the trunk and took out bags of ingredients one by one.
Seeing Huang Tao carrying all those bags over, the older folks imdiately sensed sothing unusual and quickly asked.
"Boss Huang, what’s in those bags?"
Huang Tao politely responded: "Oh, they’re so ingredients, just got them from the grocery market."
Ingredients?
Ingredients just bought from the market?!
According to the norm, all ingredients for Boss Huang’s shop were delivered by regular partnered vendors at scheduled tis.
There was no need for Boss Huang to personally go shopping.
The only reason he would go shopping himself could only be...
Case solved!
Boss Huang is launching a new dish.
The older folks suddenly felt like Sherlock Hols, analyzing it in their minds.
They looked at each other and saw each other’s thoughts in their eyes.
Mr. Cheng suddenly got excited, and cheerfully asked: "Boss Huang, you personally went to buy ingredients. Are you going to have a new dish out at lunch?"
Old Qin, who had been absorbed in the chess world just monts ago, couldn’t pull himself out of it. But hearing the words "new dish," he imdiately joined in excitedly asking: "Boss Huang, what ingredients did you buy? What new dish are you planning to launch?"
Having said that, he didn’t forget to leisurely shake his folding fan, creating a breeze.
Feeling the cold wind blown at him by Old Qin’s fan, Huang Tao really wanted to make a comnt about it: It’s winter, waving a fan, aren’t you afraid of freezing yourself?!
But ultimately, he didn’t voice this "greeting" to Old Qin.
He didn’t want to embarrass Old Qin.
Huang Tao smiled and nodded at the folks: "Dear neighbors, indeed there’s a new dish to be launched at noon today."
"Boss Huang, what’s the new dish? Can you give us a hint?" Old Cheng asked eagerly, almost impatient.
Huang Tao smiled, not directly revealing the na of the new dish but instead mysteriously said: "This new dish is one among the ’Thirty-six Delicacies’ of Hangzhou. The main ingredient is sothing called ’golden clothes,’ and there’s top quality tenderloin involved. Can any of you guess the na of this dish? The one who guesses right can co in for a taste before the shop officially opens."
Wow, a taste test!
Being able to secure a taste test spot at such a popular small shop is beyond happy!
With that, the neighbors stopped playing cards and chess, each of them getting energized, racking their brains to guess for the tasting spot.
What is this golden clothes thing anyway?
No matter how hard they thought, they couldn’t figure out what ingredient "golden clothes" was.
Looking at each other, they understood from each other’s shaking heads...
Nobody figured it out!
And nobody guessed the dish na from Boss Huang’s hints!
In frustration, everyone shook their heads, feeling regretful for not being clever enough to guess the dish na and missing such a great tasting opportunity.
As for Old Qin, a forr five-star head chef, he showed a completely different expression.
He leisurely shook his folding fan, and slowly said: "I may not know other cuisines, but when it cos to Zhejiang cuisine, I’ve got quite a say in it, I understand all the ingredients, techniques, and seasonings..."
Such poise, such attitude, he’s really putting on a show!
When it cos to pretending, he has few equals.
Huang Tao finally understood why Old Qin never parted from that folding fan.
It’s the tool for putting on a show!
Lao Liu, who knew his dear friend’s quirks well, couldn’t help but think: Here he cos, here he cos, here he cos putting on a show again.
Not able to stand it, he interrupted: "Old Qin, cut the crap, stick to the point!"
Old Qin: "..."
Friendship over!
Though interrupted, Old Qin wasn’t annoyed and nonchalantly opened his mouth: "Deep-fried Crispy Rolls."
Huang Tao praised with a smile: "As expected of Elder Qin, the forr five-star head chef, guessed it in one go."
Old Qin cupped his hands and spoke sincerely: "Boss Huang, you’re too kind, I may be a forr five-star head chef, but my cooking skills are still not as good as yours, Boss Huang!"
This almost made the neighborhood folks’ jaws drop.
In their eyes, Old Qin always had the attitude of "my cooking skills are the best in the world," and never admitted that others had better skills than him.
Yet Boss Huang was the first!
"Everyone, you’ve let win!"
Old Qin smiled and cupped his hands at the folks, then followed Huang Tao into the shop.
Witnessing Old Qin’s grin spread ear to ear, and seeing him gain a tasting spot, each neighbor was filled with envy, feeling both sour and envious.
"Cooking is the best! You can guess dish nas right away and earn a precious tasting spot."
"That old fellow Qin is really showing off! His big mouth is almost grinning to his ears."
Mr. Cheng couldn’t help but say: "Next ti when playing cards, if I don’t plaster you with paper notes, I’m not Cheng!"
Lao Liu rcilessly reminded: "Uh... Old Qin doesn’t play cards, he only plays chess..."
Mr. Cheng and the others: "..."
Why speak the brutal truth!
Since Old Qin doesn’t play cards, let’s plaster him during chess.
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