Chapter 182 Why does the level of the head chef at Wangjing No.1 fluctuate?
Lu Xiyao raised her head and saw Ouyang Peng. She immediately sweetly called out, “Hello, Grandpa Ouyang~!”
“Eh, Xiyao, you’re so obedient. What are you doing here?”
Ouyang Peng took a handful of toffee out of his pocket and handed it to the little one. These toffees were imported and not cheap. Today, Ouyang Peng’s granddaughter, Ouyang Duoduo, came over, and Ouyang Peng had specifically asked someone to buy them.
Later, when he met the Lu family of three and saw Lu Xiyao, who was about the same age as his granddaughter, Ouyang Peng was as fond of her as Wu Rui.
He had a bit more candy in his pocket, thinking of giving it to this little cutie when they met. It seemed like older people liked giving candy to kids.
“Thank you, Grandpa Ouyang~!”
Lu Xiyao tucked the candy into her pocket.
“Xiyao, did your dad brew this Osmanthus Oolong tea?”
“Yes~!”
Ouyang Peng was secretly surprised. He didn’t expect this little Lu chef to brew such a delicious tea. Truly impressive!
Zhu Guangyao poked Ouyang Peng.
“Do you know her dad?”
“Of course. He’s a top chef from Jiangcheng whom my son specially invited over. He makes the Liver Paste 27 Soup!”
Ouyang Peng wanted to serve this tea to the guests at the birthday banquet, expecting great reviews. Maybe they wouldn’t even want to drink wine. But, unfortunately, Lu Qin was still busy in the kitchen and couldn’t serve it just yet.
What a pity.
“Liver Paste Soup!”
Zhu Guangyao, who loved fine food, became excited as well.
At this moment, Shen Muyan came back from exchanging business cards and saw that Old Master Ouyang was there. She took the initiative to greet him.
“Xiao Shen, come here, let me introduce you.”
Because of Lu Qin, Ouyang Peng was very enthusiastic towards Shen Muyan, and he called familiar people ‘Xiao Shen’.
“This is Mr. Zhu, from Beijing, Chairman of Huayao Group.”
“This is…”
Ouyang Peng carefully introduced all three, and Shen Muyan was secretly startled. All three of these older men were in charge of major enterprises in Beijing. Zhu Guangyao had even been on the national rich list, and Shen Muyan, who was in the business circle, naturally knew who he was.
Seeing that Old Master Ouyang introduced them to a young CEO, the three of them understood Ouyang Peng’s intention. Connections were something money couldn’t buy.
Zhu Guangyao understood this and didn’t outwardly care. Just because of the tea the little CEO’s husband brewed, and the upcoming Liver Paste Soup, he didn’t mind establishing a connection.
Zhu Guangyao even took the initiative to give Shen Muyan his business card, which made the rich lady feel honored. The cards she had exchanged earlier, combined, weren’t as valuable as Zhu Guangyao’s single card. And it was Zhu Guangyao who handed it to her personally.
Shen Muyan took the little one and said, “Xiyao, have you called people? Grandpa Ouyang, Grandpa Zhu…”
“Yes~!” The little one replied in her sweet voice.
After chatting for a few minutes, the three of them were all looking forward to the Liver Paste Soup at the birthday banquet.
At 6:00 PM, the banquet started. Lu Qin had already made forty servings of the Liver Paste Soup, but it wasn’t served immediately. The order in which the dishes were served had to be carefully considered.
The Liver Paste Soup was definitely the star dish chosen by Old Master Ouyang. It was served second to last. Shen Muyan sat at one of the business guests’ tables with the little one.
A few young business elites from Haishi City had their eyes full of admiration for Shen Muyan. It was the first time they saw such a beautiful young female CEO. She was an absolute goddess, stunningly beautiful, with a perfect figure.
Her cold demeanor made the men feel a strong sense of conquest. At first, they intended to sit next to the goddess, but when they saw that she came with a child, they immediately backed off.
“My CEO, is this your daughter?”
“Hello, Uncle~!”
Before Shen Muyan could respond, Lu Xiyao greeted the guests politely. Her sweet and soft voice made everyone melt.
“Eh, so well-behaved! What would you like to drink? Yogurt or juice?”
The little one earned full points for likability right off the bat.
“Juice~!”
Shen Muyan took the juice and poured a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice for Lu Xiyao. The banquet had started, and the service staff began bringing out the dishes. Shen Muyan called Lu Qin to let him know dinner was ready, and there was a seat saved for him.
“Go ahead and eat. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Daddy’s not coming?” The little one asked.
“He said he’ll come soon. Don’t worry, he’s definitely not lacking food in the kitchen.”
Lu Xiyao nodded, took a piece of cold dish—pickled radish slices—and bit into it. She quickly realized it wasn’t as good as the pickles Lu Qin made.
Shen Muyan glanced at her expression and gently pinched her cheek.
“Xiyao, don’t be picky.”
“Okay~!”
Actually, Shen Muyan knew that the little one wasn’t being picky. She was just so used to Lu Qin’s flavors that everything else tasted different. Even Shen Muyan herself didn’t have much of an appetite for these dishes and only tasted a little.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged man next to them nodded in agreement.
“No wonder it’s Wangjing No. 1. The food tastes really good! This garlic beef is delicious!”
“Shen CEO, try it as well.”
“Little one, try the beef!”
After a few more dishes were served, the service staff brought out a plate of garlic pork. The strong garlic aroma wafted through the air, instantly sparking everyone’s appetite.
“This is a famous Sichuan dish—garlic pork. It smells so good, I’m going to try a piece.”
As soon as the plate was set down, someone couldn’t resist picking up a piece. The tender, translucent white meat coated in the garlic sauce made the eater’s mouth water.
Before even taking a bite, the flavor seemed to explode in their mouth. They eagerly bit into the piece of garlic pork, and the flavor was so rich and savory, they couldn’t help but moan in delight.
The person was so excited, they couldn’t speak, only nodding and giving a thumbs up. Everyone at the banquet table was someone important, and to see such exaggerated praise for a dish proved how delicious it was!
The plate of garlic pork quickly became empty.
“Mmm… So delicious!”
“This is the best garlic pork I’ve ever had!”
Shen Muyan and Lu Xiyao each had a piece and were immediately impressed.
“Mom, this meat is really delicious!”
Unfortunately, after the plate made its rounds, there was no more. The little one was left longing for more.
“No wonder it’s Wangjing No. 1. This garlic pork is truly a masterpiece!”
For now, this garlic pork was definitely the best dish among all the ones served. Everyone began eagerly waiting for the next dish. The service staff came out again with a dish—spicy red spiral shellfish.
As soon as the plate was set down, someone immediately tried a bite.
“This shellfish isn’t as good as the garlic pork.”
After tasting it, the guest whispered.
The plate made its rounds, and only one-fifth of the dish was gone. Everyone was still puzzled, wondering why the chef at Wangjing No. 1 had such fluctuating levels of skill.
The service staff returned, bringing another plate—spicy water-boiled fish. Everyone eagerly picked up their chopsticks to try it.
“This spicy water-boiled fish is so delicious!”
Shen Muyan and Lu Xiyao both tasted it and recognized the familiar flavor.
“Mom, this is the spicy fish dad makes!”
The little one said excitedly.
A middle-aged man nearby turned to ask, “Your dad made this?”