Chapter 198 - : Ants Climbing a Tree (1/2)

“Okay.”

Li Qing did as he was told. Then, he added soy sauce and pure water until it was bubbling.

He added the vermicelli that he had just soaked into the pot. He felt that it was too long and inconvenient to eat, so he cut it from the middle.

When the vermicelli were cooked, Li Qing picked up the pepper and salt to season them.

Xu Le said, “You’ve already put in soy sauce and sprouts. Both are very salty. Now, just add a spoonful of white sugar to enhance the taste. It will be too salty to add more salt.”

Zhang Tong nodded, indicating that it made sense.

Li Qing pouted and continued to do as he was told.

The soup in the pot was allowed to be completely absorbed by the vermicelli at low heat. Then, he used his chopsticks to pick it up and the sprouts and meat “climbed” up along the vermicelli.

He sprinkled some green garlic paste and stirred it evenly.

“It’s almost done. There’s nothing wrong with the cooking method. It’s just that the seasoning isn’t compatible. The taste should be alright once it’s corrected.”

As Xu Le spoke, he gestured for Li Qing to taste it.

The sprouts and meat were wrapped evenly in the vermicelli. When brought into the mouth, the unique flavor of the sprouts was crisp and salty. The vermicelli was smooth and had some chewiness, but it was not greasy at all. The red oil made it more fragrant, and there was almost no spiciness.

It was a very appetizing dish.

After all three dishes were done, they called Auntie Liu over to help taste them. Zhang Tong placed two Dong’an chickens that looked similar in front of her.

“Try it. Which tastes better?”

Auntie Liu chewed carefully and tasted it several times. In the end, she pointed at the one without much juice and commented, “The sourness and spiciness of this dish come from the chicken. It feels different from the ones in other shops. The one beside it is not bad, but it’s still lacking in both taste and texture.”

When Zhang Tong heard this heartbreaking truth, he failed to salvage his dignity. Hence, he changed the topic and said, “By the way, Boss Xu, where do you plan to open your next store? Will it be bigger than the previous two?”

“The place is very close to here. It’s very small and not more than 100 square meters. I plan to go with the limited-edition business operating model. I’ll only serve state banquet dishes or difficult and rare delicacies. That way, it’ll be much more convenient for people who sincerely want to enjoy delicacies. Ordinary customers also won’t think that some of the dishes on the menu are too expensive.”

“Fair enough.”

“Alright, if you’re busy, look for the two of us to help.”

The two of them were very supportive. This calmed Xu Le down. When he saw the exceptionally high rent through the property agent, he thought he had heard wrongly.

“Is that really… the rent?”

“Look, there’s an entire building of luxury shopping mall beside it. The greenery downstairs is so good. The bamboo forest is quiet and the Japanese-style garden design is not bad!”

“I’ll look at the ones upstairs again.”

Xu Le wanted to find a quiet place as much as possible. In a big city filled with desire, it was a place where customers could enjoy delicacies and rest their souls.

The agent very politely brought him upstairs to choose. In order to pursue tranquility, the business district here had two floors. Although it was small, the style and taste could be seen at a glance.