Chapter 128 - Chapter 128 - 128 Feeling Ashamed of Oneself (1/2)

Chapter 128 – 128 Feeling Ashamed of Oneself

“Old sir, would you like to come over and have a bite?” Chen Yu called out with a frown.

No matter what, we couldn’t just let an old man sit there idly in the shop!

Han Dongli looked up blankly, didn’t say much, and walked over leaning on his cane.

Chu Hong hurried to get a clean set of utensils and served Han Dongli a bowl of rice.

Han Dongli had just sat down when he was shocked by the sumptuous meal in front of him.

“Is this what you normally eat for your employee meal?”

Wang Dan, who was sitting close by, couldn’t help but widen her eyes, “Are you dissatisfied with our employee meal, old sir?”

The question was obviously charged, as Wang Dan considered their employee meal to be the best in the world.

Han Dongli waved his hands repeatedly, “That’s not what I mean! Your employee meal is too lavish; it includes dishes from all the major cuisines, and even the rice is made with great care.”

Chen Yu coughed lightly, “It’s just the leftover ingredients from the day, made casually, nothing special.”

Han Dongli sighed softly, “Chen, at your age, it’s the time to be competitive and full of vigor, yet the wisdom and demeanor you show have won me over!”

A thick booklet was then placed on the table by Han Dongli.

“These are lost recipes I’ve collated over the years. A precious sword is meant for a hero, and now, it seems there’s no one more worthy of this recipe book than you.”

Chen Yu was slightly taken aback and politely stood up to receive the recipe book.

But when he browsed through it, he found that the so-called lost recipes recorded within were all included in the system’s array of dishes.

In other words, there was no such thing as lost recipes for him; even if there were, the system would automatically complete them for him.

“Old sir, actually, the lost recipes recorded here, I can make almost all of them!”

Chen Yu put the booklet away and respectfully returned it.

Han Dongli was completely stunned, “Impossible, these are recipes I’ve compiled from over thirty years of travel around the world, and you’re not even thirty years old yet, these lost recipes…”

Chen Yu cut him off, “Ancient dishes varied greatly in their preparation due to historical and geographical reasons from the modern ones!”

“The lost recipes you’ve noted in this recipe book are modern interpretations of ancient dishes, or to put it simply, they are home-cooked meals handed down from farmers.”

For Han Dongli, this revelation was like a bolt from the blue; what he had painstakingly collected over thirty years amounted to nothing more than common homestyle dishes in Chen Yu’s eyes.

Before he could grasp what had happened, Chen Yu pushed a plate of deep-fried fish fillets in front of him.

“Peony fish fillets have been documented since the Warring States period as a part of the state banquet of the Chu kingdom, and there are many ways to prepare it to this day! Mine is a homestyle version, just that I didn’t have time to shape it into a peony.”

Han Dongli’s eyes widened in shock. Peony fish fillets were a signature dish in his recipe collection.

Only a very few people in the world could prepare this dish.

Yet, in Chen Yu’s place, it was merely a dish for the employee meal.

Han Dongli’s face was full of shame, “I have lived in vain for over sixty years!”

With a heavy sigh, he didn’t linger, but took up his cane and shuffled out of the shop.

“Is the old gentleman alright? Why does he look so soulless?” Chu Hong asked, full of confusion.

Li Gang sighed softly, “A lifelong belief, so mercilessly erased, it’s tragic!”