The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 359 The Last Jade Pendant Fragment!

"This is…"

Upon seeing the jade-like color that came into view, Qin Lang's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart inexplicably quickened its pace.

He quickly stepped forward and picked up the box that had fallen to the ground.

Looking at the familiar silhouette that he had been longing for for days, Qin Lang almost couldn't help but cheer.

This is the last missing part of the jade pendant in the fifteenth painting, the part that was said to have been taken away from Yuehu City by Yue Shan and whose whereabouts are now unknown!
However, none of the things he had inquired about concerning Mr. Gu Cong's past mentioned Mr. Zheng Chuan.

How did the fragments belonging to that Mr. Yue Shan end up here?
Thinking of this, Qin Lang couldn't help but turn to look at Zheng Chuan behind him, "Mr. Zheng Chuan, how did this jade pendant fragment end up with you?"

Unexpectedly, Zheng Chuan's expression turned strange after hearing Qin Lang's question. His expression was a mixture of expectation and surprise. "It seems that you recognize this jade pendant fragment?"

“Of course.” Before Qin Lang could speak, Cao Dongdong couldn’t help but say, “We’ve been looking for this jade pendant for a while now. We’ve found the other three jade pendant fragments, and we’re just missing this last one.”

"Because they couldn't find this fragment, Qin Lang was depressed for a full three... Ugh!" Before Cao Dongdong could finish speaking, Zhao Qian suddenly covered his mouth.

The latter glared at Cao Dongdong in annoyance. Only then did Cao Dongdong realize that Mr. Zheng Chuan had mistakenly thought that Qin Lang had been preparing for the Food Recommender assessment for the past three days. Now he had almost exposed the truth.

He glanced nervously at Zheng Chuan, only to find that the latter hadn't noticed the detail and instead looked thoughtful.

After a moment, Zheng Chuan suddenly spoke up, "Could you tell me about the other three jade pendant fragments?"

"no problem."

Qin Lang nodded, organized his thoughts, and then gave a general account of the whole story, including the grudges and disputes between Gu Cong and his four disciples.

After listening, Zheng Chuan showed a look of both emotion and realization.

"I see, no wonder that gentleman back then..."

He didn't continue, but shook his head. "Both Mr. Zhang Qian and Mr. Ren Qiu are my colleagues. I've heard about the feud between their two families, but I never expected it to be related to me."

"You want to know why I have this fragment?" Zheng Chuan glanced at Qin Lang and the others who were looking at him expectantly.

Everyone nodded in unison.

Zheng Chuan should not be a descendant of Yue Shan, otherwise the other three families would not be completely unaware of this. So what exactly is the relationship between these two?

They were very curious about this.

Seeing this, Zheng Chuan smiled wryly, "When I was very young, I had a brief encounter with the Mr. Yue Shan you mentioned."

"Of course, I didn't know his name at that time." Zheng Chuan shook his head slightly. "It was only today, from you all, that I learned his name."

"Even so, Mr. Yue Shan is my benefactor." Zheng Chuan's expression softened slightly as he said this.

“I was very naughty when I was a child. Once, I was playing hide-and-seek with my friends in the mountains and we got lost.”

"It was already very dark by then, and I was terrified, so I hid in a patch of grass and kept crying, not daring to go anywhere."

"It was at this moment that Mr. Yue Shan appeared." As he said this, Zheng Chuan's eyes held a hint of reminiscence for the past.

"Mr. Yue Shan is really big, but he is a very gentle person. I was almost scared to tears at first, but I gradually calmed down with his gentle words and was not so scared anymore."

"After he learned that I was lost, he lit a campfire and stayed by my side, chatting with me to help me forget my current situation."

He said he used to have a very important family member, but he lost them.

Upon hearing this, Qin Lang and the others couldn't help but imagine a scene in the dark mountains, a large and a small figure huddled together by a campfire. If they weren't mistaken, the family Mr. Yue Shan was referring to should be Mr. Gu Cong and his three other disciples.

only…

This seems to contradict the claim that Mr. Yue Shan took the recipe with him.

If he were truly a person who valued relationships, how could he have acted so selfishly?

Thinking of this, Qin Lang and the other four looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt.

However, they did not speak, but listened patiently to Zheng Chuan's story.

"It was getting darker and darker, and it was getting colder and colder on the mountain."

"Although the campfire can ward off the cold, my stomach is getting hungrier and hungrier."

"Just then, Mr. Yue Shan magically produced a fish and grilled it over the campfire." At this point, Zheng Chuan's voice became more complicated. "That grilled fish didn't have much seasoning or any complicated cooking methods."

"But it was the most delicious grilled fish I've ever eaten in my life."

"Could it be any more delicious than what Qin Lang made today?" Zuo Ge couldn't help but mutter to himself.

“It’s different.” Qin Lang shook his head. “It’s not just a grilled fish, but also an important past that Mr. Zheng Chuan remembers vividly.”

"The taste of memories can never be surpassed."

“Yes, the taste of memories is irreplaceable.” Zheng Chuan nodded in agreement. “After we finished eating the grilled fish, my anxious parents followed the light of the campfire and found me.”

“At the moment I passed away with my parents, I was filled with gratitude for Mr. Yue Shan, so I made a decision.” Zheng Chuan paused slightly.

I broke free from my parents' grasp, rushed to him, and shouted at him…

"In the future, I want to become a chef as good as him."

"Upon hearing this, Mr. Yue Shan smiled broadly."

"Then, he gave me this jade pendant fragment." Zheng Chuan's gaze fell on the box in Qin Lang's hand.

"I asked him what this was."

“Mr. Yue Shan said…” Zheng Chuan’s eyes were filled with reminiscence, “This was the most important thing to him, but it also seemed not so important.”

"If one day, the jade pendant corresponding to the fragment has a chance to be reunited, I will decide whether to take out the fragment."

"If that day never comes, this fragment will serve as a testament to my past with him."

At this point, Zheng Chuan looked at Qin Lang, his expression becoming serious.

"At the time, I didn't understand what he meant, but I still kept the jade pendant safe until now."

"If you want to take it from me, there's only one condition."

"Please speak." Qin Lang's heart skipped a beat.

“I don’t believe that someone like Mr. Yue Shan, who so desperately wants the jade pendant to be reunited, would leave his hometown just to keep a so-called recipe for himself.” Zheng Chuan’s expression grew increasingly serious. “Therefore, my condition is…”

"The owners of the other three fragments are willing to give up the jade pendant fragments."

(End of this chapter)