Food: Senior year internship, you take over the university cafeteria

Gu Lingyi's appearance silenced the previously noisy window number 07 for a moment.

The students stared curiously at the powerful and beautiful woman, whispering among themselves.

"Which department does this teacher belong to? She has such a refined air about her!"

"It looks like... Principal Gu? I've seen him in photos on the official website!"

"Even the principal is lining up for xiaolongbao?!"

Wang Sheng's "Good morning, Principal Gu" confirmed everyone's guess, and a suppressed gasp and the "click" of mobile phone cameras immediately rose from the surroundings.

Gu Lingyi seemed oblivious to the commotion around her. Her gaze fell on Wang Sheng's face, then swept over the clean and tidy, steaming scene behind the worktable, and finally settled on the steaming basket of freshly steamed buns with tempting golden hues on top, and the bowl of bright red and glistening taro next to them.

"Hmm, I'll try it."

Gu Lingyi's voice was calm and emotionless. "Let's see just how amazing this 'miracle window' is that can get so many students to get up early and line up."

She didn't say what she wanted, but Wang Sheng understood instantly.

"Please have a seat, Principal. It will be ready shortly."

Wang Sheng deftly took out a brand-new small steamer with blue and white patterns (he had bought it yesterday in case of emergency), carefully selected eight of the most perfect-shaped and evenly shaped steamed buns with bamboo tongs and put them in, then served a bowl of sweet taro and sprinkled it with a little more dried osmanthus flowers.

Served with a special dish of balsamic vinegar and shredded ginger, it was placed on a simple wooden tray on an empty table specially reserved by the window.

"Be careful, it's hot," Wang Sheng warned.

Gu Lingyi nodded slightly and sat down gracefully.

She didn't pick up her chopsticks immediately, but observed them carefully first.

The xiaolongbao is shaped like a chrysanthemum, with a paper-thin skin that subtly reveals the pinkish meat filling and sloshing soup inside.

The taro with sugar has an enticing color, the broth is thick and clings to the spoon, and it is decorated with osmanthus flowers, making it very beautiful.

She picked up her chopsticks and gently touched the top of the xiaolongbao with the tip, feeling its amazing suppleness.

Then, following the way I had seen before, I carefully picked up one, dipped it lightly in the vinegar dish, brought it to my lips, and bit a small hole with my teeth slightly open.

The piping hot, incredibly delicious broth instantly pours in!

Gu Lingyi's usually calm and wise phoenix eyes suddenly widened!

As the principal of a school, she has attended countless banquets and tasted delicacies from all over the country, and she considers her taste buds to be quite discerning.

But the impact of that sip of soup still exceeded her expectations!

It was a delicious flavor that was distinct yet perfectly integrated!

The rich and robust aroma of black pork forms the base, followed by the mellow and complex salty and savory flavor of five-year-aged soy sauce. The gentle caramel sweetness of traditional brown sugar quietly unfolds, and finally, the dried shrimp and scallop powder adds a finishing touch of lingering seafood flavor... All the flavors are perfectly wrapped and blended by the gelatinous texture of the melted pork skin jelly, exploding and flowing in the mouth!

Salty, savory, sweet, fragrant, smooth... exquisitely delicious!

She subconsciously sucked gently, taking all the soup into her mouth, her throat moving slightly.

Next comes the dough and filling. The dough is thin yet resilient, with just the right amount of wheat aroma.

The minced meat is very textured, chewy and juicy, and the seasoning is so precise it's as if it was measured with a ruler—too much and it would be greasy, too little and it would be bland.

Gu Lingyi didn't speak. She put down one, picked up another, and savored it carefully. Then, the third one.

She ate three xiaolongbao in a row before stopping, picking up a white porcelain spoon and scooping up a spoonful of sweet taro.

The taro melts in your mouth, its powdery and creamy texture is unbelievable, and the sweetness of the syrup is perfectly controlled, rich and smooth, without being cloying at all.

The delicate fragrance of osmanthus perfectly balances any potential sweetness, leaving only a lingering aroma and warmth.

A spoonful of sweet taro filled my stomach with a comforting warmth. Then I ate a savory xiaolongbao…

Gu Lingyi finally put down her spoon and chopsticks, picked up a tissue from the side, and gently wiped the corner of her mouth.

She looked up at Wang Sheng, who had been watching her reaction with some nervousness. For the first time, her eyes behind her glasses revealed undisguised surprise and admiration.

"Wang Sheng," her voice remained steady, but a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation could be detected upon closer listening, "who... taught you your skills?"

This is the same question again.

Wang Sheng could only remain vague:

"I figured this out myself, Principal Gu, is it... is it alright?"

"good?"

Gu Lingyi raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over the students around her who were eagerly waiting, their faces practically screaming "Principal, give your evaluation!" A slight smile played on her lips. "If this is what you call 'not bad,' then many of the established shops outside can just close down."

Whoosh—!

The students who had been eavesdropping nearby erupted in uproar!

The principal himself vouches for it! It tastes even better than the time-honored brands!

That's a really hardcore review!

A huge weight lifted from Wang Sheng's heart, and he couldn't help but smile: "Principal, you flatter me."

"No need for flattery." Gu Lingyi shook her head, her tone serious. "The ingredients are carefully selected, and the techniques are masterful. This balance of sweetness and savory flavor, this control of the aspic and broth—you can't achieve that without putting in a lot of hard work. It seems the school made the right decision to support your entrepreneurship. Keep up the good work."

She stood up and took out her phone from her handbag: "How much? I'll scan the code."

"No need, no need! Principal, your presence here to try it is the greatest encouragement for us!" Wang Sheng quickly waved his hand.

"One thing at a time."

Gu Lingyi insisted, scanned the code, paid, and before leaving, glanced one last time at the long queue and the rising steam, leaving behind a remark:

"Keep this standard up. Next time, I'll bring other school leaders to try it too."

After saying that, she turned and left. The sound of her high heels was still crisp, but it seemed a little lighter than when she came.

"Even the principal said it was delicious!"

"The boss is awesome!"

"Hurry up, it's my turn! I want xiaolongbao with sweet taro!"

The atmosphere in front of the window became even more enthusiastic, and Wang Sheng was also infected by it, continuing to work with great energy.

Just then—

"Weiwei? What are you doing eating breakfast here? Didn't you say you were eating out with your roommate?"

A slightly familiar middle-aged male voice rang out from the outside of the line, tinged with surprise.

Wang Sheng looked up and laughed.

Su Weiwei's parents, Su Mingyuan and her well-maintained mother, were standing not far away, looking quite surprised.

Su Mingyuan was carrying a small duffel bag, indicating that he was preparing to return home.

Su Weiwei was sharing candied taro with her roommate when she heard this and was startled. With half a taro still in her mouth and her cheeks puffed out, she looked like a frightened little hamster.

"Dad? Mom? Aren't you... supposed to take the 8 a.m. train?"

Su's mother smiled somewhat embarrassedly:

"Your dad kept talking about those xiaolongbao all night, saying he hadn't had enough. He insisted on changing his afternoon train ticket to drag me over for another meal, saying... saying he wanted to pack some to take back for your grandparents to try too."

Su Mingyuan's face flushed slightly, and he coughed, but his gaze was already fixed on the familiar yet even more tempting steamed buns in the window, as well as the sweet taro with its osmanthus fragrance. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

"Ahem... Well, since we're already here, Vivi, who is this...?"

He looked at Wang Sheng.

"Hello, Uncle and Auntie, it's nice to see you again."

Wang Sheng greeted everyone with a smile, "The ingredients for today's xiaolongbao have been upgraded, and we've also launched a new product: sweet taro. It's even better when eaten together."

"Upgraded? New product?"

Su Mingyuan's eyes lit up even more. "Quick, give us some too... four baskets of xiaolongbao! Two bowls of sweet taro! No, three bowls! To go... uh, eat here!"

He immediately abandoned his plan to take it away; the aroma was too tempting, and he couldn't wait.

The family of three, along with Su Weiwei's roommate, shared a large table.

When the upgraded xiaolongbao and sweet taro were served, Su Mingyuan only took one bite before slapping his thigh in disbelief:

"Great! This meat! This soy sauce! It's a step up from yesterday! And this crab roe... wait, this isn't pure crab roe, it has seafood added? Wonderful! The umami flavor is even more complex!"

His comments, almost like those of a professional food critic, drew the attention of the students around him.

After tasting the sweet taro, Su's mother praised it highly: "The taro is cooked thoroughly, the syrup is perfectly made, and the osmanthus fragrance is just right. It's even more authentic than what I had at the old shops in Suzhou!"

Looking at her parents, who were completely captivated by the food and even changed their travel plans because of it, Su Weiwei felt both amused and proud. She whispered to her roommate:

"See? I told you it was super delicious."

The family was enjoying their meal when Su Mingyuan's phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, answered, and spoke with a hint of impatience:

"Feed? You little brat, what's up?...Yeah, changed to the afternoon....What's the reason? What's it to you! I'm doing it because I want to!...Where? At your school cafeteria!...What are we eating? Steamed buns!...Duh! If it wasn't good, would I have changed my train ticket? It's a hundred times better than all that fancy stuff you've been trying to find!...Bragging? What am I bragging about! Believe it or not!...Want to try? Come whenever you have time! I'm just afraid your tongue's been ruined by all that 'high-tech stuff' and you won't be able to taste the real thing!...Bang!"

Su Mingyuan angrily hung up the phone.

Su Weiwei asked curiously, "Was that from my brother?"

"Who else could it be but that brat!"

Su Mingyuan said irritably, "When they heard that I changed my ticket to eat xiaolongbao, they just wouldn't believe me and said I was bragging."

He even called himself a "veteran restaurant reviewer," having exposed countless fake online celebrity restaurants, and even daring to criticize and comment on his own family's restaurant. He said he'd definitely come and try it next time he had time to see what kind of "divine xiaolongbao" could make his dad so obsessed that he neglected his work.

Su's mother shook her head helplessly: "You two..."

Wang Sheng, who was listening nearby, heard everything clearly and his heart stirred slightly.

Restaurant review blogger?

Did they expose counterfeit food at their own restaurant?

Sounds like a tough character who values ​​authenticity and has a sharp tongue.

What a filial son!

The hall is full of filial piety.

This is an interesting potential challenge...

Or, an opportunity?

If even such picky "industry insiders" can be won over, wouldn't the reputation and popularity of the window take another huge leap forward?

He glanced at the positive reviews on the system panel, which had already surpassed 600 and were still rising rapidly, as well as the ever-accumulating popularity value, and his expectations grew even higher.

Come on, everyone come on.

We use the best ingredients and the most dedicated craftsmanship to welcome all tastings and challenges.