Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"Two servings? If you buy three servings, you can get a side of pickled radish. Pickled radish and stinky tofu are a perfect match."

Shen Qing smiled and spoke, she had a very good impression of Song Lian.

Pickled radish? ?

Upon hearing this, Song Lian immediately became curious and quickly said, "Then I'll have three servings of stinky tofu and one serving of pickled radish."

"She sells those radishes for ten coins a serving, don't be silly!"

Sun Yun couldn't help but interject, his brows furrowed as he looked at Song Lian as if he were an idiot.

Song Lian was impatient, and his gaze toward Sun Yun was filled with disdain.

"Brother Sun, she's willing to sell and I'm willing to buy; you're being a bit nosy."

Sun Yun snorted coldly and turned his head to the side.

A dog bites Lü Dongbin, failing to recognize a kind heart.

Just then, a fragrant aroma of oil wafted into my nostrils.

Sun Yun couldn't help but turn his head to take a look, only to see Shen Qing putting the grayish tofu pieces into the oil pan one by one.

As it tumbled and leaped, the tofu changed from grayish-brown to golden yellow and gradually began to bubble.

In no time, the tofu was transferred from the oil pan to the plate, drizzled with chili sauce, and topped with chopped cilantro.

It looks delicious!

It not only smells good, but even the stench on the tip of your nose has a hint of fragrance.

It even smells somewhat intoxicating.

"This stinky tofu needs to be fried..." Sun Yun muttered to himself.

He felt something was off; he actually found the smell strangely overpowering.

Song Lian chimed in, "Of course! Didn't you hear the poems that circulated at yesterday's Peach Garden gathering?"

"What poem?"

"These are lines of poetry that Mr. Han Tanzi casually recited."

"What??" Sun Yun was stunned.

Song Lian shook his head, his gesture clearly implying that Sun Yun's affection for Han Tanzi was inadequate.

Otherwise, how could he not even recite Han Tanzi's latest poem?

He then recited: "Oil paper half-transparent with rouge color, golden armor draped over the body, garlic robe as a garment, do not laugh at the roughness and lack of elegance, for within lies ice and snow, naturally aloof and noble."

"The so-called golden armor refers to the surface of the tofu after it has been deep-fried."

Just then, Shen Qing wrapped the stinky tofu in oil paper and handed it to Song Lian.

Song Lian held up the stinky tofu in front of Sun Yun and said, "Look, Mr. Han's poems are so vivid."

As he spoke, he opened the oil paper package, broke off a piece of tofu with his chopsticks, revealing its tender white interior.

Sun Yun was completely stunned.

The chili oil soaked through the oil paper, staining it a large area red. The golden outer shell was covered with minced garlic and chopped cilantro, while the tofu inside was soft, white, and trembling.

He could even smell the aroma of beans, garlic, and oil.

A peculiar fragrance.

Sun Yun subconsciously brought his head closer to the oil paper package, wanting to open his mouth and take a bite of the stinky tofu inside.

"Hey, I bought this!"

Seeing that something was wrong, Song Lian quickly took two steps back to protect the stinky tofu.

Although there were three servings of stinky tofu, he didn't want to share them with Sun Yun.

"Can I have a piece to try?" Sun Yun asked repeatedly.

His curiosity about stinky tofu had reached its peak.

"No, I don't have enough to eat yet."

Song Lian wasn't going to indulge Sun Yun. He walked a little further away and started eating stinky tofu, looking quite pleased with himself.

They finished off the two portions of stinky tofu in no time.

He decided to take the remaining portion home and eat it slowly.

It was then that he remembered the pickled radish snack he had bought earlier.

A serving of pickled radish costs ten coins, and only a small portion consists of about five or six slices.

Song Lian tentatively picked up a slice of pickled radish and put it in his mouth.

click-

The radish is extremely crisp, a thin, clear crispness, like stepping on a thin sheet of ice.

The next moment, he couldn't help but shudder.

It's so sour, so sour it reaches the back of your tongue, and the sourness makes your cheeks tighten involuntarily, giving you an instant jolt of energy.

In a moment, the sweetness of the radish rose to the surface, and the sourness in my mouth instantly became less sharp.

Finally, it's spicy, but not the kind of spiciness that's intensely fiery; rather, it's a very gentle spiciness, light and warm, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

"Good heavens, this pickled radish..."

That's absolutely fantastic!

It's refreshing and has a sweet and delicious taste.

Song Lian's eyes lit up. He remembered Shen Qing saying that pickled radishes and stinky tofu were a perfect match.

I couldn't resist picking up a third serving of stinky tofu and eating a piece.

I ate another slice of pickled radish.

Stinky tofu is hot and spicy, while pickled radish is cold and sour.

The coolness suppressed the heat, and the sourness relieved the spiciness.

At the same time, the refreshing taste of the pickled radish diluted the strong flavor of the stinky tofu, while the sweetness of the pickled radish enhanced the aroma of the stinky tofu.

It's like pouring water on a fire, making people want to clap and cheer.

"What a perfect match!!" Song Lian murmured to himself.

So he ate a piece of stinky tofu and a piece of pickled radish in no time, finishing them off in a few bites.

I wanted to save a portion of stinky tofu to take home and eat, but I didn't expect it wouldn't stay at all.

No, Shen Niangzi's food is too delicious.

He declared that Madam Shen and Old Master Qin held equal positions in his heart!

Sun Yun was watching Song Lian from a short distance away.

He naturally saw Song Lian's expression of being a starving ghost.

Sun Yun blushed slightly, feeling quite embarrassed.

He didn't realize he was wrong; stinky tofu tastes like this before it's fried.

Sun Yun frowned, and after a long while, he still walked over to Shen Qing.

"Madam Shen." He bowed deeply.

"I was arrogant and spoke recklessly just now, and I am truly ashamed. I hope Madam Shen can forgive me."

Shen Qing smiled slightly: "It's alright."

"People who are trying stinky tofu for the first time will find it unsettling; you're not the first to question it."

"The food in my shop isn't cheap, but I think it's worth the price!"

Her words were gentle yet firm, and very powerful.

Sun Yun's face turned even redder; he had just questioned the price of the pickled radish.

Upon reflection, I realized I had acted too impulsively and recklessly.

I don't know why, but he gets easily agitated whenever it comes to Mr. Han's affairs. It's really strange.

"I'm sorry, I was too impulsive."

"I want to buy three servings of stinky tofu too!"

Shen Qing replied politely, "Of course, but you'll have to wait in line first."

"I'll line up!!" Sun Yun nodded repeatedly and rushed to the very back.

For some reason, he felt that Shen Qing was particularly tolerant and generous, and had a lot of personal charm. Even though he had just been arrogant, Shen Qing was still very polite and courteous.

In no time, Sun Yun's favorability towards Shen Qing skyrocketed.

Sun Yun's attitude changed drastically, and he went straight to the back of the line. As a result, he and the people in his small group stopped causing trouble.

The queue returned to order, and Shen Qing efficiently served the food, delivering servings of stinky tofu to the diners.

Suddenly, several voices rang out:

"Look! Mr. Han!"

"Mr. Han has arrived! We've finally met Mr. Han!"

"And Mr. Qin!!!"

"..."