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

"Don't we have servants at home? Why are you going there yourself, and so early? Is it because the servants at home are disobedient?" Yan Wenli's tone became serious.

Grandpa Yan waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, I just want to eat it fresh out of the pot."

"Why go to all this trouble? You can just invite the cook to our house."

"Madam Shen isn't someone anyone can just invite. If I anger her, she might quit, and then I'll have nothing to eat. Oh well, never mind, I'll be back in a bit."

Old Master Yan waved his hand and was about to leave.

Yan Wenli found it even stranger: "What kind of food is it? Is it really necessary?"

"You don't understand." Old Master Yan had an idea. "Why don't you come with me and see what this stinky tofu tastes like?"

"Stinky tofu??"

"It smells awful but tastes delicious. You've definitely never tried it before. Hurry up and leave, or you won't be able to buy any later."

Without saying a word, Old Master Yan pulled Yan Wenli into his carriage.

drive--

At the coachman's shout, the horse galloped off at an incredible speed, and Yan Wenli swayed, almost losing his balance.

"What happened? So fast!" Yan Wenli's voice contained a hint of anger.

His father is old; how can he withstand such a bumpy ride?

Grandpa Yan chuckled beside him, "Don't take it out on the driver. I'm the one who made him drive like this. If you're feeling uncomfortable, then just get used to it."

"Bear with it, or you'll miss out on stinky tofu today."

???

Yan Wenli was full of question marks. When did his father become like this?

He used to be a slow-paced person, and I always taught him not to rush things and to take it slow.

Why are you in such a hurry for a bite to eat?

The carriage was shaking violently, and Yan Wenli even felt like he was going to vomit.

Looking up at his father, he was still all smiles, his eyes full of expectation, completely unaffected.

"Is stinky tofu really that delicious?? The name sounds a bit strange to me."

Why would a food have the word "stinky" in its name?

"You'll know once you try it. In our Ping'an County, stinky tofu is a famous and refined delicacy!" Old Master Yan said with a mysterious expression.

When he mentioned refined and elegant things, he even slightly raised his chin, clearly showing some pride.

"A refined item??"

Yan Wenli became more and more confused the more he listened.

Before long, the driver's voice came from outside: "Sir, we can't go any further."

"Come on, get off the carriage quickly." Old Master Yan was already used to it.

There are too many people around Zhiweixuan, and the crowd is only growing; carriages can't get in at all.

Yan Wenli was puzzled. He jumped off the carriage and looked around. Good heavens, why were there so many people?

The streets were packed with people, and there seemed to be a long queue in the distance.

"Hurry up, let's go line up!"

Old Master Yan became serious at this moment, grabbed Yan Wenli's sleeve, and started weaving through the crowd.

As the Minister of Revenue, Yan Wenli was in charge of the country's finances and spending. He held a high position and wielded great power. He always had servants to help him with his purchases and always traveled by carriage or sedan chair, rarely being in crowds.

This time, he was jostled around in the crowd.

"Dad, slow down!"

Yan Wenli felt that his own father was incredibly agile, even more so than him, a young man.

"Hey kid, why are you so slow? Hurry up, or I'll miss my stinky tofu!"

Old Master Yan showed no intention of slowing down; he was determined to move forward.

The daily serving of stinky tofu is limited; if he's late, he'll regret it terribly.

I should have known better than to talk to this kid at the door today; there seem to be even more people here than yesterday.

Yan Wenli frowned, grimacing from the jostling. He had no choice but to follow Old Master Yan forward.

But as he walked, his nose twitched, and he suddenly smelled a foul odor.

It smelled like something had gone bad; it was really rotten.

"Dad, can you smell it? It stinks!"

Old Master Yan laughed heartily: "Of course I smelled it!"

"Congratulations, kid, you've caught the first whiff of stinky tofu!"

He kept talking, but his feet didn't stop moving.

Yan Wenli frowned instantly: "Dad, are you kidding me? You can really eat something that smells this bad??"

He felt his nose was contaminated!

Before Old Master Yan could answer, they heard a group of children shouting in the distance:

"The first time I pinched my nose"

The second time, he squinted.

The third time, he stretched his neck.

Chapter Four – Madam Shen, another serving, please!

Upon hearing this, Old Master Yan burst into laughter.

"Did you hear the nursery rhymes those little monsters were singing? You're doing this for the first time, and you're still pinching your nose."

"Once you see and taste stinky tofu, you'll understand everything!"

Yan Wenli smiled bitterly. He felt he didn't quite understand, and even felt that his father had gone mad.

The two of them finally reached the end of the line, and when they looked down, wow, the line was so long they couldn't see the end of it.

"Father, this line is so long, isn't it a waste of time? Why don't we go back and have the servants come and buy it?" Yan Wenli felt like he was being tortured.

Grandpa Yan craned his neck to look ahead: "That won't do, freshly made stinky tofu is different."

"Be patient. Once you actually taste the stinky tofu, you'll know it was all worth it!"

Helpless, Yan Wenli had no choice but to suppress his urge to leave and incline forward little by little.

He covered his mouth and nose with both hands, his brows furrowed, clearly suffering greatly.

On the other hand, Old Master Yan seemed to enjoy the stench. He had gotten used to the smell of stinky tofu and no longer found it smelly; in fact, he found it to have a unique fragrance.

After waiting in line for quite a while, it was finally the turn of the Yan family father and son.

"Six servings of stinky tofu and two servings of pickled radish, please!" Old Master Yan ordered with practiced ease.

We should buy several servings today. It's Wenli's first time eating it, and he'll definitely be able to eat several servings!

Yan Wenli frowned as he looked at him, covering his mouth and nose even more tightly with his hands.

The Zhiweixuan shop was not large, but it was extremely clean and tidy. The counter was spotless, and the tofu was neatly arranged. Everything was in a pleasing and orderly manner.

Shen Qing was frying tofu and pouring sauce, but her movements were quick and clean, and she didn't seem flustered at all.

Yan Wenli looked at it and couldn't help but think more highly of it.

In his eyes, most of the food outside was not very clean or hygienic, but Zhiweixuan was very clean.

The shopkeeper's wife is also very capable.

But the taste...

Before long, Old Master Yan received the stinky tofu and pickled radish.

He pulled Yan Wenli aside, saying urgently, "Quick, try it! It's fresh out of the pot!"

"Here?? On the street??"

Yan Wenli's jaw dropped in astonishment. When did his father become so unconventional?