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

"Dad, don't just stand there, hurry up and carry it!"

Du Ruoyun immediately took the two bowls; she couldn't stand the smell alone.

It smelled sour and fragrant, and she could feel her mouth watering.

Du Ming snapped out of his daze, picked up the remaining two bowls, and sat down next to Du Ruoyun.

Upon closer inspection, good heavens! The once dignified and elegant young lady was now eating like a starving ghost.

It's like never having eaten noodles before.

"Is it really that exaggerated...?"

Du Ming became curious at this moment, and his gaze fell back on the pickled cabbage noodles in front of him.

Take a deep breath.

The steam carrying a tangy and spicy aroma wafted into his nostrils, and instantly, all his attention was drawn to the bowl of pickled cabbage noodles in front of him.

Du Ming didn't rush to eat the noodles. Instead, he scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it gently, and put it in his mouth.

His cheeks tightened involuntarily. The first taste he experienced was sourness, followed by spiciness, which spread from the back of his tongue to the tip.

With a careful sip, the rich flavor of pork bones, the spicy aroma of chili oil, the fragrance of meat, the tangy sourness of pickled cabbage, and so on, all rise to the surface layer by layer.

There was another fragrance he couldn't identify, which was particularly alluring.

After taking a sip of soup, he felt as if he were in paradise, so comfortable that he felt like he was floating.

After savoring the flavor for a long time, Du Ming finally came back to his senses as the fragrance in his mouth gradually faded.

He slowly picked up another mouthful of noodles.

The noodles are curved, yet chewy and smooth, with excellent elasticity. The sour soup complements the wheat aroma, making it not only flavorful but also unforgettable.

"These noodles...wonderful, truly wondrous! I've never tasted noodles like these before!" Du Ming couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Immediately afterwards, he added a spoonful of pickled cabbage.

With a gentle chew, the juice bursts in your mouth, both sour and crunchy, with a distinctly rich fermented flavor.

Another piece of pork belly, the lean meat is tender and the fat melts in your mouth, the meaty aroma is not greasy at all, but rather it cuts through the thinness of the sourness.

The pig's stomach is both crisp and chewy, and chewing it feels like you're wrestling with your teeth.

The poached egg is soaked in broth; one bite fills your mouth with the aroma of egg, and a tangy, spicy flavor.

Du Ming carefully tasted all the ingredients in the bowl and was greatly shocked.

"It's not comparable at all, not even close. No, it's not just not comparable, it doesn't even have the right to be compared..."

They are worlds apart.

He had wasted his time treating the cooks in his household like treasures; only now did he realize what true gourmet food was.

After sighing, Du Ming buried his head in his food and began to eat heartily.

"Father, am I right? Isn't Madam Shen's noodles amazing!" Du Ruoyun let out a burp and couldn't help but tease Du Ming as he buried his head in his food.

"Absolutely amazing, absolutely amazing!!"

Du Ming readily agreed, wishing he had known about Zhiweixuan earlier, as he wouldn't have had to treat the chefs in his household like treasures.

He tilted his head back and drank the soup in the bowl.

Just then, a cacophony of shouts suddenly erupted:

"No way? They sold out so quickly??"

"Madam Shen, why can't you do more?"

"I'm so hungry! I've been queuing for two days in a row, and I haven't gotten to eat either the spicy beef noodles or the pickled cabbage noodles. Who's more miserable than me?!"

"..."

Cries of agony filled the air; the diners who hadn't gotten any food all wore long faces and looked utterly miserable.

Who could stand smelling it but not being able to eat it?

Having no other option, Shen Qing could only apologize, "I'm so sorry everyone, we really don't have any left. Please come back tomorrow."

"Will it still be pickled cabbage noodles tomorrow?"

"No." Shen Qing paused for a moment, then shook her head slightly.

"What kind of noodles will we have tomorrow?" Clever diners have already started asking.

"have no idea."

"Don't know?? How could I not know? Madam Shen, are you joking?"

Shen Qing said helplessly, "I really don't know."

She was randomly selected by the system; she really didn't know.

The diners, however, found it utterly outrageous.

"Surely Madam Shen wouldn't decide what to sell tomorrow by drawing lots, would she?"

"That's quite possible. There's a good chance they haven't drawn lots for tomorrow yet."

"Good heavens, Madam Shen is truly unique; she actually decides what food to sell by drawing lots."

"..."

The diners passed the word around, making the lottery seem almost real.

Shen Qing finished tidying up, closed the door of Zhiweixuan, and prepared to go home.

However, there was still a large group of diners outside who hadn't left.

"Madam Shen, could you prepare more for tomorrow? We haven't had any yet."

"Yeah, that pickled cabbage noodle soup smells amazing."

"Madam Shen, please prepare more tomorrow, I beg you!!"

"..."

Shen Qing was surrounded and couldn't leave at all.

It's no wonder that diners are like this; there are only two hundred bowls of instant noodles available each day, and those at the front of the line buy several bowls at a time, leaving those at the back with no chance to get a turn.

Shen Qing thought for a moment, and finally could only say, "Don't worry, everyone. To ensure everyone can buy some, starting tomorrow, each person in line can only buy one bowl!"

"As for whether I can prepare more, it depends on the amount of ingredients."

Ultimately, the amount of ingredients available depends on the system.

Thus, the diners had nothing more to say; being able to eat a bowl was better than not being able to eat a bowl at all.

So they dispersed, and many people went into the wonton shop.

Shen Qing breathed a sigh of relief and took a step to leave.

"Madam Shen, please wait a moment. I have a favor to ask. Could you please give some pointers to the cook in my household?"

After saying that, Du Ming added, "Of course, I won't let you give me pointers for nothing. You can name your price."

"I'm sorry, I can't offer any guidance," Shen Qing said calmly.

Without a proper instant noodle recipe, she simply couldn't make a deluxe version of instant noodles.

While handmade noodles are delicious, modern instant noodles have a unique and unforgettable flavor.

"Madam Shen..." Du Ming was unwilling to give up and wanted to continue persuading her.

Du Ruoyun, who was standing nearby, thought to herself, "This is bad. How come my father started talking nonsense as soon as I stopped watching him?"

She hurried over: "I'm sorry, Madam Shen, my father is getting senile, please don't mind."

He quickly pulled Du Ming aside and said, "Father, Aci told me that Madam Shen sells food out of love. Talking about money is simply insulting her."

"Madam Shen's cooking skills are already exceptional. It's a great blessing for us that she can run Zhiweixuan. We shouldn't ask for too much."

"Didn't you hear some customers saying that when Madam Shen used to run her stall, she could change locations anytime?"

Du Ruoyun's explanation left Du Ming completely bewildered.

For love?

After all that, it turns out he was just too superficial!

For so many years, he called himself a gourmet in Ping'an County, but now that I think about it, it's just shameful.

Can a top-notch cook be hired with money?

Definitely not!!