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

Upon hearing this, Li Shun's face immediately fell.

God knows how long he had been waiting.

The moment he heard the words "sold out," he felt as if he had instantly fallen from the clouds to the bottom of the valley.

How unlucky he is! All his classmates got to eat, but he didn't get any when it was his turn!

Li Shun's mouth watered continuously, and his resentment grew stronger and stronger.

After a moment, he suddenly pointed to the remaining sauce in the pot and said, "How much is this sauce? Give me a bowl of sauce!"

Shen Qing was taken aback. This sauce was definitely a little salty, so drinking it directly might not be a good idea.

"The sauce isn't for sale, but I can give it to you for free if you want it, though it's salty..."

"Don't worry, please get me a bowl. Thank you, Madam Shen," Li Shun said quickly.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing stopped stopping him and deftly scooped a bowl of sauce and handed it to Li Shun.

Li Shun took the sauce, first taking a deep breath with a look of fascination, and then taking a small sip from the rim of the bowl.

Fresh, salty, and meaty flavors all burst onto the tongue.

It has a richer and more robust flavor.

The smell is indeed strong, but it's also captivating enough.

Shen Qing shook her head. Her sauce was specially made for braised pork ribs. The pork ribs tasted just right, but the sauce was definitely a little salty.

It's alright if you eat it with something else.

Just as she was thinking this, she saw Li Shun pull out most of a steamed bun from his pocket.

He then leisurely broke the steamed bun into small pieces.

With a stir of chopsticks, the steamed bun was instantly coated with sauce.

He picked up a piece of steamed bun and put it in his mouth. With a gentle bite, the sauce burst forth, combining with the wheat aroma of the bun. The white bun also diluted the saltiness of the sauce. In an instant, the ultimate taste experience made Li Shun unable to help but make a sound:

"Ah~"

"Absolutely brilliant!"

"Absolutely amazing!!"

All the students around looked at Li Shun.

"Where did you get these steamed buns?"

"Oh no, these steamed buns look so delicious, I want some too!"

"Steamed buns coated in sauce, just thinking about it makes my mouth water!"

"..."

Li Shun shook his head, quite proudly: "I took the steamed buns from the academy's kitchen."

Just now in the kitchen, he really couldn't eat the steamed buns and pickled vegetables anymore, and he was afraid of arousing the suspicion of Master Zheng, so he secretly put most of the steamed bun into his pocket.

Unexpectedly, there was an additional benefit.

"And what's more, there are still bits of meat left in this sauce, it's absolutely delicious with steamed buns!"

Li Shun added that although he didn't get to eat braised pork ribs, he found the braised steamed buns to be absolutely delicious.

Shen Qing chuckled beside her, "You sure know how to eat."

Wrapping the steamed bun in sauce is indeed a good way to eat it.

"Give me a piece!"

"I'll try it!"

"Li Shun, we're best buddies!"

The other students surged forward, eager to try the steamed buns with soy sauce.

People are naturally curious. Even though they had eaten braised pork ribs, they still didn't want to miss out on the braised steamed buns.

"Burp~"

Li Shun wolfed down the pieces of steamed bun he started stuffing into his mouth.

"It's all mine, don't even think about taking it!"

He held the bowl high, tilted his head back, and poured the steamed bun and soup into his mouth.

In an instant, his face, mouth, and hands were all covered in soup.

The most troublesome thing was that there was also soup stain on his chest, a large and very noticeable patch.

"Li Shun, stop focusing on eating! Look at yourself! If the teacher finds out, you're in big trouble," a student with connections reminded him.

Li Shun didn't care at all; it wasn't until he licked the bowl clean that his senses gradually returned.

Looking at myself again, I was covered in oil and looked utterly disheveled.

"It's over, it's all over, what am I going to do?" He was instantly terrified, and even his greasy lips twitched slightly.

"With so much oil stains, the teacher will definitely notice. I'm doomed! What if the teacher kicks me out of the academy?"

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault, I was too hasty..."

Looking at him, Shen Qing couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

"Don't panic, go change your clothes now, you'll definitely have time," she couldn't help but suggest.

The students nearby quickly chimed in, "Yes, hurry up and change your clothes, and wipe the oil off your mouth and hands. There won't be any problem!"

Li Shun wasn't the only one panicking; all the students were panicking.

If Li Shun were discovered by the Master, they would be in danger.

"Yes, yes, change your clothes!"

Li Shun took off running towards the academy.

Most students lived and ate at the academy so they could focus on their studies, and Li Shun was no exception.

The remaining students all rushed in, clearly to help Li Shun.

Seeing this, Shen Qing quickly began to pack up his stall.

She can't help at all by staying here, so she might as well pack up early and go back to spend time with Shen's mother.

......

Zhou Wentong swaggered home with two large braised pork ribs in his pocket.

"Mother, look what I brought back for you!" He went straight to Madam Zhou's courtyard, beaming with joy as if presenting a treasure.

Madam Zhou was embroidering when she heard the sound and turned around in surprise: "My son is back?"

She wondered, "Don't you have evening classes? Why are you back at this hour? Are you on holiday?"

"Mom, don't worry about it, try this, it's really delicious. I brought it back especially for you, it smells amazing!"

As soon as the oil paper package was opened, the aroma of soy sauce mixed with the smell of meat instantly filled the entire room.

Madam Zhou's nose twitched slightly, and her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the braised pork bone.

The deep reddish-brown color shimmered with an amber glow, and it was steaming hot, making one's appetite very whetted.

"Such a big bone! It looks quite nice."

"Mother, you should try it!" Zhou Wentong said expectantly.

Madam Zhou was in a dilemma, mainly because she didn't know where to start.

She learned a lot of etiquette when she was young, and after she grew up and married the county instructor, she became even more dignified and polite, and could not possibly behave in a vulgar manner.

"Xiao Tao, go get some chopsticks and help me remove the meat from the bone."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wentong immediately waved his hand to stop her, saying, "Mother, you don't need chopsticks. This braised pork rib is meant to be eaten with your hands. If you tear the meat off, it won't taste the same."

"Try it, I'll hold it for you."

He picked up the braised pork rib and, without saying a word, put it to Madam Zhou's mouth.

Instinctively, Mrs. Zhou wanted to back away.

But the fragrance wafted straight into her nose, and instantly, reason prevailed.

Almost involuntarily, she opened her mouth and bit into the bone.

The moment it entered her mouth, the aroma of the soy sauce overwhelmed her, and her eyes lit up instantly.

The meat was not dry at all; it melted in your mouth and, when mixed with the sauce, brought the taste experience to a climax.

"Excellent, excellent, truly excellent."

Zhou Wentong smiled. For his mother, a person of such high standards, to be able to say three things were "not bad" was already the greatest praise he could give.

He said that no one could resist Madam Shen's braised pork ribs.

"Mother, hold it yourself, hold it with your hands, it will smell better that way!" Zhou Wentong stuffed the bone into Madam Zhou's hand.

Just then, a furious shout suddenly came from the doorway:

"You unfilial brat! What are you doing back here instead of studying?"