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

Li Duan has always believed that food doesn't matter whether it tastes good or not, as long as it fills the stomach.

But lately, one after another, people have mentioned the Four Delicacies Soup to him, as if it were some kind of nectar or elixir.

This made him quite curious.

"Alright, I'll try it when Madam returns," Li Duan decided.

He wanted to see just how delicious the Four Beauties Soup really was!

After waiting for a long time, even past mealtime, Li Duan still hadn't seen Wu Cixin and her daughter return to the mansion.

He frowned slightly, muttering to himself, "Why aren't they back yet? Could they have been enjoying their meal and forgotten to go home?"

He, who was usually calm and composed, couldn't help but feel anxious and kept looking towards the gate of the mansion.

After a while, the cheerful laughter of Wu Cixin and her daughter could be heard from the doorway.

"Mommy, this is so delicious! Mengmeng has never eaten anything so good before!"

"Mother, can I go to my sister's house for dinner again tomorrow?"

Upon hearing the noise, Li Duan took a few steps outside, wanting to ask why he had returned so late.

After taking two steps, he stopped and turned to sit down at the table.

Just then, Wu Cixin walked in, a satisfied smile on her face, looking as if she had encountered something incredibly wonderful.

"Why did it take you so long to get back?" Li Duan couldn't help but ask.

His gaze involuntarily drifted toward Wu Cixin's hand.

Without a food box, my hands were empty.

Didn't we go to buy Four Delicacies Soup?

Wu Cixin was overjoyed and quickly began to recount: "You don't know, my daughter and I have really broadened our horizons today. I've never eaten such delicious food before."

"The steamed egg with minced meat was so fresh and fragrant, and the egg was so tender that it melted in your mouth."

"The honey-glazed yam is refreshing, sweet and glutinous, and with one bite, your mouth is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus."

"The meatballs are extremely tender, small and round, and the soup has a rich, flavorful taste from the bones. It's incredibly fragrant."

Even the simple vegetable and tofu stew tasted amazing! Normally, Mengmeng wouldn't eat a single vegetable, but today she surprisingly ate a small bowl!

When it comes to the food she ate today, Wu Cixin has so much to say.

"And, there's pumpkin rice! Mengmeng loves pumpkin rice the most!!" Li Mengmeng jumped up and down, eager to add.

"Yes, the main dish is exceptional too. The pumpkin rice is fragrant and sweet, soft and sticky; you could eat a whole bowl without any side dishes!"

Wu Cixin became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she had discovered a treasure, her eyes shining brightly.

Li Duan was stunned. He had never seen Wu Cixin like this before.

"Then... what about the Four Delicacies Soup?"

"Didn't you go to buy Four Delicacies Soup? Where did you go to eat again?"

Wu Cixin chuckled: "You're one to talk. Zhiweixuan is closed today, and Madam Shen said that they probably won't be selling Four Delicacies Soup anymore."

"Mengmeng and I were fortunate enough to have a meal at Madam Shen's house, which was a blessing in disguise."

They're not selling Four Delicacies Soup anymore?

Li Duan was even more shocked: "Business is so booming, why aren't you selling anymore...?"

"Madam Shen said there are no more ingredients."

No ingredients?

What an outrageous excuse!

Li Duan frowned slightly, his heart filled with mixed feelings, and he became very curious about Shen Qing.

Moreover, he felt a strange sense of loss.

So, does that mean he won't even have the chance to taste the Four Delicacies Soup?

A faint sense of regret welled up from the bottom of my heart.

I should have tried it earlier...

"Alright, stop spoiling Mengmeng too much. Let her eat less food from outside in the future." Li Duan felt a sudden surge of irritation.

Wu Cixin was always good at reading people's expressions. She didn't argue with Li Duan, but responded and left the study with Li Mengmeng in her arms.

But secretly, he was thinking, "What do you mean by 'eat less food from outside'?"

Madam Shen's food is clean and healthy, especially today's meal, which is perfect for children.

Her husband is too rigid. It's just a meal, what's there to be angry about?

She decided that she would take Mengmeng to visit the Shen family more often in the future, just in case she ran into Madam Shen cooking.

Of course, she wasn't going to eat for free; she had to bring a generous gift!

......

Before long, Shen Qing's two-day holiday was over.

The night before, she opened the system and purchased two hundred portions of stinky tofu ingredients.

The main ingredient of stinky tofu is tofu, and it must be the kind of firm, pressed tofu.

Secondly, there's the braising liquid, which is made from amaranth stems, tofu dregs, bamboo shoot roots, Sichuan peppercorns, and other ingredients. To achieve the flavor of stinky tofu, this braising liquid needs to be prepared for at least seven days.

Shen Qing didn't have much time to wait, but fortunately the system provided a vat of brine directly.

When dawn broke, Shen Qing brought all the ingredients to Zhiweixuan.

She arrived very early, but even so, a long queue still formed at the entrance of Zhiweixuan.

Standing at the very front of the line was none other than Yan Xian, the steward of the Yan family.

Yan Xian led his servants to queue all night. Now, he and his men all had dark circles under their eyes and droopy eyelids, as if they were about to close their eyes at any moment.

His eyes lit up when he saw Shen Qing.

"Madam Shen, you've finally arrived! That's wonderful!!"

I was no longer sleepy at all.

Shen Qing nodded slightly in response, and then brought the ingredients into Zhiweixuan.

"Open the door in one hour."

After leaving those words, she closed the door of Zhiweixuan.

The diners outside had nothing to say; they were all eagerly anticipating the Four Delicacies Soup.

Especially the steward Yan Xian, whose only thought was to buy the Four Beauties Soup and send it to the outskirts of the city so he could have a serving himself and then get a good night's sleep.

Inside Zhiweixuan, Shen Qing was efficiently preparing.

She cut the tofu into small pieces, arranged them one by one in the jar, and then poured in brine to cover the tofu.

Finally, cover the tofu and let it soak for an hour to allow the flavor of the braising liquid to fully permeate it.

When the time was right, the lid was opened, and an extremely foul odor wafted out.

The tofu had turned grayish and smelly, like a stone dug out of mud.

"What's going on? Why does it smell so awful?"

"What's that smell? Did someone's latrine explode?"

"Everyone is waiting to enjoy the delicious food, who would be so inconsiderate as to make this smell?"

"Oh my god, it stinks! I'm going to throw up!"

"..."

The diners were in an uproar; the smell was so pungent and offensive that it hit them right in the head.

Yan Xian, especially, who was standing at the very front, had his brows furrowed tightly and covered his mouth and nose with his hands, looking like he had a bitter pill to swallow.

Moreover, how come he could tell that the smell was coming from Zhiweixuan?

What exactly is going on?

Just then, there was a creaking sound.

The doors of Zhiweixuan opened.