After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

Upon hearing this, Qin Lang's smile froze, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

This is what he fears most!

I had just managed to cheer up these two gentlemen with noodles and plum juice and put the matter of the "vegetable washing water" behind me, but Lin Fan, being so blunt, brought it up again!

"Um... um..."

Qin Lang reacted quickly, immediately interjecting while frantically giving Lin Fan meaningful glances, and then chuckled and said:

"Brother Lin! It's like this! I already ate at home today! I'm so full! I really can't fit any more of this dish in my stomach!"

As Qin Lang spoke, he casually reached out to take the white porcelain cup away, muttering to himself:

"This food will definitely not taste good when it gets cold, so let's not embarrass ourselves here. You've had a long day, so go and rest..."

He just wanted to destroy this "evidence" as soon as possible, lest Old Master Ye see it and be displeased, thinking that the store was flashy but impractical.

Lin Fan frowned slightly, feeling that Qin Lang seemed like a different person today.

"etc."

Suddenly, Ye Weiguo, who had been silent all along, spoke up.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

Qin Lang's hand trembled, and the bowl of soup, which he had just lifted two centimeters off the table, almost fell back down.

He stiffly turned his neck, looking at Ye Weiguo with a pained expression: "Grandpa Ye...?"

Ye Weiguo didn't look at Qin Lang, but stared at the white porcelain cup, his gaze becoming somewhat distant.

He extended his hand, covered in age spots, and gently placed it on the back of Qin Lang's hand, gesturing for him to put it down.

"Let it go."

"But Grandpa Ye, it's completely cold!" Qin Lang exclaimed anxiously. "And this... this is just a dish that Brother Lin was trying out; it's not even perfected yet..."

"lay down."

Ye Weiguo repeated it, his tone becoming more forceful.

Qin Lang could only obediently withdraw his hand, sighing inwardly:

Oh no, Brother Lin, I've done my best. If the old man gets angry and accuses you of fraud, don't blame me for being a disloyal brother.

Ye Weiguo looked at the white porcelain bowl, but didn't rush to lift the lid. Instead, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of melancholy reminiscence:

"Little Qin, Wan'er, you were born with silver spoons in your mouths, you don't understand the value of food."

"Back when I was your age, I was growing a lot, but there was no beef noodles or plum juice back then. Even a hot meal was a rare treat."

Old Ye pointed to the white porcelain cup, a tear welling up in his eyes:

"Back then, even a single cabbage was a precious item that could only be eaten freely during the Lunar New Year."

"One year, heavy snow blocked the mountain pass, and our family ran out of food. My mother saved the last cabbage heart for me and drank the water boiled from the cabbage stalks herself..."

"From that moment on, I swore that I would never waste a single grain of rice, let alone a single good vegetable, in my entire life."

At this point, Ye Weiguo looked at Lin Fan:

"Since the young chef can make noodles so well and fry eggs so fragrantly, I believe that even if this dish is just an experiment, how bad could it taste?"

These words made Qin Lang and Ye Wan'er lower their heads, their faces burning.

Qin Lang, in particular, felt like slapping himself twice.

Compared to the old man, my own perspective is like that of a mudfish in a ditch.

"Grandpa Ye, I was wrong..." Qin Lang said softly.

Ye Weiguo waved his hand, not caring.

He stretched out his hand, covered in age spots, and slowly reached for the white porcelain cup.

"Grandpa!" Ye Wan'er was still a little worried.

"This kind of soup will definitely have a fishy smell when it gets cold, and the oil will solidify, making it very unpalatable!"

"Yes..." Qin Lang couldn't help but remind him.

"Although it's a clear broth, it's definitely made with meat broth; once it cools down, it gets that greasy smell..."

Ye Weiguo, however, turned a deaf ear.

"You'll only know if a dish is good after you've tasted it."

"Click".

A soft, crisp sound.

Old Ye slowly lifted the lid.

All eyes turned to the small white porcelain bowl.

However, the scene that came into view made Ye Weiguo, who had just been holding onto the thought that "there might be a surprise," lose a little hope.

This soup is too clear.

It was so clear that it even felt a bit... bland.

The soup, though clear under the light, really looked no different from plain boiled water at home.

Looking straight ahead, there wasn't even a trace of color that indicated "broth," let alone any oil.

In this pool of "plain water," a tender yellow cabbage heart, no bigger than a fist, was soaking all alone.

There is nothing else besides that.

"this……"

Ye Weiguo squinted and leaned forward slightly, trying to figure out what was going on, but no matter how he looked at it, it was just a bowl of cold boiled cabbage.

His initial anticipation was instantly dampened, as if doused with a bucket of cold water.

"Ha, I knew it."

A sarcastic laugh broke the silence.

Ye Wan'er finally couldn't hold back any longer.

She pointed at the bowl of soup, turned to look at Ye Weiguo, her face clearly saying, "I knew it."

"Grandpa, isn't this just boiled cabbage in water?"

As she spoke, she turned around and pointed to the price list on the wall:

"And look at this price list on the wall!"

"The food in this shop is more expensive than in our five-star hotels! I can tolerate a bowl of noodles costing 188 yuan, at least it has a few pieces of meat. But look at this—"

Ye Wan'er pointed intently at the words on the wall: "[Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth: 1888 yuan/serving]"

"One thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight!!"

"Qin Lang! Don't tell me this is the dish that costs 1,800 yuan?!"

When Qin Lang was called out, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and he stammered for a long time, unable to utter a word.

"Um... this... it looks plain, but... its name sounds nice..."

"Nice to hear!" Ye Wan'er cursed, her good manners completely gone at that moment.

She turned her head, staring sharply at Lin Fan, her tone aggressive:

"Do you know how many cabbages you can buy with 1,800 yuan? Enough to bury your whole store!"

"You think you can fool us with a bowl of cold water soaking cabbage? Do you think the Ye family are all fools, that we're all rich and stupid and easy to fool?!"

"Wan'er, say less." Although Ye Weiguo was also disappointed, he still sternly stopped his granddaughter.

He stared at the dish, shook his head helplessly, and finally let out a barely perceptible sigh.

Perhaps this young chef is only talented at making heavily oiled and flavorful "street food" like noodles and fried rice.

After all, staple foods like beef brisket noodles and fried rice require high heat and plenty of seasonings. Such bold cooking methods are likely to produce outstanding results and can easily use rich aromas to cover up minor flaws.

However, this "boiled cabbage in clear broth" is different.

This is a dish served at state banquets, a "highbrow" dish in Sichuan cuisine, and a touchstone for the pinnacle of culinary skill.

It doesn't test the piling up of seasonings, but rather the ultimate extraction of the original flavor of the ingredients; it's about the skill of simplifying complexity.

It demands a very high level of expertise, patience, and understanding of "soup" from the chef.

This is like asking a strong man who is good at wielding a sledgehammer to do embroidery. Although he is strong, he is not skilled enough to do it properly.

Ye Weiguo shook his head with some regret, his eyes filled with disappointment and helplessness as he looked at Lin Fan.

They were still too young after all.

Wanting to go for a high-end approach is fine, but taking too big a step is a bit... like imitating someone else.