Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Once, a Bowl of Fish Soup Was Placed Before Me…

Ever since Lele developed anorexia, how long had it been since such an expression appeared in his eyes?

Liu Shurong couldn’t remember anymore.

She only remembered that every time she brought food into his room, painstakingly persuading him to take a bite or two, his eyes remained unmoved, let alone showing the longing they did today.

A surge of excitement welled up inside her, and she hurriedly asked, “Lele, what did you say?”

“That smells so good, I’m hungry.”

“Lele, you’re hungry?”

Upon hearing her son say he was hungry, Liu Shurong quickly reacted, hastily picking up a small bowl and spoon, and started serving the fish soup, while saying,

“Don’t rush, mom will serve you fish soup. The dishes those big brothers are eating are too spicy, you can’t eat them yet. Once you’re better, you can eat anything you want.”

After serving the fish soup, she placed the small bowl in front of Lele and handed him the small spoon.

Lele didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t refuse the fragrant fish soup. He reached out for the small spoon and began eating just like last time.

“Auntie, I’ve brought you your meal!”

At this moment, Yan Tongtong also arrived with the meal. She walked up to Liu Shurong, placed the tray on the table, handed over a pair of clean chopsticks, and said with a cheerful smile,

“Auntie, enjoy your meal slowly. The kitchen is a bit busy, so I have to go back to help. If you haven’t had enough, just look for me at the window!”

Liu Shurong nodded, expressing her gratitude, “Alright, Xiaoyan, thank you for your hard work!”

“It’s no trouble at all! I’m off then!”

With that, Yan Tongtong waved her hand and turned to leave.

After Yan Tongtong left, Liu Shurong turned to look at her son first. Seeing that he had finished the fish soup and was now lying on the table asleep, she let out a sigh of relief and turned back to start eating.

All day long, apart from having a bowl of porridge for breakfast, she hadn’t eaten anything else, and her stomach was already rumbling with hunger.

She picked up the chopsticks, grabbed a piece of taro, put it in her mouth, took a bite, and chewed it slowly. Her eyes lit up instantly.

The taro was too delicious. Just as that student said before, it was soft and glutinous, salty and flavorful. After eating one piece, her mouth was filled with the fresh aroma of taro and the rich fragrance of fermented black beans.

She then tried a piece of pork rib, which was tender, fragrant, and juicy, even more delicious than the taro!

While eating, Liu Shurong seemed to forget her troubles, forgot the day’s hardships, and just wanted to savor this rare delicacy bite by bite.

Unknowingly, she finished all the food on her plate.

Only then did Liu Shurong suddenly realize she was already full.

She never expected that she would eat so much in one meal!

Boss Jiang’s dishes were really delicious. No wonder even Lele, who had anorexia, wanted to eat.

As for Chef Zhao at Jiuxi Private Kitchen in Qiantang…

How could his culinary skills compare to Boss Jiang’s?

…

In the kitchen of the Seventh Dining Hall.

The moment Jiang Yu returned, Lu Shuwu came over, speaking with an aggrieved expression:

“Boss, I heard from Xiaoyan that she lightly stirred the bowl of fish soup with a spoon, and a rich fragrance suddenly spread out… is that true?”

Jiang Yu nodded and smiled. “Yes, it is.”

“Then, why didn’t you let me try a bite?”

“Didn’t I already tell you to try it? You were the one who said forget it.”

With a puzzled look, Jiang Yu glanced at him, then turned to look at Ma Guoqiang and Qian Liwei, who were watching the scene with interest, and said,

“Uncle Ma and Ah Wei should have heard it too. Ask them if you don’t believe me.”

“Yes, Boss Xiao Jiang did tell you to try it, you yourself said forget it.”

“That’s right, I heard it too.”

“…”

Lu Shuwu was speechless. It seemed this was indeed the case.

Ah, next time he must not be so foolish. The boss said it was sweet and sour, but unless he tasted it himself, how would he know if it was good or not?

Xiaoyan said that when she smelled the aroma, she almost drooled!

For some reason, a modified version of the famous line from “A Chinese Odyssey” that dashed through his mind:

“Once, a bowl of Sister Song’s fish soup was right in front of me, and I didn’t cherish it…”

How truly melancholic.

“Boss Xiao Jiang, did that kid with anorexia drink the fish soup you made?”

While Lu Shuwu was lost in his melancholy, Ma Guoqiang saw Jiang Yu ready to go to the ingredient room, followed him, and asked.

“He did, he wanted more after drinking a small bowl, but I stopped him.”

Jiang Yu nodded and said,

“He hasn’t eaten much for such a long time, his stomach must be unaccustomed, he can’t eat too much, or else he won’t be able to handle it.”

“Yes, that makes sense.”

Ma Guoqiang responded, then exclaimed,

“Boss Xiao Jiang is truly amazing. The food he makes is irresistible even for someone with anorexia. If word gets out, you’ll become famous.

By the way, with your incredible skills, haven’t you thought about opening your own restaurant?

It would be much easier than running a canteen at the school, and you’d earn a lot more.

With your cooking skills, even an ordinary dish can sell for tens of dollars. Like today’s Sister Song’s Fish Soup, if you sold it for a few hundred, people would still line up to buy it!”

“Are you unhappy working at the Seventh Dining Hall?”

“Happy…”

Ma Guoqiang paused for a moment, then seemed to understand something, as he shook his head with a smile,

“Yes, indeed, in life, happiness is the most important thing. Money? Why need so much? You can’t take it with you when you die; as long as it’s enough to get by, it’s fine.”

Entering the kitchen, Jiang Yu opened the safe, took out some green chili peppers and millet peppers, washed them in the sink, and said with a smile:

“Instead of thinking about all that, why not think about what to have for dinner tonight?”

“Boss, why don’t we cook something sweet tonight?”

Before Ma Guoqiang could speak, Lu Shuwu suddenly pushed the door open and walked in with a grin,

“I want to try something sweet and sour too!”

This guy must regret not tasting the fish soup earlier and now wants to make up for it.

Jiang Yu glanced at him, smiled, and said:

“Sweet and sour dish? Sure, I’ll make it for you tonight!”

There are plenty of sweet and sour dishes. Forget about Sister Song’s Fish Soup, that bowl can sell for two hundred dollars!

…

Whether her son’s anorexia can be cured, Liu Shurong still doesn’t know, but the fact that he’s willing to eat now is the best news.

Back at the hotel, after settling her son, she couldn’t wait to take out her phone and call her husband to share the good news, then said to him:

“Lele is just beginning to want to eat, and I don’t dare take him back to Qiantang immediately. We need to stay in Jiangzhou for a while longer.

My concern is that Lele’s improvement might not be lasting, but rather due to Boss Jiang’s cooking. If we go back now and he refuses to eat again, what should we do?”

“You’ve thought it through carefully. Right now, nothing is more important than Lele.”

On the other end of the phone, her husband Wu Zhiguo thought for a moment and said,

“However, you and Lele are staying at the Jiangzhou University Guest House, and I worry you might be uncomfortable, plus in an unfamiliar place, handling things could be inconvenient.

Do you think there’s any chance we could invite Boss Jiang to come to Qiantang?”

“Stop thinking about it. Boss Jiang is different from those people you dealt with before.”

Without a second thought, Liu Shurong dismissed Wu Zhiguo’s idea. She recounted how her offer of a bank card was declined, then said,

“Don’t worry about me and Lele. We’re fine at the school; the scenery is nice and it’s safe. We’re treating this as a little vacation.

But you, with me and Lele not at home, you must take good care of yourself.”

After speaking with her husband, Liu Shurong returned to her room, showered, and went to bed early to rest.

The whole day of traveling around with her son had exhausted her. Now, with a good outcome, her nerves finally relaxed.

Once she relaxed, the fatigue washed over her all at once, making her not want to do anything but lie down and get a good sleep.

Early the next morning, Liu Shurong took Lele to the Seventh Dining Hall.

She hadn’t planned to be there so early, but at the crack of dawn, Lele woke up and knocked on her door, saying he was hungry.

Liu Shurong, awakened by this, was overjoyed. Could it be that her son, who had been dealing with anorexia, was showing signs of improvement?

She wasn’t a doctor, so she couldn’t confirm if her assumption was correct.

But she knew for sure that if he couldn’t eat, his body would deteriorate due to lack of nutrition; only by being able to eat would his physical condition gradually improve.

Therefore, after quickly washing up and changing clothes, Liu Shurong brought Lele to the Seventh Dining Hall, ready to see if Boss Jiang’s stuffed steamed buns could be something her son could still eat.

“Aunt Liu, you’re here so early?”

It wasn’t even seven yet, and the dining hall hadn’t opened, but there was already a queue forming at the window. Yan Tongtong was busy getting ready for business, and when she saw Liu Shurong and her son, she greeted them warmly,

“Please wait in the dining area for a moment. I’ll go get Senior Brother Jiang.”

After saying that, she hopped into the kitchen.

Soon, Jiang Yu came out, carrying two baskets of stuffed steamed buns. He saw where Liu Shurong and her son were seated and walked straight over.

Behind him, Yan Tongtong carried a tray with two small bowls of green vegetable and lean meat congee.

After placing the items on the table, Jiang Yu said with a smile:

“Auntie, go ahead and eat. If it’s not enough, just ask Xiaoyan for more. It’s a busy morning at the dining hall, so we’ll head back.”

Liu Shurong quickly stood up, full of gratitude, and said:

“Alright, you both go get busy. Thank you, Boss Jiang, thank you, Xiaoyan.”

Jiang Yu smiled at her and returned with Yan Tongtong.

Business was about to start, and they still had a lot to do.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep