Chapter 139: Chapter 134: Are You Freaking Spreading Rumors About Me?

In the kitchen.

Huang Jun had just finished cooking the last dish of egg fried tofu.

Satisfied, he washed his hands clean, rinsed the oil and smoke from his face with clear water, and then removed his chef’s hat, turning to walk towards a nearby lounge.

He needed a drink of water to relieve the fatigue from the cooking process.

Watching Huang Jun’s departing figure, Qian Guoxiang’s gaze involuntarily fell on the large bowl of freshly cooked egg fried tofu…

The golden tofu pieces quivered slightly in the steam, emitting an irresistible aroma that made his mouth water incessantly.

Though sneaking a taste at his age seemed somewhat inappropriate, in the unique environment of a kitchen, how could a sous-chef tasting a freshly cooked dish be considered sneaking a bite?

Moreover…

He was savoring, learning, trying to grasp the essence of this egg fried tofu.

After some inner struggle, Qian Guoxiang finally couldn’t resist.

He tiptoed over to the bowl of egg fried tofu, carefully picked up a piece with chopsticks, blew on it gently, then placed it in his mouth.

The fresh flavor of the egg and the delicacy of the tofu merged perfectly, forming a mesmerizing taste.

The tofu was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When bitten into, the crispy, charred flavor of the outer layer intertwined with the soft, fresh interior, and the fresh aroma of the egg permeated every crevice of the tofu, enhancing the dish’s deliciousness.

Additionally, the unique seasoning was the finishing touch.

The flavors of the spices blended with the fresh aroma of the tofu and egg, creating a layering sensation in each bite of the meticulously balanced seasoning…

Upon swallowing, Qian Guoxiang’s somewhat dim eyes suddenly brightened.

He couldn’t help but exclaim with admiration, “Not bad! To achieve this kind of flavor with a simple egg fried tofu, truly impressive, impressive indeed…”

Just then.

“Chairman Liu, this way please…”

Liang Yinqiu’s voice sounded at the door as she led Liu Shiwei and Dong Yuantao inside.

Liu Shiwei and Dong Yuantao both nodded politely, their eyes scanning the kitchen.

Though not luxurious, every inch of the kitchen space was cleverly utilized, every corner was so clean it practically glistened, showing no trace of disorder, a testament to the detail and care the kitchen staff put into their work.

Nevertheless.

Liu Shiwei’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Compared to the spacious, bright, and high-tech equipped kitchen of Hu Jin Kindergarten, Dorami Kindergarten’s kitchen appeared particularly rudimentary.

From the quality of the kitchen equipment to the spaciousness of the dining area, the disparity was evident.

This inadequacy in hardware worried him deeply…

But Dorami Kindergarten has an exceptional chef…

Just this alone can compensate for the hardware shortcomings of Dorami Kindergarten’s kitchen.

However, the premise is that this chef’s culinary skills must truly be as superb as rumored, and the taste must truly match the enticing aroma!

Oh, right!

Where is the chef?

Liu Shiwei and Dong Yuantao’s gazes instinctively turned towards the kitchen workspace.

Through the open transparent glass window, they clearly caught sight of Qian Guoxiang tasting the egg fried tofu.

Qian Guoxiang’s face was radiating with intoxication and satisfaction, as if savoring the finest taste in the world with each bite.

His deeply engaged and utterly enjoying expression not only seized the attention of Liu Shiwei and Dong Yuantao but also stirred their appetites.

They, too, wanted to have a taste!

However, seeing Qian Guoxiang’s face up close gave them a sense of déjà vu.

Uh?

This chef looks quite familiar…

Where have they seen him before…

Both of them stared intently at Qian Guoxiang, trying hard to search their memories for fragments related to this face.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off, and both almost simultaneously linked this face with a certain famous chef!

Isn’t he the head chef of the Nine-Star Cloud Peak Hotel… Qian Guoxiang?

Indeed, it’s him!

Now, this raises a question!

Why would the head chef of the illustrious Nine-Star Cloud Peak Hotel appear in Dorami Kindergarten’s kitchen?

Oh, right!

Rumor has it that Master Qian Guoxiang has already retired.

So, this accomplished chef choosing to continue his culinary journey at Dorami Kindergarten isn’t a bad ending after all.

Dong Yuantao subconsciously assumed that Qian Guoxiang was the current chef at Dorami Kindergarten!

Exactly!

He was a bit curious, curious about how Qian Guoxiang’s cooking suddenly became so fragrant?

In his memory, while Qian Guoxiang’s cooking was delicious, it had never had such an enticing aroma…

Next to him, Liu Shiwei also naturally assumed that Qian Guoxiang’s current identity was the chef of Dorami Kindergarten.

However, upon further thought.

Something seemed off again!

He remembered his precious daughter saying that Weiwei and Qingqing’s dad was a chef at Dorami Kindergarten, but she never mentioned that it was their grandpa who worked as a chef there!

Moreover, no matter how he looked at it—up or down, left or right—he felt like Qian Guoxiang’s age wasn’t quite right for having two young daughters.

But the problem is, both his daughter and wife clearly said that the chef at Dorami Kindergarten is Qingqing and Weiwei’s father.

So.

There can only be one truth!

And that is… Qian Guoxiang is still going strong, having had daughters late in life, and not just one, but two at once?

It must be true!

Otherwise, it’s unexplainable!

Besides, in our modern, technologically advanced society, it’s not rare for people in their sixties to have children.

With this thought, Liu Shiwei finally realized the truth, feeling that everything finally made sense!

He understood why Qian Guoxiang chose to work as a chef at a kindergarten after retirement; apart from caring for the children, there were economic considerations.

After all, raising two young daughters involves considerable expenses, and perhaps Qian Guoxiang took this job to earn money to support the kids.

If Qian Guoxiang knew what Liu Shiwei was thinking, he would definitely spit a mouthful of soda at him.

Bah!

Your imagination is remarkably vivid!

What nonsense about choosing to be a chef just to support two young daughters, my son is about to get married, and in a year or two, I’ll be a grandpa. Aren’t you spreading rumors about me?

If this leads to a divorce with my wife, will you compensate for her?

Dong Yuantao still somewhat puzzled asked, “Director Liang, is that person inside the former head chef of Nine-Star Cloud Peak Hotel, Qian Guoxiang?”

Liang Yinqiu followed where his words pointed, nodded and said, “Yes!”

Dong Yuantao showed a “So it is” expression, sighing, “No wonder he looked so familiar. I didn’t recognize the wrong person! I didn’t expect Chef Qian, after retiring, couldn’t sit still and chose to become a chef at your kindergarten, continuing his culinary career. His love and dedication to cooking is truly admirable…”

Liu Shiwei responded wistfully, “Yes, Chef Qian has it tough! To support two young daughters, he even gave up enjoying his old age and chose to work as a chef at your kindergarten. Such fatherly love is so deep and great, truly worthy of respect.”

Listening to all this, Dong Yuantao was baffled: (•ิ_•ิ)?

What do you mean by this?

About Qian Guoxiang having two young daughters, how come he never heard of it?

Wait a minute.

Is this true?

Liang Yinqiu was also taken aback.

What, what does this mean?

Why is it that she understood every single word they said, but couldn’t comprehend when they were put together?

Liang Yinqiu realized they had misunderstood, wrongly thinking Qian Guoxiang was the chef at their kindergarten.

But…

What’s this nonsense about him working as a chef for the sake of two daughters?

Chairman Liu, where did you hear this gossip?

It’s not accurate at all, okay?

She helplessly smiled and corrected them, “Chef Qian isn’t the head chef at our kindergarten, he’s just our assistant chef.”

“Ah? Assistant chef?”

Dong Yuantao and Liu Shiwei looked at each other, their minds in a bit of a mess.

They really hadn’t expected that Qian Guoxiang, who once served as the head chef at a five-star hotel, would willingly come to a kindergarten to be an assistant chef.

They originally thought that him being a chef at the kindergarten was already a waste of his talent, given his top-notch culinary skills within the industry, and yet here he was, just a little assistant chef!

This information left them incredibly shocked, and simultaneously curious as to why Qian Guoxiang was willing to lower himself, coming to a place seemingly unfit for his status to be a lowly assistant chef?

Liang Yinqiu smiled and nodded, “Yes, our kindergarten’s head chef is someone else, his name is Huang Jun. We all call him Chef Huang. Not only is he the head chef at our kindergarten, but he’s also a parent here, with his twin daughters enrolled at our kindergarten.”

After saying this, she took a meaningful glance at Liu Shiwei, as if to say: Chairman Liu, now you should know, right? The information you received was inaccurate. Our head chef indeed has two daughters, but they aren’t Qian Guoxiang’s daughters.

Upon hearing Liang Yinqiu’s explanation, the doubt in Liu Shiwei’s heart was finally resolved, but at the same time, a subtle sense of embarrassment arose.

He was secretly glad that Qian Guoxiang wasn’t present, otherwise, this misunderstanding might have been so awkward it could make anyone cringe enough to make a three-bedroom come out.

When Huang Jun came out of the rest area and saw Liang Yinqiu and the others, he greeted them warmly with a smile, “Director Liang, you’re here. Is there any special arrangement today?”

When he noticed the two unfamiliar gentlemen beside Liang Yinqiu, a hint of curiosity flashed in Huang Jun’s eyes.

He guessed that this unexpected visit from these two must be of significant importance.

Liang Yinqiu seemed to read Huang Jun’s mind and cheerfully introduced them, “Chef Huang, you’re just in time, let me introduce you. This is Liu Shiwei, Chairman of Runan Group, and his assistant, Dong Yuantao.”

Upon hearing who they were, Huang Jun politely extended his hand to Liu Shiwei and Dong Yuantao, saying, “Hello, Chairman Liu! Assistant Dong! It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hello, Chef Huang!”

Liu Shiwei and Dong Yuantao immediately reached out to shake hands, responding sincerely.

At this moment, the astonishment in Dong Yuantao’s heart was indescribable.

He never imagined that the head chef of a kindergarten called Dorami could be so young and promising.

What shocked him even more was that Qian Guoxiang, a chef with a prestigious reputation in the culinary world and a former head chef at a five-star hotel, was willing to serve as an assistant chef under this young man.

This fact without a doubt proved that Huang Jun’s culinary skills were extraordinary, showcasing a talent and competence that commanded respect.

This astonishing discovery sparked great curiosity and admiration in Dong Yuantao towards Huang Jun’s culinary skills and his personal charm.

Huang Jun assumed that with Liang Yinqiu bringing Liu Shiwei and others over, they must be there to eat, so he smiled and asked, “Director Liang, I’ve got all the dishes ready, should I serve them now?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep