Chapter 212: Chapter 198: You’ll Regret It Soon Enough!

As soon as they entered the kitchen…

Liang Yinqiu smiled gently, gesturing with her hand to lead the officials into the dining area of the cafeteria.

She said softly, “Director Wan, Director Xin, esteemed expert panel, the meals will be brought in shortly. Please take a seat here and rest for a moment.”

“Ah, alright!”

Wan Zhenhong and others responded in agreement, and followed Liang Yinqiu’s direction to sit orderly by the dining table.

Xie Shufang sat down gracefully, giving Liang Yinqiu a friendly smile as she quietly made her request, “Director Liang, I usually pay attention to healthy living and don’t eat much lunch. Could I trouble you to ask the kitchen to slightly reduce the portion prepared for me? This would also avoid unnecessary waste.”

Ah?

Reducing the food portions?

Hearing this, Liang Yinqiu was slightly taken aback, feeling a bit surprised.

But seeing the earnest expression on the other’s face, it didn’t seem like a joke.

She immediately realized that this was Xie Shufang’s commitment and pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.

In that case.

There was nothing else to do but respect the other’s personal dietary habits!

She said nothing more, nodding in agreement, “Of course, Expert Xie, I will notify the kitchen staff right away to adjust the meal portions according to your request.”

With that, Liang Yinqiu stood and went to the kitchen to convey Xie Shufang’s request to Aunt Li and the others, to ensure this detail was handled properly.

Meanwhile, Wan Zhenhong and Xin Jinghui exchanged puzzled looks with Xie Shufang, almost thinking their ears had heard wrong.

Speaking of which.

These days, there’s actually someone who complains about getting too much food from the Dorami Kindergarten’s kitchen, and actively asks for less?

On second thought.

Xie Shufang had not yet tasted the food prepared by Huang Jun.

Therefore.

Such a move… was understandable!

However, all his previous enthusiasm was akin to pouring good intentions into the wind, wasn’t it?

Really a case of good intentions being thrown…

Ah!

Better not to speak of it, as mentioning it just adds to the lament!

Yet even so.

Wan Zhenhong couldn’t help but kindly advise, “Shufang, let me tell you, the food at Dorami Kindergarten is truly exceptional, I’m not exaggerating at all. You really don’t need to ask Director Liang to specifically reduce your portion. What if you find it insufficient later on? Then it’ll be a hassle for Director Liang again!”

Xin Jinghui followed suit, “Shufang, Director Wan is right, the food here is a delight with every bite. Don’t wrong your stomach and miss out on the tasty treats just because of your health practices!”

Xie Shufang, having focused on healthy living for years, had developed her own dietary habits and principles, and was naturally not about to change her initial decision based on their few words.

She politely declined, “Director Wan, Director Xin, thank you for your concern and reminder, but I have been paying attention to health in recent years, and have certain standards for my diet. I still ask Director Liang to prepare the meals according to my needs.”

Alright!

Not listening to advice, huh!

Just wait for the regret later!

Seeing Xie Shufang’s insistence, Wan Zhenhong didn’t say much more, letting it go with a small grumble in his heart.

Xin Jinghui, feeling bored, glanced around, trying to spot Huang Jun.

Suddenly.

His gaze was caught by something, holding his attention firmly.

It was a banner, hanging high on the cafeteria wall, strikingly colorful against the background.

Xin Jinghui leaned in slightly with curiosity, nudging Wan Zhenhong with his elbow, pointing at the banner on the wall, filled with doubt, “Director Wan, did you see that? Is that a banner?”

Upon hearing this, Wan Zhenhong also looked in the direction Xin Jinghui pointed, and at once saw the banner on the wall, sharing the same perplexed expression, “Yes! When did this banner appear on the wall? I remember it wasn’t there during our last visit…”

Hearing the conversation between Xin Jinghui and Wan Zhenhong, the other experts and panel members couldn’t help but direct their gazes to the banner on the wall too.

When they clearly saw the words on the banner, they all paused for a moment.

Huh?

The words on this banner read, “A Marvelous Rejuvenation,” correct?

Doesn’t this give off total hospital vibes?!

Seriously.

What kind of kindergarten cafeteria hangs such a banner?

Jiao Ziming and the other experts exchanged puzzled glances, seeing a hint of surprise and confusion in each other’s eyes.

Of course.

More so, they were curious!

Seeing Liang Yinqiu return, Jiao Ziming immediately pointed at the banner, asking knowingly, “Director Liang, that’s a banner, right?”

Liang Yinqiu glanced at the banner on the wall, nodded with a smile, “Yes, it certainly is a banner.”

“A Marvelous Rejuvenation… why would the school think to hang this?” Jiao Ziming asked with a baffled expression.

Liang Yinqiu explained, “This banner was given to our Chef Huang by a transferred student’s parent, as a token of gratitude.”

“Oh…”

Jiao Ziming felt even more puzzled.

What kind of eccentric parent would choose to make such a banner and give it to a chef?

Even if the chef in the kindergarten is skillful, the words “bring back to life” don’t seem quite appropriate!

Just as Jiao Ziming was about to delve deeper into the matter, Wan Zhenhong couldn’t contain his curiosity and interjected, “Director Liang, may I boldly ask why this transfer student’s parent gave such a special banner to Chef Huang?”

Liang Yinqiu already understood the origins of the banner.

She smiled and began to explain, “This parent’s daughter unfortunately fell ill a few days ago. Although her condition was controlled after treatment, her appetite was greatly affected, and she lost interest in food. The parents were very worried, fearing it might affect their child’s recovery.”

“And then what happened?”

Jiao Ziming couldn’t help but ask.

Forgive his limited imagination; he couldn’t link a sick little girl and a chef’s cooking together.

“Later, another child in our kindergarten unfortunately fell ill with the same sickness and happened to be in the same ward as that parent’s child.” Liang Yinqiu paused and continued, “This child from our kindergarten missed the meals from here a lot, so her mother specifically asked a delivery person to pack the meals from the kindergarten and send them to the hospital. Unexpectedly, when that parent’s child smelled the aroma of the food, she suddenly had an appetite and developed a strong interest in Chef Huang’s dishes…”

After hearing the whole story, Jiao Ziming and other expert judges were thoroughly astonished.

Wan Zhenhong and Xin Jinghui, upon hearing the story, found it a bit unbelievable but then thought of Huang Jun’s culinary skills and found it somewhat possible.

Liang Yinqiu nodded with a smile to confirm, “Indeed, after that parent was discharged, she couldn’t wait to come to our kindergarten, hoping to enroll her child and personally gifted the banner to our chef Huang Jun as a token of her gratitude.”

Wan Zhenhong echoed, “Loss of appetite due to illness can slow recovery or even endanger life in severe cases. That parent saying Chef Huang saved her daughter is not unreasonable.”

Jiao Ziming and other expert judges were thoroughly confused.

Just how delicious must the food be to instantly restore the appetite of a child who had no desire for food, rekindling her passion and cravings for gourmet food?

In shock.

Aunt Li and Aunt Lin carefully walked over with trays, placing dish after dish in front of everyone and politely said, “Director Wan, Director Xin, esteemed judges, the food is ready. Please enjoy.”

“Oh, thank you!”

Upon hearing this, Wan Zhenhong immediately thanked them, his gaze falling onto the trays. When he saw the sweet and sour ribs, glazed with a rich sauce and exuding an enticing reddish sheen, he had a look of pleasant surprise in his eyes, “Wow, it’s sweet and sour ribs!”

Upon hearing this, Xin Jinghui immediately understood that Wan Zhenhong hadn’t guessed correctly before.

He wanted to tease him a bit, but the rich aroma immediately struck him, overwhelming his senses, so he decided to focus on eating instead.

He eagerly picked up a piece of sweet and sour rib and took a bite. The crispy exterior and tender meat interweaving, with the rich and sweet sauce bursting on his palate. A look of pleasant surprise crossed his eyes as if he had found a long-lost delicacy…

He couldn’t help but praise, “These sweet and sour ribs are done perfectly, the balance of sweet and sour is just right, leaving a lasting aftertaste!”

Chewing the ribs with a face of satisfaction, Wan Zhenhong nodded and said, “This taste is truly amazing!”

Jiao Ziming and the other male judges, seeing this, eagerly picked up their chopsticks to reach for the plate of enticing sweet and sour ribs.

Chopsticks flew from one plate to another, picking up pieces of those bright red ribs, inserting them into their mouths to savor carefully.

Hmm?

Seems a bit…

Delicious!

The sweet and tangy sauce was neither too cloying nor too tart, perfectly balancing sweet and sour flavors.

The ribs were crispy on the outside, making a crunching sound with each bite, while the meat inside remained tender and juicy. Every mouthful highlighted the savory meat and the seamless fusion with the sweet and sour sauce.

They were people of wealth and naturally had opportunities to enjoy various foods, frequently visiting famous restaurants for feasts.

But such delicious sweet and sour ribs, no exaggeration, was their first time having them!

The rich sweet and sour sauce and the crispy, tender meat utterly amazed them.

They couldn’t help but take another bite.

Truly delicious!

At this moment…

They all suddenly felt that Wan Zhenhong and Xin Jinghui were not misleading them!

Indeed.

The food in the kindergarten, every bite is a joy!

Xie Shufang had been hesitant at first.

After all, she was extremely disciplined.

In her dietary principles, she only ate meat three times a week, preferring fish, shrimp, and poultry, while avoiding pork, beef, and lamb.

She had maintained this dietary habit for years.

As a result, ribs hadn’t appeared on her table for quite some time.

However.

The plate of sweet and sour ribs, exuding a bright, tempting color, in front of her, made her waver a bit, causing her to swallow involuntarily.

Well, well.

It’s already here, it would be a shame to waste it by not eating.

So she decided to taste it…

Finding herself a reason, she picked up a piece of rib.

As soon as the sweet and sour rib touched her tongue, Xie Shufang’s eyes widened.

The perfect combination of rich sweet and sour sauce with crispy, tender meat offered her an unprecedented taste experience.

What’s more surprising was that the ribs had none of the unpleasant gamey smell, allowing her to eat with peace of mind.

Delicious!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep