Chapter 15

Back in his room, Li Qi put away the silver and, without washing his face or taking off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, deep in thought about how to make use of the one hundred taels. However, as he pondered, his mind drifted back to Zui Xian Ju, and he lamented, "Zui Xian Ju, Zui Xian Ju, if you fall into my hands, I will make you famous worldwide. What about Feicui Xuan and Fanlou? They will have to step aside."

If Li Qi hadn't traveled through time, he would probably have been the top decision-maker of that super five-star hotel by now. After much deliberation, he still felt that the restaurant business suited him best. Apart from that, he didn't know what else he could do.

Although he was a high-achieving graduate from Tsinghua University, his major was finance, and there wasn't even a single listed company here. What kind of finance could he do here!

Moreover, the current state of Zui Xian Ju presented him with a perfect opportunity. However, he didn't have enough capital, and it wasn't a small amount. Earning so much money in a short time was no easy feat. After a while of aimless thinking, he felt particularly dejected and, lying on the bed, drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

After an unknown amount of time, a knock came from the door.

"Who is it?"

Li Qi rubbed his eyes, sat up, and stretched.

Wu Xiaoliu's voice came from outside the door, "Brother Li, it's me, Xiaoliu. I see you're in your room."

Xiaoliu? Li Qi glanced out the window and saw that it was already dark. He had slept through the day. He got up, opened the door, and saw Wu Xiaoliu standing there with a sly smile. Curiously, he asked, "Xiaoliu, what do you need?"

Wu Xiaoliu smiled, "Brother Li, I came to invite you for dinner."

Li Qi didn't feel hungry at first, but after Wu Xiaoliu mentioned it, he felt a bit hungry. However, thinking of Master Zhou's cooking, his stomach twitched. He asked in a low voice, "Is Master Zhou here?"

Wu Xiaoliu chuckled, "If Master Zhou were here, how could I dare to invite you? That would be deliberately harming you. Don't worry, Master Zhou moved back home this morning."

Since Lady Qin had decided to sell the restaurant, Master Zhou could retire and enjoy his golden years.

Heh! I didn't expect this kid to be so loyal.

Li Qi laughed and asked, "By the way, since Master Zhou isn't here, who cooked the meal? Could it be Uncle Wu? No, that's not right. Uncle Wu said he would stay at the mansion for a few days and wouldn't come back."

Wu Xiaoliu rubbed his hands and said shyly, "To be honest, Brother Li, it was me who cooked."

"You cooked?" Li Qi was slightly surprised and then laughed, "I didn't know you could cook." But he wondered, would his cooking be as bad as Master Zhou's?

Wu Xiaoliu laughed, "I learned a few tricks from Master Zhou in the past."

Sweat! I knew it.

Li Qi rolled his eyes, feeling helpless.

But no matter what, this was Wu Xiaoliu's good intention, and Li Qi couldn't refuse. With a nervous heart, he followed Wu Xiaoliu to his room. On the bed was a small table with a bowl of pickled fish.

"Just one dish?" Li Qi was puzzled. This guy was too stingy, inviting him for dinner with just a pickled fish.

"Don't underestimate this dish, Brother Li. It took me a whole month to make it," Wu Xiaoliu explained, seeing Li Qi's dissatisfaction.

What? A whole month for one dish? This is too inefficient, Li Qi thought, casting a doubtful glance at Wu Xiaoliu. But seeing his confident look, he sat down hesitantly.

Wu Xiaoliu quickly handed Li Qi a pair of chopsticks and eagerly said, "Brother Li, try it."

Seeing his nervous and excited expression, Li Qi took the chopsticks but didn't rush to eat. He laughed, "Xiaoliu, you didn't just invite me for dinner, did you? You wanted me to taste your cooking, right?"

Wu Xiaoliu blushed and lowered his head, "Brother Li, you figured it out."

"Of course, you invited me for dinner without even a bowl of rice. You can't expect this fish to fill my stomach, can you?" Li Qi rolled his eyes and laughed.

Wu Xiaoliu stuck out his tongue and smiled awkwardly, "Brother Li, try the fish first, and I'll get you some rice in a moment."

Seeing his eager look, Li Qi didn't want to make things difficult for him. He picked up a small piece of fish and chewed it, frowning slightly.

Wu Xiaoliu was terrified and asked tremulously, "Brother Li, does the fish not suit your taste?"

Li Qi glanced at Wu Xiaoliu, seeing him sweating nervously, and suddenly smiled, nodding, "Not bad, not bad. It's quite good. I didn't expect you to have this skill. It's rare, very rare."

"R-Really, Brother Li, you're not lying to me?" Wu Xiaoliu's eyes widened in surprise.

Li Qi nodded and smiled, "I don't have the time to lie. The fish is indeed very good, but the cooking time could be better. However, for someone your age, this is already impressive. But—this recipe—wasn't it something you learned from someone else?"

Wu Xiaoliu looked admiringly, "Brother Li, you're amazing, you can even taste that out."

Li Qi said irritably, "Of course, if you could come up with it, you would have been a chef long ago."

Wu Xiaoliu smiled awkwardly, "To be honest, this dish is called 'Huadiao Zui.' It used to be a signature dish at Zui Xian Ju. Hehe, I learned it from Master Zhou."

"Huadiao Zui?"

Li Qi nodded, "Yes, the name sounds good."

"Good, right?" Wu Xiaoliu smiled foolishly and asked, "By the way, Brother Li, can you taste what ingredients are in the fish?"

Li Qi raised an eyebrow, "Are you testing me?"

Wu Xiaoliu laughed, "No, no."

Li Qi smiled, picked up his chopsticks, and took a small piece of fish, chewing it carefully. "Ginger, bay leaves, star anise, scallions, fresh mushrooms," he said, then took another piece and continued, "black fungus, cloves, cinnamon, river shrimp. How's that? Did I get it right?"

Wu Xiaoliu's mouth dropped open in surprise, "How—how did you know?"

Li Qi laughed, "For a chef, taste is crucial. You must learn to taste food. If you can't be sure about the taste of your own cooking, how can you serve it to guests?"

"Right, right," Wu Xiaoliu nodded and then smiled, "But Brother Li, you missed two ingredients."

Li Qi frowned, "I know."

"You know?" Wu Xiaoliu was shocked.

Li Qi nodded, "Yes, the aroma of wine and bamboo. The wine aroma is very strong and pure, not added but seems to come from the fish itself."

"Hehe, Brother Li, to be honest, that's the essence of 'Huadiao Zui.' It's not your fault you couldn't taste it," Wu Xiaoliu said proudly.

"Is that so?"

Li Qi smiled at Wu Xiaoliu's smug look, "If I'm not mistaken, you must have kept the fish in Huadiao wine for some time before pickling it, and you pickled it in a fresh bamboo tube. This way, the bamboo's fresh scent can mask the fish's fishy smell."

After Li Qi finished speaking, Wu Xiaoliu was stunned. After a long while, he came to his senses and asked, "Brother Li, where did you learn this? Did you make this dish before?"

Li Qi laughed, "You told me."

"Me?" Wu Xiaoliu pointed to his nose in surprise.

Li Qi nodded, "Yes, you said it took you a month to prepare this dish, but the taste of the fish doesn't seem like it was pickled for a month. That's why I thought you must have kept the fish in wine for some time before pickling it, which would give the fish a strong wine aroma."

Wu Xiaoliu was speechless, and all he could do was admire Li Qi. To use an old saying, his admiration for Li Qi was like a surging river, endless and uncontrollable.

"Brother Li, you're amazing!" Wu Xiaoliu exclaimed.

Li Qi smiled faintly, "It was just a lucky guess."

"Brother Li, you're too modest. This isn't just a lucky guess. If anyone could taste and guess the recipe of 'Huadiao Zui,' the Cai Yuanwai of Feicui Xuan wouldn't have paid a thousand guan for the secret recipe," Wu Xiaoliu said, holding up a finger.

With a "clack," Li Qi's chopsticks fell onto the table.