Chapter 198: Ants Climbing a Tree

“Okay.”

Li Qing did as he was told. Then, he added soy sauce and pure water until it was bubbling.

He added the vermicelli that he had just soaked into the pot. He felt that it was too long and inconvenient to eat, so he cut it from the middle.

When the vermicelli were cooked, Li Qing picked up the pepper and salt to season them.

Xu Le said, “You’ve already put in soy sauce and sprouts. Both are very salty. Now, just add a spoonful of white sugar to enhance the taste. It will be too salty to add more salt.”

Zhang Tong nodded, indicating that it made sense.

Li Qing pouted and continued to do as he was told.

The soup in the pot was allowed to be completely absorbed by the vermicelli at low heat. Then, he used his chopsticks to pick it up and the sprouts and meat “climbed” up along the vermicelli.

He sprinkled some green garlic paste and stirred it evenly.

“It’s almost done. There’s nothing wrong with the cooking method. It’s just that the seasoning isn’t compatible. The taste should be alright once it’s corrected.”

As Xu Le spoke, he gestured for Li Qing to taste it.

The sprouts and meat were wrapped evenly in the vermicelli. When brought into the mouth, the unique flavor of the sprouts was crisp and salty. The vermicelli was smooth and had some chewiness, but it was not greasy at all. The red oil made it more fragrant, and there was almost no spiciness.

It was a very appetizing dish.

After all three dishes were done, they called Auntie Liu over to help taste them. Zhang Tong placed two Dong’an chickens that looked similar in front of her.

“Try it. Which tastes better?”

Auntie Liu chewed carefully and tasted it several times. In the end, she pointed at the one without much juice and commented, “The sourness and spiciness of this dish come from the chicken. It feels different from the ones in other shops. The one beside it is not bad, but it’s still lacking in both taste and texture.”

When Zhang Tong heard this heartbreaking truth, he failed to salvage his dignity. Hence, he changed the topic and said, “By the way, Boss Xu, where do you plan to open your next store? Will it be bigger than the previous two?”

“The place is very close to here. It’s very small and not more than 100 square meters. I plan to go with the limited-edition business operating model. I’ll only serve state banquet dishes or difficult and rare delicacies. That way, it’ll be much more convenient for people who sincerely want to enjoy delicacies. Ordinary customers also won’t think that some of the dishes on the menu are too expensive.”

“Fair enough.”

“Alright, if you’re busy, look for the two of us to help.”

The two of them were very supportive. This calmed Xu Le down. When he saw the exceptionally high rent through the property agent, he thought he had heard wrongly.

“Is that really… the rent?”

“Look, there’s an entire building of luxury shopping mall beside it. The greenery downstairs is so good. The bamboo forest is quiet and the Japanese-style garden design is not bad!”

“I’ll look at the ones upstairs again.”

Xu Le wanted to find a quiet place as much as possible. In a big city filled with desire, it was a place where customers could enjoy delicacies and rest their souls.

The agent very politely brought him upstairs to choose. In order to pursue tranquility, the business district here had two floors. Although it was small, the style and taste could be seen at a glance.

Xu Le felt that they were all quite beautiful and suitable, but he never had that feeling. Hence, he stopped at many places and viewed many buildings.

A shop owner nearby recognized him and greeted him excitedly.

“It’s the Little Master Chef!”

“If you open a store near my house, can I freeload? I’ll give you a discount for everything in my shop!”

“Wow, can I take a photo with you? I’ve watched all your live streams!”

After Xu Le waved and greeted him, he continued walking. The agent placed one hand on his waist and panted. “You’re not that old, but why is your stamina so good? I really can’t walk anymore. I’ll rest here for a while. Why don’t you tell me what style you want?”

Xu Le shook his head. After all, as long as the location was good, he could renovate it after renting it.

They looked at a few more stores. By then, it was already eleven o’clock at night. The agent couldn’t take it anymore and said, “The last one, I guess. Tell you what, I’ll view more places with you tomorrow?”

Xu Le said, “No need.”

“Hey, no, no. That’s because I think there’s no other way. It’s fine if you want to continue viewing now, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to continue walking…”

The agent was explaining when Xu Le interrupted him.

“I’ll just choose here. I like it very much.”

There was a small building in front of him. The steps were curved and the handrails were frosted white. There was a faint light shining down. The lights hanging from them were warm. Regardless of the color combination, there was a sense of harmony and vitality. A pot of wisteria by the stairs spread down. It was green and beautiful.

The agent looked up and down in confusion. This was neither decorated in high-class nor elegant style. It looked ordinary. What exactly attracted Xu Le?

Unable to contain his curiosity, he said, “Then let’s sign the contract tomorrow. Also… is it convenient for me to ask, which part of this place attracted you?”

Xu Le looked up and said, “It’s very warm. It looks like home.”

“…Oh.” The agent was glad that they had made a deal and he could end work. He casually said happily, “Actually, everyone has a different understanding and feeling about home. If you can decide on this place in a few seconds based on your intuition, then this place must have the same vibes as your home.”

Xu Le recalled the childish decorations and rooms at his place. There was even a Disney princess portrait hanging at the entrance. He was stunned for a moment and said, “No.”

In fact, he’d lost his family in a car accident when he was in his teens. Then he’d stayed with relatives and barely managed to finish school with the inheritance his parents had left him. Then there was the accident on the road. When he’d been sent flying by a car, his first reaction had been calmness, even a vague sense of belonging.

However, he did not expect that he would transmigrate to an eight-year-old child’s body. He took on the responsibility of caring for the innocent Tiantian and began to learn cooking through the system. He had indeed gained a lot. More importantly, no matter if it was his friends, relatives who seemed to be related by blood, or old friends, they were all slowly completing his idea of a family that was viewed to be falling apart since he was young.

His first reaction when he saw this place was an indescribable warmth and sense of belonging. Instinct was a very mysterious thing. But Xu Le chose to believe it.

After settling the matters at hand, Xu Le accompanied Lu Yuxi back to her hometown as promised. In the past few years, the city had become much more developed, and the specialties from the past were also quite famous.

Walnuts, persimmon pancakes, dumplings, meatballs, spicy soup… There was a dazzling array of them. The not-so-exquisite stalls were even more lively.

Lu Yuxi bought a five-dollar pancake and held it in her hand through the bag. She used a bamboo stick to poke a piece for Xu Le.

“Try it. This is quite good.”