Early in the morning, the sun had not yet fully emerged from the clouds.

Gaosheng Inn and the surrounding area were bustling, the familiar cries of street vendors mingling with the morning light, rising and falling in the distance.

Although Chen Xu was inside the inn, it seemed as if he could see through the walls and the crowd to the various food stalls on the long street, each emanating its own kind of steam.

"Get your steamed buns, three for two coins for vegetarian, two coins for meat, freshly baked, come and buy!"

"Three-flavor wonton and spring noodles, the soup itself is sweet, so delicious you have to try it, it's so fresh your tongue will drop off..."

People at the inn also went out to buy breakfast, rather than choosing the inn's food.

In the kitchen, a young apprentice spat angrily, "Those stall vendors are getting boastful, claiming their food is so fresh it'll drop your tongue off, who hasn't tried their wontons before? They're really bad..."

"Xiao Gao!" Master Hong walked into the kitchen yawning, calling to the young apprentice, "You, go to the wonton stall and buy a bowl... no, buy two bowls of wontons for your master."

He turned and saw Chen Xu, immediately laughing, "Mr. Chen, you have the pickiest taste, why not help old Hong here and see if those wontons are truly as fresh as they claim?"

The apprentice Xiao Gao was stunned, foolishly asking Master Hong, "Master, they're stealing our business, why are you buying their wontons?"

Master Hong's face stiffened, "Just go if I tell you to, you talk too much, your brain never seems to work; even after a hundred years you'd still just be a firework artisan!"

Xiao Gao's face turned red from being scolded, not daring to say another word, he ran out to buy the wontons.

After scolding his apprentice, Master Hong turned to Chen Xu with a smile, saying, "A bunch of fools, if I don't scold them a bit, they remain stiff as boards."

Chen Xu had long been accustomed to his scolding methods and didn't comment, only responding with a slight smile.

He originally brought some MSG, intending for Master Hong to use it to make a few dishes to see if he could get some praise under these indirect circumstances.

But now he wasn't in a hurry; he could have the wontons first.

Before long, Xiao Gao brought over two bowls of wontons, hurrying all the way, nervously placing the bowls on a kitchen table.

As soon as the two coarse bowls hit the table, he blew on his hands, having been burned.

Master Hong gave him another scolding, "So delicate, getting burned by two bowls of wontons. Go soak your hands in cool water, don't let them blister."

He invited Chen Xu to eat the wontons, squinting with satisfaction after a bite, closing his eyes to savor, "Hey, they are indeed quite fresh. This soup... Mr. Chen, can you taste what's in this soup?"

Chen Xu scooped a small spoonful of wonton soup, lightly blew on it to cool it, then ate a wonton.

The wonton was still very hot, with a bite, the steaming broth enveloped his entire palate with a full sensation of freshness—

Delicious, naturally, but surprisingly remarkable—something seemed to be missing.

What was it missing?

Master Hong asked Chen Xu what was in the soup, but purely by taste, it was difficult to discern completely.

Yet he couldn't resist being able to see the food entries; he ate two more wontons, smiling, "A small spoon of lard in the soup, a pinch of mushrooms and shrimp powder, a few drops of soy sauce; no wonder it's fresh, it really should be fresh!"

Master Hong laughed heartily, then sighed,

"For a small street vendor, thinking of putting mushrooms and shrimp powder in wonton soup is no small feat, no wonder it's been gaining such a good reputation these days. Who knows how many people on the streets love their wontons."

Chen Xu immediately heard the implication in Master Hong's words; he put down the porcelain spoon, "According to Master Hong, you might have an even more outstanding secret to enhancing flavor?"

Master Hong chuckled, with a deep look, "That's right; otherwise, why would old Hong be a head chef here?"

Saying this, his tone paused slightly, lowering his voice, "Mr. Chen, would you like to learn this secret recipe of mine?"

Well, is there any head chef in the world who would voluntarily reveal his own secret recipe?

Chen Xu immediately understood Master Hong's intention, he couldn't help but smile, "Master Hong, you're still after my Intoxicated Spirit Wine?"

"Hehe." Master Hong just kept laughing, rubbing his hands as he did.

Chen Xu took out a small paper package from his sleeve pocket, gently pushing it in front of Master Hong while smiling silently.

At first, Master Hong didn't understand what he meant, cautiously sliding the paper package over to himself.

They locked eyes, and Chen Xu finally said, "Master Hong, why not use this to cook a signature dish... no, it doesn't have to be a signature dish, even an ordinary soup will do."

This tone faintly suggested something.

Recently, having been acquainted with Chen Xu, Master Hong knew none of Chen Xu's actions were purposeless.

With only the paper package in hand, he inexplicably felt as though he'd gotten hold of something extraordinary.

His heart beat a bit faster; he immediately said no more, heading straight to a small pot without calling an apprentice, he quickly rinsed it with a ladle of water.

He washed the pot, shouting, "Xiao Gao, start the fire!"

Xiao Gao obediently ran over, although wondering: Could the master have been maddened by those outside selling wontons, taking charge of the small pot first thing in the morning?

He assumed the master was going to make something amazing, but instead Master Hong merely simmered an ordinary bowl of shepherd's-purse soup using some lard.

Master Hong kept a straight face, quickly finishing the soup, gesturing with his eyes to Chen Xu the whole time.

That was his way of asking Chen Xu when to add the stuff from the paper package.

Only when Master Hong was about to ladle the shepherd's-purse soup into a bowl did Chen Xu say, "Master Hong, add a soybean-sized pinch, no more."

Master Hong followed instructions, sprinkling a small pinch of powder from the paper package.

Initially, Master Hong told Chen Xu like this: "Mr. Chen, I'll tell you, our way of making fresh soup isn't like this.

The wonton stall uses tricks with mushrooms and shrimp powder; that's absolutely not the way.

The skills at the stove require careful attention.

Or it's using ample oil to fry fish, stewing a fish soup with lamb, adding many secret ingredients, boiling for two or three days; that is truly a fresh soup.

Hehe, you see, what you've got inside this paper package of yours... I'll tell you this, from the start, I guessed you used a method similar to the wonton soup's trickery.

Since it's trickery, it surely lacks something... Hey, hey, hey!"

Suddenly, Master Hong drank a sip of the shepherd's-purse soup he made, and his tone abruptly changed.

He took another bite of shepherd's-purse, blurting out, "Dang it, this isn't right! Good Lord, are you fooling me?

Mr. Chen, be honest, there's nothing strange in this little package of yours, is there?

It's got ninety percent of my fresh soup's power... hey!"

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