"What's that?"

Liu Chengming stared, his mind a bit confused. Not far from him, under the dim light, there was a yellow delivery van, with the side of the van inexplicably releasing a thick mist.

Is this reasonable?

Outside the back door of the inpatient department, at midnight, a shabby yellow van appeared so suddenly. Is this reasonable?

Liu Chengming instinctively took a step back and turned his head to look, only to see his fellow patient Du Qiming staring intently at the van.

In his eyes, there was anger! Hatred! Rage that couldn't be contained! And, some unknown desire.

"Bro, bro?"

Du Qiming snapped back to his senses. Although the van in front of him didn't quite match the one he knew, just seeing the color and smelling the chicken aroma made him furious.

"It's nothing, just thinking about something unpleasant. Is this someone sneaking into the hospital to sell food? Let's go check it out."

Liu Chengming also wanted to. After being hospitalized for a week and with his wound almost healed, he wanted to eat something nice, but the damn hospital cafeteria didn't treat people like humans!

Du Qiming sighed with relief, thinking that even though he was at the north of the city yesterday and returned to the south today, he wouldn't have come to the hospital if it weren't for his hemorrhoids. This van couldn't possibly be Boss Xiao Chen's.

The two of them walked to the food truck.

Du Qiming looked at the person inside the van who was busy, and was stunned as if hit by lightning, frozen in place.

"Damn, you motherfucker!" Du Qiming stared at Chen Mo, "How did you know I was in the hospital?"

Chen Mo looked up, oh, wasn't this the City Construction Du Gong who cursed at him in the live stream just now?

"I didn't know you were in the hospital."

"Then why are you setting up a stall at the hospital? You must have known I was hospitalized and followed me here. You just want to harm me!" Du Qiming accused firmly.

Otherwise, how else could such a coincidence happen in this world?

Chen Mo was also puzzled, but it was understandable. Jingzhou City was only so big, with not many reputable hospitals. Huimin was considered a good hospital, at least recognized for its medical standards.

But the problem was, Du Gong, who was fine last night, was now lying in the inpatient department?

"What happened to you?"

Du Qiming's neck veins popped as he squinted at Chen Mo sideways, "What happened to me? How dare you ask me what happened! It's all your fault for the Mapo tofu yesterday, causing my hemorrhoids to flare up. Otherwise, would I have needed surgery tomorrow?"

Oof!

Chen Mo was terrified just hearing it, but the issue was, "Since you have this condition, isn't it a matter of time before it flares up? Better cut it early and be at ease."

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow!" Du Qiming retorted harshly.

People are like this; when they have a toothache, they vow to extract it this time. But once the pain subsides, they think, it doesn't hurt often, maybe next time.

"Alright, calm down," Chen Mo comforted him, suddenly feeling that getting cursed by Du Qiming wasn't a big deal. He just got scolded, but Du Qiming was going to have surgery on his butt!

If a few curses could reduce Du Gong's pain, Chen Mo was willing to let him curse a little more. So Chen Mo asked, "What are you doing out here instead of sleeping at night?"

Du Qiming was successfully distracted, "Thinking about the surgery tomorrow made me anxious, so I came out for some fresh air, and to smoke a cigarette."

Liu Chengming leaned on the window sill, "Boss, what are you cooking? It smells so good."

"Braised chicken," Chen Mo answered casually, "Want a portion? This dish has no chili, not at all."

Liu Chengming's eyes lit up, "Of course! Do you have chicken butts? I could use a good tonifying meal."

Chen Mo didn't buy into the "you are what you eat" concept, "No, those things are all thrown away. If you want to eat, I'll save them for you and cook a pot of chicken butts later."

Liu Chengming chuckled, "Just kidding, is it almost ready?"

"Almost." Chen Mo saw the progress bar reaching the highlight point, waiting a few seconds more for the perfect moment before taking it off the stove!

As the lid was lifted, the steam wafted out, revealing a plate of chicken pieces lying silently in the steamer, with golden soy sauce next to the meat. Just looking at it was thrilling.

"That's it!" Liu Chengming couldn't wait to take out his phone to pay, "How much is it?"

Chen Mo said, "98 yuan." Seeing Liu Chengming hesitating a bit, Chen Mo explained, "This is authentic Qingyuan chicken, a full two pounds! Other than Yueyun Pavilion, no other restaurant in the city serves this."

Du Qiming thought Chen Mo was bluffing and asked, "How did you get it then?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, if it's not good, you don't have to pay."

Liu Chengming thought this young boss had some arrogance, "Really?"

Before Chen Mo could speak, Du Qiming patted Liu Chengming's shoulder, "Forget it, just pay, it's guaranteed to be good."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me, it won't disappoint."

Du Qiming thought it best not to spread certain things around. If it were someone else, he'd have to teach them a lesson, but since it's Boss Xiao Chen, let it go.

Liu Chengming nodded, scanning to pay 100 yuan, "Add a portion of rice."

Chen Mo was happy now, having the first order made things easier, "Hold on a bit, it's not ready yet."

Using chopsticks to separate the chicken, the original broth from twenty minutes of steaming was poured into a black pot, then the chicken was placed on another plate, skin side up, meat side down.

Lighting the stove, a small amount of soy sauce and a little Shaoxing wine was added to the black pot, then a bit of wet starch for thickening. Once boiled over a high flame, the pepper oil was immediately drizzled on top.

Turn off the heat!

The thick sauce was poured over the chicken, flowing gently under the light, into every crevice of the chicken.

Just watching made Liu Chengming, who hadn't eaten well for a week, drool uncontrollably.

"Let's do it, give me another portion of rice."

Liu Chengming couldn't wait and reached out to grab it, while Chen Mo turned to pack a box meal.

"Xiao Du, aren't you having some?"

Du Qiming was tempted. He wanted the chicken but couldn't help thinking about the tofu from last night.

He asked tentatively, "Boss Chen, is there Mapo tofu without chili?"

Chen Mo was stumped, "Mapo tofu without chili isn't Mapo tofu."

"Okay then, give me a portion of this chicken too. What's this chicken called again?"

"Braised chicken."

Du Qiming was puzzled with a half-smile, "The braised chicken I had wasn't like this."

In his memory, braised chicken came with a lot of vegetables. This only had pure chicken pieces.

Chen Mo didn't explain and instead took a whole chicken from the cupboard, starting to chop it up with a thud.

Liu Chengming hadn't started eating yet, curiously asked, "Why are you so hung up on that Mapo tofu?"

Du Qiming said with difficulty, "I ate three portions of his Mapo tofu yesterday."

"Heh, is it that good? You ate three portions?"

In the ward, Liu Chengming found Du Qiming pretty interesting, but now, always bringing up the three portions of Mapo tofu, he took him for a fool?

Previously, he'd just chatted along with him, but now even more so.

"Yes, it's the kind you can't stop eating. It's really that good."

Liu Chengming never believed in such exaggerations since childhood, hated hearing it, and loved arguing. Hearing Du Qiming's stubbornness, he laughed.

"Alright, little boss, make some Mapo tofu for me to see."

"No!" Du Qiming stopped Liu Chengming, "Bro, trust me, don't try it. You're about to be discharged, it's not worth it!"

"It's okay, I just want to see if it's really as good as you say. At worst, I'll just have a taste, nothing major. Little boss, go ahead and make it."

"Don't make it!" Du Qiming stopped him, "Bro, just this once, okay? When you're healed, I'll treat you to some, okay?"

Seeing him like this, Liu Chengming was even more convinced that Du Qiming was blowing smoke. The more he saw it, the more he wanted to pierce his bluff.

"Make it. I've seen it all, you just make it."

Chen Mo was torn, so he said, "How about this, that portion of braised chicken was for myself, but you bought it. I'll make a portion of Mapo tofu and let you taste it for free, and I'll eat the rest as a midnight snack."

Liu Chengming nodded, that was even better, he wasn't losing anything, and he could pierce Du Qiming's boasting.

The best of both worlds!

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