Seventh Dining Hall, dining area.

Liu Fan initially thought his birthday was likely going to be ruined, but unexpectedly, his luck was so good that he ran into Senior Brother Jiang who spontaneously added a dish, letting him unwittingly enjoy a delicious, fragrant "birthday meal".

This beef fried rice noodles, each strand glistening with oil, looked utterly appetizing. Tender, juicy beef slices hid among the sauce-drenched rice noodles, tempting him immensely.

The most eye-catching, naturally, were the two-colored peppers mingled with the rice noodles. The green peppers were sliced diagonally, while the chili peppers were chopped into tiny pieces, forming a vibrant canvas with the white noodles and brown beef.

Amidst the rising steam, an enticing aroma wafted over, comprising not only the freshness of the rice noodles but also the meaty scent of beef and the spicy aroma of peppers.

Liu Fan looked at the large portion of beef fried rice noodles on his tray, and couldn't help but swallow. He could no longer hold back, grabbing his chopsticks to shovel in a mouthful of noodles.

With the first bite, his eyes instantly brightened.

The rice noodles were soft, chewy, and full of texture, with the mixed flavors of fresh, spicy, salty, and savory bursting out in his mouth, even making his cheeks tingle with delight.

Spicy! Delicious! Tasty!

The chewy rice noodles, tender beef, and crunchy, spicy peppers mixed in his mouth; just a gentle chew and the fresh, spicy, salty, savory flavors erupted, continuously tantalizing his taste buds, making him want to joyfully shout out loud.

He paused just for a moment, but he could no longer stop himself. His chopsticks flew rapidly, stuffing the noodles into his mouth vigorously.

Next, he sucked in hard, and among the sounds of "slurp slurp slurp", the rice noodles seemed alive, bouncing from the tray into his mouth...

"Slurp slurp slurp..."

"Slurp slurp slurp..."

"..."

Throughout the dining area of the cafeteria, the sound of "slurping" noodles was incessant, resounding everywhere.

Even Liu Shurong, sitting in the corner with her son, was slightly dumbfounded. She probably had never witnessed a scene like this in her life:

Everyone in the cafeteria, whether male or female students, was holding a serving of fried rice noodles, head down, carefreely slurping away!

Although there's a saying "southerners eat rice, northerners eat noodles", in reality, compared to rice noodles, people from Qiantang still prefer eating noodles.

A day for old Qiantang locals can start with a bowl of scallion oil noodles, followed by a lunch of Sichuan noodles with rich toppings, and conclude with a comforting bowl of sliced noodles at night.

Of course, this doesn't mean Qiantang lacks rice noodle shops, there are a few, but certainly not as ubiquitous as in Jiangzhou, where rice noodle shops can be found around every corner.

Liu Shurong, born and raised in Qiantang, came from a privileged background, and she had been taught the etiquette of "no talking while eating, no speaking while sleeping" since childhood, forbidding even the slightest sound while eating. She had never seen such a public display of "slurp slurp slurp" eating rice noodles?

That wasn't all; she even noticed some boys deliberately making loud "slurp slurp" noises, seemingly quite proud...

Could it be, could eating noodles this way be enjoyable?

To be honest, smelling the fragrance of the beef fried rice noodles made Liu Shurong a bit tempted, but seeing the students in the entire cafeteria rushing to grab them, she felt embarrassed to join in.

Upon seeing the noodles filled with red and green peppers, with a pungent spicy aroma wafting over, she who hardly ate spicy food, immediately gave up the idea of trying it.

She decided not to try, but sitting beside her, Wu Wenle licked his lips, tugged at her sleeve, and said with a craving look:

"Mom, that fried rice noodles smell so good!"

Liu Shurong was taken aback, shaking her head, decisively refusing:

"No, you can't eat it now, it's too spicy!"

Seeing her son pouting, seemingly a bit unhappy, she quickly comforted him,

"After some time, when you've recuperated a bit, if you still want to eat, then mom will get Boss Jiang to make a portion for you."

Wu Wenle nodded: "Oh, okay."

After sitting in the cafeteria for a while longer, Liu Shurong hurriedly took her son away from the Seventh Dining Hall to rest back at the hotel.

The cafeteria has too much good food, yet most of it is off-limits...

Better to stay away, or else the drool might dry up!

...

"So this is the new campus of Jiangzhou University? Truly a bit out of the way."

Close to noon, an old man wearing a sunhat got off the bus. He walked a few steps forward, looked up at the tall school gate of Jiang University, and the name of the school on the gate, couldn't help but chuckle, muttering to himself in a low voice,

"This school isn't well-known, yet the cafeteria food has become famous!

Let's go, I'll also see if the Seventh Dining Hall's food is really as good as they say."

Saying this, he strolled leisurely, enjoying the campus scenery as he walked inside.

The Seventh Dining Hall was indeed somewhat off to the side, the old man asked directions several times before finally finding the Seventh Dining Hall opposite the stadium.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he saw a long queue extending from inside the dining hall out to the door, but he wasn't surprised, knowing the common knowledge online of queuing for food at the Seventh Dining Hall.

He was just a bit depressed, arriving so early, not even 11 yet, how come there were so many people already in line?

It's not even the weekend, do these students not have classes?

Even if there's no class, can't this good time be spent on studying, even just going to the library to read would be better!

All they know is eating, eating, eating; so lacking in ambition!

Although the old man was full of frustration for not meeting expectations, his body was honest. In a few steps, he reached the end of the line and obediently queued up.

There's no way around it; more people are flocking this way. If he dallied any longer, he'd end up even further back.

The young people these days just don't understand respecting the elderly and caring for the young. Can't they see this old man with his white hair?

They really don't know how to let me skip right to the front of the line!

Shaking with anger!

The good thing about having a rich inner monologue is that time flies by extra quickly.

In just over half an hour, in the blink of an eye, the Seventh Dining Hall began serving, and the line started moving forward.

As soon as he walked through the dining hall doors, the old man couldn't help but take a deep breath. The aroma of the food was truly enticing, almost as good as what he made himself!

He just didn't know how it would taste once in his mouth.

It's well known that the scent of a dish and its flavor are two different things.

Many have had similar experiences. For instance, when you pass a braised food shop, the aroma often draws you in, but when you actually buy and taste the food, the flavor might be just so-so.

It's not that your nose is lying to you, but rather that the variety of scents our noses can detect is far greater than the flavors our taste buds can distinguish. So, you might smell something delicious but not taste it.

It's like stinky tofu; it smells bad but tastes delicious.

The serving speed was really quick, and before long, the old man reached the counter. He leaned forward to take a look inside and, wow, there were lots of dishes!

The dining hall had become famous, so more and more people came to eat there. Yan Tongtong wasn't surprised to see an old man. She smiled and asked:

"Grandpa, what would you like to eat?"

"Could I have a little bit of everything?"

The old man, faced with a dazzling array of over a dozen dishes, had a choice dilemma and simply decided to have them all.

Only kids have to make choices. Adults, of course, want everything!

"Huh? That's impossible to serve, and it's too much for you to finish."

Yan Tongtong furrowed her pretty brows and, after thinking for a moment, said,

"How about the steamed pork ribs with yam and fermented bean sauce and a portion of fish-flavored shredded pork? Both dishes are made by our boss and are really delicious!"

"Alright, I'll have those two dishes!"

The old man promptly nodded. With over a dozen dishes for one meal in the dining hall, it was clear they weren't meant for one person. The young lady had chosen two dishes prepared by the dining hall's boss for him, which was perfect.

He came here to taste the boss's cooking skills, after all. If he accidentally picked dishes made by other chefs, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?

After receiving his meal and settling the bill, the old man carried his tray to the dining area.

Picking an empty spot at random, he sat down. Just as he was about to eat, he overheard a lively conversation among the students seated nearby:

"What's up with Senior Brother Jiang today? He added beef stir-fried rice noodles in the morning and now introduced a new dish at noon; it's pure bliss!"

"Hehe, this Huang Yatou's tofu is truly delicious. The fish meat is tender and melts in your mouth, and this tofu is also smooth and carries the full fresh flavor of the fish. It's just too good!"

"I love this sauce; it's both fresh and spicy, an absolute must with rice!"

"..."

The old man turned to look at the students with a speechless expression. I'm starving here, and you guys are critiquing gourmet food?

I'm practically drooling because of you!

Wait, is this Huang Yatou's tofu a new dish today? Is it also made by the boss?

That girl isn't reliable; she didn't even recommend the new dish to me!

Taking a deep breath, the old man calmed his slightly turbulent emotions. Never mind, at this age, he ought to keep a peaceful mind anyway since his blood pressure was a bit high!

Time to eat!

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of pork rib, put it into his mouth, and took a bite. His eyes suddenly brightened.

The pork ribs are delicious!

The pork ribs in this dish were marinated ahead of time. If marinated too long, they'd be too salty; too short, they'd be bland. But these were marinated just right, preserving the meat's natural flavor while adding a salty, fragrant aroma of alcohol and the freshness of fermented beans.

The ribs were tender, fragrant, and juicy, not dry at all; delicious!

Finishing one rib left his mouth filled with the rich flavor of ribs, lingering in aftertaste.

He smacked his lips, took a bite of rice, then had a mouthful of fish-flavored shredded pork.

The sweet and sour taste exploded in his mouth, triggering a rush of saliva. He chewed quickly, and the more he chewed, the better it tasted.

This dish, with its tender meat shreds and crisp bamboo shoots, combined a sweet and sour flavor with a salty, spicy, and fresh taste, truly a perfect companion with rice!

At this point, the old man couldn't be bothered to savor each bite. He buried his head and began eating voraciously, just like the students around him who quietly tucked into their meals.

Who, for heaven's sake, has the leisure to savor the food bite by bite when it's this delicious!

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