"Let me try it too."

Seeing that Lu Jinseng had his eyes closed and didn't speak for a long time, only slightly moving his lips as if still savoring the flavor of the chopped pepper fish head, Lu Shuyao couldn't resist anymore.

She stepped forward, smiled at Jiang Yu, and took a pair of chopsticks from the side. First, she took a small piece of fish from her grandfather's dish and put it into her mouth.

The fish meat was very tender, melting in her mouth with a light press, filling it with the original delicious flavor of the fish head, mixed with the fresh and spicy taste of the chopped peppers, making all the taste buds in her mouth come alive.

"Grandpa really hasn't lost his touch. It's been so long since he's cooked himself, and the dishes he makes are still so tasty."

Lu Shuyao was full of joy in her heart. Thinking so, she took another piece of fish to taste, then accepted the cooled boiled water that Lu Shuwu poured for her, rinsed her mouth, and began to comment,

"The chopped pepper fish head that Grandpa made has a bright color and rich aroma, making people very appetizing as soon as it's served on the table.

For such a big fish, it's generally thick and not easy to season, and the texture wouldn't be so good.

But Grandpa handled it very well, controlling the heat perfectly, not only preserving the natural deliciousness of the ingredients but also making the fish tender and smooth, melting in the mouth.

The stir-fried chopped peppers are fresh, fragrant, and spicy, but do not overpower the dish. Instead, they blend well into the flavor of the fish.

This chopped pepper fish head maintains Grandpa's consistent high standard. If full marks are 10, I would give this dish 9 points!"

Hu Zhihai and the others didn't think much of a 9, but Lu Chunming and Lu Shuwu, father and son, glanced at Lu Shuyao in surprise.

This girl's sense of taste is keen, and her standards for food are almost exigent. So far, the only food that has received over 8.5 points from her is her grandfather's and the "Shuxiang Building's" Zhang Bingkun, Mr. Zhang of Sichuan.

You know, Mr. Zhang is also, like Lu Jinseng, a master-level figure in Sichuan cuisine.

But now, Lu Shuyao gave her grandfather's chopped pepper fish head a 9, indicating that this dish is excellent, even surpassing Lu Jinseng's previous level.

"Let me try it!"

At this point, Lu Shuwu couldn't resist. He took a few steps forward, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish, and stuffed it into his mouth. As soon as it entered, his eyes widened, and he muttered with satisfaction,

"Holy cow! Grandpa's cooking is even more delicious than before!"

He couldn't help it; unlike Lu Shuyao, who loves to read and has such a rich vocabulary to describe food from various angles.

He's just a foodie, and a simple "Holy cow" was enough to express the deliciousness of the food!

After wolfing down the fish in his mouth, Lu Shuwu intended to have another bite, but Lu Shuyao stopped him. She glared at her unreliable second brother and said irritably:

"What's the rush? Boss Xiao Jiang hasn't even picked up his chopsticks yet!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Shuwu's hand froze, and he awkwardly smiled after glancing at Jiang Yu, having no choice but to retreat.

In his heart, he secretly thought that during the meal, he would have to move quickly; the Fatty Hu across from him could eat even more than he could!

Thinking this, Lu Shuwu couldn't help but glance at Hu Zhihai, and sure enough, he saw Hu Zhihai glaring at him as if the bite of meat he just had was snatched from Hu Zhihai's mouth.

On the other side, after stopping Lu Shuwu, who was about to feast, Lu Shuyao walked over to Jiang Yu's side and asked with a smile:

"Boss Xiao Jiang, may I try your dish?"

Jiang Yu smiled, stepped aside, and raised his hand, saying, "Please go ahead."

Lu Shuyao pursed her lips and smiled. After leaning in and carefully examining it for a while, she picked up a small piece of fish with her chopsticks and put it into her mouth, savoring it slowly.

After quite a while, she exhaled lightly and thoughtfully commented:

"The chopped pepper fish head Boss Xiao Jiang made matches my grandfather's dish in terms of color and aroma, making it hard to decide which is better.

In terms of ingredients, this dish has added perilla.

Combining perilla with chopped peppers not only slightly reduces the spiciness of the Chaotian chili peppers but also enhances the freshness and removes any fishy smell, making the aroma of the dish more intense.

In terms of texture, the fish is equally tender, but at the same time, has a slight firmness, giving it a layered texture and not melting right after entering the mouth.

Moreover, the marinated flavorful fish head has the natural deliciousness of the fish and the spiciness of the chopped peppers, which blend together without confusion, as if a kind of magical chemical reaction took place, creating a wonderful flavor that after one bite, you can't help but want a second one."

At this point, Lu Shuyao looked up at Jiang Yu with a complicated expression,

"If I were to score the chopped pepper fish head made by Boss Xiao Jiang, I'd give it..."

"At least 9.5 points! Deducting 0.5 points for the fear of you getting proud!"

Before she could finish, Lu Jinseng, who had been sitting with his eyes closed and motionless, suddenly spoke up. He seemed very pleased, bursting into laughter,

"Boss Xiao Jiang, your chopped pepper fish head makes me feel inferior indeed.

I've eaten this dish countless times in my life, and whoever cooked it before, I'd at most have one or two bites, never wanting another.

But after eating your chopped pepper fish head, I was surprisingly filled with a long-lost desire, a craving for another bite, evoking the feeling I had the first time I ever tasted this dish."

"Grandpa, you..."

Lu Shuyao looked at her grandpa with astonishment on her face; she couldn't believe her normally critical and proud grandpa would actually say such words. It was simply unbelievable.

"Grandpa Lu, you're really over-praising me, I truly don't deserve such words."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu waved his hand repeatedly and said,

"I've been open less than a month, and although I occasionally make this chopped chili fish head, I definitely haven't made it much. It's really not as exaggerated as you and Junior Sister Lu say."

"What exaggeration? At my age, do I still need to lie?"

Lu Jinseng furrowed his brow, obviously a bit angry, but after thinking it over, he still said,

"However, Boss Xiao Jiang, your chopped chili fish head tastes really great, but your knife skills need improvement!

Look, you've cut this fish head in half, and it's not quite symmetrical. Luckily, it's a steamed dish; if it were stir-fried, and the meat were uneven in thickness, wouldn't half be just cooked and the other half be tough to chew?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I still need to practice my basic culinary skills."

These words left Jiang Yu feeling awkward; he had been glad that the dish didn't really require knife skills, only to find out that one cut had exposed his fundamental skills to Lu Jinseng.

"Basic skills are something every chef must practice; if you practice well, the taste of this dish could be elevated to another level at least!"

Lu Jinseng smacked his lips as if reminiscing about the flavor he had just tasted. He looked at Jiang Yu with meaningful eyes and said,

"By the way, your chopped chili fish head tastes so good; aside from perilla, you definitely added some other seasonings. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out what they were even after tasting for a long while..."

Jiang Yu replied with a stiff expression: "Uh, it's a secret family recipe..."

"Is that so? Then I won't ask."

Lu Jinseng nodded knowingly and didn't seem to feel regret. The notion that secret family recipes are not shared is something people of his generation understand better than the young ones.

He raised his hand to pat Jiang Yu on the shoulder and said,

"You're quite good. Practice your basic skills more, and your future is limitless.

Oh, by the way, if Xiaowu stays here with you, are you willing to teach him how to make Xiang Cuisine?"

"If he's willing to learn, I'll teach him."

Over this period, Jiang Yu had also thought about it; although the system's recipes are important, people are more important. The same recipe, when prepared by different people, might have entirely different flavors.

Moreover, it was with the system's support that he could create flavors that culinary masters couldn't stop praising; others without the system's help might not achieve such effects.

Given this, what harm is there in teaching Lu Shuwu a few dishes?

However, even if he's going to teach him how to cook, Jiang Yu couldn't teach him right away. He said,

"I also have a condition: Xiaowu must stay here for at least a year. After a year, I'll look at the situation and decide what dishes to teach him."

"Then it's settled!"

Lu Jinseng agreed straightforwardly.

He was still in good health; he could certainly wait a year. If by then, Lu Shuwu wasn't willing to stay or if other situations arose, he could still take him home to teach him culinary skills.

However, if by that time Lu Shuwu still wasn't willing to learn, Lu Jinseng might really have to enforce family rules.

He turned around, looked at Lu Shuwu, and said sternly,

"Xiaowu, since you want to stay here, then stay here and work well, learn well. You've grown up now and can't mess around like before."

"Got it, Grandpa."

Lu Shuwu was full of joy but still responded earnestly with his head down.

As soon as Lu Shuwu finished speaking, a timid voice came from the corner:

"Um, Grandpa Lu, can we start eating now?"

Everybody turned to see Hu Zhihai standing there with an aggrieved look, rubbing his stomach and glancing now and then at the two large plates of chopped chili fish head on the stove.

Seeing this, Lu Jinseng burst out laughing:

"Eat, everyone, eat up!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Zhihai and the others cheered and rushed toward the stove with their chopsticks:

"Hey, don't push, be careful not to knock the dish over!"

"Damn! Slow down, aren't you afraid of choking?"

"Leave the fish mouth for me! Leave the fish mouth for me!"

"..."

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