Wang Fan picked up a beer bottle and clinked it with his second uncle's, then drank three gulps in succession with a "glug glug glug".

The cold beer flowed in his mouth like a clear spring, bringing a refreshing impact. The golden liquid carried a strong malt aroma, each sip filled with delicate bubbles that danced and burst on the tongue, providing a slight sting.

The liquid slid down his throat, leaving a faint sweet and slightly bitter taste. The beer's flavor was rich and full-bodied, the malt aroma intertwined with a slight bitterness that was intoxicating.

As he swallowed, his throat felt a gentle smoothness, with a lingering aftertaste; the cold sensation made Wang Fan shiver involuntarily.

As the beer settled in his stomach, a subtle bittersweet taste lingered at the root of his tongue, which not only didn't make Wang Fan uncomfortable but instead sparked a strong craving for food.

His gaze involuntarily fell on the braised dishes and meats on the table, which were emitting an enticing aroma, tantalizing his taste buds and suddenly increasing his appetite.

The second uncle chuckled, "How is it? Doesn't it taste better to eat after drinking a bit of beer?"

Wang Fan nodded, "It really does, especially the bitterness of the beer makes me want to stuff something in my mouth."

"That's the feeling, but if you drink beer like that, you won't eat or drink much before getting too full."

After saying that, he took out a glass, raised the beer bottle, and started pouring.

"There's a lot of foam in this beer, and if you don't let the foam out while pouring, your stomach will feel bloated after drinking it."

Wang Fan nodded, feeling that his knowledge had broadened once again.

Just then, a voice interrupted them from outside the window.

"Boss, don't enjoy those dishes all by yourself. How about selling me some of that braised meat?"

The sudden voice caught Wang Fan and his second uncle by surprise. With the large order from Lin Feng, they hadn't planned to open today, so why was there someone looking for them?

Feng Junhui chuckled and said to Wang Fan, "I was passing by to pay New Year's visits, and coincidentally, I heard yesterday that the braised meat here is particularly good, so I came by to have a look. Seeing how delicious you're eating it, I want to buy some to try."

There was still some braised meat left, mainly because they'd bought quite a lot of pig elbows, with Wang Fan planning to get extra for his second uncle to practice on.

Putting down his chopsticks, Wang Fan stood up and said, "Right now we mainly have pig elbow, but there's also some braised dishes left, 30 yuan per jin. How much do you want?"

Feng Junhui looked at the bowl Wang Fan had just eaten from, it looked very appetizing, getting too little definitely wouldn't be enough.

"Give me one pig elbow and two jin of braised dishes."

After taking his items and paying, Feng Junhui happily headed home.

Feng's parents saw their son return with stuff in hand and curiously asked, "Weren't you going out to pay New Year's visits? Why are you back already, and what are you carrying?"

Feng Junhui waved the plastic bag, "I was passing by the Ice and Snow World and saw someone selling braised meat, so I bought some to bring back."

Father Feng immediately pointed at the table angrily, "Why are you squandering money on buying things? Can't you see how much meat we already have at home?"

He pointed at the table full of red-braised pig elbow, braised ribs, stewed chicken, sweet and sour fish, pork stew with vermicelli, and more, filling the entire table.

"We're just three people, already made so much, and you still bought more meat back—do you think your mom's cooking isn't good?"

Mother Feng, upon hearing this, immediately looked at her son with a displeased expression.

"What's that? Are you dissatisfied with your mother's cooking?"

At that moment, Feng Junhui felt an aura of murderous intent locking onto him.

"No no no! Mom, listen to me! This braised meat was made by the baozi guy mentioned in Sun Yunpeng's comedy sketch on last night's Spring Festival Gala."

Mother Feng's eyes became even more unfriendly, and even her voice turned cold, "So you're saying that the braised meat made by some baozi vendor is better than your mother's cooking, which she's mastered over decades?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Junhui shivered in fear, and another look at his mother made him feel even more tense.

His mother's gaze was firm, as if she had made some kind of resolution.

Oh no, she's ready to train a small character!

What Feng Junhui didn't know was that last night, his mom was making dumplings and chatting with her sisters-in-law, totally missing the Spring Festival Gala, and even if she had watched, without participating in online interactions, she wouldn't know about the backstory.

"Give me another chance! This braised meat was reviewed by Di Renjie on his food exploration show, earning a five-star rating. Mom, you've worked hard for this family all year, and I thought of buying something nice to show my respect!"

After saying this, he frantically gestured with his eyes to Father Feng, hoping he would say a few words in his favor.

Father Feng nodded, cleared his throat, and was about to speak.

Just as hope dawned in Feng Junhui's eyes, Father Feng's next words hit him hard.

"Uh... I'm going out to smoke a cigarette."

With that, he quickly ran off.

Whoever wants to get involved in this mess can do it—I'm not stupid!

"Damn! Not a shred of fatherly love!"

Feng Junhui dared not delay, quickly dashed into the kitchen, opened the bag, took out the braised dishes, grabbed chopsticks, and returned to the living room.

"Mom, give this a try, it's really delicious!"

Mother Feng was already on the verge of an outburst when a spicy and refreshing aroma wafted into her nostrils.

She hadn't eaten much meat since winter began, and actually felt a bit tired of it; for several days she hadn't wanted to eat. Yet this fragrant smell made her feel refreshed, as if she had taken a super-effective digestive aid, and suddenly she felt like eating something.

"Crunch..."

The crispy lotus root slices covered in chili oil looked even more appetizing. Once in the mouth, the hot and refreshing flavor collided and danced, creating a festival for the taste buds, as the crispness of the lotus root played a symphony between the teeth.

Then the chili oil's spiciness exploded like flames in her mouth, providing a hot and spicy thrill, while the lotus root's refreshing sweetness flowed like a clear spring in the heat, bringing Mother Feng a hint of coolness and relief. This unique combination, both conflicting yet harmonious, made Mother Feng feel she couldn't stop.

Seeing his mother's delight, Feng Junhui finally felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his father, who had supposedly gone out to smoke, sneaking peeks into the room from the doorstep.

With a fierce glare full of accusation for abandoning him, he looked at Father Feng.

Father Feng looked up at the sky, pretending he hadn't received any signal.

"Ding. Special task: Within 100 years, initiate five anorexia patients to eat voluntarily. Current progress — 3/5."

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