Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Sour Soup Fish

"Order up!"

Along with the owner’s robust, booming shout, a powerful and assertive aroma drifted out from the kitchen.

Nan Zhi caught a whiff and stated with certainty:

"This sour fish soup... you used pickled vegetables from Du Mountain in Guisheng Province, didn’t you."

It sounded like a question, but it was a statement of fact.

The owner’s son, standing to the side, was the first to look surprised.

"How did you know? That’s our family’s secret recipe!"

The owner himself had already emerged, carrying a large basin of sour fish soup. He was loudly scolding his son for being unobservant and not knowing enough to come help his own father.

The owner’s son dejectedly went to take the basin, only to be shooed away by his father for being in the way.

The son thought, ’Is he really my dad?’

Once the large, crimson, tangy basin of sour fish soup was placed in the middle of the table, the owner clapped his hands and explained to his clueless son:

"This here is a master chef who’s been on a national documentary!"

The owner’s son looked back and forth, bewildered.

He just couldn’t reconcile the title "Master Chef" with the young people before him.

Neither Nan Zhi nor Fu Chao fit his idea of a master chef.

The owner slapped him unceremoniously on the back.

"What are you gawking at! I told you not to just look at the surface, but to see what’s inside! Has everything I’ve taught you for years been a complete waste?"

Furious but not daring to speak, the son could only shrink his neck and agree.

Nan Zhi managed to tear a shred of her focus away from the sour fish soup and spare it for the owner and his son beside her.

To her, the owner’s speech and phrasing didn’t sound like those of an ordinary small-town restaurant chef.

And sure enough, the owner quickly began to introduce himself—

It turned out he had been a head chef at a state-run hotel in his early years!

After the state-run hotels disappeared, the owner opened his own restaurant in the provincial capital for over a decade, specializing in sour fish soup.

Unfortunately, while he made a lot of money, his health suffered for it.

To recuperate, the owner finally moved his whole family back to his hometown and opened this restaurant in the small town to pass the time...

Live Comments:

[The old state-run hotels were full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons! This owner is the real deal!]

[Whoa, whoa, whoa, I know this owner! His sour fish soup place used to be super popular, but then he suddenly closed up shop and said he was going back to his hometown. I can’t believe he ran into Nan Zhi! What a wonderful coincidence!]

[I’m curious, is this owner’s restaurant doing well? How skilled is he?]

[He’s one of the best in Guisheng Province! Business was booming every day! My mouth still waters just thinking about his sour fish soup! Just yesterday my parents were lamenting that they couldn’t eat his sour fish soup anymore, and here it is! Just you wait, I’m driving over to eat right now!]

[Those of us from out of town are so jealous of our friends in Guisheng Province. I hope Nan Zhi discovers more of these special Foods! It’s a blessing for foodies all over the country!]

[Huh? Wasn’t it Fu Chao who found this place?]

[Without Nan Zhi, would the owner have personally cooked for them? I didn’t hear anything about him having rheumatism!]

[That seems right... Ugh, whatever, I’m dying of craving!]

...

The owner sighed.

"My foolish son has been learning from me for over ten years. I originally thought I could let him strike out on his own in another two years, but compared to you, Master Nan, he’s still a long way off."

Nan Zhi hummed, not quite sure how to respond.

So she steered the conversation back to the sour fish soup itself.

The owner said, "Oh, oh, right! Master Nan, your nose is incredible! You could tell we use Du Mountain pickled vegetables from so far away!"

The reason sour fish soup became a classic Food is all thanks to the sour brine used for the pickled vegetables of Du Mountain.

The local chili peppers and ginger from Du Mountain, when mixed with the area’s unique water, create a distinctive sour and spicy aroma that elevates it from ordinary pickles to something with a one-of-a-kind quality and flavor.

Add some spring bamboo shoots and fresh fish fillets to the sour brine... and without any complex procedures, you can create a perfect, authentic sour fish soup.

Of course, for this owner to have made a name for his sour fish soup in the talent-packed provincial capital of Guisheng, he naturally had his own tricks up his sleeve.

Nan Zhi took a bite with her chopsticks and knew instantly that the cooking time and seasoning of this sour fish soup had reached a level of exquisite precision. To be off by even a hair’s breadth would have ruined it.

The only pity was...

The subtle expression that flickered across Nan Zhi’s face was instantly caught by the owner.

As expected of someone who had run a major restaurant, the owner immediately realized:

"Is it missing something?"

Nan Zhi had intended to just gloss it over.

But since he had asked her directly, she had no choice but to answer:

"The fish fillets are a bit thick."

The owner’s son and Fu Chao, standing nearby, were both baffled.

’These fillets are thick?’

’If they were any thinner, they’d probably fall apart!’

The live comments expressed the same doubt.

Only the owner agreed with Nan Zhi.

"You really are Master Nan! You can taste the difference in a single bite! This old ailment in my arm... my control of the kitchen knife isn’t what it used to be. That’s why I stepped back to let my son take over, but this kid can’t even match me now..."

His son weakly defended himself:

"Dad, I’m only thirty. At your age, you probably couldn’t... couldn’t..."

His voice died away under his father’s glare.

The live comments, on the other hand, found it incredible:

[Nan Zhi’s sense of taste is way too sharp!]

[I’ve learned my lesson now. Never question Nan Zhi about anything, or you’ll just get proven wrong!]

[That’s right, at least when it comes to Food, Nan Zhi is an absolute expert!]

[I’m from Guisheng Province and even I’ve never heard of Du Mountain’s pickled vegetables, but Nan Zhi knows about them? Amazing!]

[And the owner keeps agreeing with her, hehe. I’m so satisfied!]

[After being frustrated all day, I finally feel so much better!]

...

Seeing that Nan Zhi and Fu Chao were both full of praise for the sour fish soup, Qing Xi also took the initiative and began to dig in.

Nan Yi and Qi Zhang, who had been a bit intimidated by the sour and spicy flavor, finally picked up their chopsticks, mustering the courage to try it.

The fish fillets were a bit fragile, so Nan Zhi helped the two little ones by placing a slice in each of their bowls.

Qi Zhang tried a bite. He found it a little spicy, but within a tolerable range.

Seeing that even Qi Zhang could eat it, Nan Yi, not to be outdone, picked up a small piece and popped it into his mouth.

Then, his pale little face visibly turned red!

Nan Zhi reacted quickly, immediately handing him some water.

The moment Nan Yi opened his mouth, he started to cough.

Now Nan Zhi didn’t even dare give him water, and quickly patted his back.

Nan Yi said, "I-I’m fine... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!"

Everyone else panicked too.

Fu Chao scrambled to grab some tissues, Qing Xi and Qi Zhang looked at their friend with concern, the owner was overcome with guilt, and the owner’s son ran to get some milk, the best thing for cutting spiciness.

After a flurry of activity, Nan Yi finally recovered.

However, Nan Zhi didn’t dare let Nan Yi eat any more of it now.

Nan Yi’s little face was stubborn.

"I can eat it! I just choked on it by accident!"

Nan Zhi reached out and flicked him gently on the forehead.

"This isn’t the time to be stubborn."

Nan Yi puffed out his cheeks but didn’t dare say anything else.

The owner said, "I purposely used less spice, but I didn’t expect... I’ll go make him a non-spicy dish."

Nan Zhi thought of Lu Shixu. ’The wonders of bloodlines,’ she marveled. ’He and Nan Yi have barely interacted, yet their tastes are a perfect match.’

Nan Zhi nodded.

"I’ll have to trouble you, then."

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