Chapter 449: Did Ru Yi Disappear?
As a chef, Long Hanyun naturally didn't eat quickly. While savoring Han Shi's dishes, he also had to deduce what cooking techniques and seasonings had been used to achieve such extraordinary flavor.
By the time he finished eating and left, Han Shi's lunch hours were already about to end.
The four dishes launched at lunch today, unsurprisingly, once again ignited the enthusiasm of the restaurant's veteran customers.
In particular, the Yangzhou Fried Rice—the cheapest Purple Card Dish to date, delicious, and with a special effect that worked on literally anyone, finally convinced many customers who'd long been reluctant to spend thousands of gold coins to taste a Purple Card Dish; they gritted their teeth and ordered a portion.
After seeing a few employees off, Qi Han took a deep breath, then turned to Ye Lingqing.
"Lingqing, I'm going to teach you a new breakfast dish. Once you've mastered it, Han Shi's breakfast menu will be able to launch new items."
The breakfast service has been running for about three months, it's time to introduce something new.
"Understood." Ye Lingqing's expression grew serious. "Teacher, should I still practice the new dishes in the afternoons?"
"That's right. This one is called Hulatang."
"Hulatang? That sounds like a strange name…"
"Heh, you can try it later. It isn't a staple food, but it pairs well with many of them."
"Alright! Then, Teacher, let's begin!"
…
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye a full hundred days had passed.
All the new recipes awarded from previous quests had been used up; only two 4 Star recipes remained.
So ever since those four dishes were introduced, Han Shi hadn't released any new dishes for lunch or dinner.
Originally, Qi Han had considered launching a few 1 Star vegetable dishes, but then he got completely absorbed in practicing Peony Fish Fillet and carving techniques, and eventually just… forgot.
But throughout these hundred days, he never slacked off in his teaching. After Ye Lingqing fully mastered the previous twelve new dishes, Qi Han began teaching him new breakfast recipes one by one. And every time Ye Lingqing mastered one, Han Shi's breakfast menu gained another new item.
These new recipes weren't chosen randomly, they filled gaps in Han Shi's breakfast offerings while also matching Ye Lingqing's current abilities, deliberately training his fundamentals in different areas of cooking.
Within a hundred days, Ye Lingqing's breakfast repertoire expanded from twelve dishes to a total of twenty-five.
The young boy who once felt nervous just taking over the restaurant for five days had now become a skilled chef capable of handling breakfast service with ease.
In a little while, Qi Han planned to start teaching him several lunch and dinner dishes as well.
…Well, that was part of his grand plan to slack off more in the future.
While cooking in the kitchen during lunch service, Qi Han actually spaced out for once.
He opened the quest panel. Floating before him in the air, the completion progress for Main Quest 8 had already reached 99/100. A smile couldn't help appearing on his face.
Today was the very last day of Main Quest 8, and it was already lunch service.
Once lunch, dinner, and late-night service were completed, Main Quest 8 would finally be fully cleared.
Although Ingredient Acquisition had caused him to waste three whole months of effort, it wasn't entirely fruitless.
Being forced to calm down and re-focus on carving techniques, Qi Han could clearly feel that after a hundred days of intense practice, his carving skill was only a single step away from reaching the perfection level.
Not only that—after a hundred days of training, the 4 Star recipe: Peony Fish Fillet was also close to being completed.
Perhaps just one more day, and Peony Fish Fillet would be fully mastered as well.
Three happy events arriving at once.
The thought made Qi Han's smile deepen.
Soon, he set down his ladle on the stove, untied his apron and hung it to the side, then carried out a freshly plated serving of Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork.
"Pururu, follow me."
"Meow~"
Pururu chirped softly, skillfully balancing a portion of Yangzhou Fried Rice on its head as it followed behind him.
The Yangzhou Fried Rice atop its head didn't wobble in the slightest.
"Here's your Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork and Yangzhou Fried Rice, please enjoy."
Qi Han smiled warmly as he placed the dishes before Yue Lengxin, while Pururu gently lowered the fried rice to the table as well.
Throughout the hundred days, Qi Han had continued just as before, personally delivering Yue Lengxin's meals each time. And Yue Lengxin's attitude toward him had gradually changed over time as well.
From merely offering a polite "thank you" in the beginning, to now chatting casually with him for a few moments like friends every time he brought over her food.
Though it went no further than that, Qi Han was more than satisfied.
"Thank you." Yue Lengxin accepted the dishes, then paused as she looked at Qi Han's expression.
"You seem happier than usual today."
"Hm?" Qi Han raised a brow, then realized and chuckled.
"Maybe because once business closes today, I'll have achieved a hundred consecutive days without taking a single day off?"
"What kind of achievement is that?" Yue Lengxin laughed, amusement showing in her eyes.
"If I remember correctly, didn't you also reach around a hundred days once before?"
"No, no, that time was only ninety-five days." Qi Han still remembered that miserable experience vividly.
"It's five days short."
"Fair enough." Yue Lengxin smiled lightly.
"Then congratulations on the full hundred days. You're not planning to take a day off tomorrow, are you?"
"Not that I couldn't…"
Yue Lengxin's brows slowly arched upward, and Qi Han cleared his throat lightly.
"What I mean is, unless absolutely necessary, I never take days off."
Yue Lengxin let out a soft laugh.
"The other customers are probably getting impatient."
"Then I'll get back to work. Eat first."
Qi Han nodded, then glanced at the many resentful eyes staring daggers his way.
With another quick cough, he spun around and hurried back into the kitchen.
"Pfft—!"
Watching his retreating figure, Yue Lengxin raised a hand to her lips to hide a laugh, a soft blush blooming quietly across her cheeks.
…
Lunch service ended quickly, and in the afternoon, Qi Han once again entered the carving training space.
Although both his carving skill's breakthrough to Perfection and the completion of the Peony Fish Fillet would likely be achieved within the next few days, the progress of the carving skill was noticeably ahead. If luck favored him, it could very well be finished today.
And indeed, boys who can cook rarely suffer from bad luck.
Before dinner service began, within the carving training space, Qi Han handled a block of soft tofu with rapid strokes.
The carving knife flashed with cold gleams too fast to discern, dancing across the tofu's surface. When he finally lowered the carved block into the water—
Countless fragments drifted apart, swirling through the water to assemble into a vivid, lifelike flood dragon. Even its eyes carried an expression of spirit and intent.
Perfection level Carving Skill attained!
Qi Han couldn't help but break into a radiant grin.
The carving knife in his hand slowly morphed back into the shape of a kitchen knife, upon which five Spirit Rings surfaced.
Aside from the first ring—which had long since darkened to black—the remaining four rings had all taken on a deep, vortex-like purple-black hue.
The progress of the second ring was tied to his carving improvement across the past hundred days, while the heat control tied to the third ring and the ingredient structure tied to the fourth had undergone dramatic improvements through his relentless practice with Peony Fish Fillet.
At this moment, the second ring—belonging to carving—shimmered with a silent black radiance, and finally transformed from purple-black into deep, obsidian black.
Second Spirit Ring—Ten-Thousand-Year!
"My second Spirit Ring reached ten-thousand-year!"
Qi Han's face lit with pride.
"My carving entered the Perfection realm, as—"
He turned his head, wanting to share the joy with the little powder-blue-haired loli who had accompanied him all this time, only to realize Ru Yi had vanished from the training space at some point.
"Ru Yi?"
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Note:
Hulatang: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulatang
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