Chapter 66 Fish-flavored Eggplant
"No! I won't agree!"

Wen Shizhang immediately started to act dishonestly.

Xu Qing said helplessly: "Master Wen..."

You are an adult now, don’t act like a child. Children are more sensible than you.

Wen Shizhang said firmly: "You are the chef I appointed. I am the only one who can decide whether you stay or go. Besides, if you leave, where can I eat such delicious food?"

Xu Qing said, "Isn't Mr. Wan Ziliang still here?"

"Alas, he is no match for you." Wen Shizhang sighed.

He was indeed grateful to Wan Ziliang and admired his character.

But cooking skills have little to do with character. If it tastes good, it tastes good. If it tastes bad, it tastes bad. Not to mention others, even people with bad character like Chang Lin can still cook well.

Sometimes one can't help but feel that God is unfair.

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "Your Excellency is underestimating Mr. Wan. I can assure you that when Mr. Wan comes back, his cooking skills will astound you."

Wan Ziliang's skills were already very close to those of a top-class chef, otherwise he would not have been selected by the Governor at the same time as Chang Lin.

Now Wan Ziliang has encountered a great disaster and has successfully cleared his name. The ups and downs have brought unprecedented shock to the soul.

Even if he cannot step into that illusory threshold, the change in his mind will more or less affect the display of his cooking skills, especially for chefs like them who hope to bring happiness to diners.

The mind is so illusory and mysterious that when people try hard to find it, it seems as if it does not exist in the world and is just a thing of people's imagination.

However, unintentionally, it actually affects things in reality.

"Is this so..."

After hearing what Xu Qing said, Wen Shizhang had no doubts in his mind and couldn't help but feel a little bit of expectation for Wan Ziliang's cooking skills.

However, Wan Ziliang had been wrongly imprisoned for many years and had finally been able to return home. Wen Shizhang was too embarrassed to call him back immediately.

Wen Shizhang softened his tone and said, "Okay, you can go, but you have to cook me one last meal. If I am satisfied, I will let you go. I can prepare the customs documents, carriages, and ships for you. And you are not allowed to refuse the position of chef in the Governor's Mansion. I will keep it for you forever. You can come back anytime you want. The door of the Governor's Mansion will always be open to you."

Wen Shizhang knew that he could not stop Xu Qing. Xu Qing wanted to go to Guangzhou to improve his skills and climb to a higher level. If he insisted on stopping him, the two of them would become enemies in the future.

But he really couldn't bear to not taste Xu Qing's cooking again.

As for the position of head chef in the Governor's Mansion, whether Xu Qing is there or not, this position will always belong to him in Wen Shizhang's heart.

"Thank you, sir."

A warm feeling surged in Xu Qing's heart.

It was his luck to meet a boss like Wen Shizhang.

Xu Qing walked into the Governor's Mansion kitchen with familiarity. As soon as he entered, he saw a familiar-looking person busy in the kitchen. It was the chef named Chen Hu from the dark cuisine world.

When Chen Hu saw Xu Qing, he quickly put down his work and said respectfully, "Master Xu."

Xu Qing asked: "Why are you here?"

Chen Hu said, "Lord Wen has given me a lighter sentence because I exposed the conspiracy of the dark cuisine world. But I don't know where to go for the moment, so I have to stay in the Governor's Mansion to help out."

"What are your plans for the future?" Xu Qing asked. Chen Hu said bitterly, "I don't know either."

He was extremely confused, not knowing where to go, what to do, or how to atone for his past mistakes.
Xu Qing was helpless about this, he couldn't help in this regard.

He has to endure this inner torment by himself. Maybe one day it will be slightly relieved, or maybe he will be in torment for the rest of his life, unable to extricate himself.

Maybe this is part of his punishment.

Physical punishment may be spared, but the inner punishment is disturbing every moment.

Xu Qing had no choice but to say, "Master often told me that the land of China is vast and boundless, and there are too many wonders and mysteries hidden. If you have any questions, look for them on this land, and it will definitely give you the answers. Perhaps your questions and confusions should also be sought on this land. You should not stay in the Governor's Mansion any longer, go out and see more, and try your best to help those who need your help. Perhaps one day, your questions will naturally be answered."

Xu Qing's words were like a ray of light that illuminated Chen Hu's confused heart, and his eyes gradually brightened.

Yes, he is now staying in the Governor's Mansion just to escape from himself. It would be better for him to go out of the mansion, look for answers outside, and help those who need help.

If he does more practical things, his confusion may gradually disappear.

"Thank you, Master Xu. I understand."

Chen Hu bowed deeply and said gratefully.

Xu Qing nodded and said, "I want to cook a meal for Master Wen and I need your help."

"Please give your orders, sir."

Chen Hu said with full energy.

With the joint efforts of the two, lunch was ready quickly.

Wen Shizhang has a big appetite and usually needs six courses to feel full, so Xu Qing prepared three meat dishes and three vegetable dishes. However, the dish placed in the middle of the table was not a meat dish, but a home-cooked vegetable dish.

"Young sir, this dish is not...?"

Wen Shizhang was hesitant to speak. This dish looked like a dish of braised eggplant, but how could an ordinary dish of braised eggplant be the main dish?
I guess there is something else going on.

Xu Qing said, "Your Excellency guessed correctly. It is roasted eggplant. The dish is called fish-flavored eggplant."

Fish-flavored does not mean that the dish has a fishy taste, but that the seasonings used are the seasonings commonly used by Sichuan people when cooking fish, such as pickled peppers, salt, soy sauce, sugar, onions, ginger, garlic, etc., hence the name "fish-flavored".

These seasonings, which were originally used to cook fish, were accidentally used on vegetables. Their flavors are salty, sweet, sour, spicy, fresh and fragrant, making the dishes taste endless, thus becoming a classic dish.

Wen Shizhang took a piece of eggplant with chopsticks and put it into his mouth. The eggplant was full and soft, and the soup and sauce of the eggplant were integrated and well locked in the eggplant. The eggplant melted in the mouth, and the juice splashed as soon as he bit it. The fragrant and delicious sauce splashed out, and his mouth was full of salty, sweet, sour and spicy tastes. Various flavors danced happily on the taste buds, and the jumping soup fell on the taste buds one by one, even the tiny corners were tightly wrapped by it, allowing the taste buds to feel the rich taste in all directions.

After swallowing the food in your mouth, plenty of flavor still remains on your taste buds. Although the food is no longer in your mouth, the taste lingers on for a long time, leaving a long aftertaste.

Wen Shizhang suddenly realized why Xu Qing chose this dish as the main course.

Because this is a farewell dish.

Although the people who are separated are drifting further and further away, the feelings between them will not be far away.

Just like the food in your mouth, the food has been swallowed but the taste lingers on, staying in your mouth and flowing into your heart.

(End of this chapter)