Chapter 553: Chapter 539: Plans for After the New Year

Huang Tao was busy from ten in the morning until noon.

With dish after dish being placed on the table, the entire room was enveloped in a rich and delicious aroma.

Even though the doors and windows were closed, the enticing smell still quietly seeped out through the gaps.

And then with the wind blowing...

The households close to the Li Family naturally caught a whiff of this strong, appetite-whetting aroma.

They couldn’t help but twitch their noses and sniff carefully.

This aroma was truly delightful!

At the same time, a big question mark appeared in their minds, along with a pang of envious jealousy:

Whose cooking smells so good?

If you have the skills, come cook at my place!

The homes with children were particularly affected, as the kids were driven to tears by cravings, crying out: "Wow, what smells so good? I want to eat it, I want to eat it, I want to eat it!!!"

"It’s someone else’s food; wanting it is useless! We can’t buy it anyway."

The adults were helpless.

But these kids didn’t care at all!

They insisted on having a taste.

Thus...

They rolled on the floor, kicking and screaming: "I don’t care! I don’t care! I just want to eat it! I just want to eat it!"

This time.

The adults were at their wits’ end.

Parents with good tempers quickly moved in to soothe them.

The more hot-tempered adults shouted directly: "You must be itching for a thrashing, is that it?"

This shout was quite effective.

With a strong sense of self-preservation, the child immediately stopped causing trouble and quieted down, although there was still a hint of grievance with tears welling up in their eyes, ready to fall.

House 501 identified the source of the aroma.

It turned out to be from the Li Family.

"What delicious food is Teacher Li making at home?!"

"I don’t know, but when did his wife’s cooking get so good?"

Of course.

The puzzled and envious muttering of the neighbors went unnoticed by Li Zhicheng and his family.

At this moment, the married couple was faced with a table full of delicacies, drooling with desire.

Lin Wenli, like the younger folks, took a photo with her camera before eating, and announced on her social media:

Today Teacher Li’s student came to visit and specially made us a feast. Just looking at it is mouth-watering! Pic attachment.

Li Zhicheng chuckled: "I should take pictures too and send them to the teachers’ group. Let those old professors see the feast I’m having for lunch."

That’s right!

He hadn’t even started eating yet, but he couldn’t help boasting.

He took out his phone, found the right angle, and snapped a few photos of the delicious food.

Then he went into the kitchen and took some more pictures.

Just after taking them, he immediately posted the photos in the teachers’ group.

Accompanied by the message: Today my student Huang Tao visited my home and personally cooked a feast for his teacher, even included the Nine-Turned Large Intestine, which is so poetic and picturesque that I almost can’t bear to take a bite.

His words seemed straightforward on the surface, but they were actually boasting.

He was bragging about his student, Huang Tao, cooking for him, and along the way, he was also showing off that he was the first among them to taste the Nine-Turned Large Intestine.

As soon as Old Li sent the message, several teachers in the group saw it and replied immediately, complaining a bit with envy.

Professor Wei: Old Li, you’re too much, posting such tempting food at meal times. How is anyone supposed to eat properly?

Professor Sun: Sigh! I suddenly lost my appetite for lunch! Old Li, have some mercy, please!

Professor Xu: I was about to come over with an eighty-meter big knife and scold Old Li for misleading people, but this tempting and exquisite Nine-Turned Large Intestine is surely made by none other than Boss Huang!

Professor Qi: Envious of you, Old Li, for having such a good student who cooks for you during their leave.

Professor Chen: Who wouldn’t sigh with envy seeing this table of dishes?

Professor Xue: Old Li, if you’re gutsy enough to post pictures, have the guts to have Huang Tao cook at my place too!

The professors were almost itching to grab a flask of wine and head over to Li Zhicheng’s place to crash his meal!

Old Li looked at the messages in the group, feeling proud and cocky.

His student specially came to visit and even personally cooked for him; he almost wanted to shout it out to the world with a loudspeaker!

Lin Wenli saw Huang Tao come over after washing his hands and quickly said: "Tao, thank you for your hard work, come over and eat!"

"Hey, sure, I’m coming," Huang Tao replied with a smile and sat down beside Xuanxuan.

Li Zhicheng even took out some fine wine he had saved for a long time to entertain Huang Tao.

However, since Huang Tao had to drive, he couldn’t drink with them and had to settle for soft drinks instead,

He didn’t push it and agreed with a smile.

"Tao, Xuanxuan, dig in,"

Li Zhicheng warmly invited them, picked up his chopsticks, and sampled a piece of the Nine-Turned Large Intestine, its glossy, sauce-covered surface a deep red hue.

The first taste was sour, followed by a sweet and sour flavor. After chewing, there was a slight bitterness, then a mild spiciness—not the pure kind like from chili peppers, nor the distinct spiciness from wasabi or pepper. It was a subtle heat, mingling with the sweet and sour, and finally, the umami and salty taste elevated the fusion of all flavors into a unique taste.

All these flavors blended together harmoniously, with no conflict.

It was beautiful!

And the texture was very special too.

Soft yet firm, the exterior oily smooth and slippery.

Upon chewing, it was crisp on the outside, tender inside, firm yet smooth, the bursting juices flowing across the tongue and between the teeth...

Absolutely mesmerizing!

It was truly unforgettable once tasted.

He involuntarily squinted his eyes: "Tao, this is too delicious; your culinary skills are beyond words!"

Lin Wenli, after pouring a drink for Xuanxuan and helping her with some dishes, also tried a piece of the intestines. Her eyes widened in surprise and she nodded in agreement: "Indeed, it’s delicious! This is definitely the best Nine-Turned Large Intestine I’ve ever had, and it looks amazing too."

No chef dislikes compliments, and Huang Tao was no exception.

Especially when the praise came from his teacher and his teacher’s wife!

Huang Tao smiled and said: "Teacher, Mrs. Li, if you like this, come to the restaurant after the new year, and I’ll make more for you."

"Great!"

The Li couple nodded with smiles.

"Tao, what are your plans for next year?"

Huang Tao responded without hesitation: "After the new year, I plan to initially find a good spot in the city or in the neighboring city for another restaurant, but I haven’t thought it through completely yet."

Just then, a cold prompt suddenly resonated in Huang Tao’s mind.

[Ding!]

[Detected the host’s strong desire, new mission released.]

[Please open a new store with an area of no less than 100 square meters within two months. PS: The location is not restricted]

"You’re opening a branch?"

Both Li Zhicheng and Lin Wenli were stunned.

This news was quite surprising.

While they thought Huang Tao would earn money leisurely on West City Old Street, he was already planning to open a branch.

But given how well Huang Tao’s current store was doing, opening a branch was only a matter of time.

They were genuinely happy for Huang Tao!

"That’s great. If you need any help, just let me know. As long as it’s something I can do, I’ll surely help,"

"Okay, I’ll remember that." Huang Tao nodded.

Everyone ate and drank until one o’clock before departing.

As they parted, Li Zhicheng chattered on, saying a lot to Huang Tao.

"Tao, bring Xuanxuan over whenever you have time."

"Drive carefully on your way home..."

Huang Tao felt no impatience, only warmth and gratitude.