Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle

Chapter 1326 2: Shi Dadan's Secret and the New Year's Eve Dinner (Part 2)

Feeling that he was still in good health and full of vigor, only with a smaller appetite than before, Mr. Qin started chopping wood early in the morning.

"Grandpa, what time did you get up to chop wood? If we run out of wood today, let Luoluo handle it. Be careful not to strain your back." Qin Huai was stunned when he saw the pile of wood stacked like a small mountain at the kitchen door.

Mr. Qin waved his hand nonchalantly, but his movement of supporting his waist betrayed that he wasn't as easygoing as he appeared: "This is just a little wood. Back in the day, your grandpa could chop hundreds of pounds without stopping. During the New Year, Luoluo can't get up that early, so I'll chop some wood in advance to make sure there's enough when needed."

As he spoke, Mr. Qin smacked his lips, as if savoring last night's delicious New Year's Eve dinner: "Before, I thought it wouldn't be too busy today if only the villagers were coming, but now..."

"Your grandma has gone around to greet every household. If there's a need, just say the word, and we can bring people from the neighboring village if our villagers aren't enough."

Qin Huai: ...

Qin Huai started to worry that the people of Qin Family Village might end up in the hospital on the first day of the New Year from overeating snacks.

Fortunately, they didn't plan to make Four Happiness glutinous rice balls, as glutinous rice snacks are more filling.

"Grandpa, have you and grandma had breakfast today? Last night I kept a pot of chicken soup warm, we can use it to make chicken soup noodles this morning. Would you like to have a bowl of chicken soup noodles to start? Today's snacks are pretty ordinary, the Fuling Cakes are for those with a sweet tooth, and the rest are just the normal morning bites," Qin Huai asked.

Mr. Qin really wanted to say that last night's meal was enough to keep him full until tonight, as he didn't need to eat so much at his age, but Mr. Qin still honestly nodded: "I'll have a small bowl."

"Your grandma and I can share a small bowl."

Qin Huai went into the kitchen and got to work.

First kneading the dough, then making the Fuling Cakes.

Around 7 o'clock, others began to wake up one after another.

On New Year's Eve morning, An Youyou, who had received 52% shares of the Yunzhong Restaurant and finally bid farewell to poverty, reflexively went into the kitchen to help Qin Huai, only to realize after more than half an hour that Qin Huai was already awake and she didn't need to work so diligently to serve the boss. For a moment, An Youyou was tempted to go on strike, but considering the delicious Fuling Cakes and Qin Huai's enhanced culinary skills, and how the future business of Yunzhong Restaurant entirely depended on Qin Huai, she continued to work diligently.

Life had worn down the Three-legged Golden Toad's edges, molding it into the shape of a common worker.

At 7:30, Chen Huihong and Qu Jing came into the kitchen and asked if they needed help. Upon hearing that their biggest help would be not helping, they contentedly walked out with a plate of Fuling Cakes.

As for Mr. Xu.

He woke up early in the morning, according to Granny Qin, around 5 o'clock. For the past few days, Mr. Xu hadn't been seen much around the village, but today, after dawn, he unexpectedly strolled around the village, arranged a game of chess, ate a small bowl of chicken soup noodles for breakfast, and then took a box of freshly made, steaming hot Fuling Cakes, slightly burning to the touch, to play chess.

According to frontline reporter Cheng Gong, the box of Fuling Cakes thoroughly impressed Mr. Xu's chess opponent, and within half an hour, all the elderly chess players in the village had extended invitations to Mr. Xu, hoping to play chess with him and eat more Fuling Cakes.

The fame of the Gusu Nursing Home's chess king will spread throughout Qin Family Village in the coming days.

At 7:42, Shi Dadan arrived at the Qin Family Village with his wife and children.

Without any unnecessary actions or greetings, the moment Shi Dadan entered the kitchen, Qin Huai gave Qin Luo a look, and Qin Luo served a plate each of meat buns, white flour steamed buns, beef pie, and Fuling Cakes. Shi Dadan took them and left directly to eat in the room, without standing around in the kitchen to delay Qin Huai's work.

This is the tacit understanding of long-time brothers!

This tacit understanding deeply moved Lin Xiaohong, making her feel a bit embarrassed, thinking that her husband was quite inconsiderate, dropping by other people's house on New Year's without even a new year's greeting and hurriedly leaving after getting the meals.

They're not childhood chums with decades of history, yet her Old Shi is so much older than Master Qin, wasting away the years of his life!

A very ashamed Lin Xiaohong, after quickly finishing a bun and two meat buns, rolled up her sleeves and entered the kitchen to help. Qin Huai gladly accepted, finding Lin Xiaohong's work neat and not a burden.

"Master Qin, I'm really sorry, I don't know what's up with my Old Shi today. He wasn't like this before; he's usually quite polite. Although neither of us has much education, we're quite proper." Lin Xiaohong explained while working, "He just forgets everything when he sees good food; he's been like this since he was young, traveling far and wide before we got married. When I asked him what he was doing outside, he just told me he was looking for good food."

"Sometimes he said he was going to find someone; that's just how he is, muddled, please don't mind."

Qin Huai smiled, "I know. Old Shi already wished me a Happy New Year last night, so there's no need to greet me again this morning. I think he saw how busy I was and didn't want to disturb, so he didn't say anything. I quite like his personality."

Hearing that Qin Huai really didn't mind, Lin Xiaohong sighed in relief and continued to focus on her work.