Delicious food can't wait

Now, half a century has passed, and she sits here, looking at this identical longevity peach in front of her, as if she sees her mother's kind smile again.

The warmth that she thought was forever lost in the depths of her memory surged up without warning.

"Mom..." she called softly, her voice choked with emotion.

The people around didn't understand why such a simple poached egg could move this strong old lady so much.

Only Li Sheng, watching his mother's trembling shoulders, silently handed her a tissue.

That longevity peach poached egg was not just a garnish but also a half-century-old missive and blessing.

"Mom?" Li Sheng was worried.

The old lady slowly picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the noodles, and suddenly tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"This taste..." she said in a trembling voice, "This is your father's skill!"

The people around quieted down.

The old lady wiped her tears, her voice choked: "When your father ran the restaurant, this was his signature dish.

Every time he made noodles, there would be a long line at the door.

This taste, the thickness of the soup, even after your father has been gone for so many years, I... almost forgot..."

"For so many years..." the old lady clutched the tissue in her hand, her voice as light as if she was talking to herself,

"For so many years, I can hardly remember what he looks like. But this taste..."

She shakily picked up the bowl and took a deep sniff:

"It's this taste, exactly the same. Back then, you were still little, dozing off on the counter every day.

Your father always said that when you grow up, this skill must be passed on to you..."

Li Sheng stood there, his throat feeling as if it was blocked by something.

He never knew his father had such a past.

In his memory, his father was always the one wearing work clothes, leaving early and returning late every day.

"The line at the door could stretch to the street corner back then," the old lady was immersed in her memories, tears falling one by one,

"Your father could cook hundreds of bowls of noodles a day, each with this taste.

Later, when the factory's performance was not good, he became a worker..."

Li Sheng suddenly understood why every time he wanted noodles as a child, his father would silently shake his head.

He also remembered his father's rough palms, those hands that should have been holding a spatula, finally smelling of machine oil.

"Mom..." he wanted to say something, but when it came to his mouth, he didn't know where to start.

This bowl of noodles not only brought back the old lady's memories but also revealed Li Sheng's vague memories from the bottom of his heart:

Naps on the counter in childhood, his father's back in an apron, and the fragrance he thought he had long forgotten.

"This longevity peach egg," the old lady pointed with a trembling finger,

"Was also your father's signature. He said, frying an egg is easy, but frying a blessing is hard..."

Aunt Liu quickly handed over tissues, and Li Sheng was at a loss beside her.

The old lady wiped her tears and picked up a chopstick of noodles, as if chewing on a piece of bygone memories:

"If your father's spirit is in heaven and sees that his unique skill has returned today, he must be very pleased..."

At this moment, even Chen Zisheng, who was still carving flowers on the opposite side, couldn't help but stop his actions.

The old lady chewed the noodles slowly, each bite as if savoring a precious memory.

The others also ate quietly, only the sound of chopsticks and bowls colliding, occasionally mixed with praise:

"The noodles are so chewy!"

"The taste of the soup is amazing!"

"The scallions and egg shreds are cooked just right..."

At this moment, Chen Zisheng finally had some movement on his side.

"The first dish - Raw Fish Wrapped in Tenderloin!"

A helper came out with a plate, loudly announcing.

This dish was indeed exquisitely presented, with fish meat and tenderloin rolled into flower shapes, surrounded by carrot-carved flowers.

Chen Zisheng walked proudly behind the tray, looking confident.

He deliberately slowed down his pace to let everyone appreciate this three-hour masterpiece.

"This is my award-winning creative dish from the island country," his gaze swept over everyone present, with a confident smile on the corner of his mouth,

"Just the technique of this plate setting is something I spent two whole years mastering."

He pointed to the flower made of raw fish slices and tenderloin in the center of the plate:

"Look at the layers of these petals, each one is controlled to be zero point three millimeters, so thin that it can be seen through.

The surrounding carrot flowers are also freshly cut and carved to ensure the freshest taste."

As he spoke, he deliberately stepped aside to let the sunlight shine on the plate.

Those exquisite carvings sparkled in the sunlight, indeed like works of art.

"This dish has even been reported by food magazines in the island country," he proudly straightened the collar of his chef's uniform,

"After you taste it, you will know what real..."

But before he could finish his sentence, he found that everyone around was focused on eating noodles, and no one cared about his "artwork".

His smile immediately froze on his face, and his hand was awkwardly suspended in mid-air.

"Mom, eat slowly," Li Sheng looked at the old lady's eager appearance, feeling both sour and warm.

The old lady, however, couldn't speak, eating one mouthful after another, as if afraid that this familiar taste would suddenly disappear.

"The noodles are just right in terms of chewiness," an elderly gentleman nearby praised,

"Neither too soft nor too hard, the more you chew, the more flavorful they become."

"The soup is even more amazing," his son also nodded,

"Light with a hint of sweetness, lingering aftertaste.

I come from a noodle shop family, and this soup's skill, without twenty years of experience, it's impossible to make."

A little boy lifted his bowl: "Mom, this soup is so good! Can I have another bowl?"

"Look at this scallion," an aunt observed carefully,

"How evenly it's cut, how evenly it's sprinkled, it's definitely an old skill."

"The egg shreds are also amazing," her sister agreed, "So tender and smooth, they melt in your mouth."

The whole big tent was filled with the sound of slurping noodles, and some people sighed with satisfaction: "This is what real good noodles are!"

"Yes," someone put down an empty bowl, still savoring the taste, "This simple flavor is more substantial than any high-end cuisine."

Chen Zisheng's carefully prepared "Raw Fish Wrapped in Tenderloin" was awkwardly lying on the table, and no one paid attention to those exquisite carvings; everyone's focus was on the noodles.

"This... this dish..." Chen Zisheng stood there with an expression more colorful than the radish flowers he carved.

This was an innovative dish he had studied for a long time in the island country, but it couldn't compare to a bowl of ordinary noodles?

As he was speaking, a helper behind him brought out the second dish, but at this moment, it seemed that no one cared.

Chen Zisheng turned the dish in front of the old lady: "Grandma Li, this is an innovative dish I studied in the island country, try it."

The old lady picked up a piece of raw fish wrapped in tenderloin with chopsticks, just looked at it in the plate, and then smiled and called everyone:

"Come on, everyone, try Xiao Sheng's skill."

In the next hour, eight dishes were served one after another:

- "Cherry Blossom Drunken Shrimp" - shrimp meat is sliced and arranged in the shape of cherry blossoms, but it wilted after getting cold.

- "Fuji Mountain Tofu" - tofu is shaved into a conical shape, with black sesame seeds sprinkled on top to pretend to be snow.

- "Samurai Sword Steak" - beef is cut into the shape of a knife, but it's all thin slices, and you can't chew the meat flavor.

- "Ninja Hand Scroll" - various vegetables are rolled into scroll shapes, with gorgeous shapes and bland taste.

- "Sushi Rice Mountain" - rice balls are piled into a small mountain, decorated with seaweed, but they are cold and hard.

- "Wave Omelette" - egg liquid is arranged in a wavy shape, but it's all for the shape and overcooked.

- "Japanese Style Matsutake Soup" - the soup is floating with various ingredients, like an underwater world.

- "Moon View Dumplings" - desserts are arranged in the shape of the moon, but they are too sweet.

Every time a dish was brought up, Chen Zisheng would explain the creative concept in detail, but everyone was more concerned about the taste.

Many people secretly glanced at the small shop opposite, where the fragrance was still drifting over.

"This dish uses the French baking technique, combined with Japanese cuisine..."