Chapter 401: Dinner Time!
Five days had flown by since the launch of Han Shi's new breakfast and late-night menus.
If the first day of breakfast and supper had merely been a tentative beginning—when many customers were still hesitant and chose to wait and see—then by the second day, word of mouth had completely changed everything.
Those who had tasted the new dishes couldn't stop raving about them, and their enthusiastic praise spread rapidly throughout the city.
With so many new delicacies being talked about, even the most cautious foodies couldn't hold back their curiosity any longer—they had to come and try them for themselves.
From the second day onward, the number of customers during breakfast and supper hours skyrocketed—even surpassing the crowds of the regular lunch and dinner periods.
Since breakfast and supper didn't offer takeout, those who were used to ordering deliveries during mealtimes had no choice but to queue up in person if they wanted to taste the new dishes everyone was praising—the mouthwatering breakfast menu, and the legendary barbecue selection said to include 361 different items.
In just five days, most of the breakfast and supper dishes had already been sampled by eager customers, and the influence of these new creations began to spread even further across the city. Yet inside Han Shi, business continued as calmly and steadily as ever.
Mo Ran, the restaurant's newest staff member, had fully adapted to his role as a second-floor hotpot server after five days of training. The clumsiness he showed at first was now gone—he could now handle everything in perfect order.
Though he still had some way to go before catching up with Fu Ya, Qi Han was confident it was only a matter of time.
Meanwhile, Ye Lingqing's progress on dough-based cuisine had been remarkable. It had been about a month since he formally became Qi Han's disciple, and now he had finally mastered the very first recipe his teacher taught him—Xiaolongbao.
Satisfied with his pupil's growth, Qi Han decisively announced that from now on, all breakfast soup dumplings would be fully handled by Ye Lingqing.
'Finally,' Qi Han thought with a small grin, 'I can steal a bit of rest in the mornings.'
But there was another piece of good news that lifted his spirits even more—after several days of testing and refining, his new dish, Jixi Yipin Pot, was finally complete.
Stepping out from his training space with a delighted smile, Qi Han hurried downstairs to the first floor. Spotting Ye Lingqing practicing Lamb Pao Mo in the kitchen, he raised his hand dramatically.
"Lingqing! Tonight, we're feasting!"
Ye Lingqing paused mid-motion, his eyes bright with surprise.
"Master, is today some kind of special occasion?"
"A special occasion?" Qi Han shook his head with a laugh. "Not really. I just perfected a new recipe, so I figured I'd let everyone try it tonight."
Thinking of the magnificent Jixi Yipin Pot soon to appear in this world, a spark of excitement lit up his expression.
"This new dish has a lot of volume!"
Dinner service was just around the corner. Once he finished making the dish, it would be time for the staff's meal.
If it were just him and Ye Lingqing, the two of them could never finish a whole pot of Jixi Yipin Pot. But with all five employees together, it would be just the right amount.
'A dish with such a large portion… no wonder Master called it a feast.'
Ye Lingqing quickly cleaned up the ingredients he'd been working on, then glanced at Qi Han, who was already preparing various cooking tools.
"Master, is there anything I can help with?"
"Not for this one," Qi Han replied, shaking his head. "But you can stay and watch—ask me anything if you're curious."
"Got it!" Ye Lingqing's face lit up with excitement.
Though he mainly specialized in dough-making now, he had also been training in the fundamentals of cooking under Qi Han. For most of the restaurant's ordinary dishes, he could already lend a capable hand.
Qi Han's words—that Lingqing wouldn't be able to help with this dish—could only mean one thing.
The meal his teacher was about to cook… must be a new Purple Card Dish.
It made sense. Only a new Purple Card Dish creation could make his teacher this solemn and focused.
For most of the restaurant's regular 3 Star dishes, Qi Han never kept Lingqing away. Even though, realistically, a chef of Lingqing's level might never reach the skill required to reproduce a 3 Star recipe perfectly, Qi Han never told him that.
First, he didn't want to crush the boy's motivation.
Second, even if he couldn't replicate the exact quality, learning to imitate the complex preparation techniques of high-level dishes would still sharpen his skills enormously.
Besides—Qi Han once read a novel in his past life, where the protagonist joined a fallen sect and, mistakenly believing all the members were reclusive immortals, ended up imagining their godlike abilities into existence… and actually succeeded in cultivating them.
'Who knows,' Qi Han thought with a faint smile, 'maybe Lingqing has the same kind of potential—to perform miracles through sheer will.'
Soon, all the ingredients and utensils for the Jixi Yipin Pot were ready. Qi Han's lips curved into a mysterious grin as he dragged out something that made Lingqing's jaw drop—a massive cast-iron pot, over a meter in diameter.
"Master… are you really using such a big pot for this new dish?" Lingqing asked in disbelief, staring at the enormous black pot—large enough that he would need to spread his arms fully just to hug it.
"Indeed," Qi Han replied with a chuckle. "This new dish is called Jixi Yipin Pot—the Supreme Jixi Hotpot. It needs a pot this size, and there's no plating afterward. When it's done, we eat it straight from the pot."
Lingqing blinked.
Eat straight from the pot?
Qi Han's gaze swept over the prepared ingredients, his tone turning serious.
The Jixi Yipin Pot was known for its defining traits—"Nothing cooked separately, all stewed in one pot; nothing mixed haphazardly, everything arranged in layers."
The dish used an astonishing variety of ingredients. Each one had to be prepared individually, then layered in a precise order before being slow-cooked together over low heat. As the flavors merged during simmering, each ingredient's essence would seep into the others—blending into harmony while still preserving their unique tastes.
And in this system-enhanced version, the ingredients were even rarer and more exquisite than in the original recipe. Qi Han himself could hardly wait to taste the result.
Without further delay, he reached for a slab of Heavenly Boar's Lower Belly Pork, slicing it swiftly into thick cubes—the rhythmic chop of the knife marking the beginning of the cooking process.
…
"Lingqing, go open the door."
Qi Han glanced toward the entrance, where the five restaurant staff were already waiting outside. Behind him, the Jixi Yipin Pot had just finished simmering—its lid trembling slightly as waves of fragrance escaped into the air.
Even through the sealed pot, the aroma was irresistible.
"Yes, Master."
Lingqing's face was glowing with anticipation. Having watched the entire preparation process from start to finish, he was one of only two people who knew exactly what ingredients went into this mysterious dish—and that only made him more eager to taste it.
'Just what kind of flavor can come from so many ingredients cooked together…?'
Breathing in the rich, layered scent that leaked from the pot, Lingqing hurried to the door and opened it.
The five staff members stepped inside. Fu Ya glanced around curiously—it wasn't like the boss to let someone else greet them. She was just about to ask when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Qi Han emerging from the kitchen—
—carrying an enormous black iron pot.
Her eyes widened in astonishment.
"Boss—what is that?"
"Help me push two of the dining tables together," Qi Han said with a smile as he carefully brought the heavy pot over. "This is our dinner tonight."
The five staff members exchanged stunned looks but quickly obeyed, pulling two four-person tables together into a wide six-person setup.
Then they all watched as Qi Han set the cast-iron pot down squarely in the center.
With a flick of his wrist, Qi Han lifted the lid—and in that instant, the air itself seemed to tremble. Fragrance and energy mingled, swirling through the room like a rising tide of warmth.
Qi Han smiled, standing tall under the faint shimmer of gathered spiritual energy.
"Dinner is served."
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