Chapter 207 - 207: Valuable Endeavors

Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Valuable Endeavors

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“Alright, don’t worry Miss Zhuang, I’ll handle this,” said Lian Rong, pounding his chest and standing tall. “I may not dare to meddle in others’ business, but if anything happens, I will be the first to stand in front of my master. As long as I am here, I will never let anyone lay a finger on him.”

His statement was full of bravado, almost heroically so. If others heard it, they might find it amusing, but Zhuang Qingning knew he meant it.

Zhang Yongchang truly loved this disciple, and in return, Lian Rong deeply revered his master.

“You should also talk to Uncle Zhang, let him be cautious. While we shouldn’t harbor harmful intentions towards others, being cautious of others is also necessary,” Zhuang Qingning advised.

“Not to worry, Miss Zhuang. I understand.” Lian Rong nodded fervently, thanked her for the tofu skin, and expressed gratitude profusely before heading towards Fushun Tower.

Just as he entered the kitchen, Zhang Yongchang returned from a walk and laughed at the sight of the tofu skin in his hand. “This must’ve been sent by Miss Ning, right?”

“Master, you’re really something, guessed it right in one go.” Lian Rong chuckled, “I looked at this tofu skin, it looked smooth and shiny, smelled delicious, too. If Miss Zhuang’s tofu workshop can make such tasty tofu, this tofu skin must be even more delicious!”

“As for this dish, it would be a waste if I were to make it, how about letting master show off his skills? Isn’t my suggestion reasonable, master?” “Reasonable?”

Zhang Yongchang glanced at him, “I can’t see any reason in this at all. All I see is a great glutton in front of me.”

“Look at you, a grown man behaving like a three-year-old, wanting to eat everything you see, always craving for food.”

“You can’t blame me for this,” Lian Rong pouted, looking aggrieved. “Firstly, this tofu skin made by Miss Zhuang is irresistible, it’s hard not to crave it. Secondly…”

“Didn’t you say earlier that one who lusts for food will always think about eating, and about eating delicious, satisfying food? When you can’t get it, you will find ways to make it. It’s only then you can prepare a good dish.”

“At first, you accepted me as your disciple because you saw this trait in me. How is it that in such a short time, you’ve gotten tired of me…?”

“I did say that, but I meant that when you cannot get the food, you should figure out how to cook it yourself, not think of every possible way to make others cook for you.”

Zhang Yongchang huffed, “You’re clearly just greedy, and yet you find so many excuses for yourself. You’re not even embarrassed!”

Seeing that Zhang Yongchang had said as much, Lian Rong fell silent, realizing his plan of having a feast at noon had come to naught. His head drooped, and he looked as dejected as a frostbitten eggplant.

“Look at you, pouting because you can’t eat something delicious…”

“Alright, alright! According to the legends, I must have owed you a lot in my previous eight lives, and this life is about settling those debts.”

Zhang Yongchang grumbled, “Pack things up. At noon, I’ll prepare the Eight Treasure Lucky Bag to give you a treat and let you broaden your horizons.” “Okay!” At Zhang’s words, Lian Rong’s gloom lifted all at once. He happily bounced off towards the kitchen, ready to prepare the ingredients.

The thought of being able to eat the Eight Treasure Lucky Bag at noon made Lian Rong so happy that his smile almost reached his ears.

The Eight Treasure Lucky Bag was one of Zhang Yongchang’s signature dishes. It was created by stir frying corn kernels, diced capsicum, diced cucumber, diced chicken, and other ingredients together, then wrapping it all in tofu skin that had been stewed in chicken broth and cut into neat squares, and tying it up with chives.

The wrapped tofu skin looked like a lucky bag, and as it was filled with a rich variety of ingredients, it was named the Eight Treasure Lucky Bag. Not only did it look auspicious, but it also tasted incredibly delicious.

This dish was a signature dish of Fushun Tower previously and the tofu skin was supplied by Changji tofu. But later on, Zhang Yongchang felt that the tofu skin did not taste as good as before, and he didn’t want to use it or prepare this dish anymore. He felt that it was a black mark on his culinary skills otherwise.

Before everything could be settled, Chang Yuanda heard about it and was upset. He immediately went to Zhang Yongchang and complained a lot. He was indirectly implying that Zhang Yongchang was not being reasonable or considerate. He thought Zhang Yongchang was deliberately picking a fight with him.

Zhang Yongchang, who initially had no such inclination, felt angered to be labeled so and berated Chang Yuanda furiously. From then on, he no longer bought tofu skin from Changji tofu shop.

And so, the dish disappeared from Fushun Tower’s menu and Zhang Yongchang rarely prepared it either. Only on special occasions like festivals, would he prepare it upon Feng Yongkang’s request.

So this dish was not something that Lian Rong could eat often. He was naturally overjoyed and he couldn’t help but feel like jumping with joy.

As he entered the kitchen merrily and placed the tofu skin on the chopping board, Lian Rong suddenly remembered Zhuang Qingning’s warning. So he hurried out to relay Zhuang Qingning’s words to Zhang Yongchang without omitting a word.

“Master, I think Miss Zhuang’s words make sense. You should be cautious.” said Lian Rong, looking genuinely worried. “I don’t mean to hide from you, Master, but I feel that the shop manager doesn’t seem to be a very upright person. I’m worried he may do something unscrupulous…”

“You don’t have to worry about this.” Zhang Yongchang furrowed his brows. “Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, you can’t avoid it. If the shop manager doesn’t value our friendship and wants to do something, we won’t be courteous either.”

“Don’t think too much about it. Nothing has happened yet. All this worrying will just disturb your peace of mind. Just go back to the kitchen and prepare for noon.”

Lian Rong wanted to persuade him further, but seeing the determined look on Zhang Yongchang’s face, he didn’t say more. He just nodded and went back to the kitchen.

Zhang Yongchang stood in the backyard for a while, frowning and deep in thought, before eventually heading into the kitchen to start work.

Zhuang Qingning found the shop bustling again after bidding goodbye to Lian Rong. She couldn’t think of anything else, and went straight to managing the sales.

“Excuse me, who is the manager of this tofu shop?” Someone walked into the shop and asked politely.

Zhuang Qingning looked up to see County Magistrate Ding Gaochang.

“Master Ding?” She said from behind the counter as she approached him, “What brings Master Ding here?”

Ding Gaochang’s eyes lit up at the sight of Zhuang Qingning. “While going through the documents in the Government Office, I found this name quite familiar and it seems like the same miss from the kidnapper case..”

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