After finishing everything in the small bowl, including every bit of the side dishes, just short of licking the plate, Qi Han finally let out a satisfied breath and placed the small bowl down.
Such delicious food — one serving really wasn't enough.
"Boss, what's that smell?"
Keke, now dressed in his uniform and ready for work, had just come downstairs.
He took a deep breath, and the lingering, unfamiliar yet uniquely fragrant smell of meat filled his nostrils.
Although he hadn't yet tasted the restaurant's dishes, Keke had already seen everything on the menu.
This particular smell didn't resemble anything he was familiar with, so he couldn't help but ask.
"This afternoon, we're going to introduce a new dish. That's the smell of the new dish," Qi Han said with a smile, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "You three servers will also get to try it."
"A new dish?" Keke's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
He turned to carefully examine the price board on the wall, looking for any new additions since lunch.
Before long, he noticed a brand-new, purple price tag at the bottom. When he saw the price written on it, his expression froze.
Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat — 1,200 gold coins per serving.
It wasn't that he found the dish too expensive.
After the "Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth" had resolved his ten-year martial spirit problem, Keke firmly believed that the boss's pricing was always fair.
If this dish was priced even higher than the "Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth," it must have its reasons.
What troubled him was that he'd only recently started working at the restaurant and had already been given the opportunity to try the 1,000 gold coin "Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth." Now, he was being offered a 1,200 gold coin dish as well.
It felt like he hadn't earned it. The boss was being too generous.
After a brief inner conflict, Keke spoke up, "Boss, you don't need to make my portion of the Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat today, right?"
"Hmm?" Qi Han raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to try it? This dish might exceed your expectations in terms of flavor."
This...
If even the boss said it would surpass expectations, it must be even more delicious than the dishes he'd tried before, right?
Keke swallowed quietly but remained firm, "Boss, I've only been here two days. I can't take advantage of you like this."
So that's why Keke was refusing.
Qi Han's eyes gleamed with understanding, and he laughed, "You're thinking about it the wrong way. It's not like we serve dishes like this for staff meals every day. You're just lucky. I happened to come up with Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat right after you arrived."
"Besides, maybe you're the one who inspired me!" Qi Han added encouragingly.
Although that wasn't the actual reason, tricking this earnest guy into trying the new dish was something Qi Han felt he had to do.
"And think about it — if you don't eat it, Qin Yue and Qin Yao will probably feel too shy to eat theirs either." Qi Han's tone was confident, knowing the Qin sisters well enough to predict their behavior.
Keke, after being hit with these three points, fell into deep thought.
It... it really did seem like the boss was making good points.
Fine... I guess I'll help him by trying it out.
But!
He made a mental note: the boss's kindness must be repaid in the future.
After convincing himself, Keke finally said, "Alright, I'll help the boss by tasting it."
He couldn't help but swallow again.
The boss said it would be a delicious dish...
He was super excited!
"Go ahead and open the door for Qin Yue and Qin Yao first," Qi Han said, pointing to the door, before turning back to the kitchen.
The three pieces of meat had already gone through their preparation stages and only needed to be plated.
As Keke opened the door and let the Qin sisters inside, Qi Han finished the final touches on the dish.
Without being told about the new dish, the sisters were soon left wide-eyed, staring at the new spectacle before them.
Keke, seeing the Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat for the first time as well, was equally astonished.
The three of them stood dumbfounded, witnessing the extraordinary presentation of the dish. After the ethereal glow subsided, Qin Yue was the first to regain her composure, asking, "Boss, is this a new dish?"
Without waiting for Qi Han to answer, she immediately turned to search the price board. She soon mumbled softly, "Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat?"
Qi Han brought over three servings of the Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat and placed them on a table. "I'll have to ask you all to try this new dish tonight. What else would you like to order? I'll make it now."
The trio, having snapped back to reality, placed their orders and then quickly gathered around the new dish to examine it.
As they inhaled the rich, unique aroma of the meat, Qin Yue's stomach began to grumble audibly.
Her face flushed slightly. It wouldn't have been so bad if only her sister were nearby, but Keke was here too.
She rubbed her stomach, eyes wide as she carefully studied the beautiful dish.
The thin slices of pork belly were rolled into the shape of a flower, making it look incredibly delicate. The bright and tempting sheen of the pork skin made it irresistible.
Had this dish been introduced before the culinary competition, it would've easily taken the title of "meat lover's treasure" from the Dongpo Pork Knuckle.
The three of them desperately wanted to grab a pair of chopsticks and dig into the succulent pork belly, to savor the explosion of flavors in their mouths, but with the other dishes not yet served, they were too polite to start eating.
They waited, agonizingly, feeling like Qi Han had never cooked so slowly before.
Finally, Qi Han came out with a tray of dishes, accompanied by Pururu No. 1 and No. 2.
The trio could no longer hold back, picking up their chopsticks and simultaneously reaching for the Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat in front of them.
Seeing this, Qi Han smiled silently, picked up Pururu, and headed back into the kitchen.
Everyone was enjoying the new dish, but he couldn't forget about Pururu's upgraded cat food.
The previous batch of cat food for Pururu had almost run out due to Pururu's increased appetite.
Luckily, Qi Han had unlocked quite a few three-star recipe ingredients recently.
Both the Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth and the Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat contained ingredients that could ensure Pururu's balanced diet, so he could now make a new batch of high-quality cat food using the three-star recipe standards.
Pururu's appetite had grown because its body needed more nutrition as it developed.
By using more nourishing ingredients, the amount of cat food required would naturally decrease.
Although Pururu's current cultivation level was only barely at the hundred-year spirit beast stage, its nutritional needs had already reached the level of a thousand-year spirit beast. This situation was quite rare.
But it seemed related to how the life crystal had enhanced its physique and raised its future potential, as well as its own extraordinary ability to digest, absorb, and grow.
In any case, a good appetite was a blessing, and Qi Han had no trouble affording this little one.
Thinking of this, he lovingly petted Pururu's head, set it aside, and began preparing the cat food.
"Meow!"
Is it my turn now?
<+>
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