Chapter 98: Inspiration, Time for a New Dish

“Xiao Yuan, did you hear that? Even the kids can figure it out, so don’t get stuck in your own head.”

“If you put it that way, then it’s my fault.”

“As the director of the orphanage, I didn’t take good enough care of them. I’m the one responsible.”

“Mama Lu didn’t do anything wrong either. Mama Lu is so good to us, how could she be at fault?”

“Exactly! If it weren’t for Mama Lu, I might never have gotten the chance to visit an amusement park in my whole life.”

“…”

“As long as everyone’s okay. Just look at the mess this turned into,” Master Zhao sighed.

“When you’re out and about, unexpected things are bound to happen.”

“The kids from our orphanage may be young, but every single one of them is amazing.”

“They know how to stick together and help each other. That makes me really proud.”

“Especially Gu Cheng, Zhou Yang, Wang Zhiyu, Wu Feng—you were all fantastic!”

“Xingxing, you were really brave too.”

“Come here, give me a hug,” Lu Qingqiang said, opening her arms to Su Zhixing.

“Mama Lu, he got my new clothes all dirty… boohoo.”

Su Zhixing had already stopped crying and wiped her tears clean.

But the moment she was met with Lu Qingqiang and the others’ concern, all that bottled-up grievance came rushing back.

Especially since Lu Qingqiang’s embrace was so warm, so full of safety.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Clothes can be washed.”

“As long as you’re safe, everything else doesn’t matter.”

“When New Year comes, I’ll get each of you a new outfit.”

“You’ll get to pick your own.”

“Thank you, Mama Lu.” Su Zhixing snuggled her head into Lu Qingqiang’s arms.

“Su Zhixing, are you wiping your tears on Mama Lu’s clothes? Come on, get out of there! Don’t get Mama Lu’s clothes dirty too!” Zhou Yang called out.

He definitely wasn’t saying that because Mama Lu hugged Su Zhixing and not him.

Definitely not.

“I wasn’t!” Su Zhixing protested, but still obediently stepped out of Lu Qingqiang’s hug.

“Zhou Yang, you were really brave back there.”

“Very heroic.”

“But next time, stay a little more alert,” Lu Qingqiang said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

“Mm-hmm!” Zhou Yang puffed out his little chest proudly.

“Alright, little heroes, let’s go eat.”

“Yay! Mama Lu, what are we having for lunch?”

“…”

Led by Lu Qingqiang, the group headed toward the five-star restaurant inside the amusement park.

The reservation had been made earlier that morning by Lu Jianshen.

After giving her name at the entrance, the hostess welcomed them in with a bright smile.

Since there were so many of them, they were seated at three tables.

They waited around five to ten minutes, snacking on some fruit and treats while the cold dishes were being served. That’s when Lu Jianshen and his group of four finally arrived.

“Sorry we’re late, everyone.”

“Little Xingxing, are you okay? Come here, big bro will give you a hug and cheer you up.” Lu Jianshen still wore that roguish, carefree grin of his.

The other five looked at him with expressions that were hard to describe.

“Thanks for your concern, Brother Lu. I’m fine now,” Su Zhixing replied in a soft, sweet voice, sounding a little shy.

“Good to hear. Zhou Yang, Gu Cheng, how about you two? Doing alright?”

“Yeah.” Gu Cheng nodded.

“I’m great! Hehe, Brother Lu, my wound is almost healed!” Zhou Yang grinned.

As soon as they arrived at the hotel, Doctor Feng had asked the staff to bring iodine and cotton swabs to treat his wound.

It wasn’t a serious injury, but proper care was still necessary.

“I heard from your director that you all did really well today.”

“So, there’s a reward for everyone.”

“Coke, Sprite, Mirinda—anyone want some?”

“Yes!!” The little radish heads couldn’t help but cheer.

“Okay, hands up if you want Coke.”

“Now, who wants Sprite?”

“That means the rest are getting Mirinda, right?”

At Lu Jianshen’s signal, the other five began handing out the small bottled drinks they’d brought, according to everyone’s preferences.

“Old Feng, Old Xu, Old Mo, you three really have no sense.”

“Look at Old Huang and Da Cong. Learn from them!”

Feng Xiao and the others finally noticed…

Damn, Huang He and Zhou Sicong weren’t just handing out drinks, they were even helping the little radish heads twist open the bottle caps.

After opening the bottles, they were rewarded with adorable little voices saying, “Thank you, big brother!”

Ugh, why didn’t they think of that?

What a missed opportunity.

Soon, the table was filled with dishes.

There was signature roast pigeon, stir-fried black pork with tea tree mushrooms, pine nut fish, candied cherry tomatoes, garlic seasonal greens, special turtle soup, bamboo forest chicken stew, abalone sauce goose feet, imperial jade sprouts, wild black fungus, cilantro drunken peanuts, peach aloe salad, twin chili stir-fry, fish-flavored egg bake, scholar’s tofu, and so on.

The table was packed to the brim.

Whether or not it tasted good, the presentation was definitely top-notch.

Even the plates were uniquely designed and fun to look at.

Master Zhao thought to himself: Hmm, I’ve learned something today.

In the future, while maintaining flavor, he’d also work on improving his plating skills.

“Everyone, dig in before the food gets cold,” Lu Qingqiang said, and with that, the feast began.

The kids from the orphanage, no matter how young, were all highly self-sufficient.

Being spoon-fed? Not a chance.

Their chopstick skills and eating speed were even better than some adults.

And since they were seated at a rotating round table, everyone had a chance to try whatever dish they liked.

“Little Taozi, what do you think of the food here? Do you like it?” Lu Jianshen asked Su Tao after eating his fill.

“Mm-hmm, I like it. It’s yummy.” Su Tao had a fish ball in her mouth.

When she heard the question, the fish ball slid over to her left cheek.

Her puffed-up cheeks were just too adorable.

“Which one’s your favorite?”

“This one, this one, this one, and that one, that one, that one—I like them all!”

“But of course, I still love Grandpa Zhao’s cooking the most.”

“Grandpa Zhao is the best! Grandpa Zhao is amazing! Grandpa Zhao is unmatched in the world!”

“~~~” Everyone.

Yup, that’s Su Tao for you.

No wonder she was the number one foodie in the orphanage.

Not picky at all.

She even knew to throw in a flurry of compliments for Master Zhao, making him so happy he couldn’t stop grinning.

High emotional intelligence too.

Of course, Su Tao’s favorites were the meat dishes.

Then came the peach aloe salad and the candied cherry tomatoes.

Interestingly, those were also Master Zhao’s favorites.

In the past, he rarely used fruit in savory dishes.

Aside from his signature sweet and sour pineapple pork, he hardly ever tried it.

But today, after tasting the peach aloe salad and candied cherry tomatoes, he was suddenly struck with inspiration.

When they got back, he could totally create a whole fruit-themed series!

Things like pickled mango with chili, orange-braised ribs, lychee chicken wings, stir-fried pork with apples, crispy sugarcane, dragon fruit with green bamboo shoots, pomegranate stir-fried with green beans, even stir-fried watermelon—it all sounded promising.

Yes, it’s decided.

Time to make it happen!

Looks like Teacher Yuan was right.

People can’t just shut themselves away and work in isolation.

You have to get out, see more, learn more. That’s how inspiration comes.

And look—his inspiration just arrived!

Hahaha, so happy.

At this moment, Master Zhao wished he could hop into a time machine and head straight back to his kitchen… to wield his wok!

Time for some innovative dishes!

— Translator’s Notes —

– chopstick skills: Chopstick dexterity is a source of pride and practicality in Chinese culture, and children’s abilities with chopsticks can be seen as a sign of maturity.

– Mirinda: A fruit-flavored carbonated soft drink brand popular in many countries, especially in China, where it is often offered alongside Coke and Sprite.