Chapter 371 - 194: What Is Never Forgotten Will Surely Echo

Chapter 371: Chapter 194: What Is Never Forgotten Will Surely Echo

It looked like it was going to be another sleepless night.

...

The next morning, the matter was still weighing on Zhou Yan’s mind.

’The mission progress bar hasn’t budged an inch.’ It seemed there would be no warning—only a final result.

As noon approached and the lunch rush was ending, a sedan slowly pulled up to the restaurant’s entrance.

Qian Siyuan and Xiao Lei got out of the car and walked toward the restaurant.

"So? Did you find it?" Mrs. Zhao couldn’t help but ask when she saw the two of them.

"We found it! It’s Linjiang! My mother is from Linjiang!" Qian Siyuan nodded, unable to hide his excitement.

"Oh, that’s wonderful!" Mrs. Zhao’s eyes lit up.

In the kitchen, Zhou Yan dished up two servings of stir-fried pork liver. He rushed the two plates out, served them to a table, then hurried over to the two men. "Mr. Qian, did you really find it?"

Qian Siyuan nodded. "Yes! Master Xiao took me around to ask a lot of the local elders. One of them knew my mother, and we even found a childhood playmate of hers who confirmed everything."

"That’s great!" Zhou Yan couldn’t help but pump his fist. He turned to Xiao Lei. "Master, what’s the story?"

Xiao Lei smiled. "If we’re not mistaken, his mother might be your grandmaster’s older sister. We’re planning to have lunch here, then head to Jiazhou to find your grand-uncle. He can confirm it for us.

"He’s the head of the Kong Family now, so he needs to be the one to make the final call. Your grandmaster’s children have likely never met this grandaunt. After we eat, do you want to come with us to Jiazhou and witness it?"

"Yes! Of course I’m going!" Zhou Yan nodded without hesitation.

’Who would want to miss out on a spectacle like this?’

’Now that I think about it, Master was so farsighted.’

’If she really is our grandmaster’s sister, we’d never be able to hold our heads up in the Kong Sect again if we’d taken that money yesterday.’

Even Mrs. Zhao, who was listening on the side, had eyes that lit up. Clearly, her gossipy soul was burning with curiosity.

"Go ahead and order. By the time you finish, we’ll be about ready to close up," Zhou Yan said before turning back to the kitchen to continue cooking.

"I’ll have the Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork and a bowl of Kneeling Beef," Qian Siyuan said as he sat down. "Master Xiao, order whatever you’d like."

"Then let’s add a Mapo Tofu and some minced beef," Xiao Lei said, then looked at Wang, who was sitting beside him. "Wang, you pick a couple of dishes too."

"Right," Qian Siyuan nodded slightly.

Wang studied the menu for a moment. "In that case, I’ll have the Cold-Tossed Chicken and the Braised Pig’s Head."

The three of them sat and waited for their food.

You could tell Qian Siyuan was in an excellent mood; a smile never left his face.

This morning, when he heard the white-haired old man nod and say, "Kong Simin? Oh, I know her! Huaifeng’s older sister!" his mind had started buzzing.

After decades, the hometown his mother had never stopped thinking about had finally answered him.

His excitement was beyond words.

This land suddenly felt exceptionally close to his heart.

Qian Siyuan composed himself, then smiled at Xiao Lei. "Master Xiao, young Zhou’s cooking is so delicious. As his master, your skills must be even more seasoned. I imagine your food is even more incredible, right?"

Xiao Lei listened, his expression unchanging. "There’s an old saying in China: a student isn’t necessarily inferior to their teacher, nor a teacher necessarily superior to their student. I may have twenty more years of experience in the kitchen than Zhou Yan, but there are already some dishes he makes better than I do. It just goes to show his talent. Take this Mapo Tofu, for instance. I never even taught him how to make it. He most likely picked it up himself from a cookbook or a magazine."

"I see. Master Zhou is really something else, then!" Qian Siyuan nodded thoughtfully, full of admiration. "I had his Mapo Tofu yesterday. It goes incredibly well with rice."

"It is. It’s exceptionally good," Wang couldn’t help but chime in, nodding in agreement.

Just as they were speaking, Zhou Yan emerged from the kitchen carrying the Mapo Tofu and the Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork.

Xiao Lei’s eyes were on the Mapo Tofu as it was set on the table. He leaned forward slightly and gave a small nod of approval. Looking up at Zhou Yan with a playful smile, he said, "This Mapo Tofu looks perfectly authentic. It seems I’ll have to ask Master Zhou for a lesson on how to make it."

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