Chapter 15: The Intoxication of Huadiao Wine

Chapter 15: Drunken Sculpture

Returning to his room, Li Qi carefully put away the silver coins. Without washing his face or taking off his shoes, he climbed onto the bed and pondered deeply over how to make use of the hundred taels. Yet, as he thought more, his mind drifted back to the Drunken Immortal Residence. With a troubled sigh, he muttered, “Drunken Immortal Residence, oh Drunken Immortal Residence, if you fall into my hands, I will make you famous across the world. Jade Pavilion, Fan Tower—they’ll all have to step aside for me.”

Come to think of it, if Li Qi hadn’t been transported to this time, he would probably be the top decision-maker at a five-star hotel by now. After much contemplation, he still felt that the restaurant business suited him best. Beyond that, he wasn’t sure what else he could do.

Though a top graduate from Tsinghua University, he had studied finance—a field irrelevant here, where not even a listed company existed. What use was that for raising capital?

Moreover, the current state of the Drunken Immortal Residence presented him with an opportunity. But he lacked sufficient funds, and the amount he needed to make quickly was not insignificant. Earning that much in a short time seemed an impossible feat. Lost in these chaotic thoughts, his mood sank, and he unknowingly drifted into sleep.

He had no idea how long had passed when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

Rubbing his eyes, Li Qi sat up and stretched.

Outside came the voice of Wu Xiaoliu: “Brother Li, it’s me, Liuzi. So you’re in your room.”

Liuzi? Li Qi glanced out the window; night had already fallen. He had slept soundly until such a late hour. Rising, he opened the door to find Wu Xiaoliu standing there with a flattering smile. Curious, he asked, “Liuzi, what brings you to me?”

Wu Xiaoliu grinned, “Brother Li, I came to call you for dinner.”

Li Qi wasn’t particularly hungry, but hearing that made his stomach rumble. Still, thinking of Chef Zhou’s cooking, he shuddered and quietly asked, “Is Chef Zhou here?”

Wu Xiaoliu chuckled, “If Chef Zhou were here, how could I dare call you? I wouldn’t wish you any harm. Don’t worry, Chef Zhou moved out this morning.”

Since Madam Qin had decided to sell the restaurant, Chef Zhou had retired gracefully and could finally enjoy his twilight years at home.

Heh! Didn’t expect this kid to be so loyal.

Li Qi chuckled, then asked curiously, “If Chef Zhou’s not here, who cooked the meal? Could it be Uncle Wu? But Uncle Wu said last night he was staying at the manor for a few days and wouldn’t come back.”

Wu Xiaoliu rubbed his hands shyly, “To be honest, Brother Li, it was me.”

“You cooked?” Li Qi was momentarily stunned, then laughed, “I didn’t expect you to know your way around the kitchen.” He thought to himself, I hope your cooking isn’t like Chef Zhou’s.

Wu Xiaoliu grinned, “I picked up a few tricks from Chef Zhou.”

Sweat dripped down Li Qi’s face. I knew it!

He rolled his eyes, feeling helpless.

But no matter what, this was Wu Xiaoliu’s goodwill, so Li Qi didn’t refuse. With a hesitant heart, he followed him into his room. There, on the bed, was a small table with a single bowl of pickled fish.

“Just one dish?” Li Qi was puzzled. This guy was stingy—calling me over just to be served a single fish.

“Brother Li, don’t underestimate this dish. It took me a whole month to prepare,” Wu Xiaoliu hastily explained when he saw Li Qi’s displeasure.

What? A whole month for just one dish? That’s incredibly slow! Li Qi eyed him skeptically, but seeing his confidence, he sat down, half believing him.

Wu Xiaoliu eagerly handed over chopsticks, eyes full of expectation. “Brother Li, try it.”

Seeing his nervous excitement, Li Qi took the chopsticks but didn’t rush to eat. Smiling, he said, “Liuzi, you didn’t just call me here for a meal, did you? You want me to taste this dish, right?”

Wu Xiaoliu blushed, “Brother Li, you saw through me.”

“Of course. You called me to eat but didn’t even prepare rice. You can’t expect this fish alone to fill me up.” Li Qi gave him a playful glare.

Wu Xiaoliu stuck out his tongue and grinned sheepishly. “Brother Li, try the fish first. I’ll get the rice for you soon.”

Seeing his eagerness, Li Qi didn’t press further. He picked up a small piece and chewed thoughtfully, then furrowed his brow slightly.

This terrified Wu Xiaoliu, who trembled as he asked, “Brother Li, does the fish not suit your taste?”

Li Qi glanced at him, seeing his nervous sweat, then smiled and nodded. “No, it’s quite good. I didn’t expect you to have such skills—impressive, really.”

“Really? Brother Li, you’re not just saying that, are you?” Wu Xiaoliu’s eyes widened with delight.

Li Qi nodded and smiled. “I wouldn’t waste my words. The flavor is indeed excellent, though the cooking time was slightly off. At your age, achieving this is no small feat. But—this method of preparation—surely it’s not your own invention?”

Wu Xiaoliu looked up admiringly. “Brother Li, you’re amazing to tell.”

Li Qi replied teasingly, “Of course. If you could figure it out yourself, you’d already be a top chef.”

Wu Xiaoliu laughed awkwardly, “To be honest, this dish is called ‘Drunken Sculpture.’ It used to be the signature dish of the Drunken Immortal Residence. Heh, I learned it secretly from Chef Zhou.”

“Drunken Sculpture?”

Li Qi nodded. “Hmm, the name is quite nice.”

“Isn’t it?” Wu Xiaoliu smiled foolishly. “By the way, Brother Li, can you tell what ingredients are in the fish?”

Li Qi raised an eyebrow. “Are you testing me?”

Wu Xiaoliu laughed nervously. “No, no.”

Li Qi, seeing his attempt, smiled again, picked up another piece, and chewed carefully. “Ginger, bay leaf, tsaoko, scallion, fresh mushrooms,” he paused to taste more, then continued, “black fungus, star anise, cinnamon, river shrimp. How’s that? Did I miss anything?”

Wu Xiaoliu’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “You—you know all that?”

Li Qi chuckled. “For a chef, taste is everything. You must learn to savor food first. If you don’t trust the flavor of what you cook, how can you serve it to others?”

“Yes, yes,” Wu Xiaoliu nodded eagerly, then smiled. “But Brother Li, you missed two ingredients.”

Li Qi frowned. “I know.”

“You know?” Wu Xiaoliu was shocked.

Li Qi nodded lightly. “It’s the aroma of wine and bamboo. But the wine scent is so rich and pure, it doesn’t seem added on—it feels like it naturally emanates from the fish itself.”

“Heh heh, Brother Li, to be honest, that’s the essence of ‘Drunken Sculpture.’ No wonder you couldn’t detect it.”

“Is that so?”

Seeing Wu Xiaoliu’s cocky grin, Li Qi smiled gently. “If I’m not mistaken, you must have soaked the fish in Shao wine for some time before pickling it, and then pickled it inside a fresh bamboo tube. This way, the bamboo’s fragrance masks the fish’s natural fishiness.”

After Li Qi finished, Wu Xiaoliu was stunned into silence. After a moment, he recovered and asked, “Brother Li, where did you learn this? Did you ever cook this dish before?”

Li Qi chuckled. “You told me.”

“Me?” Wu Xiaoliu pointed to his nose in surprise.

Li Qi nodded. “Yes, you said it took you a month to prepare this dish. But judging by the flavor, it wasn’t pickled for a full month. So I guessed that before pickling, you soaked the fish in wine to infuse it with that aroma.”

Wu Xiaoliu was left speechless, only able to admire Li Qi. As the saying goes, his admiration for Li Qi now flowed like an unending river, like the Yellow River flooding uncontrollably.

“Brother Li, you’re truly amazing!” Wu Xiaoliu exclaimed.

Li Qi smiled faintly. “Just a lucky guess.”

“Brother Li, you’re too modest. This isn’t luck at all. If anyone could just taste a dish and guess its recipe, then the wealthy Cai from Jade Pavilion wouldn’t have offered a thousand strings of coins to buy the secret of ‘Drunken Sculpture.’” Wu Xiaoliu raised a finger in emphasis.

With a clatter, Li Qi’s chopsticks fell onto the table.

(End of chapter)