HRPM – Chapter 166 The Boss is Very Stingy (3)

“A tax thief living off the people’s money would never understand. I pray that in your next life you’re born into a poor family with a leaking roof and drafty walls. Once you have to earn money with your own two hands, then you’ll know what frugality really means. Hmph. Eat your food already. If you dislike it so much, then don’t eat it—I’d be more than happy.”

Xiao Yu had long since started eating alongside Jin Luoluo. With every bite, his expression became more animated and delighted.

Seeing the two of them happily ignoring him while eating with great enjoyment, Xiao Che’s appetite was stirred as well. Slowly, he lifted his chopsticks and began eating in an unhurried, elegant manner.

“Luoluo, this eggplant tastes incredibly unique. It’s completely different from every preparation I’ve had before. What is this dish called?”

Using his ebony chopsticks inlaid with silver, Xiao Yu picked up a strip of eggplant. The moment he tasted it, he was astonished.

“The preparation method for this eggplant is far from ordinary. It’s called Qie Xiang.”

Jin Luoluo smiled. This time, Xiao Yu had become Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time.

Qie Xiang was quite a famous dish in Dream of the Red Chamber. Back when she first read about it, even she had been dumbfounded. Making a single dish with such a complicated process seemed absurdly excessive.

But when the chefs finally recreated the dish according to that elaborate recipe, the flavor truly was unparalleled.

Five thousand years of Chinese culinary culture were no joke.

“What’s so different about it? Judging from the appearance and taste of this eggplant, I really can’t imagine how it’s made.”

Xiao Yu grew even more curious and took another bite. It was unbelievably delicious—at least, he had never tasted eggplant this good before.

Recalling Wang Xifeng’s explanation from the novel, Jin Luoluo began reciting it smoothly from memory:

“Take freshly picked eggplants, peel them so only the clean flesh remains, dice them finely, and fry them in chicken fat. Then mix in diced chicken breast, fragrant mushrooms, fresh bamboo shoots, mushrooms, five-spice dried tofu, and assorted dried fruits. Simmer everything dry in chicken broth, finish it with sesame oil, then toss it with fermented wine sauce. Seal it tightly in a porcelain jar. When it’s time to eat, take it out and mix it with stir-fried chicken pieces. So? Doesn’t eggplant made this way taste amazing?”

Back then, even she had drooled over the description, which was why she had insisted the chefs here learn the recipe. They had practiced it for over a year before finally mastering the perfect flavor.

After hearing Jin Luoluo’s explanation, Xiao Yu was utterly dumbfounded.

He suddenly felt this eggplant carried immense weight behind it, making him reluctant to swallow it carelessly, so he chewed each bite slowly and carefully.