Chapter 108 Extra 2

Chapter 108: Extra Story 2

Guests could freely mix and match dishes from the two menus. Faced with the extensive variety, many found themselves overwhelmed by choice—everything looked so delicious, making it hard to decide what to order.

*

Tian, the daughter of the Imperial Star's wealthiest family, first noticed Yu Xin while watching the Supernova Cooking Competition. As an avid food lover who had already sampled delicacies from across the galaxy, she had grown tired of ordinary cuisine. Yu Xin’s skills on the show captivated her, and she even considered recruiting him—until she discovered that his background was so well-protected that even she couldn’t uncover it, forcing her to abandon the idea.

When she heard about Yu Xin’s restaurant opening, Tian immediately used her financial power to secure a reservation and invited her mother to join her.

Tian opened the menu and immediately ordered the Spicy Crab and Eight-Treasure Stuffed Pigeon. But what else to choose? She hesitated, wishing she could simply order one of everything.

After much deliberation, she settled on the Eighteen-Cut Marinated Raw Crab. Having never tried it before, she decided to give it a shot.

She passed the menu to her mother, who added Braised and Roasted Pork Trotter to the order. The two eagerly awaited their meal.

The first dish to arrive was Tian’s Eighteen-Cut Marinated Raw Crab. Ordered by the piece, Tian had requested four crabs, each chopped into small segments but artfully reassembled on the plate.

The dish featured wild female swimming crabs, bursting with roe and rich in fat, marinated for two days in a blend of aged huadiao wine, a dozen secret spices, and soy sauce. The finished crab had roe as red as amber and flesh as translucent as a soft-centered candy.

Served with a side of vinegar, the crab meat was silky smooth, almost like ice cream. With a gentle suck, the meat and roe melted on the tongue, releasing an incredibly fresh and sweet flavor enhanced by the aroma of huadiao wine.

Tian was enchanted after just one bite. The unique flavor of raw marination, blending savory and salty notes with the lingering fragrance of wine, highlighted the crab’s natural sweetness perfectly.

So delicious!

"Mom, you have to try this!" she exclaimed, at a loss for words, already reaching for another piece with her chopsticks.

After eating half a crab, Tian noticed a small clay pot that had been served alongside it.

"What’s this?" she asked the server curiously.

The server stepped forward and lifted the lid, revealing a small pot of porridge. Unlike plain congee, this one had a faint green hue.

As the lid came off, the fragrant aroma of rice wafted out. The grains were plump and cooked to a soft, slightly broken consistency.

The server smiled and explained, "This is Green Jing Rice porridge, complimentary with the marinated raw crab. You might like to try a bite of crab followed by a spoonful of porridge."

Taking the suggestion readily, Tian asked for a small bowl for herself and her mother. As recommended, she took a bite of crab followed by a spoonful of porridge.

The combination was immediately clear: the crab, an extremely cooling food, served chilled and raw, was intensely savory on its own. But when paired with the warm, mild porridge, the flavors balanced perfectly, becoming perfectly balanced in saltiness. The light fragrance of the rice and the sweetness of the crab complemented each other perfectly.

Tian alternated between crab and porridge, finishing a small bowl before any other dishes had even arrived.

Reluctantly, she set her bowl aside to save room for what was to come.

Next, the Braised and Roasted Pork Trotter arrived. True to its name, the trotter was first braised until flavorful, then roasted to a lightly charred and fragrant crispness and dusted with seasoning. Tender, sticky, and rich, it looked utterly irresistible.

The beauty of this dish lay in its presentation: though cut into convenient bite-sized pieces, the skin and meat still clung to the bone, requiring diners to nibble the morsels off bit by bit—making each bite all the more satisfying and exceptionally flavorful.

Tian felt relieved they had booked a private room, where they could eat without worrying about maintaining appearances.

Mother and daughter exchanged a smile, pulled on their gloves, and cast aside all pretense of restraint. Tian picked up a piece, feeling its satisfying heft and warmth. She took a bite—the roasted skin was slightly chewy, while the inside was tender and almost melted in her mouth. The braising sauce had infused the meat with rich, savory notes, and the roasting added a unique charred aroma and satisfying crispness. The process of nibbling the meat carefully from the bone made it taste even better.

"So delicious!" Tian mumbled, completely absorbed in her eating.

Madam Tian was no different. Her usual dignified demeanor was completely abandoned as she ate, a little seasoning clinging to the corners of her mouth. Seeing each other's slightly "disheveled" but utterly content expressions, mother and daughter couldn't help but burst into laughter, filling the private room with a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

In another, more secluded private room with the highest security, the atmosphere was considerably more solemn. Retired Foreign Minister Ms. Chu Qing, the Director of the Administrative Bureau, and the current Minister of Finance, Ji Tong, were seated around a table.

This was the most distinguished table in the entire restaurant that day, and Cheng Zikun attended to them with the utmost care and attentiveness.

The most senior among the three was retired Foreign Minister Ms. Chu Qing, who had been teaching at a university since her retirement, with students spread throughout the federation.

The other two held great respect for her and invited her to order first.

Ms. Chu Qing ordered a dish called "Triple-Preparation Bamboo Shoots."

This dish selects the most tender spring bamboo shoots, prepared in three styles: first, chilled and served plain to preserve the natural sweetness and crisp texture to the fullest; second, marinated in a special aromatic brine that adds rich, layered flavors without compromising the shoot's tenderness; and third, braised in a broth made from ham and old hen, simmered until soft and infused with a savory and fresh sauce that melts on the tongue.

The three took turns tasting, experiencing the progression from extreme crispness to extreme tenderness, and from pure freshness to deep richness. They all nodded slightly, their eyes reflecting admiration.

Next came a dish of marinated goose with a deep crimson hue—the breast meat firm and springy, infused with a rich marinade. The fatty goose skin, specially treated, carried a hint of perfectly balanced smokiness that cleverly cut through the richness.

This dish was perfect with alcohol, but unfortunately, none of the three were in good enough health for excessive drinking. After a small toast, they set their glasses aside with restraint.

Just as they were still savoring the taste, they were distracted by a rich and complex aroma.

A server pushed a small cart bearing three celadon pots, their lids closed, hiding the contents.

Yu Xin followed the cart into the room and personally introduced the dish to the three distinguished guests: it was the classic state banquet delicacy, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

However, Yu Xin had modified it. The premium ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, Sichuan pepper, shark fin, ham, and dried scallops, along with winter bamboo shoots, pork trotters, duck gizzards, and shiitake mushrooms, were initially simmered in a broth before being arranged in the celadon pots. A specially prepared golden broth and yellow braising sauce were then poured into the tureens on-site and simmered for another twenty minutes to allow the flavors to blend further.

In the final moments of simmering, the tureens were brought before the guests to ensure every ingredient was at its peak.

Upon lifting the lid, an intensely rich and fragrant steam wafted out. As the steam dissipated, the golden, clear broth was revealed, enveloping each perfectly braised ingredient.

The three first inhaled the aroma lingering in the air, then took their first sip. The smooth broth coated the entire mouth, with each ingredient making its entrance in turn—each distinct yet harmonizing perfectly together.

"The flavor is quite excellent," Ms. Chu remarked softly as she set down her spoon.

The other two nodded in agreement, deciding they would visit regularly in the future.

Cheng Zikun, standing to the side, was inwardly thrilled. With recognition from such esteemed figures, their restaurant was poised for overwhelming success.

First Floor, Regular Dining Area.

Several fans of Yu Xin had come together for a meal. One of them had been lucky enough to secure a reservation and brought along her friends to try Yu Xin's new restaurant.

Truth be told, the prices were quite expensive for them, but so what? This was food made by Yu Xin himself. They had spent countless nights drooling over his live streams, and now they could finally taste it firsthand. A little extra expense was nothing.

They ordered dishes like spicy crab and grilled ribs—dishes Yu Xin had made—and also tried a few new offerings.

Once the dishes were served, they first took photos for memories, then each chose the dish they most wanted to try. After the first bite, they all looked up simultaneously, their eyes meeting, filled with barely contained astonishment and excitement.

What kind of heavenly flavor was this? So aromatic, so delicious!

Even with very high expectations, Yu Xin's cooking did not disappoint in the slightest. In fact, it exceeded their imaginations.

Without wasting time on conversation, their chopsticks flew to the dishes, and everyone ate with their heads down, completely focused on eating.

As the last satisfied guests reluctantly left Yu's Kitchen, the social platforms of Capital Planet were instantly swept up in a frenzy of food-related excitement.

The homepage, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, was flooded with posts tagged "Yu's Kitchen." A seasoned food blogger exclaimed: "I declare that scoring a reservation at Yu's Kitchen is the luckiest thing to happen to me this year! From the appetizers to the final dessert, every dish is masterfully crafted, and not a single one disappoints!" Hundreds of envious replies quickly gathered under this post.

Another emotionally charged diner shared their experience: "No exaggeration—the moment I tasted the first spoonful of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, my eyes welled up. How could anything be this delicious? For those few seconds, I truly felt like my life before had been wasted."

"I can attest—zero exaggeration, folks! Just go try it. I literally shed tears on my first bite—not even kidding."

"Now I have a life goal—I'm going to eat at Yu's Food Chronicles once a month, no, once a week!"

More than that, there were all kinds of food photos and videos, accompanied by vivid descriptions from the first batch of customers, which made their mouths water and left others both curious and craving.

They secretly set a goal in their hearts: once they got their paycheck, they must go to Yu's Food Chronicles and order a full table of dishes to taste just how delicious it really was!

From that point on, Yu's Food Chronicles became a smash hit on the Capital Planet. Whether among celebrities and commoners alike, everyone knew about this restaurant. Those who had eaten there wanted to go back, and those who hadn’t were eager to try it.

In the decades that followed, Yu's Food Chronicles even expanded beyond the Capital Planet, opening branches across all star systems and leaving a lasting impact on the culinary history of the entire interstellar realm.

But that’s a story for later.

After wrapping up the first day of business, even Yu Xin was completely worn out. Used to taking it easy, he found it hard to adjust to such intensity all of a sudden.

He returned to his residence on the Capital Planet, took a shower, and soon fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, he was gently embraced. Bleary-eyed, he opened his eyes and saw someone who was supposed to be attending a meeting in another star system unexpectedly appear before him.

Ji Yixing kissed him and whispered softly, "Sorry, I still didn’t make it in time."

Yu Xin waved his hand, indicating it was fine, but he couldn’t resist the invasion of sleepiness. Turning over, he buried his face in Ji Yixing’s chest and fell into a deep slumber once more.

Just as he was about to drift off completely, he faintly heard a gentle, deep voice: "What if I don’t want to work anymore? I just want to be with you all day. Little Boss Yu, how about you support me? Okay?"

Half-asleep, he nodded softly.

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