Chapter 136 - Doubt
Xue Zixi was baffled by his words, yet she responded with the truth.
“Yes!”
“Good to hear!”
Jiang Hao offered a brief reply before closing his eyes to rest, leaving Xue Zixi feeling rather deflated.
Watching Jiang Hao's indifferent demeanor, she even started to question her own allure.
The dishes arrived promptly.
Jiang Hao sampled a bit of each with his chopsticks, then shook his head, setting them down without a word.
He then pulled out the mutated vegetables he had brought from his bag, passing them to the server under Xue Zixi's curious gaze.
“Could you please ask your chefs to prepare the same dish using these vegetables I've brought?”
The waitress gave Jiang Hao a bewildered look, accepted the vegetables, and turned to Xue Zixi, clearly unsure of what to make of the situation.
It was unheard of for someone to bring their own ingredients to a meal!
Xue Zixi, though unclear on Jiang Hao's intentions, gave her approval.
“Please do, and have Master Zhao take special care with it.”
With Xue Zixi's go-ahead, the waitress quickly took the mutated vegetables to the kitchen.
Typically, the Heavenly-Mansion Tavern sourced its ingredients exclusively through its own channels and did not entertain outside produce, much less items brought in by patrons.
But Xue Zixi's presence meant that rules could be easily bent.
Twenty minutes passed, and the dishes were served once more.
Jiang Hao smiled and gestured for Xue Zixi to begin.
With a hint of skepticism, she picked up her chopsticks and tasted the newly prepared dish.
Instantly, a rich and distinct aroma burst forth in her mouth, igniting her taste buds and compelling her to take several more bites.
Feeling a tad sheepish afterward, she suddenly had an epiphany and quickly sampled the earlier dishes again.
Barely two bites in, she frowned and spat it out.
Shocked, she realized that despite being the same dish prepared by the same chef, there was an astonishing disparity in taste.
Then it hit her—the vegetables Jiang Hao had brought. Her eyes sparkled with realization, and she swiftly raised her gaze to meet Jiang Hao's.
“Mr. Jiang, about those vegetables you brought earlier…”
Xue Zixi gazed at Jiang Hao expectantly. Jiang Hao had already sampled the dish prepared with the mutated vegetables they had just served.
“The execution might be a bit off, but it doesn't detract from the comparison,” he remarked, turning to Xue Zixi.
“You've noticed the difference, haven't you, Miss Xue?”
Without interrupting, Xue Zixi waited patiently for Jiang Hao to elaborate, and he obliged.
“These are a new variety of vegetables I've developed, boasting a flavor that's over ten times superior to that of regular vegetables! Since this mutated variety is a recent development, I'm in search of a group of buyers. And naturally, as a minor shareholder in the Heavenly-Mansion Tavern, I'd prefer to offer them here first.”
“But I'm curious, Miss Xue, would you be interested in this venture?”
While speaking, Jiang Hao's gaze settled on Xue Zixi, who appeared astounded.
Had she heard him correctly? Had Jiang Hao actually developed these himself? Could a high school student really achieve such a feat? She doubted even the nation's most esteemed researchers could match this.
But then she remembered that this high school student was also a culinary Grandmaster, and her astonishment subsided.
“Miss Xue, would you be interested in pursuing this opportunity?” Jiang Hao noticed her deep in thought and gently prodded her for a response.
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on (f)reeweb(n)ovel.com