The four of them found a random spot and sat down.
Seeing that they were now a good distance from the owner, Wen Chu Ren immediately started complaining in a low voice:
“This owner is too much. I’ve eaten at so many places that serve pig blood soup, and not a single one charges for the Motherwort!”
Wen Yaqian, who was beside her, also nodded.
“The owner is a bit unscrupulous, for sure. But I guess business got better after he was on TV. I don’t remember this place being so crowded before.”
As an outsider, Li Xiao didn’t really get what the big deal was about being charged for Motherwort in pig blood soup.
In his view, however, as long as the food still tasted good, a subtle price hike after business improved was acceptable.
So he quickly tried to smooth things over.
“Alright now, the place was featured on *Breakfast Xia Country*, after all. A small price increase is reasonable.”
“We can’t let the pig blood get cold. It won’t taste good if it does.”
Hearing his reminder, the others stopped discussing the matter. They each picked up their chopsticks and started eating, while Li Xiao also turned his attention to the pig blood soup in front of him.
Although it was called pig blood soup, the broth wasn’t cloudy. Instead, it had the golden hue of chicken soup.
Fresh Motherwort leaves floated on the surface, emitting a uniquely fresh, herbal fragrance.
He gently stirred the soup with his spoon. It contained not only pig blood curds, but also various pig offal, including liver, lungs, and stomach.
Each type of offal was cleaned meticulously, and every piece was cut to a perfect, moderate size.
The pig blood curds looked exceptionally tender in the soup, their flavor mingling with the herbal aroma and the savory taste of the other meats.
With the first sip, Li Xiao tasted a slight bitterness from the Motherwort, but it was immediately balanced by the fresh sweetness of the pig blood and the rich flavor of the other meats.
The soup base was rich and mellow. The herbal flavor wasn’t overpowering; instead, it complemented the savory taste of the meat perfectly.
The chicken broth, simmered for twelve hours, was already incredibly rich and savory on its own.
On top of that, it had absorbed the sweet, savory juices from the pig blood curds and offal, taking the flavor to a whole new level.
As he swallowed the savory broth, the system’s notification sound echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 43rd entry in the Food Atlas.]
[The entry you unlocked is: Pig Blood Soup]
[Food rating: 92 [Excellent]]
[As the rating is Excellent, the reward is quadrupled (x4).]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Pig Blood Curd Recipe]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Pig Blood Soup Recipe]
…
Putting down his spoon, Li Xiao picked up a piece of pig blood curd with his chopsticks.
The curd didn’t crumble as he lifted it, which showed that its texture was excellent.
The pig blood curd was cooked for just the right amount of time. It wasn’t overcooked and tough, nor was it undercooked and gamey.
The pieces of pig blood curd were quite large, which surprisingly resulted in a different texture on the inside and outside. The exterior was firm, while the interior was exceptionally delicate, smooth, and tender.
The pig blood curds hadn’t been fully cooked when they were added to the chicken broth, so during the simmering process, they absorbed the essence of the herbs and bone soup, creating a multi-layered taste experience.
Li Xiao savored each type of offal. He found the liver to be tender and not tough, the lungs to have a unique, crisp-yet-tender quality, and the stomach to be firmer and chewier.
These different textures and flavors intertwined in the soup, making every mouthful a delightful surprise.
After finishing most of his bowl of pig blood soup, Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
‘This owner might have a lot of little schemes and is always thinking about how to make money, but I have to admit, the pig blood soup he makes is really excellent.’
Li Xiao:
“This pig blood soup really is good.”
“I thought the herbal taste would be overpowering with the Motherwort, but it’s surprisingly fresh.”
Seeing Li Xiao enjoying his meal so much, Wen Chu Ren’s earlier dissatisfaction with the owner vanished into thin air.
“Of course! Motherwort and pig blood are a perfect match!”
“Plus, eating it regularly is good for your circulation. A lot of elderly people love having this for breakfast.”
The four of them quickly finished their pig blood soup. However, they didn’t ride their bikes back to the hotel.
After all, they had walked a fair distance from the hotel. Li Xiao called a Didi, and the four of them returned to the hotel.
They had only gotten three or four hours of sleep the previous night, so they fell asleep not long after getting back to the hotel.
They slept until after 1:00 PM. After waking up one by one and getting washed up, the four of them finally left the hotel.
The four of them got back into the Mercedes-Benz.
Li Xiao turned his head and asked Wen Chu Ren in the back seat:
“By the way, where should we go for lunch?”
Wen Chu Ren asked in return:
“There are lots of delicious places around here. What are you in the mood for?”
Li Xiao stroked his chin. Last night and this morning, they had eaten relatively common street food.
‘It tasted good, sure, but it felt like something was missing.’
After all, it was a rare trip to Chaoshan. Always taking three beautiful women to eat street food seemed a bit cheap.
Li Xiao asked:
“Are there any good high-end private kitchens around here?”
‘A high-end private kitchen?’
Wen Chu Ren wasn’t surprised by Li Xiao’s question.
After all, given Li Xiao’s circumstances, he surely frequented high-end restaurants.
It was only natural that he’d want to try some authentic, high-end private dining while he was here.
However, this put her in a bit of a difficult position. Her family background was just average.
She had been to plenty of good restaurants, but very few that could be called high-end private kitchens.
Wen Yaqian, sitting next to her, immediately noticed her cousin’s predicament. Her own family was much better off than Wen Chu Ren’s, and after a moment’s thought, she came up with a suitable restaurant.
Not wanting to see her cousin embarrassed, she quickly made a suggestion:
“Oh, right, I remember there is a private kitchen nearby.”
“A friend of my dad’s owns it. I went there once with my dad. They serve all local Chaoshan dishes, and the food was pretty good. I just don’t know if we need a reservation.”
“Why don’t I call my dad and ask?”
Li Xiao had no objection and nodded.
A moment later, Wen Yaqian hung up the phone. She playfully made an “OK” sign with her hand.
“All set! I had my dad help us book a private room.”
“But since we didn’t book in advance, some ingredients that require pre-ordering won’t be available.”
“We’ll just have to order whatever they have available when we get there.”
Li Xiao knew that some ingredients were indeed expensive and couldn’t be stored for long, so that was perfectly reasonable.
Since it was a last-minute decision, he didn’t dwell on it and nodded in agreement.