Chapter 292: The Reckless Young Man
The sudden appearance of a figure startled both Qi Han and Pururu.
"Meow!"
Pururu instantly bristled, ready to assume an attack stance, but Qi Han reacted quickly. While calming Pururu down, he carefully observed the person who had just blocked his path.
It was a young man with a delicate yet somewhat sharp appearance, seemingly around twenty years old.
His long black hair was tied back into a neat ponytail, which, instead of making him appear more effeminate, actually added a hint of masculinity.
Qi Han's gaze soon drifted downward, landing on the apron tied around the young man's waist.
A chef?
With a rough guess about the young man's identity, Qi Han met his eyes and asked, "Is there something you need from me?"
"Well…" The young man hesitated, a hint of nervousness in his expression. "Could we… talk somewhere quieter?"
Qi Han turned his head, scanning the bustling food street around them before nodding. "Alright."
There was still some time before Han Shi's afternoon business hours, so he didn't mind finding out what this young man wanted.
Seeing that Qi Han agreed, the young man visibly brightened, his face filled with excitement and relief.
"Would you mind coming to my shop? It's just nearby—less than a hundred meters away!"
Since there was a proper place to sit, Qi Han had no objections.
With Qi Han's approval, the young man eagerly led him through a quiet alley in the Food Street.
After walking about ten meters in, they arrived at a small food stall—a wooden pushcart with a few tables and chairs set up in front of it.
The stall was a bit simple and modest, but it was spotlessly clean.
Qi Han hadn't even noticed that there was an alleyway here, proving just how hidden this place was.
In stark contrast to the packed stalls of the food festival, which had long lines of customers, this small stall was completely empty.
Not a single patron in sight.
"Boss Qi, please have a seat."
The young man's eyes shone with anticipation.
Qi Han remained silent for a moment before choosing a seat.
After briefly surveying his surroundings, Qi Han turned his attention back to the young man sitting across from him.
"So, what exactly do you need from me?"
"I…" The young man hesitated for a brief moment before gathering his courage.
"I'd like you to try my food. Would you be willing to?"
Hmm?
Was he being asked to judge this person's cooking?
Qi Han's curiosity deepened.
"I don't mind, but I'd like to know—why do you want me to try your food?"
The young man took a moment to organize his thoughts, then spoke.
"Actually… I'm not from Shrek City. I come from a small village near a town called Nuoding City in the Heaven Dou Empi—"
"Holy Spirit Village?"
Hearing this extremely familiar name, Qi Han couldn't help but interrupt.
"Oh? You know of Holy Spirit Village, Boss Qi?" The young man looked surprised, then quickly understood.
"Ah, right. After all, it's the legendary hometown of the Sea God—it's quite famous."
"But that village has since been renamed Divine Soul Village. It holds a much higher status now, and is the wealthiest village in the entire Nuoding City region."
As he spoke, admiration and longing filled the young man's eyes.
"I'm not from Divine Soul Village, though. My hometown is Zhilán Village, which is actually quite far from there."
After briefly clarifying, he continued.
"My village has a special dish called Mo Wu Tuan. I love this food, but… because it doesn't look very appealing and has a rather unusual taste, most people don't enjoy it."
"I think that's a real shame! Mo Wu Tuan is actually delicious, and I want more people to appreciate it."
His expression grew serious and determined.
"I heard that the Shrek Food Festival is the biggest culinary event on the continent. If I can get my dish into the top ten, there's a real chance for more people to discover and love it!"
His eyes gleamed with passion.
"So… I brought my hometown's dish here to compete in the festival."
Qi Han fell silent for a moment.
He did recall seeing the name Mo Wu Tuan when he was reviewing the festival's participating dishes.
Since there weren't many foreign dishes in the competition, and because the name was rather unique, it had left some impression on him.
However…
Qi Han doubted that this young man's dish had any chance of reaching the top ten.
Especially after tasting the competition dishes from Nine Dragons Delicacy and Linlang House.
"Getting into the top ten will be very difficult."
Looking at the hopeful glimmer in the young man's eyes, Qi Han didn't have the heart to discourage him outright.
"I know." The young man smiled, showing no signs of disappointment. "But I still have to try."
"I've actually been here for several days already," he admitted, scratching his head somewhat awkwardly. "After all, I needed time to prepare ingredients and set up my stall. I only officially opened yesterday."
"Originally, I planned to set up along the main street, but… because Mo Wu Tuan has a rather 'unique' smell, it affected the nearby stalls' businesses. They complained, so I had to move here where I wouldn't bother anyone."
In reality, the moment he started making Mo Wu Tuan, the nearby vendors almost beat him up.
Of course, he was too embarrassed to tell Qi Han that.
Qi Han nodded in understanding.
No wonder he set up in such a secluded place.
Dishes with strong or unfamiliar smells are difficult for people to accept at first.
Even at Han Shi, when they first introduced Exploding Honey Badger Intestine, it had been a rough process.
It made sense why this young man's stall remained deserted.
"I've been asking around these past few days," the young man continued. "Everyone says that Han Shi is the best restaurant in Shrek City. I also heard that Boss Qi visited Nine Dragons Delicacy and Linlang House this afternoon, so I thought… maybe you'd be willing to try my food too?"
"And then?"
Qi Han suddenly felt a bit annoyed.
Was this kid hoping for free promotion?
"Huh? What do you mean, 'and then'?" The young man scratched his head, confused by Qi Han's reaction.
"I mean…" Qi Han's gaze became more scrutinizing. "After I try your food, what do you expect me to do?"
"Well…" The young man gave a sheepish laugh. "Honestly, I hadn't thought that far ahead."
"I just heard you were in the Food Street and really wanted you to try my dish. If you think it's even a little bit good… maybe that'll give me the courage to keep going."
For the first time, his expression showed a hint of melancholy.
Coming here alone, trying to introduce his hometown's cuisine, only to be ignored and driven away—he had gone through a lot.
His cheerful demeanor had just been a front.
Qi Han's frown softened as he realized he had misjudged the young man.
He wasn't as opportunistic as Qi Han had assumed.
"What's your name?"
After all this time, Qi Han suddenly realized he still didn't know the young man's name.
"I'm Ye Lingqing," the young man said with a shy smile.
"Ye Lingqing…" Qi Han nodded. "I think I understand what you're trying to do. Now, can I finally try your dish?"
His smile carried a hint of encouragement.
"Of course!" Ye Lingqing lit up with excitement.
"Please wait a moment—Mo Wu Tuan doesn't take long to prepare!"
As Qi Han watched the young man busily working, he couldn't help but smile a little.
But soon, that smile turned into something else.
The smell of this Mo Wu Tuan was…
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