Third part,

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"Wow, so delicious..."

As soon as the dish entered her mouth, it was still Ding Chuchu who cried out first. Then she looked at Secretary Tang, embarrassed, and whispered, "It's much more delicious than what the auntie makes at home..."

"Haha..."

Everybody laughed.

Ding Chuchu grew up in the United States. Although her grandmother had specially hired a few skilled chefs from China to cook for her, she was still abroad, and perhaps the flavors were alright when she was young, but gradually, even the dishes at Chinese restaurants became Americanized.

She hadn't been back in the country long, and Vice Governor Ding, being a high-ranking provincial official, certainly didn't have time to cook for her, so a nanny was arranged to take care of her. The nanny's cooking wasn't bad, but in comparison, there was a much bigger gap.

With Ding Chuchu's outburst, the atmosphere in the private room improved a lot, the young people's restraint diminished considerably, and they also began to seriously taste Qin Fang's dish.

"Hmm, not bad..."

The responses from almost everyone were similar, no one said the dish wasn't tasty, but aside from Ding Chuchu, it was only Tang Feifei who explicitly said it was really delicious. The others simply said "not bad," as Secretary Tang had yet to give his opinion.

"Regarding this dish, in my personal opinion, the best part is the convergence of the seven flavors. All of you try it..." and after everyone had tasted it, Secretary Tang slowly spoke.

Qin Fang, upon hearing this, didn't say anything but his heart and his expression betrayed the turmoil of his emotions, silently affirming Secretary Tang was definitely a remarkable gourmet who could see the essence of the dish at a glance.

Every chef tastes his own cooking first, and Qin Fang was no exception.

In fact, when he brought the dish over, he had already tasted it ahead of time to ensure it met his expectations before serving it.

He tasted each of the seven flavors individually, and he also tasted the flavors that emerged from their combinations. The real difficulty and the purest deliciousness of the dish lay where the seven flavors converged—that was indeed a classic!

Qin Fang didn't know how to describe the taste of that particular spot, or how to evaluate the cooking level there, but he had simply compared it with the dish made by Old Eli, the owner of the best French restaurant in Ninghai, and it was nearly identical...

Of course, Qin Fang was comparing it to Old Eli's Supreme set meal, and not ordinary fare. At least other than Old Eli, the Western dishes made by the other French chefs at that restaurant really weren't much to speak of.

On hearing his comments, everyone was slightly surprised. Just from tasting the individual flavors, they were quite good and definitely had the right taste, but most of them had tasted many delicacies and were not too amazed; at most, they were just impressed by Qin Fang's culinary skills.

They all had such thoughts, and not to mention Secretary Tang. However, Secretary Tang's high appraisal of the convergence of the seven flavors puzzled them.

Consequently, everyone picked up their chopsticks and started tasting the dish from that particular spot.

The taste was instantly different as the dish entered their mouths. When the fragrance of the dish and the juices lightly caressed their taste buds, it made them feel a slight thrill in their spirit.

Although the food had been swallowed, they couldn't help but savor it again, and that's when they discovered those flavors were actually very special. A simple reflection revealed sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, numbing, astringent...

Counting carefully, it was indeed exactly seven different tastes.

"Xiao Qin's dish, Seven Orifices Exquisite, is very good, especially the part where the seven flavors converge, which is truly exceptional! Initially, one may just feel it is very delicious and mellow upon tasting, but after really settling in the stomach, you can't help but reminisce, and that's when you discover such complex flavors hidden within that mellow taste."

"Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, numbing, astringent... Exactly seven different tastes, all blended together. Without looking back and reflecting, you can't sense its marvel! Isn't life much the same? Life's seven flavors are all contained within... Maybe some live life plainly, but when they look back and reminisce, they'll find all seven flavors are contained within."

"Xiao Qin's dish, called Seven Orifices Exquisite, not only corresponds to seven different tastes but also to seven different lives. It is only when these seven flavors truly converge that one can live a truly splendid life..."

Secretary Tang seemed quite moved today, at least Xiao Qin's dish made him deeply thoughtful. He rarely spoke thus to the younger generation, but today he said such words in front of everyone.

The girls present might not have grasped much, but the men were all showing a thoughtful expression. Tang Cheng, Ning Weiqiang, Li Rui, and Qin Fang, the creator of the dish, all felt Secretary Tang's words contained profound truths. Perhaps some of it they already understood, perhaps some they had yet to comprehend...

"Hehe, I've become more talkative with age! Come on, let's eat, but make sure to save some of that dish for me..."

Seeing the younger generation showing a trace of solemnity, Secretary Tang was quite satisfied. Regardless of whether these young people were friends or foes, in his view, they were all a group of young people, and it was proper to guide them appropriately.

Secretary Tang was quite open-minded and did not look at the people from Tang Cheng anymore. Instead, he said cheerfully that everyone should start eating and even joked that he would foot the bill for this dish, which immediately caused a burst of giggling among the girls present.

With laughter, the atmosphere became even more harmonious. Although it was not as casual as dining with friends, it was still far better than at the beginning.

Secretary Tang, being the eldest present, naturally received toasts from Qin Fang and the others. He returned the courtesy kindly. Of course, Qin Fang and his group drank their glasses to the last drop, while Secretary Tang sipped sparingly.

But after this round of toasts, Secretary Tang had eaten only a few bites and hadn't finished much of his Seven Orifices Exquisite before he got up to take his leave.

Qin Fang and the others certainly did not dare to stop him. Considering Secretary Tang's special status, it was impossible for him to accompany them for too long, so everyone got up to see him off.

"Uncle Tang, I have an impertinent request..."

Qin Fang was actually somewhat conflicted inside, but after hesitating for a moment, he decided to speak up.

Secretary Tang was briefly taken aback but did not speak. He simply looked at Qin Fang as if waiting for him to continue.

"I would like to ask you to write a calligraphy piece for the shop..."

Qin Fang said nervously. He knew from Tang Feifei that Secretary Tang was skilled in calligraphy and had even joked that if he had not pursued a career in government, he might have become a calligrapher.

"Dad, is that okay?"

Tang Feifei was also surprised when she heard this, but her eyes lit up immediately, and she began shaking Secretary Tang's arm and coquettishly pleading—a skill she was quite proficient in.

"Ah, it seems the saying about girls being outgoing isn't false at all. You'd even throw your dad under the bus to help Xiao Qin... Alright, if Dad agrees, will that satisfy you?"

Secretary Tang affectionately patted Tang Feifei's head; he adored his daughter the most, and Tang Feifei rarely asked him for anything. How could he refuse such a rare request from her?

Still, he then turned to Qin Fang with a stern face, "You little slicker..."

Qin Fang gave an awkward smile but did not argue. His request was sincere, and although he knew Tang Feifei would most likely help him, she had been completely unaware of it beforehand—they were not conspiring.

The Four Treasures of the Study were quickly prepared. When Qin Fang had the idea, he had already arranged for Xiao Qing to get everything ready. It wasn't a difficult task, and even if Secretary Tang had declined, the most they would have lost was a bit of money.

Now that Secretary Tang had agreed, it was naturally the best outcome.

The necessary items were soon prepared, and everyone moved to the side hall, which was quieter. They became silent, daring not to make any noise beyond breathing, as they did not want to disturb Secretary Tang.

Secretary Tang stood in front of the desk, took up the brush, and began to gather his emotions, also contemplating what characters to write.

After standing for several minutes, his gaze sharpened, he moved closer to the desk, dipped the brush in ink, and began to write on the pristine rice paper.

"Seven Orifices Exquisite!"

The content was quite simple, just four characters, but these characters immediately gave an astonishing impression—truly lively as dragons and graceful as phoenixes, with a fully rounded style that was both bold and restrained, compelling everyone to admire them.

While the audience could write, they did not understand calligraphy deeply. However, even they were amazed and stunned by the calligraphy, which was certainly on par with professional calligraphers.

There were no fools among those present; they all understood the meaning behind these characters, referring to both an object and a person.

The object was clearly the deeply impressionable signature dish from Fang Feixue, Seven Orifices Exquisite; for the person, it expressed the hope that Qin Fang would be as balanced and insightful as both the dish and its name.

"I will give this piece of calligraphy to you, hoping you won't disappoint me!"

Secretary Tang was very pleased with his work. Even as he walked away, he could not help but look back, patted Qin Fang lightly on the shoulder to encourage him, and then strode off.

Tang Cheng nodded to Qin Fang and followed Secretary Tang's footsteps. Tang Feifei, though reluctant to leave, gave a wry smile and quickly caught up. The Tang family members left one after another, and Qin Fang saw them out to the door, where the waiting car was already in place...(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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