Tang Hetiger noticed that his father, Tang Xiachuan, was wearing an extremely unpleasant expression. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurried over nervously.
"Dad, I'm really sorry. Jinchai and I are late. Jinchai, come greet Dad."
He turned to his wife, Wang Jinchai, who looked thoroughly unconcerned.
Although unwilling, Wang Jinchai still sashayed over and said in a sugary voice,
"Dad, Hetiger and I had gone back to my parents' house. My father was planning to keep us there for dinner. But as soon as you came back, our plans were completely ruined."
Tang Xiachuan had long since grown accustomed to his daughter-in-law's attitude. However, with Jiang Ning present, he still snorted angrily—though this time he genuinely was upset.
"Hmph! Hetiger, Jinchai, you two can head right back to your father-in-law's house for dinner. From now on, don't bother coming back to the Tang family!"
Tang Hetiger had always feared his father. He quickly grabbed his wife's arm and forced a smile.
"Dad, please don't say that. Jinchai just speaks her mind. She wasn't trying to offend you. Jinchai, apologize to Dad."
Wang Jinchai shot her husband a vicious glare that clearly promised retribution later.
Then she pouted.
"I didn't say anything wrong. That's exactly what happened. Since I didn't do anything wrong, why should I apologize?"
Seeing the atmosphere becoming tense, Tang Hecai hurried over to smooth things out.
"Alright, alright. Dad, calm down. What my sister-in-law said is true enough.
We're family. Let's not spoil the mood. Besides, Master Jiang is here.
Third Brother, let me introduce you. This is Master Jiang. Dad specially traveled to Cangnan City to meet him.
Master Jiang, this is my third brother, Tang Hetiger, and his wife, Wang Jinchai."
Tang Hetiger immediately stepped forward with a warm smile and shook Jiang Ning's hand.
"Hello, Master Jiang. I never expected someone so young. Truly young and accomplished."
Jiang Ning smiled politely.
"Hello, President Tang. You're too kind."
Meanwhile, Wang Jinchai's eyes lit up. She openly sized Jiang Ning up from head to toe before eagerly stepping forward and grabbing his hand.
"Oh my, Master Jiang, you're so handsome! Do you have a girlfriend?
How about I introduce you to one? I have a close friend who's gorgeous, and her family is incredibly wealthy."
Jiang Ning laughed awkwardly.
"Sister-in-law, you're teasing me. I'm already married."
Wang Jinchai sighed dramatically, but her gaze remained glued to him, almost as though she wanted to devour him whole.
"Oh? Married so young? What a pity."
"Ahem."
Tang Hetiger coughed lightly.
Only then did Wang Jinchai snap back to reality and release Jiang Ning's hand.
"Master Jiang, let's exchange contact information later. My father owns the Wang Group. In Kyoto, our company ranks fourth.
If you ever need any help, just tell me. I'll have my father take care of it."
Jiang Ning nodded courteously.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law."
Privately, Jiang Ning found himself unable to like Wang Jinchai.
The way she looked at him was exactly the same as Nini's mother and Tuantuan's mother. It made his skin crawl.
Soon, dish after dish was served.
Tang Xiachuan beamed.
"Master Jiang, please try the food. This first dish is one of our Tang Hotel's signature specialties—Dream of the Great Tang.
Take a look. The carrots and cucumbers have been carved into ancient city walls and pavilions. The diced stir-fried pork tenderloin in the center symbolizes prosperous citizens living within the city.
The first bite gives you the tender texture of the pork, followed by the rich aroma of our secret sauce. It's meant to transport you straight back to the flourishing golden age of the Tang Dynasty."
He then pointed to another dish.
"This is Imperial Dragon Scale Shrimp.
We use premium deep-sea lobsters. The meat is removed, coated in a special crispy batter, then fried until golden, resembling glittering dragon scales.
The accompanying sauce is made from freshly squeezed dragon fruit juice mixed with salad dressing. Dip the shrimp into it, and you'll enjoy both the sweet, springy seafood and the refreshing sweet-and-tangy sauce. It's an unforgettable combination."
He continued enthusiastically,
"This is Jade Green Peas with Golden Pearls, Chef Yan's masterpiece.
We use the freshest young peas, bright green like fine jade.
The quail eggs in the center resemble golden pearls.
The peas are first simmered in chicken broth until they've absorbed all the savory flavor, then paired with quail eggs fried until golden on both sides.
The peas are soft and fragrant, while the eggs are crispy outside and tender inside. The balance is just right."
Another dish arrived.
Tang Xiachuan smiled.
"This is Ink Charm Tea-Smoked Chicken, another unique creation.
We use free-range chickens marinated for several hours with secret spices and premium Longjing tea leaves.
The chicken is wrapped in lotus leaves before being slow-steamed.
The moment you open the lotus leaf, the fragrance of tea, lotus, and chicken fills the air.
The meat absorbs the tea aroma, making it incredibly tender while leaving a subtle tea fragrance that lingers pleasantly on the palate.
Master Jiang, please give it a try and tell me what you think."
Jiang Ning nodded.
"Alright."
In truth, with his current late Grandmaster-level culinary skills, Jiang Ning could identify every flaw at a glance simply by looking at each dish.
He could immediately tell which dish was overcooked, where the seasoning was slightly off, which ingredients didn't complement each other perfectly, and where the technique could be improved.
However, he chose not to point any of it out.
After all, it wasn't easy for the head chef to make a living here.
If he openly listed too many shortcomings, it would embarrass the chef far too much.
Instead, Jiang Ning sampled a small bite of every dish.
Tang Xiachuan watched him the entire time.
Having personally tasted Jiang Ning's cooking before, he knew Jiang Ning's culinary skills far surpassed those of his own head chef.
He didn't expect Jiang Ning to openly critique the dishes, but he hoped to judge the quality of each one from Jiang Ning's facial expressions.
To his surprise, after tasting every signature dish, Jiang Ning's expression remained completely calm.
There wasn't the slightest trace of delight or amazement.
It was as though these dishes were simply... ordinary, nothing particularly special at all.
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