Is the approach in Chapter 38 wrong?

By this time, Luo Qinzhu had also finished tasting her dish. In fact, she knew without even tasting it that the dish was definitely substandard.

She looked at Nan Xu, her eyes unconsciously filled with anticipation.

"Ah-Xu, you... have something in mind?"

"Hmm." Nan Xu nodded. "There are two main problems with the Huangshan Maofeng tea in this dish."

"Firstly, the aroma is not rich and long-lasting enough; it completely dissipates by the time you taste it, failing to counteract the greasiness of the soup."

"Secondly, it has a slightly bitter taste, which is extremely discordant with this dish and must be removed."

As he spoke, he walked to the shelf where the ingredients were placed: "In that case, as long as we find an ingredient that can preserve the aroma and suppress the bitterness, we can restore the original flavor of this dish."

Luo Qinzhu's eyes lit up: "I see... I understand!"

She had some idea of ​​what Nan Xu was saying.

However, her thinking was rather vague, unlike Nan Xu, who could immediately and accurately pinpoint the key points after just one sip of soup.

After Nan Xu's guidance, Luo Qinzhu instantly understood, as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining through, and her mind was suddenly enlightened.

The rest is quite simple.

That is—try, try one thing at a time.

"Sister Qinzhu, I'll take charge of the ingredients here, and you take charge of the other side." Nanxu didn't waste any time and acted decisively.

He planned to start by trying out a few ingredients he was more confident in, based on his own seasoning experience.

"No problem." On the other side, Luo Qinzhu's movements were just as swift.

When it comes to her understanding of ingredients, although she may not be as good as Nan Xu, she is still one of the best among her peers.

After a brief exchange, the two fell silent and went about their own business in tacit agreement.

……

Two hours later.

"...No, the rock tripe doesn't bring out the natural sweetness of the ingredients. Next one." After taking a bite, Nanxu frowned and put down the soup bowl in her hand.

"I've tried many kinds of mushrooms, but they're not quite right. The mushroom flavor tends to overpower the other flavors," Luo Qinzhu said regretfully, shaking her head. "Axu, how many other ingredients haven't we tried yet?"

Nan Xu pondered for a moment: "There are still quite a few, but... I just feel like this can't go on."

"I'm wondering if we've gone in the wrong direction."

"Did you go in the wrong direction?" Luo Qinzhu asked in confusion.

"That's right." Nan Xu nodded. "Since the 'Hundred Rivers Flow into the Sea' culinary technique can blend the flavors of various ingredients... then why are we still fixated on the substandard Huangshan Maofeng tea?"

Luo Qinzhu instinctively wanted to say that it was because filling in the gaps in a flavor that had already been determined required relatively less work.

But she quickly realized—

Such thinking actually limits one's perspective.

There is only one flavor that can perfectly complement the inferior Huangshan Maofeng tea. For example, if the flavor of top-grade Huangshan Maofeng is 100 and the flavor of inferior Huangshan Maofeng is 84, then the ingredients used to blend with it in "Hundred Rivers Flow into the Sea" must be 16.

但如果不纠结于使用次品黄山毛峰，可以选择的食材就多了。就好像90+10可以是100，50+50也可以是100……

She made a quick decision: "Okay, let's try a different approach."

Seeing that Luo Qinzhu understood what he meant, Nan Xu smiled.

Although this was almost tantamount to negating all their efforts over the past two hours, he did not regret these sunk costs.

Starting over isn't scary; what's scary is not having the courage to start over.

He picked up another bamboo shoot from the food shelf, his determination undiminished.

Nan Xu had a premonition that this time, he was close to getting the right answer.

……

The next day.

At noon, the sun was blazing.

It was lunchtime, and the entrance to Baiweilou was bustling with people.

A carriage came to a steady stop at the alley entrance. The curtain was lifted, and Prefect Zhao slowly stepped out.

"Lord Ding, we have arrived." He bowed slightly, his expression showing a hint of respect.

Then, a thin, middle-aged man stepped out of the sedan chair.

He was dressed in simple navy blue casual clothes, yet his eyes and brows exuded an air of quiet authority.

Ding Baozhen nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Baiweilou signboard, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes:

"Baiweilou... Thanks to an old friend, I had the privilege of tasting the cooking of the former head chef, Luo Qingfeng."

"I've been so busy with work that I haven't been able to come to the store to try it myself until today. I finally have the chance."

The two entered Baiweilou one after the other.

Soon, a lean middle-aged chef dressed in a blue long gown came forward to greet them.

"This humble subject, Wang Yi, pays his respects to Lord Ding and the Prefect!"

Wang Yi bowed deeply, his face plastered with a fawning smile, his posture extremely respectful.

His voice was clearly obsequious: "You two esteemed gentlemen have graced our humble abode with your presence. We have prepared tea; please, sirs, proceed to our private room for a cup of tea!"

Ding Baozhen frowned slightly. He didn't like the man's overly solicitous tone, but he didn't say anything more, only giving a faint "hmm".

Wang Yi led the way, his smile never fading, but a hint of coldness lurked in his eyes.

Others might not know what will happen next, but he knows it perfectly well.

Under the Jiang family's instructions, Qingxi Tea Shop had already tampered with that batch of "top-grade Huangshan Maofeng" tea, replacing it with old, inferior products.

Now, Luo Qinzhu is like a skilled cook without rice to cook.

Without the right ingredients, you still want to make a 100% authentic Lingquan Yizhongxian? Dream on!

Once she makes a fool of herself in public, the Jiang family will take the opportunity to push her off the stage, and he, Wang Yi, will be the next head chef!

Thinking of this, the smile on his face became even brighter.

Ding Baozhen and Prefect Zhao settled into their private room, and soon Luo Qinzhu came out.

"Greetings, Lord Ding and Lord Zhao." She bowed slightly, her voice neither humble nor arrogant.

Ding Baozhen's stern gaze softened, and his voice became gentle: "You must be Luo Qinzhu... Years ago at a banquet, your father's 'A Cup of Fresh Spirit Spring Water' amazed me."

"Unfortunately, that dish was packed from Baiweilou, and by the time it was served, it had already missed its best time to be enjoyed."

"It has always been my regret that I was unable to come to Baiweilou to taste your father's cooking when he was in charge of the kitchen."

"I am honored by your praise, sir. My father would be very pleased to hear this," Luo Qinzhu replied, bowing her head.

After a pause, Ding Baozhen continued, "I came to Baiweilou today because I wanted to make up for this regret."

Then, half-jokingly and half-inquiringly, he asked:

"I just wonder... how much of his skill you've inherited?"