After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

"Alright, alright, I was just kidding. You actually took it seriously. Anything made by you, Boss Lin, I'd pay for it even if it were 320, let alone 320!"

Li Dayong waved his hand generously and strode back to his seat. "Quickly, give me another serving of this stuffed tofu! My terrible stomach is counting on your cooking to keep me going today!"

"I'll have one too." Chairman Chen smiled and sat down. "Old Lin's cooking is definitely worth over three hundred yuan."

Lin Fan washed his hands and turned around.

On the kitchen counter, Su Xiaoxiao had already neatly arranged all the prepared ingredients.

Inside the food storage container, blocks of handmade stone-ground tofu, each with a pre-dug indentation, lay as white as jade. Beside them, in a stainless steel bowl, minced black mountain pork emitted the delicate aroma of scallion and ginger water.

Lin Fan picked up a small spoon and deftly stuffed the minced meat into the holes of the tofu, smoothing and pressing it down.

Pick up the tray and gently slide the stuffed tofu pieces into the pot along the edge, meat side down.

"Sizzle—"

The black mountain pork made a crisp popping sound as it came into contact with the boiling hot oil.

The high temperature quickly coagulates the protein on the surface of the minced meat, locking in the moisture inside.

As the bottoms were seared until slightly golden brown, an extremely rich aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of soybeans wafted directly into the dining room from the open kitchen.

The diners who had just sat down and were rubbing their hands to warm them stopped what they were doing when they smelled the aroma and couldn't help but swallow.

Lin Fan gripped the pot handle and used his wrist strength to swing it back and forth, causing the tofu blocks to slide smoothly across the bottom of the pot.

Take a long chopstick and turn the tofu over one by one. Then pour in an appropriate amount of water, add a few drops of light soy sauce, cover with a glass lid, and simmer over low heat.

In less than fifteen minutes, the broth in the pot thickened.

Lin Fan lifted the pot lid, and steam rose up.

He used chopsticks to pick out the tofu pieces that had absorbed the broth, neatly arranged them in a long white porcelain plate, and finally poured the thick, bright broth from the bottom of the pot evenly over them.

"Serve your food." Lin Fan pressed the bell in front of the stall.

Su Xiaoxiao picked up the tray and delivered two steaming servings of premium minced meat stuffed tofu to Li Dayong and Chairman Chen respectively.

Li Dayong was starving. Looking at the plate of glistening, tempting stuffed tofu in front of him, he couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks, take a piece, and take a bite.

"Ouch—it's so hot!"

He was sucking in air, but he couldn't bear to exhale.

The outer skin of the tofu has a slightly charred, chewy texture, while the inside is as soft and tender as a steaming ball of soy milk.

The countless tiny pores in the handmade tofu have completely absorbed the rich broth.

Under the pressure of your teeth, it bursts out with a mouthful of sweet and fresh juice.

The black pork filling inside is firm and chewy, without any greasiness. Instead, the richness of the animal fat perfectly complements the clean, fresh aroma of the tofu.

Before Li Dayong could savor the taste, the hot tofu had already slid down his esophagus into his stomach.

A gentle, rich warmth slowly spread through his stomach, gently enveloping his bloated and sore stomach from eating the construction site's communal food the night before.

The unpleasant spasms and acid reflux lessened considerably in the blink of an eye, replaced by an unprecedented sense of comfort.

"Old Lin... amazing!" Li Dayong's eyes widened, and he didn't care that it was hot, he quickly picked up a second piece and stuffed it into his mouth.

Mr. Chen across from him also finished a piece, closed his eyes, and felt the nourishing warmth in his stomach. He couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

"Old Lin, your skills are impeccable. There's a lot to it about this stuffed tofu; it'll be a must-order dish for me from now on."

Other regular customers who entered the hall one after another couldn't resist the urge to eat, seeing Chairman Chen and Li Dayong's eager eating habits and the tempting aroma wafting in the air.

"Xiao Su! Give me one of those new stuffed tofu dishes too!"

"I want one too! Hurry, those thirty will sell out soon!"

The hall was filled with warm steam, mixed with the rich aroma of beans and meat, completely keeping the chill of late autumn and early winter outside the glass doors.

Just then, the heavy windproof curtain at the shop entrance was suddenly ripped open.

A gust of cold wind blew, and the high heels clicked crisply on the ground.

"Boss Lin, did you manage to get my order of the Premium Beef Noodles from yesterday?"

A woman's voice, tinged with weariness yet feigning ease, rang out in the hall.

Lin Fan put down the kitchen knife in his hand and turned around.

Shen Man walked in hurriedly, wearing a long khaki trench coat and carrying a black briefcase full of documents.

Compared to her casual, pajamas-clad look in the hospital emergency room last night, she wore delicate makeup and her hair was neatly styled today.

However, the faint dark circles under her eyes betrayed her fatigue from staying up late last night and running around this morning.

Lin Fan wiped his hands on his apron, glanced at her, and said, "We didn't sell out. Sit down, I'll get you yours right away."

Shen Man let out a long breath, walked to an empty table by the window, and placed her heavy briefcase on the chair. She took off her trench coat and hung it on the back of the chair.

"President Shen? Long time no see." Chairman Chen happened to be sitting at the next table. When he saw who it was, he greeted him with a smile.

Shen Man turned her head, somewhat surprised, then nodded politely: "Chairman Chen, it has indeed been a while since we last met."

"I heard you quit your job and started your own business?"

Chairman Chen, a man of many social standing, casually remarked, "The current economic climate is tough; starting a business is far more tiring than working for someone else."

"Who says otherwise?" Shen Man rubbed her sore neck and gave a wry smile.

"I visited three investment institutions this morning, and my lips were practically worn out from talking so much, but all I got was empty promises from them. I didn't get a single penny."

"I was so hungry that my stomach was practically sticking to my back, so I rushed over to Boss Lin's place to replenish my energy."

Several regular customers were chatting in the lobby.

Lin Fan had already started cooking in the kitchen.

When the lid of the broth pot was lifted, the rich, white soup, simmered overnight with black mountain pork bones and free-range chicken, bubbled and simmered, its aroma filling the air.

Lin Fan started a new pot, brought water to a boil, and threw in a handful of noodles. He used long chopsticks to gently stir the noodles in the boiling water to prevent them from sticking together.

He timed it perfectly, scooped out the noodles with a slotted spoon, shook off the excess water, and poured them into a large white porcelain bowl.

Then, he scooped out a large piece of tender and flavorful braised beef shank from the pot next to him.

Place it on the cutting board, and as the knife slices through, abundant juices seep from the meat's texture.

Last night at the hospital, Shen Man joked as she left that she wanted to eat two bowls of noodles with two extra pieces of meat.

Lin Fan remembered. He didn't hold back and cut double the usual amount of beef, spreading a thick layer of beef on top of the noodles, almost covering the noodles underneath.

Scoop up a spoonful of piping hot, rich, white broth and pour it down the side of the bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of bright green scallions and drizzle with two drops of bright red, secret-recipe chili oil.

"Serve the food."