Chapter 12: Don't Judge by Appearances (Part 1)

  "Are you kidding me?" Shen He smiled and said: "Even if I had four stomachs, I couldn't eat that much."

  "That's better than going hungry, anyway. The kitchen will still send food over at noon, just eat your fill."

  Shen Mo also put down his guard, took a towel to wipe his neck clean, and changed into the clothes sent by Hua Ping.

  Seeing Shen Mo put on a moon-white long shirt, tie up the same-colored waistband, step into a brand new cloth shoe, and neatly bundle his hair behind his head, Shen Jing couldn't help but stare blankly, shouting loudly: "I didn't see it wrong, you're actually a pretty boy!" Then he looked dejected and said: "At first I saw that you were wearing tattered clothes, thinking you looked about the same as me."

  Looking at Shen Mo's appearance, Shen He also became somewhat stunned, his eyes unknowingly becoming blurry, and he choked with sobs: "I've never even made you a decent set of clothes..."

  "Men don't eat with their faces, what's the point of caring about his looks!" He said, rolling his eyes. "If it weren't for the sake of the Shen family's reputation, I wouldn't bother with this nonsense."

  "What's with your Shen family." Shen Jing corrected very seriously: "It's our Shen family!"

  "It's all right." Shen Mo turned back and smiled at Shen He: "Dad, I'm leaving, you can rest assured now."

  Shen He nodded and reminded with a worried face: "Safety first, don't be reckless..."

  As the two of them went out, when they got to the second floor, they ran into Seventh Sister and her husband. One was holding a lantern in front, while the other carried a tray behind. Seeing Shen Mo come down, Seventh Sister exclaimed in surprise: "Just now I didn't hear any noise, how did you come out this quickly?"

  "Fourth Master asked me to go ahead and eat." Shen Mo said with a smile.

  "Ah, this...this..." Seventh Girl smiled gloomily and said: "The chef's culinary skills are far better than mine."

  Chen Mo saw the tray full of plates and bowls and couldn't help but say: "Seven Ge and Seven Jie are troubled again."

  "Today is Young Master's big day, how can we not show our respect." Seventh Girl quickly composed herself and said: "Young Master Shen hasn't eaten yet, let's bring it up to him."

  "It's no use." Shen Mo smiled and said, "He can't even eat it himself."

  Shen Jing on the side said impatiently: "It just so happens that my uncle is alone and bored upstairs, you bring the food up there and keep him company."

  Everyone was overjoyed when this happened. Seventh Sister then went upstairs with her husband in high spirits.

  The two arrived at the dining hall in the front yard, and the servants had already prepared a large table of dishes, with seven or eight varieties of dim sum. Shen Jing invited Shen Mo to sit down and eat, and Shen Mo asked softly when he saw no one else coming out: "Just the two of us eating?"

  "Uh, my dad said there are too many people and you might not feel comfortable." Shen Jing picked up his rice bowl and said: "Let's just the two of us eat." In fact, his old man was afraid that Shen Mo didn't understand the rules, and if things went wrong, it would be embarrassing and he wouldn't know how to get out of it, so he didn't let others come along.

  To be honest, Shen Jing also had the idea of watching Shen Mo make a fool of himself. Who let this kid be so arrogant all day long, clearly younger than himself by several years, yet always acting like an elder brother. Being able to see him embarrass himself was truly exhilarating.

  "Can't we get this table of dishes for two taels of silver?"

  "Never mind about the silver, it's just to make you eat comfortably." Shen Jing smiled and said: "Of course we can't finish eating, the various departments will be divided soon, and it won't go to waste anyway."

  Silence sat down, rinsed his fingers in a clean basin, wiped them dry with a white towel, and then began to eat.

  At the sight of his calm and composed demeanor, Shen Jing's eyes widened in surprise. She saw Shen Mo scoop a bowl of fragrant congee, then take out a small glutinous rice ball shaped like a yuanbao, using a delicate pair of scissors on the table to cut off the knot that tied the rice ball, skillfully removing the layers of leaves wrapped around it, dipping it into the small dish of white sugar before taking a bite, sipping some congee, and eating slowly.

  Shen Jing knew that this kind of elegance that came from within was something he could never learn in his lifetime, and he couldn't help but lament: 'Is there no justice in the world? His father said he had never attended a banquet since childhood, yet he looks even more seasoned than my own father.'

  At this time, the chef personally brought up two steamer baskets and smiled: "Fourth Master, your favorite beef big wonton soup." As he spoke, he placed a basket in front of each person.

  Shen Jing's eyes lit up, and he laughed: "This is a delicacy, hurry up and eat it while it's hot, or it won't be tasty anymore." He urged Shen Mo to quickly use... This kid Shen Jing is great in every way, but he's just too competitive. His family's chef is from Jingjiang, so he knows how to make this "big soup bun" that can't be found in Shaoxing. This dish has a bit of magic to it - the first time you eat it, you're always tricked.

  He still vividly remembers the first time he ate this "big wonton", he picked one up, opened his mouth to take a bite, and saw a stream of soup shoot out, scalding him so badly that he flung his hand back, throwing the wonton behind him, with soup all over his body and hands...

  Now he is harboring a mischievous mind, waiting for Shen Mo to perform 'Su Qin's Back Sword' once.

  He wasn't too worried that Shen would get angry, because the fragrant soup would captivate anyone, making them forget their worries and eagerly wanting to taste it.

  After the hot air dissipated, a snow-white and crystal-clear large package appeared in front of Shen Mo's eyes... Yes, there was only one in the cage, although the cage was a bit small, but it was enough to show how big this bun was.

  The wrapper of the 'big wonton' was thin as paper, almost transparent, with delicate and even folds on top. The whole thing looked like a plump and full white peony that was about to bloom. With just a slight movement, you could see the soup inside gently swaying, like the tender skin of a beautiful woman, which would break at the slightest touch.

  Not to mention eating it, just looking at it is a feast for the eyes.

  Admiring the dish, he silently applauded and said: "Crystal clear, delicate to the point of being fragile. Master, your craftsmanship is excellent."

  The cook suddenly smiled and said, "Whether it's authentic or not, you have to taste it for yourself. Young master, please try some." Ah, flattery will get you somewhere - now he's even using the word 'appreciate'.

  He nodded silently, first wiping his right hand on a white towel, then using the tips of three fingers to carefully pick up the steamed bun from the folds on top. He slowly placed it in a dish filled with vinegar. Then he lowered his head and leaned in close, using his front teeth to gently bite open a small hole on top of the bun. From that small hole, he slowly sucked out the soup broth. This was a delicate task, as the skin of the bun was thin and tender, and the juice inside was rich and scalding hot. If one wasn't careful, the skin would break and the soup would leak out, ruining the whole thing.

  After sucking up all the soup, the bun still maintained its original shape, but had lost that jade-like luster. Shen Mo's face turned bright red with infinite satisfaction: "This flavor should only exist in heaven..."

  The cook sincerely praised: "I've been making wontons all my life, and you're the best eater I've ever met."

  Shen Jing on the side was thoroughly convinced, and picking up Da Ge said: "Brother, you're a born noble!" As he spoke, he also wanted to learn Shen Mo's eating method, but got scalded on his lips, and with a painful expression said: "This eating method isn't suitable for me." Then he tore open the baozi from the top, dipped it into the sauce bowl, and ate it bite by bite, making a mess inside and out, with soup splashing everywhere. He smiled awkwardly and said: "It's still more enjoyable to eat like this, your way may be elegant, but it sucks away the essence, what's left is insipid."

  He was silent for a moment before teasing him, and intentionally calming him down, smiling faintly: "It doesn't matter, using ginger rice and fragrant vinegar to accompany the meal also has a different flavor."

  "Good sir, you're a connoisseur!" The cook exclaimed in admiration.

  Division line

  I want to eat wontons now, I'm craving them... It's said that tickets can satisfy cravings.