Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Tongtong, Don’t Cry, Talk to Uncle "Lüshi

Among them were the buns sold in the shop, wild tuna sashimi,

and several of Jiang Liu’s own off-menu creations: stir-fried suckling pig with chili, coin eggs, shrimp noodles, Di San Xian, stir-fried tuna with chili, and a tomato and shrimp ball soup.

The last dish, a soup, was a sudden inspiration from Jiang Liu.

The process incorporated techniques used for making buns. To put it simply, he mashed fresh Little Cyan Dragon shrimp meat into a paste with the back of a knife, repeatedly pounded it with green onion, ginger, and garlic, then added cooking wine, starch, and other seasonings. After a bit of skillful pounding, he began boiling the mixture in water.

"Mr. Jiang, you’re incredible! This looks ten times better than what my wife makes!"

Jiang Liu looked at the men, who were swallowing hard in anticipation, and chuckled.

"This is all for now. It’s not much, so I hope you two don’t mind."

Xia Changzhi inhaled the steam, which was thick with all sorts of aromas, and was practically bursting with happiness.

"It’s more than enough! I haven’t even tried most of these before!"

"I would have been satisfied just getting to eat one of these dishes today!"

"Daddy, you’re the best."

Wang Cheng couldn’t control the saliva pooling in his mouth.

"Can we start eating now?"

The great lawyer’s pride was gone. At this moment, he just wanted to devour every dish on the table in front of him!

"Go on, eat. Why is everyone just sitting there staring?"

Jiang Liu gestured with his hand, inviting the two to begin.

The pair could no longer hold back. They were the first to pick up their chopsticks, grabbing a piece of the fragrant, stir-fried suckling pig and popping it into their mouths.

The suckling pig was incredibly fragrant, without the earthy, gamey taste of commercially raised pork.

Wang Cheng was astonished.

’My God! How can his pork be this delicious?’

As it entered his mouth, the skin was crispy and fragrant; he could even hear a faint, crisp crackle. But amazingly, the meat inside was incredibly tender. As he chewed, the flavor of the pork, accompanied by the aroma of the chili, exploded across his palate.

Wang Cheng couldn’t stop his arm from moving.

’Let’s try the shrimp noodles.’

’Hm? These noodles are so fresh and savory, and there’s shrimp oil too. It’s absolutely delicious!’

’The Di San Xian is great too, even more authentic than what you’d get at a big restaurant.’

’Hey, these shrimp balls are springy and crisp, and the soup is super-duper tasty!’

Originally, Wang Cheng had brought Xia Changzhi here just to discuss business; the meal was meant to be a simple formality.

But now, the two of them were the ones eating most fiercely at the entire table.

A bite of bun, a bite of a side dish, followed by a gulp of shrimp soup.

Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong, the two ladies young and old, ate gracefully and slowly.

They weren’t worried about not being able to eat it again in the future.

Lin Qiu and Jiang Dahai were also too polite to eat too quickly.

At the table, only the master and apprentice were wolfing down their food.

The sound of their smacking lips was nonstop.

Jiang Liu fought to hold back his laughter.

Those two had completely forgotten about saving face.

Seeing there was only one shrimp ball left, the two of them extended their chopsticks at the same time.

’Mine!’

’Got it!’

With a flick of his wrist, Wang Cheng snatched it and dropped it into his own bowl.

Xia Changzhi’s eyes widened. "You brat, you don’t even know how to respect your master anymore, do you?"

He moved his chopsticks to snatch the shrimp ball as he spoke.

Wang Cheng immediately popped it into his mouth. "So hot—mmph, delicious! I don’t care. Finders keepers."

’No way I’m giving this up,’ he thought. ’A shrimp ball this good? I might never get to eat one again.’

Frustrated, Xia Changzhi furiously stuffed a large mouthful of coin egg into his mouth.

The coin egg was also incredibly delicious.

That soothed his frustration.

「Twenty minutes later.」

The dishes on the table were nearly empty.

"Sigh, I can’t eat another bite. My stomach is going to explode!"

"Boss Jiang, I, Wang Cheng, am truly in awe of you. I have to come here often from now on. Seriously, I can’t even imagine what I’d do without your shrimp noodles and your buns."

Wang Cheng leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stomach.

He had no idea how much he’d eaten.

Whenever he felt too full, he’d take a sip of refreshing fruit juice and then keep eating.

Jiang Liu said with a smile, "Sure, but don’t blame me if you get fat."

"Ha! Don’t worry. As long as you don’t close down, I could eat here for a lifetime."

Xia Changzhi was also stuffed, leaning back in his chair and letting out a satisfied burp. He sighed and said,

"It’s such a shame. The biggest regret of my life is not meeting Boss Jiang sooner."

"I’ve eaten Boss Jiang’s food for so many days now, but it’s still as delicious as the very first time."

For the sake of Jiang Liu’s food, he wished he could borrow another fifty years from heaven just to keep eating.

Jun Qingmeng, who was nearby, raised a delicate eyebrow. If it were any other woman talking to Jiang Liu like that, she would have flipped the table in a jealous rage right then and there.

"Thank you for the compliments. If you two really like the food, you’re welcome to come by often."

The two men’s eyes lit up.

Wang Cheng said, "Thank you so much, Boss Jiang! I’ll be sure to bother you more often in the future. And if you ever need any help, just say the word."

Jiang Liu smiled and nodded. "No bother at all. That’s fine."

He really needed this kind of connection.

Especially when you reach a certain level of success, there will always be people looking to cause trouble.

In those moments, a lawyer is crucial. They can solve a lot of problems for you.

Wang Cheng didn’t dare to rest for long. He sat up straight, folded his hands on the table, and looked at Tongtong.

"Tongtong, I’m now going to act as your lawyer to help you with something. For the next part, you need to answer my questions carefully, okay?"

Wang Cheng was being very formal. He wanted to show off his professionalism in front of Jiang Liu to prove his worth.

’This way, maybe I can bring my master along to score a few more free meals in the future!’

Tongtong was stuffed. She had been lying back in her chair like a salted fish, but when she heard him address her, she quickly sat up straight and proper.

"Okay, Tongtong is listening. I’ll answer carefully."

After Jiang Tongtong spoke, her eyes darted over to look at Jiang Liu.

’Daddy, aren’t I being super well-behaved and cute?’

Lin Qiu, Jiang Dahai, and Jun Qingmeng all turned to look at Tongtong at the same time.

Their expressions turned serious as well.

Jiang Liu, for his part, sat to the side and gave Tongtong an encouraging smile.

Wang Cheng took out a black burner phone. "Mr. Jiang, what’s about to be said is rather important. I need to record it for our records. Do you consent?"

He had to ask the guardian first; otherwise, he couldn’t legally record her.

Although he knew Jiang Liu would trust him, he still had to go through the proper procedures.

Jiang Liu nodded. "I consent."

Wang Cheng started the recording and, enunciating clearly, asked:

"Tongtong, do you still want to see your mother?"

Tongtong’s faint eyebrows furrowed. "Uncle Lawyer, she is not Tongtong’s mommy. Her name is Yang Yixue. I don’t like her, and I don’t want to see her."

The corner of Wang Cheng’s mouth twitched. He asked again, "Then what did your mo— uh, Mr. Jiang’s ex-wife, Yang Yixue, do to you that makes you not want to see her?"

"She always bullied Tongtong, hit Tongtong, and wouldn’t let Tongtong eat. When we used to live together, she was super lazy. She made Daddy and me do all the chores at home."

Tongtong finished in a huff, her little eyes sneaking a glance at Jiang Liu.

’Isn’t your little angel doing a great job?’

Jiang Liu ignored her little expression.

Wang Cheng nodded. "How did Yang Yixue usually treat you? Can you give me a detail?"

"A date-tail? Daddy, do we have any dates?"

Everyone present nearly fell out of their chairs.

Wang Cheng quickly apologized. "Sorry, my mistake."

He considered his approach for a moment, then deliberately guided her.

"Tongtong, let’s try this. Regarding how Yang Yixue usually treated you, can you recall any specific, clear memories?"

Usually, the things one remembers with such clarity are either very good or very, very bad.

Wang Cheng knew very well how to press his side’s advantage.

Tears started to well up in Tongtong’s eyes.

Just thinking about the past made her feel so wronged!!

"Don’t cry, Tongtong. Just tell Uncle Lawyer what happened," Jun Qingmeng said, gently patting Tongtong’s hairclip.