The pieces of red-nose duck that soaked in the water for three minutes still showed no trace of blood. After draining and carefully wiping them with absorbent paper, Wang Fan placed each piece into the pot.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..."

A subtle sound of oil frying emerged, and the slightly gamy aroma of the meat blended with the spice fragrance from just now.

However, Wang Fan didn't give it more time to develop; once all the duck was in, he directly added a bit of light soy sauce, rice wine, and dark soy sauce for a quick stir-fry. The addition of more seasonings made the slight gaminess of the duck meat disappear completely.

The duck skin of the red-nose duck was originally somewhat golden, and after this stir-frying, it became even more golden. Wang Fan took the sauce he had just prepared and poured it all into the clay pot. Then he threw in a small bundle of freshly washed and tied scallions and directly covered the lid of the clay pot.

What followed was a conversation between the fire and the duck meat, no longer needing the chef's involvement.

A thin white smoke drifted from the small hole of the clay pot under low heat, and the aroma in the kitchen gradually grew richer. Even Shen Teng's dad and a few others, chatting in the dining room, couldn't help but notice the smell.

The topic of conversation revolved around Wang Fan, with Shen Teng excitedly sharing with his parents the achievements Wang Fan had accumulated along the way.

Like causing a sensation among the culinary experts, or boosting local tourism, leaving Shen's dad, mom, and Aunt Wu utterly amazed.

In disbelief, Aunt Wu murmured, "Just by cooking a dish, the whole nation is travelling around? Are they really that idle?"

Shen Teng immediately replied, "It's not that they're idle, they just can't control their cravings. I can't help it; what Wang does is just too delicious."

Shen's mom chuckled, "If I'm not mistaken, this Wang Fan should be younger than you, yet you call him 'bro' so smoothly."

Shen Teng was unfazed by his mom's teasing: "He's more capable than I am, so calling him 'bro' isn't a loss. Besides, the last person to enjoy Wang's exclusive cooking was Melon-Emperor Grandma Wu, so you three can just enjoy it."

Shen's dad laughed heartily, "Alright, alright, looks like we're really benefiting from our son's connections today. But hearing you say it like that, it seems a bit daunting. What have we done to deserve the same treatment as Grandma Wu?"

"Sniff, sniff..."

Aunt Wu suddenly sniffed twice, then a rich, delicious aroma was drawn into her nose.

The unique blend of old ginger and duck was very obvious; one sniff and you knew it was ginger duck stew.

"Huh? Looks like this Mr. Wang also made ginger duck stew, but why does it smell so good?"

Hearing her words, Shen's dad and the others couldn't help but sniff as well. Whether it's the duck meat or the ginger aroma, indeed it's more intense.

"All the ingredients were prepared by us, yet Mr. Wang's cooking is so much better than ours?"

Aunt Wu has been cooking for over thirty years. While she's never claimed to be a master chef, she's always been quite confident in her culinary skills. Initially, she couldn't help but want to compete with Wang Fan's cooking, but just the smell already made her hesitate.

Shen Teng proudly stated, "Wang has said that the secret to his delicious cooking is actually three points: first is using real ingredients, second is the proper combination of spices, and third is his ability to communicate with the fire. He says half of his culinary excellence comes from mastering the heat."

Aunt Wu unconsciously nodded; heat control is definitely a crucial aspect of cooking.

This Mr. Wang Fan's culinary skills indeed seem remarkable!

During the slow simmering of the duck, Wang Fan wasn't idle; he began preparing the other ingredients.

Especially with the chick stew, it also required some time to stew, naturally taking the second place in the process.

The chick stew, known as 'chicken stewed with mushrooms' in the Northeast, was renamed to sound fancier when taken elsewhere.

He happened to have some small mushrooms purchased from a fellow local in Guizhou, which would make the chicken stew exceptionally savory.

The chicks weren't large, only about one and a half pounds each. He chopped the two chickens into small pieces for easier cooking and flavor absorption. The small mushrooms were already cleaned and soaked, and the soaking water, being valuable, was not to be discarded.

Spices were added to the pot for fragrance, and the washed and wiped chick pieces were stir-fried in the pot. The intense flames followed Wang Fan's pan-flipping motions, roaring in the pot, then extinguishing in an instant, as the chicken pieces visibly tightened up.

The chicken skin gradually transformed into the Northeastern golden gradient color, then covered with yellow wine and soy sauce, and braised with the lid on for two minutes.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a rich aroma of the chicken meat surged out.

The deliciousness of the chicken and the aroma of the duck blended at this moment, leaving the few people not far away in the dining room no longer interested in talking.

At that moment, they only felt their mouths watering and stomachs growling, not in the mood to converse indeed.

Even Shen's dad, having tasted a wide range of delicacies, couldn't help but silently acknowledge: "Truly, a good reputation isn't undeserved. Despite looking very young, his skills are genuinely impressive."

After lifting the lid, Wang Fan poured the soaked mushrooms and hot water directly into the pot. After stirring well, he added the soaked sweet potato vermicelli, covered it, and let it simmer.

The subsequent dishes proceeded in an orderly manner, and for him, mastering the technique of preparing mandarin fish and squid spirals was as easy as drinking water.

...

Torment, enduring, painful yet immensely anticipatory.

This was the feeling of the four people outside.

The overwhelming fragrant aroma of dish after dish drifting right beneath their noses—how many people could endure such torment?

The saliva in their mouths hadn't stopped since the aroma of the duck meat began to spread. Instead, the more dishes there were, the greater the flood-like tendency.

Originally curious about what exactly Wang Fan was making and how the dishes could be so fragrant, but later they focused only on controlling their drooling, losing any interest in what exactly he was doing.

"Clack..."

With a faint sound, the kitchen door opened, and at once, they pretended to sit upright, clearing their throats, as Wang Fan pushed the serving cart out.

As he approached the dining table, Wang Fan introduced with a smile, "First, happy birthday to Uncle Shen. Wishing you health and delicious meals in the future. Today, I've prepared a total of six dishes: ginger duck stew, oyster omelet, squirrel mandarin fish, chick stew with mushrooms, mint spicy lobster stir-fry, and celery green pepper squid stir-fry. Finally, I'll make a bowl of longevity noodles, hoping you live to a ripe old age."

His words weren't just pleasantries; they were heartfelt. Based on his current interactions and what Shen's dad has done in the past, he knows this is a socially responsible entrepreneur. Naturally, he wishes for more such people.

Shen's dad was incredibly delighted, "Thank you, my young friend Wang, for preparing all this. Just from the aroma, I can tell this will be an incredibly delicious meal—possibly the best birthday meal I've had in years."