I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 789 - 346 Li Qiang: What’s it like to become an ex-boyfriend before even dating? Cooking sour cabbage fish! [Subscribe please]_3

Chapter 789: Chapter 346 Li Qiang: What’s it like to become an ex-boyfriend before even dating? Cooking sour cabbage fish! [Subscribe please]_3

He thanked them and went to order some food and drinks, meanwhile using his phone to ask Yue Liyue and Panda to come over for a drink.

While eating chestnut braised rice, Shen Baobao whispered to Geng Lele, "I’ve figured it out. These dieters are all singletons, each with a hidden talent."

Geng Lele nodded in agreement, "Exactly, singletons with hidden talents."

The "silly squad" didn’t participate in the strategizing at all; instead, they poked fun at the "fat-loss squad."

"What are you two whispering about?"

"Nothing, nothing. We’re discussing Fish with Pickled Greens."

Speaking of Fish with Pickled Greens, Zeng Xiaoqi asked curiously, "What kind of fish can be used for Fish with Pickled Greens? I don’t like Grass Carp; it has too many bones. Are there any fish with fewer bones suitable for it?"

You’re asking us?

Shen Baobao said, "I heard Lin Xu mention before that snakehead, bass, and even leopard coral grouper can be used. There’s no particular preference, but for a TV shoot, it would probably be snakehead or Grass Carp, right?"

The show *Tastes of the World* is about teaching the audience to cook, not flaunting wealth, so the ingredients are definitely chosen for their everyday, home-style quality.

Shu Yun said, "You’re worrying unnecessarily. With the head chef of Fishing Platform in charge of Sichuan cuisine, how could they possibly let you get stuck with a fish bone? You just enjoy eating your fill at the TV station tomorrow. Anyway, we won’t be there to see it."

"That’s right. You go ahead and mercilessly pack on the pounds while the rest of us continue our diet."

Zeng Xiaoqi was speechless. It’s as if I’ve betrayed the organization. Last time you guys secretly ate Fried Pork Chops, why didn’t you mention dieting then? Hmph, those guys are all so sly!

「The next morning.」

After Lin Xu finished breakfast and took care of matters at the restaurant, he drove to the Yanjing City TV station to participate in the filming segment for the Fish with Pickled Greens dish.

「Elsewhere.」

As Li Qiang clocked into the company, he saw Qi Panpan standing in the tech department’s office area from afar.

However, by the time he got closer, Qi Panpan had already entered her own office.

Clearly, she didn’t want to run into him.

Standing at the door of the tech department manager’s office, Li Qiang took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in!"

He pushed the door open and placed a can of Seven-colored Water Chestnut Cake on the desk. "I brought you some snacks."

Qi Panpan, pretending to read the meeting minutes, glanced over and said, "So flashy. You must have used this trick to charm many young women before... Go get the HR manager’s signature; she’s leaving for a job fair at nine-thirty."

After Li Qiang left, the stern-faced department manager’s expression changed in an instant. She tossed aside the meeting minutes and eagerly picked up the can.

"No wonder netizens praise it. This Seven-colored Water Chestnut Cake really is beautiful."

She happily took a photo of the can with her phone and sent it to her besties group chat, typing, "A beautiful day starts with Seven-colored Water Chestnut Cake, a gift from my fiancé-to-be! It’s a genuine Lin Ji’s Food product. Hurry and flood the screen with envy, haha!"

Many girls are like that; no matter how strong their aura or how elegant their demeanor, they tend to become silly in front of their best friends.

Soon, the group chat was filled with "blessings."

"May your chest get smaller and smaller."

"May your legs get shorter and shorter."

"May your butt get flatter and flatter."

"May your belly grow bigger and bigger."

"..."

Hahaha, just be jealous of me!

"Panpan, why ’fiancé-to-be’?"

"I would have normally accepted his confession, but he just had to dig his own grave and make me angry. So, I’ve given that stinker a ’suspended sentence’."

"Are these Water Chestnut Cakes really from Lin Ji’s? I heard that Lin Ji’s Water Chestnut Cakes sell out by noon. When did he buy them? He isn’t tricking you, is he?"

Qi Panpan replied cheerfully, "No way. He was Lin Ji’s first customer. He often brought snacks from Lin Ji that weren’t sold to the public to share with colleagues. So, even though others can’t buy these special Water Chestnut Cakes, he has no problem getting them."

In fact, the can of Water Chestnut Cake had been made especially for Li Qiang by Lin Xu the night before.

Li Qiang was about to escape singledom, and as his buddy, Lin Xu felt it was only right to give him a little push.

The friends in the group chat were truly envious now.

Being Lin Ji’s first customer—what an immense honor!

「The TV station.」

Lin Xu parked his car, took the keys, and walked into the Travel Channel’s office.

"Hello, Boss Lin."

"Welcome, welcome."

"Boss Lin, you haven’t appeared in the videos for many episodes now, have you?"

"..."

Lin Xu smiled and greeted everyone before entering Zeng Xiaoqi’s office.

The beautiful host was at her computer, busy managing the Lin Ji’s Food online forum: highlighting important posts, deleting inappropriate comments, and banning ad bots.

"The Candied Ginger Slices are about to blow up! As soon as netizens share pictures, those who couldn’t buy them go crazy. Some are even reselling unopened Candied Ginger Slices at high prices."

Lin Xu said with a smile, "The kitchen will increase production."

Making Candied Ginger Slices wasn’t complicated or time-consuming, so they could definitely make several more batches each day.

While they were chatting, Dai Jianli came in holding a bag.

"You’re here so early, Chef Dai? What’s in the bag?"

Dai Jianli had planned to come early to familiarize himself with the venue. The kitchen setup at the filming location was more suited for home cooking, which could be slightly awkward for someone used to professional stoves.

He hadn’t expected Lin Xu to arrive so early either. "I brought some homemade pickled items—pickled cabbage, pickled radish, pickled ginger, Pickled Peppers, wild mountain peppers—and a Grass Carp weighing a little over three jin. These are the usual ingredients for making Fish with Pickled Greens, nothing particularly fancy."

Zeng Xiaoqi hadn’t expected Shu Yun (the "Boss Lady") to be so accurate. The home-style recipe indeed didn’t use overly fancy ingredients.

She’d even wondered if Chef Dai might sneak a leopard coral grouper from Building 10.

If there were no restrictions on ingredients, this renowned chef might actually do something like that.

Soon, the filming venue was ready, and the program’s consultant, Geng Lishan, also arrived on set.

While getting her makeup done, Zeng Xiaoqi didn’t forget to tell the scriptwriter, Xiao Wei, "Make sure to cook extra rice. We ran short last time when Chef Song made steamed fish."

"Just focus on your makeup; you’re always thinking about food! Your lines are written out for you; don’t forget to memorize them while you’re getting your makeup done." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Zeng Xiaoqi pouted. "It’s not that I forgot! The food just captivated my mind. If you have to blame someone, blame the guest chefs for their amazing cooking that made my brain forget the lines. It’s not that I didn’t memorize them."

As she spoke, she looked down at her script and read, "My name is Zeng Xiaoqi: sour, a bad cook, and totally extra!"

"Xiao Wei!"

"Haha, just kidding, Zeng! The real lines are on the back. I’m off to cook the rice now. You focus on your makeup."

Zeng Xiaoqi picked up an eyebrow brush and started on her makeup.

But in her heart, she was already fantasizing about the sour, spicy, and savory taste of the Fish with Pickled Greens. For lunch today, should I have two bowls of rice, or three? What a dilemma!

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