While the clerk was still queuing to buy “boneless chicken strips”, Liu Yuan and the others, knowing that Wen Mingtang was going to make a new snack today, didn’t return to the main hall after lunch. Instead, they simply stayed in the kitchen chatting with Wen Mingtang and the others while waiting for the snack.

After the kitchen staff finished preparing, Wen Mingtang brought out the processed “boneless chicken strips”. As soon as the boneless chicken strips, coated with batter and marinated, entered the oil, countless bubbles rushed out, enveloping the strips of boneless chicken. The boneless chicken strips, surrounded by countless oil bubbles, rolled in the oil, gradually rising to the surface, and their color gradually changed from the original light white to a pale golden yellow.

Wen Mingtang used a strainer to scoop out the fried boneless chicken strips and then sprinkled them with salt and pepper powder, five-spice powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, and other seasonings according to personal taste. Once the chicken strips were evenly coated with the spices, she quickly poured them into an oil-paper bag, inserted a bamboo skewer into the bag, and handed it to Liu Yuan.

This first serving of boneless chicken strips landed in Liu Yuan’s hands! Even through the oil-paper bag, the freshly fried boneless chicken strips were still scalding hot, causing a slight tingling sensation on his fingertips. But with the rich aroma of meat and spices and his mouth watering, Liu Yuan couldn’t bear to let go.

What was that slight tingling? He endured it!

Holding the bamboo skewer, he inserted one of the boneless chicken strips, pulling it out. How could he resist the irresistible aroma of the fried meat? Liu Yuan blew lightly on the boneless chicken strips to cool them down slightly, then leaned forward and took a bite.

A crisp “crunch” filled the air as the batter coating rolled in the oil, forming a crispy outer layer! The batter was thin, so biting through it revealed the tender chicken meat beneath the crispy exterior. After chatting with Wen Mingtang and the others, Liu Yuan already knew the chicken strips were made from chicken breast.

Anyone who has eaten chicken knows that chicken breast is dry and tough, lacking oil. But this processed chicken inside wasn’t dry at all; each bite released a burst of juice while offering a slight chewiness.

The crispy outer layer and the juicy, chewy interior—the texture was truly exquisite! Even more wonderful were the spices sprinkled on top!

Cumin, salt and pepper, five-spice powder, chili, and other spices are ground into a fine powder using a stone mortar. The slightly overpowering aroma of the spices coats the crispy outer shell, creating an unexpectedly enticing flavor when paired with the already tender and savory chicken tenderloin! Although it doesn’t have the rich, tender fat of beef or lamb suitable for grilling, the originally dry chicken breast, after marinating and deep-frying, bursts with juice! The meat was tender, and the taste was truly exquisite, irresistible!

Chef Wen’s snacks were always in high demand! Liu Yuan, who was quick to grab a bite, wisely bought two servings. He ate one while walking, and unsurprisingly, it was already empty by the time he reached the main hall.

He waited until he sat down to finish the other serving, then, while still reading his unfinished storybook, he held a skewer in one hand, enjoying a bite of the juicy, crispy boneless chicken tenderloin and a sip of rich, sweet caramel milk tea, all while listening to the captivating and fantastical tale – truly a delightful experience!

Seeing his colleagues belatedly rushing to queue for boneless chicken strips, even scrambling for snacks with the students, brought an even greater sense of joy.

“As members of the Dali Temple, our observational skills should be astonishing, and we should also have the ability to predict,” Liu Yuan said smugly, popping the last boneless chicken strip from his oil-paper package into his mouth as he watched his colleagues return empty-handed. “Didn’t you all see that Chef Wen went to the estate to buy meat with Purchasing Manager Ji yesterday during his day off? You must have guessed that we’d be getting new snacks today!”

Delicious food wouldn’t stay in the public kitchen waiting for them; it would have been snatched up by those greedy diners long ago!

Liu Yuan couldn’t help but exclaim again, “Chicken strips with milk tea are truly a joy in life!”

Bai Zhu, who was peeling roasted chestnuts, hadn’t managed to snag the most sought-after chicken strips, but he had managed to get his hands on some roasted chestnuts.

Hearing Liu Yuan’s sigh, Bai Zhu tossed a piece of roasted chestnut into his mouth, glanced at him sideways, and said without any politeness, “The last time your greatest joy in life was xiǎomǐ guōbā with milk tea, the time before that it was lǔ yā huò with suānméi yǐnzi, and there was also bīngfěn—you, Liu Yuan, really have quite a lot of life’s greatest joys!”

Hearing this sarcastic remark to Liu Yuan, everyone burst into laughter.

Liu Yuan paid no heed to these sarcastic remarks. After laughing with the crowd for a while, his gaze swept around the packed hall before settling on the empty cushion behind the table with a porcelain vase beside him. He exclaimed, “Where’s Wei Fu? I haven’t seen him all day. The case was handed over to Lord Zhao. Where did he go?”

Upon hearing this, a clerk who knew the inside story said, “Lord Wei came this morning, but less than half an hour later, a neighbor came looking for him, saying that his family had eaten something unclean and had an upset stomach. Since there’s nothing urgent at the Dali Temple, Lord Wei asked for leave to go home and be with his family.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhu, who was peeling chestnuts nearby, exclaimed, “Wow, the whole family lives under one roof. How come only his family suffered, while Old Wei is fine?”

“That’s because our public kitchen prepares the food cleanly!” the clerk joked, then paused slightly before explaining seriously, “It’s almost the end of the year…”

With the end of the year approaching, it was time for most people’s stomachs to be rewarded.

The clerk said, “His neighbor bought some slaughtered chicken, duck, and pork yesterday and cooked a lot of dishes, inviting his family to dinner. Look, Old Wei was still helping Lord Zhao copy case files yesterday and didn’t go home for dinner; he ate at the public kitchen.”

Since the neighbor treated them to dinner yesterday, they returned the favor by treating us to breakfast today. This morning, because Chef Wen made pickled cabbage and beef noodles, which Old Wei also likes, he didn’t eat breakfast with his family but came to the Dali Temple instead. Now, I don’t know if yesterday’s dinner was unclean or if their homemade breakfast was unclean, but I heard that both families have stomach problems…” The clerk shook his head as he said this, “I heard it’s quite severe, much worse than a normal stomachache! People are too weak, so Lord Wei took leave to go back and take care of his family.”

“So that’s why.” Liu Yuan secretly took a roasted chestnut from Bai Zhu’s hand, peeled it, and popped it into his mouth. He savored the soft, sweet chestnut meat but didn’t think much of it. “It’s common to get an upset stomach. After resting for a couple of days and eating some light meals, my stomach will recover, and I’ll be fine!”

(End of Chapter)

---