So this “Triumph on All Fronts” was not filled with odds and ends from the butcher. Instead, it featured lake shrimp, a thickened beef broth, paper-thin slices of flowerfish, the local specialty known as jumping mushrooms with their rich, crisp bite, and a handful of vegetables to round out the heat.0

The dish won praise up and down the table. Even Li Fubo declared that he would be back often. The grandmaster artisan was not built for spice—two mouthfuls in, he had to sluice down three gulps of wine to cope—but the burn was simply too addicting. He dabbed his nose with a soft handkerchief again and again, laughing between sniffs.1

Madame Ying tugged discreetly on He Lingchuan’s sleeve and murmured, “It’s delicious, truly, but it leaves our guests rather unbecoming.” Every face is flushed beet red, noses are running, and people are sniffing and huffing like bellows. What sort of high-class banquet is this? It’s fine for family, but for entertaining guests…0

He Lingchuan nodded his head at once. “Mother is absolutely right.”0

On other tables, he even spotted red-oil stir-fried river snails—a sign that the new chili-oil series was a hit with diners.0

The city had only been reopened for business...0