The person who exclaimed just smiled without saying anything, eagerly stuffing the noodles into their mouth and slurping away.
There was no stopping them.
When you actually eat a bowl of noodles , whether it’s for the sense of ceremony or other reasons, it’s hard to bite the noodles off with one bite but instead, you keep sucking them in, chewing as you go.
The serving size for the longevity noodles isn’t particularly large, because it’s a banquet. Qin Huai made each portion with a sufficient length but relatively thin and slender, a reduced portion of longevity noodles.
For those who eat fast, a bowl of noodles is already gone.
"These noodles are really nice, so delicious and chewy! Where did President Han find the chef? Which restaurant is it from? Could it be Zhiwei Restaurant?"
"There’s a real possibility. Isn’t Xu Cheng sitting at the main table? If Xu Cheng were willing to make the introduction, maybe Zhiwei Restaurant would do him this favor."
"Is it really that exaggerated? Let me try it."
For a while, the entire banquet hall was filled with the sounds of people eating noodles and gulping down the broth.
At the main table, Wang Jing, being a good mother and having already had longevity noodles earlier in the morning, didn’t eat first herself. Instead, she picked up the specially made, youth mini-sized version of longevity noodles by Qin Huai for Han Youxin, blew on it, and upon finding the temperature to be right, fed it to her son.
"Come, Youxin, open your mouth, let’s eat noodles," Wang Jing said gently.
As the birthday star of the day, Han Youxin hadn’t actually eaten much of the dishes earlier.
The child was too young, and many things couldn’t be eaten. Wang Jing and Han Guishan only dared let their son taste the flavors.
Then they themselves ate voraciously.
Hardly full, and having smelled the fragrant longevity noodles, Han Youxin cooperatively opened his mouth wide and even made an "ah" sound.
Wang Jing fed the noodles into her son’s mouth.
Han Youxin contentedly chewed the noodles with his still growing teeth, biting off a small piece, and after swallowing, impatiently opened his mouth again, signaling to his mother to quickly feed him.
Wang Jing seldom fed her son in this way, usually it’s the family nanny who does this and she wasn’t very skilled, feeding too slowly. Han Youxin, being anxious, wished he could grab the bowl and chopsticks to eat himself.
Han Youxin’s two aunts were devouring their noodles like a storm.
If Qin Huai could see how Han Guishan’s two sisters were eating their noodles, he would definitely remark on how everyone in the Han Family eats in such a manner.
Unfortunately, Han Guishan’s two sisters didn’t have President Han’s appetite; a bowl of noodles and they were full.
The sisters were in a daze.
The younger sister asked, somewhat bewildered, "Sis, I think I’m full, what if I have no room for the Four Happiness Glutinous Rice later?"
The sisters were both puzzled.
Han Guishan heard their confusion and chimed in, "No worries, I’ve asked Master Qin to make extra portions of Four Happiness dumpling’s dough. I’ll give you both some to take home and cook. It’s just the same."
Only then did the sisters feel reassured.
But very evidently, they were reassured too soon.
Because the next snack was served.
To be precise, two snacks were served simultaneously, Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns and Three Meat Buns joined the table almost at the same time.
In the kitchen, Zang Liang watched over the four pots containing Four Happiness glutinuous rice, waiting to time them perfectly to fish them out, portion them, and then cool them.
"Qin Huai, I’ve always had a question, why do the Four Happiness glutinuous rice come last on the menu?"
"Normally after eating longevity noodles, followed by Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns and Three Meat Buns, one ought to be stuffed; then finishing with Four Happiness glutinuous rice, would they even manage?"
"It wasn’t meant to be served last, originally Four Happiness glutinuous rice was supposed to be served first." Qin Huai replied, somewhat helplessly.
"But it was after President Han tasted the Four Happiness glutinuous rice yesterday and really liked it, he insisted it must be served last, to fill in the gaps for him."
"President Han’s exact words were, on a birthday feast, only rounding it off with a bowl of Four Happiness glutinuous rice makes the meal perfect."
"But don’t worry, the Four Happiness glutinuous rice is served per head, Assistant Chen prepared lots of takeaway boxes. If one’s too full, they can take it away."
"Everyone also gets one portion of uncooked dough as a souvenir from the birthday feast."