txolops Chapter 52 The Soup Brings a Shock
Chapter 52 The Soup Brings a Shock
Secretary Chen, carrying two plastic bags and wearing high heels, entered the building's elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.
The elevator doors opened, and the top floor was quiet.
The door to Conference Room One remained closed, indicating that Su Qingxue's meeting was clearly not yet over.
Secretary Chen walked to her workstation and put down one of the bags.
Then, carrying another bag, she pushed open the slightly ajar door to the president's office and placed the lunchbox and soup bowl on the desk.
After doing all this, she quietly withdrew and closed the door behind her.
Back at her workstation, Secretary Chen sat back down in her chair and untied the plastic bag containing her dinner.
She first took out the box of fried rice with gold foil and put it aside, then took out the transparent plastic soup bowl.
While she was queuing downstairs, she overheard people sitting on the flowerbed next to her praising the soup.
But upon closer inspection, the soup in the bowl had a light amber color and was so clear it looked almost like a glass of warm water.
"You can't even see a speck of oil or minced meat. Can it really be as fresh as those people downstairs say?"
Secretary Chen had some doubts.
As the president's chief secretary, she is usually very strict with herself regarding her figure.
She basically cut out carbohydrates for dinner, and thick soup made with chicken and pork bones was an absolute no-no in her diet plan because it was too high in calories.
If the soup hadn't looked so bland and clean, she would have thrown it away.
She reached out and lifted the plastic lid.
The moment the lid was lifted, a pure aroma of meat wafted out.
It doesn't have the muddy taste of star anise, cinnamon, or other spices; it only has the natural flavor of chicken and bones after being simmered for a long time.
Secretary Chen hesitated for a moment, then picked up the bowl, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip.
The warm broth slid into my mouth.
Secretary Chen froze instantly.
The deliciousness of the old hen spreads effortlessly on the tongue, sweet and mellow, without any fishy smell or the expected greasiness.
She put down the bowl, looked at the crystal-clear liquid, and her eyes were full of surprise.
"How on earth did they manage to get through this...?"
Secretary Chen muttered to himself.
She originally intended to only take one small bite and then stop, but her body's instincts completely overcame her calculations regarding calories.
She picked up the soup bowl again and took a big gulp.
The warm, soothing soup flowed down my throat, making me feel completely comfortable.
One bite after another, I just couldn't stop.
In less than two minutes, Secretary Chen finished the entire bowl of soup, leaving not a single drop.
She put down the empty plastic bowl, rubbed her stomach with some annoyance, and sighed, "Oh no, after drinking this soup, I'm definitely going to exceed my calorie limit for tonight."
But the lingering sweetness and deliciousness in her mouth made her feel no guilt whatsoever for those two minutes.
This soup was totally worth it.
"bite--"
Just then, the elevator door at the end of the corridor made a soft sound.
Su Qingxue rubbed her temples and walked over in her flat leather shoes.
She had just finished an interdepartmental meeting, and her usually cool face showed undisguised fatigue.
Upon seeing this, Secretary Chen quickly stood up.
"Mr. Su, the meeting is adjourned."
Secretary Chen greeted him respectfully.
"Um."
Su Qingxue responded and stopped beside Secretary Chen's workstation. "Did you buy dinner?"
"It's back, Mr. Su."
It's already on your desk.
Secretary Chen answered truthfully.
She thought for a moment and then added, "Mr. Su, there's something new at the stall downstairs today."
A bowl of soup was included free with your fried rice purchase, so I brought it along as well.
Su Qingxue frowned slightly: "The daily soup?"
"Yes."
Secretary Chen nodded. "The boss said it's a clear broth made from old hen and pork bones, with the oil removed."
I thought it looked clean, so I just picked it up.
Secretary Chen didn't dare to praise how delicious the soup was, for fear that his subjective evaluation would influence the boss's judgment.
After all, President Su's anorexia had just improved, and his requirements for food were still very strict.
Su Qingxue nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
With her current appetite, being able to comfortably eat that dry fried rice every day is already her limit.
As for the free soup from the roadside stall that comes with the meal, she didn't have any expectations.
"Okay. Pack your things and go home early too."
Su Qingxue left a sentence, turned around, pushed open the office door, and went inside.
The office door was closed, shutting out the sounds from outside.
Su Qingxue walked to the large desk and sat down in the leather swivel chair.
On the table, the packed lunchbox and soup bowl sat quietly.
A series of cramps in her stomach reminded her that she had eaten past her usual mealtime.
Su Qingxue ignored the bowl of clear soup next to her and reached out to lift the lid of the fried rice.
The familiar aroma of scallion and egg wafted out, calming her somewhat agitated nerves.
She tore open the plastic spoon packaging, scooped up a spoonful of golden rice, and put it in her mouth.
Chew and swallow.
The rice was still dry and distinct, the egg was tender, and the scallions had a pleasant aroma.
She ate quietly, one bite after another, maintaining her composure but not slowing down her pace.
A few minutes later, most of the box of fried rice was gone.
The agonizing dizziness from low blood sugar gradually subsided, and my strength began to return.
But after eating so much extremely dry fried rice with strictly controlled moisture, her throat began to feel a little tight.
The dryness gradually spread in my mouth.
Su Qingxue stopped eating and instinctively reached for the thermos on the table to drink some warm water to soothe her throat.
As soon as she reached out, her gaze fell on the transparent plastic soup bowl next to her.
"A clear broth made from old hen and pork bones..."
She remembered what Secretary Chen had said earlier.
Su Qingxue withdrew her hand, took the soup bowl with some skepticism, and lifted the plastic lid.
The liquid in the bowl was crystal clear, with a pale amber color.
If it were a murky, thick soup with oil floating on top and a white hue, she might feel nauseous just from the smell.
But the soup in front of me was so clean it looked like a cup of warm tea.
Su Qingxue picked up the bowl and tentatively took a small sip.
The warm broth touched the tip of my tongue.
Su Qingxue suddenly froze.
A rich, pure umami flavor explodes in your mouth instantly.
There wasn't a trace of greasiness, nor any trace of MSG or complex spices.
This deliciousness comes entirely from the pure, original flavor of the ingredients, which has been extracted and refined to the extreme after long-term simmering.
The soup flowed down his dry throat.
The slight dryness accumulated from eating fried rice earlier was perfectly washed away, replaced by a warm and refreshing sensation.
My stomach feels warm and cozy.
A look of extreme shock flashed in Su Qingxue's eyes.
As the president of Yintai Group, she has frequented many high-end restaurants, especially those romantic, star-rated restaurants that claim to represent the highest level of Western cuisine.
One of the most prized signature dishes of chefs at those Michelin-starred restaurants is the top-quality clear broth they prepare over dozens of hours using various intricate processes.
She had once spent a fortune to taste it.
But at this moment, as Su Qingxue held the bowl of soup, only one thought occupied her mind.
The premium clear broth that those star-rated restaurants abroad are so proud of is as bland as a glass of dishwater compared to the free soup served at this roadside stall.
This is the real soup.
This is true freshness.
Su Qingxue looked at the plastic bowl in her hand, then glanced at the half-eaten box of fried rice on the table.
A bite of dry, crunchy fried rice paired with a sip of delicious, lightly simmered soup.
This originally simple street food was given a sense of perfection at this moment.