The Conquered Diner

Compared to Wang Long's fried rice, this one is truly worlds apart!

After a few bites, Liang Mengqi picked up chopsticks from the side and picked up a grain of rice, examining it closely.

The grains were plump and round, white and crystal clear. She tried biting into one, and the texture made her sigh repeatedly:

"I'm afraid what the boss said is true. Even Thai fragrant rice dried for a hundred years couldn't compare to his."

She then picked up a small piece of egg and tasted it, which gave her a feeling she'd never experienced with eggs before.

It was only the diced carrots that brought her back to reality.

"These carrots... these are the real deal." Liang Mengqi's gaze was slightly distant as she finally tasted something a little familiar in the carrots.

"This fried rice is truly worth fifty thousand. The boss selling it for two hundred and eighty yuan is really a conscientious merchant."

Liang Mengqi sighed, thinking of the two young girls who had left. If they knew how good the fried rice tasted, they would probably regret their decision to leave!

Liang Mengqi began to eat bite after bite. As she ate, she forgot everything else, her eyes only on the fried rice before her!

Even after finishing it, Liang Mengqi still instinctively reached into the container with her spoon. When she realized there was no more food, a sense of loss welled up within her.

She turned her head and glanced inside, seeing that Mengmeng and Zhang Han had also finished. The Little Princess was praising Daddy's delicious food.

"Boss," Liang Mengqi called out softly.

"Hmm?"

"Um..." Liang Mengqi said shyly, "I'm still hungry. Can I have another order of fried rice and some milk?"

"Okay."

Zhang Han nodded and walked to the kitchen counter. There was about half a plate of fried rice left. He scooped some for Liang Mengqi and poured her a glass of milk. He was about to bring it over when he noticed the girl trotting happily behind him, watching with eager eyes.

So, Zhang Han placed it directly on the small bar counter outside the kitchen. Liang Mengqi received it like a treasure, carefully carrying the food over.

"Daddy, Mengmeng wants some too, but... but I'm full already," Mengmeng said with a slightly conflicted expression as she sat at the dining table.

There was still a third of her plate of rice left.

"If you're full, you can't eat anymore. Daddy will make you some tomorrow morning," Zhang Han said, smiling as he gently stroked Mengmeng's little head.

"Hmph! But why can the older sister have two servings?" Mengmeng huffed.

"Because as people grow, their appetites grow too."

"Then, then when will Mengmeng grow up? Mengmeng wants to eat too," Mengmeng pouted, her eyes never leaving the fried rice on her plate.

"Mengmeng will grow up slowly," Zhang Han said, taking the plate and placing it in the sink.

Without seeing the fried rice, Mengmeng's desire lessened by a third.

Zhang Han carried Mengmeng and sat on a small sofa next to the piano.

"Daddy, why are we sitting here? Mengmeng wants to go play with her toys," Mengmeng asked curiously.

"You need to rest for a while after eating. Listen to Daddy play a couple of piano pieces, and then you can go play," Zhang Han said with a gentle smile.

Some say walking a hundred steps after a meal will make you live to ninety-nine, but little do they know this saying isn't entirely correct. Generally, one needs to rest for half an hour after a meal, sit quietly for a bit, and then exercise. Exercising immediately after eating can affect digestion.

Mengmeng's lower lip had begun to pout when she heard she couldn't play, but her spirits lifted upon hearing that Zhang Han was going to play the piano. She raised her little arms, welcoming Daddy's performance.

Zhang Han sat on the piano bench, opened the lid, and his fingers glided from the left side of the keys to the right.

Zhang Han listened to the piano's tone and nodded with satisfaction.

The tuning was excellent. It seemed that Zhao Kai's friend was indeed a professional.

"A piece... Canon Variations, dedicated to my lovely baby Mengmeng."

Zhang Han spread his hands and looked at Mengmeng with a smile before playing, saying this.

This made Mengmeng overjoyed, and she said in her milky voice, "Daddy you are the most handsome!"

"Hehehe."

Zhang Han chuckled, shook his head, took a gentle breath, and pressed down.

A timeless masterpiece, Canon Variations, began to play.

By this time, Liang Mengqi had also finished her fried rice. She patted her slightly full stomach and shook her head in amazement.

This fried rice was just too delicious!

Even Liang Mengqi's discerning palate could eat two servings of fried rice, which was enough to show what Zhang Han's fried rice meant to a foodie!

'I really don't know how he made it!'

Liang Mengqi took a small sip of milk, savoring its rich aroma, when suddenly, the sound of a piano flowed into her ears.

She involuntarily turned her gaze.

Huh? He can play the piano too?

Liang Mengqi felt a sense of curiosity.

'How unexpected. And he plays quite well.'

Liang Mengqi looked at Zhang Han's profile. Her tongue had just enjoyed a feast, and now her ears were being treated as well. For a moment, she was lost in a daze.

The Canon Variations Zhang Han played had a tempo that was somewhat surprising compared to the sheet music, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down. Although the melody remained that of the Canon, the shifting tempo seemed to bring the Canon Variations to life, making the song alternately joyful and melodious.

Regardless of how he played, it was evident that Zhang Han's piano skills had reached a certain level.

He's a piano master!

Liang Mengqi murmured to herself, gazing at Zhang Han's profile.

She had some understanding of the piano and enjoyed listening to many piano pieces. She knew that when a person no longer needed sheet music, controlling the tempo of the piece rather than being controlled by it, they had become a piano master of their generation!

Just like the piano prodigy from Huaguo she knew, Lang Zong.

Lang Zong was a world-class piano master. Before returning to Huaguo, he had conquered the conductors of the world's top ten symphony orchestras, and all the living piano masters in the world, including his teacher, the dean of the Curtis Institute of Music, Gary.

Curtis was ranked among the top three classical music academies in the world. However, since Lang Zong became famous worldwide, Curtis had maintained its number one ranking for the year. Despite these accolades, the people of Huaguo didn't even know who Lang Zong was. She recalled an incident when he returned to Huaguo; due to his lack of fame, the organizers had demanded he be replaced. This move had enraged the accompanying world-class symphony orchestra and conductor on the spot, who berated the organizers for their ignorance, not even recognizing the new leading figure in the world of piano performance.

How come he feels... even more impressive than Lang Zong?

As Liang Mengqi listened, such a thought unexpectedly welled up in her mind. Even she was somewhat surprised. After all, Lang Zong was a world-renowned master!

If Zhang Han could know Liang Mengqi's thoughts, he would surely chuckle lightly.

Five hundred years, and you could do it too!

"This piece is finished. I'll play Summer of Kikujiro for Mengmeng next," Zhang Han said with a light smile.

"Daddy's so amazing..." Mengmeng said with a hint of admiration on her face. Although she didn't quite understand the music, seeing her daddy's hands fly across the piano keys made her feel he was incredible.

Liang Mengqi sat on her chair, with no intention of leaving. She felt a sense of admiration for Zhang Han, despite their unpleasant first meeting.

Just as Zhang Han was about to start playing the piano, another group of customers arrived at the restaurant.

This time, it was finally a group of men: four young lads, about seventeen or eighteen years old, walked in.

"Boss, what do you have to eat here?" one of the young men asked.

Seeing this, Liang Mengqi sighed inwardly, figuring the boss would have to get busy with the new customers, and she was about to leave.

However, to her surprise, Zhang Han didn't even turn his head. He simply replied indifferently:

"We're sold out for today."

"Oh." The young men turned and left.

This made Liang Mengqi pause slightly, feeling Zhang Han's power once again.

If she hadn't eaten two portions of his food, she would have thought this was a fake restaurant. Who runs a business like this? Selling a couple of portions while cooking for their daughter, and then closing?

"What a strange person," Liang Mengqi muttered to herself.

The next moment, the crisp sound of the piano rang out again. This time, it was Summer of Kikujiro, its cheerful rhythm played by Zhang Han with divine skill.

After finishing this piece, Zhang Han closed the piano lid, concluding his performance.

"So good!" Mengmeng praised.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Liang Mengqi, from the back, couldn't help but applaud enthusiastically.

"What's your name?" Liang Mengqi asked Zhang Han, looking at him with curiosity.

"I, my daddy's name is Zhang... Han, and my name is Mengmeng," Mengmeng replied in her childish voice.

"Zhang Han..."

Liang Mengqi smiled and said, "You play the piano very well."

"Mm," Zhang Han nodded slightly.

"Your fried rice is even better, and your milk is especially delicious. How do you make them? Is it because the raw ingredients are better?" Liang Mengqi was very curious.

"The ingredients I use can't be found anywhere else," Zhang Han replied with a slight smile.

"Can't be found anywhere else? Then what should I do? You've spoiled my taste buds; after eating your food, I don't want to eat anyone else's!" Liang Mengqi pondered for a moment, then quickly asked, "When do you usually open?"

"It depends on my mood." Zhang Han hadn't considered the time issue. However, he only planned to sell some food incidentally while cooking for Mengmeng, not to be available at all times.

I guess I'll have to put up a sign at the door, so customers don't come in knowing the business hours.

Zhang Han mused, stroking his chin.

"Depends on your mood?" Liang Mengqi was slightly taken aback. This was the first time she had encountered such a restaurant.

But thinking about the taste of the fried rice earlier, she had no interest in any other delicacies and was already looking forward to coming back the next day. So, she continued to ask, "Then do you have specific opening hours? I want to come back tomorrow for the fried rice."

As she spoke, Liang Mengqi put on a pitiful expression, as if to say she wouldn't be happy if she couldn't eat the fried rice.

"Probably for all three meals: morning, noon, and evening. From seven to eight in the morning, twelve to one in the afternoon, and six to seven in the evening. Sometimes I'll open, sometimes I won't." After thinking about it, Zhang Han finally gave a somewhat precise timeframe.