At this moment, Wang Guan humbly stated, “Boss Ding, if you have the time, you should take the painting to a specialized appraisal agency and have them conduct a thorough evaluation. That way, you can be much more at ease.”

“Good, I certainly will when I have the chance.” Boss Ding nodded repeatedly. If it were only a matter of a few thousand or ten thousand yuan, he wouldn't have paid much attention, but hearing Wang Guan imply the item was worth tens of thousands—not an insignificant sum—meant it couldn't be dismissed lightly.

“When the appraisal results are out, remember to treat us to a meal.”

Expert Zhu chimed in with a smile, “It’s fine if you don't treat me, but you absolutely must treat Mr. Wang.”

“Of course, of course.”

Boss Ding offered a sincere smile. Even if he suspected it was just polite talk, there was nothing obviously wrong with his demeanor.

“I won’t say more.”

At this point, Wang Guan turned back to the jar placed on the dining table, his expression a mixture of anticipation and confusion: “The legendary Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is supposed to fill the neighborhood with fragrance. Why is there no scent at all now that it’s been served?”

The implication was clear: he suspected Boss Ding was trying to fob them off with just any jar.

Expert Zhu laughed and explained, “Mr. Wang, you wouldn’t know. This is actually the normal phenomenon. If you could smell it now, it would mean this Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was not a success.”

“Oh.”

Wang Guan reacted quickly, pondering thoughtfully, “The jar opens, and the aroma drifts for miles. This means that before the jar is opened, the fragrance is completely sealed inside, and only upon uncorking it does the rich scent diffuse?”

“Precisely, that’s how it is.” Boss Ding quickly nodded, then invited Wang Guan and the others to take their seats before carefully lifting the lid himself.

In that instant, an indescribably rich aroma drifted out—a complex blend of scents. Chicken, duck, mutton knuckle, pork stomach, tendon, ham, crisp chicken and duck skin, fish maw, shark fin, sea cucumber, abalone, dried scallop, pigeon egg, shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoots—the eighteen main ingredients and twelve auxiliary ingredients fused together, seemingly encompassing all the delicacies of the human world.

After the various raw materials and seasonings were separately processed and prepared, they were layered into the jar, the opening sealed with lotus leaves, covered, and slow-stewed for five or six hours, allowing the fragrances of all ingredients to fully integrate. Once uncorked, the potent aroma instantly permeated the air, floating like mist, penetrating the senses, making everyone’s appetite soar and their mouths water.

“Excellent…”

At this point, Wang Guan couldn’t help but praise, then smiled, “Just smelling it makes my mouth water.”

“Since that’s the case, let’s try it!”

“Everyone, please don't be polite, here, help yourselves…”

After a brief exchange of courtesies, Wang Guan took a ladle and gently scooped a portion, soup and meat included. He didn't know exactly what kind of meat it was, but once it entered his mouth, it literally dissolved, transforming into a rich, fragrant juice that made him want to swallow his own tongue along with it.

An expression of sheer satisfaction crossed Wang Guan’s face, which delighted Boss Ding, whose eyes crinkled with joy. For a restaurant owner, a happy and satisfied customer was their greatest pursuit. After all, if customers enjoyed the meal, they were sure to return often, leading to a stable clientele and thriving business…

While Boss Ding was feeling pleased, he hadn't forgotten the promise to drink three penalty cups. The cups were already set out, and he was just about to uncork the bottle when a sudden commotion erupted from outside the private room.

“What’s going on?” Boss Ding frowned slightly, clearly annoyed.

A private room existed not just as a sign of privilege, but because it offered quiet, unlike the clamor of the main hall. Yet, it was now noisy right outside the door—hardly peaceful.

“Did someone get drunk and start causing trouble again?”

Boss Ding mused inwardly, offered an apology to Wang Guan and the others with a smile, and moved to see what the matter was. However, just at that moment, the door to the room flew open, and two figures barged in, ignoring the waiter trying to stop them.

Seeing this, everyone in the room was naturally surprised and took a look at the intruders—a man and a woman. The woman, however, seemed more assertive; she was the one leading the charge, while the man lagged behind, looking timid and anxious.

“It’s you…”

Boss Ding seemed to recognize the young man, his brow furrowing. “You actually dare to show up here…”

“Boss Ding.”

The young man was around twenty, sporting a few pimples, carrying an air of awkwardness even in adulthood. Under Boss Ding’s glare, he became even more terrified, stammering, “It wasn’t my idea to come, but my…”

“Are you Boss Ding?”

At the same time, the woman stepped forward. Her back was ramrod straight, her gaze sharp, radiating a spirited and capable aura, and her tone was even more direct: “My name is Tao Li, and I am his sister. I’m here today to reclaim the painting he pawned here.”

“The painting?”

Hearing this, Boss Ding instinctively glanced back at the dragon painting hanging on the wall. Tao Li followed his gaze, a slight smile appearing on her face as she nodded. “Yes, the one on the wall.”

“Here, this is what he owes you…”

As she spoke, Tao Li handed over an envelope. Boss Ding took it casually. The envelope wasn’t sealed, and judging by its thickness, it contained a stack of banknotes—likely a considerable sum.

“Count it.”

Tao Li stated casually, “If the amount is correct, I’ll take the painting.”

It was clear Tao Li was direct. Without waiting for Boss Ding to finish counting the money, she walked over to take the painting down. Seeing this, Boss Ding instinctively tried to stop her. “Wait…”

“What is it?” Tao Li had already taken the painting down and was examining it closely. Finding it intact and nothing unusual, she looked back. “Did I give you too much money? Keep the change; consider it interest.”

In an instant, Boss Ding felt a surge of frustration—not because there was too much money, but because there wasn't enough. If Tao Li had simply redeemed the painting for the amount owed earlier, Boss Ding would have had no objection. But having just learned its true value from Wang Guan, he felt a pang of reluctance.

The problem was that despite his reluctance, Boss Ding couldn't find a reasonable excuse on the spot to prevent Tao Li from taking the painting back. If the painting were worth over a hundred thousand yuan, perhaps he could have acted ruthlessly, grandly declaring that it had already settled the debt and was legally his.

However, the painting was only worth tens of thousands—not a fortune, but not negligible either—leaving Boss Ding thoroughly conflicted. For the sake of a few tens of thousands, ruining his reputation seemed too steep a price. Especially in front of Wang Guan and the others, he didn't want to appear overly greedy and leave a bad impression…

Meanwhile, seeing Boss Ding remain silent, Tao Li frowned. “Is there a problem? Honestly, it’s all the fault of this scoundrel…”

Tao Li’s delicate eyebrows shot up, and she extended two fingers, firmly pinching the younger man’s ear, scolding him furiously: “You were down to your last few hundred yuan, yet you pretended to be rich! Eating a meal without paying is one thing, and getting your limbs broken and thrown out is what you deserved. But what you absolutely shouldn't have done was pawn the painting left to us by Grandpa…”

“It wasn't a pawn; it was collateral for the debt,” Boss Ding couldn't help but interject, as 'pawn' and 'collateral' carried significant semantic differences.

Tao Li, however, hadn't heard him and continued to lecture her brother, who was repeatedly begging for mercy, his head nearly drooping to his chest from shame.

“Um…”

Just then, Expert Zhu spoke up, frowning slightly. “If you have matters to discuss, could you please step outside?”

Expert Zhu didn't want to get involved in this messy situation, but their discussion right there was spoiling everyone's appetite. If it were just him, he wouldn't have minded, but with Wang Guan present, he had to be more considerate.

“…My apologies.”

Tao Li also snapped back to reality, quickly apologizing. “I am truly sorry for the disruption; we will leave immediately.”

Boss Ding did not reject this suggestion. He was still deliberating whether to return the painting to Tao Li. Furthermore, regardless of the painting, not disturbing honored guests while they dined was the primary rule.

With that, Boss Ding quickly raised his cup, drank the contents, and said with a smile, “Gentlemen, I owe you the remaining two drinks. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait.”

Suddenly, someone else spoke, stopping them. Everyone was startled to see that it was Gao Zhuang speaking. He was intently observing Tao Li, hesitating slightly. “Have we met before? I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere?”

“Hm?”

Hearing this, the others in the room showed a flicker of surprise. This sounded awfully like a clichéd pickup line. While it must be admitted, Tao Li was indeed quite attractive, but hardly heavenly beauty that would make someone’s heart pound instantly.

“And who are you? Why should I know you?” Tao Li retorted, her tone decidedly impolite, clearly having misunderstood Gao Zhuang’s intent.

Gao Zhuang, however, didn't get angry. Instead, he appeared thoughtful and suddenly asked, “Is your father’s name Tao Tao?”

“Eh!”

Tao Li exclaimed in surprise. “You know my dad?”

“Know him? Of course, I know him.”

At this moment, Gao Zhuang became visibly pleased, pointing at the young man beside Tao Li and saying, “Then you must be Little Sprout. You’ve grown up so much in the blink of an eye; I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“My name is Tao Dou, not Little Sprout.”

As he spoke, the awkward young man also exclaimed in wonder, “Sis, it looks like he really knows us; he wasn't just trying to hit on you.”

“What are you talking about?” Tao Li shot her brother a look, then seriously studied Gao Zhuang. But no matter how hard she tried to recall, she had no impression of him. She could only smile apologetically. “I’m sorry, but we really can’t recall. Big Brother, you are?”

“You don't remember me?”

Gao Zhuang laughed. “Well, you were little then, you probably don't have much memory. Uncle Tao, right? He lives in Fuzhou? I had no idea this was the place, or I would have paid a visit long ago…”

“Ah, so you’re one of us.”

At this, Wang Guan interjected with great interest. “Brother Gao, what a coincidence to run into you. Please invite these two to sit and join our meal. You can chat slowly while you eat…”