"This broth is our hotel's specialty. Old hens were stewed in it to give it its flavor…" The cook with the toque specially introduced the dish to the crowd while he stirred the broth so that it became more concentrated.
He then upturned a bowl of rice onto a plate and repeated the same maneuver with a few more plates. He showered the plates of rice with the thick broth and placed an abalone on each plate. He then added some cooked asparagus, and the plates of rice with abalone sauce were ready.
The other cook was also done. He placed the plate of stir-fried beef with green pepper in the middle of the table so that the diners could stimulate their taste buds with another flavor.
Tian Qi took the opportunity to sit across Ling Ran. There were six of them, and each had their own plate of rice with abalone sauce. The stir-fried beef with green pepper was their only side dish, so it could be considered quite an "economic" meal.