Chapter 10:The Dao of Dragon Dinner Disasters
### Chapter 9: The Dao of Dragon Dinner Disasters
Li Wei was starting to feel a bit more confident in his role as a mediator between the dragon factions. After the surprising success of his buffet analogy, he even found himself looking forward to the next challenge. However, he wasn't quite prepared for what came next.
One evening, Xiaoli invited him over for another dinner at the Long family mansion. She mentioned that it was going to be a more relaxed affair, just a family dinner to unwind and discuss recent events. Li Wei, grateful for the chance to decompress, agreed.
When he arrived, Xiaoli greeted him at the door with a warm smile. "Welcome, Li Wei. Tonight's dinner is special. My father has decided to cook."
Li Wei raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Long is cooking? Is that a good thing?"
Xiaoli chuckled. "You'll see."
As they walked into the dining room, Li Wei noticed a very nervous-looking Mr. Long bustling around the kitchen, apron tied tight around his waist. Pots and pans clattered, and the smell of various spices filled the air.
"Ah, Li Wei! Glad you could join us," Mr. Long said, trying to sound cheerful despite the chaos.
"Happy to be here, Mr. Long," Li Wei replied, taking a seat.
Dinner was served, and Li Wei couldn't help but notice the unusual dishes on the table. There was something that looked suspiciously like a dragon-shaped meatloaf, a bowl of glowing green soup, and a platter of what appeared to be sautéed dragon scales.
"Dig in!" Mr. Long said, beaming with pride.
Li Wei hesitated but took a bite of the meatloaf. It tasted... unique. Sort of like a mix between chicken and something he couldn't quite identify. He glanced at Xiaoli, who was struggling to keep a straight face.
"Isn't it delicious?" she asked, barely suppressing a giggle.
"Uh, yeah. It's... interesting," Li Wei managed, taking a cautious sip of the green soup. It fizzed slightly on his tongue, like carbonated vegetable broth.
Just as he was starting to think he could get through the meal without any major mishaps, Mr. Long decided to show off his culinary prowess with a flambé. He brought out a small torch and set it to a dish of what he called "Dragon's Breath Pudding."
"Watch this!" Mr. Long announced, igniting the torch.
The pudding caught fire—spectacularly. Flames shot up towards the ceiling, singeing the chandelier. Li Wei, trying to stay calm, grabbed a nearby napkin and started waving it at the flames, which only seemed to make them grow larger.
Xiaoli jumped up, grabbed a pitcher of water, and dumped it over the pudding, extinguishing the flames but turning the dessert into a soggy mess. They all stood there, staring at the smoldering remains of what had once been a rather impressive-looking dish.
"Well," Mr. Long said, breaking the silence, "that was... unexpected."
Li Wei burst out laughing, unable to contain himself. Xiaoli and Mr. Long joined in, the tension melting away as they laughed at the culinary disaster.
"Okay, note to self: maybe leave the flambé to the professionals," Mr. Long said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
After the dinner debacle, they moved to the living room for tea and snacks that were thankfully store-bought. As they settled in, Xiaoli leaned over to Li Wei and whispered, "Sorry about dinner. My father gets a bit... ambitious in the kitchen."
Li Wei grinned. "No worries. It was the most entertaining meal I've had in ages."
Mr. Long, overhearing them, chuckled. "Well, Li Wei, you've proven you can handle dragon politics and my cooking. That makes you practically family."
Feeling a warm sense of belonging, Li Wei took a sip of his tea. Despite the chaos, he was starting to feel more at home with the Longs and their unique blend of ancient traditions and modern quirks.
As the evening wound down, Xiaoli walked Li Wei to the door. "Thanks for coming, Li Wei. I hope tonight didn't scare you off."
"Not at all," Li Wei said, smiling. "If anything, it made me like your family even more."
Xiaoli blushed slightly. "I'm glad to hear that. See you tomorrow?"
"Definitely," Li Wei replied.
As he walked home, his phone buzzed with another message from the Dao System. "Congratulations! You've earned 50 Dao points for surviving a dragon's dinner disaster."
Li Wei laughed out loud. With each day, he felt more prepared to face whatever came his way, whether it was dragon politics, Daoist missions, or Mr. Long's next culinary experiment. Life was unpredictable, but it was also incredibly fun. And that was a Dao lesson he could get behind.