Chapter 64: New Dish Tomorrow: Mapo Tofu
After a long moment, the three men finally looked away.
He Xianfei remarked with a sigh, "Eating here... it feels incredibly nice."
Zhao Yanglin added, "And the food is exceptionally good. It’s the ultimate indulgence. Chef He, how were the Yangchun Noodles?"
He Xianfei sighed. "I’d say they’re pretty much the pinnacle of what Yangchun Noodles can be."
Zhao Yanglin said, "In that case, it looks like I’ll have to try the Yangchun Noodles. And the beef noodles, too."
He then called Li You over. "Boss, could I trouble you for another bowl of Yangchun Noodles and a bowl of beef noodles? Just a small portion, about half the size of a small bowl. You can charge me for a small bowl, though. Is that alright, Boss?"
Li You nodded. "Of course, no problem."
Qu Feng said, "Same for me, Boss. One of each, just like that."
He Xianfei also chimed in, "I’ll have another bowl of beef noodles like that as well."
Li You smiled. "Alright. I’ll get those started for you."
"Sorry to trouble you, Boss."
"I should be the one thanking you for ordering."
With that, he walked back into the kitchen and started cooking again.
Soon, two mini-bowls of Yangchun Noodles and three mini-bowls of beef noodles were ready.
He served them to Qu Feng and the other two men.
"Please, enjoy!"
"Thanks, Boss!"
All three of them started eating. Both the Yangchun Noodles and the beef noodles were, indeed, good enough to be called the pinnacle of their kind.
This time, even He Xianfei felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
His mindset had already started to change compared to before.
Li You didn’t disturb his customers. He went outside the restaurant, lay down on his rocking chair, and watched the butterflies chasing each other and the dragonflies beating their wings.
He loved watching them.
"Boss, look what I found!"
Ye Shengge came running back, cupping something in her hands, and excitedly showed it to Li You.
Li You took one look and smiled. "Where did you find these? They’re delicious."
The things Ye Shengge was holding were mountain berries.
They were a type of delicious wild fruit, sweet and fragrant with a slight hint of tartness.
Tastier than many other fruits.
They went by many different names, depending on the region.
It was an aggregate fruit, made up of many tiny drupelets clustered together into a reddish, roughly spherical or egg-shaped morsel.
They looked a bit like miniature strawberries.
These berries are very similar to raspberries. Without a close comparison, it would be difficult to tell them apart.
"Just over there, not too far. There are so many of them! I haven’t eaten these in years," Ye Shengge said.
Li You smiled. "Then you can eat your fill today."
Ye Shengge nodded. "I’ve already eaten a bunch. Do you want some, Boss?"
Li You nodded. "I’ll have a few."
He then took a small handful from Ye Shengge’s cupped hands.
He popped them all into his mouth at once.
The berries were too small individually; you had to eat a handful at a time to really enjoy them.
As Li You ate them, he found them incredibly sweet and fragrant, with just a faint hint of tartness.
The texture was unique and very tasty.
The flavor lingered pleasantly after he finished.
Seeing how Li You ate them, Ye Shengge hesitated for a moment, then copied him, putting a small handful of berries into her mouth all at once.
After finishing them, she said delightedly, "You’re right, eating them this way is so much more satisfying."
Li You chuckled. "See? That’s the proper way to eat them."
Ye Shengge nodded repeatedly. After finishing the berries in her hand, she said, "I’m going to go pick some more."
And with that, she ran off again.
’This girl...’
He let her be.
Li You went back to watching the butterflies and dragonflies, resting and recharging his spirit.
「A short while later.」
Zhao Yanglin walked out of the restaurant. Seeing Li You lying on the rocking chair, he chuckled. "You’re living the good life, Boss!"
Li You stood up and smiled. "Have you finished your meal, Mr. Zhao?"
Zhao Yanglin replied, "It was excellent. Everything you serve here is top-tier. Honestly, it’s hard to believe someone so young could possess such unfathomable culinary skill."
Li You said, "You’re too kind, Mr. Zhao. I just happen to be good at these few dishes. It’s hard to say how I’d do with others."
Zhao Yanglin said, "You’re being too modest, Boss."
He then looked at the vegetable garden nearby and the orchard out front. "With such beautiful scenery, plus a vegetable garden and an orchard... opening your restaurant here was truly an excellent choice, Boss."
Li You said, "The only drawback is being so far from the city."
"No," Zhao Yanglin said. "For an ordinary restaurant, being far from the city would indeed be a fatal flaw. But for your restaurant, it’s not a flaw at all. In fact, it’s the most perfect choice."
Li You laughed heartily at that. "Actually, I think so too."
"Then great minds think alike," Zhao Yanglin said, also laughing.
At that moment, He Xianfei and Qu Feng also came out of the restaurant.
They completely agreed with the conversation between Li You and Zhao Yanglin.
It was, indeed, a perfect choice.
He Xianfei’s heart, however, was still in turmoil. He was still unwilling to accept the fact that Li You’s culinary skills were superior to his own.
But deep down, he was thoroughly impressed by Li You’s cooking.
"Boss, we’ve paid. The total was 1,808 yuan. Is that correct?" Qu Feng asked.
Li You nodded. "That’s right. Thank you, Master Qu."
Qu Feng said, "You’re too polite, Boss."
Then he looked at the orchard out front and added, "You’ve planted quite a few new fruit trees, Boss! I don’t remember seeing so many the last time I was here."
Li You nodded. "Yes, I’ve planted a lot of new ones. I plan to keep planting more varieties. I’m aiming for a hundred different types."
"A hundred types?"
The eyes of Zhao Yanglin, He Xianfei, and Qu Feng all lit up.
If he really managed to plant a hundred varieties, it would be a Hundred Fruit Garden in the truest sense of the name.
Not only would it be beautiful, but it would also be incredibly eye-catching.
By then, would any guest who came here be able to resist the allure of the Hundred Fruit Garden?
Strolling through the Hundred Fruit Garden, surrounded by a hundred kinds of beautiful fruit trees—all with different heights, shapes, and styles—would be an absolutely dazzling and breathtaking experience.
Imagine dozens of types of fruit trees blooming and bearing fruit all at the same time.
Flowers of all different sizes, colors, and shapes vying for attention.
And fruits, also in all different sizes, colors, and shapes, hanging heavy on the branches.
Just how beautiful would that scene be?
It was almost impossible to imagine.
At that point, the Hundred Fruit Garden alone would surely attract countless fans.
Suddenly, they felt even more certain that the boss had made the perfect choice in opening his restaurant here.
Zhao Yanglin smiled. "Boss, I’m very much looking forward to the day your Hundred Fruit Garden is complete."
Qu Feng expressed the same sentiment.
Even He Xianfei said he was looking forward to it as well.
Li You smiled. "Alright. I’ll do my best to finish it as soon as possible."
Zhao Yanglin, He Xianfei, and Qu Feng once again expressed their great anticipation.
"By the way, Boss, you’ll be introducing new dishes in the future, right?" Zhao Yanglin asked.
Li You nodded. "I will. In fact, I might be launching a new dish as soon as tomorrow."
"Really?" Zhao Yanglin and Qu Feng were both pleasantly surprised, asking in unison, "What is it?"
Even He Xianfei felt an inexplicable flicker of anticipation.
Li You gave a faint smile and said, "Mapo Tofu."
...