I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 201: Chapter 197: Gourmet Food, Fine Wine, and Beautiful Scenery: A Perfect Match

Xie Feng and the others knew that the people from the group chat who hadn’t come didn’t believe a word they were saying. This was perfectly normal.

After all, they hadn’t believed Jiang Caidong at first either.

It was truly impossible to believe unless you came and experienced it for yourself.

So, Xie Feng and his friends didn’t press the issue. They just told everyone in the group who hadn’t come that they absolutely had to find time to experience it for themselves.

Then they settled the bill. The total was just over 3,000 yuan. Averaged out, it was less than a hundred yuan per person, which actually wasn’t expensive at all.

Spending this much once or twice a week was completely acceptable.

It was decided. They would come here to eat at least once a week.

Now, it was time to head to Jiulong Gorge.

The group had originally come to sightsee in Jiulong Gorge. And while they now knew the best part of Jiulong Gorge wasn’t the scenery but the food and wine at Proprietor Li You’s restaurant, the landscape was still something to be admired.

Exquisite food and fine wine, combined with beautiful scenery—that was true perfection.

It really seemed like an excellent choice for Proprietor Li You to open his restaurant here.

At that moment, it suddenly dawned on Xie Feng and the others why Li You had opened his restaurant in this very spot.

Xie Feng’s group said their goodbyes to Li You and the other patrons, telling them they were off to explore the gorge.

Li You and the other customers all wished them a good time.

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The scenery of Jiulong Gorge was indeed beautiful. Xie Feng and the others all felt refreshed and utterly relaxed.

’To think our very own Changxi County has such a beautiful place.’

They didn’t return to Li You’s restaurant until five in the afternoon, and even then, they did so reluctantly.

After an afternoon of admiring the beautiful scenery, it was once again time to enjoy some delicious food and fine wine.

An itinerary like this was simply exhilarating.

They were now more convinced than ever that Li You’s restaurant and the beautiful scenery of Jiulong Gorge were a perfect match.

If Li You were to announce he was moving the restaurant into the county seat, they would probably be deeply disappointed.

Time to order! They were getting ten servings of Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth tonight.

The price alone seemed steep. But for a dish like Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth, it wasn’t expensive at all. In fact, one could even call it a bargain.

So, they absolutely had to try this famous state banquet dish, no matter the cost.

In addition to the Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth, they ordered another fifty-five pounds of spicy crayfish. They also got several servings each of Mapo Tofu, Twice-Cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts, Stir-Fried Shredded Potatoes, Crucian Carp with Giant Hyssop, and Tomato and Egg Drop Soup.

Tonight’s bill would be higher than lunch, but that didn’t matter. Everyone was more than happy to spend the money.

Anywhere else, you couldn’t find food this good even if you had all the money in the world.

Their only regret was that the Braised Chicken was sold out.

Otherwise, they would have bought a few more Braised Chickens to eat on the way back.

That would have been absolutely incredible!

What a shame.

’Maybe next time,’ they thought. ’Hopefully, we can make that wish come true on our next visit.’

Soon, the dishes they had ordered began arriving at the table, including the Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth.

The other dishes were common, home-style fare, but the Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth was not.

This place served common, home-style dishes, but it also had sophisticated, high-end cuisine.

Some say that in Sichuan cuisine, any dish that isn’t spicy feels like something you can’t afford.

That’s a bit of an overstatement, but it’s generally true.

That’s because non-spicy Sichuan dishes are usually quite expensive.

Many people can’t bring themselves to order them.

But there was no harm in splurging once in a while.

So, Xie Feng and everyone else dug into the Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth.

This was their first time trying Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth.

After the first spoonful of broth, they understood. They finally knew why this was a famous state banquet dish.

It was a delicacy so exquisite its flavor was nearly impossible to describe with words.

Of course, while the dish itself was delicious, the real reason was that *this* was Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth made by Proprietor Li You.

Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth made by other chefs, as long as it was authentic, would surely taste good. But it could never compare to Proprietor Li You’s version.

It seemed that whether it was simple, home-style fare or sophisticated, high-end cuisine, Proprietor Li You could transport you to a whole new world of gastronomy.

This was a thrilling culinary feast!

Xie Feng and all the others were once again overcome with excitement.

They continued to eat and drink.

Of course, the designated drivers didn’t drink. They’d been craving a drink all day, but there was nothing to be done about it.

’Next time, someone else is definitely driving.’

After slowly finishing every last dish, everyone felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

They settled the bill: 4,800 yuan in total. At an average of 120 yuan per person, it still wasn’t expensive.

Anywhere else, you couldn’t get this level of satisfaction for 1,200, or even 12,000 yuan per person, let alone 120.

What was this place, if not a foodie paradise?

Xie Feng’s group was more certain of this than ever. Afterward, they bid farewell to Li You, saying it was time for them to head back.

Li You walked Xie Feng and his friends to the parking lot.

”Drive safe, and please come again!”

”We definitely will! Goodbye, Proprietor!”

”Goodbye!”

After seeing Xie Feng and his friends off, Li You returned to the restaurant.

Soon, new customers arrived for dinner.

Li You went into the kitchen and got back to work.

The last group of customers didn’t leave until eight o’clock at night.

It was already mostly dark outside; it was unlikely any more customers would be coming.

Time to close up.

Afterwards, Li You poured himself a bowl of wine, went up to the second floor, sat down on the living room sofa, and turned on the TV.

Then, from his Storage Pavilion, he retrieved the Braised Chicken from which he had eaten a leg that morning.

Finally, the wonderful moment had arrived: eating Braised Chicken, drinking wine, and watching TV.

Li You savored the moment.

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「The next morning.」

After waking up and having a bowl of Yangchun Noodles for breakfast, Li You went back to making his Braised Chicken.

He decided to braise a few extra today. Besides the ones for sale, he planned to bring one home for his parents that evening.

While he was at it, he would give one to Li Zhong’s family and one to Liu Jialiang’s family as well.

Just as the first batch of Braised Chicken was ready, Ling Xiaoru arrived with the mounted painting.

The moment she walked in, she said, ”It smells amazing, Proprietor! I could smell it from outside. Is that braised chicken feet again? Is the first batch ready?”

Li You came out of the kitchen, smiling. ”Not chicken feet, Braised Chicken. And yes, it’s ready.”

”Braised Chicken?” Ling Xiaoru’s eyes lit up. ”You have Braised Chicken today? That’s fantastic! It’s even more satisfying than the chicken feet.”

She handed the painting to Li You. ”It’s all mounted. See what you think. Do you like it?”

Li You was delighted. He took the painting, thanking her as he did.

He then unrolled it.

The mounting was simple but exquisitely done.

Li You was even more delighted; he loved the style of the mounting.

He knew he could count on Ling Xiaoru to handle the mounting perfectly.

He said happily, ”This is perfect! I love it! How much did it cost? Let me pay you back.”

Ling Xiaoru shook her head. ”As long as you like it, that’s enough. You don’t need to pay me; it wasn’t much. Just think of it as a small gesture from me.”

Li You thought for a moment, then smiled. ”In that case, let me treat you to lunch today.”

”Okay!” Ling Xiaoru was thrilled. ”I want to eat the Braised Chicken. Half of one!”

Li You said, ”You can have a whole one if you want!”

Ling Xiaoru shook her head. ”No, I can’t. I want to eat other things too. If I eat a whole Braised Chicken, I won’t have room for anything else.”

Li You smiled again. ”Alright. What else would you like? Order whatever you want when the time comes.”

Ling Xiaoru nodded. ”Okay.”

Li You added, ”Let me hang the painting first.”

”I’ll help.”

”Great!”

Where to hang the painting? Li You, of course, had already picked out the perfect spot.

With Ling Xiaoru’s help, Li You quickly hung the painting. He chose a prominent spot where it was visible the moment one walked through the door.

With this painting, the restaurant would undoubtedly have even more of a story to tell.

The days to come were now even more exciting to look forward to!

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