I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 280: Chapter 264: The Significance of Wild Fruits (Part 2)

Now that the question was out in the open.

When Li You heard Lu Yuan say he had also eaten wineberries in his youth, he was thrilled. ”Please, feel free to go pick some,” he said with a smile.

Lu Yuan was overjoyed. ”Then I’ll go pick some,” he said. ”I won’t take too many. Just a few to taste is all I need.”

Li You said, ”Take as many as you’d like, Mr. Lu Yuan. Fruit is meant to be eaten. I’m very happy that someone is interested in them.”

This was the truth. Li You was genuinely happy and truly hoped his guests would take an interest in the fruits in his wild orchard.

All these wild fruits were part of his childhood memories. He was always delighted when someone showed interest in the fruits of his past.

Hearing this made Lu Yuan even happier. After thanking Li You again, he strode gleefully toward the wild fruit orchard.

After Lu Yuan left, Ye Shengge remarked, ”Wineberries are a taste from his youth. He probably just wants a few to remember what they were like.”

Li You nodded. ”Exactly. That’s something to be happy about. It’s the greatest purpose of our wild fruit orchard.”

Ye Shengge nodded slowly. ”In that case, we should hurry up and transplant more wild fruits back here. We only have four types right now, which is far too few.”

Li You said, ”You’re right. We really should hurry and bring more back.”

...

「In the wild fruit orchard.」

Lu Yuan picked a wineberry and popped it into his mouth.

He didn’t wash it; he ate it directly.

He never washed them when he ate them as a boy, so there was no need to wash them now.

As he chewed, the flavor—once faded and hazy in his memory—rushed back, becoming sharp and clear.

’I remember now. This is the taste, so familiar.’

The taste was the same as in his youth; it hadn’t changed. But he himself was a different person now.

Flowers may bloom the same each year, but the people are never the same.

That line of poetry seemed rather fitting for the moment.

It just brought with it a faint, inexplicable melancholy.

Lu Yuan was happy. But amidst his joy, a subtle sadness began to spread, unbidden.

’How tactless.’

But memories were always like that. So much youthful recklessness, so much soaring ambition, so much passionate fervor, so many whispered secrets, so many intoxicating faces—they were all just part of the past now, never to return.

Our first cry marks the start of life’s journey, a journey through the romance and torment of time that inevitably leads to its end.

In the end, everything becomes but a memory, which then slowly dissipates into the universe, leaving no trace.

Lu Yuan sighed softly, shaking off the faint melancholy. He picked another wineberry and put it in his mouth.

This time, there were only fond memories of the past, no more sadness.

Life, after all, is beautiful. Memories, after all, are beautiful. And life itself, after all, is beautiful.

Even if it can’t be as brilliant as summer flowers, it is still beautiful.

After eating several more wineberries, Lu Yuan’s mood was once again cheerful.

’Mr. Li’s wild fruit orchard is incredible!’

At that moment, Lu Yuan felt the orchard was even more meaningful.

’Opening the restaurant here was definitely the right move.’

This thought became even firmer in Lu Yuan’s mind.

He then slowly walked back to the front of the restaurant and thanked Li You once again.

Li You smiled. ”It’s just a few wild fruits, Mr. Lu Yuan. No need to thank me.”

Lu Yuan said, ”The wild fruits may seem insignificant, but for some people, they can hold a very important meaning.”

Li You nodded. ”I couldn’t agree more with you on that, Mr. Lu Yuan.”

Lu Yuan gave a slight smile and added, ”Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Li.”

Just then, Lin Xiao piped up, ”A lot of wild fruits are delicious. I love eating them.”

Lu Yuan chuckled. ”The young lady is right.”

When Lu Yuan had first laid eyes on Lin Xiao, he had been struck by her beauty.

Though the girl hadn’t completely shed her youthful innocence, she was already quite beautiful.

In another two years, she might still not compare to Miss Ye, but she probably wouldn’t be far behind.

’Are all the women in Mr. Li’s circle this beautiful?’

...

It was 11:00 AM, and customers started to arrive for lunch.

Lu Yuan was eager to order and eat as well, but it felt like he had only just finished breakfast a short while ago.

’Oh well, I’ll wait until noon to eat.’

Lu Yuan sat by the entrance.

Ye Shengge had taken Lin Xiao upstairs, so Lu Yuan sat down in the rocking chair Li You often used.

Leaning back in the chair, he had a perfect view: the blue sky and white clouds above, little birds flying in the distance, and layers of mountain peaks, green trees, and red leaves. The scenery was flawless.

Moreover, he could hear the chirping of birds and smell the fragrance of flowers. It was an ineffably pleasant and comfortable feeling.

As Lu Yuan leaned back, he felt as if time itself had slowed down.

He had heard that Mr. Li often sat here just like this. ’What a wonderfully pleasant and carefree life,’ he thought.

Suddenly, Lu Yuan found himself quite envious of Li You’s life.

”Mr. Lu Yuan? Oh, you’re still here.”

Lu Yuan had his eyes closed, resting, when a voice reached his ears.

He opened his eyes. It was one of the guests he had shared a toast with last night.

’I didn’t expect to see him again today.’

Lu Yuan was also very happy to see him and chuckled. ”I plan to try everything on the menu before I leave.”

The guest laughed as well. ”You came all the way from the Southwest Film and Television Base, Mr. Lu Yuan. That’s a journey of over 600 kilometers. It’s not an easy trip, so you should definitely try everything before you go.”

Lu Yuan said, ”Exactly. It was an eight or nine-hour drive. If I don’t try everything, I’d be doing a disservice to that long drive.”

The guest asked, ”But aren’t filming schedules usually very tight? Can you afford to stay here for long, Mr. Lu Yuan?”

Lu Yuan replied, ”As it happens, I don’t have any scenes for the next two days. I only came because I had this break in my schedule.”

The guest nodded. ”Ah, so that’s why. By the way, what’s the name of the show you’re filming now, Mr. Lu Yuan? Is it a movie or a TV series? Is it okay to ask?”

Lu Yuan smiled. ”Why wouldn’t it be? It’s no secret. I’m filming a wuxia series, *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*.”

”*Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*?” The guest was very surprised. ”They’re remaking *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* again?”

Lu Yuan gave a sheepish grin. ”Yes, they are indeed remaking it again.”

The guest said helplessly, ”They’ve made *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* over and over. Why are these production companies always so fond of remaking classics like *Demi-Gods* or *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*? If they were actually good, that’d be one thing. People would be happy to watch. But the problem is, what on earth are they even making...”

The guest stopped abruptly, suddenly realizing it was inappropriate to say such things in front of Lu Yuan.

He had been about to ask, ’What kind of crap are these new versions of *Demi-Gods* and *Condor Heroes*?’

But Lu Yuan was an actor currently filming the newest remake. You can’t just call the new *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* a piece of crap in front of him.

’That was so thoughtless.’

He could only blame his habit of complaining about shows with his friends; he’d slipped into rant mode without thinking.

’Speaking of which, when did this new *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* start filming? Who are the main actors? Who’s playing Xiao Feng? I haven’t seen any entertainment news about it at all!’

Although the guest stopped in time, Lu Yuan still knew what he had wanted to say.

Lu Yuan wasn’t offended by it. He could understand.

In fact, he felt the same way.

He was an actor, but he was also an audience member. He had seen all the different versions of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*.

To be honest, the older versions really were better.

As for the latest version of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* they were currently filming, Lu Yuan could only do his best to play his own role well.

There were many other things that he, as a single actor, had no control over.

At this point, the guest cleared his throat and asked, ”I was wondering, which character are you playing, Mr. Lu Yuan?”

Lu Yuan replied, ”Duan Zhengming. It’s not a major role.”

The guest nodded. The character indeed didn’t have much screen time. However, he was still a relatively important figure, not just a marginal character.

After all, he was Duan Zhengchun’s elder brother and Duan Yu’s paternal uncle. Plus, he helped drive the plot forward.

Afterward, the guest and Lu Yuan began discussing the character of Duan Zhengming.

The guest was, of course, very interested in the original work of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*.

...