I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 297: Chapter 281: Is the Boss Amazing at Brewing Tea, Too?

Then, they both said in unison, ”Well then, Boss, we’ll dig in.”

Li You said, ”Please, go ahead.”

They each picked up their chopsticks, selected a piece of shrimp, and put it in their mouths.

The shrimp was crisp, tender, and fresh—a deliciousness beyond words.

And after they finished, the flavor lingered endlessly.

This was another one of those exquisite dishes that tasted like it was from heaven itself.

Even Guyi was thrilled.

Guyi was very familiar with the dish Longjing Shrimp and was also very fond of it. He had eaten some excellent versions in Zhejiang Province.

He had always believed that was the best Longjing Shrimp could taste.

It wasn’t until he came here yesterday and learned that Li You was also preparing to launch Longjing Shrimp that he realized the best version of the dish might have found a new home.

And now, it turned out to be true.

Boss Li You’s Longjing Shrimp tasted so much better.

He had truly come at the perfect time.

Ling Xiaoru, on the other hand, said excitedly, ”Boss, this is so much more delicious than the Longjing Shrimp you made last time. Is it because the ingredients are better this time?”

Li You nodded. ”Indeed. Last time, due to time constraints, the quality of both the river shrimp and the tea leaves was very average. This time, however, the quality of the shrimp and the tea is top-tier. Of course, I’ve also gained a better understanding and mastery of the dish through my repeated practice. But the ingredients are the main reason.”

Ling Xiaoru said, ”It seems the quality of the ingredients themselves really has a huge impact on the final taste of the dish.”

Li You said, ”That’s for sure.”

Guyi, however, was a little puzzled and asked, ”What’s this ’last time’ you’re talking about?”

Ling Xiaoru then recounted the story of the Longjing Shrimp competition between Li You and Yu Hong.

After listening, Guyi said, ”So that’s how it was. That’s quite interesting. It seems it’s often very lively here at your place, Boss!”

Li You smiled. ”If you came more often, Ancient, it would be even livelier.”

Guyi laughed heartily and added, ”Well then, for the sake of keeping things lively for the boss, it looks like I’ll have to come by more often.”

Li You said, ”I’ll always be ready to welcome you, Ancient.”

Guyi smiled again. Then he and Ling Xiaoru continued eating the shrimp.

Li You, of course, was eating as well.

”By the way, Boss, how much are you planning to sell this dish for?” Ling Xiaoru asked.

”88 yuan per serving,” Li You said.

Li You had already decided on the price long ago.

On its own, the price wasn’t cheap. But considering the ingredients Li You used, it was far too cheap.

Li You could have easily charged more. But he decided against it; this price was fine.

Guyi nodded after hearing the price.

He actually thought the price was way too low relative to the ingredients Li You used.

However, it was consistent with Li You’s pricing style. After all, his Cabbage in Boiled Water sold for only 568 yuan per serving.

Guyi wasn’t sure how much profit Li You could make at such a price, or if he made any profit at all. But since Li You had set the price this way, he naturally had his reasons.

So, Guyi didn’t ask why he had set the price so low.

As for Ling Xiaoru, she felt the price was quite reasonable.

The three of them continued to eat the shrimp.

Soon, they had polished off the entire large plate of shrimp.

Both Guyi and Ling Xiaoru were left wanting more. They really wanted to ask Li You for another serving.

But in the end, neither of them said anything. They’d just wait until the dish was officially launched tomorrow to order it again.

The three of them walked out of the restaurant together.

Having finished eating, they went outside to get some fresh air.

”Boss, the Tea Garden is almost cleared out now. When do you plan to plant your tea bushes?” Guyi asked.

Li You replied, ”In a few days. I’ve arranged for 20 high-quality tea bushes. I’ll plant them as soon as they arrive.”

Guyi asked, ”They’re the shrub-type tea plants, right?”

Li You nodded.

Guyi said, ”Then 20 should be about right.”

A look at the time showed it was almost 11:00 AM. Customers should be arriving for lunch soon.

And sure enough.

A few minutes later, the first wave of lunch customers arrived.

And there was a large group of them, at least forty or fifty people.

The bosses from the town market, like Deng Luping, Zhao Yu, Xie Hai, and Wang Dongliang, were among them.

So many people arriving this early was not a normal occurrence.

There could only be one reason: Guyi was here.

”Hahaha! Hello, Ancient!”

”Good afternoon, Ancient.”

”How many days are you planning to stay this time, Ancient?”

”We’d like to treat you to lunch today, Ancient.”

”...”

As expected.

As soon as the customers arrived, they surrounded Guyi and greeted him warmly.

Watching the scene, Ling Xiaoru said helplessly to Li You, ”I was going to treat Ancient to lunch today. Looks like I won’t get the chance now.”

Li You smiled. ”Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance eventually.”

Ling Xiaoru said, ”I hope so.”

After exchanging pleasantries with the customers, Guyi found their hospitality hard to refuse, so it seemed he would be getting another free lunch today.

Seeing that Guyi had agreed, the customers were overjoyed. They crowded around him as they walked into the restaurant and began to order.

Li You went into the kitchen and got busy.

Ling Xiaoru went upstairs to rest for a while before coming down to eat.

Originally, Ling Xiaoru had planned to go back to work in town today.

But now she changed her mind. She wouldn’t work today; she would take a day off.

Meanwhile, more and more customers kept arriving at the restaurant.

The entire place grew more and more boisterous.

The bustling atmosphere continued until three in the afternoon before things finally started to quiet down.

Guyi sighed with emotion. ”Everyone is just so enthusiastic!”

Li You smiled. ”That’s why I said the restaurant gets even livelier when you’re here, Ancient.”

Guyi said, ”So, does that mean Boss Li You is going to brew a cup of tea to thank me?”

Li You laughed. ”But of course.”

Then he turned to Ling Xiaoru and asked, ”Miss Xiaoru, would you like a cup?”

Ling Xiaoru shook her head. ”No, thank you. I don’t like tea.”

Li You said, ”My tea isn’t just any ordinary tea. Miss Xiaoru might end up liking it.”

”Really?” Ling Xiaoru was suddenly filled with anticipation. She added, ”In that case, I’ll have a cup too. Thank you, Boss!”

Li You told Ling Xiaoru not to be so formal, then took out three teacups and brewed three cups of tea.

The tea leaves he used were, of course, the same top-quality West Lake Longjing Tea from the system’s reward.

”Ancient, Miss Xiaoru, please!”

Li You served the tea to Guyi and Ling Xiaoru respectively.

Guyi accepted it with extreme delight. He hadn’t stopped thinking about this tea for a single moment since yesterday.

Ling Xiaoru took the tea, looked at it, and said, ”It looks beautiful.”

Then she took a sniff and continued, ”It smells wonderful, too. It seems different from other teas.”

Li You smiled without saying anything, gesturing for Ling Xiaoru to taste it.

Ling Xiaoru nodded. She brought the cup to her lips, her red lips slightly parted, and blew on it for a moment until it was cool enough to drink.

She took a gentle sip.

A look of pleasant surprise instantly appeared on her face. It was indeed incredibly delicious.

The feeling was completely different from drinking other teas. This tea was mellow and refreshing, with a rich aroma. It was delicate and comforting, with a seemingly endless aftertaste.

’The boss can even make tea this delicious?’

’This is just incredible!’

...