I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 314: Chapter 297: I Added a Dish for You

Chu Yiwei had already tried the steamed mandarin fish at noon, but this was Ling Xiaoru’s first time.

The flavor was so exquisite it defied description, leaving Ling Xiaoru absolutely thrilled.

Then she said, ”Boss, this is just too delicious. Come on, let’s have a drink. A top-tier delicacy like this needs some fine wine.”

Li You smiled and said, ”Alright.”

The two of them then clinked their bowls and each took a sip.

Watching them drink, Chu Yiwei opened her mouth as if to say something, but then held her tongue.

Instead, she picked up her plain water and took a sip.

She went back to eating.

All the dishes were supremely delicious. But for some reason, Chu Yiwei felt that the flavors in her mouth tonight were just a tiny bit lacking.

Li You and Ling Xiaoru continued to drink.

After watching them take several more sips, Chu Yiwei finally spoke up. ”Boss, maybe... maybe I could have a little, too? Just a tiny bit.”

Li You was a little surprised. ”Teacher Chu, are you sure you want to drink?”

Chu Yiwei nodded. ”You two look like you’re really enjoying it. I’d like to try some.”

Ling Xiaoru said, ”Teacher Chu, you can definitely have some of the Boss’s wine. It’s delicious and it doesn’t go to your head. I only ever drink here. I never drink anywhere else.”

”That’s why I want to try it,” Chu Yiwei said.

Li You smiled. ”Alright, I’ll go get you some. How about half a bowl? That’s about a liang or so.”

Chu Yiwei nodded. ”Okay.”

Li You stood up and went downstairs to get half a bowl of wine for Chu Yiwei.

The ten jars of wine originally awarded by the system had already been sold. The wine they were drinking now was from a drop he’d gotten in a game instance.

The taste was identical to that of the first ten jars.

He carried the wine back to the second floor, placed it in front of Chu Yiwei, and said, ”Take a sip first. If you can handle it, drink it. But don’t force yourself if you can’t.”

Chu Yiwei nodded. ”Okay.”

She then lifted the bowl, took a small sip, and after savoring it for a moment, said happily, ”I think I can handle this. It has a nice taste, it’s actually quite good.”

Li You smiled. ”That’s good. Come on, let’s all have a drink together.”

”Okay,” Chu Yiwei and Ling Xiaoru said in unison.

The three of them clinked their bowls and each took a sip.

After savoring it again, Chu Yiwei felt she was indeed fine. And she really did think the wine was quite delicious.

’No wonder everyone praises this as the finest wine in the world.’

Chu Yiwei was very happy. Now when she ate, that earlier feeling of the food tasting slightly off was gone.

The reason for this, of course, wasn’t because she was drinking now. It was because of her mood.

However, this was Chu Yiwei’s first time drinking after all, and her tolerance was quite low. Before she had even finished the wine in her bowl, she started to feel a little dizzy.

Her face also became flushed red.

”Boss, I’m feeling a bit dizzy. I don’t think I can drink any more,” Chu Yiwei said.

Li You nodded. ”Alright. Then drink some more water and eat some more food.”

”Okay,” Chu Yiwei said.

Li You added, ”Don’t go back to the school tonight. There are two empty rooms here. You can pick one and sleep here.”

Chu Yiwei nodded. ”Okay, thank you, Boss.”

Chu Yiwei didn’t hesitate. Mainly because even if he asked her to go back, she wouldn’t dare to now.

Even without drinking, she hadn’t been too keen on going back, let alone now that her head was spinning.

Ling Xiaoru glanced at Li You. ’I knew he would ask Chu Yiwei to stay the night.’

Still, it was the right thing to do. It was so late, and it wouldn’t be safe for Chu Yiwei to go back alone even if she hadn’t been drinking.

They continued to eat and drink.

Although Chu Yiwei had stopped drinking, Ling Xiaoru could still have some more.

But after finishing two bowls of wine, she was also getting a bit dizzy.

”Boss, I’m going to stop, too. I’m getting a little dizzy,” Ling Xiaoru said.

Li You nodded. ”Alright. I’ll stop too, then. Let’s all eat some more and finish the food.”

”Okay.”

In the end, all the food was finished. Chu Yiwei and Ling Xiaoru weren’t feeling so dizzy anymore.

Chu Yiwei was delighted. ’It really is good wine. The dizziness only lasts a little while.’

Just then, Li You asked, ”Teacher Chu, would you like to take a shower?”

Chu Yiwei nodded. ”I’d like to.”

Li You said, ”Then you can go right ahead. The bathroom has everything you need. Which of you wants to go first?”

Chu Yiwei looked at Ling Xiaoru and asked, ”Miss Xiaoru, are you going to shower now?”

Ling Xiaoru replied, ”You go first. I’ll wash up later.”

Chu Yiwei nodded. ”Then I’ll go first.”

She then stood up and walked straight into the bathroom.

A short while later, the bathroom door opened. Chu Yiwei came out wrapped in a bath towel, holding her clothes in her hand. She said to Li You a little shyly, ”Boss, which room should I sleep in?”

Li You pointed to the two empty rooms. ”You can pick either of these two.”

”Okay. Thank you, Boss!”

After speaking, Chu Yiwei walked towards one of the rooms. Her long legs, while perhaps a notch less impressive than Ling Xiaoru’s, were still perfect enough compared to most other girls.

Chu Yiwei pushed the door open, stepped inside, and gently closed it behind her.

Li You withdrew his gaze.

Just then, Ling Xiaoru said, ”Well, Boss, I’m going to take a shower too. Want to join me?”

”Huh?” Li You looked at Ling Xiaoru, taken aback.

At his look, Ling Xiaoru’s face instantly turned bright red, and she stammered, ”No, no, that’s not what I meant, I misspoke.”

Then she quickly ran into the bathroom.

In truth, she hadn’t misspoken. She had been working up the courage for a long time to say that line with feigned casualness. She wanted to see how Li You would react.

But his one look had thrown her into a fluster, and she couldn’t stop her face from blushing.

She had no choice but to flee in disarray.

Watching Ling Xiaoru’s retreating back as she ran into the bathroom, a faint smile appeared on Li You’s face. ’This girl...’

A long time passed before the bathroom door opened again. Ling Xiaoru also came out wrapped in a bath towel, likewise holding her clothes.

She should have gone back to her own room first to take off her clothes and change into a bathrobe before heading to the shower.

But since she had run straight into the bathroom, she had no choice but to emerge like Chu Yiwei, wrapped in a towel and carrying her clothes.

”Goodnight, Boss,” Ling Xiaoru said, feigning calmness, before hurrying back to her room.

Li You smiled again, then got up. It was his turn to shower.

...

「The next day.」

Seven in the morning.

When Li You got up, he found that Chu Yiwei was already awake and washing up.

”Teacher Chu, you’re up early!” Li You said.

Chu Yiwei said, ”I have classes this morning. I need to get back to school early.”

Li You nodded. ’Being a teacher is hard work.’

After they finished washing up, the two went downstairs together.

After opening the shop, Li You asked Chu Yiwei what she wanted to eat. Noodles, or sweet fermented rice soup with egg?

Chu Yiwei said, ”A small bowl of Yangchun Noodles.”

”Alright.”

Li You agreed and went into the kitchen to cook a small bowl of Yangchun Noodles for Chu Yiwei.

After she finished eating, she scanned the QR code to pay.

She had eaten for free last night; she couldn’t do that again today.

Li You didn’t refuse the payment.

After paying, Chu Yiwei said to Li You, ”Boss, thank you for treating me to so much good food last night, and for letting me sleep here. I’m heading back to school. Goodbye.”

Li You said, ”Teacher Chu, no need to be so formal. Be careful on your way back and stay safe.”

”Okay.”

Chu Yiwei went to the parking area, got on her electric scooter, and left.

After cooking and eating a bowl of Yangchun Noodles for himself, Li You got busy in the kitchen. Today he was making some steamed pork with preserved vegetables and, of course, braised chicken.

It wasn’t until nine-thirty in the morning that Ling Xiaoru came downstairs.

”Morning, Boss!”

”Any later and it’ll be time to get ready for lunch.”

”It’s not that late. I’ll have a small bowl of beef noodles.”

”Alright.”

Li You cooked a small bowl of beef noodles for Ling Xiaoru.

After finishing, Ling Xiaoru also scanned the code and paid. Then she said to Li You, ”Boss, I’m heading out.”

Li You nodded. ”Alright. Be careful on your way and stay safe.”

”Okay.”

Not long after Ling Xiaoru left, Li You went to rest on the rocking chair at the shop’s entrance. He was about to play a round of a game when he looked up and saw Lin Guodong pulling into the parking area on his motorcycle.

Li You felt a surge of delight. Forgetting about the game, he stood up and walked toward the parking area.

Lin Guodong also started walking over.

When they met, Li You greeted him, ”Uncle Guodong.”

Lin Guodong said, ”Xiaoyou, I have guests at home today, so I came to get half a braised chicken.”

Li You nodded. ”Of course. Is half a chicken enough?”

Lin Guodong said, ”It’s enough, just one table of people. Plus, I’ve made several other dishes.”

”That should be fine then,” Li You said.

The two of them walked back to the shop together. Li You had Da Bai cut half a braised chicken.

Lin Guodong caught the aroma of the steamed pork with preserved vegetables and said, ”Do you have steamed pork with preserved vegetables today? I’ll take a bowl of that too, then.”

Li You smiled. ”Alright.”

Soon, Da Bai had finished cutting and packing the braised chicken. Li You also packed up a bowl of the steamed pork with preserved vegetables.

Lin Guodong offered him money.

But Li You wouldn’t take it.

The two mandarin fish Lin Guodong had brought the day before yesterday weighed about three jin combined, which was worth much more than half a braised chicken and a bowl of steamed pork.

But Lin Guodong insisted on paying. He said that if Li You didn’t accept the money, he’d be too embarrassed to come buy things next time.

Li You thought for a moment and said, ”How about this, Uncle Guodong? I’ll take the money for these two items, but then you have to wait for me for fifteen minutes.”

Lin Guodong asked what he needed him to wait fifteen minutes for.

But Li You wouldn’t say. He only said that if Lin Guodong waited, he would accept the money. Waiting fifteen minutes wouldn’t make him late for his guests.

Lin Guodong agreed.

Li You told Uncle Guodong to rest for a bit, then went into the kitchen and took a mandarin fish of about one jin from the Spatial Fish Pond.

Since Uncle Guodong was heading back to entertain guests, he would add another dish for him: steamed mandarin fish.

He wouldn’t charge for this dish.

’Once it’s cooked and ready, I’m sure he’ll accept it in the end.’

Li You cleaned the fish himself. Scaling it, gutting it, removing the gills...

After a flurry of work, a serving of steamed mandarin fish was ready fifteen minutes later.

He packed it up, carried it out of the kitchen, and walked over to Lin Guodong.

”Uncle Guodong, I’ve added a dish for you.”

...