I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 395: Chapter 352: Boss, I’ll Get You a Fruit Tree (2)

”I wonder if this is a recipe Boss Li invented himself?” Liu Hong added.

”This is a famous traditional dish from Lu Province. It’s part of Lu Cuisine,” a customer at a nearby table said.

’Huh? So that’s what it is.’

Liu Hong, Wang Zhongyu, and Cai Qingfeng suddenly understood. So it was a dish from Lu Cuisine.

’How ignorant of us.’

’So the boss even knows Lu Cuisine. He’s truly incredible.’

Afterward, the three men thanked the customer at the neighboring table who had given them the answer.

They thanked the customer for clearing up their confusion.

Afterward, dishes like Steamed Mandarin Fish, Chopped Pepper Fish Head, and Mapo Tofu were brought to the table one after another.

The three men were thrilled with every dish. Each one was an exciting, top-tier delicacy.

And with such fine wine to top it all off, eating here was simply an unparalleled pleasure.

They continued to eat and drink.

By three in the afternoon, they were the only customers still eating in the entire restaurant.

They had already ordered more food twice.

Now, they were finally, completely stuffed and couldn’t eat another bite.

Time to settle the bill.

After settling the bill, they went out for a walk to aid their digestion and decided to take a stroll through the owner’s orchard.

As men in the fruit business, they were always very interested in orchards.

Upon entering the orchard, they discovered it was larger than they had imagined. Having such a large orchard meant that opening a restaurant here truly had its unique advantages.

After walking for a while, the three men discovered that the variety of fruit trees was also greater than they had expected.

They even discovered two Soursop Trees.

To their even greater surprise, the two Soursop Trees were growing remarkably well.

Normally, Soursop Trees were not suited for cultivation in this area. In all of Chuansheng Province, only the Pan City region was viable for growing them.

If planted elsewhere, the trees might survive, but their growth would usually be less than ideal. The chances of them flowering and bearing fruit were slim to none.

But judging by the current condition of these two Soursop Trees, it seemed like they would have no problem flowering and bearing fruit.

’That’s incredible!’

’Boss Li is an expert at growing fruit trees, too!’

Of course, it was still too early to say for sure whether these two Soursop Trees would ultimately flower and bear fruit.

But it filled them with curiosity and anticipation!

All three men were extremely interested. They decided to keep a close eye on these two Soursop Trees in the future.

’Let’s see what else there is. There are so many varieties—maybe close to twenty different kinds?’

’And every single type of fruit tree is in excellent condition. We have no idea how Boss Li usually manages them. How can he keep every single tree in such good shape?’

’He’s truly incredible.’

’If Boss Li decided to give up the restaurant and grow fruit trees instead, he’d surely make a fortune all the same.’

After wandering around the orchard for a good while, the three men walked out and returned to the front of the restaurant.

Li You was there as well.

Liu Hong said, ”Boss Li, we saw two Soursop Trees in your orchard. What made you decide to plant them here?”

”Just an experiment,” Li You said with a smile. ”Soursop is a rather unique fruit, and it tastes good too. We don’t have it around here. Many people have never eaten it, seen it, or even heard of it. So, I wanted to try growing some, to let everyone get a closer look at this kind of fruit.”

Liu Hong, Wang Zhongyu, and Cai Qingfeng all gave him a thumbs-up. ”Boss Li, that’s a fantastic idea! It’s very meaningful.”

”But it’s not guaranteed to succeed,” Li You added.

Liu Hong mused, ”Whether it will succeed is hard to say right now. But, judging by the current growth and condition of the two trees, I feel the chances of success are quite high.”

”Let’s hope it succeeds,” Li You said.

”We hope it succeeds, too,” Liu Hong said. ”By the way... Boss Li, would you be interested in trying to grow another type of fruit tree that isn’t well-suited for our region? If you are, I can get one for you.”

”Oh?” Li You’s interest was piqued. He smiled and asked, ”I wonder what kind of fruit tree Boss Liu is talking about?”

”Mangjishi,” said Liu Hong. ”Is Boss Li interested?”

Li You’s eyes lit up. ’That fruit is a real delicacy. So many people love it.’

Some people might be unfamiliar with the name *mangjishi*, having never heard it before.

But they have probably heard of its other name.

Mangosteen.

”Mangosteen” is its common name; its formal scientific name is *mangjishi*. But the name ”mangosteen” is undoubtedly far more well-known.

It is a tropical fruit. It is a small tree, ranging from about ten to twenty meters in height, with many dense branches.

It is a very beautiful tree.

Mangosteen is highly nutritious and has excellent restorative effects for those who are frail, malnourished, or recovering from illness.

Its taste is sweet and fragrant, with a unique flavor that many people enjoy. The only catch is that it’s often quite expensive.

Li You liked to eat them, too. But in the past, he could never bring himself to spend the money on them.

Li You was very interested in this fruit. If Liu Hong could get him a tree, Li You would, of course, be more than willing to plant it. So he nodded and said, ”Yes, I’m very interested. That’s a fantastic fruit. Can you get the saplings, Boss Liu?”

Liu Hong nodded. ”I can, and they’re large saplings, too. To be honest, Boss Li, I once tried to grow one at home myself. The tree grew decently, but unfortunately, it never flowered or bore fruit. Your skills with fruit trees are far superior to mine; maybe you can get it to flower and bear fruit.”

”You’re too kind,” Li You said. ”But I can certainly do my best to try.”

”In that case, I’ll get a couple of saplings for you in the next day or two,” Liu Hong said.

Li You nodded. ”Great. Thank you, Boss Liu. Let me know how much they cost, and I’ll pay you.”

Liu Hong waved his hand. ”The saplings aren’t worth much. Just consider them a gift, Boss Li. To be honest, I’m also very curious to see if you can successfully grow them.”

”Well...”

Li You hesitated for a moment, then smiled. ”Alright, in that case, I’ll graciously accept.”

Liu Hong was delighted and smiled back. ”I’m glad you won’t stand on ceremony, Boss Li. It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

”The pleasure is all mine, Boss Liu,” said Li You. ”And you as well, Boss Wang and Boss Cai.”

Wang Zhongyu and Cai Qingfeng quickly chimed in, saying the honor of meeting Li You was all theirs.

The four of them exchanged a round of lively pleasantries.

Afterward, Li You accompanied the three men on a tour of the vegetable garden, the wild fruit grove, and the Tea Garden.

The three men hadn’t expected him to have a Tea Garden as well.

’Running a restaurant here, Boss Li is making money while also enjoying life. It’s truly enviable.’

The tea bushes in the Tea Garden were also growing vigorously and in excellent condition. This left the three men sighing with admiration once more.

Wang Zhongyu was the most impressed of the three, as he was a tea aficionado with a deep knowledge of tea leaves and plants.

’You could tell at a glance that these tea bushes in the Tea Garden were anything but ordinary. They would absolutely produce high-quality tea.’

’The absolute highest quality, at that.’

”Boss, when these tea bushes are ready for harvesting, I’ll have to come and ask you for a cup of tea,” Wang Zhongyu said with a smile.

Li You also smiled. ”You’re more than welcome! Forget one cup; I’ll be sure to arrange ten, even a hundred cups for you, Boss Wang.”

Wang Zhongyu laughed heartily. ”In that case, I’ll be sure to shamelessly take you up on that offer.”

”You must!” Li You insisted. ”And Boss Liu and Boss Cai, you should come along too.”

Liu Hong and Cai Qingfeng both smiled and said, ”We’re not particularly big on tea, but we’ll definitely have to come and try the tea you grow here, Boss Li.”

”I’ll be eagerly awaiting your visit,” Li You said.

The three men all said they would be honored.

...

Time slowly passed. By five-thirty in the afternoon, customers began to arrive for dinner.

Liu Hong, Wang Zhongyu, and Cai Qingfeng also planned to have dinner here before heading to town to find a hotel for the night.

However, they weren’t in any hurry to eat. They were still far too stuffed from lunch. Waiting until eight o’clock to eat wouldn’t be too late.

They went to the arcade machine area to watch people play games for a while.

They were very familiar with arcade games, having played them a lot in their younger days.

’It’s a great touch, Boss Li having a few arcade machines here.’

Before they knew it, it was eight o’clock in the evening.

Liu Hong, Wang Zhongyu, and Cai Qingfeng began to order dinner.

They ordered Spicy Crayfish, Agastache Crucian Carp, Twice-Cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts, Steamed Sea Bass, and Braised Chicken.

After Li You had served all their dishes, he came out of the kitchen.

When Liu Hong saw him, he said, ”Boss Li, you probably haven’t eaten yet, have you? How about joining us? We can have a drink.”

Wang Zhongyu and Cai Qingfeng also extended an enthusiastic invitation.

Li You thanked them repeatedly. Then he said, ”I’m not alone, there’s someone else waiting for me to eat. So...”

’Ling Xiaoru has already arrived; she’s upstairs. And she said she’s treating me to dinner tonight.’

’He had already agreed, which was why he couldn’t accept the invitation from Liu Hong, Wang Zhongyu, and Cai Qingfeng now.’

”There’s someone else?” Liu Hong said. ”That’s simple. Boss Li, you should both join us. The more, the merrier.”

”That’s right, that’s right, the more the merrier,” Wang Zhongyu and Cai Qingfeng chimed in.

...

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