Chapter 253 - 246: Another Visit from Old Customers

Chapter 253: Chapter 246: Another Visit from Old Customers

The two types of wild fruit were in excellent condition, far better than they had imagined.

Both of them had originally thought the leaves on the wild fruit plants would be lifeless and a bit droopy.

This was perfectly normal.

Newly transplanted plants and trees were almost always like this. It usually took many days for them to slowly regain their vigor.

But now, both the chestnut roses and the mock strawberries before them were brimming with life. Every single leaf was vibrant, and not one of them was drooping.

The same went for the flowers.

Both the chestnut rose blossoms and the mock strawberry flowers were full of vitality. There wasn’t the slightest hint of wilting.

Their overall condition even seemed better than when they were in the wild.

It was simply unbelievable.

"Boss, how are they in such good condition? It’s almost magical!" Ye Shengge and Ling Xiaoru both exclaimed.

Li You said, "Perhaps this place is just very suitable for them. They adapted to the new environment quickly."

The two of them nodded slowly after hearing his explanation. It seemed to be the only possible reason.

Then, Ye Shengge said, "Boss, it looks like your plan to build a wild fruit orchard is a really good one. From now on, you probably won’t have to worry about the wild fruits failing to acclimate after being transplanted."

Li You smiled. "I hope so."

After spending a little more time in the wild fruit orchard, the three of them returned to the restaurant.

...

「At 10:30 in the morning, a sedan with Heyang City license plates pulled into the parking lot.」

Two men got out of the car: He Xianfei and Qu Feng.

Ever since Chen Wen had told him that no matter how good the best wine He Xianfei had ever tasted was, it couldn’t possibly compare to the wine at Li You’s place, He Xianfei had been dying to come and find out for himself.

’Just how exquisite could the wine here be to make Chen Wen speak with such confidence?’

’After all, the best wine I’ve ever had was a special reserve that you can’t buy on the open market, no matter how much money you have. And Chen Wen should know exactly how good that wine is, because he’s definitely had it himself.’

’And yet, Chen Wen still said what he did.’

’So, just how amazing is this wine?’

He Xianfei couldn’t wait to find out.

Chen Wen had mentioned that he would be bringing Yu Hong here today, which was perfect. So, He Xianfei decided to come today as well.

’I’ll get to savor the fine wine *and* watch Yu Hong helplessly admit defeat after tasting the Mapo Tofu here. It’s going to be incredibly satisfying.’

At the same time, He Xianfei decided to invite Qu Feng to come with him.

After all, Qu Feng was the reason he knew about this place in the first place.

It was only right, both in principle and as a friendly gesture, to invite Qu Feng along.

And Qu Feng, for his part, was more than happy and excited to come. He had never forgotten his experience at Li You’s restaurant.

Now, they had arrived.

Qu Feng looked at Li You’s restaurant in the distance and sighed wistfully. "It really hasn’t been that long since I was last here, but the reputation of Boss Li’s place is on a whole different level now. A famous director’s film crew showing up is one thing, but I never expected even Master Guyi to be drawn here by its fame."

Chen Wen had told He Xianfei all about the stories involving the film crew and Guyi.

He Xianfei, in turn, had told Qu Feng.

Hearing Qu Feng’s words, He Xianfei gave a slight smile and said, "That’s only to be expected. With Boss Li’s unfathomable culinary skills, it would be strange if this place *didn’t* become famous."

"That’s true," Qu Feng said. "And this is only the beginning. Boss Li’s restaurant is really going to become the most famous in the entire country. And it won’t take very long, either."

"That’s a given," said He Xianfei. "When that happens, this place will be absolutely swamped with customers. Boss Li is going to have his hands full."

"He’ll be happy, no matter how busy he gets," Qu Feng replied.

The two men chatted as they slowly walked toward the restaurant.

Li You, Ye Shengge, and Ling Xiaoru were all standing outside the restaurant’s entrance.

Li You recognized He Xianfei and Qu Feng from a distance.

This made Li You very happy. He loved nothing more than seeing old customers return.

It felt like old friends coming for a visit.

Although Chen Wen had mentioned when he left yesterday that He Xianfei would probably be coming today, it was still a delightful surprise to see him actually arrive.

Besides, Chen Wen had only said He Xianfei would be coming; he hadn’t mentioned Qu Feng would be here as well.

So, Li You was overjoyed and walked out to greet them from a distance.

As they drew near, he smiled. "Chef He, Master Qu, long time no see."

He Xianfei and Qu Feng smiled back. "It’s great to see you again, Boss Li."

The three men exchanged pleasantries.

After their greetings, He Xianfei added, "We heard you’re selling an exceptionally good wine now, Boss Li. We’re dying to try it."

Li You smiled. "In that case, please, come in!"

"After you, Boss Li!"

The three of them walked toward the entrance together.

Soon, both He Xianfei and Qu Feng noticed Ye Shengge and Ling Xiaoru standing outside the entrance.

Naturally, both men were quite taken aback by their beauty.

’To have two such beautiful women here... Boss Li is a lucky man!’

They walked into the restaurant.

The first thing that caught their eyes was the painting by Guyi.

Since they already knew the story of Guyi’s visit, they naturally knew about the painting.

But knowing about it was one thing. Seeing it with their own eyes, they were still awestruck.

They were awestruck by the painting itself, but even more so by the fact that this place had managed to attract Guyi.

’It’s just too damn incredible!’

After a moment of marveling, their gazes fell upon the enormous wine jar.

’Is the wine in this jar?’

’What a massive jar.’

Both men walked quickly to the wine jar. After looking at it for a moment, He Xianfei said, "Boss Li, you’re selling braised chicken now, right? In that case, start us off with one braised chicken. And a bowl of wine for each of us."

Li You nodded with a smile. "Alright. Please have a seat."

He Xianfei and Qu Feng both nodded and found a table.

Da Bai began to carve the braised chicken while Li You personally ladled two bowls of wine and brought them over to He Xianfei and Qu Feng’s table.

"Chef He, Master Qu, please enjoy."

The two men thanked him, and were quickly captivated by the wine’s aroma.

The fragrance was simply intoxicating.

’Based on the aroma alone, I already understand why Chen Wen was so confident.’

’The best wine I’ve ever had didn’t have an aroma anywhere near this good.’

’It’s completely mesmerizing!’

Both men eagerly lifted their bowls and took a sip. Instantly, they felt they weren’t drinking mere wine, but the most exquisite nectar on earth.

He Xianfei was thrilled.

’Now I’m even more certain why Chen Wen dared to say what he did.’

’This truly is the finest nectar on earth; it’s something that should only exist in the heavens. With a wine this magnificent, how could Chen Wen *not* be that confident?’

It wasn’t just Chen Wen. He Xianfei now felt the exact same way.

Right now, He Xianfei would dare to tell anyone that the best wine they’d ever had would never compare to the wine here.

He was that confident.

And He Xianfei fully intended to tell many people exactly that.

’When would be a better time to show off than now?’

Qu Feng was just as thrilled. He never imagined such a magnificent wine could exist in this world.

To have tasted a wine like this meant he would have no regrets in life when it came to wine.

Seeing that both had taken a sip, Li You excused himself to leave.

He Xianfei quickly said, "Boss Li, no rush, no rush! Boss Li, there aren’t any other customers right now, so you’re not busy. How about you come have a bowl with us?"

Li You let out a hearty laugh. "Alright. I’ll join you two for a bowl, then."

He then ladled a bowl of wine for himself and sat down with them.

The three men all raised their bowls and took a hearty gulp.

"So satisfying!" He Xianfei laughed. "With this wine, you don’t even need any food to go with it. Drinking it straight is satisfying enough."

However, the food soon arrived.

Da Bai brought over the sliced braised chicken.

The braised chicken was also incredibly aromatic.

After catching the scent, both He Xianfei and Qu Feng eagerly picked up a piece of chicken and began to eat.

’It’s satisfying even without food, true. But having food with it is even better, isn’t it?’

After swallowing a piece of chicken, both He Xianfei and Qu Feng were once again sighing with admiration and praising it endlessly.

"Boss Li," said He Xianfei, "I have some skill in making braised dishes myself, and I’ve always been very confident in them. But now, compared to yours, the difference is night and day."

"You’re too modest, Chef He," Li You replied. "I’m certain your braised dishes are also quite delicious."

"They’re delicious, yes," He Xianfei said. "But they can’t compare to yours, Boss Li."

...