Chapter 276 - 261: The Guests Are So Enthusiastic

Chapter 276: Chapter 261: The Guests Are So Enthusiastic

Once the thought took root in Lu Yuan’s mind, it was impossible to shake.

’I’ll just try one more new dish.’

’This will be the last one, for real.’

’What should I order?’

Lu Yuan wanted to order everything. Every single dish looked unbelievably delicious.

After a moment of conflicted hesitation, he finally made up his mind.

Mapo Tofu!

’I’ll get an order of Mapo Tofu.’

As someone from Xiang Province, Lu Yuan had a high tolerance for spicy food and loved it.

Both are provinces known for their spicy cuisine, but people from Xiang Province often eat even spicier food than those from Chuansheng Province, and they enjoy it more.

However, the spice of Chuansheng wasn’t merely hot; it was a numbing kind of spice.

The people of Chuansheng preferred this numbing heat.

As its name suggested, Mapo Tofu was bound to be both numbing and spicy.

Lu Yuan could handle the numbing spice just fine.

So, Mapo Tofu it was.

Lu Yuan had eaten this dish many times before.

It was delicious, and he was quite fond of it.

After calling Da Bai over and ordering a plate of Mapo Tofu, Lu Yuan went back to feasting and drinking. Of course, he was also filled with anticipation for the new dish.

Before long, the Mapo Tofu was served. Just like the ones he’d seen at other tables, it looked incredibly appetizing.

Lu Yuan eagerly scooped up a spoonful. After blowing on it lightly to cool it down, he put it in his mouth.

It was numbing, spicy, and hot, but it was incredibly satisfying and delicious. It was worlds better than the best Mapo Tofu he had ever tasted before.

After finishing the first spoonful, Lu Yuan immediately scooped up another.

Spoonful after spoonful, he ate several in a row before he finally, reluctantly, stopped, still craving more.

’So satisfying! So addictive!’

He’d been eating Mapo Tofu for years, but only today did he realize it could taste this good.

He’d always thought Mapo Tofu was a delicious dish. Now he knew it was, without a doubt, one of the best dishes in the world.

There’s an eight-character maxim for what makes a perfect Mapo Tofu. ’Boss Li You’s version must have perfected every single aspect of that maxim, right?’

So, someone really could perfectly execute every principle of the eight-character Mapo Tofu maxim.

If so, this could only be described as the perfect Mapo Tofu.

’So, could this truly be the best Mapo Tofu in the world?’

He couldn’t be absolutely certain, but Lu Yuan was convinced it was. The probability was at least ninety-eight percent.

He’d wanted to order one more dish to test his theory.

Now, he had his answer.

The new dish he’d ordered, the Mapo Tofu, truly did have the best flavor in the world.

While this still didn’t prove that all the other dishes were the same, the probability was now incredibly high.

After all, he had chosen the Mapo Tofu at random.

Lu Yuan was more shocked than he had ever been.

It was truly unbelievable, yet he had no choice but to believe it.

This place couldn’t be called merely "magical" anymore. It should be called "legendary."

Even if it wasn’t a legend yet, it was destined to become one.

This place would become a paradise for foodies.

And for Lu Yuan, it was paradise as well.

Who doesn’t love delicious food? Especially when it was a supreme delicacy that could be called the best in the world.

He continued to enjoy the exquisite food and, of course, the fine wine.

It was around this time that people in the restaurant began to notice that Lu Yuan looked familiar.

"Hey, look at that guy. Does he seem familiar to you?"

"He does look familiar. A lot like a celebrity."

"Who? Lu Yuan? I think he looks a lot like him, too."

"..."

"Holy crap! It’s not that he ’looks like’ him—that *is* Lu Yuan. He looks a little different in person than he does on screen, but that’s definitely the real Lu Yuan."

Someone had recognized Lu Yuan. Once they heard who it was, more people finally recognized him too.

Yep, that was Lu Yuan, all right.

Seeing a celebrity in real life was indeed a different experience from seeing them on screen. It wasn’t always easy to recognize them right away.

This must be Lu Yuan’s first time here, right? I haven’t heard about him visiting before.

Another celebrity has been added to the list of those who’ve eaten at the restaurant.

This made all the patrons quite surprised and excited.

They weren’t excited just because they saw Lu Yuan; they were excited that yet another celebrity had come to eat here.

They had said it before: more and more celebrities were bound to start showing up.

And now it was happening!

Now, Lu Yuan had come.

While Lu Yuan might not be a megastar, he was still a very well-known actor—a bona fide celebrity.

All the patrons were delighted. Then, one of them picked up his wine bowl and walked over to Lu Yuan. He wanted to offer a toast and, at the same time, welcome him.

Although the man wasn’t the proprietor, Li You had once said that for any guests from outside Wenxian Town, all residents of Wenxian Town were the hosts.

This had made the local patrons incredibly excited and proud. Because of what Li You said, they felt a shared sense of honor in the restaurant’s success.

’Lu Yuan is definitely from outside Wenxian Town, right?’

So there was nothing wrong with them going over to offer a toast as a welcome.

After the first patron approached, he asked, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Lu Yuan?"

Even though he was sure it was Lu Yuan, it was still best to confirm, just to avoid any embarrassing mistakes.

Lu Yuan wasn’t surprised that the patrons had recognized him.

But a customer bringing over a bowl of wine was a little unexpected.

’Bringing over wine... the meaning is obvious. He’s definitely coming to offer a toast.’

’Are the customers here really this friendly? Coming over to give a toast?’

Lu Yuan thought this to himself but didn’t let it show on his face. He simply stood up, smiled faintly, and said, "I am Lu Yuan. Hello!"

The patron smiled. "It really is Mr. Lu. Please, sit down, sit down."

Lu Yuan said, "You too, please sit."

They both sat down.

The patron raised his wine bowl again. "Mr. Lu, welcome to Wenxian Town, and welcome to the boss’s restaurant. I’d like to propose a toast!"

Lu Yuan also raised his wine bowl and clinked it against the patron’s. "Thank you, thank you so much for your warm welcome. I never expected the food and wine here would be so exceptional. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to eat and drink here!"

The patron smiled. "You are indeed lucky, Mr. Lu. Please!"

"Please!"

The two of them each took a sip.

After setting down his bowl, the patron asked, "If you don’t mind my asking, Mr. Lu, how did you find out about this place?"

Lu Yuan smiled. "Of course. Liu ZeLin recommended it to me."

Lu Yuan then briefly recounted the conversation he’d had with Liu ZeLin.

It wasn’t just the patron who had come to offer a toast who heard him; everyone in the restaurant did.

So, Liu ZeLin was the one who recommended it.

Everyone knew that Liu ZeLin had come to eat here with Director Zhang Hongyi.

This proved that celebrity actors really did recommend the place to one another.

This was fantastic!

Just then, more patrons started coming over with their wine bowls to offer toasts.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan was both moved and delighted.

The customers here were so warm and hospitable. It made the experience of dining here even better.

Lu Yuan stood up again, exchanging pleasantries with each patron who came over, clinking bowls and drinking with them.

He felt more cheerful than ever before.

Eating and drinking here was just so wonderfully pleasant!

...