Chapter 233: Eating at a Private Kitchen

When Yun Jiao and Yun Xiao Liu heard this, their faces lit up with anticipation.

"But there’s always a line for Beijing roast duck. I’ll have someone go buy it for us. In the meantime, let’s head to the restaurant first."

The restaurant Elder Wu mentioned was actually a private kitchen.

Now that the country’s economy had opened up, those with skill and business sense naturally started opening high-end restaurants.

The food in these private kitchens was delicious, and of course, the prices were just as impressive.

The private kitchen also had exclusive private rooms, decorated in a quaint, traditional style. Incense was burning in the room, and it smelled quite pleasant.

A waiter came out with the menu. When Yun Linhai and the others took it and glanced at it, their eyes went wide.

It took all their willpower not to gasp aloud and embarrass themselves.

Each person who got the menu passed it to the next without ordering anything.

Finally, the menu ended up in Yun Jiao’s hands.

Yun Jiao asked, "What’s this ’Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’?"

The price for ’Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’ was among the most expensive on the menu. This single dish cost four to five hundred yuan!

And that was to say nothing of the other items.

Yun Linhai and the others’ minds went blank. ’That one dish could pay for so many of our meals back home.’

Elder Wu saw what they were thinking and said with a smile, "What are you worried about? This meal is my treat."

Yun Linhai and the others gave an embarrassed laugh.

You couldn’t blame them for reacting this way. If not for Yun Jiao, they might never have encountered this kind of food or this type of private kitchen in their entire lives.

Elder Wu understood. The environment a person grows up in determines their perspective and personality.

But one’s perspective is something that can be broadened over time.

’They’ll get used to it after a few more experiences.’

Elder Wu simply told the waiter to bring their signature dishes, enough for their whole party.

While they waited, Yun Xiao Liu held the menu, studying it with great interest for a long time.

"Well, I’ll be, Old Wu! You come to my place for a meal and don’t even say a word? What, were you afraid I wouldn’t serve you?"

A chubby but very friendly-looking old man walked in from outside the door.

Everyone in the private room turned to look at him.

The man’s eyes lit up the moment he saw Mr. Mu. "Well, look at you, Old Mu! You came back too!"

Mr. Mu stood up, a smile in his eyes as well. "That’s right. I’m back for a visit."

The two men laughed and clapped each other on the shoulder.

Mr. Mu said to him, "Come, let me introduce you."

"This is my good friend, Old Hu, the owner of this private kitchen."

"That’s my apprentice, and this is her family. I brought them to the Capital to take care of some business."

He didn’t specify what business, and Old Hu wasn’t tactless enough to ask.

He just greeted them with a wide smile.

"Since Old Mu brought you all here, this meal..."

Elder Wu cut in, "Hey, it’s my treat. Don’t you go saying it’s on the house."

Old Hu laughed. "Alright, I won’t fight you for it. But I can at least send over a couple of desserts, can’t I?"

"My old friend, I won’t disturb your meal any longer. I’ll treat you another day, and we can get together and chat."

Elder Wu and Mr. Mu both nodded in agreement.

Before the main courses arrived, the desserts were served.

Old Hu sent over three types of pastries. He didn’t want them to get full on sweets before the actual meal.

Fuling Cake, Pea Flour Cake, and Osmanthus Cake.

The pastries were not only exquisitely plated but also beautiful to look at.

And, of course, the taste was even more stunning.

Yun Jiao had tried Osmanthus Cake and Fuling Cake before at her master’s place; she had even brought some home for her family.

But how to put it... a professional was a professional for a reason. The flavors of these three pastries seemed to have been perfected. The sweetness was just right, making you want more and more. You could never get tired of it!

The happiest of them all was undoubtedly Yun Xiao Liu. The food was so delicious that his whole chubby, round face seemed to come alive with delight, and his eyes sparkled brightly.

But as he was eating his second piece of Pea Flour Cake, he looked puzzled.

"This piece is different from the first one. It’s a little sweeter."

Yun Jiao leaned over, and Yun Xiao Liu let her take a bite of the Pea Flour Cake he was eating.

She blinked. "It’s the same."

’They’re both delicious.’

Yun Xiao Liu insisted, "It’s not."

Yun Xiao Ba said, "What are you talking about? Let me try."

After all the brothers had taken a small bite of that piece of Pea Flour Cake, the final conclusion was that it tasted the same.

When the waiter started bringing the main dishes, Yun Xiao Liu was still arguing with them.

"How can you guys not taste it? This one is clearly a bit sweeter."

"Forget it. I’ll try another one."

After eating another piece, Yun Xiao Liu huffed, "I’m positive. That piece of Pea Flour Cake and the others were definitely not made in the same batch."

But no one had the energy to debate with him anymore. All eyes were fixed on the dishes on the table.

’It smells incredible!’

Once all the dishes were on the table, they dug in.

The first bite was pure bliss.

Yun Jiao mumbled, "It’s different from what we make at home."

It wasn’t that the dishes were different, but the flavors were.

Yun Jiao liked home-cooked meals too.

’Humans are amazing. How can they make food taste so many different ways?’

The meal left everyone with round, full bellies.

They were stuffed.

When they left, Old Hu came to see them off and had even packed up some pastries for them.

Yun Jiao and her brothers thanked him sweetly.

Old Hu cheerfully saw them out.

Instead of taking a car, they strolled back to help digest their food.

It was about an hour and a half walk from there to Elder Wu’s courtyard house.

By the time they strolled home, it was late, and the food in their stomachs had more or less been digested.

Everyone sat on the rocking chairs in the courtyard, chatting.

"Old Mu, let the past be the past. You should still come back here often to get together with everyone. At our age, how many years do we have left?"

Mr. Mu sat under a tree, looking up at the starry sky.

"We’ll see. I’m living quite well in Bailong Village right now."

Yun Jiao walked over toward them, just in time to hear their exchange.

’Hm? I should listen in.’

Mr. Mu’s voice sounded. "Little one, if you want to listen, just listen openly. Why are you trying to be sneaky?"

Not at all embarrassed about being caught eavesdropping, Yun Jiao walked over with her hands behind her back.

"If I listen openly, I’m afraid you’ll stop talking."

Elder Wu chuckled. "This little girl, she’s a clever one. You want to know your Grandpa Mu’s story that badly?"

Yun Jiao nodded without hesitation.

’Of course I do.’

"Then let your Grandpa Mu tell you himself."

Mr. Mu pulled her into his arms. "There’s not much to tell."

He gave a bitter laugh. "It was just bad luck. I got caught up in some people’s power games and ended up implicating my family. My wife, my son, and my youngest daughter all died. I, the one who should have died, was the one who survived by a fluke."

He said it simply, but Yun Jiao could feel the bitterness in his heart from his few words.

Elder Wu sighed. "It wasn’t your fault."

"I know."

Mr. Mu’s eyes were red. "But I can’t forget."

A pair of small hands reached up to his face and wiped away his tears.

"Grandpa Mu, if you cry, I’ll wipe your tears away, and then we can pretend it never happened."

Her tone was very serious.

Mr. Mu stroked her head, his gaze seeming to look through her to someone else.

"You little thing."

"Jiaojiao, you have to live a safe and peaceful life."