Chapter 203: Mysterious Cuisine
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“People have different tastes. What you find ugly, others might find beautiful,” Yuwen Chu said gently, giving her a glance, “Just like some people think I’m good, but you think I’m not.”
“Did I say that? If I thought you weren’t good, would I marry you?” Mingzhu refused to admit, “I’m so hungry.”
Yuwen Chu solemnly warned, “Then stop nitpicking. Don’t you know that you shouldn’t make people hate you when eating out? Cooks and waiters might secretly spit in the food.”
Mingzhu was instantly disgusted but obediently closed her mouth.
Ahead, the old man had already pushed open a crude wooden door, indicating for the two to enter.
The room was dimly lit, with a small old wooden table in the center, and two slightly dirty old stools. Other than that, there was nothing else. Mingzhu felt nervous and disgusted, unconsciously leaning closer to Yuwen Chu.
Yuwen Chu smiled and led her inside, gesturing for her to sit on one of the stools. He sat opposite her and said to the old man, “Please serve the food, sir.”
The old man grunted and walked away indifferently.
Mingzhu looked around, the walls seemed to have been painted years ago and had turned yellow. The window frames were sturdy enough, but the window paper was of poor quality, thick and inferior, barely letting in any light. Looking down, she saw that the table was covered with a thick layer of grease, and she couldn’t help but frown at the stool she was sitting on, seeing many black stains. She felt uncomfortable all over. What were they going to do here?
But the old man came with a wine jug in one hand, two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks in the other, with two wine glasses in the bowls. He walked slowly to the table and placed them down before walking away.
“Husband seems quite content.” Mingzhu watched Yuwen Chu’s calm demeanor and felt embarrassed to mention that she found the place dirty.
Yuwen Chu distributed the bowls, chopsticks, and wine glasses in front of them, smiling, “Aren’t you clever? Guess? Guess right and win a prize.”
“I’m too lazy to bother with that.” Mingzhu was sure it was another trap waiting for her to fall into, and she wasn’t going to be fooled. She carefully examined the bowls, chopsticks, and wine glasses in front of her in the faint light, relieved when she found no strange dirt on them. Still, she couldn’t help but take out her handkerchief and wipe them twice.
Then she caught a tantalizing aroma, subtle yet enticing. Before seeing the food, it had already awoken her appetite. Unable to resist, she turned around and saw the old man’s strained expression as he brought in a food container, as if they owed him money, then struggled to open it and set out several dishes one by one.
The first dish was a small bowl of steaming hot duck blood vermicelli soup, followed by a bowl of tangyuan, with only two quail egg-sized tangyuans inside. The third bowl was vegetarian noodles, followed by crystal shrimp dumplings, soup dumplings, and other snacks, a total of ten items, each in small portions but beautifully presented and fragrant. The old man placed the last bowl of braised pork rice on the table and then left with a stern face.
“Aren’t you going to eat the duck blood vermicelli soup? It’ll get cold if you don’t.” Yuwen Chu picked up the small bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup and handed Mingzhu half, encouraging her, “Give it a try.”
Mingzhu hesitated, whispering softly, “He won’t secretly spit in it, will he?”
“He won’t,” Yuwen Chu reassured her confidently, “Eat it while it’s hot.”
After a moment of hesitation, Mingzhu cautiously took a sip and instantly felt like her tongue was being enveloped. Her eyes lit up, and she looked at Yuwen Chu very gently. It was unimaginably delicious, the best thing she had ever eaten in her two lifetimes. She could forgive the old man’s cold demeanor and the dirtiness of the place.
Could a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup buy her favor like this? Yuwen Chu was a bit silent under her tender gaze, smiling as if sighing. He stopped her from attacking the remaining half bowl of vermicelli soup, instead picking up a tangyuan for her. “Don’t be greedy. Taste a little of each, or you won’t have room for the rest.”
The tangyuan was filled with the fragrant sweetness of glutinous rice. Despite Mingzhu’s years of experience as a foodie, she couldn’t tell what was inside, but it was so delicious that Yuwen Chu seemed especially adorable to her. If he hadn’t quickly eaten the tangyuan before she could take another, she might have found him even cuter.
The third bowl contained vegetarian noodles, just enough for two people to have a few bites. However, the taste was beyond words, just like the noodles made by the best chef in the mansion. She almost suspected that Yuwen Chu had brought that person here.
“Is it delicious?” Yuwen Chu smiled lightly and didn’t eat the noodles in his bowl, focusing on Mingzhu instead, just like when they first met on the chilly night in the empty corridor of the Jade Emperor Temple. Back then, his gaze had seemed bold and cold to her, but now it seemed open and tender.
With the delicious taste of the noodles still on her tongue, Mingzhu couldn’t bring herself to say anything insincere. She had to admit, “Very delicious.” Frowning, she added, “Don’t tell me you kidnapped our chef and brought him here?” But upon closer examination, the taste was slightly different, even more fragrant and robust.
Yuwen Chu picked up a soup dumpling and put it in her bowl. “Eat it while it’s hot.”
Without a doubt, it was another indescribably delicious flavor. Mingzhu was moved to the brink of tears as they quickly finished all ten snacks. Instead of feeling satisfied, she felt even hungrier, so she stared covetously at Yuwen Chu’s portion, smiling charmingly, “You don’t like eating?”
Yuwen Chu chuckled, “How does it taste to you?”
Mingzhu replied earnestly, “Extremely delicious. I’ve never eaten anything this delicious before.”
“Better than the duck blood vermicelli soup and tangyuan at the Chenghuang Temple?”
“I’ve long forgotten the taste of the duck blood vermicelli soup and tangyuan at the Chenghuang Temple.”
“Better than the vegetarian noodles at the Fu mansion?”
On this one, Mingzhu hesitated for a moment, but she couldn’t bring herself to disparage her own food. She replied fairly, “Each has its own merits.”
“What about the imperial palace’s dishes?”
“Husband knows better than me!” Mingzhu seized the opportunity while Yuwen Chu wasn’t paying attention and quickly snatched the remaining half bowl of braised pork rice from in front of him, saying contentedly, “It’s so delicious.”
Yuwen Chu said, “Then I’m relieved. This person specializes in various famous snacks and only entertains two people a day, making only two portions of each item. Once you taste it, you’ll never forget it. I’ve been wanting to bring you here for a meal, but it never worked out.”
Does that mean you have to line up to eat such a small amount of food? Even a prince can’t get him to make a full table, but instead has to wait in line obediently? And with such a bad attitude and environment, who could be so arrogant? Mingzhu simply couldn’t believe it.
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