Xia Yu came out of the kitchen, two empty plates and a clay pot waiting on the counter for him to clean up.
"Uh…"
Glancing over, he saw that the two bowls of rice hadn't been touched, and Xia Yu couldn't help but feel a little exasperated.
"Can you really be full like this?" he doubted as he looked at An Ya and Mu Xiaoyue.
"What's the point of being full?"
"I only want dishes, not rice!" Mu Xiaoyue said matter-of-factly.
Xia Yu shrugged, while the couple at the counter looked at him eagerly.
Seeing this, Xia Yu pointed to the menu wall, "Today, we're only making those six dishes, no repeats! Otherwise, even if you pay, I won't make them!"
Mu Xiaoyue tugged at the sleeve of her fan, Ren Xue, so this niconico Dance Seer pursed her lips and said softly, "I want to order Mapo Tofu, Sour and Spicy Potato Strips, and Pineapple Gulu Meat."
"Alright, wait for half an hour," Xia Yu said, giving a glare to the smug Mu Xiaoyue. "You help me collect the money!"
With that, he turned and returned to the kitchen.
"Yay~"
Mu Xiaoyue excitedly waved her little fist in the store, "Clever me didn't eat rice, otherwise I'd definitely be too full!"
She rubbed her half-full belly with a look of self-satisfaction.
"Sister Yueyue, here's your money," Ren Xue took out her wallet, paying for three dishes, totaling 8,500 yen. She handed over a 5,000-yen note, a 2,000-yen note, a 1,000-yen note, and a 500-yen coin, considering Mu Xiaoyue might not have change.
Her boyfriend, Shuigu Jun, stood by with none of the temper he had upon entering the shop, his gaze fixed on the closed kitchen, clearly anticipating the upcoming food as his Adam's apple bobbed, swallowing saliva.
In less than twenty minutes, Xia Yu brought out the three dishes.
Among the three dishes, the Pineapple Gulu Meat took the most time, as marinating and frying happened while Xia Yu prepared the other two dishes. This time it was almost like a three-pronged operation, preparing the ingredients so that when cooking, he could easily control the rhythm.
"Take it away,"
Placing the three steaming dishes on the counter, Xia Yu gathered up the money Mu Xiaoyue had placed on the counter and put it into the cash register drawer in the back.
"This can be considered the first bucket of gold?"
The money wasn't much, 8,500 yen, but after costs, at least several times profit was earned.
As Xia Yu felt the paper currency in the drawer, it oddly wasn't as attractive as delving into culinary skills. His hands itched again, and without caring whether Mu Xiaoyue was listening, he instructed her to mind the shop while he returned to his bedroom and entered the God of Cooking Space.
"Hey, where is he?"
Seeing that the food was disappearing rapidly from the table, Mu Xiaoyue realized something was wrong when there was almost nothing left as soon as it was served. She turned her head, wanting to call for four bowls of rice, but found the counter empty.
She could only mutter and run into the kitchen herself.
Luckily, the dishes went well with rice. A bite of the dish, a few bites of rice, with each person averaging two bowls, they all ended up feeling full.
"Ha," reclining without manners on a chair, Mu Xiaoyue wore an expression of satisfaction, smacking her lips. "That brat's cooking seems to have improved again. However, these dishes still can't compare to last night's magical Mapo Tofu. So annoying! So annoying!"
"He definitely wasn't focused on cooking. Seriously, as a head chef, he should showcase his best skills!" Mu Xiaoyue wiped her mouth clean and began criticizing with full righteousness.
An Ya, thinking of last night's "magic dish," was silent for a moment before she smiled wryly and said, "Yueyue, you should be satisfied. That kind of dish isn't something money can buy, we were quite lucky."
Upon hearing this, Mu Xiaoyue nodded solemnly.
"Right!"
"I strongly suspect that guy wanted to show off his cooking to his angelic girlfriend, and we were just incidental… like stray cats and dogs on the roadside getting some charity!" Mu Xiaoyue gritted her teeth as she spoke.
Smack!
An Ya landed a hand-chop on Mu Xiaoyue's smooth forehead and said expressionlessly, "When you eat something delicious, you should thank the chef!"
Ren Xue, who was listening, was at a loss, but after reacting, she softly translated for Shuigu Jun.
"The young head chef had even better dishes he didn't present?" Shuigu Jun opened his mouth, having eaten six dishes in a row, his previous unfavorable impression of Chinese cuisine was completely reversed and erased.
If Japanese cuisine was a meticulous artwork, then in Shuigu Jun's mind, Chinese cuisine was an ink-wash painting, full of expression and freedom. Various ingredients mixed, with incredible, culturally rich seasonings, collectively crafting an ultimate culinary delight.
While Shuigu Jun liked Japanese cuisine, his taste contrasted with his Shibuya Style clothes, being quite mild.
However, after eating six strong-flavored Chinese dishes in succession, Shuigu Jun didn't find the heavy oil and strange sauces repulsive at all; it was magical.
Holding onto Mu Xiaoyue, Ren Xue and the three women were chatting away.
Shuigu Jun exhaled, sat down, took out his phone, opened Twitter, and sent a tweet:
"I'm sorry, I was wrong!"
"This Chinese restaurant's dishes are truly worth their price. In contrast, compared with resorts, high-end restaurants, and luxury hotels under Far Moon, the cuisine's pricing is really low. For less than ten thousand yen, you can experience the ultimate taste enjoyment; I think I will be a regular at this shop…"
"Finally, I want to say—"
"I love you, authentic Chinese cuisine!"
After tweeting, Shuigu Jun finally released the joy and complex emotions in his heart.
Looking back now, Shuigu Jun suddenly felt that the boulder between him and his girlfriend had quietly moved. Cultural barriers can be resolved. Now authentic Chinese cuisine had captured him, wouldn't their daily food tastes become closer?
Thinking this, a sweet smile appeared on Shuigu Jun's lips. Memories of the past four years came to mind, and perhaps soon after graduation, they would enter that sacred hall of marriage.
Xia Yu didn't know that his food had untangled Shuigu Jun's heart; otherwise, he would have put on the great FFF Group's cloak, holding a torch, and chanted to burn.
After tweeting, the niconico singing circle buzzed with discussion, with many friends inquiring about it. Being asked so much, Shuigu Jun simply sent out another tweet, detailing Xia's cuisine shop's address:
"Tokyo, Taidong District, Ueno Station, Old Street 7-16, Ameyoko."
"This is not an advertisement, nor involves any commercial interests. Moreover, I personally guarantee, the food there is absolutely worth the money!"
It was another advertisement.
And what's more, it was voluntary promotion, illustrating what it means to be an organic, grassroots promoter.
However, Xia Yu didn't know that his small shop was gradually becoming known among the niconico group of uploaders and fans.
Xia Yu, fighting away in the God of Cooking Space, began practicing the menu for the next week.