Chapter 34: Customers Have Arrived!

Two pedestrians stopped and extended their necks to look inside the restaurant.

On the counter were four bowls of Mei Cai Kou Rou. The dish was a vibrant red and glossy, with a thick sauce that immediately whetted the appetite. However, there were no diners in the restaurant. Surely the appeal of the dish wasn’t just its color?

They turned to glance at the bustling restaurant across the street, and prepared to go there instead.

Su Wan, carrying a bowl of Mei Cai Kou Rou, approached the two people with a radiant smile and said, “Sir, please have a taste of our braised pork. If it’s not to your liking, there’s no charge, and we won’t force you to dine in our restaurant.”

She then pointed to the notice at the entrance: “If you find the taste to your liking, then please come into the restaurant to eat. If you spend a total of 500 Wen, we will offer you the least expensive dish you ordered for free, and you can also participate in a lottery. If you win, you don’t have to pay for this meal.”

The two people who were initially hesitant, were tempted by Su Wan’s words and asked, “Is it really free just to taste a bite?”

“It’s free!” Su Wan assured them earnestly. “We run our restaurant for the long term, valuing honesty and reputation. Without these, no customers would come, and our business could not continue.”

The two finally reassured, took the chopsticks and stared at the glistening, thick sauce covering the tender pork belly, and couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.

They carefully picked up a piece of the preserved vegetable with their chopsticks and put it in their mouths. The vegetable had been simmered in chicken broth, and absorbed the rich soup. It was fragrant and imbued with the fresh taste of chicken, making it even more refreshing and delicious.

Their eyes lit up instantly. They hurriedly picked up a piece of the braised pork with their chopsticks, and after a few chews, their mouths were filled with oil, yet it wasn’t greasy at all, but tender and crispy.

After swallowing a whole piece, the aftertaste lingered in their mouths. Not yet fully satisfied, they reached out with their chopsticks to pick up another slice.

Su Wan moved the plate away with a beaming smile and said, “Sir, you can only try one piece. Would you like to come into the restaurant to eat?”

“Yes!” The two of them with their eyes fixed on the Mei Cai Kou Rou, licked their lips with lingering satisfaction and praised, “The meat you made is so fragrant and delicious! I want to hold a bowl of it and eat to my heart’s content!”

Other people who were watching pulled the sleeves of these two people, stared at the pork in Su Wan’s hand and asked, “Is it really that delicious?”

“It’s the best braised pork I’ve ever had!” The two people’s cravings were fully aroused as they shook off the hands, “Don’t block the way, you will know if you go in and try it yourself? Even if it doesn’t suit your taste, it’s just a few hundred wen.”

They patted their chests and assured, “We guarantee it’s worth the money you spend, and you’ll want to come back to her place next time!”

The two men swaggered into the restaurant.

The others looked at each other in dismay, the meat was indeed fragrant, and corroborated by others, it was indeed delicious.

Everyone followed the two into the restaurant.

“Please have a seat,” Su Wan said as she settled the two people down and placed a bowl of Mei Cai Kou Rou on the table: “This dish is for the two of you.”

She turned her head and called out to the dazed shopkeeper Xu, “Hurry and attend to the customers.”

“Oh, right away!” Shopkeeper Xu, looking at the guests who were finding their own seats, felt as if he was walking on clouds, almost as if he was dreaming. With a smile plastered on his face, he greeted the customers, “What would you like to order?”

The crowd turned to Su Wan and asked, “Young lady, do you have any special dishes to recommend?”

Without blinking an eye, Su Wan replied, “Whatever you’d like to eat, just order it. I’m quite skilled at making anything.”

With that bold statement, everyone unreservedly started ordering without even looking at the menu, just naming whatever they felt like eating.

Shopkeeper Xu and the waiters were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground as they wrote down the orders and sent them all to the kitchen.

The good business on this side caught the attention of Shopkeeper Fang from the Fengwei Pavilion across the street.