Chapter 519: Human Warmth

Translator:

Xiong_Guoqi

Editor:

DesTheSloth

Having understood that dishes should vary for each individual, Yuan Zhou didn’t really change a lot. In spite of that, he would turn around and have a look at the customers whenever Zhou Jia and Shen Min reported the orders to him, or he would do so before he cooked the food.

“Get me a serving of Translucent Beef Slices, plain white rice from the 100 Styles of Rice Cuisines and a cup of watermelon juice, please.” Lee Yanyi ordered dishes directly once he entered the restaurant.

“Okay.” Zhou Jia answered melodiously.

“Teacher, I’m going back now.” Seeing Lee Yanyi finish ordering his dishes, Yan Jia said that at the side.

“Okay, go.” Lee Yanyi waved his hand. He was only staring at Yuan Zhou and didn’t even look at Yan Jia.

“Teacher, I will come back to pick you up later.” Yan Jia said courteously. Only after he got an affirmative answer from Lee Yanyi did he leave.

“Speaking of which, are you interested in eating the All-Fish Banquet, Mr. Lee?” Wu Hai asked with a seemingly cunning look.

“What? Do you want to sell your paintings to me?” Lee Yanyi glanced at Yuan Zhou and said as if he had known Wu Hai’s intention all along.

“No. Look! You are a food critic and I’m a painter. If we eat together, we can enjoy the banquet together.” Wu Hai said primly.

“We have nothing to do with each other.” Lee Yanyi humphed.

“That’s why we can eat together. Only in this way can it be called an important banquet.” Wu Hai said quite earnestly.

“Oh.” Lee Yanyi merely revealed a look of “You continue to act” and did not reply him.

“Let’s do it this way. You don’t need to buy my paintings. But you can say that you want to give some remarks about this restaurant and then treat me to dinner.” Wu Hai thought for a while and said, looking as if he had suffered a loss willingly.

“I won’t comment on this restaurant.” Lee Yanyi appeared extraordinarily earnest when he said that.

“It’s not real. We are just chatting.” Wu Hai murmured.

“This old guy never lies.” Lee Yanyi rolled his eyes to Wu Hai.

While Wu Hai was still trying his best to swindle Lee Yanyi, Zhou Jia was walking between the kitchen and main hall quickly to send dishes to the customers without stopping. Some customers who could no longer wait were taking their dishes by themselves. It was a bustling scene filled with action in the restaurant.

“Here’s your Egg Fried Rice. Please take your time and enjoy.”

“A serving of Phoenix-Tailed Prawns.”

“A plate of Dongpo Pig Knuckle.”

“A serving of Melt-In-The-Mouth Chicken Feet and Jinling Gra.s.s.” Zhou Jia’s voice came continually.

“Huh? Why do I feel that the Egg Fried Rice today is more delicious?” It was a customer who had a sensitive taste sense.

“When you put it that way, I also feel the taste of the prawns is a little different.” A customer who had ordered the Phoenix-Tailed Prawns also said in surprise.

“Shall I have a taste?” The eater of the Egg Fried Rice said naturally.

“No problem. Let me taste your Egg Fried Rice.” The eater of the Phoenix-Tailed Prawns scooped up the fried rice beside him naturally and stuffed it into his mouth immediately.

“Um. It tastes almost the same.” The eater of the Phoenix-Tailed Prawns didn’t really distinguish any difference.

“I feel your Phoenix-Tailed Prawns are also as delicious as before. The prawn meat is crisp, tender, fresh and sweet. Besides, it gives me a texture of good elasticity. I also feel it tastes almost the same.” The eater of the Egg Fried Rice savored the taste for a while and then came to the conclusion.

After they gave their opinion, other customers that hadn’t realized that also started to savor their dishes very carefully. Then, they found the dishes in the mouth indeed tasted better than before.

In just a little while, other customers in the restaurant also sighed with emotion one after another.

“Here are your Translucent Beef Slices, 100 Styles of Rice Cuisines and watermelon juice. Please take your time and enjoy.” Zhou Jia carried up the dishes one by one while saying that.

“Thank you.” Lee Yanyi nodded his head and expressed his grat.i.tude.

“You are welcome.” Zhou Jia answered smilingly.

“Shut up.” Lee Yanyi said to Wu Hai that was still chattering something with a domineering tone.

“Oh, okay.” Wu Hai turned to look for others without flinching at all.

“Hmm. Melting upon touching the mouth as well as fragrant and spicy, um? It surprisingly changes?” Lee Yanyi picked a piece of beef and then also felt the differences.

In order to verify the difference, Lee Yanyi ate up a full plate of beef without eating tasting the plain white rice.

After that, Lee Yanyi narrowed his eyes and savored the aftertaste carefully for a while before he turned around to look at the customers who were still eating and came to a conclusion.

Lee Yanyi always had meals unhurriedly and he didn’t like talking during the process. It had been an old habit of his which lasted for dozens of years.

Therefore, the plates and bowls in front of him were empty when he spoke again.

“Boss Yuan, your dishes are having seemed to have more and more human warmth.” Lee Yanyi said to Yuan Zhou who was carrying some dishes to others.

“Um.” Yuan Zhou set down the dishes and nodded calmly.

“Haha. Interesting, this is really interesting.” Lee Yanyi laughed and left with a delighted look on his solemn face.

“What’s the taste of human warmth?” Wu Hai was a little puzzled.

However, others in the restaurant behaved as if they had suddenly understood that.

The taste in Yuan Zhou’s restaurant didn’t change. It was just that the customers felt it more satisfactory now. There was only a subtle difference.

However, just a subtle difference could contrarily bring much warmth into the customers’ heart. It indeed felt wonderful to be well treated.

“Boss Yuan deserves to be my prince charming. He not only cooks delicious dishes, but also treats others gently.” It was what the female customers in the restaurant thought.

And the male customers naturally felt quite proud in the heart. The restaurant selected by them really did serve delicious dishes.

…

Early next morning, Yuan Zhou changed into sportswear and then went downstairs to jog.

The footsteps of “Ta Ta Ta” sounded quite harmonious rather than grating in his ear.

When Yuan Zhou ran to the street right ahead of the front door of his restaurant, he found the door of Boss Tong’s store was opened from a distance.

She was wearing a black wool jacket and a gray hat. With a dark blue luggage held in her hand, she was walking out of the store.

Yuan Zhou suddenly stood still. He neither ran forward nor made any sound.

Just like that, he watched Boss Tong pull the luggage and walk away slowly.

“Have a safe trip.” Yuan Zhou muttered in a low voice and then he started to run again.

Boss Tong’s departure didn’t have much influence on the daily life around. Only the old customers knew there was not a dry cleaning shop here anymore.

Yuan Zhou still did business and rest regularly according to his daily schedule, without intending to tidy up the neighboring store.

“Ding Ling Ling, Ding Ling Ling”

The ringtone of Yuan Zhou’s phone rang.

“Hi, Sun Ming.” Yuan Zhou answered the phone and greeted directly.

“Haha, Compa.s.s. How do you plan to celebrate your Chinese New Year?” Sun Ming’s hearty voice pa.s.sed from the other end of the phone.

“There’s no holiday during the Chinese New Year.” Yuan Zhou stayed silent for quite a while and then answered.

“What about we brothers get together to have a party?” Sun Ming asked tentatively.

“No need. On the contrary, you haven’t been here for a long time.” It was rare for Yuan Zhou to say that.

After all, Sun Ming truly hadn’t been here for long.

“Forget about that. I was out for a blind date. Now I am tied down by my family.” Sun Ming’s complacent and flamboyant tone could be even captured at the other side of the screen.

“You become a father so soon. Congratulations!” Yuan Zhou said with an indifferent tone. Others couldn’t tell if he was really congratulating Sun Ming earnestly since he was still single.

“You think too much. I just have a girlfriend. She isn’t a native. I went to her hometown.” Sun Ming explained.

“Oh.” Yuan Zhou answered coldly.

“Let me tell you that my girlfriend has a very beautiful younger sister. Do you want to meet her?” In Yuan Zhou’s opinion, Sun Ming’s voice carried some indecency.

“I don’t need a blind date.” Yuan Zhou said with a resolute and decisive tone. After that, he hung up the phone.

“My spring apparently hasn’t arrived yet.” Yuan Zhou looked at the phone and muttered.

…