Chapter 100: Yuan Zhou’s Little Hobby (Two)
Translator: Xiong Guoqi Editor: Meh / DesTheSloth
The high cost directly put out any intent the grandma had of adopting the dog. However, she still didn’t have the heart to leave it uncared for, and therefore came back to feed it every few days. Gradually, she discovered the skin disease was slowly disappearing without any treatment and the old wounds were again covered with healthy long strands of fur. Now that the dog had recovered and appeared extraordinarily cute and lovable, the grandma, again, came to expect to be able to adopt it and raise it as her own.
However, the mixed fur Maltese became more wary after being abandoned before, and totally ignored the grandma.
When the grandma found the Maltese was reluctant to move a single step, she had no choice but to leave in disappointment.
Though having intended to only take a nap, Yuan Zhou slept soundly until 4:00 PM when he suddenly woke up.
After taking out his phone and checking the time, Yuan Zhou was still a little muddled. Suddenly he recalled something important and then he muttered to himself with a helpless look, “It seems that I’ve forgotten to have lunch.”
Having originally intended to take a nap and then get up for lunch, Yuan Zhou had quickly fallen asleep. He was awakened by the rumbling of his starving stomach.
This situation supported Yuan Zhou’s idea to prepare something delicious as a way of compensating himself.
After getting up, he washed up first and then went downstairs to the kitchen, his heavy steps making sounds of “Dong Dong Dong.”
Under such circ.u.mstances, he would need the cla.s.sic “three dishes and one soup” to be able to comfort his heart, and thus Yuan Zhou chose the three newly obtained dishes, plus one serving of Egg Fried Rice Set, to be his lunch. He had fairly good patience when cooking gourmet foods for himself.
Every time he cooked for himself, Yuan Zhou would try to perfect the dishes to the utmost of his understanding. With the guidance from the skills pa.s.sed down from the system, he had never failed once. Every time cooking was a new learning experience and improvement of his skills.
Delicious foods were pleasing, especially the delicate dishes cooked by himself. Yuan Zhou’s mood improved.
When dinnertime came, customers found that Yuan Zhou looked extraordinarily mild-mannered today and that he even cared about trifles such as whether or not they wanted to take photos of the dishes.
“Boss Yuan, are you ok?” Wu Hai asked incredibly.
“I’m ok, just asking if you were going to post a Moment on Wechat.” Yuan Zhou indicated that he was a trendy person.
“When have you ever seen me playing with things like Wechat?” looking carefully at Yuan Zhou and finding nothing obviously wrong, Wu Hai said snappily.
“Oh.” Yuan Zhou answered with an expression of contempt, as if to say Wu Hai was an outdated fogy.
“Are you despising me with that look? Pity that you don’t know how to play with those new apps either.” Wu Hai was immovable like a mountain and pointedly exposed the truth.
Yes, that’s right. Yuan Zhou didn’t know how to use any of the new online social media platforms, which Wu Hai already knew.
Yuan Zhou, nevertheless, disregarded him plainly. The whole night pa.s.sed with the customers trembling in fear. After all, an old curmudgeon like Yuan Zhou actually began to follow Wechat all of a sudden, making his customers truly bewildered.
However, the customers’ concerns were validated. The next morning, a familiar white piece of A4 paper hung on the door of Yuan Zhou’s restaurant.
The paper wrote, “The boss went out for inspiration, the restaurant will be open for business in the evening.”
These lines of characters proved his customers’ speculations.
“No wonder Boss Yuan appeared so abnormal yesterday.” a customer who came for breakfast after jogging said affirmatively.
“Exactly. This annoying brat didn’t even inform me even though we live so close.” the boss of the bakery store, Man Man, complained angrily.
“Little girl, I’m afraid at present only Mu Xiaoyun could ever be the first to receive notice from Boss Yuan.” with his hands behind his back, the grandpa left along his original route.
“Oh, right. Now Boss Yuan definitely keeps her informed of his schedule for the first time. Next time, we may ask her about that.” immediately, Man Man got an idea and hence proposed.
Other customers at the entrance began to discuss the feasibility of the proposal seriously.
On the other side, Yuan Zhou walked out of the restaurant in comfortable casual clothes in the early morning, without any oversleeping.
The mission was important, but the improvement of his culinary skills was more important. For that, Yuan Zhou went out in search of nice foods.
He walked to the intersection and waved his hand. Then a taxi parked beside him with the sound of “Zi”.
“Where are you going?” the taxi driver turned the head and asked.
“Baisheng Road, please.” Yuan Zhou brought out the address directly.
“Alright.” the taxi driver turned a corner after agreeing, and headed for Baisheng Road.
The place he was heading for now was the restaurant that was well-known for its porridge. The current sole function of Yuan Zhou’s new computer was to search various delicacies for Yuan Zhou to go and taste.
Sitting in the taxi, Yuan Zhou drew out a small notebook with a light blue cover from his trousers pocket silently. In the notebook were recorded five places, each of which Yuan Zhou would go and taste the dishes from today.
There wasn’t much traffic in the morning when he headed for the gourmet street. In just a little while, Yuan Zhou arrived at the street. He paid the fare and got off the taxi immediately.
He took out the notebook again and checked.
“Go straight 200 meters.” Yuan Zhou read in silence.
He began to walk straight down the street.
After walking for 200 meters, Yuan Zhou raised his head but what he found was actually a KTV instead of the Baisheng Porridge Restaurant.
Having looked backwards, upwards and then again at the notebook, Yuan Zhou found he didn’t do anything wrong. He was puzzled. After staying put and thinking for a second, he decided to ask someone nearby.
“Excuse me, do you know where the Baisheng Porridge Restaurant is?” with a step forward, Yuan Zhou politely asked a cleaner who was mopping the ground.
“It’s on the second floor in the front.” the cleaner answered kind-heartedly while pointing at the place where Yuan Zhou had gotten off the taxi just now.
“Thank you.” Yuan Zhou first gave his grat.i.tude and then covered his forehead speechlessly.
While walking back, Yuan Zhou grumbled, “What a rubbish map. Ruining my age and wasting my time, just deceiving me to steal my money.”
He walked back to the first place where he’d originally stopped and gotten off the taxi just now. There, Yuan Zhou saw on the second floor the 4 big red characters and also a conspicuous door on the first floor. This made Yuan Zhou even more depressed.
It was the greeters at the entrance that helped Yuan Zhou out from his embarra.s.sment.
A clear and melodious voice sounded, “Sir, how many of you are there?”
“Only one. Give me a seat at the window. Thanks.” Yuan Zhou raised his head and said politely.
“Sure, follow me, please.” a doorman with a tall figure and clear and melodious voice showed Yuan Zhou to the second floor in the elevator.
After guiding Yuan Zhou to a table for two by the window and letting him sit, the greeter summoned a waiter to order dishes for Yuan Zhou.
With his dishes planned long ago, Yuan Zhou immediately ordered, “Soup dumplings, rice porridge, vegetable porridge, and Golden Filamentous Pancake, one serving each.”
“Ok, please wait one moment.” the waiter carefully wrote them down.
All these dishes were pre-checked by Yuan Zhou to be the specialties. They were said to be quite appetizing.
This Baisheng Porridge Restaurant served dishes a bit similar to Guangdong foods and was opened for business all day long from the morning till the night. The most well-known dishes were just the c.o.c.ktail snacks and porridge. It was barely 9:00 AM now, however, all the seats in the main hall were basically occupied. One can imagine how good the business was.
“Sir, here are your rice porridge and side dishes. You’ll have to wait a little longer for the other dishes.”
The waiter said politely after setting down a small black earthenware pot and a plate of side dishes.
“Thank you.” Yuan Zhou nodded. Not until the waiter left did he draw out a pen and a notebook on which the 5 places were recorded, and then begin to eat while setting the notebook aside.
He picked up the spoon with his left hand. A clear sound of “Peng” came from the slight collision of the spoon and the earthenware pot. The rice porridge was cooked exquisitely and thickened, and emitted the fragrance of the rice grains when stirred. It looked very appetizing.
Having scooped a spoonful of porridge out and slightly blown on it, Yuan Zhou stuffed the porridge into his mouth. At that time, he picked up a piece of the side dish and then put it in his mouth together with the porridge.
The four words of the saying “chew carefully, swallow slowly” were well reflected in Yuan Zhou’s dining. After the first bite, Yuan Zhou didn’t stop, but continued with three more deliberate bites before stopping again.
He then set down the spoon and chopsticks before picking up the pen and starting to write something on the notebook with great speed…...