Chapter 27: Chapter 027 Calming Down
Translator: 549690339
The buns were rich and fragrant, leaving an oily delight on their lips.
No tea was served at the stand, instead, they made use of a thin rice soup made from millet; each person was given a bowl for free. It was refreshing and prevented the discomfort of drinking tea after a full meal which could upset the stomach.
Full and content, the two sisters purchased some beans and other vegetables as was customary, and headed home.
Once home, they soaked the beans and rested, waiting to make tofu in the evening.
Mealtime at the Fushun Tower was always bustling.
While business wasn’t as busy as during the large gatherings, the restaurant, an old eatery in town, boasted an array of delicious dishes at fair prices and generous portions. Almost all the tables on the first floor were full at this time.
Feng Yongkang was pacing around in the main hall. When seeing regular customers, he would offer a drink and a small dish of peanuts, an effort to strengthen their bonds and attract more business in the future.
“Manager Qin, you’ve been less diligent these days than before.” Feng Yongkang spotted Qin Hongbao, who ordered two dishes and was drinking alone in a corner. He approached with a smile, filled a cup for Qin Hongbao from his liquor bottle, and also for himself, and gave a toast.
“Well, isn’t it because I’ve been busy in the shop these days? My wife at home is also giving me a hard time, always accusing me of loving liquor.” Qin Hongbao laughed and made small talk with Feng Yongkang, but couldn’t help but gripe.
“Look, is it easy to run a noodle shop? I work to death every day, and as a man, 1 have no other hobbies besides drinking a few cups when I’m free. I don’t drink much, and I’m not the kind of drunkard who gets knocked out every day. Does she have to nag me every day?”
“So, after a good scolding, I have been able to stay quiet for two days. I can also take advantage of the slow business at noon and come out for a drink.”
“Since you’re here, I want to ask, has Fushun Tower changed its chef? How come I haven’t heard anything?”
“No?” Feng Yongkang was quite surprised: “Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
“Huh? That’s rather weird. How come the taste of the dishes I ordered for lunch a few days ago is different from today’s?” Qin Hongbao inquired. “That lunch, I ordered the same braised tofu, and it was delicious. I even praised Chef Zhang’s improved skills saying that the braised tofu was much better than usual. I craved for it for two days. So today, I came back and ordered the braised tofu again, but it wasn’t as good as that day…”
“Could it be that Chef Zhang has been slacking off and didn’t want to cook himself, so he casually got an apprentice to cook this dish?”
“How can this be possible?” Feng Yongan chuckled and clarified, “Among Fushun Tower’s signature dishes, braised tofu is one of them. All the dishes in the restaurant are personally cooked by Chef Zhang. We wouldn’t dare to let apprentices handle it, let alone this signature dish.”
“But now that you mention it, Manager Qin, I’m curious. Does this dish really taste different?” Feng Yongan fetched a new pair of chopsticks and, after obtaining Qin Hongbao’s consent, picked and tasted a piece of tofu.
“It’s the usual craftsmanship of Chef Zhang, without a doubt. There’s no difference.” Feng Yongan asserted confidently.
“Oh? That’s rather strange.” Qin Hongbao’s brow furrowed. “How was it so delicious that day? That tofu was so aromatic. Today, it doesn’t have that flavor. Could it be that because 1 was able to go out for a drink for the first time in a while a few days ago, I was in a good mood and everything tasted great?”
“Probably so. They say when people are happy, they feel alert and healthy. It may be because you, Manager Qin, were so happy that day, so the tofu tasted extraordinarily delicious.” Feng Yongan said with a laugh.
“Perhaps that’s the case.” Qin Hongbao still looked puzzled, he wrinkled his forehead and the words he wanted to say were swallowed back down.
Seeing this, Feng Yongan laughed it off and wandered away.
“Call your manager over!”
A bellow followed by a “bang” sound of a patron slamming the table.
Feng Yongan looked up and saw a burly man angrily slamming his table with Li Fang next to him, nervously apologizing: “Sir, please calm down, calm down…”
Seeing this, Feng Yongan hurriedly walked over: “Calm down, calm down; we are all here for a meal, harmony is precious, harmony is precious.”
“I’m the manager here, if there are any oversights in our service, you can talk to me.”
“Good timing!” The burly man, with his bushy bearded face that was intimidating to begin with, looked even more terrifying in anger: “Let me ask you, how does Fushun Tower do business? How do you manage as a shopkeeper? Do you simply allow this waiter to cheat and deceive?”
Li Fang, who had just been reprimanded by Feng Yongan, when accused of cheating went pale in the face, he hurriedly protested, “Manager, I’ve been wronged…”
You are beyond redemption! Let’s see how I deal with you!
Feng Yongan ignored Li Fang’s explanation and gave him a fierce glare, then turned to the burly man with an apologetic smile saying “Fushun Tower has always done honest business. If there is any misunderstanding, please calm down and discuss it. If our waiter is genuinely in the wrong, I will surely punish him severely.”
Don’t slap a smiling face. With Feng Yongan’s rhetoric, the burly man’s face softened a bit. He spoke up in a strong voice, “I am a medicine trader passing through here. Noticing the clean water and green mountains here, 1 decided to stay a few more days. I heard Fushun Tower is a highly reputed restaurant in town so 1 came for lunch.”
“The day before yesterday, 1 had your braised tofu and found it incredibly tasty. As a traveler of many places, I have never tasted a dish as delicious as this. 1 told people about it when I returned to the inn, but they didn’t believe me, so today I brought them to taste the braised tofu.”
“However, after tasting it this time, they all said it was mediocre, certainly not better than the ones made in restaurants and eateries in the county or city. I tasted it, and surely it is far inferior to what 1 had two days ago. It’s not the same dish at all. 1 asked the waiter if the chef had been replaced, but he said no.”
“Isn’t this blatant lying? The first time it was so delicious, this time it’s not as good, yet you say the chef hasn’t changed? Did I change my mouth and taste buds? The taste is different with each bite!”
The burly man shouted, “Since you’re the manager, you need to give me a proper explanation. Otherwise, I’ll flip your table right here in public!”
The words were spoken with such vigor that his beard twitched in sync with his rage. Feng Yongan, observing this, could see the height of the man’s anger.
Feng Yongan’s brows furrowed even deeper.
Qin Hongbao had just mentioned that the taste of the braised tofu was different, but he thought that it was due to a change in mood which affected the taste.. But now, here was someone else claiming the taste was different? What was going on?
