Chapter 303 - 287: What a Genius

Chapter 303: Chapter 287: What a Genius

Even though they weren’t paying, the relatives were still hesitant to eat something that cost 568 yuan a serving.

But Luo Yunlin told them it was fine. They could order one to try—after all, you have to treat yourself to something nice every once in a while, right?

In truth, Luo Yunlin had long wanted to taste Cabbage in Boiled Water, but he could never bring himself to spend the money. ’Well, I might as well take this chance to order one and see what it’s like.’

So, he insisted.

Seeing Luo Yunlin’s insistence, the relatives stopped trying to talk him out of it.

’Besides,’ they thought, ’we’re not the ones paying. Why not enjoy a nice meal?’

’But is Cabbage in Boiled Water really all that good?’

’Judging by the name, it certainly doesn’t sound very appetizing.’

’We’ll have to see for ourselves when it arrives.’

Luo Yunlin continued ordering. Since he’d already ordered the cabbage, he might as well get two orders of Longjing Shrimp.

’I’ve heard of Longjing Shrimp, but I’ve never had it. Today’s the perfect chance to try it.’

"Is this Longjing Shrimp made with shrimp from the Longjing Well?" one relative muttered under their breath.

"Shrimp from the Longjing Well? What are you talking about? ’Longjing’ is a type of tea. Haven’t you ever heard of Longjing Tea? The dish is made with tea leaves and shrimp," another relative said.

"You can cook with tea leaves and shrimp? The food here really is strange."

"That just shows how little you know. It’s a famous dish from Zhejiang Province. And it’s delicious."

"Have you had it before?"

"Well, no."

"Then how can you say it’s delicious?"

"Because it just is!"

"..."

As the relatives chattered amongst themselves, Luo Yunlin kept ordering.

Chopped Pepper Fish Head, Agastache Crucian Carp, Steamed Pork with Preserved Greens, Spicy Crayfish, Mapo Tofu, Braised Chicken—Luo Yunlin ordered them all.

If he was going to give them the full experience, he might as well let them try everything.

And of course, there had to be liquor.

Not everyone would be drinking, just those who enjoyed it.

"Brother-in-law, Uncle Liu, Zhang Ping, Jia Bin, let’s get some drinks. The liquor the owner serves here is incredible. And it’s *only* 20 yuan per liang. You can only get it here—nowhere else in the world," Luo Yunlin said to the drinkers in the group.

After hearing this, the men all turned to stare at Luo Yunlin in astonishment.

’This kid is really throwing his money around now! He’s using the word "only" to describe liquor that costs 20 yuan a liang, which is 200 yuan a jin!’

’We usually drink stuff that costs a few yuan a jin. Even liquor that’s over ten yuan a jin feels a bit pricey.’

’Has the gap between us gotten that big already? Did this Luo Yunlin kid strike it rich?’

Luo Yunlin knew why they were so surprised. "Don’t get the wrong idea," he said. "I haven’t struck it rich. The reason I said it’s *only* 20 yuan a liang is because for liquor this good, that price is an absolute steal. I’m telling you, if the owner sold this stuff on the open market, it would go for at least several thousand, maybe even ten thousand yuan a jin."

"Bullshit!"

It wasn’t just the drinkers who thought it was bullshit; even the relatives who weren’t drinking thought he was full of it.

The kids included.

’Liquor that costs thousands, or even tens of thousands, a jin? Is he talking about the Jade Dew of the gods? Not even Maotai or Wuliangye is that expensive!’

"You might not believe me," Luo Yunlin said, "but people really do call the owner’s liquor the Jade Dew of the heavens. It’s way better than Maotai or Wuliangye. Let’s each get a bowl. You’ll understand once you’ve tried it."

The men who were planning to drink exchanged glances.

’Might as well give it a try,’ they figured. ’It’s not our money, anyway.’

They were curious to find out what this liquor Luo Yunlin claimed was so much better than Maotai and Wuliangye actually tasted like.

Luo Yunlin called Da Bai over. "Da Bai, could you please get us five bowls of liquor?"

"Of course. Please wait a moment," Da Bai replied, then turned to fetch the drinks.

Seeing how intelligent Da Bai was, the relatives all gasped in disbelief. The children were especially excited, their eyes glued to Da Bai’s every move.

Soon, Da Bai returned with five bowls of liquor.

"Please enjoy, gentlemen."

"Thank you!"

After Da Bai left, Luo Yunlin said to the drinkers, "Go on, smell the aroma. See if you still think it’s impossible for it to be better than Maotai or Wuliangye."

In truth, the men had already caught the scent long before Luo Yunlin said a word.

The moment the bowls were set down, a rich, mellow aroma had wafted toward them. They didn’t even have to lean in to smell it; the fragrance simply flooded their senses.

The aroma was indeed incredible.

The drinkers grew excited. They didn’t know if it would be better than Maotai or Wuliangye, but they were certain it was going to be delicious.

Liquor that cost 20 yuan a liang certainly smelled different.

’Time to take a sip and find out how it tastes.’

Without waiting for Luo Yunlin’s encouragement, the men each grabbed a bowl and eagerly took a sip.

The moment they drank, they were all overcome with a thrill and excitement they had never felt before.

The flavor was truly magnificent. It was so good they couldn’t find the words to describe it.

Although none of them had ever tasted Maotai or Wuliangye, they had a feeling this liquor might actually be better.

Calling it the Jade Dew of the heavens might be a slight exaggeration, but only just.

At that moment, Luo Yunlin chuckled and said, "So? Do you believe me now?"

The men all nodded. One of them asked excitedly, "What is this stuff? How can it be this good?"

Luo Yunlin said, "This is a fine liquor unique to Boss Li You’s restaurant. You won’t find it anywhere else in the country. As for why it’s so good? All I can say is that it’s Boss Li You’s secret recipe. Outsiders aren’t privy to it, so don’t go asking."

The drinkers all nodded in understanding.

’Of course Boss Li You wouldn’t tell outsiders his secret. It would be just plain stupid to go and ask him.’

Then, Luo Yunlin asked, "So, do you still think 20 yuan a liang for this is expensive?"

They all shook their heads vigorously. It wasn’t expensive at all. In fact, using the word "only" to describe the price was perfectly fitting.

’If this liquor were sold on the market, we don’t know if it would fetch ten thousand a jin, but three to five thousand seems entirely possible.’

At this thought, one of the men had a sudden idea. He leaned in and whispered excitedly, "Since this stuff is so expensive on the outside, couldn’t we buy some here and resell it?"

Luo Yunlin was speechless. ’What a genius,’ he thought sarcastically. ’As if that would ever be possible.’

Then he said aloud, "You’re overthinking it. You can only drink the liquor here in the restaurant. You can’t take it with you, and it’s not for sale to-go."

"Ah, right," the man said. "I guess I was getting ahead of myself. If you could really do that, this place would’ve been bought dry in minutes."

...