Chapter 35
After nearly an hour of conversation with the chef, the Qixi Festival dessert was finally served. The chef generously said, "It was originally given as a gift to each table, not just for couples. There are not many people eating here now, so it would be a waste if you don't want it."
Chao Youqian happily scooped a piece with a small spoon and was deeply impressed by the smooth and not-too-sweet taste. "Can this dessert be customized? I want an extra-large one!"
The chef readily agreed and made a list for Youqian, sending it directly to his phone via Bluetooth. He ordered dozens of servings of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall alone. Adding other dishes, the portions were large, the ingredients were numerous, and it took a lot of time, so it would take a week to complete.
There is no need to worry about the price. As long as the chef can cook according to the standards of tonight's meal, the ingredients are fresh and the portions are substantial, and after cooking they can be vacuum-preserved using special machines, Chao Youqian can accept the expensive processing fees.
You arrange a time and address for delivery, and a week later a courier will deliver the package directly to your door in the freezer. Just like some clay pot rice shops that offer a larger clay pot when you order takeout, having enough profit will allow the seller to provide greater convenience.
On the way home, Chao Youqian sighed, "Chefs like these who prepare state banquet dishes are truly rare. Before the X-Virus outbreak, chefs with a huge clientele would never have accepted orders for pre-prepared dishes like this. They'd be too lazy to earn such a hassle."
Lang Xin set the car's final destination as the villa and said, "Yes, so this is a rare opportunity, so buy as much as you can. Don't worry about the price; as long as you like it, buy enough until you get tired of it. Whether it's the apocalypse you predicted earlier, or the current downward economic situation, many restaurants may go bankrupt at any time. It would be great to be able to convert finished products into storage for a rainy day."
Nodding silently, Chao Youqian thought of the large number of things he had ordered in Hong Kong Island. Due to the border closure caused by the epidemic, the shipment was delayed and they would be delivered soon.
They contacted several of their favorite high school shops by phone. One of them had closed down due to a lack of tourists and could not afford the high rent. They ordered a bunch of finished products, vacuum-packed and filled with ice packs and dry ice to ensure transportation quality.
I also bought enough soup packets with ingredients and medicinal materials to last for several years at a specialized dry goods and soup ingredients supermarket. Of course, I also bought a lot of nourishing dry goods and medicinal materials. I have already reserved space in the storage room for American ginseng, bird's nest, fish maw, lily and other high-quality dry goods.
After dinner and a lot of ordering, it was almost ten o'clock when we returned to the villa. The team that was tidying up the yard had already sent them the overall video at around eight or nine o'clock. The solar mosquito repellent lamps in the yard were lit at the edge of the land.
Since it's impossible to use the entire yard for growing vegetables and fruit, the team suggested leaving a quarter of the space unused. The remaining area was paved with hardened concrete to prevent maintenance issues. This way, a robot mop and sweeper can clean the large area. The soil planting area is separated from the rest of the yard, so rain and mud won't affect other areas.
The temperature at night was around 31 or 32 degrees Celsius. It didn't rain but it was still hot and humid. However, it was still cooler than cities further south.
Recent news has specifically reminded residents in the south to check and be careful of snakes and insects entering their homes. Chao Youqian saw no fewer than five giant pythons crawling into residents' yards or houses on social media platforms. Some unlucky people who went hiking after the X virus was brought under control were bitten by venomous snakes and sent to the ICU.
Furthermore, with temperatures currently hovering around 38 or 39 degrees Celsius and constant rain in the south, insects are proliferating. A single bite from a venomous mosquito can swell half the leg and itch for days. Centipedes, three fingers long and wide, will quietly crawl into slippers, ready to strike down an innocent person. Even more terrifying are the rove beetles. While seemingly small and harmless, they actually carry a corrosive venom wherever they crawl. If they strike the skin without being recognized, they can cause papules and pustules, which can ulcerate if left untreated.
Fortunately, H City is located in the north, so it doesn't have all the venomous insects and ants. The cockroaches are less than half the size of the ones Chao Youqian had seen in Province G, and the black cockroaches there have powerful wings and can pounce on you at any time.
Mosquitoes can be easily repelled with a powerful mosquito repellent lamp, unlike the huge poisonous mosquitoes and black mosquitoes commonly known as small bites in the south. The pain of being bitten is really great, and the swelling can last for two to three days and needs to be treated with ointment.
It is the termite season now, and there are a large number of water ants gathering in H City. Flats located on high floors with well-sealed windows are not a problem for the time being, but single-family houses are at great risk of being targeted and invaded.
Fortunately, we had already thoroughly removed all insect eggs from the house and the surrounding walls, avoiding wooden structures and doing a full termite control. Similar to the measures we took on the floor above, we also blocked gaps in the pipes to prevent any insects from entering.
However, the army of water ants seemed to have left H City these past few nights, and the white lights that drove towards Youqian and Langxin did not attract these annoying creatures.
The villa area is already quiet at ten o'clock. Most buyers don't live there full-time, much like the smaller residential complexes. Renovating a villa can cost two to three times as much as a similarly sized apartment. After all, you own the entire property, planning it yourself from the ground up. A good renovation can easily match or even exceed the price of the property.
Most people who buy houses here don't rent them out. If they can buy and renovate them well, they don't mind the rent. Especially in H City, many people buy villas for temporary stays for tourism purposes. If they rent them out, it would be inconvenient to stay for a short time at any time.
At the same time, many local owners in H City who bought these suburban villas also have flats in the city center like them. They live in both places in rotation, enjoying the courtyard and quiet life of a single-family house while also having convenient and fast services and the hustle and bustle of the city.
Because of the epidemic, many people’s plans to travel to H City have been interrupted, or it can be said that the tourism industry all over the world has suffered a heavy blow, and the real estate industry that uses tourist cities as a selling point has also entered a severe winter period.
Upon entering the house, Chao Youqian sighed with comfort. Living in the popular villas and bungalows was a completely different experience. The fresh air system was on 24 hours a day, and the temperature and humidity were constant, so there was no damp and moldy smell from the constant rainfall outside. Apart from the fact that it cost several million to renovate the whole house, which was a bit expensive, there were no other disadvantages.
He pressed the elevator button and froze the dessert that the chef had given him as a gift after the order was finalized, then Chao Youqian prepared to go up to the third floor for a thorough bath. The bathroom here was bigger than the one on the first floor, and his bathtub was almost as big as a swimming pool.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
