Hearing this, Zhou Zhizhi had already formed her own judgment.
"Then let's have one of each." At the same time, she gestured to Wu Er to order some other snacks to try.
Wu Er understood immediately. He glanced at the menu and ordered a few more signature snacks from the middle-aged woman, including spicy beef skewers, pan-fried buns, and sweet and sour pork ribs.
A moment later, the dishes were served with exquisite plating, excellent presentation, and a wonderful aroma.
Both Wu Da and Wu Er couldn't help but swallow hard.
Seeing the two of them looking so hungry, Zhou Zhizhi couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, let's eat."
Upon hearing Zhou Zhizhi speak, the two immediately became quite formal.
"Miss Xie."
Wu Da and Wu Er ate heartily.
The tender steamed sea bass has a delicious flavor, and the unique sauce recipe adds an even more enticing touch.
The spicy beef skewers are spicy with a numbing sensation, and are fresh, spicy and juicy. The pan-fried buns have thin skin and fresh filling, and the taste of meat juice and scallions is intoxicating. They are just as good as the bun shop on Zouma Street.
The sweet and sour pork ribs were equally amazing, with a rich sweet and sour flavor and tender, flavorful meat. Zhou Zhizhi couldn't help but eat a few more bites.
"Is this shop run by you two alone?" Zhou Zhizhi asked the middle-aged woman, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.
"Yes, miss, we have been operating here for five years," the middle-aged woman replied truthfully.
"It's been so long and I still don't know your name?" Zhou Zhizhi was trying to get closer to them.
“My name is Wang Guihua, and the one who cooks is my husband, Liu Dongen.” Wang Guihua told Zhou Zhizhi her and her husband’s names.
“Madam Wang, your husband’s skills are indeed excellent. The shop has been able to stay open for five years in such a remote alley. It must be thanks to the support of repeat customers,” Zhou Zhizhi said to Wang Guihua, expressing her guess.
“This young lady is right,” Wang Guihua nodded.
"With such good skills, why not consider opening a shop on a more bustling street? Wouldn't that bring in more income?" Zhou Zhizhi asked pointedly.
Suddenly, Wang Guihua became sad. "We used to have a small shop in Liuli Lane, but my good-for-nothing son idles away his days, is lazy and good-for-nothing, and has also developed a gambling addiction, owing a lot of money to casinos."
As Wang Guihua spoke, tears streamed down her face involuntarily, and Liu Dongen looked helplessly out the window and sighed.
"The casino people came to our door and vandalized the store, but we had no money left to give them."
"The savings I've accumulated over the years have all been squandered by that spendthrift son."
Wang Guihua wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. "We no longer have the money to pay the high rent in Liuli Lane, so we can only come here and open a small shop to barely make ends meet."
Zhou Zhizhi sensed Wang Guihua's deep helplessness from her words and also grasped the fact that the small shop's revenue was not good.
“I own a restaurant and I’m currently hiring a chef. I wonder…” Zhou Zhizhi was interrupted by a man who came in before she could finish speaking.
"Mother, give me twenty taels of silver!" A lean young man shouted as he entered the shop.
"You unfilial son, how dare you come back!"
Upon seeing the newcomer, Liu Dongen flew into a rage and grabbed a rice scoop, ready to smash it at him.
"Mother!" The young man quickly stepped forward and knelt down in front of Wang Guihua with a thud.
"If you don't give me these twenty taels of silver, my son will really die!" he cried, tears streaming down his face. "They'll chop off my hands!"
"Mother, please save me! Please save me!" he said as he stepped forward and hugged Wang Guihua's leg.
Wang Guihua's tears, which she had just wiped away, flowed again. "Didn't you just ask for five taels of silver yesterday? Mother really has no money left."
Liu Dongen held a rice spoon in his hand and sighed helplessly. After all, he was his own son, and he was the only son in the Liu family. He couldn't really beat him to death.
“They ordered so many dishes, they should be charged at least twenty taels of silver.” When his mother refused, the man immediately turned his anger towards Zhou Zhizhi, who was eating.
"Don't talk nonsense." Guihua quickly pulled her son Liu Chenggang back, glared at him, and was afraid that her good-for-nothing son would frighten the guests.
“Mother, I’m not lying. If I can’t come up with these two taels of silver today, they really will chop off my hand.”
Liu Chenggang was a habitual liar, and Wang Guihua rarely believed what he said.
"Where's Liu, kid! Didn't you just say you'd definitely bring the money?!" A burly man with a fierce face stormed into the house with seven or eight henchmen.
Upon seeing the man, Liu Chenggang was so frightened that he trembled all over.
This man is Li Kaishan, a notorious thug at the Dongfang Casino known for his violence and cruelty, who specializes in dealing with people who refuse to pay their debts.
Seeing this, Wang Guihua quickly stepped forward to stand between Liu Chenggang and Li Kaishan. She said in a trembling voice, "Brother Li, please don't do this. Give us some more time, and we will definitely pay back the money. Please let him go."
The amount of twenty taels was far too large for them; they simply couldn't afford it.
Li Kaishan sneered, his sharp gaze fixed on Wang Guihua: "Grant me a grace period? How long do you want me to grant you a grace period? Your son has already owed the casino twenty taels for three months!"
"What? Do you think I, Li Kaishan, am easy to fool? If you didn't have money, your son would have gone to a brothel yesterday!" Li Kaishan said loudly.
"Cheng Gang, you—" Wang Guihua was completely desperate at this moment. She had just given Liu Cheng Gang ten taels of silver yesterday to pay off his gambling debts.
Unexpectedly, he went to a brothel and spent all his money in just one day.
The ten taels of silver were Wang Guihua's dowry. Her deceased mother had personally put a hairpin in her hair, which was her last memento. But for her son's sake, she had to sell the hairpin.
"Brother Li." Liu Dongen, who had been silent all along, called Li Kaishan, who was clearly younger than him, "Brother Li."
"Please grant me some more time," Liu Dongen said as he walked up to Wang Guihua and helped his swaying wife.
Li Kaishan sneered, "It seems you won't pay back the money unless I teach you a lesson."
He raised his hand and slapped Liu Chenggang hard across the face.
"Brothers, smash it!" Li Kaishan ordered his seven or eight henchmen behind him.
"Yes, boss." The underlings, having received their orders, gripped their wooden sticks tightly, their eyes gleaming with a hint of madness.
The few remaining guests in the room had all fled upon seeing this situation. Only Zhou Zhizhi, Wu Da, and Wu Er remained.
"stop!"
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