Under Zhu Long's displeased gaze, Hu Sanniang reached out and took the "spicy crayfish" and sat down at the table.
Li Huan picked up another crayfish, skillfully peeled it, and demonstrated how to eat it.
Hu Sanniang imitated Li Huan, deftly peeling off the shrimp shells with her jade-like fingers, dipping them in the rich broth, and then putting them into her mouth to taste.
Instantly, Hu Sanniang's eyebrows relaxed, she swallowed the shrimp meat, and a radiant smile bloomed on her face.
She had no time to comment, and hurriedly picked up the box: "Let me try another one!"
Li Huan picked up the "spicy crayfish" and put it in the box, letting Hu Sanniang continue to enjoy the delicious food.
"The shrimp meat is tender, spicy and delicious, with a slight numbing sensation on the lips—it's absolutely delicious!"
Hu Sanniang praised it while making a slurping sound as if she had just tasted the spiciness.
Li Huan picked up a beer, pressed his thumb against the bottle cap, and with a little force, popped the cap open.
As he poured the wine, he introduced it: "This is a fine wine from a foreign land. The first taste is slightly bitter, but after a few more sips, it becomes refreshing and is a perfect match for 'spicy crayfish'!"
Hu Sanniang picked up the paper cup, first observed the foam, then took a few sips, her brows furrowing slightly.
Immediately afterwards, Li Huan used a ladle to scoop some "fried peanuts" for Hu Sanniang to taste.
"Peanuts, also from South America, are a great snack to enjoy with drinks!"
Hu Sanniang chewed on peanuts, making a crisp sound, with a look of ecstasy on her face.
"This bright red rice, what flower did it grow from, that makes it so delicious!"
While eating, Hu Sanniang asked questions out of curiosity.
Li Huan smiled and looked directly into Hu Sanniang's eyes: "Peanuts are not rice. We'll discuss that in more detail another time."
Next, Li Huan introduced "Oyster omelet, braised beef brisket with tomatoes, and braised ribbonfish".
Hu Sanniang ate with great relish and drank two glasses of beer. Her face flushed with excitement, making her look beautiful and charming.
The Zhu family father and son had never seen tomatoes, oysters, or ribbonfish before. They listened intently and looked on with longing.
The villagers and soldiers on the scene were drooling with envy, their stomachs growling loudly.
Unwittingly, Hu Sanniang became a "taste tester," which had a positive effect.
After Li Huan finished introducing the "cold shredded carrots, green pepper and potato slices, and dry-fried cauliflower", Hu Sanniang was completely conquered by the delicious food from the foreign land and praised Li Huan's cooking skills.
Zhu Chaofeng was already seated at another table, stroking his beard pretentiously, waiting to savor the delicious food.
To be precise, we're waiting for a free tasting.
Zhu Chaofeng, as the chief CEO of Zhu Family Manor, allowed Li Huan to set up a stall in the manor, believing that he was qualified to taste the boxed meals for free.
Other merchants would have already been groveling before Zhu Chaofeng, bowing and offering tribute like sycophants.
Zhu Long, Zhu Hu, and Zhu Biao also looked on with arrogance as they awaited Li Huan's tribute.
However, after Hu Sanniang finished tasting the "four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes" and the "spicy soup", Li Huan showed no intention of offering her a boxed lunch. Instead, he took out a signboard from inside the carriage and hung it on the door.
Wu Song cleared his throat and loudly read the words on the signboard.
"Each boxed meal contains four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, and costs one hundred taels of silver!"
"Two bottles of beer and two cans of Sprite are included! And you can have as much spicy soup as you want!"
When the Zhu family father and his three sons heard this, their jaws nearly dropped in astonishment.
Hu Sanniang quickly covered her mouth, nearly spitting out the beer she was drinking.
An uproar erupted at the scene!
Zhu Chaofeng quickly recovered and said with a smile, "It must be a mistake. I wrote an extra 'hundred' character."
Li Huan shook his head: "I'm good at Chinese, I would never make a mistake!"
Instantly, Zhu Chaofeng's smile vanished.
*Smack!* Zhu Hu slammed his fist on the table and stood up!
"Insolence! Eight dishes, and you dare to charge one hundred taels of silver! You two must have a death wish!"
Li Huan said, "Young Master, go to the capital and inquire. The high-end boxed meals I sell are definitely not less than one hundred taels of silver!"
"Ximen Qing, the wealthy tycoon of Yanggu County, bought twenty boxed meals to present to Grand Tutor Cai!"
"Li Shishi, a famous courtesan from Jinqian Lane in Maxing Street, bought fifty boxed lunches to share with high-ranking officials of the imperial court!"
"If there is even half a lie, I will give the young master ten thousand taels of silver!!"
Seeing that Li Huan's story was so detailed and convincing, Zhu Hu had no words to refute it.
Zhu Biao sneered: "This is Zhu Family Village, not the capital! Who would buy it if you offered a hundred taels of silver?"
Zhu Chaofeng stroked his beard: "Li Huan's eight dishes are all specialties from foreign lands and the sea, which are extremely rare. It is not unreasonable to sell them at a high price."
The old man put on airs, adopting a posture of impartiality.
Zhu Long impatiently waved to Li Huan: "Stop talking nonsense! Quickly bring ten boxed lunches!"
Li Huan gave a thumbs up: "Young Master is so generous, buying ten portions at once! Please pay one thousand taels of silver!"
Zhu Long was stunned.
Zhu Chaofeng, Zhu Hu, and Zhu Biao were also stunned.
Zhu Long pointed at Li Huan: "You rascal! Say that again!"
Li Huan raised his voice: "Please pay one thousand taels of silver!"
Zhu Chaofeng's old face immediately drooped and turned gloomy.
Zhu Long, Zhu Hu, and Zhu Biao all had fierce glints in their eyes.
The father and his three sons' high expectations turned into a burning rage.
They felt that their dignity had been severely trampled upon.
This peddler not only failed to offer tribute but also dared to demand silver!
Seeing that things were not going well, Hu Sanniang quickly advised, "Li Huan, quickly serve the food and invite the master to taste it!"
Li Huan originally planned to give Zhu Chaofeng some face by inviting him to try a few dishes for free.
But after witnessing Zhu Chaofeng's pretentious attitude of waiting for tribute, Li Huan changed his mind and decided not to flatter the old man.
Moreover, the domineering nature of Zhu Long, Zhu Hu, and Zhu Biao far exceeded Li Huan's expectations; these three local bullies would definitely try to freeload!
Selling boxed lunches today cannot be done peacefully; it will inevitably lead to a fierce fight.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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