Dougto Restaurant
Suncity has two newspapers. One is the official Suncity Monthly, which includes announcements of title changes, medal awards, official reshuffles, and battlefield news. This monthly report is printed and sent to cities throughout the country by special mail trucks. The other is a daily gossip newspaper that covers almost everything that happens in Suncity, big or small. It goes on to describe everything from the identity of the king's new lady-in-waiting to the appearance of the daughter of the new ship owner at the East Gate dock, who has never disembarked.
A week after reopening, Dougto's restaurant made headlines in the gossip section. The headline was written by someone called "Foodie," who described how terrible Dougto's previous barbecue was—so tough it felt like gnawing on a rock; the flatbreads were so bad they could knock out an old lady's teeth… Now, the restaurant had even adopted the owner's name, like a high-end restaurant, and only offered one set meal. Apart from the Dougto dumplings at the entrance, nobody knew what was served that day. When this report came out, Mi was busy treating Anna's daughter and had no idea how much attention Dougto's restaurant had attracted in Sun City.
The gossip column ran for seven days, with each day featuring a guessing game about the day's special meal. The gossip column would also draw a picture of the meal, a dark, unrecognizable mess, and the food critic would carefully describe its taste before leaving a riddle for the reader to guess. The next day, before reporting on the day's meal, the food critic would reveal the answer from the previous day, along with some reader submissions, offering a variety of guesses, many of which criticized the gossip column's terrible illustrations.
Dougto learned of this the next day, and he bought many copies of gossip magazines every day and placed them at the shop entrance for passersby to read. Mimi was busy in the kitchen every day, and after lunch she would rush to the Fried family's house. Later, she even accompanied Anna to witness the entire process of the maid's upbringing. When she finally refocused her life on Dougto's restaurant, she discovered that the owner, Dougto, was worried: business was too good every day, lunch ended too quickly, the food preparation was too little, and too many customers couldn't be satisfied.
Restaurants in Sun City don't operate outside; diners adhere to table manners, eating quietly inside. Dougto's frying meatballs outside his restaurant had already drawn attention from his competitors, but fortunately, most people only bought a skewer and left, refraining from ungracefully chewing them in front of the restaurant. Now, frying meatballs outside restaurants has become a unique sight on this street, with many shops following Dougto's lead and frying meatballs in front of their shops. This street has now become Sun City's meatball street, offering chicken, beef, and fish meatballs—all kinds of meatballs are readily available. Diners often feel that the meat meatballs are lacking, only buying from other shops after Dougto's meatballs have sold out.
Mi arrived and left right on time every day. Dougto wanted to sell more meatballs, but he didn't dare ask Mi for it, as he couldn't replicate the flavor himself. Finally, he brought over little April, whose cooking at home was said to be quite good. He promised April an extra coin every day if she learned how to make Dougto's meatballs. With April helping out, and Philip taking over the meat-chopping task, Mi's workload increased significantly. Then she realized she had prepared too many ingredients—enough for at least two bowls of meatballs. Mi set aside some of the ingredients and only made one bowl of meatballs. She taught April how to first fry the meatballs, taking them out as soon as they changed color.
Dougto dawdled in the kitchen, constantly complaining that it would be a waste not to fry the filling into meatballs. He said they always ran out of meatballs, so frying an extra batch would sell. Dougto boasted that his meatball-frying skills were now top-notch, and everyone praised him. Many who couldn't buy meatballs even asked him to save a skewer for the next day. Mi calculated that the Dougto set meal sign had been up for a month. Dougto ate the most every day, and the clinking of each coin in the cash box as he fried meatballs at the door excited him. Now his complexion was rosy, and his thin, hunched back was straight. He still didn't dare speak loudly in front of Mi, but every day Mi could hear him loudly greeting customers at the door—no longer the timid, worried middle-aged man he once was.
Mi ignored him. The meatballs were just average in taste, but Doug To was the first to sell fried meatballs and the first to name them after himself. When it came to fried meatballs, people always thought of Doug To's Meatballs first. This scarcity marketing created a misconception among diners. Doug To only fried one batch of meatballs a day, and once they were sold out, customers would come back the next day. He couldn't meet the demand every day, which made people feel that Doug To's meatballs were better than other fried meatballs.
Dougto's restaurant only sells lunch, and in just one month, it earned more than it had in a whole year before. They change the main dishes daily, and so far, there haven't been any repeat set meals. Regular customers come every day, and the gossip news attracts even more new customers. Dougto's restaurant is only so big, and the lines of people complaining outside are growing longer and longer every day. When Dougto is so busy that his back aches, he asks his nephew Philip, "Why are we still so busy even though we only sell lunch?"
"Business is so good now, boss, business is booming!" Philip's wages have doubled, and his little sister has come to help in the kitchen. Before, it wasn't busy at all; Dougto's brows would furrow so tightly they could trap a fly.
The Flower Kingdom has a wide variety of vegetables, but no rice. The staple food is wheat, with both wheat and oats available. The restaurant operates on a daily basis, serving one meat dish, one main dish, one vegetable dish, one side dish, and soup. Every day, the gossip section publishes a small section revealing Dougto's previous day's meal. After buying the gossip for a week, Dougto, feeling the pinch, only buys one copy for himself.
Every day, Mi either stewed or roasted meat. With a fixed starter, the dough rose smoothly, and Mi also invented steamed buns and pies. Adding a vegetable salad, a pickled fruit dish, and a sweet or savory soup, she could create even more varied set meals. When she shifted her focus back to the restaurant, she discovered that the number of people waiting at the door was increasing daily. With Fried absent, and Philip and Kraft illiterate, they couldn't explain many things clearly. It was then that Mi realized Fried's value. She personally went to the west side of town to find a carpenter to rearrange the entire restaurant. The original tables were moved to the backyard, and Mi requested that a two-foot-wide platform be built along the wall, three inches higher than the usual tables. She also ordered a batch of high stools, which significantly increased the seating capacity. The platform construction took time, and Doug Toh had no idea what Mi intended to do with his restaurant; he could only cooperate and pay a deposit. While the tables were cleared out, Mi asked Dougto to clean and repaint the walls, this time choosing a soft, light green, a complete transformation of the restaurant's previous drab and gloomy appearance. Dougto's building was an old structure; for structural reasons, no windows were originally installed. Mi lowered four lanterns from the roof, lighting them whenever the restaurant was open. Three days later, the carpenter came and fixed the countertops, placing bar stools on them. The small Dougto restaurant was transformed into a medium-sized establishment that could accommodate over twenty people at once, significantly reducing the pressure of long queues.
The gossip column once again reported on the new renovations of Doug To's restaurant, this time focusing more on describing the new look while criticizing the four overly simple lanterns on the ceiling. He said, "The walls are as fresh as a forest in early spring; only a crystal chandelier like a bellflower would fit in such a room."
Dougto was both excited and annoyed as he read the gossip. A single chime-shaped crystal chandelier cost two gold decals—a decoration reserved for aristocratic castles. Mi put away his newspaper: "Dougto, we don't have enough cutlery in the restaurant, and we need to buy more tableware." Dougto went with her to the market in the west of town again, ordering fifty sets of bowls, plates, and cutlery in one go, dreaming of Mi's renovation of his restaurant, ideally one that could seat fifty guests at a time, so his Dougto Restaurant could join the ranks of grand restaurants. After the renovation, diners were much more satisfied, except for the gossip-loving diners. Firstly, Dougto's restaurant started offering the same set menu twice, and secondly, Dougto still hadn't replaced the chime-shaped crystal chandelier he was hoping for.
Every day after lunch, Philip and Kraft would sit on the round stools in the restaurant, unwilling to move. They were always the two waiters, and each table would see two or three customers. Philip and Kraft didn't even have a chance to catch their breath. Several basins of dishes awaited washing in the kitchen. Dougto was shrewd; he'd rather give Kraft and Philip a two-copper bonus than hire another person. Now, their daily turnover exceeded ten silver dris. Mi didn't feel tired, while little April was incredibly busy, and her brother often asked her for help. Dougto settled Mi's share daily, increasing it from three silver dris to five, but Mi didn't pay much attention. The restaurant was noisy, and she always shut down all her senses, completely unaware that everyone was exhausted.
After lunch service ended that day, Mi planned to make a dessert to give to Patris that evening. She knew that little April had a good palate and was about to borrow April's senses to use, only to find that April was exhausted, as were Kraft and Philip. The boss, Doug Toh, was equally overworked, but each additional penny seemed to alleviate his fatigue. Mi realized that these people were like a taut string, ready to snap at the slightest touch.
Doug Tor, still smiling, handed five silver dollars to Mi: "My lord, see you tomorrow." This time, she didn't leave; instead, she sat down at the table, and Mi inquired about the restaurant staff's arrangements. Philip had to go out to buy supplies in the middle of the night, and then he had been helping in the kitchen. When Kraft came to work, the two of them were constantly running between the restaurant and the kitchen. Fat Philip was no longer the chubby man he once was. It was at this time that Mi learned a set meal only cost ten dollars; she decided to raise the price to twenty dollars per meal.
"What? Twenty copper coins! Why don't you just rob me?" Doug Tor exclaimed. "Sir, if I dared to sell at that price, the tax office would come knocking on my door and shut my shop down tomorrow."
"My lord, your set meal is too small. Those adventurers need at least three to five servings. Even the girls with small appetites won't be full after one serving. They're just too embarrassed to order a second one." It turns out that Sun City has strict regulations on food prices. Meat dishes weighing less than half a pound cannot cost more than ten copper coins. The Dougto set meal is only so expensive because it tastes so good, and it comes with a main dish and soup. That set meal with less than three ounces of meat can only sell for ten copper coins. The people of Sun City have big appetites, and the adventurers eat even more. She only eats a little rice herself to make do with what others have, and she even serves it according to the standards of Blue Star. These people who come to the restaurant aren't nobles; they always have tea and snacks to replenish their energy.
“We’ll adjust the portion sizes.” It was then that Mi realized those three- or five-serving套餐 (set meals) were usually meant for one adventurer. The girls were too embarrassed to order more than one, so they would usually share three套餐 with a friend, then secretly eat one of them. Mi said, “If there’s half a pound of meat, and half a pound of vegetables and staple food, can you finish it?”
"Of course, I can eat five meals by myself, but the boss is too stingy; he only lets me eat three." Skinny Kraft is now even more frighteningly thin, like a bamboo pole. Every day, Mi wonders how he can still be so thin despite eating so many meals.
Mi returned the silver to Dougto: "Hire two more people; the kitchen needs a dishwasher."
Doug Tor pushed Indri back: "I'll get an old woman back."
"No, the shop needs to hire two more people. Philip needs to go back and catch up on his sleep after buying groceries. The kitchen needs a dishwasher and a vegetable washer."
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