The man who came to greet them said a bunch of things the two leaders couldn't understand, and his companion laughed too. The air was filled with laughter that said, "You know, he knows, but I don't."
Despite pressing for an answer, Qiao Dangjia sat down sheepishly.
Another person surnamed Feng asked him, "What exactly do they mean by that?"
Boss Qiao shook his head: "He won't say, he just said we'll know once we eat it."
What exactly is this Anle Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant? Does it really know how to make fine wines and delicacies?
They arrived early, and the food was served quickly.
After taking their first bite, the two of them had to admit that Jiang Bai was not only beautiful, but also quite something.
Master Feng smacked his lips, tasted it, and couldn't resist adding another piece with his chopsticks. After swallowing it, he asked, "Can you tell how this was made?"
Master Qiao also took a bite and shook his head: "Could it be that some kind of seasoning was added?"
Little did they know that Jiang Bai's space contained an endless supply of MSG, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and pepper powder.
The two ate until they were stuffed, and didn't complain even though they paid 10% more than usual. They left, clutching their bellies, and after walking about ten meters, Manager Feng said, "The price wasn't cheap, but we ate it for the novelty."
Boss Qiao nodded: "The boss's wife isn't that pretty either."
"I reckon those guests will be back soon," Feng said, turning his head to look at the two greeters standing at the door, a man and a woman who looked like a perfect couple. "Anyway, I'm never coming back."
“Me too,” Joe chimed in.
That day, after a busy day, Qiao Dangjia suddenly felt sleepy.
He was nearly fifty years old and had recently begun to feel his body weakening. He slept very little, and even when he did, it was light sleep with many dreams, night sweats, and frequent nighttime awakenings. He hadn't felt this urge to sleep in a long time.
Before the accountant had even finished tallying the accounts, he strolled home, almost falling asleep halfway there.
When he got home, he didn't wash his face or change his clothes; he just took off his shoes and went to sleep. Mrs. Qiao was old and had a phobia of germs. Seeing him like this, she couldn't bear to wake him and went to sleep in another room herself.
The next day, the rooster crowed twice, but Qiao still didn't wake up, and Madam Qiao then realized something was wrong.
She called over the servant boy who was attending to Master Qiao and asked with a stern face, "What did he do yesterday? Why is he so tired?"
Master Qiao and Master Feng went to Anle Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant secretly, without any servants. The servant knew that he had gone out during the day, but did not know where he had gone, and could not answer the question.
Mrs. Qiao did not make things difficult for him.
She and Boss Qiao were childhood sweethearts who built the restaurant together. Later, as she grew older, she retired behind the scenes, but she was still in charge of the general accounts. Therefore, she was not afraid of what tricks her boss might play.
Without money, what can he play with? The kids at the door don't want to play with him because they think he's too old.
She sat calmly beside the bed, watching the old man sleep soundly until it was almost lunchtime before he slowly woke up.
When Qiao opened his eyes, he was full of energy as if he had returned to his early twenties. He turned his head and met Madam Qiao's dark face. His heart skipped a beat and he sat up abruptly.
Mrs. Qiao, forgetting her anger, quickly went to help him up.
As he gets older, Qiao Dangjia usually gets dizzy when he gets up too quickly, and since he didn't eat breakfast today, he'll definitely feel unwell for a while.
Thinking about it, Mrs. Qiao regretted getting angry with him at this time.
—We should wait until everyone is fully awake before saying anything.
Unexpectedly, this time, Master Qiao didn't faint at all. He took Madam Qiao's hand, squeezed it, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"What did you do yesterday?" Mrs. Qiao asked, her face hardening again when she saw that he was alright.
"Yesterday?" Boss Qiao was taken aback. "He didn't go anywhere yesterday. He stayed in the restaurant all day."
Seeing that Madam Qiao's face darkened even more, he quickly thought for a moment and pleaded, "I'm going out now. I remember now, a new restaurant has opened outside. I'll go try it with Lao Feng. You can ask Lao Feng if you don't believe me."
Speaking of Boss Feng, Madam Qiao felt a little relieved; his wife was quite formidable.
Her tone softened as she asked, "Who paid the bill?"
“Old Feng,” Qiao said matter-of-factly.
Madam Feng was bad at accounting, so the head of the Feng family had money, unlike him who was poor.
Mrs. Qiao pursed her lips and said, "Take some money from the storeroom and treat him to a meal next time. Don't let him say you're stingy."
Boss Qiao waved his hand: "It's okay, we won't go to that store again."
"What's wrong? Is it not tasty?" Mrs. Qiao asked, raising her eyebrows.
Boss Qiao stroked his beard: "It's alright, I guess."
Normally, he might have gone a few more times, but firstly, he was short of money, and Anle Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant's prices were really high; secondly, Jiang Bai was just too beautiful.
He should avoid contact with such a famous and beautiful woman, lest he return home to a shrewish wife like Mrs. Qiao.
After they finished chatting, Boss Qiao looked out the window and paused for a moment.
He turned to ask, "What time is it now?"
Madam Qiao glanced at him and said indifferently, "Si Shi (between 9 and 11 o'clock in modern time)."
Boss Qiao exclaimed, "I slept for that long?"
He hadn't slept this long in many years. He had worked from dawn till dusk when he was young, which ruined his health. This was probably the first time in nearly thirty years that he had gotten enough sleep.
He incredibly washed up and changed his clothes, went to the restaurant to oversee the business, and was still full of energy until the evening.
He closed his eyes and fell asleep again.
The next day, he got up full of energy again and finally couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that Anle Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant really works?
He was itching to make a move.
The effects of the meal at Anle Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant only lasted for three days. During those three days, Boss Qiao woke up earlier and earlier, until the fourth day when he had great difficulty falling asleep and had to get up at night again.
It's not painful to never have something; what's painful is having something and then losing it.
Mr. Qiao gritted his teeth, looked at Mrs. Qiao who was still groggy after being woken up, and finally made up his mind to try this medicinal cuisine restaurant again.
The next morning, he sneaked to the door of Anle Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant to make a reservation, only to run into Boss Feng.
When Boss Feng saw Boss Qiao looking like a thief, he chuckled and beckoned, "Old Qiao, come and eat with us, I made a reservation."
Boss Qiao's eyes widened: Who said they would never come again? I actually believed them. I'm so stupid.
The two walked in side by side. Qiao briefly described the effects of the medicinal meal, which earned him a strange glance from Feng.
"What's wrong?" Qiao asked, puzzled by Feng's expression.
Feng chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "Old Qiao, it seems you haven't yet discovered the wonderful uses of this medicinal cuisine."
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