Soon the first table of guests arrived, and Lan Yamei personally served them a full plate of crispy pork before smilingly promoting the meal, "Brother Zhang, you're such a loyal fan! Thank you for coming. How is the dining environment?"
"I didn't expect Manager Lan to be so capable, moving as soon as he said he'd move! I wanted to eat your barbecue yesterday, but when I got to the ghost market everyone said you weren't there, which was quite disappointing. But today, some friends told me you opened a barbecue restaurant in Longyang Town called 'Number One Barbecue Under Heaven,' so I rushed over. A few more friends are coming later. What new dishes do you have today?" Brother Zhang really enjoyed being looked up to.
Brother Zhang is a guest of the Ghost Market. Since he has followed us all the way here, Lan Yamei naturally values him highly and personally entertains him. "Tonight there is a Ghostly Sorrow! I wonder if Brother Zhang dares to eat it?"
"What's there to be afraid of eating? If you dare to sell it, I dare to eat it! Price doesn't matter, as long as it tastes good." Brother Zhang was obviously not short of money. She didn't know where he was from, but he always gave her a tip after eating, so Lan Yamei had a deep impression of him.
"Please wait a moment, Brother Zhang. I'll go and arrange the dishes for you right away." He cupped his hands in greeting and then said to Tie Tou, "Tie Tou, bring out a pot of wine and have a couple of drinks with Brother Zhang."
Tie Tou immediately filled the wine jug for the guest, and the two began to drink.
A moment later, Lan Yamei brought out five skewers of pork intestines from the kitchen. Everyone held their breath, as this was the first customer to eat grilled pork intestines, and success or failure depended on this moment.
Without asking any questions, Brother Zhang tried a skewer, chewed it, and exclaimed, "How can this be so delicious? I've never had anything like it before. What's it called?"
Just as Tie Tou was about to tell the truth, Lan Ya Mei quickly said, "This is called 'Ghost's Bane'!"
"It's so delicious, why is it called that?" Brother Zhang asked while eating.
Lan Yamei's eyes lit up as she said, "It's called 'Ghost-Slayer' because this is the rope that Yama, the King of Hell, uses to catch little devils. Isn't it delicious?"
"You're really good at talking nonsense, but this name is quite unique. When our friends arrive, serve them more!" Brother Zhang ate with great relish and satisfaction.
Once the first table of customers approves, there's no worry about finding a second table. Before long, all ten tables were full, and the business was booming.
Clearly, true foodies don't care about the origin of the ingredients; they only care about the taste. Without participating in the preparation process or even seeing the ingredients themselves, how could they not love the aroma of barbecue seasoning?
All the staff, both inside and outside the shop, felt ashamed and silently reflected on their need to improve their attitude and view barbecue as a new type of food service correctly. They all hurried off to get things ready.
Barbecue, a hearty and rustic dining experience, doesn't require guests to engage in refined poetry, painting, music, or formal seating arrangements. Gathered in a circle, chatting about everything under the sun, playing drinking games, and enjoying themselves immensely is the perfect way to relax and have fun.
The clinking of cups and plates, the clatter of dice, the shouts of drinking games—it was all a lively scene that quickly became the highlight of the entire street. Passersby couldn't help but talk about it and were eager to try their hand at it.
The owners of several nearby restaurants were furious, their faces filled with jealousy—they were getting a huge surge in orders! They clearly saw several regular customers also entering the "Number One Barbecue in the World." They had to do something; otherwise, all their customers would leave.
Lan Ya Mei stayed at the counter with Xiao Dou, figuring out what to sell tomorrow. Aunt Guan kept the accounts, collected money, and was a skilled businesswoman.
Hua Yuhe was feeding the fish by the lotus pond, with her maidservants attending to her on both sides.
A child, his calves exposed, toes touching the ground, hands holding a wooden stick, stood facing the wall, being punished. An elderly man with gray hair scolded him and whipped the child's legs with a thin rattan cane.
"I'll beat you to death, you good-for-nothing! The Wang family doesn't have a coward like you! If it weren't for Manager Hua giving you food, you would have starved to death long ago. I ask you to do something, and you can't even do it properly." The old man cursed a few times and hit you once, but he didn't hit you very hard.
Even with red marks on his legs, the child remained silent, without even a tear.
Hua Yuhe was too lazy to watch this melodramatic scene. She put down the bait, clapped her hands, and said, "Forget it, I didn't expect you to be able to accomplish this anyway."
The old man hurriedly bowed obsequiously and echoed, "Yes, yes, it's all our fault for being incompetent. Please give us another chance, Manager Hua. I'll handle it this time, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
"Forget it, it's all my fault for being delusional."
"Manager Hua, you must help us, or we'll really be doomed!" The old man knelt down and begged desperately, which drew snickers from the gatekeepers.
Hua Yuhe was wealthy and looked down on the two men. With a look of disgust, she said to the old man and the frail woman, "Go back. I don't take in useless people here." After saying that, she and her two maids ignored the old man's kneeling pleas and walked away lightly.
Seeing the woman walk away, the child put down the thick stick in his hand, ran over and helped his grandfather, who had been kneeling for a long time, to his feet, saying, "Grandpa, don't cry, we won't beg her. I'll find a way to earn money, and as long as we have money, we can definitely save Mom and Dad."
Overwhelmed with sorrow, the old man hugged his grandson and burst into tears, crying, "Child, our Wang family cannot collapse! Grandpa will go and beg Manager Hua again."
The child grabbed the old man and said, "Grandpa, let's not go. That woman looks down on people. It's pointless to beg her. She won't help us."
The old man wasn't ignorant, but Hua Manlou's medical skills were renowned throughout the martial arts world. As long as the manager of Hua Manlou was willing to help, his son and daughter-in-law would definitely survive.
The child couldn't stop his grandfather, who, hunched over, pleaded with the guard at the gate. But how could this woman be so vicious, sending him to poison the best barbecue place in the world?
The old man was pushed to the ground, and eventually, the old man and the child staggered towards the dilapidated temple outside the city.
That night, a heavy rain fell. In the dilapidated temple, the whole family huddled together on a straw mat. This was the third month they had lived in the temple. They had spent all the little money they had. Grandpa finally managed to meet with Manager Hua, but because of his own incompetence, he missed the chance to rescue his parents.
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