Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Peculiar Tables and Chairs

When the crowd surged in, many of them froze the moment they stepped into the restaurant.

While Ming Lingyi was renovating the restaurant, the main doors had been shut tight, so no one knew what it looked like inside.

Even Zhang Qi’s wife, Mrs. Wei, who came by today, was taken aback.

After all, Zhang Qi worked for Ming Lingyi, but his boss had demanded secrecy. He hadn’t mentioned a word to Mrs. Wei at home about what Ming’s Restaurant looked like now.

So, when Mrs. Wei walked in and saw the remarkably unusual high-legged stools and tables in the main dining hall, she was stunned.

None of the restaurants in the East Market or the West Market had tables and chairs like these. They looked so strange.

Mrs. Wei managed to suppress her confusion and didn’t ask any questions, not wanting to cause trouble for Ming Lingyi.

But just because she kept quiet didn’t mean the others who came in with her could contain their curiosity and doubt.

"Boss Ming, what’s the deal with these tables and stools? Can we actually sit and eat at them?"

The people of the Dayan Dynasty had long been accustomed to low tables, sitting cross-legged on soft cushions to eat.

Seeing these tall tables and stools that Ming Lingyi had brought in, they really couldn’t understand.

Ming Lingyi’s smile never wavered. Hearing the question, she announced in a clear voice, "Of course you can sit and dine at them."

"They look rather bizarre," someone remarked.

Ming Lingyi replied, "They are quite different from the low tables you’re used to, but why don’t you all sit down and give them a try? You might find that eating while sitting up higher is much more enjoyable!"

Ming Lingyi couldn’t control what others thought.

Introducing these high-legged tables and chairs might be a shock to people accustomed to low tables, but Ming Lingyi was certain that once they tried eating at a high table just once, they would never get used to the low ones again.

’After all,’ she thought, ’how can it be comfortable to eat when you’re practically curled into a ball, with your stomach all scrunched up?’

She believed that once people experienced eating with their stomachs stretched out and eating their fill, her high tables and chairs would surely take Shangjing City by storm.

Before Ming Lingyi had even finished speaking, Du Xuan had already picked a spot and sat down.

He didn’t care what the renovated restaurant looked like; he was here to eat. Even if he had to stand to eat at Ming’s Restaurant today, he would have come!

Du Xuan happened to choose the long table facing the wall. He’d never seen anything like it and found it incredibly novel, so he was the first to claim a seat.

"What’s this new item? Jiangnan Three Whites Stew?" Du Xuan had just sat down when he saw one of Ming Lingyi’s newly-hired waiters approach. He pointed to a new wooden plaque on the wall and asked curiously.

This was Wu Zhao Yi’s first time working as a waiter. For a Hidden Guard, the most important thing was to remain unseen. Now, it seemed he not only couldn’t hide, but he also had to actively appear before people. He was still getting used to it.

"This is ’Yan Du Xian.’ It’s made with fresh pork, cured pork, spring bamboo shoots, lettuce stems, and tofu skin knots. Because it’s a regional specialty from Jiangnan and our Shopkeeper named it based on its colors, we call it Jiangnan Three Whites Stew. Would you like to try it, sir?" Wu Zhao Yi recited, word for word, the lines Ming Lingyi had made them memorize beforehand.

Perhaps it was because his tone sounded so flat and monotonous, but Du Xuan couldn’t help but look up at him.

The moment he did, Du Xuan couldn’t help but smile.

’Ming Lingyi’s two new twin waiters are quite handsome,’ he thought. ’They just don’t really look like waiters.’

"I’ll have a Jiangnan Three Whites Stew, then. And an order of the Southern Fragrant Pepper Bone," Du Xuan said. He glanced at the familiar wooden plaques on the wall, hesitating over whether he should also try the lamb pilaf—it sounded delicious.

But before Du Xuan could make up his mind, Wu Zhao Yi, who was standing beside him, said, "Very good, sir. But one order of the Jiangnan Three Whites Stew is a perfect portion for three people."

This was another of Ming Lingyi’s prior instructions: when in the dining hall, they must clearly inform customers about the portion sizes of the dishes.

After all, at three hundred and eighty-eight wen per serving, the Jiangnan Three Whites Stew was not cheap at all.

Du Xuan raised an eyebrow. "No wonder it’s so expensive—it’s a three-person portion. No problem, I can eat it all!" He then asked about the pilaf. Once Du Xuan confirmed that the pilaf was also served in the evening, he gradually gave up the idea of eating a five-person meal by himself for lunch and told the waiter to bring the food.

While Du Xuan was ordering, people in the main hall began to sit down one after another.

They hadn’t even started eating yet, but they were already sensing the wonder of these high tables and chairs.

"This seems... quite comfortable?" someone said, shifting on their stool.

"I think so too. My back always used to hurt when I sat at a low table, but sitting here now, I don’t feel any pain at all."

"This is so new! And my legs aren’t going numb either, hahaha! Mrs. Ming’s restaurant might look a bit strange, but the experience is genuinely great."

Ming Lingyi had already gone to the back kitchen, leaving the front of house entirely to Shi Mingyue and the others. Before entering the kitchen, Ming Lingyi overheard the initial feedback from the seated customers, and the corners of her lips curled up high.

Du Xuan was the first to order, so his Jiangnan Three Whites Stew was the first to be brought out.

When the clay pot was placed in front of Du Xuan, the broth was still BUBBLING furiously. The fresh, sweet aroma of spring bamboo shoots and lettuce stems mingled with the savory, fatty scent of meat and wafted into Du Xuan’s nostrils.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Du Xuan picked up his chopsticks and plucked a piece of spring bamboo shoot from the pot.

Wu Zhao Yi, who had just served the dish, hadn’t even had time to say "It’s very hot" before Du Xuan was already HISSING and sucking in air as he swallowed the bamboo shoot in two or three bites, sticking his tongue out and panting from the heat.

"Delicious, delicious! So savory! It’s so good my eyebrows are about to fall off!" Du Xuan couldn’t help but exclaim.

Wu Zhao Yi, who had been about to warn him: "..."

’It seems he doesn’t need my warning,’ Wu Zhao Yi thought. ’Even if I had told him it was hot, this man probably wouldn’t have stopped his chopsticks.’

After all, the man who had just burned his mouth was now fishing out a piece of fresh pork rib, muttering "So hot, so hot," as he couldn’t resist taking a bite.

’His mouth is certainly busy,’ Wu Zhao Yi couldn’t help but think.

Mrs. Wei had also wanted to order the new Jiangnan Three Whites Stew, but after hearing Shi Mingyue explain that one order was a three-person portion and might be a waste for one person, she decided against it for now. She planned to wait until her son was out of school, then come back with Zhang Qi and the child.

"I’ll have the lamb rib pilaf then," Mrs. Wei said. "And an order of Southern Fragrant Pepper Bone. If I can’t finish it, I can take it to go, right?"

’After all, for the first three days of the opening, customers received one free dish,’ Mrs. Wei figured. ’If I only get one dish of rice and meat, wouldn’t I be "losing out" a little?’

In fact, she felt a little embarrassed asking Shi Mingyue this.

Shi Mingyue didn’t have Xiao Chun’s expressive face. Besides, her lady had already said that the opening promotion was a way to give back to the customers, and they couldn’t afford to seem petty.

"Yes, don’t worry, Aunt Wei. If you think you can’t finish it, we can pack it up for you right now. You can heat it up at home tonight for dinner."

It had to be said, Shi Mingyue’s words, completely devoid of any scorn or displeasure, put Mrs. Wei at ease.

"That’s great. Please pack up the ribs for me then. I don’t think I can finish them by myself in one meal today." As she said this, Mrs. Wei had already decided that, no matter what, she would eat at Ming’s Restaurant for all three days of the promotion.

It wasn’t for the free dish written on the board outside by Ming Lingyi; she simply wanted to give her silver to the very likable Boss Ming.

Besides, the food at Ming’s Restaurant was truly delicious!

As the lamb rib pilaf was served, Shi Mingyue also brought over a cool, refreshing plum juice.

Looking at the glistening, golden grains of rice, Mrs. Wei couldn’t help but GULP and swallow hard.