Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Outrageous Rumors

Mrs. Wei couldn’t resist taking a bite of the rice first. It was lightly salted, but the rich aroma of lamb infused within it was impossible to hide.

In addition to the rice, the bite also included carrots.

The carrots had been braised until soft and tender. While they retained their original subtle sweetness, they were mostly imbued with the savory flavor of the marinated lamb. It was absolutely delicious!

The lamb ribs were even better, falling right off the bone with a single bite. The meat was fresh and tender, without a hint of gaminess, and not the least bit dry. This was because when Wu Zhao Yu selected the ribs, he had deliberately left on the topmost layer of fat.

It was a very thin layer, not enough to be unpleasantly greasy. Instead, when the fragrant fat mixed with the lean rib meat, it created a wonderfully complex texture, and the aroma exploded in her mouth.

As Mrs. Wei took a bite of a lamb rib, the fat coating her lips and mouth, a surprising sense of satisfaction welled up inside her.

’This is pure bliss!’

’Eating can be this blissful!’

A bite of lamb pilaf followed by a sip of the sweet and sour plum juice instantly washed away any lingering greasiness. She felt like she could devour another whole plate of the lamb pilaf.

Of course, the end result was...

Mrs. Wei silently opened the container of Southern Fragrant Pepper Bone that Shi Mingyue had already packed for her in the kitchen—it was supposed to be her dinner—and began to devour it.

’So fragrant, it’s just so fragrant!’

The grains of rice were perfectly distinct, each one seemingly coated in the flavor of the tender lamb. Before she knew it, Mrs. Wei had eaten far more than she intended...

Only when Mrs. Wei stood up from her seat did she realize she hadn’t felt any stomach discomfort during the entire meal.

But as she stood up and saw the table, "looted" clean of the pilaf, pork ribs, and lamb ribs, she was stunned.

’Did I eat all this?’

’I ate it all by myself?’

’Since when has my appetite been this good? How could I eat so much?’

At that moment, quite a few people shared Mrs. Wei’s thoughts.

This was especially true for Mr. Du, an acquaintance of hers.

When Du Xuan stood up from his seat, he instinctively reached out to steady himself against the nearby wall.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t been eating lately, but it always felt as if he hadn’t eaten at all. Only at Ming’s Restaurant did he feel that a meal could be one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Du Xuan knew he had a hearty appetite, but he never imagined he would finish a three-person portion of Jiangnan Three Whites Stew and an entire order of Southern Fragrant Pepper Bone all by himself. It was a new personal record!

It was just too delicious! And for some reason, he felt like his stomach could hold more than usual today.

As he stood up, he couldn’t help but rub his belly and let out a satisfied burp.

He was stuffed.

So stuffed, in fact, that he could barely walk.

He had to lean on the wall for support.

Du Xuan turned his head and happened to meet the eyes of Mrs. Wei, who was standing not far away.

In each other’s eyes, they both saw a reflection of their own current predicament.

After a moment of silence, they both let out a snort of laughter.

"You ate too much, too?"

"You ate too much."

They spoke at the same time, then laughed in unison again.

Rubbing his belly, Du Xuan spoke first. "Boss Ming’s restaurant... it’s just perfect for my appetite! Truly delicious!"

Mrs. Wei readily agreed. "I only planned on having one plate of pilaf for lunch today. I never expected..."

She never expected to eat her dinner for tonight as well. It cost her a fair bit of silver, but Mrs. Wei didn’t feel the slightest bit of regret.

After all, the sheer happiness from such a good meal was too overwhelming to leave any room for regret over the silver she had spent.

"I ate enough for five people..." Du Xuan scratched his head, embarrassed. His prodigious eating had attracted the frequent attention of the waiter, much more so than Mrs. Wei. "And that plum juice today was delicious, too. It cuts through the grease, and it was free. Yep, I had three glasses!"

Mrs. Wei was taken aback. "...What? You can get refills on the plum drink?"

"Of course." Du Xuan couldn’t help but sigh with admiration. "Boss Ming is truly generous."

’She gave me a free order of Southern Fragrant Pepper Bone and three glasses of the drink. What a steal! I have to come back tonight!’

Mrs. Wei let out a little "Ah," instantly filled with regret.

She had been too embarrassed to ask for another glass. The plum drink had such a rich flavor; one sip told her that Miss Ming used only the best ingredients, so a glass couldn’t have been cheap. She just couldn’t bring herself to ask.

’Who would have thought that Fatty Du had downed three glasses!’

Mrs. Wei thought to herself that she absolutely had to bring her Old Zhang over tonight. Then they could have several glasses of the plum drink, too.

However, when Mrs. Wei arrived at Ming’s Restaurant that evening with Zhang Qi, she was dumbfounded.

She had thought they were early, but Ming’s Restaurant, despite having already expanded, was completely full.

In fact, even Ming Lingyi hadn’t expected business to be so explosive today.

Many of the diners who came at noon were intrigued by the high tables and chairs in her restaurant.

But it was only after they finished their meals that they discovered the marvelous advantage of the high tables and chairs.

This was especially true for diners with pre-existing digestive problems, who always felt discomfort after eating. The same went for those with poor appetites who could never eat much in one sitting, only to feel hungry again soon after.

But after having lunch at Ming’s Restaurant today, both the diners with digestive issues and those with poor appetites discovered the same thing—

They could eat until they were full, but their stomachs wouldn’t hurt!

With the diners spontaneously spreading the word, the results were a thousand times better than if Ming Lingyi had gone out to the streets to wrangle customers one by one.

"If you eat at Ming’s Restaurant, you get a free dish!"

"If you have a child with a poor appetite, take them to Ming’s Restaurant! I guarantee it’ll open up their appetite! They’ll be eating like a champ!"

"Got digestive problems? Go to Ming’s Restaurant! Their food is delicious, and even if you eat until you’re stuffed, you won’t get a stomachache. It’s truly amazing."

"Ming’s Restaurant launched new dishes, and they’re giving away free plum drinks today! It’s for one day only, don’t miss out!"

Ming Lingyi never expected events to take such a turn.

Some people went even further, praising the flavor of her food to the heavens for the simple reason that they had managed to eat two extra bowls of rice at the restaurant.

It was as if a single visit to Ming’s Restaurant could cure all ailments.

By the time Ming Lingyi heard these rumors, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’How could this be credited to the taste of the food?’ she thought. ’It’s obviously because the tables and chairs in the restaurant are tall. When people sit at them to eat, their stomachs aren’t all scrunched up. With their bodies properly stretched out, their appetites naturally increase.’

But she had to admit that these seemingly outrageous rumors had attracted a great many customers.

By the time Ming Lingyi wanted to offer an explanation, it was already too late.

After getting off work today, Jiang Yuchuan came straight to Huaided Fang.

He hadn’t forgotten that today was the grand opening of Miss Ming’s new restaurant. He was determined to come and show his support.