From Wage Slave to Tycoon

Chapter 166: Chapter 131: A Day Tour of the Imperial Capital (2)

At first, they thought about just finding a random roadside stall nearby to grab a quick bite, but Su Chen vetoed the idea.

Shuraya was extremely curious about the Imperial Capital’s snacks and delicacies, so he decided to take care of it all at once by taking her to Shichahai. After wandering through a few streets and alleyways, she would have pretty much tried all the famous foods of the Imperial Capital.

The state guesthouse wasn’t far from Shichahai, just a few minutes’ drive. They were there in a flash.

"Are there always this many people here, even in the dead of winter?" Shuraya was shocked when she saw the sea of people at Shichahai.

Back in Paris, hardly anyone went out in the winter. The people on the streets were mostly office workers rushing to and fro, and of course, the homeless.

"Fun knows no season!" A smile touched Su Chen’s lips.

Maybe it was because it was her first time in Huaxia, or maybe it was because she had escaped her father Arno’s control, but Shuraya was like a curious child, looking here and there, stopping to stare for a while at every snack she came across.

Su Chen knew she was interested in the snacks and wanted to try them. When that happened, he would go up and pretend to ask if she wanted some, and only after she feigned a bit of hesitation would he buy the snack.

"*Douzhi*! Mr. Su, I see *douzhi*!" Shuraya shouted, pointing at a steamed bun shop not far away.

The expressions on Su Chen and the other two soured. As everyone knew, *douzhi* was something only Imperial Capital locals could stomach...

They had thought about trying to talk her out of it, but to their surprise, Shuraya started walking toward the bun shop on her own.

Su Chen and Jiangyang exchanged a look, then helplessly followed her.

They thought the bun shop only sold steamed buns and *douzhi*, but as Su Chen’s group got closer, they saw it also had *luzhu huoshao*.

Shuraya’s gaze was already on Su Chen, signaling that he could go ahead and order.

"Are you sure you want to drink *douzhi*?" Su Chen couldn’t help but ask again.

"Yup! I heard *douzhi* is the most iconic delicacy in the Imperial Capital. I have to try it, no matter what!" Shuraya didn’t notice the change in expression on Su Chen and the others’ faces. She was craning her neck to watch the customers inside the shop leisurely drinking their *douzhi*.

Seeing how earnest she was, how could Su Chen spoil her fun? He immediately called out to the owner, "One bowl of *douzhi*, three bowls of *luzhu*, and a steamer of buns."

After ordering, Su Chen remembered there was one more person who hadn’t said what they wanted. He turned to Shuraya’s bodyguard and asked, "What about you? A bowl of *douzhi* for you, too?"

The female bodyguard nodded calmly. She also wanted to taste what this delicacy Shuraya kept talking about was really like.

They had just found a large, square table and sat down when the server brought over the buns and *douzhi*. Finally, she asked, "Would you folks like to try our *chao’gan*? It’s one of our house specialties."

Su Chen didn’t answer, turning his gaze to Shuraya instead to ask for her opinion.

’In my experience, foreigners don’t seem to be big on eating offal—with the exception of foie gras, of course.’

"Should we try it?" Shuraya asked, a little embarrassed. She had already bought quite a few snacks along the way.

The ones she liked, she ate herself. The ones she didn’t, she foisted off on Chen Fei and the female bodyguard.

"Bring us one order of *chao’gan*, and one of all your other snacks, too!"

"You got it!" the server chirped, then turned and left.

Shuraya turned her attention to the bowl of *douzhi* in front of her. She sniffed it but couldn’t make out any particular smell.

As Su Chen and the other two watched, she took her first sip.

"Erk~" The instant the *douzhi* entered her mouth... the taste shot straight to the top of her skull. For a second, Shuraya thought she was seeing her great-grandmother who had passed away years ago.

Without any regard for her image, she spat it right out.

"Is... is this *douzhi* spoiled?!"

Shuraya couldn’t believe this was the *douzhi* she had been dreaming of trying for so long.

The female bodyguard at her side frowned, picked up her own bowl to sniff it, and then took a big gulp...

The next second, the female bodyguard was clutching a trash can, retching nonstop.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Su Chen couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

Even the other diners nearby smiled knowingly.

"Miss Shuraya, that’s just what *douzhi* in the Imperial Capital is like. People who like it can drink several bowls, but to those who don’t, it tastes like dishwater."

"Don’t feel bad. Even I, a native of the Imperial Capital, can’t say for sure I could finish a bowl of it!" Jiangyang explained with a laugh.

"Ah~" Shuraya still found it hard to believe that anyone could enjoy something that tasted like slop. But when she saw the other customers around them drinking it with such relish, she knew Jiangyang was telling the truth.

She was here to enjoy fine food, not to challenge the limits of her taste buds. She pushed the bowl of *douzhi* aside in disgust.

It was a common sight, so no one stood up to lecture them about wasting food.

Su Chen then ordered a portion of *luzhu huoshao* each for Shuraya and her bodyguard.

This time, she was smarter and had the female bodyguard taste it first to see what it was like.

The bodyguard was also a bit apprehensive. Traumatized by the *douzhi*, she was extra cautious this time, picking up the smallest piece and putting it in her mouth.

The bodyguard, who had been bracing herself to throw up, found her eyes lighting up instead. This *luzhu huoshao* was exceptionally good. She couldn’t resist grabbing a bigger piece to try.

"Miss, this *luzhu huoshao* is delicious!" She didn’t forget to stuff another piece into her mouth as she spoke.

"Really?" Shuraya picked up her chopsticks, which she handled with some difficulty, and began to eat.

"Mmm, it’s so good!" she sighed, tilting her head back in enjoyment.