Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Hard to Swallow
"Senior Sister Le, come quickly!"
The four siblings, who had already chosen a spot by the window with their parents, spotted Yin Le and immediately waved to call her over.
Yin Le walked over quickly with a smile, and Si Niang patted the empty seat left beside her, "Here, here, Senior Sister Le, sit with us."
"Sure!" Yin Le agreed readily, not resisting the urge to pinch the little girl’s adorable red cheeks.
Once everyone had arrived, Qin Yao signaled to Liu Ji to order the dishes.
Liu Ji shook his sleeves theatrically, revealing his hands, "Waiter, we’re ready to order!"
Yu Zhou City truly lived up to its name as a big city; there was even a menu for ordering. The waiter brought a large tray of plaques, each with a dish name on it. Guests could simply flip a plaque for what they wanted, making it convenient while also adding a touch of ceremony to the experience.
The fish sashimi recommended by Zhou Meng had to be tried. Liu Ji first flipped the plaque for the fish sashimi, then let each of the four children pick a dish, including his apprentice, Yin Le, all in the spirit of fairness.
Finally, Qin Yao added seven bowls of sweet soup to quench their thirst, and the family waited eagerly for their meal to arrive.
Zhou Meng demonstrated a strong sense of boundaries, withdrawing to the inn’s entrance. He could still hear the guests’ calls without disturbing their meal, and it also allowed him to keep searching for his next employer in the inn.
This Peace Inn wasn’t very busy, and the dishes were served quickly; six dishes and a soup were all on the table within fifteen minutes.
The dishes were beautifully plated, with vibrant colors, and the aroma was enough to make one’s mouth water. It truly was a feast for the senses.
Sanlang couldn’t resist and secretly swallowed his saliva, eagerly picking up his chopsticks, "Mother~"
With a nod from Qin Yao, Sanlang quickly raised his chopsticks and reached for the fish belly of the fish sashimi that Zhou Meng highly recommended.
The others, led by Liu Ji, also lowered their chopsticks, eagerly bringing the fish to their mouths...
Wait a minute!
Just as Qin Yao was about to reach for the fish, she noticed Liu Ji and the four children, including Yin Le, all with strange expressions as they chewed the fish.
"What’s going on?" Qin Yao asked suspiciously.
No sooner had she spoken than she saw Liu Ji with a face as if he had eaten something revolting. He gracefully picked up an empty bowl and spat out the chewed fish.
As one followed another, Da Lang and his siblings, along with Yin Le, did the same, spitting the fish into empty bowls.
They all collectively took a deep breath, grateful to be alive.
Thank heavens, they could still breathe.
The six remained silent, watching Qin Yao’s chopsticks as they neared the fish, not to dissuade her but more anticipating her reaction to the fish sashimi.
"Can it really taste that bad?" It looked so fresh; it’s just raw fish. How bad could it be?
Refusing to believe it, Qin Yao picked up a piece with her chopsticks and, under the eager eyes of Liu Ji and the others, placed it in her mouth.
Soon enough, without the cover of seasoning, the fish’s true nature became apparent as it entered her mouth.
A strong earthy fishiness with a slippery, mushy texture hit Qin Yao, causing her face to change color, feeling a wave of nausea as she spat out the soft, rotten fish.
She should have heeded the warning!
Seeing her reaction, the six across from her relaxed, knowingly raising their sweet soup for a rinse. After all, with so many dishes, not all could be as bad; they could still give the others a try.
Ever optimistic, the family of seven raised their sweet soups and even made a show of toasting each other before taking a sip—oh no!!!
An overpowering vinegar tang hit, rising to their heads. How could Peace Inn call this sweet soup?!
Their expectation vanished instantly, and they expressionlessly spit out the sweet soup.
"Water, water!" Liu Ji shouted.
Yin Le frantically took off the water bag and handed it over, watching Liu Ji gulp it down as Da Lang’s siblings shouted, "Father, save some for us!"
The old father had some conscience, not finishing the water, and passed it to his wife, leaving more than half.
Qin Yao unapologetically took a sip to rinse her mouth, then passed the remaining to Da Lang. The siblings each received a lifesaving sip of sweet mountain spring water and finally felt revived.
Faced with the remaining dishes, the siblings leaned back reluctantly, honest in their resistance.
Sanlang clutched his rumbling stomach, on the verge of tears, having never tasted such dreadful food in his life.
Yin Le looked tentatively at his masters, "Shall we try the others?"
Qin Yao wisely refused.
Liu Ji gazed at the beautifully plated jade tofu soup, unsure, "Ah Le, would you like to try?"
"No, no, no, Senior Master, you try first." Yin Le hesitated.
Liu Ji said, "No, no, respecting the elderly and loving the young is a virtue. You’re younger, you try first."
Yin Le: "Then, then I’ll give it a try?"
The six members of Qin Yao’s family nodded vigorously, casting encouraging looks at her - you are our family’s only hope!
Yin Le swallowed, took a deep breath, and picked up her chopsticks to reach for the bowl of jade tofu soup full of hope.
Sanlang: "Senior Sister Le, is it bad?"
Liu Ji: "If it’s not good, just spit it out; Senior Master won’t blame you."
Qin Yao: "Maybe you should spit it out."
Yin Le didn’t spit it out and swallowed, saying with mixed feelings under everyone’s hopeful eyes, "It’s not bad, it’s not good either, but it’s edible."
This tofu soup gave Yin Le more courage to try further, driven by the determination not to let her masters suffer. She tried all four remaining dishes in one go.
"Except for the special fish sashimi and sweet soup, all are normal." Yin Le nodded emphatically, "Edible, go ahead!"
Qin Yao let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t all a disaster, and that’s good enough.
Having been tricked twice by the sweet soup and fish sashimi, the thought of picking up chopsticks again left no appetite.
Da Lang and Second Lang poked at the white rice, barely managing a few bites.
Sanlang, feeling aggrieved, muttered under his breath, "I miss Uncle Ah Wang, I miss Aunt Li, I miss my uncles and aunts..."
Those with good cooking skills, like the elders, are now dearly missed.
Yin Le sighed, stroked Si Niang’s pitiful little face, and said, "There’s still some dry food left, I’ll go get it."
The children nodded listlessly, their dim eyes brightening slightly.
In fact, from the first evening away from home, the family of seven began missing the delicious meals back home.
Especially Ah Wang’s culinary skills, taken for granted at home, but now, after being away, they realized how well they usually ate!
These past days, whenever dining out, it was only thanks to the dry food prepared by Mrs. Li before leaving that they managed to have some appetite.
While in Zijing Mansion’s territory, they could buy a meal or two of compatible noodles.
But since setting foot in the Yu Zhou area, the difference in local taste was so great that the family of seven visibly lost some weight.
