Li Cheng Xiang had been drawn by the aroma all morning, originally coming for the Pork Lard Fried Rice.
Now, looking at the menu on the wall, he felt…
He wanted it all!
But his stomach was only so big, even though he could eat a lot, he couldn't eat too much.
After some hesitation, the old men came in.
Grandpa Hong was the first to notice the millet porridge on the wall, it had changed slightly.
The regular millet porridge was still there.
But!!!
It was followed by an expensive millet porridge.
298 yuan a bowl?
A bowl?!
Grandpa Hong thought, "Little Boss, just because you added the word 'ginseng' doesn't mean the price will increase!"
However, he didn't plan to order it, so he didn't intend to say much.
Besides, pricing was the Little Boss's prerogative.
Choosing what to eat was also their prerogative.
He looked at the menu and finally ordered a cumin mushroom dish.
This is delicious, and it's mushrooms, so it's good for his health!
Grandpa Hong started first, followed by Grandpa Wu and the others.
Of course, they were also taken aback by the exorbitant price of the millet porridge.
However, since they weren't tempted to order it, they didn't say anything more.
Some of the older men ordered mushrooms, others ordered stir-fried eggs with chili peppers.
And some, feeling healthy, ordered octopus feet.
"That stuff won't do, it's high in cholesterol."
"I'm not afraid, my checkup was fine."
"Did you get a checkup? Just say you're fine, haha."
...
The old men's banter pulled Li Cheng Xiang back to reality from his reverie.
After some hesitation, he ordered a serving of spicy stir-fried octopus feet and a serving of cumin mushrooms.
An 8 yuan bowl of loofah soup...
He silently checked his wallet and added that too, finally ordering two bowls of rice.
He thought, "This meal will probably eat my entire day's worth."
Not expensive, really not expensive!
Waaah!
His entire revenue today!
It all went to the restaurant next door!
Damn it, isn't he the boss?
He seems more like an employee.
However, Li Cheng Xiang quickly lost interest in thinking about anything else.
Because Sheng Jiu started cooking.
She naturally started by stir-frying cumin mushrooms.
A fresh, natural fragrance wafted out unhurriedly with the rising mist, leaving no escape but to be passively accepted.
Li Cheng Xiang stood there, inhaling the scent, thinking: It was worth it, everything was worth it.
What else would a person live for if not for their mouth?
If not for their mouth, how would he earn his daily revenue?
As each serving of cumin mushrooms is prepared, the aroma of nature, like dancing elves, travels through verdant mountains and gentle streams, slowly bringing the scent of nature to their noses, allowing them to experience the unique fragrance of nature.
Smelling this aroma, Li Cheng Xiang even considered letting himself go and deciding to not open the shop today, but sit down and eat heartily!
But no, his wallet wouldn't allow it.
After ordering the meal, his wallet was crying!
If the aroma of mushrooms is a subtle, natural fragrance...
Then the freshness of octopus is the domineering power of the ocean!
After the base sauce was stir-fried until fragrant, the spicy aroma lingered around, but before he could even savor it, the blanched octopus feet, still retaining their freshness, were put into the wok.
The domineering aroma from the ocean, colliding with the intense heat of the fire, unleashed a rich and savory fragrance that reached its peak at that moment.
The aroma, already domineering, now permeated every corner, making ones feel its unique pampering with every breath.
When the previous spicy aroma and the fresh aroma of the ocean intertwined and blended under the high temperature, the aroma that burst forth at that moment truly made Li Cheng Xiang want to put everything down, sit down quietly, and enjoy the domineering pampering from the ocean.
Compared to the gentle, subtle fragrance of nature, the aroma of the ocean is assertive, domineering, and omnipresent, yet it possesses a unique gentleness.
The refreshing loofah and egg drop soup, amidst these aromas, some assertive, some understated, cautiously extends its tendrils, blooming serenely.
It exists simply, unassuming, yet striving to assert its presence.
Upon closer inspection, among those complex aromas, there is always a trace of the natural freshness of loofah.
Like a soft mountain breeze drifting through an empty mountain after rain, every wisp is gentle and romantic, captivating the heart.
Li Cheng Xiang, finally wiping away his drool, took all his food back in two trips.
Since it was right next door, Li Cheng Xiang said he would bring the tableware later, and Sheng Jiu didn't refuse.
The old men quickly began to eat!
As they get older, their appetite actually diminishes considerably.
However, at this moment, each of them felt they could easily devour two bowls of rice!
Grandpa Hong even couldn't resist thinking: perhaps they could pool their money and buy a bowl of millet porridge for 298 yuan to try?
However, their appetites were limited, even though they wanted more, they ultimately couldn't eat anymore.
Especially after the last bit of loofah soup to fill any remaining space in their stomachs.
After that, there was truly no room left in their stomachs!
"This loofah, so refreshing, it tastes a bit like home."
"Is this a longing for the past?"
"Who would have thought that thirty years ago I desperately wanted to move to the city, and thirty years later, I desperately want to return to the village? It's a cycle!"
...
The old men sipped their loofah soup, joking around.
Among them was Grandpa Xu, who had lost his wife a few years ago and hadn't remarried, becoming much quieter as a result.
He sat there for a long time before slowly asking, "Did you all sleep well last night?"
After asking the question, he seemed to be talking to himself: "After my wife passed away, I haven't been able to sleep well for the past two years. I always think about getting up to cover her with a blanket, but when I reach out, it is cold and there's no warmth. I quickly wake up and can't fall back asleep no matter what I do in the second half of the night."
"But last night, I slept very well. I didn't wake up in the middle of the night, and I even dreamed about her."
...
Mentioning his wife, Grandpa Xu became more talkative.
The other men didn't find him annoying, the fact that they were all sitting together showed they had a good relationship and knew each other's situations.
Hearing Grandpa Xu's words, Grandpa Hong thought for a moment, "You know what, I slept better last night than usual. I usually get up at night, but not last night. I was still woken up this morning by the urge to pee."
Grandpa Wu, who didn't have sleep problems and was the type to fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow at his age, looked around.
Grandpa Sun reminisced, "Now that you mention it, it's true. I slept very well last night too. This morning, my head doesn't feel heavy, and my eyes aren't blurry."
After the men finished speaking, they looked at each other, and then their gazes involuntarily drifted towards the bar.
There sat the health-preserving kettle that Sheng Jiu had used to brew interstellar dates tea/jujube tea.
At that moment, the kettle had just been started, and the interstellar dates tea was not yet ready.
However, the old men's gazes suddenly turned fierce, like those of wolves and tigers.