## Chapter 65: The Rival Farmhouse Restaurants Come to Spy
1415 Words
Zhu Lili was at the front counter taking payments. When she heard this, she couldn't help laughing. "Well, how to explain it? We like staying here, so we opened a farmhouse restaurant on the side."
"If we moved to a big city to open a restaurant, that would be putting the cart before the horse."
Qi Yue was completely baffled by this strange answer. "Like staying here"? What was there to like? Just a small building, a few patches of land, some forests.
The nearby Fenghuang Mountain scenic area wasn't exactly a famous historical site. Nationwide, it was practically unknown. At most, it had a little local fame.
And the place was so remote—how could it compare to the glamour and bustle of the city?
Qi Cong wouldn't give up. "Have you considered delivery? It's so inconvenient to come all the way here to eat! If only you could deliver."
Zhu Lili shrugged. "Too far. The delivery guys couldn't make it. The food would get cold by the time it arrived. Besides, our boss thinks it's too much trouble and doesn't want to do it."
Qi Cong and Qi Yue looked at each other and sighed in unison. Looks like next time they wanted to eat here, they'd still have to make the long trip.
...
Chen Guoxiang ran a farmhouse restaurant near Fenghuang Mountain Scenic Area called Phoenix Feast Hall.
It was only slightly smaller than Defa's Farmhouse Kitchen. Originally, it had been the most popular restaurant in the area.
But now, the spotlight had been stolen by a tiny eatery called Qionghua Eatery.
That place had some kind of magic. Every dish they made became a hit, luring away many longtime fans of farmhouse food.
And that place had some special connections too—it had been chosen by Fenghuang Film Studio for a variety show live stream to promote the area's signature dishes.
He was really upset about that. His Phoenix Feast Hall had been here for years, selling thousands of orders of Fenghuang tofu and wontons. How could it be worse than this newly opened little eatery?
Even though the variety show had ultimately not aired because of the accident, he still felt indignant.
He didn't approve of Xie Defa, the owner of Defa's Farmhouse Kitchen, and his dishonest business practices. Still, the two of them had a slight friendship.
Earlier, Xie Defa had said he'd find a way to teach Qionghua Eatery a lesson. But months had passed, and the eatery's business only got better. Xie Defa hadn't done a thing—in fact, he'd apparently been seriously ill recently.
Chen Guoxiang was a calculating man, but also very timid. He didn't dare do anything. But his jealousy just wouldn't go away.
The weather had been pleasant lately, and it was peak tourist season at Fenghuang Mountain. Lunch business wasn't bad—quite a few tourists came in. But he overheard many customers talking about Qionghua Eatery. It seemed they had only come to Phoenix Feast Hall because Qionghua was full.
Chen Guoxiang's heart was filled with curiosity, envy, and jealousy all at once. Stirred by these complex emotions, he decided to go to Qionghua Eatery himself and find out why their business was so good.
As soon as he stepped through the front door, he was hit by a rich, sour and spicy aroma.
Qionghua Eatery was packed. Though it had fewer tables than his place—much smaller in scale—every single table was full.
Chen Guoxiang looked at the chalkboard hanging at the counter. It listed only one dish: Golden Soup Lemon Fish.
His emotions were a tangled mess. He had long heard that Qionghua Eatery was very unconventional—only a few dishes each day, you ate whatever they were selling, and prices were high. They closed as soon as they sold out, and the owner frequently shut down for breaks.
At first, he had scoffed. That's no way to run a business. But as Qionghua kept thriving, he secretly felt relieved. Thank goodness the owner had no business sense and the place was small, otherwise they'd have taken even more customers.
But look at this! His Phoenix Feast Hall had several chefs, multiple shifts of servers, and every dish imaginable for customers to enjoy.
Yet his business still lagged so far behind this tiny place. Comparing yourself to others was maddening.
Even though this place only sold one dish, as he mentally calculated the revenue—minus costs—the profit was probably not far from his own. He was sick with jealousy!
"Excuse me, have you decided? Today we only have lemon fish." Jin Feifan looked oddly at this strange middle-aged man.
The guy had been standing there for ages, his face cycling through melancholy, anger, and relief. What was he thinking about?
Chen Guoxiang jolted. Seeing that no one seemed to recognize him, he quickly found a seat and sat down. Know yourself, know your enemy, and you'll win every battle. He decided he needed to taste this place's food for himself.
He refused to believe it could be as good as customers said. So far, he still thought Qionghua Eatery's success was due to hype and artificial scarcity.
Since the place was crowded, he had to share a table with strangers.
Across from him, a man's bowl was already scraped clean. He was slurping his rice mixed with the leftover fish broth.
On this slightly cool autumn day, the man's forehead was still beaded with sweat from eating.
Chen Guoxiang couldn't help asking, "Is the fish good?"
The man paused, looked at him strangely, and said, "You see how I've eaten it clean? That should tell you it's delicious! A friend recommended this place—said I had to try it when I came to Fenghuang Mountain. It definitely lives up to the hype."
Chen Guoxiang concealed his envy. It seemed this place really did have a good reputation—word-of-mouth.
Despite the crowd, the food came out quickly. Soon, the Golden Soup Lemon Fish arrived.
Though Chen Guoxiang wasn't a chef by training, after running a restaurant for so many years, he had a good eye for food quality.
At first glance, he didn't think it looked particularly special. The golden soup was decent, the fish slices looked fresh and tender, but overall, the presentation wasn't very refined.
He took a small bowl and ladled himself some golden broth to whet his appetite.
As soon as the soup touched his lips, he froze. True to its name, the sourness in this soup didn't come from vinegar—it was pure, genuine lemon juice.
And he swore—this lemon was no ordinary fruit. Only the highest quality lemons from Qiongzhou could have such a fresh, sour, pure flavor.
Just the lemons alone were costly. It seemed this place had quietly invested a lot of effort. The ingredient costs were probably high.
He then picked up some fish. They used snakehead—and from his purchasing experience, they had chosen top-quality, fresh, local snakehead. That drove costs even higher.
The chef's skills were quite good. The fish was tender and firm. His own chefs could probably achieve a similar level with a bit of effort.
But when he tried the vegetables, he was genuinely shocked. The flavor of the vegetables was absolutely amazing!
The lettuce was crisp, fresh, and sweet. The bean sprouts burst with juice, refreshing as can be. Even the enoki mushrooms—which usually got stuck in your teeth—how had they been made to taste and feel so good?
Could the chef's skills be that great, to make even these three ordinary vegetables taste so incredible?
Chen Guoxiang's mind raced. These vegetables likely came from a special source—were they specially sourced!?
Oh my god. That would drive costs even higher.
He thought it over. Yes, the chef here was skilled, but the ingredients they used were also key. Based on his ten-plus years of purchasing experience, this place might have high revenue and packed tables, but their ingredient costs must be staggering!
After subtracting all that, the profits probably weren't that high.
With that thought, his jealousy finally subsided a little.
Chen Guoxiang rubbed his chin. Still, this Golden Soup Lemon Fish was really delicious—much better than the pickled fish his own place made.
He made up his mind: tomorrow, his signature dish would be Golden Soup Lemon Fish too!
- Writer
