Chapter 77

【Mutter the Saitu website three times, have you remembered it? If not, I'll ask again in the next chapter. It would be best if you could share it on Facebook.】

After Du Mengnan and the other four left the courtyard, they saw Zhao Xinyu hugging a young man who was a full head taller than him, with tears in both of their eyes. This moved Du Mengnan and the others, who wondered who this young man was and why Zhao Xinyu had never mentioned him. However, they could all tell that the two were very close.

Pang Mingyuan let go of Zhao Xinyu, patted him on the shoulder, and turned to Li Chun and the others, "This is my brother Zhao Xinyu. I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Li Chun looked at Zhao Xinyu, a bit dumbfounded. During the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) examination in Guangzhou, Zhao Xinyu was unkempt and emitted a foul odor.

Now, although Zhao Xinyu was dressed quite simply, he was clean and tidy, with a handsome face and neatly combed hair, looking like a young man who could live off his looks.

Li Chun looked at Zhao Xinyu, and Zhao Xinyu looked back at Li Chun. During the TCM examination, Zhao Xinyu had seen Li Chun, and he never expected to see him again in this place.

"Li Chun, this is our second meeting, right?"

When Zhao Xinyu spoke, Li Chun finally reacted, extending his hand to grip Zhao Xinyu's large hand, "Idol, did you know that after you left that day, Old Master Huabi searched for you everywhere? Niu Da and the others were scolded severely by the old man."

Du Mengnan and the others didn't know about the TCM examination, but when Li Chun mentioned it, they instantly felt there was a story behind it.

"Come, let's go inside and have some water," Zhao Xinyu said, thinking back to his appearance that day, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had originally thought they wouldn't meet again after that day, but fate had brought them together again through Pang Mingyuan.

In the living room, Li Chun recounted the story of Zhao Xinyu's participation in the examination, leaving Du Mengnan and the others speechless and looking at Zhao Xinyu with strange expressions.

Zhao Xinyu had always given them the impression of being gentle and well-mannered, but according to Li Chun, he was a laid-back, slick-talking guy.

They couldn't imagine how Zhao Xinyu managed to look disheveled and dirty, even daring to call the venerable Huabi "little brother."

Zhao Xinyu was also quite embarrassed. That day, he hadn't had time to tidy himself up, which made him look like a ruffian.

Seeing Zhao Xinyu's embarrassed look, Du Mengnan and the others couldn't hold back their laughter, bursting out into loud laughter.

After laughing, Du Mengnan rubbed her stomach, "Little brother, go get some tea for the sisters."

This comment made Yu Mo, Pang Mingyuan, and the others, who had just stopped laughing, burst out laughing again. Zhao Xinyu, embarrassed, fled the living room like he was running away.

When Zhao Xinyu returned to the living room with the tea, he saw the people there still suppressing their laughter, looking at him with strange expressions.

"Dream, you stay and have tea with Mingyuan and the others, I'll go outside and check things out."

The moment he stepped out, the embarrassing laughter started again. Zhao Xinyu had a bitter smile on his face, knowing that this would become a stain on his life.

When Zhao Xinyu reached the courtyard below, he shook his head. The place was almost impassable, with people packed densely in the vegetable fields.

It took him nearly half an hour to squeeze out of the courtyard. Looking around, Zhao Xinyu nodded in satisfaction. The streets were crowded with people, including both villagers and city dwellers.

Entering the temporary restaurant set up by Pengcheng Hotel, he directly stated his purpose. A staff member led him to the kitchen.

There were three chefs in the kitchen. Upon learning who Zhao Xinyu was, they looked at him with admiration.

They didn't know Zhao Xinyu personally, but they knew about his culinary skills. Even just his braised carp was far beyond their capabilities.

After the braised carp became popular at the farm, their head chef had secretly tried it once and attempted to replicate it a few times. Although the taste was good, it was far from what Zhao Xinyu could produce.

They had also heard from General Manager Du Mengnan about Zhao Xinyu's barbecue skills. They hadn't tasted it themselves, but from Du Mengnan's praise, they knew that the hotel's grilled meat might not match Zhao Xinyu's.

Zhao Xinyu chatted briefly with the chefs before starting to marinate the mountain chickens and wild rabbits. The three chefs, who were not amateurs, observed his marinating techniques closely.

Even after watching, they didn't find anything particularly special, which made them think that while they couldn't match Zhao Xinyu in braising fish, they wanted to compete with him in grilling meat.

After marinating the mountain chickens, Zhao Xinyu started braising the carp. The three chefs watched as he poured beer into the pot and covered it. They looked puzzled, as the process was simple, and their head chef followed similar steps, yet the taste was vastly different.

They then saw Zhao Xinyu not using the specialized grilling equipment they had brought, but instead piling wood on an open space. This made them doubt his grilling skills.

However, this doubt was quickly dispelled within half an hour. As a drop of fat sizzled on the fire, Zhao Xinyu applied a layer of seasoning, and a rich aroma of grilled meat began to spread. As chefs, they had never smelled such a fragrance.

As the aroma of grilled meat spread, people nearby started gathering. Eventually, at least a few hundred people gathered in front of the temporary restaurant, holding cameras and swallowing saliva, taking photos. Many times, the photographers captured the expressions of the onlookers and uploaded them to the internet.

"Look, Mengnan, Zhao Xinyu is starting to grill. Look at those people drooling," Yu Mo said, passing her phone to Du Mengnan in the living room.

Du Mengnan looked at the photos and then at Yu Mo, "Yu Mo, I remember you were like that the first time you ate Zhao Xinyu's grilled meat."

Pang Mingyuan was slightly surprised, "Xinyu can grill meat?"

Du Mengnan was also surprised, "You didn't know?"

Pang Mingyuan shook his head, "Back then, he spent all his time delivering food and collecting waste outside of class, eating steamed buns and pickled vegetables. He never mentioned these skills."

At the temporary restaurant, the smell of grilled meat was so enticing that the mountain chickens and wild rabbits hadn't even finished grilling, and the restaurant was already full. Many people, unwilling to wait in line, went to other nearby temporary stalls.

When the grilled meat and braised carp were served, the three chefs looked at each other. They saw the diners who had been enjoying their dishes now crazily eating Zhao Xinyu's braised carp, grilled mountain chickens, and wild rabbits.

Seeing this, the three chefs shook their heads. Although they hadn't tasted it, they knew that Zhao Xinyu's dishes, especially the braised carp, were far superior to what they could produce.

It took Zhao Xinyu an hour and a half to finish grilling the prepared mountain chickens and wild rabbits. He then spent another ten minutes squeezing back into the courtyard. After all, his good friend Pang Mingyuan had come, and as the host, he couldn't stay outside for too long.

When he returned to the courtyard, Zhao Xinyu saw Du Mengnan, Pang Mingyuan, and the others by the grape vines. As he approached, he saw them taking photos of Hei Feng, Jin Hen, and Jin Yu playing.

"Zhao Xinyu, can I take a photo with Jin Hen and Jin Yu?" Yu Mo pouted when she saw Zhao Xinyu return.

Zhao Xinyu laughed, "I can't decide that; it's up to them."

"Zhao Xinyu, what are we having for lunch? Should I ask them to bring us some?" Du Mengnan said, thinking of Pang Mingyuan as Zhao Xinyu's good friend.

"Let's have something simple for lunch. I'll make braised pork for dinner."

Du Mengnan's eyes lit up at the mention of braised pork, but Yu Mo and the others, who hadn't tasted it, protested, "You miser, your good friend came all this way, and you're only giving him braised pork? We want grilled mountain chickens and braised carp too."

Du Mengnan didn't respond to Yu Mo's protest but smiled at Zhao Xinyu.

"Let's have braised carp and grilled mountain chickens for lunch. I'll make more for dinner, but you can't have the braised pork."

As he spoke, Zhao Xinyu walked over to Jin Hen and Jin Yu. Yu Mo and the others, seeing the affectionate interaction between Hei Feng, Jin Hen, Jin Yu, and Zhao Xinyu, looked on with envy.

Jin Hen and Jin Yu took off, and Zhao Xinyu returned to invite everyone back home. He then called Han Li and the others, asking them to find a butcher to process the wild boar in the afternoon.

After tasting Zhao Xinyu's grilled mountain chickens and braised carp, Pang Mingyuan could only praise and complain. He complained that Zhao Xinyu should have shown off his skills earlier. If he had known about them, he would never have gone to the TCM hospital and would have opened a barbecue restaurant with Zhao Xinyu in Pengcheng instead.

Du Mengnan and the others, watching Pang Mingyuan and Zhao Xinyu bicker, looked on with envy. Having such a good friend for life, even if it meant living in poverty, would be worth it.

In the afternoon, when Han Li and the others arrived, Zhao Xinyu introduced them to Pang Mingyuan and the others. Being of similar age and Zhao Xinyu's good friends, they quickly became acquainted.

While they were chatting, Hei Feng returned, growling outside the courtyard before leaving again.

Zhao Xinyu chuckled, "Han Li, it's your turn now. Jin Hen and Jin Yu should be back."

Yu Mo and the others, now understanding what Zhao Xinyu meant by "braised pork," stood up and followed Han Li and the others out of the courtyard, eager to see the wild boar.

【Do you remember the three times you were asked to mutter the Saitu website at the beginning of the chapter? Sharing on Facebook might bring a surprise.】