“Nope, I can testify they’re just bluntly telling the truth.” Meng Fan raised his hand.
“Meng Three-Year-Old, with that hand-raising pose, you still dare to claim you’re not a kid?” Ren Boying chuckled and pinched Meng Fan’s baby face.
“Young boss, why don’t you introduce some of your specialties?” Xu Chen said lazily.
Thanks to their banter, an awkward scene was avoided. Qin Rong knew that apart from her brother, no one was on her side, so she sat there sulking. Zhang Yunwei felt it was a bit unfair for several grown men to pick on a young girl, but he didn’t say anything.
Yang Jiabo said, “The biggest specialty here is the food.”
Xu Chen: “I love eating. What’s good here?”
Yang Jiabo replied casually, “Country-style dishes, like free-range chicken soup, lotus leaves, lotus roots, that sort of thing.”
“How is that a specialty?”
“Heh…”
The group chatted over tea. Meanwhile, Yang Jiabo observed Wei Jing’s friends. Meng Fan was the youngest, often displaying childish tendencies. With his fair complexion and baby face, he was undeniably adorable, no wonder he was called Meng Three-Year-Old. Ren Boying was tall and rugged, the type who grew on you, with a steady personality.
Chang Jin was a sarcastic chatterbox who loved teasing Meng Fan, hence he was called Chang Five-Year-Old. Zhang Yunwei had a refined appearance but carried an air of arrogance. Xu Chen was delicately handsome but lazy. Tang Yu was a classical beauty, silent like a painting of an ancient lady—though in reality, she was bold and straightforward.
As for the Qin siblings, both were strikingly good-looking but gave off a superior air, though Qin Ruiwen was better at hiding it. To Yang Jiabo, they were two sides of the same coin.
Wei Jing said, “Asking so much is pointless. You’ll know once you try it.”
“Who knows? There might be a surprise.” Yang Jiabo smirked mischievously.
Soon, a server announced the food was ready. Yang Jiabo led them to a private room. The first dish arrived—fried bee pupae. Plump, golden-fried pupae resembled a plate of maggots. The second dish was fried dragonflies, looking like a pile of disgusting bugs. The third was skewered roasted grasshoppers.
“Are you serving us maggots as a joke?” Qin Rong paled, standing up angrily.
“Miss Qin, don’t be upset. These are local delicacies—nutritious, crispy, and perfect with drinks.” Yang Jiabo smiled, fully aware of what he was doing. The first two dishes were indeed specialties, and the bee pupae had been specially procured from his uncle.
“Qin Rong, calm down. Cuisine varies by region, don’t judge just because you’ve never seen it before.” Tang Yu tugged at Qin Rong’s sleeve, urging her to sit.
Qin Rong shook her off and sat down, fuming.
Chang Jin pulled Tang Yu’s hand. “Tang Tang, whether she eats or not, don’t bother with her.”
“Don’t call me Tang Tang!” Tang Yu flushed, yanking her hand back and glaring at him.
“There’s more coming. You don’t have to eat these.” Wei Jing knew Yang Jiabo’s little game, but since his friends had been rude first, he had to back him up.
The fourth dish arrived, not bugs, but hardly better. Many refined people avoided chitterlings, yet here was braised pork intestines. Even Wei Jing began to suspect Yang Jiabo had prepared a full menu of bizarre dishes.
When the fifth dish appeared, green and fragrant, Meng Fan couldn’t resist asking, “Jiajia, what’s this? Looks like pond scum.”
“It is pond scum.” Yang Jiabo nodded.
“Jiajia, do you have any… normal dishes?” Chang Jin felt these specialties were beyond his appreciation.
“Patience. They’re coming.”
Next came an array of floral dishes: stir-fried banana blossoms, pomegranate flowers with cured pork, night-blooming lily mashed potatoes, taro flower stewed with stinky tofu. After the flowers came fish soup, fish scales, and sashimi. Nearly twenty dishes were served in total, growing increasingly normal and expensive as they went. Only a fool wouldn’t catch on.
“Hahaha! Jiajia, you’re hilarious.” Meng Fan laughed heartily.
“The young boss has a unique way of entertaining guests.” Qin Ruiwen’s tone carried hidden meaning.
“You’re unique guests.” Yang Jiabo shot back.
“Jiajia, can you really eat these bugs?” Chang Jin hesitated.
“Of course, they're best drinking snacks.” Yang Jiabo picked up a bee pupa and ate it. Of the three insect dishes, this was the only one he could stomach.
“I’ll try.” Meng Fan took one, then brightened. “So crispy!”
Chang Jin tried it too and found it delicious, promptly urging Tang Yu to do the same.
“Disgusting.” Qin Rong felt nauseous just looking at the maggot-like pupae.
“If it’s gross, eat something else. The cordyceps duck stew should suit your taste.” Zhang Yunwei meant well, but his words came out wrong.
“By the way, those allergic to high-protein foods might react to bee pupae too. Anyone with such allergies should be cautious.” Yang Jiabo reminded.
Every dish had been carefully prepared by Yang Jiabo, and Wei Jing naturally tried them all—they were genuinely delicious.
“This sashimi is fresh. What fish is it?” Ren Boying was puzzled, it didn’t resemble any sashimi he’d had before.
Yang Jiabo: “Home-raised black carp.”
“Why not salmon?” Zhang Yunwei asked a rather silly question.
“We’re not near the sea, salmon wouldn’t stay fresh during transport.” Yang Jiabo explained.
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