Chapter 46: Jiuhe Garden at 1500 Per Person

Huang Zhiyuan had been about to say, "This place is so expensive, maybe we should go somewhere else."

But one look at the brand-new GLC parked by the roadside made him swallow his words.

This roommate of his was the type to casually buy a GLC as a daily driver. Why would he be worried about the price of one meal?

The other two weren’t as concerned. They had never even heard of this restaurant.

Li Xiao expertly started his phone’s live stream.

In less than a minute, over a hundred people flooded into the stream.

"Is the streamer trying to win the ’Most Hardworking’ award? He actually streamed yesterday and today?"

"My husband is online again!"

"What do you mean, your husband? He’s my husband!"

"Is this that so-called ’rich second-generation’ streamer? Why are all his videos of food stalls and street-side eateries? Isn’t that a bit low-class? Seriously, why would a rich kid eat that kind of stuff?"

"What does the person above know? It’s all just a persona. What real rich kid would stream for us poor slobs?"

"I don’t get why some people are being so passive-aggressive. I’m an old fan. In the past few days alone, the streamer has given out almost 200,000 in red envelopes and promised food funds. If that’s not a rich kid, what is?"

"So naive. That red envelope stuff can be faked."

Li Xiao had been chatting idly with his viewers, but seeing the strange accusations suddenly pop up in the comments, he couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated.

’This generation of netizens really loves conspiracy theories,’ he thought. ’They want to doubt everything.’

Still, he wasn’t about to let such a perfect opportunity to shut them up go to waste.

He turned his camera, casually-but-not-so-casually panning over the brand-new GLC before focusing on the sign of the antique-style building in the distance.

"I bought a little something to get around in a while back, and the paperwork just got finalized today, so I figured I’d celebrate with a nice meal."

"Lately, I’ve been showing you all some more affordable eats. Today, I’ll take you somewhere a bit nicer."

"Also, let me reiterate: when it comes to food, price doesn’t determine quality. Expensive doesn’t automatically mean delicious, and cheap doesn’t automatically mean it’s bad."

"Street stalls and roadside diners have tons of authentic and delicious food!"

"Alright, back on topic. Today, I’m taking you all to this private kitchen, Jiuhe Garden."

In the live stream chat:

"Holy crap, what did I just see? A GLC?"

"A rich kid through and through! Driving a luxury car worth over 500,000 while still in college!"

"No way he earned that from streaming, right?"

"The user above must be new to Brother Li’s stream, right? Brother Li probably doesn’t even make 100 from gifts in a single stream. All his streaming income combined probably isn’t enough to fill up this GLC’s tank with 98-octane gas."

"Whoa, Jiuhe Garden?? Isn’t that the legendary private kitchen where it’s over 1,500 per person?"

"I just looked it up. Damn! Two Michelin stars, two Black Pearl stars, one of Yangcheng’s Top 100 Restaurants... each title is more impressive than the last!"

"1,500 per person??? Holy crap, my entire monthly salary is just enough for me and my wife to eat there once?"

The four of them walked to the entrance, where a waitress in a light green cheongsam immediately approached Li Xiao.

She turned slightly to the side, and with a professional smile, asked in a low voice,

"Hello, do you have a reservation, sir?"

Li Xiao nodded and held up four fingers.

"Mr. Li, last four digits of the phone number are 6566. A party of four."

The waitress in the cheongsam quickly opened her iPad, entered the information, and her smile grew even brighter.

"I’ve found Mr. Li’s reservation. If our four distinguished guests would please follow me."

With that, the waitress turned and led the way.

"Whoa, that waitress in the cheongsam has a killer figure!"

"Is that the legendary ’peach’? She’s really something!"

"Tsk, tsk. The young never appreciate a mature woman, always mistaking a young girl for a treasure. A young thing like that can’t compare to an experienced lady."

"Asking for a friend... I’m only 16 and I also like mature women. Is there any hope for me?"

"Don’t worry, I’m 56 and I like them too."

"The guy above me, you’re a lost cause."

"I like the young ones too! I’m a faithful man—I only like good-looking ones, hehe..."

"I used to think 1,500 per person was expensive, but after seeing this waitress, 1,500 suddenly seems reasonable."

"Dude above, calm down! 1,500 is the price for a meal, not for the club!!"

Li Xiao shook his head helplessly. ’I thought my followers were a pure-hearted group of food lovers, but it turns out they’re all wolves in sheep’s clothing.’

Li Xiao had to admit that the waitress before him was quite attractive, in terms of both her figure and her looks.

But in his past life, he’d navigated a sea of beauties without ever getting attached.

He’d seen more than his fair share of beauties of this caliber, so his attention wasn’t on her, but on the surrounding environment.

To be fair, in a first-tier city like Yangcheng, land prices were incredibly high. Even if this wasn’t the bustling downtown area, it wouldn’t be cheap.

And yet, this private kitchen’s garden alone covered at least 700 square meters.

With its small bridges over flowing water, rockeries, and artfully placed stones, the entire garden was laid out with incredible elegance.

There were no lavish decorations, yet it gave off an impression of grandeur.

It was clear the garden had been designed by a master; it was incredibly pleasing to the eye.

After crossing the garden with its bridges and streams, the four of them followed the waitress into the building.

As she led the way, the waitress began to explain in a soft voice:

"Our Jiuhe Garden was first built during the Republic of China era. It was originally the family villa of Mr. Huang Jingming. Later, it was damaged during the war, and its owner, Mr. Huang Jingming, immigrated abroad."

"Nine years ago, Mr. Huang Jingming’s granddaughter returned to the country, repurchased the property, which was in ruins at the time, and restored it, opening the Jiuhe Garden private kitchen you see today."

"Jiuhe Garden currently has 30 private dining rooms. The smallest is a couple’s room, while the largest can accommodate 18 guests at once."

"Mr. Li, you’ve reserved the Yichun Pavilion, which has a view of the canal."

As she finished her introduction, the waitress led the four of them to the Yichun Pavilion.

"Our four distinguished guests, please come in."

The wooden door was pushed open, and the interior of the Yichun Pavilion came into view.

The walls and ceiling were adorned with exquisite wood carvings, featuring intricate patterns and ancient, traditional motifs.

The room was furnished with a set of antique-style furniture, including a carved rosewood screen, a rosewood and marble coffee table, and several rosewood chairs.

Another woman, also dressed in a cheongsam, was already behind the coffee table, meticulously rinsing the tea set with hot water.

The floor was covered with a white wool carpet, which was simple and clean without being bland.

Next to the coffee table was an incense burner. Wisps of white smoke drifted out, carrying the faint, distant scent of sandalwood that instilled a sense of comfort and tranquility.

In a corner of the room stood an exquisite antique porcelain vase filled with vibrant flowers that gave off a delicate floral fragrance.

Simple, elegant curtains hung on the windows, and through them, one could see the view of the canal outside.