Chapter 405 - 357: Pickled Vegetables? Delicious in Dry-fried Minced Meat.

Chapter 405: Chapter 357: Pickled Vegetables? Delicious in Dry-fried Minced Meat.

After that, more and more customers started to arrive.

Everyone was captivated by the fish in the pond.

’They’re absolutely stunning! Every last one of them is gorgeous, especially the two biggest ones.’

’They must be at least a meter long, right?’

’This is the first time I’ve ever seen ornamental fish this big and beautiful.’

’These fish can’t be cheap.’

After asking around, they found out the fish weren’t just expensive; their price was astronomical.

Even if that price was inflated, they had to be worth several hundred thousand.

’I wonder how much the boss paid for them. Or did he get them through some special channel?’

The customers all started asking Li You this question.

Li You just smiled and said that it hadn’t cost him much to acquire the fish.

How much, exactly? Li You didn’t say, and the customers didn’t press him for an answer.

It wasn’t important.

What was important was that from now on, they’d get to see these beautiful fish whenever they came to eat.

They couldn’t afford to buy or raise fish like these, but being able to see them here was just as good.

This made them quite happy.

The fish in the pond had, without a doubt, become the main topic of conversation among the customers today.

Li You was also very happy that the fish had piqued his customers’ interest so much.

’Building a fish pond was definitely the right idea.’

...

「One in the afternoon.」

When Li You finally had a moment to spare, he stepped outside the restaurant for a break.

At this time, there were still many customers gathered around the fish pond.

Some had already finished their meals but wanted to watch the fish a while longer before leaving.

Others had just arrived and hadn’t gone in to eat yet.

Li You was about to walk over to the pond himself when he saw someone getting out of an SUV in the parking lot.

It was Liu Hong, the fruit merchant who had promised to get him a couple of mangosteen saplings.

’Did Liu Hong bring the mangosteen saplings today?’

Sure enough.

Liu Hong opened his trunk and took out two plants.

He placed them on the ground.

The two plants were both over two meters tall, with trunks that looked to be seven or eight centimeters in diameter.

They were indeed mangosteen saplings.

’Wow, they’re huge. You can’t even call these saplings anymore, can you?’

’They’re already small trees.’

Li You was pleasantly surprised that Liu Hong had managed to get two such large mangosteen saplings so quickly. He quickened his pace toward the parking lot.

’The man’s delivering the saplings himself; I have to go greet him.’

"Boss, where are you off to in such a hurry?" a customer asked as he passed the pond.

"To pick up a couple of saplings," Li You replied before continuing toward the parking lot.

’Saplings? What kind? Fruit trees? Is the boss planting new fruit trees?’

The customers’ eyes all lit up, and they looked toward the parking lot. Sure enough, they saw two saplings sitting on the ground next to an SUV.

’Those saplings are huge.’

’So someone’s delivering saplings to the boss.’

’They must be some kind of fruit tree, right?’

But what kind, exactly? None of the customers could tell. A flurry of guesses and discussions broke out.

They were very curious and interested.

「In the parking lot.」

After tidying up his car a bit, Liu Hong closed the trunk and was about to carry the plants toward the restaurant.

He looked up and saw Li You walking toward him. ’Ah, Boss Li already saw me.’ He smiled and said, "Boss Li!"

As Li You drew closer, he also smiled. "I didn’t expect you to bring the saplings so quickly, Boss Liu. Thank you so much!"

Liu Hong smiled again. "Well, I was itching to come eat at your place again, Boss Li. That’s why I hurried."

Li You laughed out loud. "You’re always welcome, Boss Liu."

Liu Hong said, "Thanks, Boss Li. What do you think of these two?"

Li You gave him a thumbs-up. "They’re magnificent! Boss Liu, saplings this big must have cost a pretty penny, right? I really must pay you for them."

Liu Hong waved his hand. "You’re being too formal, Boss Li. I said I was giving them to you, and I meant it. Besides, they didn’t cost that much."

"Well..." Li You hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony. Thank you, Boss Liu!"

"Don’t mention it, Boss Li," Liu Hong said.

Then, each carrying a sapling, the two of them headed toward the restaurant.

When they reached the fish pond, the customers all asked, "Boss, is this a fruit tree? What kind of fruit tree is it?"

Li You smiled. "Mangosteen. Have any of you ever tried it?"

Mangosteen?

A customer said excitedly, "So this is a mangosteen tree. First time seeing one. Mangosteens are delicious, just too expensive."

Another customer said, "I’ve heard of mangosteens, but I’ve never had one. I’ve wanted to buy them a few times, but they’re over 30 yuan a pound, so I never could bring myself to do it."

"That stuff really is expensive. I’ve never been willing to splurge on it either."

"I’ve had it once. The flavor is unique, but really good. I think it might be an acquired taste for some people, though. Like how some people can’t stand cilantro."

"..."

The customers chatted enthusiastically about mangosteens. Everyone had heard of the fruit; it’s just that some had never actually eaten it.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to try it, but that they couldn’t bring themselves to buy it.

That made sense. Li You himself used to be reluctant to buy them. After all, even at their cheapest, they were over 20 yuan a pound, and often went for 30 or even 40 yuan a pound.

Of course, prices varied by region. This was the price where Li You was located.

While the customers were talking about mangosteens, Liu Hong’s attention was on the pond. He let out a soft "Huh?" "Are there fish in here now?"

The last time he came with Wang Zhongyu and Cai Qingfeng, the fish pond didn’t even have water in it.

Li You said, "They were just put in last night."

Liu Hong nodded. "Nice, nice. With fish in it, the whole pond really comes alive. These fish are beautiful, Boss Li. They must have cost you a lot, right? ... Hmm? What’s this?"