Chapter 939

Two steaming servings of Mapo Tofu, served in white porcelain bowls, were solemnly placed on the bar counter in front of the two by Yamashita Yujiro.

The bright red and oily sauce wrapped around the snow-white tofu and dark minced meat, with emerald green chopped green onions dotted on top, the numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant aroma rushed toward them, and the color was alluring.

Shop owner Yamashita Yujiro, although he had made up his mind to give up the path of a chef and switch to full-time music, always had an obsession in his heart regarding the dish "Mapo Tofu".

That was... to do his best to restore the taste that his father made back then, which made the old neighbors praise it endlessly, and even made the old gentleman Ando Toshio miss it from time to time.

Therefore, even though the business was sluggish, he would occasionally practice secretly in private, adjusting repeatedly.

At this moment, seeing the granddaughter of the Ando family bring a friend specifically to come, and order this dish, he couldn't help but become nervous, his hands gripping the hem of his apron involuntarily.

His eyes were full of anxiety and anticipation, staring tightly at the expressions of the two.

Chizuru Ando and Natsume Chikage looked at the fragrant, bright red, and alluring Mapo Tofu in front of them, and both nodded secretly.

At least from the two aspects of "color" and "fragrance", it was quite good.

The two didn't say much and each picked up a spoon.

Natsume Chikage scooped up a small spoonful of tofu mixed with sauce and minced meat, and carefully placed it on the steaming white rice.

Then he sent it into his mouth along with the rice.

Instantly, the numbing, spicy, and fragrant taste exploded on the tip of his tongue, the tofu was soft and smooth, the minced meat was crispy and fragrant, the numbness of the peppercorns and the spiciness of the chili were intertwined quite balancedly, it was a qualified taste of home-style Mapo Tofu.

Yamashita Yujiro leaned forward slightly, his voice carrying obvious nervousness.

"What do you think... how does it taste? Is it suitable?"

Natsume Chikage himself was not afraid of spicy food, and after tasting it carefully, he nodded and gave an objective evaluation.

"Mm, it tastes quite good, the numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant are all present."

Chizuru Ando had also tasted the Mapo Tofu made by Yamashita Yujiro in the early days, and comparing it now, she really felt that the progress was obvious.

She swallowed the food in her mouth, gave a thumbs up, and showed a sincere smile.

"It's really delicious!"

"Compared to what you made before, Yamashita-niisan, it's much better! Such great progress!"

Hearing the evaluation of the two, especially Chizuru Ando's comparative praise, a look of relief instantly bloomed on Yamashita Yujiro's face, and his eyes brightened a bit.

But immediately, as if remembering something, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, and he couldn't help but ask cautiously, carrying a bit of anticipation and uncertainty.

"Since that's the case... Chizuru-chan, do you think... if I use the Mapo Tofu at this level now, and go find your grandfather to challenge him again... this time, is there a possibility of success?"

Chizuru Ando, upon hearing this, put down her spoon, and a look of serious thought appeared on her small face.

She scratched her cheek with her finger, appearing a bit embarrassed, and finally shook her head honestly.

"This... I'm not sure either."

"Grandfather's requirements for Mapo Tofu are really especially, especially tricky, as you know."

"However," she changed the subject, her tone becoming affirmative, "it's really much, much better than before! I think... Yamashita-niisan, you can really go and try again! Maybe?"

Although he didn't get an affirmative answer, being able to hear such encouragement before deciding to close the shop, especially the affirmation from the younger generation of the Ando family, Yamashita Yujiro already felt very gratified and satisfied.

He looked down at his hands stained with oil, and then looked up at the deserted shop, complex emotions flashing in his eyes.

Finally, as if having made some kind of determination, he slapped the bar counter hard.

"Mm! You're right!"

"I've decided, I'll take it over now and let your grandfather try it!"

Chizuru Ando was startled.

"R-right now?"

Yamashita Yujiro nodded heavily in the affirmative, his eyes burning with long-lost fighting spirit.

"Right! Right now!"

Saying that.

He immediately turned back to the kitchen, moved quickly to pack the serving of Mapo Tofu he had specifically made extra and kept warm into an insulated food box.

Then, he didn't even have time to say much to Natsume Chikage and Chizuru Ando, just shouted a hurried "Please make yourselves at home!", and rushed out of the shop door like a gust of wind.

Chizuru Ando looked at the direction of the instantly empty shop door, was stunned for a few seconds, and then her heart "thumped", and a surge of panic welled up.

She suddenly realized that if... if Yamashita-niisan really succeeded in the challenge this time...

Wouldn't that mean that the "Water-Chanting" kitchen knife that Natsume-niisan wanted would belong to Yamashita-niisan?

She subconsciously turned her head, wanting to say something to Natsume Chikage to express her worry.

But she was surprised to find that Natsume Chikage was still sitting in his original seat, his expression exceptionally calm, or even calm.

He was unhurriedly using his spoon to mix the Mapo Tofu and rice, eating the food in front of him quietly and focusedly, as if that matter just now had nothing to do with him.

Chizuru Ando was instantly stunned and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"Natsume-niisan... a-are you not worried?"

"What if... what if Yamashita-niisan really succeeds?"

"In that case, Natsume-niisan, wouldn't you... not be able to obtain the Water-Chanting kitchen knife you want?"

Natsume Chikage swallowed the food in his mouth, put down his spoon, picked up the water glass beside him and took a sip, then turned his head, smiled calmly at Chizuru Ando, and shook his head.

"It is my fortune to get it, it is my fate to lose it."

"If Yamashita-san can rely on his own efforts and intentions to make a taste that is truly recognized by your grandfather, then it means that kitchen knife perhaps should have belonged to him in the first place."

Chizuru Ando didn't expect Natsume Chikage to have such an open-minded and calm attitude, and was stunned.

Looking at his calm profile and frank eyes, for a time, the liking and admiration in her heart increased quietly by a lot.

She even secretly thought in her heart: if... if that really happened, she would go back and beg her mother to see if there were any other good knives at home that were not inferior to "Water-Chanting", and she must find a way to give them to Chikage-niisan!

Soon.

About a few minutes passed.

The shop door was pushed open again, and the wind chime made a dull sound.

Yamashita Yujiro walked back with his head down and heavy steps.

The expression on his face was completely different from the high fighting spirit when he left, full of loss and frustration.

He sat back in his original position behind the bar counter silently, his whole person as if his strength had been drained.

Natsume Chikage and Chizuru Ando, even if Yamashita Yujiro hadn't said a word yet, just looking at his dejected and dim-eyed appearance, already understood the result in their hearts.

The challenge... failed.

Yamashita Yujiro covered his face with his hands hard, his fingers deeply inserted into his hair, and was silent for a long while.

Finally, he let out a long, bitter sigh, his voice hoarse.

"... I really don't have any talent for cooking."

"Clearly... clearly I tried my best to follow the recipe left by my father, but I still couldn't restore the taste of my father back then at all."

"Grandpa Ando... he... was still the same as before, took a bite and put down the spoon, shook his head, and didn't say anything... didn't give any face at all."

He put down his hands, revealing a tired and resigned face, and looked at this shop that carried half his father's life's hard work, but was now empty, with a bitter smile.

"It seems, the decision I made is right... closing the shop, is indeed right."

Chizuru Ando, looking at him like this, felt very uncomfortable in her heart and hurriedly tried to comfort him.

"Yamashita-niisan, don't say that... I think the Mapo Tofu you made tastes really good, better than what my mom makes..."

Her words hadn't finished.

Yamashita Yujiro waved his hand, interrupting her, the bitter smile on his face deepening, carrying a kind of self-analytical clarity.

"How my cooking skills are, I know best in my heart."

"Moreover, if it were really good, the shop wouldn't be like this now, unable to keep a single customer, deserted to this extent."

"And..." he paused, his tone becoming calm, but even more lonely, "this shop, I actually asked the bank to handle the mortgage and transfer procedures long ago."

"So Chizuru-chan, you really don't need to comfort me. This path doesn't suit me, I should have seen it clearly long ago."

Chizuru Ando, upon hearing this, opened her mouth, but ultimately swallowed her words, her expression full of regret.

Natsume Chikage's face also looked a bit subtle, he didn't expect this shop had reached the point of transfer.

But he still maintained politeness and asked with concern.

"Then, Yamashita-san, since you don't plan to continue running the restaurant, do you have any new plans for the future?"

As soon as future plans were mentioned, a glimmer of light seemed to reignite in Yamashita Yujiro's eyes.

He straightened his back, and a look of anticipation and vitality, completely different from just now, appeared on his face, even somewhat beaming.

"Actually, I have always liked music more! Since I was a child!"

"And, in terms of music, I seem to have a bit of talent. Some time ago, I submitted some works I created to a music company..."

His tone became excited, "Unexpectedly! I was really accepted by a good music company! They recognized my arrangement and creative ability!"

"So, I plan to work full-time as a music producer after closing the shop! This is the path I truly want to walk!"