Chapter 499

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lu Feng

Wang Yong had known since childhood that it wasn't easy for his family to support his schooling; his mother had been ill year-round and needed medicine, while his father shouldered all the farm work and expenses alone.

Thus, from elementary school through high school, Wang Yong was always the hardest-working student in his class, and he creditably gained admission to a decent undergraduate university in Jiangcheng.

During university, Wang Yong didn't idle either; he took part-time jobs in his spare time, earning his own tuition and living expenses, never asking his family for a single cent.

Last year Wang Yong graduated smoothly and, through campus recruitment, entered a company in Jiangcheng that looked decent to outsiders, finally establishing a foothold in Jiangcheng.

But this job only looked decent to others; how hard it actually was, only he himself knew.

Since joining that company, Wang Yong had never returned home, busy every day handling all sorts of work, rarely resting even on holidays.

His parents back home missed him greatly; his father Wang Shuisheng, carrying big and small bags, took a green-skin train for over twenty hours to Jiangcheng to visit his son Wang Yong.

Seeing his father arrive dusty and travel-worn, and having brought big and small bags of hometown specialties for him, Wang Yong was deeply moved and insisted on treating his father to the best meal.

He had visited Lu Feng's shop and eaten there several times before; every dish here left him amazed, and now he wanted his father to taste this rare delicacy too.

In the queue, Wang Shuisheng stood on tiptoe, gazing at the restaurant gate still far away, then looked back at the line winding to the street corner behind him, unable to help furrowing his brow.

Looking at Wang Yong behind him, however, he was calmly holding his mobile phone, replying to messages in the work group, appearing already accustomed to the sight of queuing.

"Xiao Yong."

Wang Shuisheng drew close to his son, lowering his voice, sounding a bit uneasy: "Why don't we change places to eat? Look at this queue—without an hour or two we probably won't get to eat. I see those street stalls over there are also good; we can just have a bowl of noodles for ten or eight yuan and make do."

He had spent his whole life in the countryside; the small eateries in the village were always eat-as-you-come, never requiring a queue.

Now that he had come to the city, having a meal meant queuing for a very long time, which truly struck him as troublesome.

After replying to the message on his phone, Wang Yong looked up and smiled at his father: "Dad, don't rush. This shop is quite famous in Jiangcheng; the boss's culinary skills are superb. We didn't come too late today; otherwise, the queue would take even longer. Once you taste the dishes made by Lu Boss, you'll know whether this queue is worth it."

Although Wang Shuisheng felt queuing for a meal was somewhat troublesome, seeing his son say this, he nodded and said no more.

The two waited a full thirty-plus minutes, and finally only two people remained ahead in the queue.

Wang Yong led his father forward two steps, waiting for the people ahead to place their orders.

Wang Shuisheng shrank back behind his son, glancing around the hall with somewhat restrained eyes.

When his gaze fell on the price list and he saw the numbers following the dish names, he was frozen in place, his eyes wide: "Good heavens! Xiaolongbao 50? Noodle soup 68? And this tea egg... 88? Xiao Yong, is this shop too expensive? Is the boss robbing people? Eating a meal here would cost several hundred yuan! How much rice and how many eggs could I sell for that?"

"Dad, keep your voice down."

Wang Yong hurriedly grabbed his father's arm, afraid his voice would displease Hu Xiaoyun at the counter and Lu Feng in the kitchen, and lowered his voice to explain to Wang Shuisheng: "Dad, let me tell you, Lu Boss's prices are high for a reason; they prepare things well, and use only the best ingredients."

"No matter how well it's made, it can't be sold this expensive!"

Wang Shuisheng stared at the numbers on the price list, muttering softly: "Our family has never eaten anything this expensive in a lifetime. His tea eggs are this expensive—does he use eggs laid by golden chickens?"

Wang Shuisheng's reaction was strong; after all, he truly couldn't understand Lu Feng's prices here.

He had come to Jiangcheng today to visit his son, and had even closed his small village shop; this time he came not only to bring his son some hometown specialties, but also for an important reason.

Not long after Wang Yong graduated from university and found a job, he had regularly remitted three thousand yuan home every month, saying on the phone that he now earned over ten thousand yuan a month, and sending three thousand home monthly was no pressure at all.

Although Wang Shuisheng had spent his whole life in the countryside, he still knew some things.

His son had only graduated from university less than a year ago; finding a job was already good, but claiming to earn over ten thousand yuan a month, he found it hard to believe.

Not long ago, while watching TV at home, Wang Shuisheng saw on the news that current university graduates, after graduation, earned an average monthly salary of only over three thousand yuan.

He immediately thought of his son; since telling him he had found a job, he had remitted three thousand yuan home every month, and he was a bit worried his son wasn't telling the truth, so he wanted to come see whether his son was living well.

"Dad, don't underestimate this restaurant. Although this shop looks small, it is the most famous shop in Jiangcheng! Look, the one inside is this shop's Lu Boss."

Wang Yong held back his father, who wanted to go outside, and pointed to Lu Feng, who was wholeheartedly preparing ingredients in the kitchen: "Don't look down on him for being young; he has been on television, and now in Jiangcheng there is no one who doesn't know Lu Boss."

After Wang Yong's explanation, Wang Shuisheng could somewhat accept it in his heart.

After all, since his son said this was the best shop in Jiangcheng, it was understandable that the things sold were expensive.

But understanding was one thing; it didn't mean he could accept it.

Wang Shuisheng still couldn't bear to eat such expensive things at Lu Family Restaurant, but with so many people around, he was afraid of making his son lose face, so he softly told Wang Yong whether they could change places to eat.

"Dad, haven't I told you many times already? I'm doing quite well in Jiangcheng, earning over ten thousand yuan a month. I eat here every day. You don't need to worry; we can afford the food here! You've worked hard for most of your life, and it's not easy for you to come to the city once; I must let you eat a good meal!"

Wang Yong held his father's rough, large hand, smiling as he comforted him.

Wang Shuisheng looked at his son, half-believing and half-doubting; he originally didn't quite believe his son could earn over ten thousand yuan right after graduation.

To prove his words were true, Wang Yong looked around the hall and saw Zhu Chang, sitting not far from the counter, wolfing down red-braised pork.

"Zhu Chang."

Wang Yong called out toward Zhu Chang.

Zhu Chang looked up toward this side, and at the same time subconsciously used his hand to shield the plate in front of him, looking at Wang Yong with a puzzled expression.

He had not spoken with Wang Yong in the shop before, so Wang Yong gave him a somewhat unfamiliar impression.