Kiyono Lin and Jiutiao Meijie glanced at him at the same time.
Dubian Che, sipping on his Coke, acted as if nothing was the matter.
Salt and pepper beef tongue cooked quickly; once one side was done, you could smell the strong aroma of grilled meat, and when both sides were cooked, the fragrance exploded to its peak.
When the aroma filled the restaurant, it was time to eat.
Dubian Che placed three slices on the grill, giving one to each person.
Unlike Dubian Che, who directly stuffed it into his mouth, the two misses unintentionally folded the beef tongue before eating it.
"Mmm, mmm, fragrant, delicious!" Dubian Che picked up the tongs and placed beef ribs on the grill.
"I can’t do this; you do it." He passed the tongs to Kiyono Lin, who had just put down her chopsticks.
"Don’t act like you know anything," Kiyono Lin took the tongs from him.
Dubian Che drank his Coke with one hand, reveling in the stimulating fizz and sighed with contentment:
"The miss of the Jiutiao Family accompanies me to dine; the miss of the Kiyono Family grills meat for me, who else has such treatment? That’s right, it’s me, Dubian, the Tokyo hunk, a farmer’s kid from Iwate Prefecture."
"You’re getting way too carried away," Jiutiao Meijie eyed him with disapproval.
"I’m drunk after drinking a bit," Dubian Che, shaking his Coke bottle, pointed at the grill and said, "Remember to char the corn a bit, I like it that way."
Kiyono Lin put down the tongs, "As a Tokyo hunk, you should have some gentlemanly manners, right? Please grill the meat for us."
"Stingy," Dubian Che shook his head indifferently and took the tongs, flipping all the ingredients over.
But just as he was ready to flip them a second time, Kiyono Lin couldn’t stand it anymore.
"Enough, give them to me." She reached out for the tongs, "Frequently turning the meat while grilling can cause moisture loss. Don’t you even know this common knowledge?"
"Meijie, do you know this?" Dubian Che asked.
Jiutiao Meijie scoffed, not saying whether she knew it or didn’t.
The originally whole strip of ribs, once crisped to perfection, was cut by Kiyono Lin into bite-size pieces with scissors.
"It’s ready." She put down the tongs, catching her breath lightly.
She seemed tired from just this small task.
Dubian Che couldn’t wait to grab a piece.
Fresh off the grill and piping hot, it bloomed in his mouth.
"Ah—" As he ate, he commented, "Hot, so hot, want to swallow, but can’t help but submit to its chewiness, can’t give up the rich buttery flavor it brings, don’t want to swallow, so frustrating!"
Watching him chew vigorously, Kiyono Lin nodded with satisfaction, a hint of pride in her expression.
She took off her coat, picked up her chopsticks, and also started eating.
Jiutiao Meijie swallowed the food in her mouth, and told Dubian Che, "Don’t talk while eating."
"What does it matter, it’s just the three of us," Dubian Che took a sip of Coke, and grabbed another piece.
Within the beef ribs, there was a clear white tendon, so soft and tender from grilling that one bite made you yearn for a couple bites of rice to satisfy the craving.
"Who said it’s just the three of us?" Jiutiao Meijie said.
"I’m going to order some rice, do you want any?" Dubian Che, again dousing the fuse,
Kiyono Lin nodded, "Small bowl."
"I also want a small bowl, and another serving of sturgeon soup," said Jiutiao Meijie as she began to take off her coat, feeling warm from eating.
Dubian Che ordered two small servings of rice, one large serving, and three bowls of sturgeon soup.
Even though he had been prepared to feast to his heart’s content, his appetite deserted him.
Before him were two impeccable beauties; they had taken off their coats, wearing form-fitting sweaters, their chests rounded, their waists slender, their lips slightly oily...
Dubian Che, with this beautiful scene before his eyes, took a sip of the steaming sturgeon soup and let out a satisfied sigh.
"The snow is getting heavy," Kiyono Lin suddenly said.
Dubian Che and Jiutiao Meijie looked out the window at the same time.
The heavy snowfall was like a velvet blanket that had been torn wide open.
The coppices were covered, and the distant continuous snow-capped mountains were enchanting, the whole world draped in white.
"Ding-a-ling~", the doorbell brought the three of them back to reality.
Outside, three young men and women walked in.
"Phew—, it’s so much more comfortable inside the store!"
"My feet are wet, so annoying."
"Let’s quickly find a place to sit, I’m starving after a morning of skiing."
The boy and the girl dressed in pink skies holding hands appeared to be a couple, while the girl in the red skies was just chatting with another girl, probably her best friend.
Dubian Che averted his gaze, "Is the pork belly ready?"
"Just a moment," Kiyono Lin squeezed some lemon juice, "There you go, please enjoy."
"Mmm, the pork belly is also delicious, it’s been so long since I had barbecue, so good!"
The other two saw his intense way of tearing and chewing the meat, and they also unconsciously ate a bit more.
The scent of grilled meat wafted through the air.
"After soaking in the sauce, the king oyster mushrooms not only have the sweetness of the sauce but also a bit of the smoked flavor from the fat," Kiyono Lin nodded appreciatively, as if she was a food critic rather than just a diner.
Dubian Che picked up his corn and put the scallops, wrapped in foil dishes, onto the grill net.
"I just love a bit of char on the corn," Dubian Che rubbed off a row with his fingers and tossed it into his mouth, chewing with gusto.
"Back in my hometown, whether roasting potatoes or corn, I’d always char them a bit, so fragrant. You guys wanna try?"
The two misses didn’t react at all.
It seemed there was little common ground between city and country folks.
Dubian Che didn’t mind, continuing to enjoy the company as he scraped at the corn with his fingers.
"I’m going to the restroom." A voice came from not far off, the one in the pink skies from the group of three earlier.