As soon as they heard about the new dishes and the half-price sale, on top of the fact that there were Spicy Skewers promotions for the New Year’s rush, the crowd formed a long line. They had been watching all this and were already brimming with curiosity. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
And now, people had begun to shout towards the Shopkeeper, "Do you have Spicy Skewers? Are Spicy Skewers available? And those Fried Small Potatoes were delicious too, are you still selling those snacks?"
"Selling, we’re selling them all today. With the Fried Small Potatoes, if you spend at least 300 copper coins, you’ll get a portion for free. Also, we offer a bowl of soup you’ve never tried before for each full table, but only if every seat is taken. For the specifics, you can go inside and ask. There are sunflower seeds on the table; come in and chat, have some tea, warm yourself up."
Hearing about these benefits, those with a bit of money at hand started heading into the Huiben Building. Once inside, they were struck by a burst of brightness.
Red, everywhere you looked, was bathed in the festive hue of Chinese red.
Even on the second floor of the restaurant, in each of the four directions, hung huge Chinese knots with grand, red tassels dangling straight down, gently swaying with the wind – very pretty.
Several pots of greenery were placed in conspicuous spots, giving anyone who saw them an uplifting sensation.
What amazed them the most were the many paintings hung on the walls inside the restaurant. These weren’t famous artworks; instead, they depicted mouth-watering dishes and their names, clearly telling anyone at a glance what the dish looked like. No wonder the Shopkeeper had mentioned that ordering was different now; indeed, it was fresh and unconventional.
The regular customers recognized at once the menu’s new additions. Not only were the names unique, but the appearances of the dishes were also unlike anything they had seen before, which stirred their curiosity, prompting questions to the waiter.
"Waiter, are these paintings all the restaurant’s new signature dishes?"
"Yes, indeed, today’s opening features at least ten new dishes, all at half-price for you to try, but after three days, we’ll revert to regular pricing. By then, if you wish to taste them, you can look at the day’s specials, since these dishes require many ingredients and we’ll be preparing different ones daily, alternating between a meat and a vegetable dish."
After the waiter explained, he pointed to the menu written on wooden boards with big black characters on each table, listing the dish names and prices, clear and straightforward. Of course, these were matched with some of the restaurant’s original dishes. The menu showcased variety: meat and vegetable, hot and cold, soup and main, meeting almost every diner’s needs.
Several of these blank wooden menus had been prepared by Xiao Yu, waiting to be updated with seasonal vegetables, fruits, and seafood.
To satisfy everyone’s curiosity, Xiao Yu came out personally to give a detailed introduction to the day’s ten dishes.
Signature One was the Spicy Shrimp/Spicy Crab she made last time, which featured a spicy and flavorful taste, perfect with rice, and a main promotional dish for the restaurant.
Signature Two was the contemporary popular dish of tomato and egg stir-fry/Shrimp Steamed Egg Custard. The eggs were nothing unusual; what were special were her tomato sauce and light soy sauce.
Signature Three, Spicy Soybeans Steamed Fish. Steamed fish was common in Port Town, but soybeans were unheard of; combined, they created Signature Three.
Signature Four, Seafood Blood Hotpot, but different from the hotpot known in later times since they didn’t use cow stomach or tripe here (cows were labor animals and couldn’t be slaughtered). Therefore, she used pig intestines, along with bean sprouts and pig blood as ingredients, which could later be substituted with chicken or duck blood. With readily purchased ingredients like squid or octopus, broad bean sauce, and minced chili and garlic, the reconstructed Seafood Blood Hotpot was born.