Shopkeeper Liu nodded with a smile, "Of course it’s true. With so many people here now, could I, Liu, possibly deceive you? Haha."
The man scratched his head, smiling until his face turned red, thinking it was indeed too good to be true. He hadn’t bought anything tasty for his wife all these years since they were married; she would definitely jump for joy if she got to dine at the Fuman Building.
Many people below were amused by the man’s honest appearance, with someone laughing and calling out, "Stop being shy, you have to finish the dish before you can bring your wife and kids to dine at the Fuman Building!"
"Yeah, yeah, hurry up, or else someone else might take your turn!"
One after another, the crowd’s urgings came, but most were driven by the curiosity to try the new dish and see if it was actually edible.
The man looked up at the dark stuff on the plate, with his love for his wife and children overcoming everything else. It was just some stinky thing, after all, what’s to fear as long as it doesn’t kill you?
The man tightened his belt firmly and stepped toward the table, step by step. The closer he got to the plate, the stronger the stench became. However, as he sniffed more carefully, it seemed like there was another scent hidden within.
What scent? A fragrant one?
The man shook his head in self-derision; he must be hallucinating a fragrant smell after all this stink, right?
With each step the man took, the breath of those below him paused.
Not until he reached the table did the man clearly see the true appearance of the stuff on the plate: dark with faint stringy bits.
A shiver ran through the man’s heart—could it be that this thing not only stank but also had mold growing on it?
"This, this..." The man looked up helplessly at Shopkeeper Liu, his back already sweaty though it was the dead of winter.
Shopkeeper Liu nodded with a smile, "Eat it, it will certainly surprise you."
Shopkeeper Liu’s encouraging smile looked like a death sentence to the man. His scalp tingled, and he involuntarily stepped back.
But then, thinking of his gentle, smiling wife and two adorable children at home, the man swallowed his saliva, stepped forward, and without using chopsticks, he grabbed the topmost piece of dark stuff from the plate and shoved it into his mouth with eyes closed.
The crowd below held their breath, eyes fixated on the man’s hand and mouth without blinking.
He ate it, he ate it!
Those in the front, due to the graphic nature of the scene, couldn’t help but vomit.
To everyone’s surprise, the man on stage who was eating didn’t throw up!
Not only did he not vomit, but he also widened his eyes and chewed frantically.
It seemed as though everyone had forgotten the stench; they no longer covered their mouths and noses and instead gaped at him.
Could eating shit be this intoxicating?
Shopkeeper Liu’s eyes narrowed in a smile, his beard almost falling off from how broad it was. He had said it would be unexpected—look how happily the man was eating!
In everyone’s disbelief, the man had already eaten four out of the six pieces of stinky tofu on the plate, leaving only two. It was only at this point that he suddenly realized what he had just eaten was the same thing that was giving off the stinky smell!
How can it be so delicious?
After swallowing the last bite of stinky tofu, the man looked at the remaining two pieces on the plate, then at Shopkeeper Liu. With only two left, could he still eat? Shopkeeper Liu was smiling at him; did he want some too? Perhaps he should leave one for him?
If Shopkeeper Liu knew what the man was thinking at that moment, he would certainly have laughed and cried simultaneously. This man was really too simple.
"If you still want to eat, these two pieces are yours as well."
With Shopkeeper Liu’s permission, the man joyously responded and quickly devoured the last two pieces of stinky tofu, feeling grateful that Shopkeeper Liu hadn’t vied with him for them.
While he was eating joyously on stage, the people below were growing anxious. This thing was so stinky, why keep eating without stopping after just one? Some suddenly recalled last year’s incident with the Century-old Cake Shop and secretly wondered if this dish also contained Five Stones Powder, how else could it be so moreish?
"Hey, stop eating for a second! How can you stomach such a stinky thing? One piece is enough to get the idea, you don’t have to try so hard!"