mtl008 Chapter 486 The gentleman looks very angry
Chapter 486 The gentleman looks very angry
The five businessmen who came first to eat hot pot were now sweating profusely, their faces flushed, and their pots were almost empty.
Even the last plate of noodles was soaked in the broth and was completely devoured.
The group of people almost helped each other up slowly from the table, each feeling their belts tighten.
They sighed contentedly and strolled to the counter.
"Young shopkeeper, would you please ask your father to come out and settle the bill for our table?" a merchant said to Sihai, who was standing behind the counter eating a banana, in a very friendly tone.
To their surprise, upon hearing this, Sihai not only didn't run to find someone, but instead pulled over the abacus next to him and found the dishes they had ordered from a pile of orders, his little face full of seriousness.
The order form clearly listed the hot pot base, dishes, and drinks they ordered.
The chubby little boy's fingers moved nimbly across the abacus, muttering to himself:
"One spicy and one clear broth hot pot base... sliced pork kidney, pork belly... duck intestines... duck blood... meatball platter, frozen tofu, oyster mushrooms, cabbage..."
Each time the child recited a term, he would move the abacus beads a few times, moving very quickly and clearly, without making a single mistake.
"Then they added... two jugs of rice wine... two servings of oyster meat... one serving of squid... one serving of fresh fish slices... and one serving of noodles..."
The abacus beads made a crisp, crackling sound in his small hands.
At first, the merchants were somewhat surprised and amused, but seeing his meticulous manner, they gradually fell silent and watched the little boy do the accounting with great interest.
Soon, Sihai stopped what he was doing and leaned his little head close to the abacus to take a closer look.
He crisply announced the number: "Uncles, the total is... eight hundred and seventy-six coins."
After saying that, he added, "I'll round it down for you guys, so it'll be 870 coins."
The merchants looked at each other in bewilderment. When the child was settling accounts earlier, he had stated the price of each dish. Although they hadn't calculated it carefully, they felt that the amount was roughly correct.
One of them smiled, took out his money bag, counted out the corresponding copper coins, and then put an extra twenty silver coins on the counter.
"Young shopkeeper, you're quite remarkable for your age! You're good at keeping accounts and you describe the dishes well. I'll definitely come back next time I'm passing through Ping'an Town!"
The merchants finished praising him with smiles.
Only then did he leave, completely satisfied and with a round belly.
Si Hai showed off his skills, smiling as he counted the copper coins they had placed on the table and put them back into the money box.
As the sun began to set, its warm orange rays bathed the signboard of Wufu Restaurant.
The front hall was already packed, with steam rising from every table, and laughter and the bubbling of pots creating a lively atmosphere.
The makeshift shed erected at the entrance was also filled with guests waiting for seats.
The waiters moved among the crowd, serving hot tea and melon seeds.
The guest took a few sips and then hurriedly put the water down, afraid that if he drank too much water, he wouldn't be able to eat the hot pot later.
As soon as a table became available, Sihai immediately started calling out the numbers at the top of his lungs.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Sanchuan appeared at the door with his small satchel slung over his shoulder.
He was followed by Xiang Yu and his page, A Yuan.
Following them are Sanchuan's classmates Wen Zaisi, Xue Shiyu, and Misu.
These kids actually got along better after they had a fight last time.
"Xu Sanchuan, your family's restaurant..."
Upon hearing Wen Zaisi's voice, Sanchuan turned around, curious about what he would say.
He paused for a moment, then continued, "...It's so small!"
Sanchuan chuckled.
He knew it; Wen Zaisi always spoke the truth.
"It smells so good."
Misu is a chubby little boy with a round face. He loves to eat, just like Sihai. He also has a keen sense of smell. Standing outside the door, he took a deep breath of the aroma, and his eyes lit up instantly.
He stepped forward and tugged at Sanchuan's sleeve, his voice laced with craving as he looked at him expectantly: "Xu Sanchuan... what does this taste like? It smells so good, my mouth is watering, it's much better than the dishes my cook makes."
Xue Shiyu stood aside, his face still cold, his brows slightly furrowed. He glanced disdainfully over the noisy front hall before looking at the diners who were enjoying their meals around the pot.
He glanced one last time at the not-so-spacious table and chairs, his eyes unconsciously carrying the aloofness of someone from a privileged background.
"Third Brother? You're back?"
The sound of Sihai coming down from the second floor echoed out, and the child's lips curled into a big smile.
"Hello, Grandpa Xiang and Brother Yuan!"
The child skipped over, put the empty teapot back on the counter, and tugged at Xiang Yu's sleeve as they walked toward the backyard.
Sanchuan and Ayuan followed closely behind.
The remaining three people looked at each other blankly.
Wen Zaisi rubbed his eyes, wondering if he had seen wrong.
But I did see the gentleman's doting smile.
"This is Xu Sanchuan's younger brother? He's incredibly bold, daring to grab the master's sleeve, and the master isn't even angry." His tone was full of surprise.
Xue Shiyu sneered, "When have you ever seen the Master angry?"
Misu shook her head, and the chubby flesh on her face jiggled as she did so.
"Don't be angry, sir."
Because the gentleman's face looked very angry, and he had an imposing presence even without being angry.
Having said that, he quickly followed.
The chubby boy hurriedly lifted the curtain and went into the backyard. "Xu Sanchuan, I want to eat hot pot! I'm starving!"
Misu shouted as she shoved the money pouch she was carrying into Sanchuan's hand.
"I only have fifteen taels of silver left. Is that enough for us to have a meal?" The child blinked. "If it's not enough, could you write me an IOU? My monthly allowance has been deducted again..."
Because he failed the assessment.
As he said this, he glanced at Xiang Yu, who was talking to Xu Yiyi on the side, and deliberately lowered his voice.
"Fifteen taels? If you order all the meat dishes, that's enough for you to eat more than ten times. It's not that expensive!" Sanchuan said, stuffing the money bag back into his hand.
"So cheap? Is your food even edible?"
Wen Zaisi was outspoken, and Xu Yiyi looked over when she heard this.
He felt a flicker of panic cross his face as Xu Yiyi looked at him. Realizing his slip of the tongue, he quickly covered his mouth, gave an awkward laugh, and tried to make amends: "Uh... I... I didn't mean to complain... I just... I just think... it's good quality and inexpensive, good quality and inexpensive, it's great, it's great..."