37: Chapter 37 The Same Inside

Star City, Dahua Seafood Restaurant

"I told you, I'm fine."

An Miaomiao rested her arms on the table, propping up her chin with her hands, muttering as she sipped the watermelon juice in the glass before her through a straw.

Yang Shiguang also propped his chin with one hand, while the other hand twirled a silvery-white metal fork from the table.

"Alright, alright, as long as you're fine, I'm relieved."

An Miaomiao chuckled, rose from her seat opposite Yang Shiguang, and with nimble steps, came over to sit in the chair beside him.

Leaning her lithe body forward, she rested her face against Yang Shiguang's shoulder, tilted her head slightly to look at his handsome profile, and cooed in her naturally soft, sweet voice:

"Oh my, when did you start worrying about me so much? Don't tell me you've fallen for me?"

Yang Shiguang was about to retort, but when he turned his head, he was instantly captivated by her large peach-blossom eyes.

Her eyes rippled gently, as if hiding the brilliant starlight of the entire galaxy, and were as clear and tender as autumn waters, intoxicating anyone who looked into them and making them unable to extricate themselves.

This girl's lethal gaze at such close range was too powerful; his soul had almost been snatched away.

"Ahem, no way. Isn't it only natural for an older brother to worry about his younger sister?"

Yang Shiguang hurriedly looked away as he explained, then changed the subject.

"The decor and furnishings here are certainly very luxurious."

"Hmph, changing the subject!"

An Miaomiao crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. However, she didn't dwell on it too much; she knew she shouldn't push it too far.

So, she also began to look around at the restaurant's layout, following Yang Shiguang's lead.

Glass counters, crystal chandeliers, wooden screens, various porcelain vases, and they had even placed incense burners.

"Brother Shiguang, are those vases and such antiques?"

Yang Shiguang followed An Miaomiao's gaze to where two large blue-and-white porcelain vases stood at the restaurant entrance.

"Impossible. If they were antiques, I'd clean them out tonight."

"Hahaha, that's illegal!"

"Then if I go in, will you bring me food, Miaomiao?"

"Pfft, pfft, pfft! What are you saying!"

An Miaomiao looked at the fork Yang Shiguang kept twirling in his hand.

"The tableware here is even higher-end than at our Binjiang Branch—celadon bowls and dishes, metal knives, forks, and soup spoons."

Yang Shiguang curled his lip.

"When the food comes, let's ask the waiter for two pairs of chopsticks. Looking good doesn't mean it's practical."

In this era, the mainstream for inland seafood restaurants was this so-called "high-end" and "upscale" tone. They hired quite a few waiters, required uniforms, and they all wore black silk stockings and skirt suits.

Therefore, inland, being able to afford seafood at this time had become a symbol of status, position, or wealth.

"Opening a place like this must require a huge investment, much higher than our Shuicifang."

An Miaomiao whispered into Yang Shiguang's ear again:

"Let's learn from them, Brother Shiguang."

An Miaomiao looked around like a curious baby, wanting to steal some experience to take back to Shuicifang.

"Don't learn from them. This style doesn't suit us, and it won't last long."

"Look, today is Saturday, and besides us, there are only a few scattered tables."

The entire first-floor hall had nearly 40 tables, but currently, there were only a dozen or so occupied.

An Miaomiao scanned the room and nodded.

"Wouldn't they lose money this way? Especially with such a large investment."

"That's why it's sold at such a high price—the cost is passed on to the customer. Just that watermelon juice we drank earlier was 28 a glass."

Yang Shiguang paused and continued:

"And this place is probably mainly for banquets and business receptions. They primarily cater to high-spending groups, while our Shuicifang currently focuses on middle-to-low-spending groups."

"They probably won't lose money, but the profit margin definitely isn't as high as our Shuicifang. Unless their supply chain is stronger than ours, it's likely hard for them to get high profits."

An Miaomiao listened to Yang Shiguang's analysis, half-understanding, and lowered her head to think carefully.

Yang Shiguang smiled at her serious expression, patted her little head, and continued:

"Miaomiao, it's actually very simple. As long as people come to Shuicifang, we can do whatever they can do. But we can serve customers they can't, and that's where our advantage lies."

"Oh, is that so?"

"And one more thing, the most important thing for a restaurant is still the taste."

An Miaomiao's own family ran a small restaurant, so she agreed with this point.

"Is the taste here bad? They sell it so expensively, surely the taste isn't bad, right?"

Yang Shiguang thought for a moment, not knowing how to put it.

"Emmm, the taste isn't exactly bad. You'll see when the food arrives."

Soon, the first dish, "Winter Melon Soup," was served.

A whole winter melon with a carved exterior stood upright on the table. When the lid on top was lifted, a fresh scent of winter melon wafted out.

The waiter served a bowl for each of them, and they began to taste it.

"It's a bit sweet and quite fresh. The taste is actually pretty good, Brother Shiguang."

An Miaomiao gave an objective evaluation.

"This dish isn't difficult. You just hollow out the winter melon, put in winter melon slices, dried scallops, fish maw, and abalone, then steam it in a pot."

"How much is this dish, Brother Shiguang?"

Yang Shiguang checked the menu and stated a number that surprised An Miaomiao.

"188. A large part of the price is in the labor cost of the carving."

Soon, the dishes were brought to the table one by one.

Australian lobster sashimi, stir-fried bread crab with ginger and scallions, steamed scallops with vermicelli, steamed abalone with black bean sauce, steamed razor clams with garlic and vermicelli, and braised turbot.

As she ate, An Miaomiao finally understood what Yang Shiguang had said earlier.

That's right, although the taste was quite good, the preparation methods were monotonous.

In this era, inland seafood restaurants mostly copied the seafood preparation methods of Shandong, Guangdong, and other regions. The core was to maximize the retention of the seafood's original freshness through simple and light cooking methods.

"I get it, Brother Shiguang. These dishes are all delicious, but they don't go well with rice."

Yang Shiguang picked up a piece of Australian lobster sashimi, put it in his mouth, and said:

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with this method, but the core issue is that it doesn't suit the palate of us people in Hunan Province. Eating it occasionally is fine, but you can't eat it often."

"That's why this kind of restaurant rarely has local regulars."

An Miaomiao suddenly realized, and looked at Yang Shiguang with a face full of admiration:

"So, is Shuicifang's direction to make seafood that suits the palate of people in Hunan Province?"

"Yes, what we want to do is fusion. Combine ingredients that aren't common inland with the flavors that inland people are accustomed to."

"If Shuicifang opens in Hunan Province, we combine it with spicy stir-fry flavors; if it opens in Sichuan, we use peppercorn and chili; if it opens in Yunnan or Guizhou, adding sour soup wouldn't be bad either."

Upon hearing this, An Miaomiao's eyes were already filled with little stars. This man she admired always had such unique ideas, and he was always so full of confidence; this feeling made her completely intoxicated.

The last dish was served: Clear-stewed Sea Turtle.

This was a dish Yang Shiguang had added, which was why it was served a bit slowly.

Yang Shiguang ladled a bowl for An Miaomiao and said:

"Try this sea turtle. In a few years, it'll probably become a protected animal, and we won't be able to eat it anymore."

"Huh? How do you know that, Brother Shiguang?"

Yang Shiguang inwardly thought, Oh no, and hurriedly thought of an excuse:

"Uh, I saw it online. They said something about their numbers decreasing."

An Miaomiao always trusted Yang Shiguang's words one hundred percent.

"Eh? What is this?"

An Miaomiao asked, scooping out a few small yellow round balls from the bowl with a soup spoon.

Yang Shiguang was just about to answer when his phone rang. He took it out and saw it was a call from You Ge.

"Hello? Yeah, I'm eating."

"Yeah, missing you, we're both missing you."

"Miaomiao just mentioned you."

"No, it's not that she saw a handsome guy; it's an ingredient."

"It's not that it looks like him, it's that it's the same inside."

"Alright, I'm done chatting with you. Hanging up."

Hanging up the phone, An Miaomiao looked at him with a confused expression.

"Brother Shiguang, when did I mention him?"

Yang Shiguang pointed to the few yellow things inside An Miaomiao's spoon.

"This is it."

"What is this?"

"Sea turtle eggs."

"Pfft, hahahaha."

Amidst An Miaomiao's bright, blossoming laughter, this research-oriented dinner came to an end.