89: Love is eating many meals together, and so is happiness!

Tonight's wind was not lively at all; the atmosphere was somewhat stagnant.

Lu Chuan complained inwardly.

Then he patted his face, took a few deep breaths, and only then stepped out from behind his stall, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting to the diners.

This unannounced gesture froze everyone for a second.

Then, a commotion erupted.

"The young boss, he's perfectly fine, what is he doing?"

"Why is he suddenly bowing to us?"

"Young boss, you haven't done anything wrong, why are you suddenly bowing and apologizing?"

"It's not even New Year's yet, and he's giving such a grand bow. Just so you know, I'm not married yet, so I won't be giving red envelopes!"

At this moment, the two hundred "quacking" ducks were not as noisy as the diners' chatter and discussions.

Lu Chuan maintained his bowed, clasped-hands posture for five seconds before finally straightening up.

And the crowd, who had been talking non-stop, now fell silent, all looking at Lu Chuan, wanting to see what he was going to do.

"Ev-everyone."

Lu Chuan's voice trembled slightly due to nervousness.

He had never given a speech in front of so many people before.

Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, Lu Chuan's face uncontrollably flushed red again.

"Actually, ever since I started this stall, some words have always been hidden in my heart, but I was afraid that if I said them, you would think I was being sentimental."

"It's just that tonight I encountered some situations that I really don't know how to handle, and after much thought, I decided to tell you what's in my heart."

Hearing Lu Chuan's words, the confusion on everyone's faces deepened.

Only Qi's Father and Qi's Mother's eyes flickered.

Lu Chuan took a few more deep breaths, and only after his rapid heart rate had calmed down a bit did he speak.

"Actually, I am very grateful for everyone's recognition of my cooking. Every time I see the smiles on your faces as you taste my dishes, and hear your sincere compliments, my heart is filled with warmth and emotion."

"As a chef, to be able to transform ingredients into delicious food that carries emotion, and to share this happiness on the tip of the tongue with you, is my greatest honor."

"Of course, I also know that my frequent unannounced departures always break the hearts of many friends, but the next time we meet, you still support me as always. This makes me feel both deeply guilty and genuinely proud."

"So I am very grateful to you. You have made me no longer feel inferior. You have filled me with confidence. You have made my inner self continuously stronger."

Lu Chuan's voice drifted with the night wind, entering everyone's ears.

Facing the young boss's sudden outpouring of genuine emotion, everyone's expressions were a bit strange for a moment.

Some looked puzzled, then appeared lost.

Others were deeply touched, feeling every word resonate.

Lu Chuan seemed to sense something at this moment, bravely raised his head, and actively met everyone's gaze.

He then saw confusion, bewilderment, and incomprehension in the eyes of a small portion of people.

But he also saw appreciation, encouragement, and recognition in the eyes of most people.

Lu Chuan didn't know why, but he suddenly wasn't nervous anymore, and then he laughed.

His tone became incredibly relaxed, as if he were talking to a friend... He suddenly turned his head and looked at He Jingrui, who had appeared beside him at some point.

Hmm, it was as relaxed and natural as talking to He Jingrui.

"I am very grateful to you. Your love is the driving force for my progress. Every piece of feedback is an encouragement and a spur to me."

"I am very grateful to you for making cooking no longer just a skill, but a heart-to-heart exchange between chef and diner."

When he mentioned "heart-to-heart exchange," Lu Chuan suddenly laughed, and he laughed particularly happily.

Although he had never told anyone, he actually really enjoyed the feeling of running the stall.

Seeing so many people love the food he made so much, that sense of satisfaction was much, much greater than earning a lot, lot of money... At this moment, some emotional diners, seeing Lu Chuan, who usually appeared very introverted, speak so much to them for the first time, felt an inexplicable surge of emotion and couldn't help but smile happily.

And laughter, like yawning, is contagious.

When the first diner laughed, a second diner also laughed aloud.

Then, more and more diners started laughing.

Laughter echoed by the lake, startling many resting fish and causing ripples across the water.

Lu Chuan looked at the diners, whose laughter grew louder and louder, listening to those bursts of laughter that were inexplicable yet somehow made people happy.

He suddenly looked up at the hazy moonlight.

Hmm, it seemed he had misjudged the wind.

This summer evening breeze was actually quite pleasant.

In his joyful mood, Lu Chuan vaguely understood another truth.

Sometimes, happiness doesn't need a reason.

And the pursuit of delicious food also doesn't need a reason.

So many people had gathered because of the delicious food he made.

How could he bear to let some of them come with high hopes only to leave disappointed?

Lu Chuan clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention.

"Everyone knows that I'm not unwilling to prepare more ingredients, but my small cart's capacity is truly limited."

"So whenever there are too many people, I have to implement purchase limits to meet the needs of more people, but even so, many people still don't get to eat every time."

"And this also makes everyone 'compete,' seeing who can come earlier."

"I actually don't want everyone to be like this, but sometimes I truly feel powerless."

"However, just for tonight, can everyone listen to a suggestion from me?"

He paused, met everyone's gaze, and then slowly said:

"Enjoying a delicious grilled fish alone is indeed very happy."

"But sharing grilled fish with others can bring double the happiness."

"After all, love is eating many, many meals together, so the way to gain happiness can naturally also be to actively share the food you love with more people."

"So, share your grilled fish!"

"That way, everyone here will be able to eat delicious grilled fish."

After he finished speaking, everyone looked at each other, seeming a little surprised.

Lu Chuan, meanwhile, was flushed red, watching them nervously.

At this moment, the front-row diners who had previously been reluctant to share their grilled fish looked at Lu Chuan, then at each other, and suddenly made a decision.

They stepped out of the line, turned to face the diners in the back, and shouted loudly:

"One spicy grilled fish, two more needed! Anyone want to share?"

"Anyone want garlic-flavored?"

"My girlfriend and I want satay-flavored, one more person needed to share!"

"..."

As the shouts fell, the scene was quiet for a few seconds, and then more people responded.

"I want spicy!"

"Count me in for garlic-flavored!"

"Count me in for spicy too!"

The scene suddenly became like a party-forming lobby in a certain game; everyone spontaneously formed sharing groups, and this scene appeared very harmonious, warm, and beautiful.

"Mom and Dad, yesterday we only had spicy and garlic-flavored grilled fish. How about we try the satay-flavored today?"

Qi Yuan also excitedly pulled Qi's Father and Qi's Mother to discuss.

Qi's Father and Qi's Mother dotingly nodded, then they exchanged glances, both seeing the emotion in each other's eyes.

This young boss truly possessed a charismatic personality no less impressive than his cooking skills!