A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 29 Immortal Duck

Zhang Niu only said that the girl behind him was his friend. They had heard that the restaurant's signature dish, "Immortal Duck," was very famous, so they took a taxi here. He didn't even know it was your restaurant. He never expected to run into you.

Boss Wang laughed heartily, "I was thinking of inviting you over since you weren't here. If it weren't for your giant white duck, my restaurant wouldn't be doing so well. It's on me today. I'll have the manager talk to them about the 'Immortal Duck' later. We only cook two or three ducks a day now. You should raise more next month. Because there are so few 'Immortal Ducks,' it's hard to decide who to sell them to each day, which is quite frustrating."

After listening to Zhang Niu and his friends' conversation, Zhang Ting and the others learned the origin of the "Fairy Duck," but they hadn't expected it to be from Zhang Ting's old classmate. The girls' gaze towards Zhang Niu was noticeably different now. They had initially thought Zhang Ting's friend was ordinary, but it turned out he had this skill. It seemed their trip hadn't been in vain.

After telling Zhang Niu that he had to go out, Boss Wang asked the lobby manager to help take them upstairs to Qingyaju for a meal.

The elegant upstairs residence contrasts sharply with the bustling environment below, creating a scene of utter disparity – heaven above and hell below. The elegant upstairs residence is a very refined room, with numerous paintings and calligraphy hanging on the walls. A round mahogany table sits in the center of the room. Next to it is a window offering a view of the shoppers passing by below.

After everyone was seated, the manager brought out the menu and asked everyone to order. After a brief discussion, the young women selected several famous dishes, including the signature "Immortal Duck." The manager, having been instructed by the boss to treat these VIP guests well, was warned before leaving that if things went wrong, he would lose his manager's position and be reassigned as a waiter.

After the lobby manager left, the young women, harboring many questions, launched an attack on Zhang Niu, demanding an explanation. This left Zhang Niu feeling quite frustrated.

The girls' questions made Zhang Niu feel a bit like he was being questioned by police. After wasting a lot of breath, he finally managed to answer the questions they were interested in.

The door opened. The lobby manager, along with the waiters, carried the dishes one by one to the mahogany table. The previously empty table was now filled with a variety of dishes. Look at the colorful, fragrant, and delicious food before you! And in the center of the round table is a whole duck. This must be the legendary "divine duck"! It instantly whetted everyone's appetite, making them eager to start eating immediately.

Zhang Niu then asked the manager to bring over a bottle of red wine. To celebrate, he figured he'd really be doing himself a disservice if he didn't eat at Boss Wang's invitation. It was rare to come to a restaurant like this with such food; he really couldn't just not treat himself.

Shortly after, the lobby manager returned with a bottle of fine red wine. After opening it with a corkscrew, a pure, fragrant aroma wafted out. After opening the wine, the lobby manager said, "Please enjoy your meal," and left, closing the door behind him to avoid being disturbed by noise from downstairs and ruining his dining experience.

After pouring red wine for the young women, Zhang Niu returned to his seat and poured himself a small glass. He wasn't used to drinking red wine; in his mind, red wine was generally associated with high society.

This was also Zhang Niu's first time seeing girls eat up close. In his mind, girls eating should be associated with elegance. But the reality was quite different. The round girl, who had said she was going to lose weight that afternoon, now looked like she hadn't eaten for days, constantly piling food into her bowl. The seemingly more ladylike Fang girl directly tore off a duck leg with her hands and was gnawing on it enthusiastically. Zhang Ting girl was a bit better. She ate in small bites and occasionally wiped the grease from her mouth with a tissue.

The ladies unanimously agreed that the dish, "Immortal Duck," perfectly matched its name, explaining why only a few ducks were made daily. Without connections or acquaintances, it was virtually impossible to get a table. It's said that another restaurant also has a signature dish called "Duck of the Immortals." People have tried both dishes and concluded that they taste almost identical. Later, some restaurants even started using "Immortal Duck" as their main selling point. However, diners quickly realized that this duck could only be made in two specific places. Other places were far inferior, lacking the authentic flavor.

After their meal, the girls were very happy about having eaten "divine duck." Fang asked Zhang Niu afterwards, "Since you have such delicious duck on your mountain, how about we go there whenever we have a holiday?" The other girls all agreed.

"Sure, but you should let us know before you come, otherwise you might get terrified by the wild boars at home."

Yuan MM was a little stunned when she heard this. "Wild boar? I've never seen one before. I've only seen them online. I didn't expect you to have wild boars on your contracted mountain. That's really something."

Zhang Ting MM chimed in, "He told me about Wild Boar last time. But I've been so busy at work. I haven't had any free time. Otherwise, I would have gone to see Wild Boar much earlier. I've already borrowed a digital camera from someone else. I should be able to go during this holiday."

Zhang Niu pondered that if he came, it seemed he didn't have much room to stay. It looked like he'd have to build a few bamboo houses when he got back. It would save effort and look comfortable. Anyway, people would always be staying there overnight; why should he go home to sleep? Building a few more houses now wouldn't hurt.

With Zhang Niu's approval, the girls decided to visit him during their holiday and asked him to arrange their food, lodging, and transportation before they arrived. Ideally, they'd get to eat his signature duck. The girls thought, since his area produces this duck, why bother going to a restaurant? And they might not even be able to buy it there. It's better to eat it there; at most, they'd just have to cook it themselves.

After resting for a while, everyone left the restaurant. The streetlights in the square were already on in the evening. Neon lights flickered on the central fountain.

Some men and women were already dancing on the field.

In the county town at night, Jinlong Square is a very lively place. Every evening, many men and women dance there. Not far away is an ice rink. Zhang Niu remembered going there when he was in school, but he never learned to skate. He did, however, fall and hurt his bottom badly.

The girls quickly went home. Soon only Zhang Ting and Zhang Niu were left. The two walked together along the roadside, looking somewhat like couples strolling along the street in the old days.

Neither of them spoke, and they just kept walking. Under the lamplight, they cast two long shadows.

They walked until they reached the entrance of a residential complex. Only then did Zhang Niu realize he had unknowingly arrived at Zhang Ting's complex. Zhang Niu scratched the back of his head and said, "Since you're home, I'll be going now. I'll come find you again next time."

"Thank you for treating me today. I'm very happy. I'll contact you when I have the holiday. Now that you have a cell phone, it will be easy to reach you. I'll go in now."

Second update. The book was highlighted this afternoon but then dropped in rankings. Please recommend and add it to your favorites tonight. Let's all help bring the book down. I need votes!