Chapter Ninety-One: A Dinner Gathering at the Hotel

It seemed this meal would once again be anything but peaceful. The atmosphere among the others was hardly cheerful either—so much had been going on lately, everyone was rushing about, and it truly didn’t allow anyone any peace of mind.

Boss Jin was aware of some of these issues, but as for whose people drove those kinds of cars, he had no idea. He’d encountered them when he drove over earlier, but since they hadn’t been too brazen, he’d ignored them.

“We’re supposed to be relaxing, aren’t we? What’s with those expressions on your faces? Leave all your worries behind and just enjoy a good meal,” the Immortal Elder protested unhappily. They’d all agreed to come out and have a good time, to eat together, yet everyone looked as if they’d swallowed bitter herbs, hardly in the mood for food.

After hearing this, everyone felt a bit awkward. Indeed, a perfectly good meal had been ruined by their talk.

“Come on, let’s eat,” Old Master Mo said, unable to bear it any longer. Soon, the lively, harmonious atmosphere returned, making the scene more pleasant.

At that moment, the waiter opened the door, and several people entered carrying dishes. The speed of service was impressive; all the courses arrived together. Most restaurants couldn’t hope to achieve this—usually, the earlier dishes would grow cold while the later ones were still too hot, and the pace would never match the diners’ needs.

Just this alone put Mo’s own restaurants at a disadvantage. Although their food tasted good, they couldn’t compare to the grandeur and efficiency of such a large hotel.

Qianyin gazed at the dazzling array of dishes, completely overwhelmed. Up to now, she still didn’t know who owned this grand hotel, nor had she ever dined here before, though she’d often heard others say the food was expensive.

She’d seen the menu prices earlier and they were certainly steep—even a simple plate of greens cost two hundred yuan. This meal would likely cost over ten thousand.

Old Master Mo’s eyes immediately landed on the duck, a symbol of happiness and unity, which was famous here. He seldom had the chance to eat it and was curious how the hotel’s chef would prepare it.

The Immortal Elder, having never left the mountains, had no idea whether modern culinary skills had surpassed those of the past.

Once all the dishes had been served and the staff withdrew, Mo Lan said, “Well, it looks and smells delightful. Let’s hurry and try it.”

Each person picked what they preferred and sampled it, only to discover—

The food’s taste was… lackluster. They all furrowed their brows. Was something wrong with their sense of taste?

At first, each thought the odd flavor was only their own perception, but glancing up, they realized everyone else seemed equally perplexed. Qianyin was the first to spit out a piece of meat—a chunk of chicken that tasted strange. Was it her own palate at fault?

Lengxue quickly poured Qianyin a glass of wine. Because of the questionable dishes, he tasted it first to ensure it was fine, then handed it to her. Qianyin took a big gulp, but found the wine mediocre—not particularly enjoyable. What was wrong with this grand hotel? Was someone playing a trick on them?

“How does it taste to you all?” Mo Lan asked, unable to decide what expression to wear. Wasn’t it supposed to be delicious? It seemed everyone would be disappointed—might as well have gone to Uncle’s place for hotpot.

“I don’t think it tastes like anything at all. It’s bland… actually, it’s rather unpleasant,” Qianyin voiced her thoughts first, staring unhappily at the lavish spread before her.

The others responded with silent shakes of their heads, saying nothing, each putting down chopsticks and spoons, gazing helplessly at the dishes.

“We should have just stayed in,” Uncle said with a sigh. He hadn’t seen the menu, but grand hotels were never cheap. Yet, what could they do if the food was bad?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Since An Feng was seated closest, he got up to open it. A head poked in cautiously and apologized, “I’m terribly sorry, but the wrong dishes were served. We’ll remove them immediately.”

An Feng opened the door wider to let them in. Sure enough, the dishes were swiftly and neatly cleared from the table. Everyone was surprised, but allowed the staff to do their work. Once the table was cleared, new dishes were brought in, identical to the previous ones. What was going on? Was the hotel playing tricks on them?

Qianyin didn’t intend to try the food again after her previous experience. She’d rather go hungry and find something from a street vendor later.

But Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei didn’t hesitate—they picked up their chopsticks, tasted the new dishes, and soon realized the flavors were worlds apart from before. After swallowing, they eagerly continued eating, while the others simply watched.

Could it really be that good? Mo Lan wondered, noticing the children didn’t even bother wiping oil from their mouths. She picked up a chicken wing, took a bite, and was amazed by the freshness—the sauce was perfectly balanced, and the flavor was truly delicious.

Soon, the others began eating too. Qianyin held back, not out of mistrust, but fearing another unpleasant bite might ruin her appetite for good.

Lengxue picked up some greens, tasted them, and found the flavor excellent. He then gave Qianyin a chicken drumstick, smiling: “Go ahead, it’s fine now. The food is completely different and much tastier than before.”

With everyone eating, Qianyin had no choice but to wrap the drumstick bone in a napkin and take a tentative bite. Wow—how had they cooked it? It was truly delicious: slightly crispy on the outside, juicy and tender within, with not a trace of dryness.

Everything was well again. Everyone ate happily, forgetting the earlier unpleasantness, though they had no idea who had orchestrated such a mishap. An Feng served Old Master Mo, Uncle, and Mo Lan, unable to attend to the others.

The four children ate with particular gusto, as if they could never get enough. They kept sampling each dish, and despite eating so much, they showed no sign of being full—unlike their usual selves.

As they neared the end of the meal, there was another knock at the door. Since An Feng was still seated closest, he got up once more. It was the same fellow who had come in earlier.

He smiled apologetically, followed by another man carrying a bottle of liquor.

Everyone set down their chopsticks and quietly waited for an explanation.

“I sincerely apologize. The dishes earlier were prepared by a new chef and were mixed up with those of our head chef, which is why you were served the wrong meal. To show our regret, we’d like to offer you a taste of our medicated wine, aged here for over a decade.”

After these words, the two men poured everyone a glass of the wine, smiling and bowing to each in turn.

It had to be said, the service at this hotel was truly first-rate. This was what one would expect from a five-star establishment.