"Let me see what's good to eat? Hmm... Kijiri-style roast? Slime-battered Calla Lily? Jade Parcel? Boss, besides the three things I just said no to, give me one of every signature dish on the menu!" Paimon's eyes were swimming in the sheer number of dishes at Wanmin Restaurant. She decided to eliminate the ones that didn't sound appealing and try the rest. After all, Feng Yi said he was treating, so why wouldn't she seize the opportunity to eat her fill?
"Alright, customers, please find a seat and wait a moment. The dishes will be out soon." Chef Mao, busy with his work, responded with a cheerful smile. Business was exceptionally good today.
"Feng Yi, did Paimon order a bit too much?" Lumine asked worriedly. If Paimon couldn't finish everything she ordered, it would be such a waste.
"It's fine, we can order more if we're still hungry," Feng Yi replied with a slight smile, indicating it wasn't a problem.
Lumine: ??? Are we talking about the same thing?
Feng Yi: You can always trust my appetite... In the past, when he came to Wanmin Restaurant, he would order every single dish on the menu, and then leave with a flourish, stating he still had room for more. And this time, Lumine and Paimon were eating with him.
"Chef Mao, are Xiangling and Guoba not here?" Feng Yi asked curiously as he waited for his food outside, noticing only Chef Mao busy in the kitchen.
"Ah, it's Young Master Feng Yi! I knew the voice sounded familiar. Xiangling has developed a few new dishes and just took Guoba out to find ingredients..." Chef Mao looked up, and his face lit up upon recognizing Feng Yi. He greeted him warmly. Speaking of his daughter developing new dishes, Chef Mao's words flowed like an open floodgate. After months of training, Xiangling was fully capable of handling things on her own, and he spoke with immense pride and confidence. He believed that in the near future, Xiangling would undoubtedly become the number one chef in Liyue's culinary scene and bring Wanmin Restaurant's cuisine to even greater heights!
Chef Mao explained that Xiangling had obtained a fragment of an ancient recipe from Granny Ping and, based on the available ingredients, had supplemented and deduced it, ultimately creating several new recipes. Chef Mao felt that if Xiangling succeeded, Wanmin Restaurant's signature menu would gain a few more additions.
'Ancient recipe?' Feng Yi found it quite interesting, and anything passed down from Granny Ping was likely to be good. It might even be a potent medicinal dish. He'd ask Xiangling about it next time he saw her.
As it was nearing dinnertime, more and more customers were arriving at Wanmin Restaurant. With only Chef Mao in the kitchen, even with an extra pair of hands, he wouldn't be able to keep up. At this pace, Feng Yi would have to wait at least half an hour for his food. Just as he was considering helping Chef Mao in the kitchen, a commotion suddenly broke out at the end of the street, and Xiangling's voice shouting "Make way!" could be heard from a distance.
"Excuse me, everyone, please make way! Father is waiting for me to help back at the restaurant..." Xiangling, walking alongside a cart, waved to the curious onlookers while cheering on Guoba, who was pulling the cart. They were almost home. She had gone to the beach intending to gather some seafood for soup, but she hadn't expected such a bounty. Lobsters and crabs bigger than a person, packed with protein – who wouldn't be tempted? Xiangling had knocked them out with two swift blows and tied them onto the borrowed cart for Guoba to pull back. When she sailed the seas with Captain Beidou on the 'Alcor,' she had learned some techniques for handling seafood, and today they finally came in handy!
Pushing through the crowd, Guoba finally pulled the cart to the entrance of Wanmin Restaurant. He immediately went inside to pour himself a cup of tea and then sat on the steps, basking leisurely in the sun.
"Hi, Feng Yi! Look what I found!" Xiangling, seeing Feng Yi dining at Wanmin Restaurant, excitedly showed off her catch.
"Whoa, what a huge lobster and crab! Where did you catch them?" Feng Yi was also astonished by the size of the lobster, which didn't look like something that could be raised in shallow waters.
"Hehe, right on the beach over there. I heard many people had seen these two big guys before, but they were too scared to catch them because of their size. Actually, dealing with them is simple; just a swift blow to the head is all it takes..." Xiangling chuckled. These two had appeared right in front of her, making her mouth water. There was no ingredient she set her sights on that she couldn't catch.
Hearing Xiangling's explanation, Feng Yi couldn't help but have some thoughts: Xiangling said many people had seen these two, indicating they had been in Liyue's coastal waters for some time, and it wasn't just a chance encounter. These behemoths, seemingly from the deep sea, appearing around the time of the Geo Archon's assassination, made it hard not to speculate. Could they be related to the Vortex God Osial, who would appear in the future? It was a pity that Captain Beidou was on a long voyage with the 'Qixing' fleet and would take some time to return to Liyue. Otherwise, with an expert familiar with the habits of deep-sea creatures, the analysis would be much easier.
"Remember to eat less at lunch later, save your stomach for my seafood feast!" With that, Xiangling pulled the cart into the back room and then hurried into the restaurant to help her father. After the rush was over, she would slowly figure out how to prepare these two giant seafood delicacies.
"Slurp... Feng Yi, did you see that? Such a big crab, its claws are bigger than I am! Hehe, it must be delicious..." Paimon's eyes were glued to the giant crab, and she reluctantly took her gaze away only after Xiangling carried it off. She had lost all interest in Chef Mao's signature dishes and her mind was filled with thoughts of the upcoming seafood feast.
Chef Mao: There's something I don't know if I should say...
Paimon: Don't ask, just assume I once loved them, but now, my heart... no, my stomach, belongs only to that big crab.
Twenty minutes later, Guoba, who had been leisurely sunbathing, was forced to take on the role of a waiter, delivering steaming, aromatic dishes to Feng Yi's table.
"Paimon, eat up! Why are you just staring at such delicious food?" Feng Yi, who was already enjoying his meal, noticed Paimon beside him. Her big eyes darted between the delicacies on the table, and she kept swallowing, but she wasn't eating.
"Yeah, Paimon, Chef Mao's Squirrel Fish is really delicious. Try it quickly, it's even more tender than the Sweet Madame from Mondstadt..." Lumine also noticed Paimon's odd behavior. Usually, Paimon would be devouring food by now.
Paimon: Gulp~ It smells so good. Maybe I'll just take a small bite? Just a tiny bite!