Rebirth: She is Ready for a Counterattack!

Gu Xiaoqing had been waiting at the front door for ages. When she saw Fang Shaonan and Bai Zhongyuan, she warmly went up to greet them.

"Aunt He, Uncle Fang, Uncle Bai, Aunt Bai, come with us, we’ve saved a spot for you."

Gu Xiaoqing took He Cui’s arm and led the large group inside.

The people waiting in line were a bit disgruntled. They had just seen these people get off the car, yet they were allowed to go in immediately, so there were naturally some murmurs.

But seeing the car just a while ago, with its military district license plate, who could really say anything?

So, some low-key grumbling was all they did.

Gu Xiaoqing led them upstairs—there was a big private room reserved just for them on the second floor.

He Cui praised Gu Xiaoqing as she ascended the stairs, "Your family’s restaurant is quite upscale, I really didn’t expect this. Where are your parents?"

Usually, the parents would come out to entertain guests.

But as they came inside, Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei were nowhere to be seen.

Gu Xiaoqing explained with a smile, "Auntie, my parents are busy in the kitchen. Since today is Saturday, the place is packed, and one of the employees fell sick, so my parents had to step in. They’ll come to see you once they finish up and asked me to host you all for now."

Fang Jianguo had never met Gu Xiaoqing—this was his first time seeing this rumored savior of his son’s life.

He scrutinized the child carefully; she was delicate-looking and well-proportioned. Thanks to the improved quality of life over the past two years, Gu Xiaoqing had grown to 165 cm, and she was quite poised like a graceful young lady.

Her demeanor in conversation and hospitality was very composed, unlike his own Fang Shaonan, who was still so impulsive, like a firecracker just waiting to go off.

Fang Jianguo nodded; she was a good family’s child.

He couldn’t help but form a preconceived notion of Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei despite not having met them yet.

Bai Zhongyuan and Fang Shaonan walked in while looking dumbfounded.

Especially Bai Zhongyuan, who quietly pulled Fang Shaonan aside to ask, "Isn’t Gu Xiaoqing from the countryside? Is this her family’s restaurant? You must be mistaken!"

This restaurant is top-notch in the city, and he had seen the Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot, the place his buddies kept mentioning for its incredible flavors.

Apparently, a lot of people love gathering here because it’s both classy and suits everyone’s tastes; basically, no one dislikes hot pot.

Many people highly praise the quality and taste of the dishes here.

This really is Gu Xiaoqing’s family’s establishment.

No wonder Bai Zhongyuan was shocked.

This completely shattered his understanding.

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Fang Shaonan nodded—the fact that Gu Xiaoqing was here meant it definitely was here.

"Don’t overthink; this must be Gu Xiaoqing’s family’s restaurant. She mentioned it once, but I thought she was boasting. I thought what kind of culinary skills could someone from the village have—even hiring a chef isn’t that easy in the city; we’ve pretty much sampled what it offers, nothing really novel.

But looking at it now, it seems Gu Xiaoqing didn’t exaggerate, and I underestimated her."

Fang Shaonan was also a bit surprised, but compared to Bai Zhongyuan, he was doing much better.

Bai Zhongyuan’s parents, Bai Jianzhong and Xiao Shufen, were interested in the polite, gracious young girl casually chatting with He Cui. She was friendly without being overly ingratiating, not catering to any differences in status.

They had only heard of Gu Xiaoqing through their son Bai Zhongyuan, knowing she was Fang Shaonan’s lifesaver and hearing some stories of her, piquing their curiosity about this girl.

Wanting to see what kind of girl she was.

Upon meeting, they found she truly was a good kid.

Once in the private room, they nodded in satisfaction.

The room’s design was modern and sleek, bright, with large glass windows offering views of the street outside; equipped with sofas and hangers for clothes, it was thoughtfully arranged.

Gu Xiaoqing had already ordered the menu for them; now the waitstaff just needed to serve the dishes.

Everyone took their seats.

The hot pot quickly arrived.

The hot pots in the private room were small ones for individual diners, unlike those in the main hall outside. These modified stoves were Gu Xiaoqing’s idea. There weren’t any induction stoves yet, but gas stoves could be adapted.

She introduced the concept of one pot per person for cleanliness and hygiene into her family’s hot pot.

It was also a way to accommodate varied tastes.

Those who liked spicy food and those who didn’t could both be satisfied.

For this purpose, Gu Xiaoqing, along with Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei, jointly developed several nourishing and nutritious hot pot bases as comfort soups.

This was so that the VIP guests in the private rooms could enjoy a different experience and treatment than those in the main hall, truly feeling like VIPs.

That’s why their private rooms were in high demand.

Even though the private room fee was ten percent, people still pull strings and fight to dine here.

He Cui was well-attended by Gu Xiaoqing and felt heartened. This child was very polite, well-mannered, and warm with everyone.

Everyone who started eating quickly understood why Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot was such a sensation.

The flavors were truly lip-smackingly delicious, keeping everyone eating non-stop.

Especially the men who loved spicy food; the crimson broth alone made them feast with glee. Add to that the melt-in-the-mouth meat slices and various balls, those bouncy and elastic balls—Fang Shaonan and Bai Zhongyuan nearly fought over them.

Both families’ parents were amused and chuckled; the kids were just kids, after all.

Even at seventeen or eighteen, they still fought like that.

But they had to admit, the Gu family’s hot pot was something special.

He Cui and Xiao Shufen enjoyed it thoroughly, despite their dislike for spicy food for health reasons. The sauce for this hot pot was genuinely savory and delicious, and the vegetables and meats tasted delightful—both health-conscious women ate to their hearts’ content.

During the meal, Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei came up with Gu Xiaoqing to meet them, both were simple-hearted people. Said a few words and continued to serve dishes and ensure they enjoyed their meal.

The unpretentious couple won over Fang Jianguo and Bai Jianzhong’s favor.

They both came from rural backgrounds, so to see honest farmers not relying on others, managing to settle in the city and do so well, they were sincerely impressed.

Thus, privately, they would often bring comrades here to eat, offering care indirectly and providing a form of protection and deterrence.

Because of this, many who had eyes on Gu family’s business would all keep their distance.

These were things Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei hadn’t anticipated. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes or monthly tickets—your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)