Chapter 253 : Did You Fry a Bowl of Sh*t?
Chapter 253: Did You Fry a Bowl of Sh*t?
Miss Yuan left with her own exclusive “equipment.” Lin Mo didn’t know if she’d go home and wash it before reusing it, but he found the whole situation rather abstract.
The reason Miss Yuan went home was because today was the Mid-Autumn Festival. That evening, her family was going to her grandparents’ home for a reunion dinner.
Just as Lin Mo had said before, all of his grandparents had already passed away, so there was no need for his family to celebrate. But for families with elders still around, it was different.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, being one of the three major traditional holidays in the country, was something the elderly still cared deeply about.
As for Lin Mo himself, he was busy completing the prerequisite quest for [Wednesday’s God of Cooking] while thinking about what he needed to do over the next few days.
First, it was certain that he would visit Miss Yuan’s home tomorrow, but in the meantime, he needed to find a restaurant.
Although he had decided to cook personally, it wasn’t appropriate to invite everyone to his current residence.
Not to mention he didn’t have enough cookware or seasonings at home—even if he did, it would be awkward to have guests come to his place. Especially with elders like Mrs. Jiang or Old Comrade Yuan in attendance, he needed to be careful.
Miss Yuan’s home could work since it was spacious enough, but she didn’t have cooking utensils or seasonings either. Besides, who would invite guests to dine at the young lady’s home? That would be inappropriate too.
So, finding a restaurant as the location became necessary.
And another thing—if the effects of [Wednesday’s God of Cooking] turned out to be disappointing, he could always let the restaurant’s chefs handle the dishes and just make two chicken dishes himself as a token effort. Of course, that would mean scrapping his original plans altogether.
If his cooking wasn’t presentable, he wouldn’t have the face to let such a wealthy person promote him—but Lin Mo felt that possibility was small.
He was the “God of Cooking,” after all—the highest level of culinary mastery. There was no way he’d be terrible. It probably even came with some kind of special effect.
But choosing which restaurant, and where, was a problem. He was just an ordinary college student without much experience. How would he know which restaurants in Jiangning were suitable for hosting such a meal?
He could ask Miss Yuan or Liu Rushuang—they’d definitely know—but both of them were on the guest list. It didn’t feel right to ask.
There was also the issue of ingredient selection. Since he planned to cook himself, he needed to have a menu in mind and prepare the ingredients in advance.
It didn’t seem like much, but there were a lot of small details to handle. And since he also had to visit Miss Yuan’s home tomorrow, his schedule was even tighter.
He hadn’t even factored in visiting Professor Mu yet—that could only wait until after the semester began.
Clack, clack.
Lin Mo spun the gold ingot in his hand, easing his anxious thoughts and trying to calm himself down to think clearly.
Knock knock knock.
“Old Mo, we’re here!”
The door to the living room was knocked on. Lin Mo immediately got up to open it, greeting Wang Chu and the Class Monitor as they entered.
Yes, this was his plan. As the saying goes—three cobblers make a Zhuge Liang. If he couldn’t come up with an idea himself, he might as well brainstorm with others. Three heads were better than one.
“Sit wherever. Get your own drinks,” Lin Mo said casually.
The three were close enough that there was no need for formalities. Wang Chu was about to head to the fridge when the Class Monitor pulled him back. “We’ll just have water. So what’s up? What’s the emergency?”
“Yeah, man,” Wang Chu said tiredly, slumping on the couch. “We can’t eat or drink anything here. Would’ve been better to stay home and rest. Oh, where’s Sister Yuan?”
They had just come from the gym. Luckily, they’d both showered and changed, so though they were tired, they didn’t smell sweaty.
Lin Mo waved a hand. “Sister Yuan went home for the holiday. I was thinking, since it’s just the three of us who really know each other here at school, we should at least do something for the festival. How about a meal together? I’ve got something to discuss anyway.”
“Eat? Oh, that’s great! Let’s have hot pot! My treat!”
The moment Wang Chu heard “eat,” he became as excited as a monkey on stimulants.
But before he could get too far, the Class Monitor pulled out three individually wrapped mooncakes from her bag and tossed them onto the coffee table. “Forget the meal. He didn’t even lose weight after eating at your place yesterday. Today, he has to watch his diet.”
“Here—three mooncakes. One each. It’s the thought that counts. Holiday spirit! The gym gave them out—broccoli filling, delicious and low-fat, clean and healthy!”
Wang Chu: “...”
Lin Mo: “...”
“Broccoli mooncake? What kind of dark cuisine is that? Since when did gyms get so competitive?”
As a modern young man, Lin Mo had seen a lot—beyond the usual fillings like lotus seed or red bean. He’d even heard of coriander, chive and egg, stinky mandarin fish, fermented bean curd, pickled bullfrog, snail rice noodle, and even Pu’er Dragon Well mooncakes.
But broccoli mooncake? That was new. Was this the exclusive mooncake for fitness enthusiasts?
“Come on, it’s a holiday. This won’t do. If you don’t want meat, at least let me treat you to some boiled shrimp. Low fat, I heard.”
Lin Mo spoke cautiously.
But the Class Monitor flatly refused. “No. Wang Chu’s already hit his calorie limit for today. He can’t eat more. And I’m keeping him company.”
“Besides, I’m even giving him half a day off tomorrow so he can pick up Li Chuan from the train station. What more does he want?”
Right—tomorrow was the day students were returning to university. Though they were seniors with nothing to do, Sichuan Girl was coming back too. Mainly because she couldn’t transform into Li Shiya at home—it was cutting into his money-making!
The Class Monitor wasn’t just strict with others—she was just as hard on herself, keeping up with intense workouts and low-calorie meals. It had to be said—she was something else.
In the end, the three had no choice but to drink plain water and each eat a broccoli mooncake. Lin Mo, in a sense, was lucky—this was his first time trying a “weight-loss mooncake.” It was absurd.
“So, Class Monitor, Wang Chu, do you know any restaurants with a nice environment? I need to invite someone for a meal.”
After finishing the mooncake, Lin Mo finally explained his request—asking them to help him think of a suitable place. He emphasized the environment rather than the taste.
Though the two didn’t know who he was inviting, they still helped brainstorm.
They first listed several nice restaurants near campus, but Lin Mo rejected them all. Then they raised the budget, suggesting some of the more famous places in Jiangning—but none satisfied him either.
Some had great ambiance but no kitchen access. Others were too flashy and not suitable for elders like Mrs. Jiang.
Just as the discussion hit a wall, Class Monitor Wang Jing suddenly spoke. “Hey, remember that farmhouse restaurant I told you about out by the suburbs? I went there with Xiaoyue. The environment was great. Lots of greenery and bamboo, the décor was natural, the food wasn’t bad either. Want to check it out?”
Lin Mo’s eyes lit up. A farmhouse restaurant—good environment, natural design, and most importantly, easy for him to cook in himself.
If it wasn’t too large, he could even rent the whole place for a day. It shouldn’t cost too much. All in all, good value. But he’d have to see it for himself first.
“Let’s go check it out now,” Lin Mo said, standing up.
The other two were stunned. “Now? That urgent?”
“Yeah, very urgent,” Lin Mo nodded.
Seeing his determination, Wang Chu and the Class Monitor had no choice but to go along. They hailed a taxi outside the community and headed straight for the farmhouse.
Half an hour later, they arrived. The place was called Yipin Farm.
The location was great—a creek ran right by the entrance, and the courtyard walls were designed in a retro style. Even from outside, one could see the lush greenery within.
Without hesitation, they entered. A staff member quickly greeted them. “Hello, how many people?”
Lin Mo took a quick glance around. The place wasn’t huge, but the interior design clearly took effort—it had a natural atmosphere. A large jujube tree stood in the courtyard, full of red dates. The plants along the paths were neatly trimmed, and there was even a small bamboo grove, adding a touch of elegance. A small canal ran through the yard, channeling water from the stream outside. All in all, it was clear why this had once been a popular internet-famous spot.
“Excuse me,” Lin Mo asked, “is the boss here? I’d like to talk to him.”
The staff looked surprised but led them to a private room nonetheless.
Soon, a man in his thirties walked in. “Hello, I’m the owner. My surname’s Lin.”
“Boss Lin,” Lin Mo said, surprised to meet someone sharing his surname. He stood and offered a handshake.
After brief pleasantries, Lin Mo got straight to the point—explaining his request.
He wanted to host a meal here Wednesday afternoon. He didn’t need their chefs or ingredients, only the venue, the kitchen utensils, and waitstaff for serving.
Wang Chu and the Class Monitor gawked. He was renting out the whole place? Who was he inviting?
Still, they stayed quiet and sipped their water.
“Mr. Lin,” the boss frowned, “if you’re not using our chefs or ingredients, that makes pricing a bit tricky.”
Lin Mo smiled. “Boss Lin, we share the same surname. You’re a businessman—you wouldn’t turn away a customer, right? It’s just a matter of finding the right price.”
“True enough. Let me calculate.”
“Go ahead.”
After the boss left, Wang Chu finally spoke. “Holy crap, Old Mo—who are you inviting that you’re renting the whole place?”
“Yeah,” the Class Monitor added. “That’s not cheap!”
Lin Mo smiled. “Some very important guests. Don’t worry. It might be called a farmhouse, but it’s still just a restaurant. Renting it for a day won’t cost much. And haven’t you noticed? Even during the holidays, there aren’t many customers. Business probably isn’t great right now. Don’t worry—I’ve got a number in mind.”
In truth, Lin Mo didn’t just have a “number”—he had a limit. As long as the price didn’t exceed ten thousand yuan, he’d rent it. Especially since he needed it urgently—he could even pay a bit more if necessary.
Before long, Boss Lin returned, quoting 12,000. After some back-and-forth bargaining, they settled on 8,500, with the boss also agreeing to provide a car on Wednesday to help Lin Mo buy ingredients.
Clearly, business had been slow lately—otherwise, that price wouldn’t have dropped. A busy restaurant could easily earn that much in a single day.
Lin Mo didn’t mind paying more either—it was urgent, after all.
After paying the deposit, everything was settled.
The trio took a taxi back to campus. Wang Chu and the Class Monitor were exhausted, so they left Lin Mo to continue his questing in peace.
The next morning, at nine, Wang Chu—who had half a day off—was rudely dragged out of bed by Lin Mo.
“Old Mo! Have some mercy! This is my only half-day off and you won’t even let me rest? What the hell do you want this early in the morning?”
He yelled from the sofa as Lin Mo emerged from the kitchen.
Lin Mo didn’t reply. He just stared into a bowl filled with some dark, fried substance, frowning.
He placed it on the digital scale. 530 grams. The weight was right. But the smell—ugh. It had this strange, indescribable stench.
Yes, this was the final prerequisite for [Wednesday’s God of Cooking]. He’d called Wang Chu over in case he got poisoned—someone had to be there to call an ambulance.
Gulp.
Staring into the bowl, Lin Mo swallowed hard, then looked up at Wang Chu. “Bo bro, how’s our friendship?”
“Not that close!” Wang Chu replied instantly, instantly on guard.
They’d been roommates long enough to know each other’s tricks. When one suddenly got all friendly, it never meant anything good.
“Come on,” Lin Mo said. “We’re brothers! If I ever get poisoned, would you… suck the poison out for me?”
“No way!” Wang Chu shot back.
“Why not?”
“Because drug use is illegal~~”
Lin Mo: “...”
“Let me rephrase. If I get poisoned, would you at least call an ambulance?”
Wang Chu widened his eyes in mock horror. “Transporting drugs is also illegal~~”
Lin Mo slammed the table. “You—! Get out, get out, get out! I don’t believe this!”
Then, grabbing a spoonful of the black, unidentifiable substance, he shoved it into his mouth.
The next second—
“Blegh—blegh—BLEGH—!!”
Wang Chu came over, patting his back. Then he glanced into the bowl—and was immediately hit with an eye-watering stench.
“Blegh—what the hell—did you fry a bowl of sh*t?! This counts as drug possession! You deserve jail time!!”
Lin Mo: “...”