FWF Chapter 103 Midnight Diner and the Stomach of the Salaryman
Chapter 103 Midnight Diner and the Stomach of the Salaryman
Zhou Wen's "betrayal" did not discourage Kangmei Pharmaceuticals; instead, it convinced them that Renxin Pharmacy possessed a core technology that could control human taste and digestion.
But for Wang Minyu, these are all secondary.
The main problem is that Pierre's cooking is so delicious that the clinic's atmosphere starts to go astray.
Patients who used to come in for treatment now often walk in and their first words are not "Doctor, I have a headache," but rather "Doctor, do you still have rice with lard?" or "I heard your stinky tofu can cure depression?"
In order to standardize management and make full use of Pierre as free labor, Wang Minyu decided to open "Renxin Midnight Diner" every night from 9 pm to 2 am.
They only sell three things:
1. Stinky tofu that brings back the spirit (cures heart ailments and relieves depression).
2. Jade White Jade Soup (Treats heavy metal poisoning, detoxifies and beautifies the skin).
3. Rice with golden lard (treats anorexia and replenishes vital energy).
Of course, the prices are as outrageous as ever.
At 11 p.m. that night, a light rain began to fall in Changxiang City.
The old street's stone slabs were wet, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow.
A patrol car with flashing lights stopped at the entrance.
Li Siyuan stood up nervously: "Master, the police are here! Did they report us for operating a restaurant without a license?"
"Sit down." Wang Minyu calmly flipped through the "Huangdi Neijing" (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic). "Police officers are human too; they get hungry and they get stomach aches."
The car door opened, and a middle-aged policeman in uniform got out.
His face was ashen, he kept his hand on his stomach, and his brows were furrowed.
"Excuse me... is there any food here?" The policeman's voice was weak.
"They have medicinal cuisine," Wang Minyu pointed to the handwritten menu on the wall, "but it's very expensive."
The policeman gave a wry smile: "As long as it's hot and soft, it'll be fine. My stomach... it's an old problem, a stomach ulcer. I missed my mealtime while on a call, and now it's hurting terribly."
Wang Minyu activated the [Aura Observation Technique].
[Patient: Zhang Jianguo]
Occupation: Detective
[Symptoms: Multiple gastric ulcers, Helicobacter pylori infection (++), and gastric mucosal atrophy due to long-term irregular eating habits.]
[Mood: Extremely tired, anxious.]
A typical "dedication" social disease.
"Pierre," Wang Minyu called out.
The curtain in the kitchen was lifted, and Pierre came out carrying a casserole dish.
"We don't usually sell this," Wang Minyu said, looking at Zhang Jianguo. "But since you're serving the people, I'll give you a special treat. It's called 'Immortal Porridge'."
As soon as the lid of the casserole was lifted, a warm, fragrant aroma of rice mixed with a faint medicinal scent wafted out.
This is a porridge made with "stomach-nourishing millet" produced by the system, along with yam, poria cocos, and chicken gizzard, simmered for three hours.
The rice gruel was so thick it could cling to a spoon. It melted in your mouth, requiring no chewing, and slid directly down your esophagus into your stomach, like a pair of gentle hands soothing the spasms of an ulcer.
Zhang Jianguo took a sip, and his tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed.
"This porridge..."
"Don't talk, drink it while it's hot." Wang Minyu handed him a small dish of dark, salty vegetables. "Eat this with."
"What is this?"
"It's ginger pickled with mutated perilla," Wang Minyu explained. "Perilla relieves exterior symptoms and dispels cold, regulates qi and soothes the stomach; ginger warms the middle and stops vomiting. It's specifically for your stomach, which is upset by wind and cold and on an empty stomach."
Zhang Jianguo didn't ask any more questions and buried his head in drinking his porridge.
After finishing the pot of congee, he let out a long sigh of relief, feeling warm all over, and the piercing stomach pain miraculously disappeared.
"How much?" Zhang Jianguo took out his phone.
"Porridge is 100 yuan, pickled vegetables are 50 yuan." Wang Minyu quoted a price that would be exorbitant for an ordinary breakfast shop, but was a "charity price" for Renxin Pharmacy.
Without hesitation, Zhang Jianguo paid the bill: "It's worth it. I didn't even get pain relief this quickly when I was on an IV drip at the hospital."
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.
A few young thugs with dyed yellow hair shoved and pushed their way in, reeking of alcohol.
"Boss! I heard you guys have good food here?" The blond-haired leader kicked a stool aside. "Bring us the best! If it's bad, we'll smash your place up!"
Su Qing's hand quietly reached for the scalpel in her pocket.
Guan Shan was about to stand up.
Zhang Jianguo made the first move.
Although he had been as weak as a sheet of paper just moments before, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
He slowly stood up, straightened his uniform, and fastened his police belt.
"Smash the shop?" Zhang Jianguo turned around and looked coldly at the blond-haired man. "Show me your ID."
The moment the blond-haired man saw that the man was a policeman, and judging from his shoulder insignia he was a veteran detective, he instantly sobered up.
"Uncle... Uncle, it's a misunderstanding. We just came here... to see a doctor." The blond-haired man immediately backed down.
"See a doctor? I think you're just asking for trouble." Zhang Jianguo pointed to the door. "Get out. Don't disturb the doctor's rest."
The thugs ran away in a panic.
Zhang Jianguo turned around and saluted Wang Minyu: "Thanks, Dr. Wang. If anyone causes trouble in this area in the future, just call me."
He left a business card, turned and walked into the rainy night to continue his patrol.
Wang Minyu took the business card and smiled.
This bowl of porridge is definitely worth the price.
"Master, it seems like our 'Midnight Diner' is really going to be a hit," Li Siyuan said as he collected the bowls.
"Whether it's popular or not doesn't matter." Wang Minyu looked at the rain outside the door. "The important thing is that our leek garden is becoming more and more diverse."
Just then, Pierre poked his head out from the kitchen, looking very serious.
"Dr. Wang, I have a technical question."
"explain."
"Um... we're running out of 'mutant cilantro'." Pierre said somewhat awkwardly, "I was just trying to develop a new dish, 'cilantro ice cream,' and I used a little too much."
Wang Minyu's lips twitched: "Coriander ice cream? Are you a devil?"
"This is the deconstruction and reconstruction of molecular gastronomy!" Pierre declared confidently.
"Alright, have Old Wu plant another batch tomorrow." Wang Minyu rubbed his temples. "But before that, you need to solve one problem."
"What?"
Wang Minyu pointed to Zhao Na, who was squatting in the corner, shivering.
"Zhao Na is allergic to cilantro; the smell of it causes her to break out in rashes. Replace her late-night snack with something else that's normal."
"That's the problem," Pierre said, shrugging. "In this kitchen, besides cilantro, stinky tofu, and lard, I can't find any normal ingredients. Even that bag of rice has been half-filled with 'Ten-Ingredient Tonic Wine' by Old Wu."
Wang Minyu fell silent.
It seems the biohazard in this kitchen is more severe than he imagined.
"Tomorrow," Wang Minyu stood up and made a decision, "we're going to the farmers' market. We'll get some normal, everyday ingredients. And while we're at it..."
He looked at the newly refreshed tasks on the system panel:
[Advanced Quest: Awakening of Ingredients]
Objective: To find and exploit a hidden supplier of "unique ingredients" (or a vegetable vendor with exceptional skills) lurking in the streets.
[Reward: A complete guide to intermediate-level medicinal diet recipes, and a secret sauce recipe that can make anorexic patients eat ten pounds of food.]
"While I'm at it, let's go harvest a new batch of韭菜 (a metaphor for inexperienced investors)."