Chapter 268: The Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar

"So, which dish did you find unsatisfying?"

Bu Fang's tone was very calm . His glance landed on the slightly chubby man, without any hint of overbearingness . It felt like a question he put forward quite at ease .

The chubby elder was taken aback . A smile quickly flashed across his face as he gazed at Bu Fang with sparkling eyes, "So, you must be the owner of this restaurant . I have long heard of your name . Seeing you today reminds me of the saying that the youthful can make great heroes . "

"I am merely a chef, far from a hero . " Bu Fang waved his hands and shrugged it off . This old man seemed amiable enough, not like one looking for trouble at all .

Bu Fang pulled over a chair and sat right across from the chubby elder . There were three dishes before the elder—Egg-Fried Rice, Lees Fish, and Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs .

All three dishes had been touched . Half of the Egg-Fried Rice was gone, the Lees Fish had been poked a few times, but only one or two pieces of the Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs have been eaten .

"Heh heh, it's quite a coincidence . This old fellow also happens to be a chef . I've heard that Owner Bu's dishes are incredibly delicious and thus travelled thousands of miles to come here . Never did I expect the dishes to be so below expectations . Honestly, I'm slightly disappointed . " The elder looked disillusioned as he shook his head .

Ouyang Xiaoyi, who stood behind Bu Fang, curled her lips . She obviously thought this old man was here to pick a quarrel .

To both the elder and Ouyang Xiaoyi's surprise, Bu Fang actually nodded solemnly . He converged a ball of true energy in his hands and formed a pair of chopsticks . Then, he picked up a piece of Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs, and placed it into his mouth .

After chewing for a while, Bu Fang knitted his brows into a frown .

"There are many flaws in this Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs . But then again, one's cooking can only improve through tireless practice . Nobody can make the perfect dish right from the start, right?" Bu Fang explained earnestly . He dissolved the true energy chopsticks and peered toward the elder .

The old man was somewhat taken aback, and then burst into a hearty laugh . Even his eyes squinted into a thin slit .

"Yes, Owner Bu speaks with reason . It turns out this old fellow has been too inflexible . "

The corners of Bu Fang's mouth curled .

"I come from the Hundred Thousand Mountains . Ever since that lassie Ye tasted your gourmet delicacies, she went on and on about it beside my ears . I finally grew tired of all her nagging and sneaked away from home . I though that while I'm at it, I might as well come try Owner Bu's cooking myself . Prior to this conversation, I was not convinced of your talent . Yet after Owner Bu's words, I've finally come around . " The elder cackled with glee . With the wave of a hand, a yellow earthen-toned gourd materialized .

"Owner Bu, this is a treasure of mine . I'm wondering if it could be exchanged for a meal made with Owner Bu's own hands?" The old man laughed . As he shook the yellow earthen-colored gourd, the nectar inside swashed against its vessel .

Hun? Bu Fang paused for a moment and studied the gourd within the elder's hand .

The old man broke into a wide smile and pulled off the lid of the gourd . As the plug popped off, a rich, citric aroma surged out . This sharp sourness was mixed with a particular trace of sweetness, tugging at one's heartstrings .

Bu Fang's heart, which was utterly unaffected before, now suddenly shuddered . His gaze fixated on the gourd as he drew in quick breaths .

The elder was satisfied to see Bu Fang's startled expression . Nobody could keep their cool once smelling his specially-made vinegar .

"Lassie, get us a saucer here . " The elder simpered at Ouyang Xiaoyi and instructed .

Ouyang Xiaoyi couldn't help but glare her eyes . Despite so, she still walked back to the kitchen window and asked Xiao Xiaolong, who was busy inside, for a saucer .

"Oh hey, Owner Bu is back?!"

Not after long, Xiao Xiaolong and Yu Fu both emerged from the kitchen . The two of them looked at Bu Fang excitedly . Yu Fu still seemed rather bashful whereas Xiao Xiaolong couldn't stop chuckling .

Ouyang Xiaoyi handed the saucer to the elder, and humphed with a twitched nose .

The old man smiled softly, oblivious to Ouyang Xiaoyi's attitude . He set the saucer on the table and carefully poured a little vinegar from his gourd .

Bu Fang's heart trembled, his eyes glued to the rim of the gourd .

A thick stream of blackish red hued vinegar streamed out of the gourd's mouth . It was accompanied by peculiar waves of spirit energy, in addition to that burst of sourness .

Ouyang Xiaoyi, and everyone nearby, also detected this scent . The insides of their mouths began to numb as they salivated at a faster speed .

"Excellent vinegar!"

Bu Fang's eyes lit up . As he drew in a deep breath, the tart flavor crawled up his nostrils, tingling his entire nose with a sharp acidic sensation . Yet, at the same time, it was all incredibly gratifying .

"If I didn't guess wrong, this should be a type of fruit vinegar!" Bu Fang observed .

The elder filled the saucer with this vinegar and then retracted his gourd . After making sure it was safely plugged, he waved his hands, causing the gourd to disappear .

"Precisely correct . Owner Bu has got sharp eyes . This is a creation of mine, the 'Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar', something that this old fellow has always taken pride in . " The elder waved at this saucer of vinegar and pushed it directly in front of Bu Fang .

Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar, Bu Fang's heart quivered . It was most likely that this Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar was not brewed by any ordinary spirit fruit . Seeing the fluctuations of the spirit energy and its rich sour flavor, he speculated that this may be the product of eight pieces of seventh grade spirit fruits .

However, Bu Fang couldn't be so sure yet . He cautiously picked up the saucer and brought it closer to his lips . Suddenly, the critic scent exploded in the air near him, bringing with it a whiff of sweetness .

For a chef, condiments like vinegar, wine, or sauce were highly important . An exceptional serving of vinegar could add a magical touch to the dish, whereas top quality wine could give it a finer aroma .

He took a small sip of the Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar, and the sourness immediately drilled through his tongue . Its critic scent bloomed within his mouth and danced on his tastebuds . This was a sensation that covered his body with goosebumps . Yet, after the acidity faded, what took over was a sweetness that refreshed his heart .

That Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar felt like a cool creek trickling through his body, prompting him to close his eyes and truly savor its delicate taste . This was a flavor that lingered in both his mouth and heart for a long time .

Bu Fang's face was covered with little beads of sweat . The zesty tang of the fruit vinegar caused him to perspire involuntarily .

"Yes! Excellent vinegar!" Bu Fang fluttered open his eyelids and praised it a second time . This was truly the first time he had tasted such spectacular fruit vinegar .

"Hehe, of course . This Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar took this old fellow tens of years to brew . Eight different servings of the vinegar respectively rested in barrels made with the bark of eight spirit fruit trees . Every year, the fruit vinegar within each barrel would switch places and be intermixed with each other while I incessantly nourish it with my own spirit energy . Given all of this, it'll actually be difficult to end up with a disappointing end product!" The elder was very pleased with himself, curling his beard as he introduced his masterpiece . He was evidently confortable with giving away the procedures, since many more intricate steps were needed to truly brew this vinegar .

Bu Fang was still immersed in the aftertaste, but didn't ask for any more . Fruit vinegars should only be savored a sip at a time . Too much all at once did no good .

Pondering over the mixture of sweetness and sourness in his mouth, Bu Fang curled his lips . He ogled the elder, with his eyes shining brighter and brighter . Mind you, this was the kind of stare that sent shivers down the latter's body .

"Sir, you mentioned you wished to try my cooking? I've been experimenting with a new dish lately and have been short of a good ingredient . Once I tasted your Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar, I honestly could not contain my enthusiasm for it . " Bu Fang uttered slowly .

The chubby elder's eyes widened . What did Bu Fang mean by this? Could it be he wanted to use his fruit vinegar to cook dishes?

"Owner Bu… this old fellow's vinegar is very precious . Allowing you to taste it once is already a generous move . I cannot offer it to you in bulk!" He spent years brewing this vinegar, and to be honest, there wasn't that much in volume . He simply couldn't afford to have Bu Fang squander it on dishes .

Bu Fang merely shook his head, stood up from his seat, and instructed Yu Fu to get another saucer from the kitchen .

Bu Fang placed the saucer before the elder and reassured him solemnly: "I don't need much, just a small saucer . If my new dish doesn't suit your taste, or turns out unworthy of your Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar… then I am willing to personally cook every dish there is in this restaurant for you… free of charge . "

The old man was dumbstruck . Ouyang Xiaoyi, Xiao Xiaolong, and Yu Fu, all standing beside Bu Fang, also gaped with open mouths .

"Owner Bu… oh… that is too much!" The elder's eyes lit up . With a smile, he waved his hand and summoned the gourd . Then, he poured a little fruit vinegar into the saucer .

Too much my ass… Bu Fang took over this saucer of Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar, twitched the corners of his mouth, and took in a deep breath .

"Please wait momentarily . "

Afterwards, Bu Fang returned to the kitchen with the fruit vinegar, ready to cook his new dish .