"Old man, they opened a shop on the corner of the alley. Looks pretty fancy. What do they do there?"
"The place with the foreign words on the sign? They brought in a dozen tables yesterday. I reckon they sell furniture."
"Uncle, that's a Western restaurant," said the nephew who'd come to visit. "Those crazy bastards."
"Crazy bastards?" The two elders were startled.
"No, it's Je+Me+Sens, the restaurant's full name."
"Sesame, green beans, garlic. That's a rather familiar-sounding name," the old woman said. "Do they sell breakfast?"
The old man chimed in, "Hey, perfect. Uncle Ma's meat buns went up in price, so tomorrow we'll go to Sesame Green Beans and have a feast. Are their buns expensive?"
"Their buns are free."
"Free?" The two elders were startled again.
"The buns are free, but you have to pay for the water. Twenty dollars a bottle."
The two elders cried out together, "Good grief, those crazy bastards!"
A story about an overseas-returned chef who opens a restaurant in an old Beijing alley and struggles his way to earning a Michelin star. No inspirational chicken soup, and no story about chasing success. It's mainly about people fighting with and falling in love with an unfamiliar environment (what am I even saying!).
A few notes, based on past experience:
1. Both male leads are well past their youth, so don't expect them to be inexperienced in love. Their chrysanthemums are pure, but no promises about anything else. There will also be a messy love triangle.
2. Details about food and running a restaurant may be exaggerated or inaccurate due to the needs of the story and the author's ignorance. Corrections are welcome. I'll do my best to make changes as long as they don't affect the overall plot.
3. There are quite a few depictions of Beijingers, people from elsewhere in China, and foreigners. Most are from the characters' perspectives and situations. If you find anything unfair or offensive, yell at them, not me!
4. The romance develops slowly, the plot is loose, and there's lots of buildup and introspection. It's wordy and slow-paced, not a power fantasy. The leads take turns being on top. Happy ending.
5. Updates daily from Monday to Friday at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday are both days off. There'll be bread, and there'll be meat, too. Hope you enjoy the feast!
Theme:
!!! Throw flowers!!!
!!!! Finished spreading flowers!
I watched Wild Growth first and then this one⊙▽⊙, both were great. Looking forward to the new articles in the future
At this pace, I ran 20 kilometers. I was in awe of the chief editor. He was no longer the unlucky guy who got unlucky as soon as he entered the alley.
Excellent article! Thank you for not being V, and I am also sorry that I am not V. I am willing to spend money on articles like this. The best article I've read in years. Profound but not pedantic, regretful but not resentful. The emotions between the characters are beautifully and realistically written. I won't try those dazzling dishes, haha!
I feel hungry after watching this in the middle of the night! I really like your description of food and how you handle the emotions of the characters : D
I just came to comment after seeing this. Thank you for opening up a bigger world for me.
The most interesting articles I have read recently are DaDa's Savage Growth and this one, DaDa is a treasure (╥ω╥`). The atmosphere of life and experience are so touching.
Finally finished reading it, congratulations to my wife!!!
My grandparents also eat these things, like cooked pears and oranges, but that's because of bad teeth... Cooked oranges are really hard to eat