After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Good Luck Restaurant specializes in barbecue and hot pot. Gu Lin hadn't originally planned to launch sauerkraut fish, a dish he usually made for his family.

However, in order to appease diners and divert their attention, Gu Lin decided to introduce sauerkraut fish.

However, if they were to give away dishes to diners for free, it might make them think that Good Fortune Restaurant is easy to bully, and that anyone who comes to cause trouble can get benefits.

So Gu Lin took a portion of the money from the sauerkraut fish. Sauerkraut fish, which is a common dish in modern times, is not a simple dish nowadays.

With pickled cabbage, Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and other spices, the cost of making a single dish of pickled cabbage fish is not low.

Gu Lin only charges half the price, making a pure profit on costs and labor.

However, Gu Lin did not expect that pickled fish would be so popular. The reason he launched this dish instead of other dishes was because he liked to eat pickled fish, and Zhao's wife and Zheng Hao also liked to eat it. In addition, Gu Lin could not think of any other easy-to-make dishes in a short period of time.

He intended to give back to his customers, but instead ended up bringing in business for himself.

Today at the dinner table, Sister Zhao also cooked a fish dish, but instead of pickled fish, it was boiled fish.

Gu Lin told the others at the table about how popular the sauerkraut fish was.

Zheng Hao parted his thin lips slightly and said to Gu Lin, "Recently, the sauerkraut fish at Haoyunlou Restaurant has become very famous. Not only do outsiders like to eat it, but the students at the prefectural school also love it. You can hear them discussing sauerkraut fish in the classroom, and even at lunchtime, many students at the prefectural school send their servants to Haoyunlou to buy sauerkraut fish."

Gu Lin looked surprised: "Why haven't I heard you mention this before?"

Looking at the young man in front of him, Zheng Hao's calm eyes showed a hint of helplessness as he said softly, "I had lunch with Mr. Zhou a couple of days ago and didn't pay much attention to my surroundings until today when I saw that every classmate had a dish of pickled fish for lunch."

"Not only do other students at the academy enjoy pickled fish, but Brother Peng and the two Brothers Zhen also like it," Zheng Hao added, afraid that his previous words might seem perfunctory.

"Really?" Gu Lin said with a hint of annoyance, "If I had known you liked it, I would have had it made and delivered to you, so you wouldn't have had to wait so long."

Gu Lin's words were not intended to flatter Peng Zhizhi and Zhen Cheng and Zhen Yuan, but rather because the sauerkraut fish at Haoyunlou Restaurant was now extremely difficult to obtain, with long queues forming outside the restaurant every morning and evening.

Zheng Hao didn't think anything of it, but seeing Uncle Gu's regretful expression, Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu gave Brother Peng and Brother Zhen the gifts they liked very much, and asked me to thank Uncle Gu on their behalf."

The Zhen brothers and Peng Zhizhi put in a lot of effort to save Gu Lin, but Gu Lin did not take their help for granted just because they were young or because they were Zheng Hao's classmate.

After returning from the government office, he prepared a thank-you gift for the three of them. However, Peng Zhizhi and the other two were as busy with their studies as Zheng Hao, so Gu Lin did not want to disturb them by visiting them in person. Therefore, he asked Zheng Hao to deliver the thank-you gift.

At the same time, given that the three were Zheng Hao's classmates, Gu Lin felt it inappropriate to give them gold, silver, or overly expensive gifts as a token of gratitude.

Remembering that Peng Zhizhi and the other two had come to Haoyunlou for dinner a few days ago and seemed to enjoy the food, Gu Lin prepared three sets of fine stationery, as well as snacks, drinks and wines that did not exist in this world, to give to them.

Although the gift was small, the sentiment was deep. It expressed gratitude without seeming distant, and Peng Zhizhi and the other two felt it was very appropriate and intimate.

Gu Lin placed a piece of mutton stew with white radish on Zheng Hao's plate and said, "It's just some food, I hope you're satisfied. If you have time sometime, you can invite them home for a visit, and Uncle Gu will definitely treat them well."

Although he was grateful to the Zhen brothers and Peng Zhizhi for helping him rescue Uncle Gu, Zheng Hao still disliked outsiders entering his and Uncle Gu's home at will.

Zheng Hao replied, "Okay."

After saying this, Gu Lin lowered his head slightly and looked at the boiled fish in front of him. Unlike the clear soup of the pickled fish, the boiled fish only had chili flakes and red oil floating on its surface.

Gu Lin's expression became thoughtful. After a moment, he looked up at the people in front of him and said, "You guys said that the pickled fish is selling so well at Haoyunlou, so I wonder if a lot of people will like to eat boiled fish as well. It's all fish, so we'll sell one dish or two dishes. Why don't we launch boiled fish as well?"

Gu Lin's ideas were rather unconventional, and he came up with one idea after another. Zhao's wife didn't quite agree with launching two dishes at the same time: "The recipes are rare, and they're all treasured secrets. It's really not worth it to launch two new dishes at once."

Faced with Zhao's worries, Gu Lin's eyes flickered. He couldn't very well tell her that he had many more recipes.

Zheng Hao pondered for a moment and said to the young man in front of him, "Auntie's thoughts are not without reason. However, the competition among restaurants in the prefecture is very fierce. If Uncle Gu wants to gain a foothold, it is impossible without paying some price."

"Uncle Gu could try introducing boiled fish. There are very few restaurants in the city that can make fish so well. Sauerkraut fish is sour and spicy, while boiled fish is numbing and spicy. People in the city love the former, so I'm sure they'll love the latter too."

Gu Lin thought the same thing. A smile appeared on his face as he joked to himself, "I've turned this restaurant, which was originally supposed to serve barbecue and hot pot, into this mess. I wonder how the waiters are going to recommend dishes to customers in the future."

"When the time comes, when diners come in and ask the waiter to bring their signature dishes, the waiter will say, 'Our signature dishes are hot pot, barbecue, and pickled fish. Which one would you like?' If the customer answers the first two, the waiter will ask, 'Hot pot and barbecue have many dishes. Which one would you like?' Then they won't know whether they want to eat or not."

As Gu Lin spoke, he imitated the way the waiter spoke. His vivid expressions and body language made Sister-in-law Zhao and Brother Zhao laugh out loud, and even the introverted Gu An's chubby face showed a smile.

Zheng Hao's cold expression softened slightly.

The next day, when they arrived at Haoyunlou Restaurant, Gu Lin gave the chef the recipe for boiled fish and instructed him on how to make it. Lin Xiaoyao then wrote the boiled fish recipe on Haoyunlou's menu.

Under Gu Lin's guidance, the chef at Haoyunlou successfully prepared a dish of boiled fish. Gu Lin picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. Under the chef's slightly nervous gaze, his eyebrows relaxed and he said, "Not bad, delicious."

The chef smiled with delight.

Then Gu Lin summoned a waiter and asked him to bring the boiled fish to the main hall and distribute it to the diners.

Faced with the fragrant and flavorful boiled fish, the waiter was astonished. The owner was really generous, willing to let others eat such a good dish for free.

As the waiter carried the boiled fish to the main hall, he called out, "Esteemed guests, our restaurant has developed a new dish called boiled fish. The owner invites you to taste it and give your feedback. Would any of you be willing to try it?"

As soon as the waiter finished speaking, a talkative customer asked, "Waiter, didn't your restaurant just develop a dish of pickled fish? How come you have another dish of boiled fish now?"

"And what's the difference between boiled fish and pickled fish?" another diner asked with a hint of doubt.

The waiter walked to the nearest table, where four men were sitting. He placed the boiled fish on the table.

The four men lowered their heads slightly, looking at the bright red soup noodles in front of them, and the snow-white fish meat covered with red oil. Just in terms of appearance, this boiled fish was more appetizing than the pickled fish.

The waiter began answering the diners' questions: "Don't be fooled by the fact that both boiled fish and pickled cabbage fish are made with fish; there's a big difference between them. The key to the former is the pickled cabbage. Those who have eaten pickled cabbage fish know how carefully we select our pickled cabbage. Although we add a lot of pickled cabbage to the dish, its original freshness is not masked by the pickled cabbage. You can taste the sour, spicy, and fresh flavors all in the pickled cabbage fish."

"However, some diners still don't like pickled cabbage fish, feeling that the pickled cabbage affects the natural freshness of the fish. Our restaurant values ​​our customers' opinions the most, so we specially launched boiled fish. Unlike the former, which has pickled cabbage, boiled fish only contains the fish itself, along with the necessary side dishes and spices. Everyone who has tried it can't resist its deliciousness."

As soon as the waiter finished speaking, a diner scoffed, "That's a bit of an exaggeration. The savory, tender, sour, and spicy flavor of the pickled fish is already rare. It's delicious whether eaten alone or with rice. Not to mention the fish itself, even the side dishes could be a dish in some small eateries. People who don't like pickled fish simply don't know how to appreciate good food!"

Another diner chimed in, "What you say makes sense. I've been eating pickled fish for several days now, and I'm still not tired of it. I've never had a dish like this that I never get tired of eating."

Hearing the diners' resistance to the boiled fish, the waiter was not discouraged at all and said, "Don't be in a hurry. The pickled fish is certainly delicious, but the boiled fish is not much worse. Why don't you try it first?"

Pointing to the boiled fish, the diner who preferred sauerkraut fish asked, "Are you really letting us try it for free?"

The waiter nodded and said, "Of course, when has our restaurant ever lied to our guests?"

"Then serve me some to try, I want to see how it can beat the pickled fish."

The waiter smiled and agreed, took the bowl and chopsticks from the customer, served them half a bowl of boiled fish and side dishes, and then handed it to them.

The diner took the bowl from the waiter and glanced down at the boiled fish. It must be said that the light red oil floating on the snow-white fish meat was very appetizing.

He picked up the boiled fish and ate it. The tender fish meat seemed to melt in his mouth as soon as it entered his mouth, and soon the unique spicy flavor of boiled fish exploded on his taste buds.

The diner's expression was unreadable. Although he loved sauerkraut fish the most, he had to admit that, as fish dishes, sauerkraut fish and boiled fish each had their own unique flavors.

Compared to his subtlety, the other diners in the lobby who were tasting the boiled fish were much more direct, expressing their opinions without mincing words.

One diner who disliked sauerkraut fish said, "Haoyunlou is so good at cooking fish. This boiled fish is fragrant, spicy, and a little numbing. It suits my taste perfectly. It's much better than the sauerkraut fish with sauerkraut I had before. What does it mean to be fish? It means fish that retains the freshness of the fish meat like boiled fish. That sauerkraut fish is all sauerkraut. You can't taste any fish meat at all."

A young scholar retorted, "That's not right. Pickled fish has its advantages, and boiled fish has its merits. To each their own, and everyone has their own preferences. You can't belittle pickled fish just because you don't like it."

The diner who had been criticizing the sauerkraut fish earlier stood up with a "Hey!" and said to the young scholar, "You scholar, you just talk too much nonsense. I just like boiled fish and not sauerkraut fish, what's it to you?"

Faced with the man's rudeness, the young scholar flicked his sleeves and said, "This is an insult to scholarship, an insult to scholarship."

Seeing that the guests in the lobby were about to argue about which was better, pickled fish or boiled fish, the waiter quickly intervened and said, "Gentlemen, please don't be hasty. It is our honor that you both like pickled fish and boiled fish. It is fate that you have met. Please don't let this cause any unpleasantness."

Since everyone was a respectable person and didn't want to cause any embarrassment in public, the waiter came out to dissuade them, and they accepted the other party's offer to back down.

An argument was stopped by the waiter's intervention. Lin Xiaoyao had been watching the situation from behind the counter and, seeing that nothing was happening, did not come over.

However, the debate among diners at Haoyunlou about which was more delicious, pickled fish or boiled fish, did not end, and the two sides escalated the matter further.

Lin Xiaoyao promptly reported this matter to Gu Lin. Gu Lin found it familiar and amusing, thinking it was just like the modern debate between sweet and savory rice dumplings.

Indeed, food is the most important thing for people. Whether in ancient or modern times, people are never willing to compromise on food.

However, Gu Lin didn't care much. He instructed Lin Xiaoyao, "Just keep an eye on them and make sure they don't start arguing or fighting. As for the rest, let them be."

"Ok?"

Lin Xiaoyao was puzzled by Gu Lin's actions.

In his view, it is not a good thing that the diners of Haoyunlou are divided into two camps because of the difference between pickled fish and boiled fish.

If this continues, what if the two sides really get into a fight over this and take their anger out on Good Fortune Tower?

Shouldn't they step in and mediate the conflict between the diners?

Lin Xiaoyao asked the question after thinking about it.

Gu Lin smiled upon hearing this and said to Lin Xiaoyao, "Compared to the past two days, have there been many more people buying boiled fish and pickled fish at Haoyunlou these past few days?"

Lin Xiaoyao nodded and answered truthfully: "There are indeed many more. Every morning as soon as Haoyunlou opens, people come to buy sauerkraut fish and boiled fish. The long queue outside never stops from morning to night."

Gu Lin asked, "Do you know why so many people come to buy sauerkraut fish and boiled fish?"

Lin Xiaoyao blurted out, "Because it's delicious."

Gu Lin looked at him and smiled without saying a word, and Lin Xiaoyao immediately realized something was wrong.

The city boasts a wide variety of delicious foods, but if it were only because of their deliciousness, pickled fish and boiled fish would not have attracted so many customers in such a short time.

Lin Xiaoyao lowered her head and pondered, while Gu Lin patiently waited for her without urging her.

A moment later, Lin Xiaoyao's head moved.

He looked up at Gu Lin, his face full of excitement, and said, "I understand, boss."

Do you kids prefer pickled cabbage fish or boiled fish?