C10 Not Authentic Enough!!

"You?"

Upon hearing this, Darcy couldn't help but laugh. "Snap out of it! Did you know that Fayedge City only invites one couple? And here you are, dreaming away. You're killing me with laughter."

The surrounding crowd couldn't help but join in the laughter.

"Bro, the clothes you're wearing aren't even worth a hundred bucks. Who gave you the guts to spout such nonsense? Hahaha!"

Seizing the moment, Darcy chimed in, "Don't be so quick to judge. He's the Xavier family's son-in-law."

"That's him?"

People turned their gaze to Duane, their curiosity piqued.

"This guy? Doesn't look like much! Those shoes scream street market. How on earth did he land Fayedge's top beauty?"

"Exactly! He's like a country bumpkin."

"And he thinks he can book the 'Seventh Night of Love' suite on the top floor? No offense, but even if you brought the whole Xavier family, it wouldn't be enough."

"..."

Lavinia, flushed with embarrassment and anger, scolded Duane, "I told you to keep quiet!"

With that, she stormed off to the second-floor private room, fuming.

Maribel shot Duane a sharp look. "If you can't talk properly, just play dumb. Stop making Lavinia look bad!"

"..."

Duane was at a loss for words.

After everyone had their laugh, they followed Darcy to the private room. Duane pulled out his phone and said, "Go ahead, I've got something to handle."

Something to handle?

What could he possibly have to do?

Lavinia watched him leave with a scowl.

Darcy couldn't resist a jab, "He's never been to a place this fancy, so he probably wants to take a tour, snap a photo, and brag about it on social media. Hehehe..."

"..."

Lavinia's face turned an even deeper shade of red, her resentment towards Duane growing.

Duane, meanwhile, was intent on calling Freesia.

He wanted her to comp the meal for the table.

He had recently taken over Blessing Restaurant, and Freesia was the only one he knew there.

After the call,

Duane headed back to the private room.

To his surprise, there were now more than ten people inside, far more than Darcy had initially mentioned.

Men and women filled the room, and aside from Lavinia and Maribel, Darcy had invited them all. It looked like she was hosting a dinner party.

"Hey, why are you just getting here? We've nearly finished ordering," Darcy said with a lively tone. "Come on, let's add a couple more dishes."

Maribel quickly interjected, "No need! We've ordered so much already, we'll never be able to finish it all!"

But there was little she could do.

The prices at this place were sky-high, and she hadn't anticipated Darcy inviting so many people. The cost for Lavinia would be astronomical!

"That's not acceptable!"

Darcy insisted earnestly, "Today is Lavinia's treat, and he's her husband. How could we not let him order? Plus, he's from the countryside and rarely gets the chance to dine at places like this. It might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so we should make it memorable, right?"

"Exactly, not letting him order would be downright disrespectful!"

"..."

The rest of the group chimed in with their agreement.

"Fine."

Duane chuckled, picking up the menu to give it a look.

Since this was his own hotel, it was about time he sampled the fare.

Darcy egged him on, "Duane, start with the Buddha's Jump Over the Wall. Each of us ordered a serving; you should get one too. Otherwise, you might miss out on it forever."

Buddha's Jump Over the Wall was a premium dish, priced at a steep one thousand eight hundred, significantly more than at other places.

Upon hearing this, Duane flipped to the page detailing the Buddha's Jump Over the Wall, scanning the list of ingredients, the utensils used, and a brief description of the preparation method. He smirked and remarked, "No, this Buddha's Jump Over the Wall isn't made the traditional way. I'll pass."

"Not traditional?"

Darcy couldn't help but laugh at his comment.

A country boy like him claiming the Buddha's Jump Over the Wall wasn't authentic?

He probably hadn't even had a whiff of it before!

"This is too much; where did this guy pop up from?"

"How can he say it's not authentic when it's several hundred more expensive here than anywhere else?"

"Yeah, talk about putting on airs, haha..."

"..."

Laughter spread among the crowd.

Lavinia was inwardly frustrated.

He just wanted to save some money; there was no need for grandstanding. Now, wasn't he just setting himself up to be the butt of the joke?

Duane scanned the crowd, who were laughing so hard they were clutching their stomachs, and said, "You... don't you even get this?"

"Hey, what are you implying?" one of them snapped back, clearly annoyed.

Duane couldn't help but look at them as if they were a bunch of clueless yokels. Ironically, he was the true yokel here. It was like being called an idiot by someone who was the actual fool.

"So you're saying you understand? You talk like you've had it before. Well then, enlighten us!" Darcy challenged, her smile dripping with scorn.

"Yeah, explain how it's not the real deal!" another person added, equally irritated.

Lavinia caught the exchange and shot Duane a glare that said, "You brought this on yourself by playing the expert. Now you've been caught out!"

But Duane took on the role of a teacher and began to explain as if he were addressing a class. "Firstly, the vessels here are just common ceramic, and the wine jars are a mere five years old at best. But to capture the truly authentic flavor, you need aged wine jars; otherwise, the taste isn't as rich and fragrant. It's like with tea—filtered water is better than tap, and mountain spring water is superior to filtered. The differences in taste might be subtle, but the texture and the nuances in flavor are distinct."

The group was taken aback.

Wasn't this guy from the village? How did he know all this?

Even Lavinia was taken aback.

When had Duane ever tasted Buddha Jump Over the Wall?

And besides, even if he had, it didn't necessarily mean he'd understand the intricacies!

"That's just common sense," Darcy retorted, her lips twisted in disbelief. "Which restaurant would normally go out of their way to stock aged wine jars?"

"Exactly, we all know what you're saying. But if the restaurant only has regular jars, what can you do?" the others chimed in.

"Let's move on to the second point," Duane continued undeterred. "The Buddha Jump Over the Wall dish includes eighteen ingredients, like abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, yak tendon, pig's trotters, shiitake mushrooms, and more. You're aware of these, right?"

"That's basic knowledge. Of course, we know!" the crowd responded with feigned disdain.

In reality, they hadn't a clue. They only knew the dish was pricey, tasty, and sophisticated. Who would bother to tally up the exact ingredients?

"Take another look at the menu description. It lists 'red mushroom' instead of 'flower mushroom.' That's where the flavor goes off track," Duane pointed out.

The group exchanged glances and quickly pulled out their phones to look up the traditional ingredients and preparation of Buddha's Delight online.

Sure enough!

Their search confirmed that 'flower mushroom' was indeed listed as an ingredient, with no mention of 'red mushroom.'

Duane elaborated, "Red mushrooms are renowned for their fresh, exquisite taste—so much so that they're dubbed the 'king of mushrooms.' Their hefty price tag might explain why the dish is more expensive here than elsewhere."

"However, when it comes to Buddha's Delight, the plump, tender, and intensely aromatic flower mushroom is far more appropriate. This wisdom is the result of centuries of experimentation, a legacy handed down by culinary masters through the ages."

"The dish primarily features seafood, and adding the intensely flavorful red mushroom would be like gilding the lily."

After digesting Duane's explanation, everyone was left speechless, exchanging bewildered looks, unsure of what to say next.

They had intended to ridicule the country bumpkin, but instead, he had schooled them.

The frustration was palpable.

Lavinia's gaze fell upon him, filled with a newfound respect and curiosity.