Winter Returns

Chapter 163 Pokémon's Journey Out of the Island (Part 2)

Time goes back a few minutes.

Taking advantage of Gu Qiumian's absence.

Zhang Shutong felt someone kick him with the tip of their shoe under the table.

"Have you been here before?" Ruoping asked, leaning closer to him. "Was it very expensive?"

"It's a bit cheaper than Pizza Hut," Zhang Shutong said.

"Oh." She looked at the ceiling, as if doing a conversion.

Pizza Hut is certainly not cheap, but everything is subject to comparison, and this impressive-looking Italian restaurant instantly loses a lot of its prestige.

Zhang Shutong added, "I haven't finished yet. This boss is a self-taught chef, so he's inexplicably particular about some things. Look at his wine cabinet; actually, very few of the wines in it cost more than a hundred yuan. The ones we just ordered were quite expensive."

"Really?" Ruoping said softly, "I thought those foreign wines were very expensive. Du Kang just said that these restaurants make the most of their profits from drinks."

"That's based on common sense, but it's different here. The owner is a foreigner, and you can see there's even a fake fireplace under the bar. I remember seeing a news story once about a foreigner who returned to his country and opened a restaurant specializing in panda-themed meat chops, panda meat sauce, and panda meat patties. In reality, it was just because he really liked pandas. It's also normal for an Italian to like wine cabinets."

He added:
"The restaurant is called Pizza House, which means that the main dish is pizza. Actually, that's pretty homey. Think about it, it's like our local dumpling city."

Ruoping laughed as soon as she heard this:

"How can you make such a comparison?"

But she was clearly much more relaxed.

From the moment they entered, the restaurant exuded an invisible pressure. They were the only table of students, their candlelight flickering as they whispered among themselves. In their imagination, the scene sitting here would be one where the men would be wearing ties and the women would be wearing light makeup, with waiters carrying trays as they walked by. It was as if they had suddenly stumbled into an adult world.

Ruoping was no longer reserved. She looked around the restaurant with curiosity. She had to admit that the owner was really creative. There was a brass sailboat in the center of the restaurant. Zhang Shutong said that she could take a picture if she liked it. Ruoping took out her phone with shining eyes. Ruoping was a fangirl and liked things that looked beautiful and exquisite.

Zhang Shutong actually told a small lie. Although the restaurant was called Pizza House, the average price wasn't cheap at all; it was comparable to Pizza Hut. Reservations were required during peak hours. For example, the wine they just ordered was white wine, which requires a special refrigerated display case to maintain its flavor—equipment that most places don't have. Maintaining such high expenses couldn't be done without sufficient profit.

For example, although the owner is a self-taught chef, his main dish is pizza. I don't know if it's because he's very individualistic or if all Italians are this individualistic, but he has a special fondness for wine. His wine cabinet also has some expensive items, including red wines from the five great châteaux, all from the early 20th century.

Of course, Zhang Shutong's understanding of alcohol ends here.

He said that so that Ruoping wouldn't feel restricted. Going out to play is a fun thing. He looked at the girl's profile and thought to himself, "Eight years from now, you'll still be the one treating us to dinner." He looked so dashing as he paid the bill. He shouldn't feel like he's Cinderella.

In contrast, the other two were much more carefree, eating as soon as they arrived. At this moment, Du Kang and Qing Yi were huddled together looking at their phones.

"I feel like they're both so magnanimous," Ruoping said, putting away her phone and resting her chin on her hand.

Zhang Shutong smiled and said, "You're just too much of a worrywart."

"Let me tell you, I almost didn't know how to answer when she asked me if I drank alcohol," Ruoping said. "I felt like it would be too much of a burden for her to agree, but it would be a disappointment if I didn't. Luckily, it wasn't that expensive. And I felt a little embarrassed, like Gu Qiumian was just accommodating us. Just now, I asked her what she liked to eat, but she didn't say anything, just said to make it according to our tastes."

Zhang Shutong nodded and said that Gu Qiumian was a really good person.

Ruoping nudged him: "Stop fooling around, I'm talking to you about something serious. When she gets back, we'll ask her what movie she wants to see, don't forget."

"I suddenly remembered something, I'll be right back." Zhang Shutong saw Gu Qiumian walking this way, and then looked towards the kitchen, guessing that she was busy at work. Since seasonal pizzas are custom-made, they are usually the first to be put into the oven, and if they don't hurry up, it will be too late.

Only three people remained at the table, and Ruoping said again:

"You two can check out today's movies first, and we'll buy the tickets online in advance."

"Okay," the two replied without looking up.

"By the way, has the Chinese Zodiac movie been released yet?" she asked again. "I want to see Jackie Chan."

"No, I don't think so," Qingyi said absentmindedly. "We have to wait until the 20th to see Ang Lee's film.

"Life of Pi? My friend said it's so-so, kind of confusing. How about we watch 007 instead?"

"Okay, just a moment," Du Kang typed.

"Don't buy tickets too late, or you might miss the boat."

Ruoping thought to herself that they had finally grown up, but the two of them frowned more and more deeply.

"Why is it taking so long?" Qingyi muttered to himself.

"Yes, that's how long it took." Du Kang sighed.

"Is it very long? Two hours should be enough, right?" Ruoping asked curiously.

“Ah, no,” Du Kang looked up, “we’re talking about something else.”

"what?"

"When will the Tender Beef Wrap be back on the shelves?"

"..."

"What are you talking about?" Gu Qiumian walked over at this moment.

"They're still researching the 'Tender Beef Five-Square'." Ruoping felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

"Is it delicious?" Gu Qiumian asked.

"I think it's okay," Ruoping said helplessly. "They're exaggerating. Maybe it's because it's been taken off the shelves and we won't be able to eat it anymore?"

"That's not necessarily true," someone said, keeping everyone in suspense.

“I also think it will be available in the future,” Du Kang interjected, “but Qingyi is more pessimistic.”

"The information online is all speculation. I've said before not to believe it. Even KFC itself doesn't know," Qingyi said calmly.

"Qiu Mian, why are you discussing this with them too?" Ruo Ping was shocked, thinking to herself, "Am I the only one who doesn't understand their thought process?"

"I was just saying that casually." Gu Qiumian turned her head to look around without showing any emotion. "By the way, where is that person?"

……

Meanwhile, Anthony marinated the steak.

Chili sauce, chili sauce...

He muttered to himself as he pulled a jar of hot sauce from the cabinet behind him.

Sriracha chili sauce, featuring the classic rooster design.

Having lived in China for so many years, this is the only chili sauce he can get used to eating.

Strictly speaking, these weren't ingredients from the restaurant; they were for his own consumption.

He didn't know if it would suit the girl's taste, but an Italian restaurant wouldn't always keep chili sauce on hand.

However, he searched for a long time but couldn't find that lifeline.

Oh no. He thought to himself that the bottle of chili sauce seemed to be empty and he hadn't bought any more.

What should I do if I have to agree to the customer's request?
Anthony is a man of his word.

He sighed and opened the freezer again.

There was a glass jar standing there, and on the glass jar was an elderly Chinese woman.

The Italian man and the Chinese woman stared at each other for a few seconds.

Anthony backed down.

Is this really okay?

How to make a Mexican-style Italian pizza with Chinese chili sauce?

He felt as if an invisible wall in his heart had collapsed.

He thought to himself, "Anthony, Anthony, why cling to that useless principle? Just go out that door and tell the girl:"

"I'm sorry, beautiful lady, but I really cannot fulfill your request."

But just minutes earlier he replied with a smile, "Of course, no problem."

What is romanticism? Romanticism is when you do the impossible with ease, and when you bring that pizza to the table and see the surprised smiles on the guests' faces. If it weren't for those smiles, he wouldn't have bothered to write a seasonal pizza on the menu.

Is it betraying the tastes of home or fulfilling a promise to a woman? But both seem to be things that Italians want to uphold.

Just as he was feeling annoyed, the curtain was lifted again. Anthony paused in cutting the dough, only to find that the person who came in was an unfamiliar young man.

The boy leaned against the doorframe. Anthony looked away and this time spoke directly in Chinese:
"I'm sorry, the restaurant is very busy today. If you need anything, you can tell the waiter." This time, he was too lazy to play the trick of backing down in English, and instead clearly told the other party: No, please turn around and go back.

Surprisingly, the boy wasn't there to talk about pizza or chat with the foreigner; he simply mentioned a photograph, one of his prized works hanging on the restaurant's art wall.

"That aurora was beautiful."

What surprised him even more was that the boy's English was not only fluent, but his accent was also standard British pronunciation, not to mention that the word 'autumn' was not a common word in English.

Actually, all of this is fine. He knows that many children in China take the IELTS and TOEFL exams, and some students speak English more fluently than he does.

But what he said next shocked him:

"That photo may not be your proudest work, but it must be your most unforgettable one. It's at the southern end of Vatnajökull Glacier, and you need to take an icebreaker to get there. Only in December, when the nights are the longest, can you capture such a magnificent light. It's the coldest season in the coldest country in the world, and it must have been quite a hardship."

“Of course, of course.” These words stirred up Anthony’s memories, and he subconsciously smiled. “I remember that Toyota SUV broke down on the road, and my partner and I waited for three hours before we got help, but it was all worth it.”

“Sir,” he added, subconsciously replacing “boy” with “sir,” “If it were possible, I would like to sit down and talk with you about this beautiful world, but as you can see—”

He raised his flour-covered hands:
"This place is already full."

Zhang Shutong had anticipated this reaction. He didn't really want to go into such lengths, but what followed was far more than a simple request to add a little topping to a pizza; it was…

fruit.

Zhang Shutong wondered what fruit meant to Italians; perhaps it was strawberry dumplings?
This boss had a terrible temper. Zhang Shutong remembered a time when they had a dinner party, a big boss came in with his mistress. This boss had a strange request: he slapped a few bills on the table, refused to eat anything else, and insisted on a bowl of beef noodles, saying he'd do it as long as he had enough money. But the man was kicked out. They were all shocked. The boss came back, waved his hand, and said in his broken Chinese, "That person wasn't here to eat. In Chinese, that's called causing trouble. He has no respect for people at all."

Zhang Shutong had chatted with the other party quite a bit, and had basically catered to their interests.

He added:
"That record player's cartridge is good at classical music. I would suggest changing it to a piano piece instead of jazz. You've been to Japan and photographed the ancient temples there. You could try Ryuichi Sakamoto's Christmas piece. It's quiet, sad, and tender. When it sublimates, it's like an undercurrent flowing beneath the ice. It's a pure piece. December and the aurora borealis in Iceland go very well together."

Anthony was startled again upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "How come you Chinese are so full of hidden talents? Just one of you knows what I'm thinking." In reality, he was asking someone to find some records by pianists. The record player and the records were the main things. Sometimes he had a piece he liked, but he was struggling to find a suitable record.

“I’ll give it a try,” he said with a wry smile. “It was a very pleasant time talking to you. I almost forgot I was in a kitchen and not a coffee shop. Please let me know if you need anything, and I will try my best to accommodate you.”

But the boy remained unmoved; possessing a level of insight beyond his years, he ruthlessly jumped to the next topic:
"Is that 97 Margaux in your wine cabinet one of your treasured pieces? I heard that year was very special, with a lot of rainfall. Although it's a winery in the Bordeaux region, the wine produced that year had a flavor that was somewhat like Burgundy. Some people think it was a failure, while others think it's a unique piece. You must be a person with a unique taste."

Anthony became completely serious.

The other person mentioned Margaux, one of the five famous first-growth wineries. Putting aside whether a student-looking boy should know this kind of knowledge, his other insights alone show that he has definitely tasted wines from that vintage. And not just from one winery.

Unfortunately, Anthony isn't a China expert enough, otherwise he would have been moved to exclaim, "You're like a mind reader!"

Anthony knew he was wrong.

He misunderstood the other party's intentions. The young man in front of him not only had a thorough understanding of world geography, but also had unique insights into music and wine. He originally thought that the other party just wanted to add some flavorful toppings to the seasonal pizza, but the toppings that came out of the mouth of such a person were more than just toppings.

It's a completely new recipe.

This is often where food connoisseurs get their inspiration.

Now his mindset had completely changed. Anthony took off his apron, no longer feeling helpless or shocked. He even secretly anticipated the advice the boy was about to give. Yes, for him, this was indeed advice.

With such a knowledgeable person, this could be a good opportunity to improve the recipe.

Anthony gestured for him to speak, then stared intently at the boy's face. The boy slowly began to speak:

"I'd like to add some fruit, do you have any?"

"..."

Anthony doubted he had heard correctly.

Yes, he must have misheard. Italians are Catholics. He thought to himself, God, it could be blue cheese, it could be animal offal, or even the jar of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce right next to him, but what the heck is fruit?

Could it be that the recipe I'm looking forward to is the so-called Hawaiian pizza?
But I'm fucking Italian!

Zhang Shutong knew he was in trouble; the foreigner was completely stunned. He pressed his advantage:

“I have a friend who likes a mix of sweet and savory flavors, and she also likes fruit-flavored pizzas, so just make slight modifications to the original recipe, and the rest is up to you.”

He thought about Pizza Hut's fruit pizza, which was basically pineapple slices with some ham slices.

"That's all?" After a long while, Anthony asked blankly.

"that's it."

Anthony understands everything now.

It turned out that the boy and the girl from before were at the same table. He thought to himself, on the verge of tears, "Why don't you two talk together? Don't torture this foreigner."

Are you sure those previous requirements won't change?

What were the previous requirements?
Zhang Shutong was puzzled by the request, but then he realized that the other party had said to leave the rest to them, so he said:
"constant."

“Okay.” Anthony glanced at the canned fruit in the cabinet and said through gritted teeth.

……

When Zhang Shutong returned to his seat, everyone was playing rock-paper-scissors, and the loser had to drink.

The seasonal pizza finally found a home, which could be considered a good deed done anonymously in a sense. He was looking forward to Gu Qiu Mian's reaction when she saw the pizza.

It's a pity I shouldn't have known about this in this timeline, otherwise I wouldn't have needed to go through all this trouble and go to such lengths; I could have discussed it with her when ordering the food.

Another memory that no longer exists.

"It's your turn, it's your turn." Gu Qiumian waved and said. She was very excited when she came back from the restroom, and her eyes kept blinking. "You're so slow. We've all drunk our fill and you're the last one."

Zhang Shutong joined the rock-paper-scissors game. While they were chatting and laughing, an appetizer was served. It was a simple salad, but it was garnished with caviar. Zhang Shutong chewed on a piece of lettuce, then suddenly found himself surrounded by four sheets of cloth.

Be willing to admit defeat.

He picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. However, he had underestimated his alcohol tolerance. He thought it was just a little sweet drink. Perhaps it was because he hadn't slept well that day, but after three glasses of wine, Zhang Shutong felt a little dizzy.

Looking at Gu Qiu Mian again, a blush appeared on her cheeks. She had had a lot of fun today and was enthusiastically calling the waiter to look at another bottle. Zhang Shutong wanted to say forget it, but he felt dizzy and decided to rest on the table for a while.

"Want to make a bet?" In his hazy state, the girl's fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

Zhang Shutong looked up. "What?"

"I'll give you a surprise in a bit," Gu Qiumian hummed.

"surprise?"

"Secret."

Zhang Shutong yawned and asked, "What surprise? You didn't already buy the movie tickets, did you?"

"I already said it's a secret, you'll find out in a bit."

"how long?"

"Hmm." Gu Qiumian tapped her chin with her finger. "Count it as today."

"So I'll have a surprise for you later?"

"Oh, I'm serious, don't mimic me."

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "I'm serious too," but he wasn't going to explain. "You'll find out soon enough."

The "later" time will arrive soon.

After the five men had finished their drinks, set out the cutlery, and eaten an appetizer salad, a blond Italian man came out of the kitchen.

"This must be the head chef?" Du Kang asked in a low voice.

"It seems he really is Italian?" Qingyi said.

"It feels like it's definitely different from Pizza Hut's pizza. We're finally getting to eat authentic Italian food." Du Kang held his fork with some anticipation, but Ruoping saw him and slapped him.

So, amidst everyone's expectant gazes, Zhang Shutong raised his head at just the right moment. He glanced at Gu Qiumian, intending to observe her expression closely, but Gu Qiumian also happened to glance at him.

Zhang Shutong looked away, thinking to himself, "Have you been looking at me a bit too many times today?" Just then, Anthony's voice drew his attention away.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce today's seasonal pizza."

Anthony, expressionless, lifted the lid and said in his somewhat broken Chinese:
"Lao Gan Ma, beef, and coconut flavors."

(End of this chapter)