e moment Xiao Yu ignited the basin, there was a series of crackling sounds coming from within.In the closest villa to the haunted house, in the dark, a black figure sat cross-legged on the ground, and...Chapter 22 Canteen

Zhuo Simiao was driving through the traffic and soon turned into a quiet alley. At the entrance of the alley, two soldiers were standing guard with their guns. As he approached, a signpost that read "Military Restricted Area" stood on one side of the alley; it was two meters long and one meter wide. When they reached the gate, Zhuo Simiao handed over a small notebook to the soldier at the checkpoint. After glancing at the license plate through the notebook, the soldier returned it to Zhuo Simiao and opened the gate.

"Boss, where are we going" Xiao Yu looked at Zhuo Simiao curiously, wondering about this setup.

“Haha, I’m taking you somewhere to eat today. Even I can’t come here often; my dad, a lieutenant general, can only visit five times a month. It was after much pleading that he allowed me one of his visits.” Zhuo Simiao grinned lecherously.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu was momentarily surprised. Although he knew the Zhus were exceptional, he didn’t expect Zhuo Simiao’s father to be a lieutenant general. If it had been before, Xiao Yu might have distanced himself from Zhuo Simiao due to their difference in background. But after inheriting Zhong Kui's legacy, money and power held no sway over him anymore; they were things he could obtain anytime if he wished. Therefore, upon hearing that Zhuo Simiao’s father was a lieutenant general, he merely reacted with surprise before moving on.

Seeing Xiao Yu react so nonchalantly to the rank of his father, Zhuo Simiao put down his heart which had been in suspense. He valued Xiao Yu as a brother and didn’t want external factors to affect their relationship.

Xiao Yu was even more curious about this place that had such strict regulations.

Zhuo Simiao got into the car and drove through an iron gate to arrive at a red brick house. Several vehicles with military license plates were parked on the open ground in front of the house, each with various types of passes stuck on their windows, indicating the exceptional status of their owners.

After parking the car, both men went to the northeast corner of the house, where there was a small door that only one person could enter at a time. On this door was an A4 paper sheet with two large black characters written in ink: “Canteen”.

Inside the canteen, Xiao Yu raised his gaze and saw a row of long tables on the south side, where about ten people were scattered around sitting at them. The north side had been partitioned into small rooms using bamboo mats; curtains made from candy wrappers and used packaging paper hung in front of each room. Through these curtains, Xiao Yu could see that there were roughly five to six groups of customers inside.

Zhuo Simiao led Xiao Yu to an empty private room and just as they sat down, someone pulled back the curtain to enter. As this person entered, Xiao Yu's muscles involuntarily tensed up; he raised his head to see that the man was over six feet tall and looked very muscular and strong. Additionally, there was a thick aura of blood and ferocity around him as he walked. The man had a close-cropped buzz cut that gleamed with a blue sheen, clearly indicating someone who had been shaving their head for years.

The bald man wore military camouflage clothing and had a towel draped over his shoulder; his right hand hung straight down by his side, while his left held a small notebook and pen.

"Little Zhuo, what would you like to eat" The bald man gave a hearty laugh and asked.

"Brother Hai, bring us two servings of large pot dishes, four sweet potato buns, and half a pound of Erguotou," Zhuo Simiao stood up with a bright smile when he saw the man enter.

"Alright, I'll be right back." The bald man placed the notebook on the table, wrote with his left hand, and then walked out.

"Boss, where exactly is this place" Seeing the bald man leave, Xiao Yu's tense muscles slowly relaxed.

Zhuo Simiao leaned close to Xiao Yu and whispered, "This is a後勤基地 of a special force unit. I heard my great-grandfather mention it once; the unit existed during wartime and had achieved remarkable feats."

"The owner of this canteen He was the cook for that special force back then. He participated in both the War of Resistance Against Japan and the Korean War, and when he was awarded his rank in 1955, it was a Lieutenant General. But at that time, the old man said only one thing: 'Now we have won, people are living good lives, but I am skilled at cooking, not commanding troops,' before applying for retirement. After retiring here, he opened this canteen."

Hearing Zhuo Simiao's account, Xiao Yu felt genuine admiration for the old man whom he had never met—how many people in the world could give up a general’s position to become a cook

After a brief pause as if giving Xiao Yu time to digest this information, Zhuo Simiao continued: "The owner of this canteen is renowned for his pot dishes. During wartime, the founding fathers and ten marshals often came here to enjoy free meals, praising him endlessly for his stewed meat pot dishes. After retirement, many founding generals loved coming here for their pot dishes; even great figures like the founding fathers would come once a week to eat them."

The large pots used here contain various medicinal herbs, making the pot dishes not only delicious but also nourishing. Even the steamed buns made here are unique recipes, and the wine is brewed with precious Chinese herbal medicines, making it both sweet and mellow as well as invigorating and blood-nourishing.

Seeing Zuo Simiao swallowing saliva from time to time while talking, Xiao Yu also began to look forward to the food here.

Xiao Yu's home was only about 200 kilometers away from the capital city. People in the northern region like to eat big pot dishes, and Xiao Yu is no exception. Whenever there’s a wedding or funeral in any household in the north, they would set up several large pots to prepare big pot dishes to entertain guests and relatives. Therefore, Xiao Yu has always had a special affection for such dishes since childhood, especially those made by his grandfather. No one else could replicate that unique flavor, and when it was for their own family, his grandfather would add plenty of herbs.

Thinking about his grandfather brought back memories, reducing Xiao Yu's anticipation for the big pot dish here while a hint of sadness crept into his heart. His grandfather had always forced him to recite medical texts since he was young and learn Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon). When he would run away from learning, his grandfather would hit him with a cane.

"Here's the food!" The bald man shouted as he entered the room. With one hand holding a tray and the other trembling slightly to lift the curtain, he placed the tray on the table and set down the dishes.

Seeing the bald man leave after putting the food down, Zuo Simiao took out his wallet: "Brother Hai, please keep the 2500 yuan."

Watching Zuo Simiao pay 2500 yuan for the meal, Xiao Yu felt a sharp pain in his heart and thought to himself, “How extortionate!”

After the bald man left the compartment, Zuo Simiao called out: "Second Brother, come over. Let's taste how delicious it is."轉碼失敗！請您使用右上換源切換源站閱讀或者直接前往源網站進行閱讀！