Just as Alice smashed several tables and chairs,
and was about to charge over and beat up Randolph,
to demand whether he was trying to rob and murder them,
a steady, strong hand gently rested on her shoulder.
"Alice, you can't hit someone over something like this."
"But Ciyou, this guy..." Alice still wanted to argue.
"I know."
Cui Ciyou nodded and first gave Alice's shoulder a reassuring pat.
He signaled for her to calm down.
Then he took a few silver coins from his money pouch.
He gently placed the coins on the table.
"Sir, this is compensation for the damage."
Neither the furious Alice,
nor the gloating Xia Jia'er,
nor the numb-faced Randolph
had expected Cui Ciyou to react this way.
Only after doing all that did Cui Ciyou turn around.
He directed his gaze at Randolph.
"You put a lot of care into your cooking."
Cui Ciyou's very first words stunned everyone.
He pointed at the bowl of mixed-grain rice on the table, which had barely been touched,
and the bowl of clear vegetable soup, then said sincerely,
"The heat, the amount of water, and the ratio of rice to other grains in this bowl are all perfect."
"This soup looks light, but it's actually full of flavor."
"You can taste the vegetables' purest natural sweetness."
"Both of these are delicious, and full of respect for food."
In Randolph's cloudy lone eye,
a barely perceptible ripple of emotion appeared.
"But..."
Cui Ciyou changed tack.
"This meat doesn't taste good."
He pointed at the fried cutlet, which looked excellent but was nearly impossible to swallow.
He pinpointed the problem:
"This isn't an issue with your cooking skills. It's an issue with the ingredient itself."
"This meat has far too strong a gamey smell, and it's much too tough."