Yesterday, I agreed to take Anko shopping, so Senju Chen, Anko, and Yamato were preparing to go out early in the morning. Unexpectedly, they saw Jiraiya already at the door as soon as they went out.
"Good morning, teacher Jiraiya, we are going to go out for a walk." Anko asked Jiraiya.
"We're shopping, so I'll join in the fun. The last time I came to Land of Rain was more than ten years ago." Jiraiya didn't look as heavy as yesterday today, with a smile on his face.
"Since Teacher Jiraiya is interested, let's come together!" Senju Chen also said with a smile.
The "extreme pomp" last night is still brewing in the middle of the street, but today's Land of Rain doesn't have that "official seriousness".
The stall owner raised the cloth tent, the caravans lined up next to it, the wooden carts slowly squeezed along the dirt road, and the children used wooden boards as boats on the roadside and put them on the water.
The rain has lightened up a lot, leaving only a drizzle. There are more than double the number of pedestrians on the street than yesterday.
Anko walked at the front, stopping every three steps to look at the roadside stalls.
First a bunch of grilled dumplings.
"Chen, look at this, it smells so good."
Before Senju Chen could say anything, Anko had already paid for two skewers and stuffed one skewer into Senju Chen's hand.
Then a bag of candied fruits.
"Chen, please try this sour one."
Then there is a pack of fried shrimp crackers.
"Chen, I haven't eaten this before, give it a try..."
Yamato walked behind and counted silently. Anko had already bought six or seven things in less than two hundred meters away.
Senju Chen didn't care. It was a rare trip and he didn't need money. He held an umbrella in his left hand and carried various paper bags Anko stuffed to him in his right hand, just like a mobile shelf.
Anko looked back at Senju Chen carrying something and smiled.
"Little Chen, you look like a good stay-at-home man who takes his wife out for shopping." Jiraiya teased Senju Chen while his eyes were always scanning the pedestrians on both sides of the street. To be precise, he was scanning the female pedestrians.
Land of Rain It rains all year round.
Senju Chen clearly remembered what he said when he first tricked him into coming here, "There are wet ladies everywhere."
It's a pity that the rain is too light today, and all the women on the street are holding umbrellas and wrapped up tightly.
Jiraiya's face fell down little by little.
"Where's the promised wet body?" He lowered his voice and leaned into Senju Chen's ear.
"Then we have to wait until it rains heavily." Senju Chen said without changing his expression.
"You kid must have been fooling me back then."
"Lord Jiraiya, what I was saying was that Land of Rain rains all year round, but there is no guarantee of heavy rain every day."
Jiraiya snorted and stepped forward quickly. Yamato followed silently, maintaining the usual background status.
The group of people turned around and passed in front of the old pharmacy. The market gradually narrowed, and rainwater fell into thin lines along the eaves.
They walked around the Market Bridge and walked to a street famous for its smoke.
Senju Chen has some impressions of this street. Last time Kakuzu reported on Land of Rain's commercial operations, he mentioned that this street is currently Land of Rain's most popular restaurant street, and one of its stores is a Land of Rain branch of "Food Is Heaven".
"Food Is Heaven" lights up even on rainy days, and a red card with "Free wine for ten bowls today" stands at the door.
Anko As soon as he saw the signboard, his eyes lit up and he rushed in faster than he could carry out the mission.
The store was crowded.
Twelve tables were set up in the small hall, and they were full of people. Even in the aisle, there were people squatting with bowls in their hands to eat. The smell of oil smoke, Chili Pepper, and the sweetness of the sauce were mixed together, and heat continued to come out from the back kitchen. The temperature inside the store was several degrees higher than outside, forming a strong contrast with the rain outside.
The waiter's voice was loud. "There are four of you, right? There is an empty table upstairs!"
The four of them went up to the second floor. The table by the window had just been taken away, and the tabletop was still shiny. The waiter wiped it with a rag twice and handed over the menu.
Anko took the menu without turning over it, and opened his mouth. "Crystal Braised Pork, Pepper Chicken, Mapo Tofu, and another piece of beef in sour soup."
The waiter was stunned for a moment. "Is she a regular customer? Our Land of Rain restaurant has only been open for less than half a year--"
"Don't talk nonsense. I've eaten at Konoha more than twenty times. These are your signature dishes. Hurry up."
"Okay!"
Jiraiya flipped through the menu and added two more dishes and a bottle of wine.
Senju Chen didn't order.
He scanned the store's decoration and customer flow, mentally estimating the monthly revenue of this branch. The location is good, and the foot traffic is okay. However, the tables are placed too close together, and the table turnover rate has increased, but the unit price per customer has probably been lowered. He can ask Kakuzu to adjust it later.
The food came quickly.
When the crystal braised pork was served, the whole piece of pork belly was trembling, with a layer of sugar-colored sauce hanging on the surface, which could be broken with the touch of chopsticks. The fat and thin meat overlapped and melted in your mouth.
The peppercorn chicken was cut into small pieces and placed on the plate, with a thick layer of dried Chili Pepper and Sichuan peppercorns spread on top. It was shiny. Anko took a chopstick and stuffed it into his mouth. It was so spicy that he breathed in, but he didn't stop using the chopsticks for a moment.
Mapo tofu is the first to be eaten. The soft tofu is wrapped in red oil minced pork and mixed with rice. It can be eaten in three bowls.
Jiraiya was also very satisfied with his meal. He held up his wine glass and nodded repeatedly. "Not bad, not bad. The taste is better than most restaurants I eat out. What is the origin of this 'Food Is Heaven'? How many restaurants has it opened?"
"There are probably hundreds of branches across Shinobi World." Senju Chen answered casually.
"Hundreds?" Jiraiya paused with his chopsticks, "Such a big business?"
Anko held the meat in his mouth and interjected vaguely. "This is Chen's--uh-huh."
Senju Chen reached out and pinched Anko's face.
"I can't stop your mouth even after eating."
Anko glared at him, swallowed hard, and then said loudly, "You figured out the recipes for these dishes yourself. I have eaten them all. Who will believe you when you say these shops are not yours?"
Jiraiya The wine glass in his hand stopped in mid-air.
He looked at the dishes on the table, then at Senju Chen, his expression became very complicated.
"You have opened hundreds of restaurants?"
"It's just to make a little money, Lord Jiraiya. You also know how much my sister spends her money."
"Little money..."
Yamato was quietly serving food beside him, although he didn't say anything. But as Senju Tatsu's secretary, he knew in his heart how terrifying and exaggerated the annual profits of hundreds of "food is the sky" companies in the Ninja world were.
Anko picked up the last piece of crystal braised pork, took a bite, and tasted it with her head tilted. Then she put down her chopsticks.
"It's delicious." Anko wiped his mouth, "But to be honest, the one you made yourself, Bichen, is still a bit inferior."
"What's wrong?" Senju Chen asked casually.
"I can't tell you. The braised pork you made didn't make me tired until the end. This one made me tired after eating three pieces."
Senju Chen took a piece and tasted it.
Indeed, the coloring of the sugar was not done decisively enough, and the final heat was not interesting. The chef at the branch was technically competent but lacked intelligence. He could make it 80% according to the recipe, and the remaining 20% was due to touch and experience.
But even if it's only 80%, it's still better than Shinobi World's other hotels.
"Go back to Konoha and cook it for you." Senju Chen put the piece of meat back on the plate.
Anko's eyes lit up.
After paying the bill and going out, Senju Chen glanced at the bill.
The price per customer was indeed low, so I asked Kakuzu to adjust the price upward. Land of Rain had just experienced war, and the price system was not yet stable. The price of "Food Is Heaven" was nearly 30% lower than that of Konoha's main store, and the profit margin was severely compressed.
Of course, these are all things for later.
The four of them continued walking along the restaurant street.
Anko is holding the umbrella of Senju Chen, and is holding a candied haws of sugarcane that he just bought in his hand - the one fell to the ground yesterday and must be replaced today.
After walking about two streets, Jiraiya suddenly stopped.
On the street corner ahead, there are three words written on a wooden sign.
"Moon-Viewing Bath."
As soon as I saw the hot spring pavilion.
Jiraiya's eyes suddenly changed.