My Aloof Lord Ex-Husband Begs for Remarriage
Chapter 85: Escaping the Scene

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Escaping the Scene

Chu Nanli saw him presenting the dish as if offering a treasure, looking exactly like one of those kids who just discovered something new and couldn’t wait to show it off; she couldn’t help but let the corner of her mouth twitch slightly.

How could she have not seen it before? Marinated snacks and the fruit platter were exactly what she had requested Xinlian to add to the menu.

However, she eventually didn’t have the heart to destroy the proud moment of the big brother across from her and shook her head.

"I haven’t seen it."

The man grew even more proud, bearing an "I knew it" expression, cleared his throat, and pointed at the plate of marinated snacks first.

"Look at these duck necks, duck feet, and lotus root slices, they used to only be seen on dining tables, served as dishes. Who knew they could be marinated to have this kind of numbing and spicy flavor, and then sold as snacks?"

Chu Nanli politely nodded in agreement.

"I did not know." She also took the opportunity to inquire, "What do the other customers think of these marinated snacks?"

"They’re fantastic!" the man slapped his thigh, "Last time there was only one portion left, and I was the first to order. A bunch of people were fighting over it with me."

Chu Nanli silently took note in her heart.

There were many food lovers among the patrons of the building; she could arrange to have more types of snacks available.

Also, the kitchen might be short-staffed, and they seem not to prepare enough ingredients.

"How about this ’fruit platter’? What do you think?"

Before the man realized that Chu Nanli had taken over the conversation, he raised his thumb again, "Absolutely brilliant. I’ve never eaten fruit so meticulously, even at my own house."

"I’m not bragging, my family is in business and we’re not short of money. But even if we cut the fruit into small pieces at home, we would never think to put many different kinds of fruits together on one plate. It’s not that we can’t afford it, we just never thought of it."

After using a toothpick to pick up a piece of fruit to eat, he continued his unrestrained praise: "The owner here is really clever, came up with this fruit platter, guests can enjoy several types of fruit at once and the building can charge a higher price."

"It is indeed good." Chu Nanli nodded with a smile, modestly keeping her contributions to herself.

Just then, bursts of applause suddenly came from the center of the hall.

Chu Nanli curiously looked over.

The man said, "Today’s program on the first floor seems to be a poetry contest. The hostess of Bright Moon Building was once a student under the Assistant Minister of Rites and is highly educated. With just a lift of her pen, she can create poems and essays. So, today many talents from the Capital City have come."

Upon saying this, he chuckled disdainfully, mercilessly mocking: "These people used to be so haughty, claiming they would never set foot in such frivolous places, and now look at them, all scurrying over here."

There were many people in the hall, and their table was quite on the outer edge. Therefore, from Chu Nanli’s position, she could only vaguely see a girl on the stage writing on rice paper, with several tables and chairs placed opposite the girl, equipped with brushes, inkstones, and papers, and many young scholars were seated there.

The conversation from the table in front also reached her.

"I just went over to the stage to take a look; today’s theme for the poetry is ’spring.’ The hostess has been trading verses with the talents for several rounds without a clear winner."

"Impressive! Those who bet that the girl would lose in a single round, wouldn’t they just about lose their pants?"

"Hahaha, serves them right for looking down on her."

Hearing this, Chu Nanli’s thoughts stirred again.

In this kind of competition, she could have Xinlian set up betting, which would not only heighten the customers’ excitement but also serve as a way to make money.

"Writing about ’spring’ isn’t easy. There’s so much one can describe about spring, you could write about peach blossoms and someone else about irises; the competing beauty of countless flowers makes it hard to stand out if your diction isn’t superior."

The man was alternating between a swig of Daughter Hong and a bite of duck neck, spat out the bone, and nudged Chu Nanli, "Brother, how would you write about spring in an impressive way?"

Chu Nanli was reflecting on other improvements she could make to Bright Moon Building and was caught off guard by his question. Without giving full attention to what he said, she subconsciously blurted out the first line of poetry that came to her mind.

"The spring scene cannot be contained, a red apricot branch bursts through the wall."

The man looked at Chu Nanli in amazement, his face all but spelling out "A master was right beside me."

Chu Nanli snapped back to reality and, seeing his misunderstanding, explained, "That was written by a very talented poet from my hometown."

The man paused for two beats, then suddenly turned and rushed towards the stage, shouting out the line of poetry Chu Nanli had just recited.

Chu Nanli’s scalp tingled, as she hadn’t anticipated that she might inadvertently "socially die" on her own turf, nor did she intend to claim the work of a great poet from the past as her own. She immediately got up and walked away without turning back.

By the time the whole hall was astir with excitement over that line of poetry, the man pointed to the table and said, "It was the poem of that brother’s fellow townsman, hey, where did he go?!"