Chapter 1901: Let's Bet
The lady looked at Georgina in shock, but still retracted her gaze courteously, and picked up her mirror without saying anything again.
Kenneth looked away. He tried his best to hide the disappointment in his eyes, although that was expected.
Harrison also did not expect Georgina to reject his recommendation. However, when he saw her looking down like an abused kitten, her eyelashes trembling, he could not help but sympathize with her.
"I think there must have been times when you loved trying new things," Harrison started.
Georgina thought that Harrison would continue to persuade her like how others would, and throw out a bunch of reasons to convince her. She had even decided to leave straight away the moment he spoke. However, she did not expect that he neither persuaded her, nor reasoned with her.
She looked up at him, and felt the gentleness in his gaze.
It was not like the glaring rays of the sun, but like the warm fireplace. Although it was not stunning, it was warm enough.
After a slight hesitation, she nodded.
Yes. There was a time when she loved trying new things.
Then, no matter how busy her father was, there would always be a day when his time belonged to her.
She would always bring him around the streets of Chaos City to try all the things she had never tried before. There were those which were delicious and those which were not. However, as long as it was new, she would be curious to try it out.
"I like it too. Whether it's interesting things, interesting places, or interesting food, as long as it's something I haven't tried, I would always give it a go." Harrison smiled brightly, as though he was very happy that there was something similar between the two of them.
"Mm-hm," Georgina replied softly. Although she did not carry on the conversation, she felt as though the two of them had gotten closer.
"Let's not talk about somewhere far away. In Mamy Restaurant, whenever Boss Mag launches a new dish, no matter what it is and no matter what others remark or guess about it, I will always order a serving without any hesitation. What others say does not count. I have to try it for myself for it to be real. If I missed out on a delicacy, that would be such a loss," Harrison continued despite Georgina's silence.
Georgina looked at Harrison with increasing curiosity. Back then, she was just like him. She would always feel an immense sense of loss if she were to miss out on a delicacy, just like him.
"Yesterday, Mamy Restaurant was closed for the day, and I swept the whole northern part of the city for street food. I discovered a few eateries that were not bad, but it was a pity those foods weren't filling. Today, when the restaurant opened for operation, Boss Mag announced that he would be launching a new dish again. That's really a pleasant surprise." Harrison smiled brightly, and looked at Georgina as he said, "Miss Georgina, let's bet."
"Hm?" Harrison had made Georgina relax unknowingly. Upon hearing what Harrison said, Georgina could not help but be curious.
Harrison said, "Boss Mag is launching a new dish called Mapo Tofu today. Let's bet and have a guess at what kind of dish it is. The loser must promise the winner something."
"Mapo Tofu?" Georgina repeated softly. This name sounds strange. What's the link between tofu and tofu pudding? What is Mapo? Is it a person? Or a herb?
A million thoughts flashed past her mind. It was just the name of a dish, but it made her very curious.
"Don't worry. I will not raise anything overboard, but for your request, anything will do as long as I can do it," Harrison said with a smile. "Would you be willing to play this game with me?"
Georgina looked at Harrison's smile, and although the answer she had in her heart was a rejection, she somehow nodded her head.
"In that case, I'll start guessing first. I am guessing that this dish must be spicy, and it must be spicy and numbing. However, it's made with tofu pudding. It must be quite a delicious snack," Harrison said excitedly. After that, he looked at Georgina, and asked, "Miss Georgina, what kind of dish do you think it is?"
"I…" Georgina opened her mouth, and realized that she seemed to have fallen into Harrison's gentle trap. He had been eating here every day, so he would definitely know this restaurant and the chef better than her. This was her first time here, and she had completely no idea about the restaurant and chef's style. Guessing based on just the name of the dish was not easy at all.
However, looking at Harrison, the competitiveness within her which had disappeared long ago started awakening. She thought for a while, opened the menu, and found the Mapo Tofu in the stir-fried dishes section very quickly.
In a white porcelain plate, there were white cubes submerged in bright red gravy. It was decorated with bits of minced meat and fresh chopped green onions. It looked really enticing.
Georgina stared at the picture for a while, then looked up at Harrison, and said, "I think it must be a dish that will make you eat a lot of rice."
"It looks like we have completely different guesses. I think it is a snack that is suitable to eat on its own, while you think that it's a dish that has to go with rice. In that case, there will be a clear winner." Harrison nodded.
"Mm-hm." Georgina was rather confident. Based on her past experiences, this dish had to have rather extreme taste. It would not be a good choice to have it as a snack alone. However, with rice, one would definitely be able to wolf down a lot of it.
"Can I have your order, please?" Just then, Yabemiya happened to reach their table.
The lady sitting with them ordered a set of sweet tofu pudding and a plate of Yangzhou fried rice.
"I want a set of sweet tofu pudding, two roujiamos, and a Mapo Tofu," Harrison said with a smile. After that, he looked at Georgina, and said, "Miss Georgina, I think you should see for yourself who exactly is the winner, right?"
Georgina felt something amiss, but at the same time, she wanted to prove to Harrison that she was right. She hesitated for a while, looked at Yabemiya, and said, "I want a set of Mapo Tofu and a bowl of rice."
"Alright, please hold on." Yabemiya nodded with a smile.
Kenneth looked at Georgina in surprise. This was the first time in two years she took the initiative to order food. It even felt unreal to him, and all this was thanks to the young man sitting in front of them.
"Sir, what would you like to have?" Yabemiya looked at Kenneth.
"I want…" Kenneth hesitated for a while, and recalled what Harrison said before. He said, "I would like a set of savory tofu pudding, a set of braised chicken and rice, and a set of eggplant with garlic sauce."