Chapter 29: The Best People to Deal With

In Carter's words, the good stuff naturally referred to Chinese food!

New York was not like Douglas, a small place. As one of the most well-known and wealthiest cities in the United States, New York had its own Chinatown. After eating baked pasta for more than two weeks in Douglas, Carter was already tired of it. Now, he was craving the beer and hot pot he used to enjoy.

Although he couldn't find a hot pot restaurant, Carter did find a Sichuan and Hunan cuisine restaurant. The Chinese people in America at this time were mostly not students or recent immigrants; most of them had come during the Republic of China period or even earlier. In Chinatown, the majority of people were from Guangdong or Fujian, so most of the restaurants served Cantonese cuisine, which suited the taste of Westerners.

Just like the Michelin-starred restaurants being judged differently in China, Westerners' tastes were completely different from Chinese people's. Some might exclaim "amazing" after trying Chinese food and fall in love with it, but the majority of Westerners felt indifferent, especially towards spicy Sichuan and Hunan cuisine.

For instance, looking at the table full of dishes and then at the fork in her hand, Melis's dissatisfaction grew. Especially when she saw the man opposite them skillfully wielding his chopsticks, enjoying the food, her dissatisfaction grew stronger.

"Carter!! Is this what you call good food?! How am I supposed to eat this, and don't you feel it's too spicy?"

"Oops, my bad. Here, use a spoon instead."

After comforting Melis, Carter turned to the counter and shouted, "Boss, could we get a bowl of rice, please? And another spoon, my sister doesn't know how to use chopsticks."

"Sure thing, right away. You speak Chinese so fluently, where did you learn it?"

The chubby boss placed a bowl of rice on the table with a curious expression, wondering where Carter had picked up such good Chinese. In these Chinese restaurants nowadays, it was rare to see Westerners; most of the customers were Chinese people from the nearby Chinatown. Moreover, this was a Sichuan restaurant, making it even rarer to encounter a Westerner here. Even the customers at nearby tables looked over with curious and friendly smiles.

"Hehe, I'm self-taught. Do you believe it?"

As Carter helped Melis put food in her bowl, he chuckled. As a Chinese man reincarnated into a foreigner's body, Chinatown made him feel like he was back home.

The Chinese signs on the streets and the bustling restaurants felt just like the ones near his home. Even the smoke inside the restaurant felt familiar.

"By the way, boss, do you have baijiu (Chinese liquor)? If you're not busy, let's have a drink together."

After serving the dishes, Carter suddenly felt like something was missing.

When he was a child, he used to take away a dish of shredded pork with garlic sauce from the Sichuan restaurant. In college, when he came home, he would upgrade to two dishes and a glass of wine. After so many years of being regulars, the boss would always add a dish and join them for a drink when he wasn't busy.

The innate hospitality of Chinese people was evident in the chubby boss, who, upon seeing a foreigner speaking fluent Chinese and knowing the value of baijiu, couldn't help but offer a drink. Even the customers at the surrounding tables wore curious and friendly smiles as they looked over.

"Hey! You've got the hang of it! Wait, let me bring out some of our own brewed baijiu; you can't get this anywhere else. It should get better soon. Now that we've established diplomatic relations, we won't have to brew our own doubanjiang (bean paste) anymore."

As they clinked glasses, Carter and the boss engaged in conversation. Carter was curious about the lives of Chinese people in America now, and the boss was curious about Carter's views and understanding of Chinese people as a foreigner. In any case, the conversation never lacked topics.

After a lively dinner, Carter, rubbing his full belly, left the restaurant with a sense of nostalgia. Many people thought America was open and free, but in reality, it was a Puritan country at its core, deeply conservative.

As they walked, Carter felt a sense of ease he hadn't felt before. It was either the alcohol or the sense of security in New York during the day. Now, with Melis by his side, Carter strolled leisurely back home.

After all, drinking alcohol while walking wasn't a problem; the problem was drinking and driving.

"Hehehe, maybe you're just not used to it. Once you get used to it, you'll realize that only Chinese food is fit for human consumption. I'm not saying Jenny's cooking isn't good, but eating the same few dishes every day can get boring, don't you think?"

Melis had a lot of questions, but now they had enough time to chat as brother and sister. Moreover, Carter was genuinely happy at the moment. Physical pleasure was secondary; the sense of spiritual fulfillment was the most important.

Even Chinese food, in this case, was delicious mainly for its psychological effects. Carter was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable physically now; his stomach and intestines were starting to ache. Carter's body wasn't used to Chinese food, especially heavy and spicy Sichuan cuisine.

Loving spicy and heavy food was Carter's preference from his past life. Craving this Chinese food was also Carter's psychological expectation, rather than a desire of the palate.

"As for learning Chinese, hehe, there are many things you don't know about me. But I also suggest you learn Chinese. When you learn about Chinese culture, you'll find that they are actually the most inclusive group in the world, and they are the best people to deal with, the most hospitable."

"As long as you approach them without malice, they will treat you as the most esteemed guest and offer you their best."