Chapter 122: Forced Ordering

Tatar's explanation left Li Tianque feeling deeply confused, so he could not help but ask:

"I don't quite understand. You said the trouble you're facing is related to the taboos of food blogging. However, most of the rumors online about these taboos involve the bloggers themselves. Usually, if these bloggers accidentally trigger a taboo, they suffer terrible retribution—some end up self-mutilating, others commit suicide, or engage in all sorts of bizarre behaviors. But I haven't heard of a single restaurant owner being affected by these food blogging taboos."

Tatar continued to lightly flick the Kang knife in his hand. His gaze seemed to drift toward Li Tianque, yet also seemed to be peering at the dawn light outside the door. He muttered:

"You are right; that is how it usually goes, and the trouble I am facing actually falls into the majority of those cases. But this is a long story. You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Let's eat first."

"It's alright, I'm not that hungry. Please, continue; we can eat after you're done."

"Eat first, then talk. We people of the grasslands believe in having 'golden mouths and axes for hearts.' If you aren't full, you won't have the stomach for anything." Tatar patted Li Tianque on the shoulder.

Seeing that his host was insistent, Li Tianque found it difficult to refuse and followed Tatar to sit on the floor mat nearby.

Tatar snapped his fingers at a waiter and spoke a few words in the Kang language. Before long, a sumptuous Kang-style breakfast was laid out on the small square table in front of Li Tianque.

Although one often sees Koreans and Japanese people in movies and TV shows enjoying sitting on heated floors or tatami mats to eat, and the people of the grasslands also enjoy sitting on the ground, this posture is actually quite uncomfortable and tends to make one feel bloated. Even though Li Tianque didn't care for this sitting position, he was quickly won over by the feast on the table.

On the vermilion platter, there were tsampa, butter tea, Kang-style steamed buns, spicy jelly noodles, and fried milk dregs.

"This... I really can't think of any better adjectives to describe eating this," Li Tianque exclaimed in admiration.

"Hahaha, then your level of skill isn't really suited for food blogging. As a food blogger, you have to have the ability to spin tall tales. If you can't blather on until you've 'blown away' hundreds of cows and sheep on the grassland, you aren't qualified to shoot videos," Tatar said with a laugh.

"Hehe, I'm just messing around. It's our beauty Chong-Chong who's really making waves." As Li Tianque said this, he suddenly thought of something and asked in surprise, "Wait? Tatar, did you know I'm a food blogger too?"

"Yes, I heard it from Chong-Chong before," Tatar said while lifting a silver pot to pour some butter tea.

Li Tianque struggled to swallow the bun in his mouth and then asked eagerly, "Tatar, can you tell me what is really going on now?"

"Don't rush, don't rush..." Tatar said slowly, swallowing his bun in one bite. "To get the cream, you must first feed the cow well. Let's take it slow; you will know in a while."

Li Tianque felt uneasy. It seemed as though Tatar was deliberately stalling for time, and he couldn't fathom what he was waiting for. Although he was suspicious, his stomach felt otherwise; urged on by his hunger, he couldn't wait to pick up another bun.

However, just as his chopsticks were about to touch the bun, Tatar blocked them with a dining knife. Li Tianque was startled and looked at him in confusion. Tatar’s narrow eyes gazed at him with deep meaning, and he said softly:

"Little brother, don't get too full yet. The breakfast isn't finished."

Li Tianque licked his lips, still thinking about grabbing the bun, and asked, "Er, Tatar, you are too kind. I can't finish all this; there's no need to bring out anything else."

"No, that won't do... If you don't do this, you will have waited for nothing. Tell me, what else would you like to eat?" Tatar looked at him quite seriously.

Li Tianque slowly withdrew his chopsticks, forced an awkward smile, and said, "Tatar, you're putting me in a difficult spot. This is my first time on the grasslands, so I don't know what the specialties are. Besides, I really feel like this is enough. Even if two 'Fatty Bis' were here, I think they would burst."

Tatar’s expression remained unreadable, but he continued to stare at Li Tianque and said sternly:

"I am not joking with you. Order what you want—anything. Hong Kong-style dim sum, old Beijing breakfast, soy milk and fried dough sticks—anything. As long as you order it, I can make it."

"No, no, really, there's no need..."

Before Li Tianque could finish, he froze. He looked at Tatar, feeling baffled and uneasy, unsure of what the man meant. Tatar was dead serious; it was clearly not a joke, nor was it some display of hospitality. It seemed he really wanted him to keep ordering.

Could it be that he had offended him somehow, and he was deliberately looking for trouble?

That couldn't be right; it made no sense. But looking at Tatar, if he didn't comply, it would be disrespectful.

Li Tianque suddenly thought of something and laughed:

"Hahaha, right! If you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten my own trade. As a food blogger, it's unprofessional not to record a segment while eating. But I don't have my professional equipment on me, and my phone is broken. Tatar, could I borrow your streaming gear? I'll record a short clip, and I'll have Wu Miaoran edit it in later."

Tatar looked at him noncommittally and handed him his phone, saying:

"There's no need for promotion. I have discussed it with Chong-Chong... what happens here can be edited into a video, but do not mention the name of our restaurant. You can say it is a mysterious restaurant somewhere on the grasslands."

"Why is that?" Li Tianque asked, puzzled.

"Because I hope that when you leave, all these strange occurrences in the restaurant will disappear, rather than becoming a gimmick to attract tourists," Tatar said in a low voice.

Li Tianque swallowed hard and slowly took the phone.

"So, you mean... after I order, something strange will happen?"

Tatar stroked his beard and nodded slightly.