Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Tourists, what do you think? I’m a ghost...
After being closed for two days for renovation, the haunted house reopened and welcomed a full house of customers for the first time.
Xu Ruyi was a bit stunned when she went out to greet them.
Generally, the consumer group for haunted houses is very clear—mostly young people.
But this time, why were half of the eight people middle-aged?
She was a bit taken aback and repeatedly emphasized the disclaimers and precautions several times.
“Um, this is a haunted house. Those with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or mental illness,” Xu Ruyi involuntarily glanced toward several middle-aged people nearby, “are not allowed to enter.”
Wang Zhaoshan felt a bit depressed.
The haunted house owner’s glance clearly pointed at him!
However, he had just turned fifty-something this year, with no major health issues, so he could barely be considered a proper middle-aged person, right?
Xu Ruyi emphasized twice, and seeing no objections from the visitors, she began to explain the rules of the haunted house.
Based on previous experience, she especially stressed the punishments.
“During the haunted house tour, if caught once, you will be immediately locked in the small dark room. Also, any props in your hands, including usable items, will be confiscated immediately. Everyone understands, right?”
Last time, watching visitors grab plates and run desperately on surveillance, who could understand her breakdown as a haunted house owner?
Among the visitors gathered at the entrance, not all were fans of Chen Ran. Some genuinely liked haunted houses and came after seeing the promotion for this one.
Three serious visitors showed no reaction; the foodies curious about the new chef looked around.
Wang Zhaoshan was a bit dismissive inside. This haunted house owner’s marketing tactics were quite skilled, but he wondered if the chef’s skills could even reach half of Chen Ran’s.
After such a big haunted house promotion, it would be laughable if they couldn’t break even.
He wasn’t a foodie who could be fooled easily! Whether it was genuine skill or just some flavoring additives, he would find out after tasting.
Xu Ruyi emphasized twice again, and seeing no objections from the visitors, she opened the door.
As soon as it opened, Wang Zhaoshan shivered.
He usually didn’t even watch horror movies, and this was his first time ever visiting a haunted house.
This haunted house was also Xu Ruyi’s enhanced version!
From the moment they stepped in, the atmosphere was much scarier than last time. The terrifying sound effects, realistic simulated cold wind, the rustling fallen leaves and joss paper on the ground—all made Wang Zhaoshan, who had never stepped into a haunted house before, feel cold.
He instinctively grabbed the arm of Qingjiao Ge (Brother Green Pepper).
“Brother Wang! It’s nothing!”
Since joining the queue committee, Qingjiao Ge had consciously become a lot more cheerful. Back then, if he saw Wang Zhaoshan, wouldn’t he have had to call him Uncle Wang?
“It’s all fake. Think about it, isn’t this just to promote their chef? We have to defend Chef Chen’s reputation!”
Yes, Qingjiao Ge shared the same thought as Wang Zhaoshan.
This chef must have come out to follow the trend after seeing Chen Ran ride the wave of popularity!However, not every fan of Chen Ran thought this way. Some casual fans just simply wanted to try the braised lion’s head.
“The more good chefs, the better. If it’s only Chen Ran alone, we wouldn’t get to eat much.”
Ms. Wang, trying to mediate, said, “Alright, alright, in the end we still have to get inside and eat first.”
Ji You next to her nodded vigorously, “Right, and I heard this one is also a female chef. If she can get into the Famous Chefs list, that would be even better.”
Wang Zhaoshan clearly saw that among this group, only he and Qingjiao Ge were die-hard fans of Chen Ran! Ms. Wang strongly supported any female chef stepping up!
He took the lead and walked forward. The two genuinely serious visitors, who looked puzzled, followed him.
Compared to this group of mostly haunted house novices, these three were really here to攻略 (conquer) the haunted house.
“Looking at the story booklet, this haunted house focuses more on the story and less on puzzles. I’ve seen reviews from previous visitors, and generally the ratings are very high.”
“Yeah, I saw that too, saying the haunted house has many noteworthy details and the props are quite useful. You can clear one yard at a time and collect the props first.”
Among the five foodies, almost none had played a haunted house before, except Ji You, who had done some last-minute research.
But since there were ready-made visitors, they just followed them!
The three visitors in front seemed a bit off—they were sweeping through the yards while frequently looking back at the other visitors behind them.
Why were others always following them?
The three couldn’t help but whisper, “Could there be planted actors here?”
“Maybe there are haunted house staff mixed in, ready to scare us later...”
The three sped up, and the other five foodies also followed more quickly!
Ms. Wang noticed the others were a bit scared, so she cleared her throat and explained, “Don’t worry, we mainly came to the haunted house to try the legendary ghost banquet here... We’re not good at puzzles, so we can only follow you guys.”
“Ah? Ghost banquet?”
One visitor raised the booklet in surprise: “You mean the ghost banquet before the update? I didn’t like that story before, but I came after hearing the story was upgraded.”
No more ghost banquet?
Wang Zhaoshan remembered he had the booklet too, so he immediately opened it and looked.
The booklet only briefly introduced the general layout of the haunted house, without the full story, so as not to spoil the puzzles.
However, even so, the booklet included this sentence: “The legendary ghost banquet table is scattered in every corner of the manor...”
It’s turned into a puzzle!
If previously the banquet was just an unclear prop in the haunted house, now the banquet dishes had become various rewards distributed throughout!
Xu Ruyi had also resolutely studied this:
“You all love lion’s head, right? Then go solve the puzzles and play the haunted house well. If you don’t do well, no eating!”
Wang Zhaoshan abruptly closed the booklet, “Then we can only split up to solve the puzzles first!”
If they just followed the other visitors, when those visitors solved the puzzles, could they still jump in and snatch the food?
“Alright then, each person picks a route. You have to solve your own section’s puzzles before moving to others. Ji You and I will go this way first.”Ms. Wang took the lead and chose a scene that looked less scary, setting off with Ji You.
Wang Zhaoshan was a step late. Watching that casual fan pull Qingjiao Ge away, he could only shamelessly ask the nearby real visitor, “Shall we take this path together? There are four sections in total. If we split into pairs and solve them separately, we can be faster.”
He looked like the oldest among these eight people, but the real visitor didn’t mind that he might not be very helpful, just worried he might get scared: “Alright, but be careful. If there’s any danger, run first—don’t get scared.”
Seeing the college student clearly treat himself like a weakling, Wang Zhaoshan felt a bit defiant inside.
Could he really get scared? Absolutely not! He trained every morning just so he could eat Chen Ran’s lion’s head meatballs until he was eighty!
If anything, those college students who just train a bit, attend classes at eight in the morning, and play games after school might actually be weaker than him.
But at this moment, he didn’t argue: “Alright, alright, I’ll cooperate! If we find the ghost banquet at the end, we split it half and half!”
“No need,” the college student said proudly, showing his backpack, “I checked this scenario lasts quite long, so I specially brought my own food!”
Though the intro mentioned that the ghost banquet dishes were freshly made daily and the utensils disposable, he still felt there wouldn’t be anything good to eat here.
“I bought pancakes and water!”
Wang Zhaoshan looked at this silly and cute college student and felt a little reluctant. Just as he was about to remind him, he heard the student say a term that made him really not want to face reality.
“Sir, you didn’t bring any food, did you?”
Being called uncle would have been fine, but “sir”?!
At 54 years old, in his prime, Wang Zhaoshan was so angry he got another wrinkle, but he answered with righteous pride: “Yeah, I didn’t bring any food. Since you brought pancakes, then I’ll eat yours later.”
“Alright, sir! If your stomach can handle it, go ahead and eat!”
The college student led the way, with Wang Zhaoshan close behind.
What comforted him was that all this “sir” calling wasn’t in vain—the college student really was an expert!
After the thorough upgrade by Xu Ruyi, this haunted house scene was indeed very scary, the whole ground stained with mottled blood.
The courtyard they entered was filled with looms and spinning wheels, all similarly stained with mottled blood. The bloodstains seemed very old, almost blackened.
The college student sighed, “This scenario is pretty well made. The protagonist never even saw her husband her whole life, all because of a chastity archway she was locked in here for... You think this courtyard means she was not only locked up but also forced to work nonstop?”
Wang Zhaoshan knew more about this topic: “Of course she had to work. In ancient times, these big clans preached benevolence and filial piety on the surface, but deep down they squeezed every last drop of blood from the lower-class members.”
“Have you heard this online joke? Why were ancient people so filial? Because young people back then couldn’t have private property; every cent was tied up in the clan.”
The college student shivered, “My mom’s better then, even though she still hasn’t given me my red envelope money.”
Wang Zhaoshan couldn’t help but laugh. Who didn’t have their red envelope money taken by their family as a kid?
They were laughing when the college student finally found the key prop for this scene.
It was a spindle!
As an important part of the loom, the spindle was very realistically made, even showing smooth marks from long use by hand.
The college student carefully took down the spindle, and sure enough, there was a crack on it!
However, Xu Ruyi had already reinforced the haunted house’s scenario and mechanisms. As soon as they took down the spindle, they immediately heard ghostly wails and footsteps!
“A ghost is coming!”The college student quickly covered Wang Zhaoshan’s mouth, and the two cautiously hid away.
This time, the ghost was still Song Yuhan.
However, for Wang Zhaoshan, who didn’t know this was a socially anxious female ghost, a ghost floating over with ghostly steps was still a bit too intense!
Huddled in a narrow cabinet, pulled there by the college student, he felt his heart rate shooting up to nearly 180!
Even the college student covering his mouth sensed it and silently prayed that this “sir” wouldn’t faint from fright.
“Are you okay? If not, just go out and surrender…”
At the word “surrender,” Wang Zhaoshan shook his head desperately.
If his goal was only to clear the scenario, surrendering would make sense, but his goal was to try the “lion’s head meatballs better than Chen Ran’s,” as An Jishan said!
“I’m fine!”
Wang Zhaoshan’s face turned beet red. He watched the ghost float in to look around, even pretending to open the cabinet door.
Only after the ghost finally floated out did the two hurry out of the cabinet.
“Hurry, quickly activate the mechanism! This ghost will definitely come back!”
“If she comes back, we split up and run, got it? Whoever gets the item, run separately. We absolutely can’t let her catch both of us at once!”
Wang Zhaoshan nodded fiercely. The two solved another simple map puzzle inside the house and finally found a shrine cage.
Opening it, inside was a pitch-black painting with a very terrifying image. In front of the painting was an incense burner and two small covered bowls!
Wang Zhaoshan was overjoyed!
The college student had already stepped on a stool to touch the painting and look for items, but Wang Zhaoshan didn’t care and immediately took down one covered bowl and opened it!
As soon as the small covered bowl was opened, a layered aroma burst out.
As a professional food critic, Wang Zhaoshan’s feelings were very complicated.
Without tasting, just by smelling the scent, he knew this clear stew lion’s head meatball was definitely extraordinary.
This aroma was absolutely not some concoction like “Yi Di Xiang” (a seasoning) but truly made from good ingredients and craftsmanship!
If this aroma were a perfume, the top notes would be the fresh fragrance of crab roe, the middle notes the dominant pork aroma, and the base notes the rich chicken broth essence.
These three scents were not only layered but intertwined. The sweetness of shrimp and crab was mixed with chicken broth’s flavor. The chicken broth alone smelled somewhat bland, but with pork’s richness added.
Wang Zhaoshan’s expression grew particularly serious.
He had boasted before, but this chef’s skills really could match Chen Ran’s!
No, no — if you removed all filters, just judging this one dish, lion’s head meatballs, it not only matched Chen Ran’s but even surpassed her.
Just as he raised his spoon to take a bite, he heard the college student shout, “Leaving, the ghost is turning back again!”
It wasn’t just the college student who noticed; Wang Zhaoshan also heard the sound of fallen leaves rustling outside the door!
He immediately reached out to pick up the covered bowl and leave, but unexpectedly, when he tried to lift it hard, the bowl didn’t move an inch!
Xu Ruyi in the monitoring room laughed triumphantly.The little girl who had been carrying two plates of food earlier had already become her nightmare! Now, let this covered bowl fixed inside the shrine cage become the nightmare of these tourists!
“I can’t carry this!”
In just two seconds, Wang Zhaoshan was sweating profusely.
The college student nearby also came over and tried to lift it hard: “Oh wow, you really can’t carry it? How scared is this haunted house owner of people eating this stuff? Fine, let’s go. I’ll give you two bites of my jianbing guozi!”
“Hey, don’t carry it anymore, I’ll give you three bites!”
Wang Zhaoshan still wouldn’t give up!
Clear stewed lion’s head with crab roe wasn’t that rare a Huaiyang dish; many small restaurants had it.
But this dish being one of the main dishes of the Huainan Three-Head Banquet meant there were many particular details. Having eaten for so many years and even visited Tiankailou, really up to standard clear stewed lion’s head meatballs were almost nonexistent.
Yet just by smelling this lion’s head, he knew it was at least better than the one from Tiankailou!
“Why do you still insist on eating it…”
The college student watched Wang Zhaoshan’s face turn red, quickly reached out, scooped the lion’s head from inside, and placed it on the lid of the covered bowl: “Enough! Let’s go!”
Wang Zhaoshan was overjoyed, holding two lids with both hands: “Not bad, this new brain really works better than mine! Young man, help me out, pour me two more ladles of soup, I’ll share some with you later!”
“I dare not eat it; I’m afraid it’ll give me diarrhea!”
The college student couldn’t stand the man’s teary eyes, so perfunctorily poured a little soup on both sides: “Alright, alright, you’re making my hands wet. Let’s go!”
The two quickly ran out of the room. The college student held the map and led the way: “Go this way. This map is really complicated; we’ll have to come back once.”
Coming back was good! Could drink a couple more sips of soup!
Wang Zhaoshan perked up and ran while discussing with the college student: “Find a place so I can have a couple bites of the lion’s head, alright?”
The college student glanced back at him, the look of disgust almost tangible!
“I say, sir, just hold on a bit longer! Up ahead…”
He said this while rubbing his nose.
When Wang Zhaoshan had just lifted the two covered bowls to smell the aroma, the college student had been standing on a tall chair and didn’t smell the lion’s head.
But just now, when he helped pour the soup, because the female ghost’s arrival startled him, he accidentally spilled some soup on his hand.
That fragrance instantly filled his entire nasal cavity when he rubbed his nose!
The college student’s action paused.
The place they were currently at was actually temporarily safe from ghosts. After all, the puzzles were divided by several courtyards; if ghosts could still run to the middle path to block people, that would be way too unfair.
The college student suddenly reached out!
Wang Zhaoshan was still trying to reason, when suddenly he realized one of the bowl lids was already in the college student’s hand.
Snatching the lid, drinking the soup, biting off half a lion’s head meatball — the series of actions was so smooth he barely saw it.
He had been caught!
Only then did Wang Zhaoshan react, no longer caring about safety, and quickly scooped a mouthful of the lion’s head into his mouth.So tender...
That was his first impression of the lion’s head.
If it were just that, then food critics and ordinary diners would feel no different.
But Wang Zhaoshan really understood lion’s head! He knew exactly what this tenderness meant.
The college student had already excitedly eaten the entire lion’s head, his wicked eyes still watching Wang Zhaoshan’s half.
Wang Zhaoshan instinctively protected it, then lamented: “You really are like Zhu Bajie eating the ginseng fruit!”
With such a top-quality lion’s head, he could tell from just one bite.
It wasn’t just tender!
The meat chunks in this lion’s head stuck together not because of starch or egg whites, but because of the chef’s skill and strength, pounding it again and again!
“This lion’s head isn’t like those outside that add flour or starch… this meat filling must have been pounded for at least half an hour to get this texture.”
The college student licked his lips somewhat reluctantly, eyes fixed tightly on Wang Zhaoshan’s lion’s head: “If you don’t eat it, give it to me!”
Wang Zhaoshan swallowed the remaining half in one bite: “Alright, let’s go try the next puzzle spot!”
The two glanced at each other and decided not to continue with the follow-up task at this puzzle, instead charging off in another direction.
Running, Wang Zhaoshan tried to secretly ask in the group chat: “How’s it going, did you guys try the lion’s head?”
Ms. Wang and Ji You’s team was very steady in their puzzle-solving. They used a strategy to trap the female ghost in the ancestral hall and then leisurely went on to solve the puzzles.
She replied slowly: “Just finished eating.”
Seeing Ji You look confused, Ms. Wang explained: “If it didn’t taste good, he would have started complaining a long time ago. Asking now means the lion’s head is pretty good, he’s starting to covet others’!”
Ji You suddenly understood. Hanging around Ms. Wang today, she had learned something new.
Meanwhile, the team with Qingjiao and Luren simply didn’t reply. The two had trapped Old Xu, who was decorated with ornamental iron chains, in the woods and were happily eating lion’s head, one bite each.
After just one bite, Qingjiao’s eyes widened in shock.
He had come this time originally to expose fakes, but who would’ve thought this lion’s head really tasted better than the braised one!
Luren proudly said: “You don’t understand. The Huaiyang cuisine lion’s head is the most authentic; the braised ones are heresy!”
Qingjiao retorted stubbornly: “If you’re so sure, say it in the group!”
Luren sulked and pulled back: “Forget it, I’m afraid of getting beaten up. But Chef Chen really didn’t start off well. Why would a new chef like to run to such weird places?”
“But this lion’s head is really too small, gone in two bites…”
After finishing the lion’s head, Qingjiao glanced at the group and immediately saw Wang Zhaoshan and Ms. Wang, two old foxes, battling it out there.
He suddenly thought: “The path those other two tourists chose seems like the hardest scene, right? The brothel scene, if I remember, is supposed to be at the deepest part of the haunted house…”
“Right! Let’s go! Maybe there are still two lion’s heads left uneaten there!”
Qingjiao led the charge out, but halfway they ran into two other teams.
“Oh wow, everyone’s puzzle-solving time is really consistent.”Wang Zhaoshan was the first to speak, glancing sideways at Ms. Wang: “Didn’t Ms. Wang say she finished eating long ago? Why is she only coming out now?”
“Of course, good food must be savored slowly.”
While the two were still exchanging barbs, Qingjiao couldn’t hold back any longer and rushed over!
The brothel scene was right ahead, and he saw that the two-story building’s lights were only on for the first floor; the second floor was still dark.
This meant the puzzle for this scene hadn’t started yet, so he still had a chance to eat another bite of lion’s head!
Song Yuhan was drifting along the small path.
After Xu Ruyi revised the script, she really breathed a sigh of relief. She never wanted to experience being chased by tourists again like last time!
The new script strengthened the use of horror mechanisms and puzzles, and the actors playing ghosts only needed to appear at key moments.
She could finally continue happily being a socially anxious ghost!
Moreover, that lion’s head everyone fought over was also served in the staff meals.
She was even in such a good mood that she hummed a tune while slowly drifting along the lakeside path.
Next, she just needed to come out and scare people when tourists from other maps rushed toward the brothel map.
Drifting happily, Song Yuhan suddenly felt something was off.
Suddenly, a tourist sped past her like the wind!
Then, another woman in a suit skirt, but still running very fast...
A man who looked about fifty or sixty actually ran past several college students! The college student trailing last was running and shouting wildly: “Sir, why are you running so fast? Wait for me!”
As a socially anxious female ghost, Song Yuhan felt a bit happy but also somewhat uneasy.
She looked down at her bright but eerie wedding dress, her long hair flowing down to her feet seeming to move without wind, and the tongue dripping blood hanging down to her chest...
Was she being ignored just like that?