As soon as the carriage came to a stop in front of the restaurant, Meng Zhao couldn't wait to jump off the carriage with the brocade box in his hand. He had someone compare the size and length at the door, and after confirming that there were no problems, he was still worried about the others, so he specially sent Huang Cui to make a trip and instructed her to make sure to select the best wood.

By the time Huang Cui left with the brocade box, Xiao Youzhi had already circled the first floor several times.

"What do you think?" Meng Zhao stepped forward and asked.

Xiao Youzhi withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "It's alright."

Meng Zhao raised an eyebrow: "I didn't bring you here just to be polite. Say what you want to say."

Xiao Youzhi chuckled lightly, "Whether it's these two stalls or those narrow tables at the entrance, they're all for the convenience of takeout and quick dining. However, with such an arrangement, the restaurant will inevitably be bustling with people. Aren't you worried that it will be too chaotic and affect the more valuable business?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao raised her chin with a hint of smugness: "Come with me." She led Xiao Youzhi outside and said when they arrived at their destination, "You came in directly and probably didn't notice that there's another staircase here that leads directly to the third floor."

After looking around, Xiao Youzhi nodded thoughtfully: "That's clever. From now on, we just need to arrange a quick-witted young assistant to guide us here."

The two climbed the steps and, after surveying the three floors, Xiao Youzhi leaned against a pillar, his gaze fixed intently on Meng Zhao: "Tell me honestly, how long have you been planning this restaurant?"

Meng Zhao glanced at him sideways, "It's been a few years, hasn't it?"

"No wonder you're so well prepared; even I'm a little worried," he said half-jokingly, but his eyes held a hint of seriousness.

"Speaking of which," Meng Zhao turned to face him, a sly glint in her eyes, "I have to thank you for making such thorough preparations."

Xiao Youzhi was somewhat puzzled, "Thank me for what?"

"If you hadn't always acted so superior, making me so angry I could grind my teeth, I wouldn't have made up my mind to open a restaurant. So, every clever idea in this restaurant today owes a debt to you, Young Master Xiao."

Hearing her say that, Xiao Youzhi touched the tip of her nose with a slightly embarrassed look. "That's all old news, you mustn't bring it up again." Her tone carried a hint of pleading.

Meng Zhao gave a light "tsk" sound, turned her face away and ignored him, instead focusing on looking around the restaurant to see if there was anything else that was not quite right.

After looking around the restaurant, Meng Zhao went to the kitchen to find something to eat. She noticed Xiao Youzhi following her closely, and she couldn't help but ask, "Are you really that free today?" Then, a little nervously, she added, "Did the fight yesterday get you involved?"

Xiao Youzhi's eyes darkened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "It's alright, no need to worry."

Seeing that he was alright, Meng Zhao didn't press him further and continued preparing for the restaurant's opening.

In the days leading up to the restaurant's opening, Meng Zhao received invitations almost every day, all for two reasons.

Firstly, although the matter of Xinchengmen is still not finalized, the news has slowly spread. Those who originally thought the shops were not profitable and were eager to get rid of them are now gritting their teeth and will not sell easily even if the shops are losing money and they have to borrow money from all sides.

There are now mountains of posts in the brokerage firm looking to buy, but very few people are actually putting their properties up for sale.

At this critical moment, Meng Zhao did the opposite and put up a shop for sale. Although the location was not very good, many buyers still inquired about the price. Whenever someone asked why he was selling the shop now, Huang Cui would explain as Meng Zhao had instructed: "My restaurant is about to open, and I'm a little short on cash, so I have no choice but to sell one of the shops first."

As for selecting buyers, Meng Zhao conducted everything openly, with only one rule: the highest bidder wins, and no one should complain.

So, that shop in an ordinary location actually became a hot commodity amidst the fierce competition. Meng Zhao bought it for seven or eight hundred taels of silver, and in just over a month, the price had more than doubled.

Not two days after the sale, Huang Cui went to the brokerage and put up a new sign, wanting to sell another shop. This time, all those in the capital who wanted to buy property were watching with bated breath. They all knew that Meng Zhao had shops and was willing to sell, so people came to the Meng residence every day to deliver invitations, hoping to get a share of the profits.

The second matter concerns Meng Zhao herself. After all, what's the big deal about buying a shop? If they could marry Meng Zhao, wouldn't all the shops under her name belong to their family? For a time, many aristocratic families in the capital, who were usually arrogant and haughty, were eager to marry this "widow" who came from a merchant family and had been married before and lost her husband.

While the entire capital was searching for this "hot commodity," Meng Zhao herself only made a brief appearance at the Cui family's wedding banquet a few days ago. The rest of the time, she kept a low profile. Whenever people thought of the dowry and the thirty-six loads of dowry brought by the Cui family's daughter-in-law, they became increasingly envious and dreamed of having these dowries carried to their own homes.

Someone wanted to buy the shop and inquired with Huang Cui. Huang Cui replied, "Our manager is busy at the restaurant on Zhuque Street and can't spare the time. If you are interested, you can talk to her in detail after the restaurant opens."

When a matchmaker came to visit, Xu Yunrong and Meng Dashan said, "Sigh, our girl is very opinionated. We, as her parents, don't have the final say. If there's anything, you'll have to go to the restaurant on Zhuque Street to find her."

Whenever Gu Lanying went out, people would often ask her, "Madam Gu, we've heard that your goddaughter is virtuous, kind, and beautiful. Why don't you bring her out to see her more often?"

Even Shen Qinghe had colleagues approach him, winking and saying, "Brother Huazhang, I've heard that your elder sister is not only beautiful but also good at business. We're both in the officialdom, so why don't I pick a time to visit your home and introduce you to her?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!