At this moment, in the backyard of Tianxiang Tower, Xue Zhuang was talking with the short, stout manager.

It seemed they had been talking for quite some time, and Hu Qing, who was sitting next to him, was already getting restless and kept pacing back and forth in the room.

"Brother Xue, to be honest, as you can see, business is tough in Qili County. Taxes are high, and grain prices are high too. People only see that Tianxianglou is doing well, but our expenses are also huge. We can barely afford vegetables anymore," the fat manager rambled on.

Xue Zhuang's face was grim. He was originally a soldier, and negotiating prices and doing business was already a difficult task for him.

When Tianxianglou wanted to lower the price of vegetables to ten coins per catty, they naturally refused.

"Manager Mi, please stop talking. I, Xue, am a rough man, so please don't be angry if I speak bluntly. Tianxiang Restaurant charges fifty coins per catty for its dishes, and that's the lowest we can go. If you keep trying to lower the price, we'll just stop selling to you and keep the food for ourselves."

Manager Mi raised an eyebrow.

Nowadays, Tianxianglou doesn't sell vegetables alone; only VIP customers who spend more than ten taels of silver can receive a complimentary serving.

Fresh vegetables became a gimmick to attract customers, bringing him a lot of business.

He cuts prices three times on everyone he meets; haggling is just a habit.

Seeing that Xue Zhuang was about to get angry, Manager Mi laughed as if by magic: "Look, it's just a few dozen coins, and Brother Xue is already getting anxious."

Of course we want the food, since we hit it off. Fifty coins it is, brother, be generous.

"Brother, you have one condition you must agree to: sell me more acorn noodles."

When Xue Zhuang heard that the dish would cost fifty coins, he was overjoyed and immediately replied, "No problem. You can have all the acorn noodles in Suijin Town from now on."

That stuff is cheap and can't be eaten as food. What people really need is money, so they can buy whatever they want with cash.

Tianxianglou originally offered acorn noodles for six coins per pound, which Xue Zhuang was very satisfied with.

I'd be even more satisfied if I placed an order now.

"Brother Xue, in business, we need solid evidence, so let's draw up a contract!" Manager Mi took out paper and pen.

That was actually Manager Mi's real purpose.

Even if the price of fresh vegetables is high, it will only last for a month at most. Once spring arrives and flowers bloom, Tianxianglou will stop buying them.

When Xue Zhuang delivered acorn noodles and tried his best to persuade Tianxianglou to sell them, Manager Mi keenly spotted the business opportunity.

Manager Mi also came from a poor family and ate acorns in his early years.

He knew that acorns were bitter and hard to swallow, and were originally used to fill the stomach when food was scarce.

The acorn flour and acorn noodles delivered from Suijin Town are not bitter; on the contrary, they are chewy and smooth, which is very suitable for those who live in high places but also want to understand the people's lives and return to simplicity.

The adults could enjoy a bite of the exquisite acorn cornbread and recite: "Sharing the hardships and joys with the people! Though we are troubled, our hearts are open and honest!"

However, he didn't want to buy too much. This stuff was cheap and not suitable for high-class dining; it was only good for giving people a novelty.

Xue Zhuang quickly completed the contract with Tianxianglou, making two copies. The contract stipulated that Suijin Town would deliver 1,000 catties of acorn vermicelli to Tianxianglou every month for a period of one year.

After signing and signing, Xue Zhuang pressed his fingerprint at the last spot.

He was overjoyed to be able to secure a stable income for Broken Gold Town within a year, and the annoyance of being pestered by Manager Mi was gone.

In this way, Suijin Town can receive at least six taels of silver from Tianxiang Tower every month.

Hu Qing, standing to the side, couldn't hide his joy; his family made vermicelli.

Although six taels of silver from Tianxianglou is not much, it provides a fixed monthly income, with each household receiving one tael of silver.

In the future, we can farm during busy seasons and work during slack seasons. With enough food and money, we will never have to worry about living a hard life again.

For this business deal, the two men thanked Manager Mi profusely, almost to the point of kowtowing.

Manager Mi was quite pleased with himself. He wouldn't sell this rare delicacy in Qili County, but rather send it to the prefectural city, where it would find a market among high-end people.

Xue Zhuang and Hu Qing left Tianxiang Tower and found a small tavern to enjoy themselves, completely unaware that Song Liyun was also at Tianxiang Tower at that time.

In the lobby of the restaurant, in front of Song Liyun sat an old man with a white beard, dressed in a fur robe and exuding arrogance.

"Is the young lady's surname Song?"

"His surname is Song!"

Song Liyun put down her chopsticks, used the cotton handkerchief Yunniang had prepared for her to wipe the sauce from the corners of her mouth before asking, "May I ask who the old man is?"

The old man didn't say a word, didn't even greet me, and just sat down opposite me, acting all high and mighty.

Although she had come to Tianxianglou by someone seeking her out, she disliked this method very much.

They should at least let people finish eating before they come; the roasted lamb chops don't taste good when they're cold.

Seeing that Song Liyun did not get up to greet him, a waiter stepped forward and scolded, "This is the big boss of Tianxiang Restaurant, known as Master Hong. Hurry up and pay your respects."

It turns out that this old man is the big boss of Tianxiang Restaurant, known as Master Hong, Hong Jingtian.

Song Liyun recognized the voice and looked up at the waiter. It was indeed an acquaintance—the one who had snatched her roasted lamb chops last time. She couldn't help but chuckle, "What's wrong with the owner of Tianxiang Restaurant? He won't let me eat in peace and wants to steal the lamb chops I ordered?"

The waiter was speechless, his face turning bright red. Although he had stayed behind after what happened last time, he had been fined a month's wages by the building.

Seeing that his waiter had been put on hold by a single sentence, the old man waved his hand to tell him to step back. He stopped putting on airs and looked at Song Liyun with a half-smile, saying, "Young lady, you have some skill. You taught my good-for-nothing fourth brother a lesson. He deserved it. According to the rules of the underworld, if you can't beat someone, you have to admit defeat. Don't you think so?"

His words made it sound like the dead Min Gande had learned a lesson, which was quite easy for him.

Song Liyun became wary, but she didn't show it on her face and calmly continued eating her lamb chops.

He even shared a piece of meat with Han Ming, who was already looking tense and wary, saying, "Uncle Han, don't worry about eating. This is Old Master Hong's shop; he can't afford to ruin his own business!"

It was lunchtime, and although Song Liyun's surroundings had been cleared out due to Old Master Hong's arrival, there were still diners in other parts of the hall.

Moreover, if Old Master Hong wanted to do something, he could easily find a reason to summon him to a secluded place, where he could kill or bury him as he pleased.

By bringing this up in front of everyone, they're trying to portray themselves as completely impartial.

Since this old man wants to act, I'll just go along with him.

Sure enough, upon hearing Song Liyun's words, Master Hong chuckled and said, "Miss Song's courage is comparable to that of a man. Not bad, not bad, very much to my liking."

Indeed, matters of the martial world should be settled within the martial world itself.

The young lady's initiative to come to my Tianxiang Restaurant for a meal is an honor for my restaurant.

To be honest, quite a few people from your Suijin Town come to Qili County, so it's easy for them to ask someone to pass on messages, and it's also easy for them to inquire about your two brothers...

Miss, please don't misunderstand. I just want to see who you are and find out what happened that day!

In just one sentence: How did Min Gande die?

He spoke gently and smiled warmly, making it seem to outsiders as if he were having a heart-to-heart talk with his nephews and nieces.