Chapter 43 You have your clever plans, I have my countermeasures

After Granny Zhou left, the atmosphere in the shop froze briefly. Zhu Yan looked at Chen Qing worriedly: "Miss, what about the old lady…?"

"It's alright." Chen Qing waved her hand, her expression unchanged. "If she really had a way to stop her, it wouldn't be Granny Zhou who came. She's just trying to save face and wants to give her a warning." She picked up the blue and white porcelain bowl again and examined it carefully against the light. "Let's do our thing and ignore it."

Even so, Chen Qing knew in his heart that this was just the beginning.

Sure enough, not two days later, Pei Xuan returned from outside in a huff, his forehead still damp with sweat.

"Miss! This is outrageous!" He shouted as soon as he entered the back room. "This morning I went to the meat market to order mutton, and all the familiar stall owners claimed that the supply was tight and they couldn't spare the amount we needed! But I saw that their stalls were piled high with meat!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhong frowned deeply: "Someone must be causing trouble."

Chen Qing was checking the menu when his pen paused. He looked up and asked, "Have you asked why?"

“I asked!” Pei Xuan said indignantly. “At first they hesitated and stammered, but later a shop assistant I knew secretly told me that someone from the Chen family had made a call, and anyone who dared to sell us good meat would be going against the Chen family!”

"It really was her." Chen Qing snorted coldly and put down his pen. No one but the Zhang mother and daughter would resort to such underhanded methods.

"Miss, what should we do? There's no mutton, so what about our hot pot..." Zhu Yan was also anxious.

“Qingzhou City isn’t just home to a few butchers.” Chen Qing stood up, his expression calm. “Pei Xuan, this afternoon, go to a few villages and towns outside the city and talk directly to the sheep farmers. You can offer fair prices, but the quality must be guaranteed. Remember, you need to sign long-term supply contracts.”

Pei Xuan's eyes lit up: "That's right! How come I didn't think of that! I'll go right now!"

"Uncle Wang," Chen Qing then looked at Wang Zhong, "I'd like to trouble you to go to the brokerage and find a few middlemen to spread the word that our Qingyun Hotpot Restaurant is a long-term buyer of high-quality mutton and all kinds of fresh vegetables, with preferential prices and cash payment. Make a big fuss about it."

Wang Zhong immediately understood Chen Qing's intention: "Miss wants to lure the snake out of its hole and let those people know that they can't block our way?"

“That’s right.” Chen Qing’s lips curled slightly. “Let the people of Qingzhou City know that our Qingyun Pavilion is about to open.”

This tactic proved effective. Pei Xuan found a stable source of mutton outside the city. Although the transportation was slightly more complicated, the quality was actually superior. The news spread by Wang Zhong also attracted some merchants who were not afraid of the Chen family or who were already at odds with the Chen family to take the initiative to contact him, and the supply of ingredients such as vegetables and tofu was quickly resolved.

However, the trouble did not end there.

That morning, Xiao Wu rushed into the shop in a panic: "Miss! Something terrible has happened! You need to check our signboard right away!"

Chen Qing strode out of the shop and looked up to see that the newly hung paulownia wood signboard that read "Qingyun Hot Pot Restaurant" had been splashed with black ink and had several obvious scratches. It looked dirty and unsightly.

Early risers were already pointing and commenting around.

"Oh dear, what happened to this signboard?"

"He must have offended someone..."

"To have bad luck before even opening for business is unlucky..."

Wang Zhong's face was ashen, and Zhu Yan's eyes were red with anger. Li Yi had appeared at the street corner at some point, his cold gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

Chen Qing stared at the defaced signboard, his gaze gradually turning cold. Such underhanded tactics were as disgusting as flies.

"Miss, I'll go report to the authorities right away!" Xiao Wu rolled up his sleeves and was about to leave.

"Wait a minute," Chen Qing called out to him. "Report to the authorities? Where's the evidence? Would the government make such a fuss over something so trivial?"

"Then... are we just going to let it go like this?" Pei Xuan clenched his fist unwillingly.

"Forget it?" Chen Qing sneered. "Go, fetch a basin of water and clean the signboard first."

Zhu Yan and Xiao Wu hurriedly went to fetch water. Chen Qing then said to Wang Zhong, "Uncle Wang, could you please go to the craft shop again and have them make a new signboard using the best nanmu wood? It should be bigger and more impressive than this one! The characters should be painted with gold lacquer, and cloud patterns should be carved on the sides."

Wang Zhong was taken aback for a moment, then understood Chen Qing's intention: "Miss wants to..."

"Aren't they trying to embarrass me?" Chen Qing's gaze swept over the onlookers, his voice clear and resonant, addressing both his own people and the onlookers. "I'm going to hang it up in style! I want everyone in Qingzhou to see that my shop, Chen Qing's, can't be brought down by a few drops of ink or a few idle words!"

Her words were powerful and resounding, silencing the whispering crowd around her. Many people showed expressions of surprise and admiration.

In Chen Jiao's courtyard at the Chen residence.

A man dressed in coarse cloth, with shifty eyes, was bowing and scraping as he reported: "...Third Miss, you didn't see it, Chen Qing's face turned white with anger! The signboard is so dirty, let's see who would dare to eat in her shop! Hehe."

Chen Jiao, dressed in a gorgeous dress, wore a sinister smile that belied her age. She casually tossed a silver ingot to the man: "Well done! Get lost, and keep your mouth shut!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for the reward, Miss Third!" The man took the silver and left happily.

Zhang sat to the side, somewhat uneasy: "Jiao'er, will this work? I heard she's redoing the signboard, making it bigger and more eye-catching..."

"So what?" Chen Jiao turned around abruptly, her eyes filled with resentment. "She can change her signboard, but I can keep splashing it! I can smash her shop! Let's see how much money she pours into it! Mother, just you wait and see, I will never let her open her shop smoothly! She made me lose face, and I will make sure she has no place to stand in Qingzhou City!"

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving violently, as if she could already see Chen Qing's pathetic bankruptcy and his kneeling pleas for mercy.

“But… your father…” Zhang hesitated. Since that day at Shou'an Hall, Chen Zhenyan had become even more depressed and increasingly indifferent to the mother and daughter.

"Don't mention that useless father!" Chen Jiao interrupted shrilly. "He only cares about his own pride now, he doesn't care about our lives at all! Mother, how much money do you have left? Give it all to me! I want her to have not a single customer on her opening day!"

The new signboard for Qingyun Hot Pot Restaurant is ready, covered with red silk, and awaits its unveiling tomorrow at an auspicious time. Inside, the tables and chairs are polished to a shine, and specially made copper pots are neatly arranged. In the kitchen, all kinds of ingredients are ready, and the rich bone broth is bubbling in a large pot, filling the air with its aroma.

Chen Qing summoned everyone to the front hall.

"The opening tomorrow will likely not be peaceful." Her gaze swept calmly over each face. "The Chen family, or rather Chen Jiao, will definitely try every means to cause trouble."

Li Yi crossed his arms and said in a steady voice, "Don't worry, Miss, I have made all the arrangements. Anyone who comes here without a clear path tomorrow shall not be allowed to approach within ten feet of the shop."

Pei Xuan patted his chest and said, "Leave the front hall to me and Xiao Wu. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be thrown out!"

Wang Zhongdao said, "I will personally oversee the kitchen and the ingredients, and I will never let anyone take advantage of the situation."

Zhu Yan also said firmly, "Miss, we are all ready!"

Looking at them, Chen Qing felt a surge of warmth in her heart. This was her most precious treasure now.

"Alright." She took a deep breath. "Tomorrow is the day our Qingyun Pavilion will open its doors. No matter what happens, remember, we act with integrity, sit upright, and have nothing to fear!"

That night, Chen Qing returned to the Hehuan Courtyard. The moonlight, like water, poured into the courtyard. She stood under the Hehuan tree, gazing at the wall next door.

As expected, the sound of the flute rang out again. This time, the flute music was no longer lonely or encouraging, but carried a chilling, warlike quality, its melody rapid and resounding, as if sounding the horn for the impending battle.

Chen Qing didn't take out her zither; she simply listened quietly, feeling the power within the sound of the flute. Only when the flute music gradually faded did she turn and return to her room, her heart filled with exhilaration.

The next day, as dawn broke.

In front of Qingyun Hot Pot Restaurant, a large crowd of onlookers had already gathered under the new signboard covered with red silk. Some were curious, some were expectant, and naturally, some were waiting to see the spectacle fail.

As the auspicious hour approached, Chen Qing, dressed in a neat light blue dress, stood in front of the shop, her eyes clear and her demeanor composed. Wang Zhong, Zhu Yan, Pei Xuan, Xiao Wu, and others stood on either side, while Li Yi remained hidden among the crowd, his gaze sharp as a hawk's.

Just as the emcee shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived, unveil the plaque!" a commotion suddenly broke out on the outskirts of the crowd. Several shady-looking men squeezed in, shouting:

"Make way! Make way! What kind of run-down shop is opening for business?"

"I heard the food is ridiculously expensive; anyone who eats it is a sucker!"

"Is this some kind of deceptive tactic?"

The scarred man at the head of the group even reached out to tear off the red silk!

The scene immediately became somewhat chaotic.

Just as Pei Xuan and Xiao Wu were about to step forward to stop them, a cold voice suddenly rang out:

"stop!"

Suddenly, Zhao Lige appeared at the front of the crowd. He was still wearing that plain-colored long robe, with a handsome face, but his eyes were sharp as knives as he swept them over the troublemakers.

"Disrupting the opening of a shop in broad daylight, do you want to taste the whipping in the government jail?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. The men were clearly intimidated by his aura, freezing in place, their expressions shifting.

At the same time, Li Yi's figure appeared ghost-like beside the scarred man, casually placing a hand on his shoulder. The man felt as if his shoulder blade was being clamped by an iron clamp; a sharp pain shot through him, and cold sweat instantly broke out. He dared not move.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Qing stepped forward and said loudly, "Thank you, Second Young Master Zhao, for upholding justice." Then, she stopped looking at those clowns, reached out, and forcefully tore off the red silk!

Under the sunlight, the brand-new, wide nanmu wood signboard shines brightly. The five gilded characters of "Qingyun Hotpot Restaurant" are vigorous and powerful, and the cloud patterns on the edges are lifelike, making it look particularly grand!

"good!"

"That signboard is really impressive!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Chen Qing turned to face the crowd with a bright smile: "Today is the grand opening of 'Qingyun Hot Pot Restaurant'! For the first three days, all dishes will be 20% off. We welcome all our fellow villagers to come and taste this hot pot and see for yourselves what it's all about!"

The crowd, whose mouths had long been craved by the rich aroma, surged in. Pei Xuan and Xiao Wu quickly stepped forward to maintain order. The troublemakers were led to the back of the alley by Li Yi, and soon screams and pleas for mercy could be heard.

Zhao Ligge stood at the entrance, watching the shop quickly fill with customers and Chen Qing calmly directing them. His gaze was deep and unfathomable. He didn't enter the shop, but merely nodded slightly to Chen Qing, who was looking at him, before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

In the kitchen, Zhu Yan and the cooks were working tirelessly, quickly bringing out plates of thinly sliced ​​mutton and dishes of vibrant green vegetables. In the dining area, the enticing aroma of spicy and savory food filled the air, accompanied by the surprised exclamations and satisfied sighs of the diners.

"Delicious! This flavor is absolutely amazing!"

"How can this mutton be so fresh and tender!"

"It's so satisfying to eat a pot like this on a winter's day!"

Chen Qing stood behind the counter, watching the bustling scene, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

Qingyun Hot Pot Restaurant had been open for only a few days when business unexpectedly boomed. Its novel and unique way of eating, its spicy and fragrant flavor with an unforgettable aftertaste, spread like wildfire throughout Qingzhou City. Although many conservative people still scoffed at women doing business and at novelties, many more diners were won over by the truly delicious food, and the restaurant was often packed.

At midday, when the shop was bustling with activity, several well-dressed and distinguished elderly men arrived at the door. The one in the lead, dressed in a brocade robe with floral patterns and carrying a sandalwood cane, had a ruddy complexion and sharp eyes; he was none other than Master Qian, a renowned gourmand in Qingzhou City and the owner of the silk shop. Behind him were several other prominent and wealthy merchants, known for their discerning palates and indulgences.

The waiter quickly stepped forward to greet them: "Gentlemen, please come in. There are private rooms upstairs."

Mr. Qian waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the bustling hall. His nose twitched slightly as he sniffed the domineering yet alluring blend of fragrances in the air. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "Let's do it in the main hall. It's bright and smells even better."

The waiter led them to an empty table. Their arrival attracted the attention of many diners, who began to whisper among themselves.

"Oh, isn't that Mr. Qian? What brings him here?"

"And there's Manager Zhou from Furui Zhai, and Master Liu, the owner of Baiwei Lou... These are all experts in food in our Qingzhou City!"

"It seems this hot pot restaurant's reputation has really spread..."

In the corner, Pei Xuan, with his sharp eyes, whispered to Chen Qing behind the counter, "Miss, those people look like Master Qian and his family. I heard that Chen Jiao's side seemed to have sent someone to contact the Qian family a few days ago..."

Chen Qing was working on his abacus when he heard this. He looked up and calmly gazed at the distinguished-looking old men at the table. A faint smile appeared on his lips: "It doesn't matter. Whether they are wolves or diners, we'll know once we taste them."

She had long anticipated that Chen Jiao wouldn't resort to such low-level tactics as splashing ink on a signboard.

Inviting these seasoned gourmets, who hold considerable sway in Qingzhou's culinary scene, to taste the food would be a devastating blow to the hot pot restaurant's reputation if they found fault with it or showed disdain. Unfortunately, Chen Jiao miscalculated one thing.

A true connoisseur's tongue is the most honest indicator.