The landlord was a typical Guangzhou native, so his tastes were very Guangzhou-style. Xia Ruzheng decided to cook exclusively Cantonese cuisine this time. Back then, seafood wasn't exactly a hype item, so it wasn't expensive and could even be considered a home-cooked dish. However, Guangzhou people still loved soup; they didn't mind eating meals, believing that a chef's true skill lies primarily in making broth. So, that day, Xia Ruzheng focused his attention on the broth. You can't overdo it with seasoning; the goal was to bring out the original flavors of the ingredients, allowing their essence to dissolve within the broth.
Xia Ruzheng made an old duck soup. Apart from red dates and other ingredients, he only added a little salt.
Xia Ruzheng never felt pressure when cooking before, but this was the first time he prepared a table of dishes with such care.
In addition to soup, there are seafood options like boiled shrimp and white-cut chicken, which diners all praise. Xia Ruzheng even tried making egg tarts, but since the conditions are simple, he hopes the taste will not disappoint.
When the landlord came, he brought not only his wife but also his two children.
Xia Ruzheng stared. What was going on? Did he like to take advantage of others so much?
Wen Zhichao exchanged glances with Xia Ruzheng, and Xia Ruzheng suppressed his doubts and dissatisfaction.
Xia Ruzheng brought the dishes to the table one by one. Wen Zhichao was the most eloquent: "These are the dishes my wife has prepared for a whole day. We are not locals, so there are some shortcomings in the preparation of these dishes. Please forgive us."
Xia Ruzheng also agreed with a smile: "Yes, but if you have any opinions, feel free to tell me. I run a restaurant, so of course I hope to make the food better and better."
The old duck soup attracted the family's attention. Although they were from Guangzhou, they could not eat meat often, let alone such a carefully stewed soup.
The landlord spoke first: "You are so polite, it looks good to us!"
The landlord's wife also praised: "Yes, yes, I don't think I can do it so well!"
Children can't speak, but their actions are the most honest. They couldn't wait to pick up the food with chopsticks. The landlord couple naturally pretended to be angry and wanted to teach the child a lesson. Wen Zhichao and Xia Ruzheng also quickly cooperated: "The child is hungry too. Eat whatever you want. Eat as much as you like."
The dishes were served, and with Haichao watching outside, Xia Ruzheng sat down with Wen Zhichao to deal with the landlord's family.
The landlord couple praised it highly, not sure if it was because it was free or because it was really delicious.
"I was being so modest just now. This soup is so delicious! Thank you for the effort, boss lady!"
Xia Ruzheng just smiled shyly. Wen Zhichao said, "Don't praise her. If she claims to be a Cantonese chef tomorrow, she'll screw over a lot of people!"
Xia Ruzheng couldn't help but pinch Wen Zhichao under the table, and Wen Zhichao quickly winked at him.
Xia Ruzheng decided to teach her a lesson when he got home in the evening. How could he frame his own wife like this!
After the meal, Xia Ruzheng felt that although the landlord's family did not look very good while eating, they were polite and their words were not so out of tune. When Wen Zhichao mentioned the matter of renting a house, they also said that it was easy to negotiate. They heard that the owner of the bookstore that their family rented out would not be doing business next year and wanted to rent it out. Of course, Wen Zhichao had already inquired about these things.
The landlord said that based on the market conditions, the rent would increase a bit next year. After some discussion, the two sides finally agreed on a rent of 500 yuan a year, which was indeed a bit more expensive.
After the meal, the two children were so full that they could not walk, which made the landlord feel embarrassed. The two children were so ignorant that they didn't know how to be polite at all.
Xia Ruzheng was naturally polite: "The child ate a lot, which means he likes my cooking. I'm so happy! But eating too much will make your stomach uncomfortable. You should rub your stomach when you get home and don't go to bed too early."
After seeing off the landlord and his family, Xia Ruzheng felt her back and waist aching. She had been busy all day preparing this table and was worried that the landlord and his family would not like it. She had been nervous the whole time, but now she could finally relax.
"Is today's matter considered accomplished?"
"Yeah, it's finally done. It's getting harder and harder to rent a house around here."
Mingshui Street is just one of them. In fact, the rental market in Guangzhou has been rising continuously. If it weren't for the increase in storefront prices, Xia Ruzheng would not have noticed this matter. Grandma Liu and Grandpa An don't seem to have any intention of raising the rent.
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