Chapter 54 [VIP]
The next day, Mi Yao looked at the bruises on her knees and cursed Xiao Chuan from beginning to end. He would occasionally reveal a hint of innocent affection, not knowing how to treat his beloved, but his actions were completely devoid of any innocence.
Because Xiao Chuan worked tirelessly until dawn, he took over the work from the first day of the Lunar New Year and put it into the second day, so Mi Yao's entire day on the second day of the Lunar New Year was wasted.
It wasn't until the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, when her back ached from lying down, that she finally had the idea of finding something to do.
After deciding to open a shop near the bustling city center to sell braised meat, Mi Yao only discussed with the chef how to improve the recipe. She didn't care about the manpower needed for the shop or how to renovate it.
Yu Xiu and the others didn't bother her with trivial matters. They waited until the basics were done and the signboard was still unfinished before asking for her opinion.
“This is my sister’s shop. It should have an elegant name to suit her. But if the name of a food shop is too elegant, people might not know what the shop does and dare not go in.”
According to Yu Xiu's idea, although the braised meat was novel, the shop did not mainly sell high-end ingredients. The low price meant that the customers were all ordinary people. If it was too elegant, it would drive away customers.
But this is Mi Yao's first shop, and with so many people in Yizhou watching, she's afraid people will gossip about it.
Mi Yao didn't dwell on the things that were giving Yu Xiu a headache: "Let's just call it Street Corner Braised Meat Shop, it's simple, direct and easy to remember."
After deciding on the shop name, Mi Yao put the matter aside again. On the opening day, Xiao Shan and Xiao Liang reminded her that the shop was about to open. Seeing that they wanted to join in the fun, she lazily led them out the door.
The shop operates for lunch and dinner, and when Mi Yao and her group arrived, it was still about half an hour before it opened.
She had the maids place two flower baskets with the words "Grand Opening" on them at the entrance, and Mi Yao placed a potted money tree on the counter.
Xiao Shan and Xiao Liang followed suit, one giving a small gourd ornament and the other an abacus. Xiao Yi didn't come, but his younger siblings brought him a pair of brass toads.
Along the way, she noticed them with their hands in their pockets, glancing at their clothes every now and then. She wondered what they were looking at, but it turned out they were carrying gifts.
I don't know where he learned to be so thoughtful at such a young age.
“Your brother said we didn’t need to prepare a business opening gift. Luckily I didn’t listen to him, otherwise I wouldn’t even be as good as the children.”
Zhen Jing smiled and said that Yu Shaoyang didn't care much because he thought Mi Yao had just given the shop to Yu Xiu to play with. But seeing that the children didn't care so much, they carefully prepared a congratulatory gift after knowing that the shop belonged to Mi Yao.
"Don't compare yourself to us. Adults and children are different. Look at my father, he didn't even send a congratulatory gift."
Xiao Liang is quick-witted and outspoken, and he's afraid that Mi Yao might forget that Xiao Chuan isn't very likable.
Zhen Jing had gotten used to Xiao Liang's occasional surprising remarks these days, and explained to Xiao Chuan, "Although no congratulatory gift was sent, this shop is a gift from your father to your mother, and that is the greatest gift."
"I heard they sent a dirty, empty house, and my aunt and the others spent a lot of effort to tidy it up."
"Mmm, you're so naughty!"
Xiao Shan had an amazing ability to understand. No matter how innocent her second brother's expression was, she could tell that he was talking badly about Xiao Chuan, and she echoed him from the side.
Zhen Jing was both amused and exasperated. She looked at Mi Yao and found that she was also laughing. She didn't stop the child from saying bad things about Xiao Chua; on the contrary, she seemed somewhat pleased.
Thinking about it, Xiao Chuan deserved it; who told him not to value his only beautiful wife?
After exchanging a few words, the group turned their attention to the shop in front of them that was about to open.
The shop floor is paved with polished square tiles, clean and tidy. The shop is divided into three parts. The innermost part is the stove for processing cooked food, which is covered by bamboo curtains. You can see what is being done inside, but you can't see the specific steps of food preparation.
At the very front of the entrance is the counter, with an old elm wood table and a row of bamboo slips hanging on it, listing the cooked foods sold in the shop.
Besides the common types of braised dishes, there are also abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw with more special ingredients, but these all require advance reservation.
“Sister, you said that the bill collection and meat cutting should not be done together, so we came up with this idea. Customers can come in and see what cooked food is available, choose what they want, buy a tag at the counter, and then pick up their food.”
Yu Xiu also showed Mi Yao and the others the tiered shelves next to the counter, which displayed boxes of various materials and shapes in a staggered manner.
From bamboo weaving to ceramics, from square to round shapes, Mi Yao's gaze lingered on a red lacquered begonia flower-shaped box with a handle. The box didn't seem to be made of expensive materials, but its exquisite craftsmanship suited her taste.
Mi Yao picked up the box, thinking about the irises and begonias she had sent to the mansion yesterday. She had made too many vase flowers, so she might as well try making boxed arrangements.
"Are these all boxes for packing food?"
Mi Yao glanced at it twice and then asked Yu Xiu.
Yu Xiu nodded: "Usually we use oil paper bags. If some families need them, we can buy an extra box. Even if we don't buy them, having these boxes here makes the shop look less empty."
The store doesn't have a canteen, so there are no tables or chairs; most of the space is empty, and placing food boxes there is a clever idea.
"The shop is bright and spacious, and all the people buying and packing the vegetables are women, all wearing light-colored aprons. Just by looking at them, you can tell that the food sold inside must be clean. In addition, with Hu Hu's unique seasoning, it's bound to be packed with customers."
.
She didn't want to move away from the Xiao family mansion, partly because she couldn't bear to part with Mi Yao and the children, but also because the food prepared in the Xiao family's kitchen was simply too delicious.
When she went to the capital, she and Yu Shaoyang hired a chef. Before coming to Yizhou, she was thinking about what to do if she couldn't adapt to the taste, so she decided to bring the chef with her.
She gave up the idea of going to the capital because she didn't want to leave her hometown.
Upon arriving at the Xiao residence, she realized her worries were unnecessary. Mi Yao truly knew how to enjoy life. The kitchen was generous with ingredients, and the food tasted more than twice as good as what she had eaten before.
besides,.
Take braised pork offal for example. She had eaten meat cooked with medicinal herbs before, but she didn't know how Mi Yao could combine them to cook the food into such an enticing dish with a rich, dark sauce and such an overpowering aroma.
One bite and it was absolutely amazing.
"The method for braising was recorded in a cookbook I happened to see, and I benefited from it."
After explaining, Mi Yao then acknowledged Yu Xiu and Shuang Hua's efforts over the past few days.
She didn't have high hopes for this practice shop. She thought that since Yu Xiu and the others were full of energy, it would be better to let them run their own business instead of just selling the shop for rent.
But now it seems that as long as the store is managed well in the later stages, it is unlikely to lose money.
"I'm just waiting for you guys to make me money."
She delegated the arduous tasks to others and, since it was a rare opportunity to go out, Mi Yao could easily and carefree spend her money.
After strolling around with Zhen Jing and the children for a while, they had their purchases sent back to the Xiao residence. They then returned to the vicinity of the braised meat shop, ordered snacks and tea at the teahouse opposite the shop, and watched the shop's opening day.
"I can smell the fragrance!"
Xiao Liang exclaimed with delight as soon as he entered the street.
The aroma of braised pork is so strong that as soon as the fire is lit, half the street is filled with its fragrance.
Many people knew that the braised meat shop was owned by the Xiao family and were waiting for the opening to see what Mi Yao would sell. As soon as the shop opened, people who wanted to curry favor with Xiao Chuan presented her with generous gifts.
After being refused, he switched to patronizing the business, not allowing himself to buy all the food, but instead choosing to buy expensive food boxes, and even pre-ordering abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin and fish maw that required a half-day wait.
The braised meat shop was bustling with people coming and going. Half an hour passed before the shop assistants inside started offering small samples to attract ordinary customers.
When Zhen Jing saw that the customers coming out of the shop were no longer carrying exquisite boxes, but rather oil paper bags, she breathed a sigh of relief.
After she relaxed, she noticed that everyone at the table was looking at her, and she smiled shyly: "I'm afraid that the food will all be bought by those who don't know how to appreciate food and are only trying to please my brother-in-law, so that in the end the real guests won't get any to eat."
Now that passersby are slowly entering the store, she feels relieved, knowing that the food hasn't been wasted.
"Yes, it should be eaten by people who know how to appreciate it!"
Xiao Liang chimed in, then looked at Mi Yao and said, "Mother, I want to eat some ears, just a little bit."
To adjust the flavors of the restaurant, the Xiao family has been eating braised dishes every day recently. Mi Yao got tired of it and wanted to change the dishes, but the others wouldn't allow it, thinking that they would never get tired of eating braised dishes every day.
Xiao Liang, in particular, has become obsessed with eating pig ears. He had abstained from eating them for a few days due to a fever, but today he's craving them again because of the smell.
"Eat beans!"
Xiao Shan was also tempted. His watery eyes widened, and he pouted pitifully, shaking Mi Yao's arm.
Looking at Xiao Shan, whose face and eyes are round and bulging, even when she's pretending to be pitiful, she looks cute. It's true that teaching a disciple can lead to the disciple starving the master. The acting skills she taught Xiao Luobo were all used on her in the end.
"Go ahead, buy a little. If you want to join in the fun, you can stay in the shop for a while."
As for causing trouble and running around, with Yu Xiu around, there was no need to worry about that. As she spoke, Mi Yao put one or two taels of silver into Xiao Liang's small pocket, "Consider it a loan to you. Remember to pay me back when you get your monthly allowance."
When Zhen Jing heard that there was such a thing as borrowing money, she was taken aback. But seeing that Xiao Liang and Xiao Shan had no objections and even said that they would remember and repay Mi Yao as soon as possible, she thought it was a good idea. It would be better to let them see the adults' extravagant spending and learn from them to not take money seriously. Maybe they would grow up to be crooked.
As soon as the two children left with the maid, Zhen Jing said, "When we were in the capital, your brother was worried that you wouldn't get along with the three children of the Xiao family. Now he's relieved. Sometimes I feel like the three children are the ones you brought to the Xiao family, not the Xiao family's children."
"Don't think like that. That would make things too easy for Xiao Chuan. His children are his children. I'm just living under the same roof with them and coexisting peacefully."
Speaking of which, Mi Yao felt cheated. She said she would take care of the three children on the condition that Xiao Chua wouldn't actually hurt her. Who knew that Xiao Chua was so gentle, but in the end, he still managed to stab her in the back.
This exchange wouldn't work, but she couldn't just ignore Xiao Shan and the others because of it. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Xiao Shan was cunning.
When they exchanged things, he didn't say whether he agreed or disagreed, remaining silent. She took it as tacit agreement. Now, if she questioned him, he would definitely say that he didn't agree at all and that she was just talking to herself.
Mi Yao poked at the pastries on the table angrily, as if she were poking Xiao Chua.
Before Zhen Jing could say anything more, she was interrupted by a knock on the door. She thought it was Xiao Shan and the others returning, but when she opened the door, she found it was Zeng Shi and Pan Shi.
Both of them looked somewhat haggard, especially Zeng, who had lost her usual arrogant demeanor and dressed much more plainly, making her look five or six years older.
During this time, Madam Zeng frequently visited the Xiao residence to request an audience with Mi Yao. Mi Yao guessed what she wanted to say and refused her every time. Who knew that even after being refused at her door, Madam Zeng could still find out about her outside and seize the only opportunity she had to go out these past few days.
"Ninth Sister-in-law, it's been a long time. You are still so beautiful, like an angel. You make this simple house seem much brighter."
Mi Yao almost choked on her tea from Zeng's flattering words, but unfortunately she didn't have any tea in her mouth, so she could only suppress the twitching at the corner of her mouth and look at her, saying, "Third sister-in-law, don't be like this, it scares me."
Zeng's face stiffened even more because of Mi Yao's words. If she could, who would want to offer herself up to be humiliated?
However, Wu Liping bet on the wrong horse. Seeing that Zhao Tianhe did not distance himself from Xiao Chua because of Xiao Chua's arrogance towards Chang Xuanke, but instead valued Xiao Chua even more, she didn't know what exactly happened at the banquet. Anyway, Wu Liping was now so afraid that she stayed at home every day. Whenever she saw her, she would urge her to apologize to Mi Yao. She could only ask to see Mi Yao again and again until she got her forgiveness.
“It was my fault in the past. Please don’t hold it against me, sister-in-law. You are beautiful. I said those unpleasant things because I was jealous of you.”
Seeing that Zeng's smile was more like a cry, Mi Yao was afraid that if she pushed Zeng too far, Zeng would start crying and begging for forgiveness, so she said, "Come and pour me a cup of tea."
Upon hearing Mi Yao ask her to serve her, Zeng was so angry she wanted to grind her teeth to powder, but she still went forward and poured tea as instructed.
After pouring out the water and putting down the teapot, she realized that she had poured the water carelessly with one hand in her anger. She stood nervously to the side, waiting for Mi Yao to find fault with her, when she heard Mi Yao pick up the teacup and take a sip.
"Alright, I've drunk the tea you poured and accepted your apology. From now on, our grudges are wiped clean."
Because she was convinced that Mi Yao would take the opportunity to kick her while she was down, Zeng's thoughts were racing. So when she heard Mi Yao say that everything was settled, she didn't react for a moment. She stared at Mi Yao blankly for a while before she realized that she hadn't misheard.
"Sister-in-law..."
Do I have to say it again?
Mi Yao didn't have any noble virtue of repaying evil with good; she simply felt that if Zeng Shi didn't hear her accept her apology, she would keep bothering her, and she found it annoying, so saying "I forgive you" was a piece of cake.
Furthermore, if Zeng gets cocky again in the future, it won't stop her from continuing to make her cry.
“I heard you, sister-in-law, you don’t need to say it again. I just didn’t expect you to be so magnanimous. I was blinded by jealousy and hatred and made trouble for you for no reason.”
Zeng was overjoyed, thinking she was about to be humiliated to the extreme, but the matter was resolved so easily. Looking at Mi Yao again, she suddenly realized that Mi Yao's features were truly beautiful, rather than a seductive woman with no sense of propriety.
There's no need to dwell on the past.
Hearing the person she had once scolded to tears apologize with a look of gratitude and surprise, Mi Yao felt something was off, so she looked at Madam Pan and asked, "What are you doing here? Just watching the show?"
Upon hearing this, Zeng also looked at Pan.
She was so flustered because she had to apologize to Mi Yao that she didn't take Pan Shi seriously when she was with her. Now that she thought about it, she really felt that Pan Shi was just there to watch the show. Otherwise, why would she follow her upstairs?
"I've also come to apologize to Ninth Sister-in-law."
Pan forced a smile; she still didn't understand how Chang Xuanke had died.
She didn't believe Chang Xuanke had died from drunkenness, but now that things had come to this, it was a fact that Chang Xuanke was dead, and it was also a fact that Xiao Chuan had been given an important position by Zhao Tianhe ahead of schedule.
In this situation, if she wants a future, she must find a way to stick close to Xiao Chuan.
She was even more humble than Zeng Shi. Even after being rejected by Xiao Chuan when she tried to curry favor with Mi Yao, she could now pretend nothing was wrong and apologize to Mi Yao, seizing the opportunity to observe who Mi Yao really was.
She hadn't taken Mi Yao seriously before, thinking she was just a brainless, stupid woman who used her beauty to commit crimes. But over time, she realized that she had never gotten the better of Mi Yao.
Chang Xuanke's incident served as a wake-up call for her: what if Mi Yao wasn't as brainless as she thought?
Take Mi Yao's newly opened shop as an example. Zhao Tianhe gave each of his adopted sons and daughters a shop back then, and she has a pastry shop right next to Mi Yao's shop.
Mi Yao's opening of the shop was seen as a provocation by her. She thought that Mi Yao would not know anything about running a shop and would definitely fail miserably. Who knew that the shop would be bustling with customers. The first people to come were probably there to support Xiao Chua, but those who came in later were attracted by the domineering aroma of the braised meat shop.
As soon as she went upstairs, someone in the teahouse lobby brought over some braised dishes from a braised meat shop to try. The aroma was irresistible as soon as the oil paper package was opened. The aroma alone was enough, and the person tasting it kept exclaiming how special it was. It looked like Mi Yao had hired someone to do it.
Soy sauce with such a dark color must be incredibly salty, how could it taste good?
“I will accept your apology, but you can forget about me. I’m afraid that as soon as I drink the apology tea you poured, you will go to Xiao Chuan and say, ‘Sister drank the tea I offered and agreed to let me stay by Ninth Brother’s side. Please have mercy on me, Ninth Brother.’”
Mi Yao imitated Pan Shi's speech in an affected manner, which amused Zhen Jing so much that she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
After laughing, seeing that Madam Pan's face was ugly, she coughed and said, "Madam Pan, you'd better not make things difficult for my Hu Hu. Not to mention the servants of the Xiao family, even Hu Hu's brother and I heard all those shameful things you said. There's nothing wrong with a widow remarrying, but isn't it a bit too shameless of you to be so eager to cling to a man?"
Zhen Jing spoke without any mercy. She wasn't there when Madam Pan came to visit that day, but when she heard about it afterward, she found it utterly outrageous. What kind of woman could be so shameless as to come to someone's house and reprimand the lady of the house, and even show affection to her husband in front of the lady of the house?
"If it weren't for Hu Hu's persuasion, my husband would have gone to the governor's mansion to ask Lord Zhao how he raised his adopted daughter, and how he raised such a shameless woman."
As Zhen Jing spoke, her eyes grew sharper. She wasn't making things up. When Yu Shaoyang learned of what Madam Pan had said that day, he immediately wanted to go find Zhao Tianhe. Mi Yao said that there was no need to make a fuss about matters concerning women that would trouble the military governor. In addition, Madam Pan hadn't gotten the better of him, so Yu Shaoyang temporarily put it aside.
Who would have thought that Madam Pan would not learn her lesson and would actually keep bothering Mi Yao.
Pan's face turned pale after Zhen Jing's words. She didn't believe that Mi Yao's brother would go to Zhao Tianhe to hold him accountable for such a trivial matter. But who knew? With a crazy sister like Mi Yao, maybe Yu Shaoyang also had mental problems.
Zhao Tianhe kept her living in the military governor's mansion, but his affection for her was limited. If Yu Shaoyang came to his door, even if Zhao Tianhe did not punish her severely, it would still wear down the bond between father and daughter.
"I just want to apologize..."
Pan's eyes were filled with tears. "I was bewitched that day, and my words were not from the heart at all. Since Ninth Sister-in-law doesn't believe me, I will never appear in front of you again. I am just a pitiful person without parents and without a husband. Sister-in-law Yu, there's no need to threaten me..."
"Have you told your father that you have no father or mother?"
Before Pan's tears could fall, Mi Yao interrupted, asking, "Stop acting like that. You should know that I love to complain to my elders."
Pan choked.
Her biological parents died early, and no one said anything when she said she had no parents. But Mi Yao was able to find fault with her and find these oversights.
Seeing that Madam Pan had stopped crying and left, everyone in the room was amazed, especially Madam Zeng. Remembering the bad things Madam Pan had said about Mi Yao to her in the past, she knew that Madam Pan had been used as a pawn.
*
After sitting in the teahouse for a while, until Xiao Shan and Xiao Liang were full and sleepy, the group prepared to head back.
Zhen Jing and her child got into the car first, while Mi Yao planned to go to the store one last time.
In just a few steps, a shadow appeared in front of Mi Yao.
When Mi Yao sensed the tall man standing in front of her, her first thought was that Xiao Chuan was just hanging around in front of her for no reason. She looked up and realized it wasn't him.
The man before him was about the same height as Xiao Chuan, but much thinner. He wore a jade crown on his head, and although he also had a narrow face, his features were much gentler than Xiao Chuan's, giving him a refined and scholarly air.
She vaguely felt that the man's handsome face looked somewhat familiar, but before she could figure it out, he greeted her first.
"Madam Yu, it's been a long time."
The polite tone carried a hint of emotion. Meeting the other person's eyes, Mi Yao happened to recall who the other person was from the original owner's memories.
"Greetings to the Prince."
Mi Yao curtsied and recognized the other person as the Prince of Jiangning whom Xiao Chuan had mentioned a few days ago.
She hadn't paid much attention to Xiao Chuan's mention of him before, but she never expected to run into him today.
But given the location and time, it couldn't be considered a mere coincidence; it must have been a deliberate encounter.
Judging from the complex emotions on the face of the Prince of Jiangning, he was arguably the most respectable of all the original owner's suitors.
He hasn't married since his failed attempt to marry the original owner of this body, and he's better looking than Huan Guanbin. In her eyes, his gentle handsomeness is on par with Xiao Chuan's aggressive good looks.
However, according to the aesthetic standards of Daxing, the Prince of Jiangning would better fit the public's definition of a handsome man.
Despite being good-looking, powerful, and wealthy, the original owner preferred Huan Guanbin, believing that only someone like Huan Guanbin could wholeheartedly place her first, and that someone whose status and position couldn't surpass hers could better support her.
Then how can you say the original owner was irrational?
The original owner clearly knew what he wanted, but his methods were a bit ruthless.
Before Tang Tanyi came to Yizhou, he had thought of a thousand words about Mi Yao, but when he actually met her, he found that all his words were in vain.
He fell in love with Mi Yao at first sight when he was traveling in Jiangnan. At that time, he thought that only the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan was worthy of him. Who knew that he would encounter the military governor of Huainan who would compete with him for her.
Back then, in his youthful arrogance, he vowed that if he couldn't marry Mi Yao of the Yu family, he would never marry again.
Over the years, he had thought that he had acted impulsively back then and that his feelings for Mi Yao had long since faded. But now that he saw her again, he realized that love at first sight was not an emotion that could be forgotten in just a few years.
He was still moved by Mi Yao's face, but he was no longer the impetuous and naive young man he once was. He would come to Yizhou to seek cooperation and would not let romantic feelings interfere with his business.
"It must be that Commander Xiao treats Lady Yu very well, because Lady Yu looks much better than before."
In the past, Mi Yao was a flower bud surrounded by celestial energy but had not yet bloomed. Now, however, she has absorbed celestial energy and blossomed into the most beautiful Wei Zi.
It's just a pity that it wasn't him who made her blossom.
"Thank you for your concern, Prince."
The magistrate of Tangtan was pleasing to the eye and had a polite and courteous attitude. Mi Yao didn't mind exchanging a few words with him. "The prince also looks radiant."
Tang Tanyi chuckled: "Perhaps it's because you received help from Lord Zhao, which relieved your immediate crisis, that your brows have unfurrowed and you look more energetic."
Since he couldn't have Mi Yao now, Tang Tanyi didn't plan to say much to her, lest he lose control of his feelings and let others see it.
Before leaving, he couldn't help but sigh softly, a hint of melancholy creeping onto his gentle features.
"Lord Zhao is pacified in distant lands and capable in nearby ones. Yizhou is a good place. It's a good thing that you can marry here. I was impetuous back then. If I hadn't repeatedly asked for your hand in marriage, I wouldn't have delayed you."
Tang Tanyi cupped his hands in greeting, "I only hope that Lady Yu will have a peaceful and prosperous future, filled with joy and tranquility."
He paused, then, as if remembering something, added, "If Governor Xiao has any misunderstanding about me, I am willing to explain to him that we have never had any affection for each other. It was just a matter of youthful impulsiveness and a gentleman's pursuit. If I cause Lady Yu to suffer from unfounded misunderstandings, I will not be able to shirk my responsibility."
As Xiao Chuan drew closer, Mi Yao looked at Tang Tanyi with a more inquisitive gaze, suspecting that he had eyes in the back of his head to deliver that clarification so clearly to Xiao Chuan at the perfect moment.
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