The next morning, while it was still dark, Chu Tianling and his group quietly left Jinwei City.
Unless absolutely necessary, we always sped up our journey.
Originally, Dazhuang was in charge of buying and selling goods along the way, but now it has been Ning Caichen's turn. He understands that he is following a big shot and is trying his best to show off.
That day they arrived at a small town closest to the capital of Jiangnan Prefecture, called Pearl Town, which was said to be named after the people in the town who raised pearl oysters.
The closer you get to the south, the more water there is; you can see small rivers everywhere as soon as you enter Pearl Town.
Many houses are built along the river, with white walls and black tiles.
A winding little bridge, clear river water, and leisurely people.
Shen Jiaojiao looked around the street with curiosity. The things sold on the street all had local characteristics, and she couldn't help but love them.
"Buy it if you like it, I have the money!" Chu Tianling stood behind her, looking at her with doting eyes. As long as she wanted it, as long as he had it, he would give it to her.
"Hmm, let's take a look!" Shen Jiaojiao picked up the various little pearl items and examined them from all angles. She was already used to the other person's favoritism and didn't react much, answering casually.
The stall owner selling pearl trinkets was a woman in her fifties. She looked at the two of them curiously, her eyes darting back and forth between them.
Fortunately, she was old and had seen all kinds of storms, so although she was screaming inside, she remained calm and had a gentle smile on her face.
They would also enthusiastically explain the meaning behind each item.
"Boss, which restaurant around here is good? My family and I are here for the first time and we'd like to try some local specialties."
Although Shen Jiaojiao was satisfied with the items, the old woman's gaze was too intense. Despite her best efforts to hide it, she could still feel uncomfortable from the woman's gleaming eyes.
She decided to change her strategy.
Chu Tianling walked over to her and glanced at the items on her stall: "Auntie, I'll take all of these. Pack them in a box and tell me how much it costs?"
The old woman's eyes shone with an amazing light, her face beaming with joy. She pulled a small wooden box from under her stall and deftly packed things into it, her words as sweet as honey.
"Wow, young man, that's incredibly generous! Let me tell you, my pearl jewelry is of the highest quality. Even if you don't want to wear it anymore, you can grind it into powder and use it as face powder!"
"By the way, were you just asking where there's good food? If we're talking about good restaurants, Zhuangyuanlou is definitely the place to go."
"This Zhuangyuan Tower was once home to eight top scholars, which is extremely auspicious."
"The main reason is that the dishes there are so diverse and taste so good. Even the emperor couldn't eat so many dishes!"
The old lady spoke with a hint of pride.
Shen Jiaojiao was indeed intrigued: "What? How do you know even the emperor couldn't eat this much food?"
The old lady proudly said, "You know the great scholar Liu from Jiangnan, right? The headquarters of Zhuangyuanlou is located in Hangzhou, and our Pearl Town is only about 100 kilometers away. This branch is run by Liu Er, a direct descendant of the great scholar Liu."
"Wow! That's really lucky!" Shen Jiaojiao chimed in.
The old woman got excited: "When I was young, I was a beautiful courtesan. I had a few affairs with that Liu Er. At that time, I heard him say that the emperor's head chef was his senior brother. He was a defeated opponent who was sent to cook for the emperor."
"Wow! No wonder you still look so charming, ma'am!" Shen Jiaojiao exclaimed.
The old woman gave her an approving look and spoke more casually: "Well, the emperor, he'd eat very little oil and salt, and he couldn't eat this or that. I'm afraid he'd be poisoned one day. You finally manage to cook something hot and serve it up, but by the time all those steps are done, the food's gone cold. It's so boring!"
"Oh? Is that so? That does sound really bad!" Shen Jiaojiao nodded in agreement.
The old woman was even happier: "Oh my! It's so nice talking to you, I love people like you."
Chu Tianling silently stepped forward, separating the two and interrupting their conversation: "Now that we know the place, let's go!"
The old lady then realized that he must be jealous!
It's a pity that such a handsome young man is so unattractive. Although his girlfriend is rich and treats him well, she is ugly.
If she were twenty years younger, she would definitely go up and seduce him.
"By the way, young master, if you go to Zhuangyuanlou Restaurant, mention my name and you'll get a 10% discount! Just say that Hong Mudan recommended you!"
Just as Shen Jiaojiao was about to turn around, Chu Tianling grabbed her head and shouted, "I know!"
Shen Jiaojiao clearly heard the old lady laugh and scold, "Oh dear! It's so good to be young!"
Zhou Tianqi silently stepped forward to take the box that the old woman had packed and placed it on the carriage behind him.
The old woman looked at Tianqi's strong physique and couldn't help but be dazzled again: "Young man, what's your surname?"
Zhou Tianqi didn't look to the side, grabbed the box and left. He had just heard that they were going to Zhuangyuanlou, a place full of delicious food, so he quickly followed.
Zhuangyuanlou is located in the most bustling part of the town, in the very center.
The group slowly approached, without even needing to ask, because the restaurant was simply too luxurious.
Most other restaurants are only two stories high, but Zhuangyuanlou is different. It is not only eight stories high, but also has an exceptionally large area. The entire courtyard behind the restaurant belongs to him.
Shen Jiaojiao and her group were a large group, with horses and carriages, clearly a merchant caravan.
The waiter, seeing them at the door, ran over enthusiastically to greet them: "Gentlemen, please come in. There's a special horse feeding yard in the back, where we can provide the finest hay. There are young men here to take care of them!"
"There are also private rooms upstairs where you can relax. All the dishes in our restaurant are made fresh daily, using fresh ingredients and with superb cooking skills. Please feel free to try them; we guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Unbeknownst to Shen Jiaojiao and the others, they followed the waiter into the restaurant.
"Let's find a bigger private room and bring out all your local specialties. There are a lot of us, we can finish it." Chu Tianling walked beside Shen Jiaojiao, protecting her.
"Hey! Alright, there's a big private room available on the second floor, come with me!"
The waiter was enthusiastic and in a particularly good mood; this was a big customer! He clearly wasn't short of money, and if the service was good, there might even be a tip!
"Tianqi, take the brothers to the backyard, leave two men to watch over them, then come upstairs for dinner and arrange for two men to take turns with them!"
"Yes!" Zhou Tianqi led half of his men to the backyard to set up the carriages, while the other half followed Chu Tianqi's team to the second floor.
The waiter pushed open the door, and Shen Jiaojiao walked in. The room was indeed very large, with five tables inside.
Chu Tianling led Shen Jiaojiao to sit at the table in the middle. After they were seated, the others spread out to the sides to protect them.
"Please come in and rest for a while, our food will be served soon!" the waiter said before leaving.
Chu Tianling poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, and found the temperature to be just right and there was no strange smell. Then he poured another glass and placed it next to Jiao Jiao.
Suddenly the door was pushed open with great force, and it slammed violently against the wall with a loud creak.
A man dressed in a dark blue brocade robe rushed in from outside. His eyes were red-rimmed, and his whole body was filled with visible anger.
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