Some things are better left unsaid. Right now, the Ge family is only pretending to be friendly because of the Xiao family. If things fall apart, it will be her third daughter who suffers.
Xiao Shan Hai was also frustrated. He could tell that his third daughter wasn't doing as well as she seemed, but he couldn't say it outright. He could only give his cheap son-in-law a little nudge at the dinner table.
His third daughter has been unable to conceive, and if things escalate, she will be the only one to be gossiped about.
Xiao Yunying comforted her parents for a few minutes. Since her two older brothers and their wives were going to stay at their parents' home for a couple of days the next day, she suggested that she bring the children over to stay with her parents for a few days.
We stayed at my parents' house until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and then took the children home in the evening.
Tomorrow, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, is the hotel's trial opening day that she and Chen Yuancheng had agreed upon, so she needs to go home and pack her things.
After tidying up the house, Xiao Yunying had the children cut red paper, ten copper coins for each portion, and wrapped dozens of red envelopes.
This was what she intended to give to the people at Huiweilou; it wasn't much money, but it was meant to bring good luck.
One is not much, but when you add them up, it becomes a lot. Luo Li frowned as she cut the red paper, feeling a pang of heartache.
However, the little foodie didn't say anything inappropriate. Luo Yang had already explained to him that now that his mother and that young master Chen were both owners of the restaurant, it was a new year and the restaurant was newly opened, so his mother should give something in return.
We need to get to the city early tomorrow. After wrapping the red envelopes in the evening, Xiao Yunying had the children wash up and go to bed early.
The next morning, Xiao Yunying changed the children into a new set of cotton clothes. It was still dark outside. When she opened the courtyard gate, Ling Qi was already waiting outside in a carriage.
"Why are you here so early?"
Hearing the sound, Ling Qi got out of the carriage: "Today is the opening day of Huiweilou. I was afraid of being late, so I came early."
Ling Qi dared not tell the truth; in reality, it was the young master who was anxious and kept urging him to come quickly.
"Come in and warm yourself up."
Xiao Yunying simply stir-fried some egg rice, and after everyone finished eating, they all got into the carriage.
"Miss Xiao, Huiweilou Restaurant is newly opened today. Aren't you going to tell your parents?"
"No need, I'm probably too busy today. My parents said they'll come back in a few days."
She had told her parents in advance if they wanted to come and join in the fun on the opening day, but they said they couldn't be of much help and wouldn't want to cause any trouble.
Xiao Yunying didn't try to persuade her further. Given the activities she had prepared, she would indeed be quite busy these next few days and might not be able to take care of her family.
Since Huiweilou can't fly over the city, we can always come back another time.
We entered the city at dawn, and the carriage stopped directly in front of Huiweilou Restaurant.
The new signboard of Huiweilou has been hung up, covered with red silk, and strings of red silk flowers hang on both sides of the door, making it look festive and lively.
Chen Yuancheng and his sister stood at the door waiting. Chen Yuanxuan saw his elder brother's carriage in the distance and said happily, "Brother, we're here!"
Upon hearing the voice, Xiao Yunying lifted the curtain: "Yuancheng, Happy New Year."
Once the carriage had come to a stop, Chen Yuancheng smiled and said, "Happy New Year."
Xiao Yunying stepped off the carriage first using a footstool, then turned around and helped the children off the carriage.
After exchanging greetings, Chen Yuanyao said to her, "Sister Yunying, why did you only wish Big Brother a Happy New Year?"
After helping Luo Xin down from the carriage, Xiao Yunying pulled a basket out of the carriage, took out a purse, and handed it to Chen Yuanyao: "Happy New Year, is this alright now?"
Chen Yuanyao smiled and took the purse. It was heavy and didn't seem like it contained silver. "What's this?"
"Lucky money, and the nougat I made."
Chen Yuanyao took a piece of nougat, tore off the parchment paper, put it in her mouth, and said with puffed-out cheeks, "Sister Yunying, it's cold, come inside quickly."
In his haste, Chen Yuanxuan blurted out, "Hey? Where's mine?"
With a smile, Xiao Yunying took out two purses, giving one to Chen Yuanxuan and the other to Ling Qi.
"Don't worry, we have everything, you'll get your share."
Chen Yuanxuan muttered under his breath, "That's more like it."
When looking at Chen Yuancheng, Xiao Yunying said, "Oh right, and this is yours too."
Chen Yuancheng thought to himself, "What, are they treating me like a child too?"
He didn't say anything, but slowly extended his hand.
Xiao Yunying turned around, took a large bundle out of the carriage, and handed it to Chen Yuancheng.
Chen Yuancheng hadn't expected it to be so big, and hurriedly reached out with both hands to catch it, a flash of panic crossing his eyes.
"This is the cloak you lent me. I've washed it and am returning it to you."
Chen Yuancheng...
It's no wonder Xiao Yunying didn't prepare any for him. New Year's money is usually given by elders to younger people. She remembered that Chen Yuancheng was older than her, so she didn't prepare any for him.
Chen Yuancheng adjusted his expression and handed the bundle to Ling Qi, who was standing next to him: "It's cold, let's go inside and talk."
Chen Yuanyao took Luo Xin's hand and led the way to the restaurant. Luo Xin liked this pretty older sister and didn't pull away. When she saw her mother nod to her, she followed her.
She told the children to stay quietly in the lobby, and then she and Chen Yuancheng went to the kitchen at the back.
After checking all the equipment and ingredients and confirming that everything was in order, at Chen Yuancheng's prompting, she said a few words of encouragement and had Ling Qi distribute the red envelopes she had prepared.
Seeing that it was almost time, he called the children and went outside. Standing aside, he watched Ling Qi set off firecrackers, and then Chen Yuancheng lifted the red silk on the plaque.
Chen Yuancheng wanted her to go with him to unveil the red silk, but she disliked attracting attention and being too high-profile, so she declined his offer.
The notice of the new opening was posted on the wall several days ago, briefly outlining the activities for the first three days of opening.
For the first three days, all dishes are 40% off, and each table receives a complimentary dish made with imported vegetables and two complimentary dishes of unique desserts that are guaranteed to be unavailable elsewhere.
Following Xiao Yunying's advice, Chen Yuancheng had people distribute flyers on the street as a form of promotion, which resulted in quite a few people coming today.
The manager introduced the event again, and as the first customer stepped into the restaurant, Huiweilou officially opened for business.
The restaurant prepared the menu according to Xiao Yunying's suggestion. The first half consisted of ordinary dishes, while the second half featured rare vegetables provided by Xiao Yunying.
Prices are clearly marked, and there is no deception of the young or old.
The staff in the restaurant have been trained to give detailed explanations of the vegetables used in each dish, their appearance and taste, and to explain to customers why these dishes are priced higher, so as to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Humans have a natural curiosity; they want to try things they've never seen before.
Since there was a rare dish that was free, we discussed with our family or friends and decided to order the most unusual one.
If the taste is acceptable, order a few more dishes to try. After all, there's a 40% discount for these three days, so it's not too expensive and is within an acceptable range.
Xiao Yunying told Chen Yuancheng to go back to the private room on the third floor first, and then she watched the guests coming and going in the lobby for a while, listening to their discussions about the restaurant's decor and the taste of the dishes. Most of their comments were full of amazement and praise, which comforted her.
Fortunately, she didn't mess it up, otherwise she would have been letting Chen Yuancheng down.
Not long after, Cheng Yue arrived with congratulatory gifts. The lobby was a little noisy, so Xiao Yunying took her to the Cloud Pavilion on the third floor.
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