Further ahead was a pastry shop, where the sweet aroma wafted out, and the counter displayed common pastries such as peach shortbread and mung bean cake.
The sweet aroma made the moonlight even hungrier!
He couldn't help but ask, "Second Brother, are we almost at Zui Lai Ju?"
Yu Huaixian smiled and said, "Seventh Sister, are you hungry? Look what's that?"
As the two continued their questioning and answering, the carriage stopped right in front of a shop.
Looking through the window lattice, the moonlight revealed the three large golden characters of "Zui Lai Ju" shining brightly in the sunlight.
It is a three-story wooden building, taller than the shops on both sides. A large signboard hangs at the entrance, which is very eye-catching. A string of red lanterns hangs on each side, which is very festive.
There are hitching posts and wine flags by the gate, with the three large characters "Zui Lai Ju" written on them. The characters are as vigorous and powerful as the plaque, clearly the work of a famous calligrapher.
A waiter was standing at the entrance of the restaurant. When he saw a customer arrive, he quickly went up to greet him.
Led by Yue Fuguang, the group entered the lobby on the first floor, where many square tables and benches were set up.
Most of the tables were occupied, making it a lively place.
There was a wooden counter against the wall, and the shopkeeper stood behind it, holding an abacus and fiddling with it from time to time.
Judging from their attire, one could tell they were important people.
He was very attentive in his greetings, but before he even reached Yue Fuguang, he was sent away by Yu Huaixian and the others.
Yue Fuguang saw several jars of wine on the shelf behind the counter, each labeled with a red paper bearing the wine's name. She wondered how these wines compared to the baijiu she was making this year.
Judging from their attire, the diners sitting in the lobby were all wealthy people, which makes sense, as Zui Lai Ju is considered one of the top three restaurants in the East Market.
She noticed that many people were eating and talking quietly. Like teahouses and taverns, this place was a hub for information. The Southern Yue had made a clever move by using this place as one of its strongholds.
Yue Fuguang even noticed that some tables had one or two stir-fried dishes on them. As expected of Zui Laiju's spies, this stir-fried dish, which was popular among the higher-ups of Dayan, had already been brought to the dining table.
Although the young waiter saw that Yue Fuguang was young, he could tell from her clothes and entourage that the young lady wearing a cap must be a noble person from some family.
They dared not be negligent. Seeing her turn her head to look at the table next to her, she led the group to the second floor. The stairs leading to the second floor were quite wide and clean.
As the waiter walked over, he introduced the dishes, saying, "Esteemed sir, our shop has recently launched a new menu called stir-fries. You can order a few to try later."
This stir-fry is different from stew, the taste..."
I was originally planning to boast as usual, but considering his attire, I realized he must have been a professional cook.
So he awkwardly stopped talking and started recommending other signature dishes.
Like the third floor, half of the second floor is set up as private rooms, with most of the doors closed. Occasionally, a waiter will open the door with a tray of dishes and enter, where you can see more elegantly dressed guests sitting inside.
Moonlight chose the second floor, where it was crowded and lively. She didn't ask for a private room, partly because there was only one large table in a private room, and her guards naturally wouldn't want to eat at the same table as her.
She couldn't let these people watch her eat; it wouldn't be comfortable for them, nor would it be conducive to her bestowing favors and winning people's hearts.
More importantly, the private room was full of her own people, which made it difficult for her to cause trouble!
Yue Fuguang and his group occupied three tables by the window. From the second-floor window, they could see the signboard of Fumanlou across the street.
These two restaurants are located opposite each other; they're either partners or rivals.
There's no menu here; a smooth-talking waiter will introduce the dishes to her.
Hearing him rattle off a list of dishes made Yue Fuguang even hungrier, so she said, "Bring a few of your signature dishes to every table, and a few stir-fries as well. No alcohol, please."
There's going to be a fight later, and I'm worried that drinking might affect their performance.
Zhang Fang and Xu Chunshan weren't particularly disappointed about not having any wine, since the 'Pear Blossom White' wine bestowed by their Junior Tutor suited their tastes better.
Having tasted Pear Blossom White wine, other alcoholic beverages now seem rather bland!
Cui Zhu, Shen Chunying, Shen Dongxue and several other women sat at the table closest to the moonlight. Among the beauties was a man named Yu Huaixian.
Despite the disdainful looks from the beautiful women, Yu Huaixian remained unmoved, his face not even turning red.
So what if there's a patch of green amidst a sea of flowers? It's just that this table is closest to my cousin's.
They were out, not at home, so he naturally wouldn't agree to let Yue Fuguang eat at the same table with her.
The absolute status and authority of the Junior Tutor must be carefully maintained by his own family.
Yue Fuguang felt that although Yu Boming was the second son, Yu Huaixian, who was seventeen years older, was still far less composed than Yu Boming.
Everyone in the group knew exactly what they were there to do. It was their first serious mission, so they were all a little nervous.
He was afraid that outsiders would discover his secret and affect his cousin's plans.
While waiting for the food, Yu Huaixian broke the silence first, saying, "Seventh Sister, I'm only able to eat so many dishes at Zui Lai Ju today thanks to you."
That's so pitiful. Although the Yu family has only been wealthy for a few generations, their elders were good at managing the business, and their descendants are all doing quite well.
When the family divided the property, her grandfather, as the eldest son, received the lion's share, but with his help, her second grandfather's family also received a considerable amount.
Yu Huaixian didn't seem like someone who couldn't afford Zui Lai Ju, but judging from his appearance and the expressions of the others, it was clear that his second cousin wasn't lying.
So he tentatively asked, "Why, is the food here expensive?"
"It's very expensive! The dishes my sister just ordered must have cost at least fifty or sixty taels of silver." He used to receive less than that much in a month.
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