Chapter 38 The Rival Makes a Blind Move
Inside Tangdixuan, unlike the noisy and greasy restaurants outside, even the air is filled with a unique fragrance of orchids and medicinal herbs, which makes one feel more comfortable.
These important figures, who usually command respect in Beijing with a stomp of their feet, were now dressed casually, relaxed, and savoring the dishes before them.
The dish looks simple.
A bowl of clear soup, its color like amber, contains a few bright green vegetable leaves and a few deep red goji berries, nothing else. But with one sip, an indescribable warm current flows from the throat straight down to the stomach, instantly dispelling years of fatigue.
A plate of poached chicken, with its crystal-clear skin devoid of any fat, yet the meat is so tender it melts in your mouth. Its fresh and fragrant flavor is an unparalleled taste that they have never experienced even after eating their way across the country.
"What... what kind of magical stuff is in this dish?" Minister Li of the Ministry of Finance put down his chopsticks, his face full of astonishment.
Standing to the side, "March" bowed slightly and said in a gentle voice, "Reporting to Minister Li, our young lady said that the best ingredients only need the simplest cooking. The strength of our Tangdixuan dishes lies in the ingredients themselves. The water we use is spring water drawn from the back mountain, and the chickens we raise are raised in the mountains eating insects."
No one believed this explanation, but no one questioned it further.
Everyone has secrets.
What they cared about more was the medicinal diet that Su Wantang had tailored for each of them.
In front of Old Chen was a bowl of pitch-black soup.
His wife suffered from Parkinson's disease, and despite consulting numerous renowned doctors, none could offer a cure. He had almost given up hope, but the line on Su Wantang's invitation, "The wind will not cease, the trees will sway," precisely struck at his deepest pain.
He picked up the bowl, scooped up a spoonful, and put it into his mouth with a slight frown.
Contrary to expectations of bitterness, a strange sweetness melted on the tongue. As the soup entered the stomach, an unprecedented sense of peace rose from every part of the body, and the fingertips that usually trembled uncontrollably became miraculously still.
"Great! Great!" Old Chen's eyes shone with excitement as he grabbed the hand of his bodyguard, Xiao Li. "This...this medicinal diet works! Your grandmother is saved!"
He suddenly stood up, walked up to Su Wantang who was talking with General Wang, and spoke in a loud and clear voice.
"Little Su! I, Chen, will remember this favor!"
The old man's gaze swept across the entire room; his voice was soft, yet every word carried immense weight.
"From now on, in this part of Beijing, anyone who dares to touch your Tangdi Pavilion is going against me, Chen! How many more years can these old bones of mine move around!"
In short, it provided Tangdixuan with the most powerful protective charm.
...
The winds of Tangdixuan swept through the most elite circles in Beijing overnight.
But the vermilion gate remained tightly shut.
Want to go in? Sure.
Qin Zheng announced that Tangdixuan would not entertain guests, but would only serve members.
What are the membership requirements? Nobody knows. Because after the first batch of invitations, there was no second batch.
Those dozen or so golden nanmu wood envelopes with crabapple blossom designs became the most mysterious and coveted symbols of status among the powerful and wealthy in Beijing.
Someone privately offered 5,000 yuan for a wooden slip.
Soon, the price soared to ten thousand.
Even more so, there are rumors that some people are willing to trade a courtyard house in Houhai for the right to enter and enjoy tea.
Tangdixuan became a veritable den of iniquity and a filter for power. Those who could enter and those who could not were implicitly divided into two classes.
The Ye family.
"Smack!"
Ye Manrou slammed the precious white porcelain teacup to the ground, shattering it into pieces.
Her face was contorted with jealousy and anger, making it appear somewhat ferocious.
"What right does she have! She's just a girl from Shanghai, what right does she have!"
Ye Manrou is going crazy.
Her family background, which she was so proud of, and the social circles she had cultivated for so many years, all became worthless in front of Tangdixuan. She pulled countless strings to try and get a membership card, but even just to take a look inside, she was politely and distantly turned away.
She felt like she had been kicked out of the very top circle in Beijing.
The humiliation of being ostracized was worse than being slapped in public.
"Manrou, don't be angry." Liu Sisi's eyes darted around as she leaned closer and lowered her voice, "If we can't do it openly, we can do it in a sneaky way."
"Doesn't she run a restaurant? What's she most afraid of? Hygiene, of course!" Liu Sisi's face gleamed with a calculating light. "Isn't your uncle the deputy director of the Health Bureau? Have him lead a team to conduct a surprise inspection, saying that they received a report that the food at her place is unclean and has made people sick!"
"Just seal her door and spread the word that Tangdixuan is a den of iniquity. See, which of those important figures would dare go there? She'll become the biggest laughingstock in the entire capital!"
Ye Manrou's eyes lit up instantly.
Yes! This move, cutting off their supply lines, is absolutely brilliant!
She immediately picked up the phone and dialed her uncle.
...
The next afternoon, in the backyard of Tangdixuan.
Su Wantang was pointing out the "Twelve Beauties" to familiarize themselves with the newly arrived Persian carpets and Western tableware.
Just then, a noisy commotion came from the front yard.
Qin Zheng strode in, his face ashen: "Miss, the health bureau is here. They say they're going to conduct a surprise inspection."
Su Wantang continued wiping the silver cutlery with her hands, without even lifting her eyelids. "Oh? Who's leading this?"
"He's the deputy director, his name is Feng Jianguo."
Su Wantang slowly wiped her hands clean with a napkin before standing up, a sweet yet cold smile playing on her lips.
Feng Jianguo is Ye Manrou's maternal uncle.
They arrived as expected.
She walked to the front hall and saw a middle-aged man with a large belly and an air of officialdom, standing with his hands behind his back, bossing his subordinates around.
"Here! Here! Search carefully! Check for expired food, rats, and cockroaches!"
"And the kitchen—all the tableware has to be taken back for testing! I don't think this place is very clean!"
When Feng Jianguo saw Su Wantang come out, he raised his chin and took out an official document stamped with a red seal.
"Are you the owner here? We're from the Health Bureau. We received a report from the public with their real names that your Tangdixuan restaurant's hygiene conditions are seriously substandard and pose a major food safety hazard! Now, I order you to immediately cease operations for rectification. All relevant personnel, come with us for investigation!"
Behind him, the staff members, like wolves and tigers, were about to seize the property.
The atmosphere in the entire Tangdixuan instantly plummeted to freezing point.
However, Su Wantang showed no sign of panic.
She even gave Feng Jianguo an innocent smile, her voice soft.
"Director Gao, are you sure you want to seal off this place?"
"Enough with the nonsense!" Feng Jianguo thought she was scared, and his arrogance grew even stronger. "Don't think you're so great just because you have some connections! In the face of the law and the health of the people, everyone is the same!"
"Well said." Su Wantang nodded, looking as if she were praising a sensible child.
She turned around and whispered something to Qin Zheng behind her.
"Qin Zheng, do you have Old Chen's bodyguard, Xiao Li's, phone number?"
Qin Zheng nodded.
"Make a call." Su Wantang's voice was still very soft, but it clearly carried throughout the entire hall. "Just say that there are a few flies buzzing around here, which is a bit noisy. Ask Old Chen if he would like to have lunch in a quieter place."
Upon hearing this, Feng Jianguo was taken aback at first, then let out a sneer.
Old Chen? Which Old Chen? Playing the charlatan, who are you trying to scare?
He waved his hand: "What are you all standing there for! Seal it up!"
But no sooner had he finished speaking than...
A sharp screech of brakes sounded outside the door.
Immediately afterwards, a man in a bureau chief's uniform rushed in, scrambling and sweating profusely, his face ashen.
It was none other than Director Zhang, the head of the Health Bureau.
Director Zhang saw the scene in the hall at a glance and was terrified.
He rushed to Feng Jianguo in three strides, giving him no chance to react, raised his hand, and with all his might, slapped Feng Jianguo hard across the face!
"Smack!"
The crisp sound silenced the entire hall.
"You bastard!" Director Zhang trembled with rage, pointing at Feng Jianguo's nose and cursing, "Who gave you the guts! Who let you come here and cause trouble!"
Feng Jianguo was stunned by the slap. He covered his face and stammered, "Director... I... I received a report..."
"Report your mother!" Director Zhang kicked him in the stomach again, then turned and ran to Su Wantang without even glancing at him. He bowed at a ninety-degree angle, his voice trembling with tears.
"Miss Su! It's a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! It's my fault for not disciplining him properly, and I've raised such a blind fool! Please forgive me! I... I'll drag him away for you right now!"
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