Hua Yi's brow twitched as she listened. "Miss, the shops in Tongxin Alley are probably not cheap."
Moreover, we only have this one sack of hot pot base, which won't last long. What if Xu Shanfu hasn't figured out the recipe before we run out of base?
"You don't need to worry about the money." Liu Yuxian said nonchalantly, "There are at least several hundred packets of hot pot base here. Doesn't Su Ji like to limit the supply? Our Liu Ji Restaurant also limits the supply of hot pot to twenty servings per day. In addition, we will select a few skilled cooks from the kitchen to go to the restaurant to cook some other dishes to sell with it."
Even if a complete hot pot base recipe isn't developed within a month, a recipe that's about 70-80% accurate will still be available.
"This month is more than enough time for our Liu's Restaurant to become well-known throughout Tangshan Prefecture. Then, we can lower our prices, and with the Prefect's name on the table, how could we possibly lack customers?"
"Miss is truly wise!" Huayi's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and her brows relaxed completely.
Yes, Tangshan City has nearly a million residents. How many customers can a small restaurant like Su's Restaurant accommodate? Those who can't get food at Su's Restaurant naturally all go to Liu's Restaurant.
Liu Yuxian gave a light snort and then instructed, "You must keep this sack of hot pot base safe. Make sure there are no mistakes."
"Yes, this servant will arrange for someone to guard them day and night," Huayi quickly agreed.
With my pen, I cannot possibly cover the affairs of two families.
Just as the lights in Feixian Courtyard were gradually going out, at the end of Shanghe Village, there was a gentle knock on the door of the wooden study.
Thump thump thump—
The man at the desk looked up in response, his voice cold and deep, "Have the Emperor's men left?"
"Yes, there are many snakes and insects in the mountains. The two Imperial Guards were badly bitten by poisonous insects and have already returned to the capital overnight." Yu Yu cupped his hands, a mischievous smile appearing on his baby face. "I followed them from a distance and only returned after seeing them leave Qingshui County."
Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Jinhan stood up abruptly from his chair.
Then, like a gust of wind, it went out the door and swept across the river to the other side.
"Master, Master..." Yu Yu was so startled that Er Kang reached out halfway.
Looking at the now empty study, he couldn't help but mutter a resentful tone, "At this hour, Miss Su should have been asleep long ago. Isn't Master disturbing her peaceful sleep in the middle of the night..."
Before he could finish speaking, a soft snort came from the big tree outside, "I think some people are complaining that they haven't guarded the sweet potato valley enough!"
The boy's mournful expression vanished, and he rolled his eyes to the sky. "Who hasn't guarded the valley enough? I'd rather go to the capital with you and our master. I guarded it for twenty-five days and ate sweet potatoes for twenty-five days straight. They were either raw or roasted. If I had two sweet potato leaves stuck in my head, I'd be a living sweet potato that's almost buried!"
"Eating sweet potatoes every day?" Yu Feng lay sprawled on a tree branch. "I saw Dan Feng bring a big bowl of beef hot pot up the mountain this evening. So it wasn't for you? Or was it for those white tigers on the cliff?"
Yu Yu blushed and didn't respond. "Anyway, two groups of brothers have already been assigned to guard the valley, so I need to rest."
"What a blockhead! If you don't want to be sent by the master to guard the valley again, you'd better keep your mouth shut. The big Buddha statue in the village chief's house is all thanks to you." Yu Feng lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. "Besides, a day apart feels like three autumns. The master has been gone for twenty-five days. How many autumns have passed?"
If it weren't for the Emperor's Imperial Guards getting in the way, the Master wouldn't have been able to stay here after announcing the imperial edict.
Yu Yu looked dejected after being told that.
He himself was completely baffled. When he was walking the lackeys of the Prince of Yan's mansion that day, he had clearly led them to Wuxi Prefecture, but Princess Mingzhu had somehow ended up in Shanghe Village.
He only hoped that his master and Miss Su would not develop any grudges because of this; otherwise, he would be guilty even if he died.
Meanwhile, Su Hua was hunched over her desk, pondering the matter of sweet potato cultivation in Qingshui County, when she suddenly felt a burning gaze on her face. When she looked up, she met a pair of deep pupils.
His deep pupils are like the ocean; whenever I look into them, I can't help but be drawn in.
Su Hua clenched her fists, shifted her gaze to the side room, and saw that Qingdai and Danfeng, who usually heard every little thing, were now fast asleep and snoring loudly.
Seeing the girl's slightly cold expression, Xiao Jinhan walked to the window and asked, "Is Hua'er angry with me?"
"Why would I be angry with you?" Su Hua put down her charcoal pencil, her almond-shaped eyes holding a hint of a smile as she looked at him. "Did you do something to make me angry?"
Upon hearing this, the man immediately understood her meaning. He sighed inwardly and turned over to enter the room.
He bent down to meet the girl's gaze. "Hua'er, I didn't know about Jun Qingcheng's visit to Shanghe Village beforehand, so I didn't have time to make arrangements. It's my fault that you've had to go through all this trouble."
Su Hua's lips twitched slightly. This man had somehow learned to climb through windows and break into houses.
"Keep your voice down. My older sister and Azheng are already asleep in the courtyard."
"Okay, I'll do whatever Hua'er says." The man gently pulled Su Hua's hand, a hint of apology welling up in his deep eyes. "Hua'er, you can punish me however you want, hit me, scold me, anything you want, just please don't be angry with me, okay?"
Su Hua tilted her head uncomfortably. "Don't think you can get away with this so easily. What's the deal with Princess Mingzhu? She keeps calling me 'Brother Zichen' more affectionately than anyone else."
“I never intended to get away with this, much less deceive Hua’er.” Xiao Jinhan gave a wry smile, gently cupping the girl’s small fist in his large hand. “This is a long story, it all started with my mother. Hua’er might remember that I mentioned to you back in Wuxi Prefecture that the Princess Consort of Yan was my mother’s closest friend when she was alive. They married in the same year, became pregnant in the same year, and even joked about it…”
The mountain breeze blew in through the window of the coffin, and the man's words, mixed with the mountain breeze, rushed into his ears.
Su Hua was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses. "You mean, although there was an arranged marriage, the person to be betrothed was the eldest son of the Xiao family, not you?"
“Yes.” Xiao Jinhan nodded slightly, then a flash of coldness crossed his eyes.
"Eighteen years ago, before my mother's body was even cold, Xiao Hongyu remarried. My grandfather was furious and moved my and my mother's household registration back to the Yu family overnight. I am Xiao Jinhan, and I am also Yu Zichen, but not the eldest son of the Xiao family. Jun Qingcheng's marriage has nothing to do with me."
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