Chapter 116 Returning to Qingquan Town to Buy a Restaurant
In the Prince Rui's mansion, a thousand miles away, the finest silver frost charcoal burned in the warm pavilion, and the smoke curled around the silk curtains hanging from the beams, filling the room with a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Unlike the chilly spring air outside, the air here is warm and cozy, making one feel drowsy.
On the table sat a newly arrived tribute of Dongting Biluochun tea. The tea soup was a clear, bright green, but no one touched it.
Prince Rui leaned back on a soft couch covered with a white fox fur coat. His brows were slightly furrowed, and there was a hint of barely suppressed anxiety in his eyes. His gaze kept glancing towards the entrance of the warm pavilion, clearly waiting for someone.
"Your Highness, Shadow Thirteen has returned." The guard's announcement broke the silence inside.
Prince Rui sat up straight, his previous languid posture vanishing, his eyes filled with urgency: "Let him in!"
Dressed in black, Ying Shisan strode into the warm pavilion. He knelt on one knee and clasped his hands in greeting: "Your subordinate greets Your Highness."
"No need for formalities." Prince Rui waved his hand, his tone barely concealing his urgency. "How's the matter I asked you to keep an eye on? Is that troublemaker Xu Zhiheng really dead?"
When Xu Zhiheng was mentioned, Prince Rui's voice was full of disgust.
Since Xu Zhiheng took command of troops in the north, he has repeatedly thwarted his plans.
Upon hearing the news of Xu Zhiheng's death in battle, he was both delighted and somewhat suspicious, fearing that it might be a trap set by the Xu family.
Ying Shisan bowed his head and replied with certainty, "Your Highness, I have confirmed it. Xu Zhiheng was ambushed by the enemy while covering the retreat of his subordinates in the great battle in the north and died on the spot. His subordinates put his body into a coffin and escorted it back to his hometown. I followed along the way and personally watched as the coffin was transported back to the Xu family mansion in Jiangnan for burial."
He felt it wasn't enough and added, "Because of the long journey and the gradually warming weather, when the coffin arrived in Jiangnan, my subordinates sneaked into the Xu residence to open the coffin and inspect it. The body had already started to smell."
"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good!" Upon hearing this, Prince Rui burst into laughter, his anxiety replaced by ecstasy.
He stood up and paced back and forth in the warm pavilion, his hands behind his back, a determined glint in his eyes. "Heaven is on my side! It really is heaven on my side! Now that this kid is dead, let's see how long General Xu can hold out!"
General Xu was extremely loyal, and his ability to lead troops in battle was second to none. He was always the biggest obstacle to Xu's ambition to seize power.
Now that the most promising descendant of the Xu family is gone, General Xu must be deeply affected and will surely never recover.
With General Xu no longer an obstacle, his subsequent plans can proceed smoothly, and this great empire will eventually fall into his hands.
He looked at the guard, his tone tinged with smugness: "Well done! Reward! Go to the accounting office and collect one hundred taels of gold. You set off tomorrow, and continue to keep an eye on the Xu residence. Report back immediately if there is any disturbance!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" The guard clasped his hands in a respectful gesture once more.
After the guards withdrew, Prince Rui walked to the window, opened it a crack, and looked at the gray sky outside, revealing a sinister smile.
Xu Zhiheng is dead, and General Xu is old. Next, it will be the turn of those old ministers who are loyal to the royal family.
This imperial court needs a new master.
Ying Shisan returned to his room with a large bag of reward money.
The room was small and simply furnished, with only a bed, a table and a chair, a stark contrast to the luxury of other parts of the Prince Rui's Mansion.
He first went to the door, carefully checked the bolt, and after confirming that it was fastened, he moved to the window and closed both windows tightly, leaving not a single gap.
After doing all this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat down at the table.
He carefully took out something wrapped in oil paper from his pocket, unfolded it layer by layer, and inside was a square, perfectly preserved instant noodle.
He stared at the surface, his gaze becoming complex.
His children have all grown up well, but it's a pity that he, as their father, can't be by their side.
These days, he was ordered to investigate the veracity of the news of Xu Zhiheng's death, and he followed them all the way back to Jiangnan.
Thinking of her three children whom she hadn't seen for a long time, she secretly went up the mountain to visit them.
That day, he hid in a tree outside the kitchen and overheard Lin Yao and several young women discussing making a dish called "instant noodles," saying that it was Xu Zhiheng's favorite.
He had no idea that A-Yao and General Xu had become so close.
Out of curiosity, he quietly waited to the side.
After they finished making the noodles, he carefully took a piece when no one was looking. No matter how hungry he was on the way, he couldn't bear to eat it, thinking that he would savor it properly when he got back.
Ying Shisan got up and rummaged under the bed to find a small stove. He poured some hot water into a rough porcelain bowl, and after the water boiled, he put the instant noodles in.
Thinking that the noodles would take a while to cook, he went to the bedside, rummaged through a box under the bed and pulled out a set of gray coarse cloth clothes, quickly changing out of his black clothes.
After changing into civilian clothes, he relaxed completely, no longer displaying his previous coldness and vigilance.
Then, he walked to the bronze mirror, gently pried open his face with a knife, pinched a corner of his cheek, and slowly tore off a thin human skin mask.
The face beneath the mask was completely different from before; it no longer had a sinister look, but instead had become more gentle.
He had a few shallow wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his gaze had softened considerably, making him look like an ordinary middle-aged man.
He touched his cheek and said softly, "It still feels so comfortable this way."
It took him only half a cup of tea to finish all this, but when he went to check on the instant noodles, they were already overcooked and floating.
Lin Changkang scratched his head, wondering why these noodles were so fragile after being cooked for so long.
Not wanting to waste the noodles his daughter had made, he picked up a mouthful and put it in his mouth.
Although the noodles had lost all texture and melted in his mouth, Lin Changkang's face showed a proud expression: "Ayao's noodles are indeed delicious."
~
Lin Yao returned from the back mountain carrying a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked spring bamboo shoots.
She had been walking in the mountains for a long time during the day, and her stomach felt empty. Suddenly, she craved the instant noodles she had made out of boredom half a month ago. She thought of cooking a bowl with the chicken broth that was still warm on the stove to fill her stomach.
She lifted the lid of the rough ceramic bowl containing the instant noodles.
Lin Yao was stunned when she opened it.
The original earthenware basin was full of neatly arranged instant noodle cakes, but now only seven or eight pieces are scattered at the bottom of the basin.
She made these instant noodles on a whim two weeks ago.
It was early spring, and it rained a lot in the mountains, so she couldn't go for a walk. She looked at the flour left in the kitchen and made a big bowl of instant noodles.
But just two days after she finished making it, she became depressed because of the old things and forgot about the bowl of instant noodles.
For the past two weeks, everyone in the village has been going along with her temper. No one dares to mention the bowl of noodles in front of her, let alone touch it. Everyone is afraid that the sight of it will trigger her emotions and upset her again.
Lin Yao stared at the few pieces of dough at the bottom of the basin, and then, as if thinking of something, gave a helpless smile.
Below the mountain village.
Xu Zhiheng tightened the bundle on his back, which was bulging as if it were about to burst.
Jin Yu looked at the small bundle in her arms, feeling unwilling.
The young man is so cunning; he took so many instant noodles for himself, but only gave them this little bit.
Jin Yu's eyes darted around: "My lord is still recovering from serious injuries. Such a heavy burden must be very difficult for him. How can I let you suffer alone?"
As he spoke, he took two steps forward and reached out to take the bundle from Xu Zhiheng's back, saying, "Why don't I take some for you, so you can save some energy for your journey?"
Mantang nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the bulging bundle. He swallowed hard. “Yes, sir,” Mantang said, “your shoulder injury hasn’t fully healed yet. It would be bad if you aggravated it. We’re strong and healthy, so taking more won’t hurt.”
Xu Zhiheng dodged Jin Yu's hand and glared at him.
Jin Yu pouted and said cheekily, "My lord, taking things without asking is stealing. Should I go back and tell her?"
Mantang nodded in agreement, adding, "Yes, what if Madam Lin notices that some noodles are missing and thinks the village has been robbed? That would be very worrying."
Xu Zhiheng waved his hand, interrupting the two, "No need."
The wind rustled through the treetops.
The boy turned around and looked back at the towering mountains behind him, his eyes filled with an emotion that others could not understand: "She will understand."
Xu Zhiheng said no more and took out a bronze mask that he had prepared beforehand from his pocket.
The edges of the mask were polished smooth, covering most of his face, revealing only a pair of deep, sharp eyes.
He raised his hand and put the mask on his face, concealing his handsome features, then nimbly mounted his horse. "Let's go."
In the fourth spring of the Great Yan Dynasty's great chaos, strange things began to happen one after another in Prince Rui's fiefdom.
First, the spring water flowing from the mountain stream on the outskirts of the city suddenly turned light gold, which the villagers said was "a golden dragon spitting saliva".
Later, a farmer's hen laid an egg with vermilion markings, which was interpreted as an auspicious sign of "heaven's mandate returning to auspiciousness".
Furthermore, wandering sorcerers loudly proclaimed in the marketplace that they had observed the Purple Star shifting in the night sky, pointing directly to the fiefdom of Prince Rui, implying that the current emperor was unjust and that Prince Rui was the true Son of Heaven.
These omens and auspicious signs seemed to have wings, and within a few days, they spread throughout most of the dynasty.
The officials within the fiefdom had long been bribed by Prince Rui, who embellished the story and echoed it, leading the common people to gradually believe the narrative.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Prince Rui raised the banner of rebellion in his fiefdom under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials and bringing peace to the country," and led a massive army of 100,000 men toward the capital.
Because Prince Rui had an inside agent in the court, and because the current emperor was indulging in pleasure and the military was in disarray, Prince Rui's army encountered almost no decent resistance and advanced all the way to the capital in just half a month.
The Imperial Guards had only been guarding the city for three days when the city gates were opened by an inside agent. Prince Rui led his personal guards straight to the palace and quickly caught the current emperor, who was hiding in the Imperial Study.
That day, Prince Rui, carrying a blood-stained longsword, approached step by step.
The current emperor was so frightened that he trembled all over and slumped in his chair, his legs shaking.
Just as Prince Rui's sword was about to kill the emperor, a deafening battle cry suddenly came from outside the palace!
"Traitor, do not harm His Majesty!"
Everyone turned around in astonishment, only to see Xu Zhiheng, who had already passed away, carrying a long spear and leading thousands of elite soldiers into the room.
Prince Rui was both shocked and furious, and swung his sword at Xu Zhiheng.
The two were locked in combat, and the sounds of weapons clashing filled the hall.
Xu Zhiheng was a seasoned veteran of the battlefield and possessed superb marksmanship. In just a few rounds, he found an opening and pierced Prince Rui's chest with a single shot.
Prince Rui stared wide-eyed, then collapsed to the ground, still unable to believe that his great cause had ended so abruptly before he died.
The rebellion was quelled, but the current emperor was greatly frightened. Coupled with his excessive indulgence in previous years and his weak health, he coughed up blood incessantly a few days later and eventually died on his imperial bed.
What's more troublesome is that this emperor, who reigned for several years, indulged in wine and women, and his health deteriorated, leaving no heirs.
The imperial court was thrown into chaos.
Besides the two legitimate sons, the current emperor and Prince Rui, the late emperor also had a son born out of wedlock.
Because his mother was of low status, this third prince was sent to a remote southwestern fiefdom after he came of age.
Although the third prince was of humble origin, he was extremely talented. He not only governed his fiefdom in an orderly manner, but also submitted several memorials proposing policies that would benefit the people. However, due to his status as an illegitimate son, he was never taken seriously.
Now he is the only one left of the royal bloodline, and there is no other choice.
Not long after, the third prince arrived in the capital, paid homage to his ancestors at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and then officially ascended the throne as emperor.
Thus, the years of turmoil came to an end, the new emperor changed the era name, and the prosperous Ming Dynasty began.
The news spread rapidly among the powerful and wealthy, and many prominent families returned to their former residences one after another, and the capital began to return to normal.
But Qingquan Town was thousands of miles away and had no such convenient channels of communication, so when Xu Zhiheng appeared in front of Lin Yao, she thought it was an illusion.
Xu Zhiheng stood not far away, having removed his silver armor from the battlefield and changed into a plain brocade robe, his posture upright.
He looked at Lin Yao, who was standing there in a daze, and slowly a faint smile appeared on his lips: "A Yao, I'm back."
Lin Yao stared at his face, from his eyebrows to his jawline, confirming again and again that this wasn't a hallucination: "I knew it... I knew you wouldn't die..."
Tears welled up almost instantly; the grievances that had been bottled up for half a year finally had an outlet.
"How could I bear to leave you alone?" Xu Zhiheng reached out to wipe away her tears, but Lin Yao pushed him away abruptly.
Her voice held a hint of resentment: "Why didn't you say you weren't dead sooner?!"
"Do you know how I've endured these past few days?!" Lin Yao became increasingly agitated. "And you, you haven't sent back even the slightest bit of news! You bastard! You..."
Before she could finish speaking, her angry outburst abruptly stopped, and Lin Yao fainted from the shock.
Lin Yao's body went limp, and Xu Zhiheng quickly stepped forward and steadily pulled her into his arms.
"Ayao! Ayao!" Xu Zhiheng gently patted her cheek, his voice full of urgency.
The people around panicked. Su Niang quickly squeezed through the crowd, pinched Lin Yao's philtrum, and shouted anxiously, "Quickly, go find Doctor Zhang!"
Lin Cheng turned around and ran towards the back of the mountain stronghold.
In less than half an incense stick's time, they dragged and pulled Doctor Zhang over.
Dr. Zhang, nearly sixty years old, with gray hair, carried an old medicine box on his back and walked into the house panting.
After recovering, Dr. Zhang placed his fingers on Lin Yao's wrist, his eyes slightly closed and his brows furrowed.
Xu Zhiheng stood to the side, watching his expression change, not daring to breathe loudly.
Su Niang explained the situation from the side: "Doctor Zhang, she just had a couple of arguments with General Xu and then fainted. Please take a look and see how she is."
After taking Lin Yao's pulse for a moment, Doctor Zhang lifted her eyelids to look at her, then finally withdrew his hand and slowly stood up.
Xu Zhiheng asked anxiously, "Dr. Zhang, how is she?"
“The young lady has quite a temper.” Doctor Zhang stroked his goatee, his tone tinged with helplessness. “It’s nothing serious, she just fainted from anger. Look at her pulse, it’s rapid and weak, clearly she had a lot of pent-up anger with nowhere to go, and when her emotions suddenly surged, she couldn’t hold on and fainted.”
His gaze swept over Lin Yao's pale face. "But her body is really weak. Judging from her pulse, she must have been through a lot of trouble these past few years, hiding and running away, not eating well, not sleeping soundly, and her constitution has long been depleted. She usually looks energetic, but she's just putting on a brave face. Today's excitement brought out this internal heat."
"What should we do then?" Su Niang asked hurriedly. "Do we need to get some medicine? There are still some herbs we collected earlier in the village."
Dr. Zhang shook his head: "She doesn't need to take too much medicine, the main thing is to nourish her. I'll prescribe a mild tonic for her later, with some yam and goji berries, and she should drink more porridge on weekdays. The most important thing is to keep her from getting angry or overworking herself. Let her rest for a while and replenish her qi and blood, and she'll be fine."
As he spoke, he took out a paper packet from his medicine box and handed it to Su Niang: "This contains some calming herbs. Boil them for her to drink first, and when she wakes up, let her eat something light."
Lin Yao slept exceptionally soundly and peacefully.
Now that the world is at peace, the person she cared about is by her side, and the huge weight on her heart has been lifted. She slept from the afternoon of that day until the evening of the next day.
She slept soundly, but the person who stayed by her side was exhausted.
Xu Zhiheng barely slept, checking her pulse every half hour to make sure it was steady before he felt a little relieved.
The one who caused the most trouble was Lin Song.
Ever since Lin Yao fainted, the child has stayed by her bedside without leaving her side, taking turns with Xu Zhiheng to gently check her breathing every now and then.
Several times when Su Niang came in to deliver water, she saw him frowning with his nose very close to Lin Yao's cheek.
"Song'er, Doctor Zhang said that my sister is just tired. She'll wake up when she's had enough sleep. Don't keep touching her." Su Niang rubbed his head helplessly.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Song took advantage of the moment she turned around to quietly check Lin Yao's breathing. Only after confirming that she was breathing did he breathe a sigh of relief and sigh like a little adult: "Let me check again, in case my sister wakes up and no one answers."
Xu Zhiheng himself was also nervous, so he didn't stop Lin Song's actions.
He whispered to Lin Song, "I'll stay with my sister. Go and get something to eat. When she wakes up, she'll definitely want to see you all well."
Lin Song shook his head and stubbornly said, "I want to wait for my sister here. I want to be the first person she sees when she wakes up."
As dusk deepened, an oil lamp was lit inside the room, its dim yellow light casting a warm glow on Lin Yao's face.
Suddenly, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and Xu Zhiheng was the first to notice, "Ayao?"
Lin Song immediately came over, staring wide-eyed at Lin Yao's face.
Lin Yao slowly opened her eyes, her gaze still somewhat dazed from just waking up.
"A whole day and night! Sister, you're finally awake!" Lin Song excitedly propped himself up on the edge of the bed.
Su Niang also hurried in. Seeing that Lin Yao was awake, the worry on her face disappeared. "You're finally awake! I'll go and bring you the warm yam porridge. It's freshly cooked and will help you recover."
"You're finally awake!" When Lin Cheng came in, Lin Yao was leaning against the headboard drinking porridge. Although her face was still a little pale, her eyes were clear. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. "While you were asleep, I packed up almost everything in our house. After you rest for a few more days and recover, we'll set off back to Qingquan Town!"
After years of wandering, everyone was eager to return home, and the Lin family was no exception. So, by the evening of the following day, the Lin family had already arrived in Qingquan Town.
As the sun sets in the west, its golden rays illuminate the half-fallen signboard of Lin Family Restaurant, where the paint on the four characters "Lin Family Restaurant" is already peeling and faded.
Houses that are uninhabited deteriorate very quickly.
Lin Yao's gaze shifted from the signboard to the familiar wooden door of the restaurant. Her eyes welled up slightly. Finally returning to a familiar place felt like a lifetime ago.
She pushed open the half-closed wooden door, and with a creak, dust fell in a flurry.
The restaurant had clearly been raided by bandits; the tables and chairs were roughly thrown aside, the drawers where money used to be kept were hanging crookedly, and even the iron pots in the kitchen had been taken away. Everything was nowhere to be found.
"These damned bastards!" Lin Cheng kicked the overturned table leg in anger.
Ah Zhu couldn't help but curse, "Taking away valuables is one thing, but to ruin our restaurant like this is another!"
As they tidied up the restaurant, the crowd angrily cursed the bandits for their wicked deeds.
A slightly aged voice suddenly came from outside the restaurant, tinged with uncertainty: "Cheng-ge'er? A-Yao?"
Lin Cheng and Lin Yao turned around at the same time. Standing at the door was a hunched old man wearing a faded coarse cloth jacket and carrying a bamboo basket filled with vegetables. It was Wu Zhongqiang, the old owner of Lin Family Restaurant.
Both of them were startled. Lin Cheng was the first to react and quickly stepped forward: "Uncle Wu? You're still here!"
Memories instantly flooded back to the day before the escape.
During the chaos of war, Lin Cheng went to persuade Wu Zhongqiang and the elderly Mai to go into the mountains together. However, Wu Zhongqiang refused to leave home, saying that his son and grandson had died under the enemy's swords. He and Mai were guarding this small, dilapidated house to keep their hopes alive, "If we really die, we can go to the underworld to be with our children."
Lin Cheng tried to persuade them again and again, but the two elderly people were determined not to leave. He had no choice but to go to town that night to buy enough rice and cured meat, and help reinforce the doors and windows of the small house in the backyard before taking his family into the mountains.
He had been worried about the safety of the two elderly people for the past few years, and he never expected to be able to reunite with them at this moment.
Wu Zhongqiang grasped Lin Cheng's hand, looked him up and down, then looked at Lin Yao, his voice trembling: "You're finally back! You're such lucky children, you must have been blessed by the Bodhisattva to be able to return safely!"
Lin Yao was deeply moved. "Uncle Wu, how are you? What about Granny Mai?"
"We're doing great! Thanks to you all!" Wu Zhongqiang wiped away his tears and smiled. "We two old folks can't eat much, but the grain you left us back then was enough to last us until we settled down in town."
He glanced into the shop and saw the overturned tables and chairs. He quickly said, "You guys clean up quickly, I won't keep you from working. Once this restaurant reopens, I'll come here every day. I'm really looking forward to eating A-Yao's noodles!"
After seeing Wu Zhongqiang off, everyone rolled up their sleeves and began to pack up.
Although Qingquan Town did not suffer from large-scale war, it was still quite devastated. The once busiest teahouse at the alley entrance is now in ruins. It is said that the owner fled with his family during the war and never returned.
Lin's staff worked around the clock for half a month and finally got the restaurant and the workshop in the backyard all tidy and ready to open for business.
But just when everything was ready, Lin Yao didn't mention opening at all, and instead disappeared every few days.
That morning, Ah-Zhu and Ah-Fu received news that the restaurant was still closed, so they tidied up and went to the workshop to help out.
Ah Zhu: "Why hasn't the shopkeeper opened the door yet?"
He thought for a moment and then said, "But do you think we can make any business now? These past few years have been filled with war, and everyone's pockets are empty. Who has the spare money to go out and eat?"
Upon hearing this, Afu shook his head: "Why think so much? The shopkeeper is more thoughtful than us; she has her own plans. There must be a reason why she's not in a hurry to open. We just need to do our own job."
As the two were talking, they were unaware that Lin Yao, whom they were talking about, was sitting in a donkey cart with Lin Cheng, heading towards Lin'an Prefecture.
On the ridges of the fields outside the car window, one can occasionally see migrants returning home, their faces showing weariness but also a hint of hope for returning to their hometown.
Lin Yao lifted the carriage curtain and gazed at the city gate of Lin'an Prefecture in the distance, her mind racing with calculations.
Before she went into the mountains, she exchanged all the money she had saved over the years for banknotes and carried them with her. After the war, many shops became ownerless and were being sold at low prices by the imperial court in an effort to revitalize the economy. Xu Zhiheng had specifically told her this news.
Now is the perfect time to snag a bargain. The restaurants in Qingquan Town are the foundation, but if you can take over a shop in Lin'an Prefecture, you can expand your business even further.
But the truth is, if Lin Yao could get the news, so could the powerful families entrenched in Lin'an Prefecture. If she could think of taking the opportunity to expand, others would certainly not miss such a good opportunity.
Upon entering Lin'an Prefecture, the brother and sister went straight to the registration office designated by the government.
The clerk in charge of registration flipped through the booklet and said in a flat tone, "The most bustling restaurants in the south of the city, Zuixianlou and Fulaiju, were just sold this morning. The buyers are the Wang and Li families in the west of the city, both of whom are prominent local families."
Lin Cheng felt very sorry.
Lin Yao: "Among the remaining shops, are there any restaurants in decent locations?"
The clerk pointed to two names in the register: "Only Yuelai Tower and Wangxiang Tower in the north of the city are left. The two towers are right next to each other, but their location is a bit more remote than in the south of the city, and they are also smaller in scale."
Lin Yao immediately asked the clerk to issue a receipt, and then took Lin Cheng to find the broker to lead the way.
Upon arriving in the north of the city, they found that the two restaurants were indeed built side by side. Although they were not in the most bustling area, they were near the dock, attracting many merchants. Moreover, the beams and pillars of the restaurants were still sturdy, although the doors and windows were somewhat damaged and could be used with a little repair.
The broker urged from the side, "Miss Lin, although these two buildings cannot compare with those in the south of the city, they are well-preserved, and the current price is a real bargain! Before the New Year, a restaurant in this area would cost more than two thousand strings of cash."
Lin Yao didn't rush to agree. She led Lin Cheng to look at the place three times, inside and out, and then went to the dock to ask about the flow of merchants. With a better understanding of the situation, she turned to the broker and said, "I want these two buildings. Please go to the government office to complete the transfer procedures."
The man's eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed.
When they went to the government office to calculate the price, the clerk quoted a figure of "one thousand eight hundred strings of cash," which shocked Lin Cheng so much that his mouth dropped open.
In the past, this price wouldn't even have bought a mid-range restaurant, but now it can buy two.
Although Lin Yao knew this was a huge bargain, her heart still bled when she actually handed over the thick stack of silver notes.
They really spend money like water.
While going through the formalities, Lin Cheng wanted to ask questions, but seeing his sister's confident demeanor, he chose to swallow his worries.
My younger sister always plans things out carefully before acting, so her expansion of the business now is naturally based on her own considerations.
Thinking this way, Lin Cheng felt much more at ease. He just needed to listen to his sister and do whatever she told him to do.
Lin Yao was completely unaware of Lin Cheng's feelings.
But when the two property deeds stamped with the official red seal were handed to her, Lin Yao felt all the previous heartache vanish.
She carefully folded the property deed and tucked it into her close-fitting cloth pocket. Her steps became lighter, and she couldn't help but smile. She felt completely relaxed, and even the sky over Lin'an Prefecture seemed bluer than that of Qingquan Town.
Although Lin'an was not immune to the effects of war, it was one of the most prosperous areas in Jiangnan and recovered much faster than Qingquan Town.
Lin Yao glanced around and saw that the silk shops on the main street had already hung up new silk banners, the pharmacy clerks were busy drying herbs, not to mention the food stalls, where wisps of smoke rose and shouts rose and fell, and most of the vitality had already been restored.
"Brother, let's stroll around a bit before going back!" Lin Yao strolled along the path slowly, looking around and touching everything, and finally stopped in front of Zhang's Restaurant.
The shop wasn't big, but it was packed with diners, and there were even a few temporary tables set up at the entrance, so the food must have been delicious.
The two sat down near the entrance, and a waiter quickly came over to wipe the table and pour tea: "What would you like to order, sir? Our sea bass soup, camel hoof, and oven-roasted chicken are all signature dishes!"
Lin Yao's eyes lit up. Two of the three dishes were ones she had never heard of before, which must be unique to this dynasty: "I want all three, and two more bowls of rice!"
The dishes were served quickly.
The sea bass soup is simmered until it's snow-white and delicate, sprinkled with bright green scallions, and so fresh that it makes your eyebrows twitch.
Camel hooves do indeed resemble hooves, with the outer skin fried to a golden brown and crispy. When you bite into one, the tender meat filling mixed with the aroma of oil bursts out.
The oven-roasted chicken is incredibly flavorful, with chunks of meat carrying a subtle aroma of wine and vinegar. The meat is firm yet tender, bursting with flavor.
Lin Cheng buried his head in his food and ate heartily.
Lin Yao ate slowly, savoring each bite, her heart filled with emotion.
On previous visits to Lin'an Prefecture, I was either busy rushing to deliver goods or selling food, and never had the time to sit down and enjoy a proper local meal.
Only now do I realize that the restaurants in this prosperous Jiangnan region truly have their unique features; the exquisite seasoning alone is something that small shops in the countryside cannot match.
After finishing the bowl of sea bass soup, Lin Yao put down her spoon, her eyes full of fighting spirit.
The diners in Lin'an Prefecture were discerning and discerning eaters, with even higher standards for taste.
When it comes to the classic and exquisite dishes of this dynasty, her cooking is far less authentic than that of the local chefs.
Simply copying the model of Qingquan Town would likely be difficult to establish a foothold.
If she wants to gain a foothold in the treacherous city of Lin'an, she must create a unique restaurant.
While I was thinking, a family of three at the next table paid their bill and walked out chatting and laughing.
The man was holding a four- or five-year-old child in his arms. The child was twisting his body and whining, "I want to eat soft cheese! I want to eat Zhang Ji's soft cheese from the west of the city!"
The woman followed beside the child, pinching the child's chubby cheeks helplessly: "This little thing is really troublesome! The west side of the city is half an hour away from here, and it will take an hour to go back and forth. It's getting dark, how can we make it in time?"
The man, seeing that the child had a gentle personality, patted the child's back and coaxed, "It's alright, we don't have anything else to do anyway, let's just treat it as a walk."
The woman gave him a reproachful look: "You spoil him! Don't you even think about how far this road is? If only there were a cheese shop nearby."
The man smiled and shook his head: "It's as if the shops in Lin'an Prefecture have made an agreement. The west side of the city specializes in pastries and fruits, while the east side is full of restaurants. How can they be mixed up in one place? If there really was a place that could gather all kinds of food, it would save a lot of trouble."
The woman sighed, "Who says otherwise! Last time I wanted to eat the ice cream cheese in the west of the city, I had to take a special detour to buy it, it was such a hassle."
The footsteps of the family of three gradually faded away, but Lin Yao remained in the position of holding a spoon.
What was said in jest may have been taken to heart by the listener.
Those words were like a pebble, stirring up a thousand waves in Lin Yao's heart.
Yes! The shops in Lin'an Prefecture each have their own functions, which are well-organized, but they also cause a lot of trouble for diners.
If we could revitalize her two restaurants and turn them into a place that integrates all kinds of food, wouldn't that fill the gap perfectly?
"What are you daydreaming about? The food's getting cold." Lin Cheng patted her arm when he saw that she hadn't touched her chopsticks for a while.
Lin Yao snapped out of her daze, her face beaming with barely suppressed excitement. "I know what our restaurant is going to do!"
Lin Cheng was startled by her sudden excitement. What else could a restaurant do but sell food?
Although he didn't understand his sister's thoughts, seeing her bright eyes, he knew she must have come up with a brilliant idea. He immediately grinned and gave her a thumbs up: "No matter what the method is, A-Yao's idea is definitely right! Your mind is sharper than anyone else's! Eat quickly, or the food will get cold and won't taste good."
Lin Yao laughed out loud at his joke, picked up her chopsticks, and quickly shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice. Brother
The two sisters quickly finished their meal, paid the bill, and then drove their donkey cart towards Qingquan Town. The journey was bumpy, and by the time they arrived home, it was already dark.
The next morning, Lin Yao went straight to Xu Mu's carpentry shop.
Before even entering, one could hear clanging and banging sounds coming from inside. Ah Zhu said that Xu Mu had passed by his restaurant yesterday and, seeing that the shop had been repaired, had specifically asked Ah Zhu when it would reopen.
Pushing open the door, they saw Xu Mu squatting on the ground, planing wooden boards, while Zhang Fan and Zheng Dao were assembling chairs, with sawdust piled up all over the floor.
Xu Mu looked up and saw Lin Yao. He quickly put down the plane in his hand, patted the wood shavings off his hands, and greeted her warmly: "What brings you here, Miss Lin? Is your restaurant opening soon and you need some tables and chairs made?"
“Master Xu, I’ve come here today to ask for your help with something even more important.” He got straight to the point. “I’ve acquired two adjacent restaurants in Lin’an Prefecture and want to connect them with a connecting corridor in the middle, making it more convenient for customers to come and go. I know you have a wide network of connections, so I would like to ask you to recommend some skilled craftsmen who can build houses.”
Xu Mu was taken aback at first, then asked curiously, "A connecting corridor? Miss Lin, why don't you tell me how you want it connected?"
Lin Yao pulled up a wooden stool and sat down, gesturing on the table with her fingertips wet with water: "The two restaurants are right next to each other, separated only by a narrow alley three feet wide. The connecting corridor is built above this alley, connecting the street-facing rooms on the second floor of the two buildings. The connecting corridor doesn't need to be too wide, about six feet is enough, enough for two people to walk side by side. There should be half-person-high wooden railings on both sides, with simple floral patterns carved on them, so it's both safe and beautiful."
Xu Mu nodded repeatedly, praising, "What a brilliant idea! It makes use of the narrow alleyway and saves guests from walking. However, to build a connecting corridor, we need to reinforce the exterior walls of the two buildings, especially the load-bearing columns on the second floor. We need to add some sturdy hardwood."
"Master Xu is so thoughtful!" Lin Yao's eyes lit up. "The two ends of the connecting corridor must be firmly embedded in the load-bearing walls of the two buildings, and then supported by two thick wooden pillars at the entrance of the alley. This way, it will be stable and will not block the light in the alley. Oh, and the roof of the connecting corridor should be tiled, level with the roof of the restaurant, and a few small windows should be added so that it won't leak when it rains and can be ventilated in the summer."
Zhang Fan and Zheng Dao, who were assembling chairs nearby, also stopped what they were doing and came over to listen.
Zhang Fan couldn't help but interject, "Miss Lin is so thoughtful!"
Lin Yao: "Master Xu, what kind of craftsman would be suitable for this design?"
Xu Mu stroked his beard, confidently saying, "I know a craftsman named Wang who previously built residences for high-ranking officials in the capital. He's an expert at constructing these kinds of covered walkways. I'll write a letter now, and you can take it to Lin'an Prefecture to find him. Just mention my name, and he'll do his best. He can handle everything himself, from reinforcing the walls and building the walkway to the carvings, along with his apprentices."
After saying that, he took out a pen, ink, paper and inkstone, quickly wrote a letter, blew the ink to dry it, folded it and handed it to Lin Yao.
Lin Yao took the letter and carefully put it away. "I need to replace the tables and chairs in my two restaurants. I'll ask you to make them again."
Xu Mu was overjoyed upon hearing this, patting his chest and assuring him, "Don't worry! Leave it to me! I'll definitely use the best ingredients for you." Then, changing the subject, he asked, "Now that you've set up a restaurant in Lin'an, will the restaurants in our town still be open?"
"Of course it's open! It'll be open in two days, and we've even added a few new dishes. We'll set off firecrackers to celebrate the reopening, and Chef Xu must come and support us!" Lin Yao stood up to take her leave.
"Okay! I'll definitely go!" Xu Mu saw her to the door.
Lin Yao rushed to Lin'an Prefecture without stopping and quickly found the craftsman Wang based on Xu Mu's letter.
After reviewing the blueprints and listening to the details, Craftsman Wang praised the work and accepted the job. After both parties finalized the construction period and price, Lin Yao paid a deposit and entrusted the supervision of the project to Lin Cheng.
“Brother, I’ve explained all the details about the wall reinforcement and the construction of the connecting corridor to Master Wang. Keep a close eye on the materials used, and send someone to find me anytime if there are any problems.”
After making the arrangements, Lin Yao rented a carriage and rushed back to Qingquan Town, as she had more important things to do.
She wanted to completely connect the two restaurants and build a food court modeled after a modern shopping mall.
Snacks, drinks, hot dishes, desserts... the restaurant has everything!
This way, guests can have everything from main courses to desserts to drinks all at once, ensuring they come in hungry and leave leaning against the wall.
But with such a large scale, she didn't have nearly enough staff.
Lin Yao plans to train chefs through a franchise model.
Things that are too easily obtained are not cherished.
In order to select people who are genuinely interested in doing things, she decided to charge a small tuition fee as a threshold, which is neither too demanding nor too restrictive, and also prevents people from arbitrarily ruining her skills.
More importantly, all franchisees must sign a contract with her: the core ingredients in the store will be purchased from her workshops to ensure consistent taste; and 20% of their monthly revenue will be handed over as a brand usage fee.
This solves the problem of manpower shortage, enables quality control through unified management, and ensures stable profits—a win-win-win situation.
In short, she wants to open a culinary school to train a group of franchisees!
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