"Second Uncle, why didn't you tell me that the shop across the street was owned by Madam Meng?"
The shop was busy at the moment, and while greeting customers, Manager Zhou took a moment to reply, "Do you know that Madam Meng?"
Chef Zhou was so anxious that he stomped his feet. "How could I not know her? She used to cook for the Zhao family. I even helped her cook and learned her skills. I just went up to talk to her. She must be cursing me to death in her heart."
Although the law does not prohibit opening the same shop in front of someone else's door, every industry has its own unwritten rules.
Just like chefs, although many people copy other people's recipes, the rule of the industry is that if you learn someone's skills, you can't open a shop near them and steal their business, otherwise it's unreasonable.
The fact that Madam Meng didn't point her finger at him and call him a scoundrel shows she was quite well-mannered.
Seeing this, Manager Zhou had no choice but to say, "Then just pretend you didn't see her. From now on, you should stay in the kitchen and avoid going outside."
Chef Zhou opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to argue something, but Manager Zhou immediately raised his voice, "Listen to me! Look at yourself, all this fat is from eating at the Zhao family all these years. You just stay put and don't cause me any more trouble."
Actually, this incident made Manager Zhou quite embarrassed. Normally, after opening the shop, he should have gone to the surrounding area to make some connections beforehand, but now he was too ashamed to do so.
Meng Zhao returned to the shop, took the cooked potato noodles, and continued delivering them. He would deal with whatever came his way, and it didn't matter who was on the other end, since they were all hostile.
But Qing Shi County only has so many people, and not every household eats meat every day. The demand is limited. Meng Zhao even hesitated about whether to open a third branch in a more distant place, worried that it would affect the business.
Now, someone has opened a shop right across the street, and they're offering a 20% discount. Putting aside everyone's curiosity about the new shop, they have a price advantage on their own.
Fortunately, after a period of operation, their shop has accumulated a group of loyal customers. An old lady said, "I'm old, and I just love eating your food. I'm too lazy to go through all that trouble. If it's a few coins cheaper and I don't like the taste, then it's a waste of money."
Liu Niangzi quickly packed the meat for the old woman, saying kindly, "I'm glad you like it. I'll give you an extra spoonful of soup. When you get home, add some water and stew some vegetables and tofu. You can have another meal while the meat is still fragrant."
The diners who are still coming to their restaurant now are definitely loyal customers, and we must maintain good relationships with them.
Meng Zhao glanced at the braised meat in the pot. If there was only a little left, they could share it among themselves. But if there was a lot left, should they take some back and try selling it on Tongfu Street?
Just as she was considering, she heard the sound of gongs and drums outside again. Meng Zhao thought the lion dance troupe had returned after going around in circles, so she didn't pay any attention. But a moment later, she saw Wu Rongzhou rush in, panting, and say, "Madam Meng, come out quickly to express your gratitude. The magistrate personally wrote a plaque and sent it over."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao's eyes widened in shock. After a moment, she finally came to her senses and, forgetting everything else, quickly told the shopkeepers to drop what they were doing and leave together.
There were some customers sitting in the shop at the time, and they all heard Wu Rongzhou's words. They couldn't stop him, and they were all full of curiosity. Some even quickly bit off the noodles in their mouths and ran out to see what was going on.
Meng Zhao straightened his clothes and led the others to stand properly in front of the shop. He then saw several constables from the county government walking in with great pomp and circumstance, carrying a plaque with four powerful characters that read "Benevolent Merchants" on it. A large red flower hung above the plaque, making it particularly eye-catching.
Meng Zhao hadn't misheard the gong and drum sounds; they were indeed coming from the lion dance troupe. However, the lion dancers were now following behind the constables, looking as if they had been invited by the yamen (government office).
Meng Zhao stood in front of the shop, feeling somewhat uneasy. She turned slightly to the side and asked Wu Rongzhou in a low voice, "Brother Wu, should I kneel down?"
Wu Rongzhou shook his head. "The Lord specifically instructed that there is no need to kneel. We have already visited several families, and the merchants there did not kneel."
Hearing that she didn't have to kneel, Meng Zhao couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. However, if she really had to kneel, she wouldn't stubbornly refuse. She knew that she should follow the rules of the place she was in.
When the group of constables arrived at the shop, the one in the lead, who looked like the shopkeeper, cleared his throat and said loudly, "The magistrate, in recognition of Mengji's benevolent deeds during the snow disaster, has specially ordered us to deliver a plaque personally written by him as a token of commendation. At the same time, the magistrate also hopes that all merchants will take Mengji as a model, keep the people in mind, and do more for the people."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao quickly stepped forward, bowed, and thanked him loudly, saying, "Thank you, Magistrate, for bestowing this plaque. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and will always remember it. I will do my best to serve the people of Qingshi County and live up to your expectations and trust."
After expressing his gratitude, Meng Zhao asked Aunt Feng'e to move the plaque into the shop. By this time, a crowd had already gathered in front of the shop, and people from other shops nearby had also come to see what was going on. Merchants were usually of low status, and they had never seen a plaque presented to them by the county magistrate.
"Congratulations, Madam Meng! There are only five of these plaques in the entire county. The first four are all big merchants in the county. It is truly not easy for Madam Meng to receive such an honor. With this plaque arriving today, your shop will surely prosper and your wealth will increase in the future."
Although he was just a small merchant, he had made an appearance before the county magistrate, so the shop that came to deliver the plaque did not dare to underestimate him and went forward to offer their congratulations.
Meng Zhao quickly expressed his gratitude. Seeing that everyone else was looking at the plaque, he led the people who delivered the plaque to the side. "The magistrate loves his people like his own children. I am just a small merchant and I am honored to receive this honor. It is all thanks to the magistrate's kindness. I am also grateful to the officials for making this trip."
After saying that, he took out a money pouch from his pocket and handed it to the head constable in front of several constables.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
