After Qin Niangzi left, Song Wanyin looked at Meng Zhao with a puzzled expression, "Zhao Zhao, since Qin Niangzi has been able to run Juxianlou so well, her abilities are certainly not bad. Why don't you just let her be the manager?"
Meng Zhao looked at Song Wanyin and patiently explained, "Qin Niangzi's three-year mourning period has ended, but the Yang family is still unwilling to let her go, which must be because they know her capabilities. If we rashly invite her to be the manager, we will inevitably incur the Yang family's resentment. Besides, that Yang family doesn't look like someone to be trifled with. Our teahouse is about to open, so it's best to avoid causing trouble."
Although Song Wanyin grew up in a wealthy family, she wasn't completely ignorant of the ways of the world. She realized what was going on and asked, "In that case, Zhaozhao, are you still willing to bring Qin Niangzi over?"
Meng Zhao smiled gently and said, "We are all women, and it is not easy for us to be away from home. We should take care of each other. Besides, that Madam Qin seems to be quite good at running a teahouse. It would be a real pity not to hire her."
Song Wanyin looked at Meng Zhao with admiration and respect in her eyes, "Zhao Zhao, I've decided, my next story will be based on your template!"
Meng Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at her. "Really?"
Song Wanyin nodded emphatically, "You are smart and capable, kind-hearted, and always ready to help those in need. You are just like the heroine in my stories!"
Hearing her praise, Meng Zhao couldn't help but laugh out loud, teasingly saying, "If you're going to write about a female kung fu master, then remember to describe my kung fu as incredibly powerful. I want someone who can take the head of a general from among ten thousand soldiers and escape unscathed. Also, it would be best if you described her as tall and pretty..."
Before Song Wanyin could even decide what to write, Meng Zhao started serving the dishes, making her burst into laughter.
Although she knew she was joking, she still decided to try her best to satisfy Meng Zhao's little wish. In her eyes, her friend was the best woman in the world.
After a busy period, June 28th finally arrived, and Mingxianglou officially opened for business.
Qintai Street doesn't usually have a particularly large flow of people, but Meng Zhao's Treasure Pavilion is doing exceptionally well, with most of the customers being women. Naturally, some people have also noticed the Mingxiang Restaurant next to the Treasure Pavilion.
What's most attractive about Mingxianglou, besides the plaque above the main entrance, is a tall sign next to it that clearly states: "Women Only."
Passersby couldn't help but stop and watch, and soon a lot of gossip began to circulate.
A middle-aged man with a pointed face curled his lip, a hint of mockery on his face, "Which rich young lady is making a fool of herself again? A teahouse that doesn't even allow men in, what kind of business can it do? They should just close down."
"That's right! Teahouses are mostly for gatherings of scholars and business negotiations, things that only men do. Why let women in? To do laundry or cook?" He then burst into laughter.
An elderly woman nearby, unable to stand it any longer, spoke up, "What business is it of yours what other people do? You're just being nosy."
Upon hearing this, a young man glanced at the old woman disdainfully and said, "Auntie, you don't understand. The people who come out to spend money are all men. How can you make money if you only cater to women?"
"That's right! We just can't stand such stupid people who come out to do business without knowing anything. They'll probably lose so much money that they'll have to sell themselves in a brothel to pay off their debts." As soon as he said this, the people around him burst into laughter.
The old woman was getting anxious as the man's words became increasingly offensive, but she didn't know how to refute him. She could only steel herself and say, "Who said I can't make money? I'm going to go in and spend money on tea today, and let her make money off me."
Once inside the shop, she regretted her decision. The teahouse was so luxuriously decorated that the items inside must be extremely expensive. As a peasant woman, she had no money to spare, so she turned to leave.
But the waiters in the teahouse, who were all ready to go, weren't about to let her leave so easily. Two sharp-eyed girls quickly went up to her and said, "Sir, we're having a grand opening today, and we have many discounts available. Would you like to give us a try?"
Seeing the two little girls' smiling faces, the old woman felt embarrassed to leave and found a place to sit down.
The young waiter was a little nervous as it was his first time serving guests, so he handed over the menu as requested.
Remembering what was said during training that not everyone can read, she said in a clear voice, "Auntie, our shop not only has tea, but also all kinds of drinks and snacks. Today, everything is on sale. Look, the refreshing mung bean water is only one coin a cup, the rich milk tea is eight coins a cup, and the four-color pastries are also only eight coins today. If you can't finish them, you can take them home!"
Judging from the old lady's simple clothes, she probably didn't have a lot of money, so the young shop assistant introduced her to low-priced items.
After sitting down, the old lady felt like she had nails in her buttocks, and she couldn't sit comfortably no matter how she sat. But when she heard that the price wasn't as expensive as she had imagined, she steadied herself and said, "Then give me a cup of mung bean water and one of those four-color pastries you mentioned."
Upon hearing the menu, the waiter said, "Alright, please wait a moment, sir," and went to the kitchen to report the order.
The teahouse's food was prepared in advance and served in no time.
The cup was quite large, about seven or eight-tenths full. The old lady picked up the cup and took a small sip. It was sweet and refreshing, with a slight coolness that made her feel relaxed without even realizing it.
The old lady originally intended to drink the mung bean soup and then pack up the snacks next to it to take home for her children.
But now, sitting in this elegantly decorated teahouse, with the faint aroma of tea lingering around her nose, and looking at the bright smiles on the faces of the young girls around her, she felt a little reluctant to move and just wanted to stay here quietly for a while longer.
After taking a few sips of mung bean soup, the old lady's gaze unconsciously fell on the plate of four-colored pastries. Unable to resist, she picked up a piece of purple pastry. She'd just overheard the young waiter say that it was called something like taro pastry.
As soon as she took a bite, the crispy outer layer cracked open, and tiny crumbs fell down. She quickly reached out her other hand to catch them. This taro pastry had a crispy outer layer and a sweet filling, full of the aroma of taro.
The pastries were small and could be finished in two or three bites. After finishing them, I was eager to try the other three colored pastries, but in the end I didn't pick them up. Instead, I called the waiter to wrap them up and prepare to take them home for the children.
In just a short while, several customers entered the shop one after another, and the shop assistants all got busy.
Meng Zhao was in the backyard overseeing the preparation of tea and snacks when the young shop assistant Deng Xiulian ran over anxiously and said, "Manager, you should go out and see what's going on. There's a man at the shop entrance who's trying to get in, and Madam Qin is trying to stop him."
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