July 12th, an ordinary day. The people of Chang'an lived their lives as usual, except for the outer perimeter of the East Market, where a large crowd had gathered, making it even more bustling than the market itself. In the middle of the crowd stood a five-story building, shrouded in rain and mist, its lush greenery and verdant foliage creating a scene reminiscent of a fairyland.
This beautiful scenery, amidst the bustling city, is truly unique and no wonder it attracts so much attention. The guards patrolling the streets wore serious expressions. Maintaining order in the East Market was already quite a task for them, but this restaurant was attracting so many people that they had to send in more people to keep an eye on the surrounding area.
"Wow, it's so beautiful!" That's the first reaction people have when they see the restaurant.
"So beautiful!" Xiangli Yanran and Princess Changning exclaimed in unison. Their beautiful eyes looked at Qin Mu with admiration.
“Although our Mohist school is skilled in mechanical arts and divination, no one has ever thought that this could be done!” Xiangli Yanran exclaimed.
"When you guys work with mechanical arts and divination, you're all thinking about practicality. I've just added a decorative element. Besides, it's not my achievement. I just raised the problem, and the solution was provided by the skilled craftsmen in the Crafts Bureau," Qin Mu said with a modest smile.
"Although it's just a scenic view, it's very pleasant to look at. It makes me much happier than a simple rainy day," Princess Changning said with a smile.
"That's about it, time to open for business!" Qin Mu nodded as he looked out the window.
"Brother Qin, you should go quickly!" Xiangli Yanran said with a smile.
"Okay, you guys rest for a bit, I'll come back to keep you company later." Qin Mu nodded and went downstairs.
"Let's go down too!" After Qin Mu left, Xiangli Yanran said with a quick glance.
"This isn't appropriate! There are so many people below; it's not convenient for us girls to step forward," Princess Changning said hesitantly.
"It's precisely because there are so many people that we need to keep an eye on things, lest some other vixen seduce Brother Qin!" Xiangli Yanran said, wrinkling her nose.
Thinking of all the women coming and going in the restaurant, Princess Changning paused for a moment, gritted her teeth, and nodded in agreement, "Then let's go down and see what's going on."
Qin Mu didn't bother with any elaborate ceremony, since the restaurant was already attractive enough. So, after going downstairs, he said to Uncle Fu, "Let's begin, Uncle Fu!"
"Yes, young master!" Uncle Fu nodded and bowed. Then he led the ten girls out the door.
High heels and cheongsams made their first appearance in the Tang Dynasty. Although the heels of the high heels were quite thick and the cheongsams only reached a little above the knees, the cheongsams accentuated the figures, perfectly showcasing the girls' curves. The girls, who were already 1.7 meters tall, looked even taller with the high heels.
When the ten greeters appeared, the noise outside the building immediately stopped. Everyone's eyes were on them, and some people even tilted their heads down, wanting to catch a glimpse of what was inside their cheongsams.
"Pah! Vixen!" Some women couldn't help but curse, then glared fiercely at their men.
"So beautiful!" This is the thought on the minds of many single girls; they also want to own a cheongsam of their own.
"Dear neighbors, Ru Gui Lou is officially open for business today! All purchases are 20% off. The dishes are delicious and inexpensive, and I guarantee that most of them are flavors you've never tasted before!" Uncle Fu pulled down the red cloth covering the signboard, smiled, and bowed to the crowd, announcing loudly.
After saying this, Uncle Fu walked into the restaurant and stood at the entrance. There were five beautiful women in cheongsams on each side of the door, facing each other.
Seeing the beautiful woman standing there silently and elegantly, many people felt a surge of desire and unconsciously headed towards the restaurant.
"Welcome!" A chorus of melodious voices startled the man who had just reached the door, causing him to pause for a moment before realizing it was a greeting. This novel way of greeting made him look around curiously.
One of the greeters took a small step forward and asked gently, "May I ask how many of you are, esteemed guests?"
"Ahem! There are only two of us!" The newcomer felt a slight panic, coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment, and said.
"Please follow me, guest!" The beautiful woman gestured and then walked forward.
Upon entering the restaurant, the greeter continued, "Hello guests, we have five floors in total. The first and second floors are the main dining area, and the third, fourth, and fifth floors are private rooms. However, there is a fee for private rooms! Would you prefer the main dining area or a private room?"
"How much does a private room cost?" the visitor asked curiously.
"The minimum charge for the private rooms on the third floor is one string of cash! The minimum charge for the fourth and fifth floors is ten strings of cash. Since there are only two of you, I suggest you choose the main hall. The private rooms are too big, and there's not enough atmosphere if there are only a few people! The main hall is much more lively!" the hostess explained.
"You're very good with words! Then let's choose the main hall!" The visitor nodded in satisfaction.
"Why is it so much cooler in your restaurant than outside?" another person asked curiously.
"This is a cooling system specially designed by our boss. There are ice blocks upstairs, so the restaurant is much cooler!"
"I see!"
"Are you satisfied with this view, gentlemen? You can see out the window and most of the first and second floors." The hostess led the two to a booth on the second floor and asked with a smile.
"Hmm! Satisfied, satisfied!" The two looked around and nodded. Although it felt a little smaller than other places, the environment was elegant and the decorations were beautiful.
"Please have a seat, both of you!" Another girl dressed in samurai attire walked over, and the two of them moved the chairs aside a little and gestured for her to sit.
The two sat down somewhat awkwardly, when they heard the woman in the cheongsam say, "Please enjoy your meal!"
"Why did she leave?" someone asked curiously.
"Oh! She's the greeter, responsible for welcoming guests and seating them. I'll be explaining the dishes and drinks to you two next!" the waiter explained with a smile.
The samurai outfit is quite fitted, and it makes girls look clean and neat, which is very pleasing to the eye.
"What are some of your specialty dishes?" the two asked.
Before the waiter could answer, another girl came over, picked up an upside-down cup from the table, and poured them a cup of tea.
It was a large pot of tea, not very expensive. The two of them were thirsty from talking, so they picked it up and took a sip.
"Huh! This is chilled!" the two asked in surprise.
"Yes, our restaurant offers complimentary chilled tea!" the waiter nodded.
The two exchanged a glance, both startled. Then, they couldn't help but pick up their teacups again and drink them down in one gulp. They knew that being able to eat ice in the summer was something they couldn't enjoy, so they marveled at the restaurant owner's generosity.
After they finished drinking, the waiter poured them another glass; the two thought there was only one glass, but they didn't expect there to be more, so they quickly drank it all in one gulp, afraid that the ice would melt later.
A sip of chilled tea brought a refreshing feeling to my whole body, making me want to take a deep breath and force myself to hold back the word "refreshing."
"You two should order first. Drinking too much iced tea isn't good for your health. If you like, we'll also have iced mung bean soup later," the waiter advised.
"Yes! Very good!" The two nodded in agreement, feigning modesty.
When it came time to order, they were surprised again, because the waiter brought out a thick menu, with pictures of some dishes and prices listed on it.
After they figured it out, they ordered ten dishes they'd never tried before, much to their dismay. If the waiter hadn't stopped them, they probably would have continued, since the dishes on the menu looked beautiful, and many were unfamiliar to them.
"Your service here is excellent. Other places would be more eager for customers to order more," the customer said with a smile as he closed the menu.
"Our service is designed to make our guests happy. Too much food would be wasteful. If they like it, they can come again next time," the waiter explained.
"Great! With your attitude, I'll definitely come again next time." The guest nodded with considerable satisfaction.
"Please wait a moment, both of you!" the waiter said again, then picked up the order and walked away.
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