After scooping out a bowl of sugar water and waiting for a long time, Manager Tang did not wait for the customer to come back. He knocked the bottom of the paper tube on the table, poured out the remaining plum powder and French fries crumbs, spread them on his hands and ate them. The sour and sweet plum taste made people salivate, just right for the slightly greasy French fries. The French fries crumbs were crispy and fragrant. It was like eating fried fruit in one mouthful. The more you eat, the more you want to eat.

"What's wrong with this guy?" Shopkeeper Tang muttered as he carried the bucket of jasmine milk tea out of the kitchen. After three days of experimentation, he found a ratio that he thought was just sweet enough, and then he put it on sale. He wanted to talk about this with his old customers, but when he went to Wanglaiju, there was no one there.

After closing the door, Shopkeeper Tang turned the corner and was immediately startled.

Unlike the slow business in his shop, there were three people gathered around the long table in front of Wanglaiju. The waiter named Meng Taotao was trying to calm the customers, "The new pot of fries will be ready soon, why don't you come in and have a seat?"

Meng Taotao recognized him and let Shopkeeper Tang in without asking his purpose. Shopkeeper Tang found his old customer in the lobby and just as he patted him on the shoulder, he was grabbed and said, "Old Tang, I was looking for you! Hurry up and bring me the water chestnut soup. The shopkeeper of this shop is still young and didn't prepare any tea. I was choking..."

As he choked, the old customer wiped his mouth and raised his hand, "Waiter, give me another serving of fried wolf teeth." Then he turned around and continued to talk to the shopkeeper Tang, "You only told me about the French fries, but you didn't tell me that the fried wolf teeth were so fragrant and spicy. It's unbelievable!"

"Right here!"

Shopkeeper Tang listened to his old customer talking and remembered what Si Li said before about promoting his restaurant. Seeing that there was no tea, didn't this mean that his customers were coming? But his customers knew it themselves, so he asked, "The fries are indeed delicious, but what is this wolf tooth? I have never eaten it. Why are you so happy?"

"You don't understand? Others are like dumplings, the more they drink, the more they have. But for me, the more I eat, the happier I am. I am so happy!"

Shopkeeper Tang wanted to ask more, but was stopped by someone next to him. "What do you sell? Water chestnut water?"

"It's right next door. We have sugarcane water chestnuts, red bean paste, mung bean soup, and jasmine milk tea!" Shopkeeper Tang quickly listed the names of the dishes.

The few guests sitting sparsely in the lobby called him over one after another, "Give me a bowl of red bean paste", "I want mung bean soup", "Tell me more about that jasmine milk tea", and after separating himself from the circle of diners, the shopkeeper Tang also collected money for five or six bowls of sweet soup.

He was still dazed when he saw Si Li. When did selling food become so easy?

Si Li raised her chin and motioned him to look outside, "Shopkeeper Tang, you have seen my sincerity, you have to come earlier, otherwise if the customers leave, you will be the one who suffers the loss." Not many customers came to the door one after another and looked up at the sign, and some turned around and left, but almost everyone who tasted the French fries came into the store or paid for a large portion of French fries. It was simply a strange sight.

In the past, restaurants gave people free food, but most people would just eat and leave. How could Wanglaiju do that?

Just as he was surprised, someone knocked on the table at the door and smiled to Wang Ting, who had replaced Meng Taotao in guarding the door to taste the food, "Hey, I thought your name sounded familiar. Did you really open a shop in the city? Who's your chef? Why can't I see her? Do you have fried wolf teeth? I want some."

The series of questions and the jumping tone sounded very familiar. Si Li turned around and saw Guan Zhizhen smiling with white teeth. Just as she was about to speak, other diners were unhappy, "First come first served, do you understand the rules? We haven't eaten yet, why are you being served first?"

"This is..." Shopkeeper Tang recalled the Buddhist meeting that Si Li had mentioned, and was a little bit unbelievable, "You just set up a stall, and people chased you to eat?"

He just came out to deliver a new pot of French fries, and the fried wolf teeth in the back row have not been cooked yet. Si Li didn't have time to chat with him, just smiled, "I'm not lying, Manager Tang should hurry up."

Watching the girl go back into the kitchen, Manager Tang took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Let me, let me."

Wang Ting looked at the sturdy man who came out with two large buckets. He didn't have a good impression of the shopkeeper Tang, who started to act weird as soon as they bought the shop. He frowned and said, "It's ok that I asked you to deliver it twice just now, but why did you bring the buckets? Isn't your shop next door?"

"Sugarcane water chestnuts and jasmine milk tea are on sale at a low price. Take a taste and have a look. One bite will warm your stomach—"

Shopkeeper Tang squeezed past Wang Ting and got a seat at the long table. He said proudly, "Your shopkeeper said that this is about helping each other!"

"Then you have to change the wording. At least add our food, right?" Wang Ting argued with him for a few sentences, decided on a new call, switched shifts with Xiao Que who had finished his meal, and went back to the kitchen to see Si Li.

In the back kitchen, there were two whole basins of potatoes cut into thin strips and drained. A steamer on one stove was bubbling with white steam. Meng Taotao, who was in charge of frying potatoes in front of the other stove, had sweat on his forehead. Si Li, who was busy mixing the seasoning, was also busy. When she saw Wang Ting coming in, she handed over two bowls of wolf tooth potatoes and said, "Go and deliver them to the customers who took the number 17 and 20 flower collection cards."

If Wang Ting remembered correctly, Meng Taotao had just taken over shifts with him in order to urge the two guests to eat. How come the food wasn't delivered and he was even detained to cook?

But this is not the point. Wang Ting took the bowl and complained, "The guy named Tang next door brought all the sugar water buckets over and is selling at the door. Isn't this inappropriate? And the milk tea recipe was originally yours. I asked you to prepare the tea, but you refused to let me. You let others steal your business."

As soon as the words came out, the system immediately prompted that the loyalty of the royal court had decreased a little.

Si Li pointed to the kitchen and said calmly, "Do you think we can handle it? Or is there a place to put it? Besides, he comes to our door to make money, and people will still remember Wanglaiju, not his shop. What is there to be afraid of?"

"In that case, the word 'selling' needs to be changed." Wang Ting thought for a moment and was reluctantly convinced by her, but his loyalty did not increase at all.

…Forget it, she didn’t expect this.

The French fries in the pot slowly made a rustling sound, and Meng Taotao immediately took them out. Seeing that the pot of French fries was finished, Meng Taotao breathed a sigh of relief and took the empty wooden basin out. Si Li stuffed a bowl of fried wolf teeth that she had just prepared to Wang Ting, "Xiao Que can't handle it alone in front, and you too, Wang Ting, take the tasting bag and wait in front of Qiyun Building. If someone comes, remember to explain clearly and pull it over."

Wang Ting's face looked even worse.

Before the opening, he was worried about the lack of customers, but now he is worried about being embarrassed. Standing under Qiyunlou with a bag of French fries in his hand, "enthusiastically" pointing the way to passers-by, only those who have tried it know how it feels.

Fortunately, the cloth sign was not used in the end. Although the wooden sign written by Meng Taotao was a little inconspicuous, it at least looked presentable.

Si Li hurried Wang Ting out of the kitchen. It was time to take off the lid of the steamer. Every time she sprinkled the oyster sauce and pepper powder she had bought at a huge cost, she felt a dull pain in her heart. Fortunately, potatoes were cheap, and she could still make a profit after spreading the cost. Otherwise, she would have lost money and become destitute before completing the task.

Six bowls of mashed potatoes were served to the guests. Si Li was about to go to the door to see how the fries were selling, but was stopped by Guan Zhizhen, "Who's the chef in your family?"

"It's me." Si Li didn't notice who it was and answered subconsciously.

When he looked up, he saw Guan Zhizhen's surprised expression, "So you are also..." He muttered, and said excitedly, "Your fried food is really good. What do you think about what I said before? You don't have to come to the shop to work, just help a little."

A small favor? Guan Er was only interested in her cooking skills, which were enhanced by the system, but if she didn't work in his shop, what could she do to help?

Si Li frowned and said, "Master Guan, you can see how busy I am here. I'm afraid I don't have time to take care of other things."

"Just make a few snacks for your family to eat. You won't be shortchanged of the wages you deserve." Guan Zhizhen said vaguely.

"A bowl of fried wolf teeth——"

Xiao Que's loud voice sounded as she called out the dishes, and Si Li quickly glanced over. The bowl of French fries was already half empty, and Xiao Que filled a paper tube of French fries for others, not caring at all that he was the store owner.

"If you really want me to do something, at least I have to know what to do. However, I really don't have time now. Master Guan, eat and drink well." Si Li finished speaking quickly, said goodbye, and went back to the kitchen.

Guan Zhizhen looked at the increasing number of guests gathering in front of the door. It took less than two hours for the crowd to turn from sparse to densely packed together, just like when he saw the Buddhist Dharma Conference. The noise outside the door was completely different from the relatively deserted southern end of the East Market.

But this young chef really has the ability to do this. Guan Zhizhen walked out the door and asked for a paper tube of French fries to take away. When Meng Taotao, who was on duty, asked him which flavor he wanted, he was really surprised, "So many flavors?"

Seasoning a dish is an extremely delicate art. Not everyone can make accurate and appropriate seasoning for a new dish, but this shop owner did it.

Turning around again, the aroma of milk from the wooden barrel next to me wafted over, "Milk tea?"

Shopkeeper Tang nodded. "Jasmine milk tea is different from the usual ones. Would you like a bowl?"

Wang Ting happened to be bringing a lost guest over, and added in a sinister tone, "My shopkeeper's recipe is Wanglaiju Jasmine Milk Green."

"Okay, okay, okay." Shopkeeper Tang took advantage and didn't argue with him.

Guan Zhizhen ordered a bowl of different milk tea. Rather than tea, it was more like flower tea with milk. It had a sweeter taste and a stronger milky flavor, but it didn't have a single fishy smell. This surprised the child from outside the Great Wall, who usually added salt and ginger to suppress the fishy smell of milk.

To the shopkeeper of Wanglaiju, it seemed that the unreasonable could become reasonable. This further strengthened his determination to invite her to meet his brother.

---

Most shop owners took advantage of the beginning of winter to display all kinds of flower cakes, snacks, delicate paper baskets and toys. Even the most noble pen and ink shops replaced the furnishings near the door with new bamboo-carved pen holders. Going south along Dongshi Street, business became increasingly sluggish. However, even the few customers became somewhat crowded when the number of people on the street increased on the beginning of winter.

Jingzhao Zhubu headed southward, and the towering roof of Qiyun Tower was within reach, but the flow of people around him seemed to have not changed. Those with a keen nose had already sniffed and looked around tentatively, "Whose food smells so good?"

"Hey, man, where are you going?" The clerk in plain clothes looked around and couldn't help asking.

"It's a festival, just take a look." Although the person next to him said this, he did not stop walking forward and went straight to the source of the fragrance. The chief clerk also smelled the fragrance as he walked forward, thinking about visiting Wanglaiju before going to the source of the fragrance.

When he stood in front of the door of Wanglaiju, all the thoughts in his mind disappeared and he was stunned for a moment.

Compared with the magnificent Qiyun Building next to it, Wanglaiju is a little inconspicuous, but the couplets written on the left and right in front of the door are particularly eye-catching. On the left is "Welcome guests from all corners of the world", on the right is "Eat potatoes and sweet potatoes for thousands of meals", and across it is "You are all here".

The words used in the couplet are good, and the playful and lively meaning makes people smile knowingly at the not-so-neat content. What surprised the chief clerk was not the playfulness, but the fact that there were restaurants that clearly wrote that they sold potatoes and sweet potatoes.

After potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn were brought back to Daning, people still ate potatoes during the first years of famine. At that time, restaurants in the capital also stewed them according to the method passed down from the palace, but the taste was always unsatisfactory. Potatoes almost completely withdrew from the tables of ordinary people. From top to bottom, they were all denounced as pig food. Sweet potatoes and corn had a better experience, but they were also crops that were not worthy of being eaten by scholars.

But now, someone actually opened a restaurant like this? !

As we got closer, the scent of jasmine flowers made the strong aroma of fried food disappear. A rough-looking man in front of the door held a wooden spoon and cleared his throat, "I want a bowl of jasmine milk tea, French fries, and fried wolf teeth. Let's try it——"

After Shopkeeper Tang finished shouting, he crunched a French fry, and the French fry, which was full of sweet plum powder, fell on his lapel, which was then casually brushed off.

Seeing someone standing in front of the door, without waiting for Meng Taotao to greet him, the shopkeeper Tang said, "One French fry is free. Would you like to try it first?"

The colleague who came with the chief clerk pushed him from behind and said in a low voice, "We are not here to eat anyway, so forget it if it tastes bad."

The chief clerk smiled and said, "I wonder if your shopkeeper is here? Come and tell us what dishes we have today."

Not only did Meng Taotao look strange, but even Guan Zhizhen, who was still holding the bowl and sipping slowly, looked over in surprise. Wang Ting reacted the fastest. He sensed from the attitude of the chief clerk that they were not ordinary people, and hurriedly came over from the side, "The shopkeeper is busy in the back, let me introduce a few things. Today we mainly serve French fries, fried wolf teeth, and mashed potatoes, but the business is too busy. If you can wait, we can also make sweet potato shreds."

"They...are all here to eat potatoes?"

When the head clerk stepped through the door, he saw that half of the hall was occupied by guests, all of whom had bowls and chopsticks placed in front of them. It was obvious that they did not come here to see the beauty.

"That's right." Wang Ting led them to sit down, and after waiting for a long time without them ordering, he rolled his eyes secretly.

"Ahem." The chief clerk came to the door and almost everyone who had tasted it once would pay for a large or small portion of fries. His companion called him back to his senses, "Just the fries, give us one portion each. Serve us the same flavor as your waiter at the door eats."

This is a rule of thumb: the dishes served to waiters in restaurants and hotels are often the most affordable and delicious.

Shopkeeper Tang didn't know that he had been regarded as a business partner in the eyes of others. When he saw Wang Ting coming back, he put his arm around his shoulder and said, "So, you have a big customer, why don't you take care of me? What do they want to drink?"

"What a big deal." Wang Ting sneered, "Four servings of sweet potato fries."

"It will become a big business." Shopkeeper Tang said firmly.

He was talking about the experience he had learned in a short period of time. The fries at Wanglaiju seemed cheap, with a small portion costing only one penny. But because they were cheap, people who tried them would not be satisfied with just one, and would at least buy another portion worth one penny. From what he saw, the basket in front of Meng Taotao was already full of copper plates. People who didn't buy the fries for one penny would also come in to buy some to try. After a while, it was a big business.

It was only a quarter of an hour from the time the clerk and his group stared at the one-penny French fries paper tube to the time they finished their one-penny meal and ordered everything on the Wanglaiju menu. The diners around them came and went, and they were already ordering their second bowl of jasmine milk greens.

The French fries paired with the sweet milk tea tasted especially good, even better than the soy milk he drank every morning. The chief clerk made a judgment in his heart and raised his hand, saying, "Let's have another bowl of fried wolf teeth!"

"Who's talking to you and us? Let's order our own food. I didn't even finish the last portion." The colleague who came with him pressed his hand and complained in a low voice.

Si Li, who was passing by to deliver new fries, stopped and asked, "How many would you like?"

The purpose of coming here was only then remembered by the chief clerk, but it seemed not so important anymore. He looked at the girl in a trance, and he could tell at a glance that she was the eldest sister of the most beautiful woman in the capital.

The second thought was: Who is the most beautiful woman? Obviously this lady is more beautiful!

If the second Miss Si is a delicate lotus that is too weak to be clothed, then this eldest Miss is a white pear tree blooming in the world. Although she has a delicate appearance, her temperament from the inside out makes her look bright and clear. The term "sickly beauty" has nothing to do with her; she is full of vitality.

The girl was as bright as the moon, her smile was as beautiful as spring flowers, her slightly sweaty and messy hair did not diminish her beauty, but instead made her look more worldly. Her eyes and brows were filled with a bright light that moved people's hearts.

The chief clerk was so ashamed of his previous words that he could not utter a word.

Si Li waited for a while, but without receiving any further comments from the guests at this table, she took her leave. Long after they had left, whispers could be heard at the table.

"When this young lady reaches the age of 15, the threshold of Lord Si's family will probably be trampled down."

"Hey, come back to your senses."

"This guy just likes this look. In my opinion, Miss Xiao is more..."

"Tsk, we can't appreciate Miss Xiao, that cold temper, tsk tsk."

The chief clerk came to his senses and said, "Such a beautiful woman is suitable for a family."

Wang Ting heard his sigh and looked him up and down. He felt that there was a madman here. He was about to ask Meng Taotao if the law stipulated what to do if someone went crazy in the store when he saw her stand up.

"Mr. Qin?!" Meng Taotao said in surprise, "What a coincidence."

Mr. Qin, who had been a regular customer since Meng Taotao was still working at the Huang family stall, looked up at the couplet on the door and smiled gently, "I heard the children singing a jingle. Was it also written by Madam Meng?"

Literati have always been disdainful of jingles. When they were directly exposed, Meng Taotao said awkwardly, "It was me."

"You have good writing skills," Mr. Qin praised. "It seems that you have made great progress in your studies."

"Are you passing by, sir? Wanglaiju is open today. Would you like to try the new French fries?"

"Give me one portion..." Mr. Qin looked at the new sign hanging in front of the long table. It was obvious that it was recycled. There was some familiar ink print on the back, and the prices of various dishes were written on the back. "I'll have one portion of tomato fries."

"Please sit inside." Meng Taotao packed the fries, pulled Wang Ting over to take over, and led Mr. Qin in to sit down.

The chief clerk and his party happened to see them enter the room, their faces suddenly changed, and they blurted out, "Qin——"

Mr. Qin waved his hand at them and asked them to sit down. The chief clerk and his party shut up and dared not say a word. Meng Taotao glanced at them for a moment longer, and kept this abnormality in mind, but did not show it.

"It's a clever idea." Mr. Qin flicked the paper tube. The paper tube was made of ordinary yellow paper, and the surface was rough. You could still see the unchopped bamboo fragments, but a round tube was just right for holding French fries in the hand. It was convenient and practical.

Meng Taotao was very proud. "It was the shopkeeper's idea. If you think it's a good idea, tell your acquaintances about it. The shop has just opened and there are not many customers..." Before she finished speaking, she covered her mouth. She was used to talking to the customers who came in after the opening. How could she start talking like this to Mr. Qin who helped her? It was really rude!

After looking around the lobby inconspicuously, Mr. Qin smiled, finished his meal, took two more paper tubes of French fries and left, walking through the streets and alleys of Beijing, from East City to West City.

"Master Qin, what fresh food do you have?"

A familiar person on the road greeted him. Mr. Qin was not annoyed at being stopped, and said gently, "There is a shop next to Qiyunlou in the East Market. This is French fries."

"Wow, if you like it, it must taste good. I'll try it tomorrow!"

Mr. Qin nodded, said goodbye and left.

A food called "French fries" quickly became popular because of his endorsement. One day later, the female student continued to attend class. As soon as Si Tang sat down, he heard Liu Wuling in front of him ask, "A Tang, have you heard of French fries? It is said that Master Qin likes to eat them very much. What do you think if we bring this to his house for advice, can we get some advice from him?"

This name sounds familiar.

Si Tang looked thoughtful, "It seems to be some kind of fine food. I will go back and look through ancient books and I should be able to find a way to make it. Don't worry, I will find it before the winter exam." It is said that the questions for this year's winter exam for girls will be set by Mr. Qin. It would be better if Si Tang is good at studying, but people like Liu Wuling have a headache, so she came up with an alternative idea.

The warbler next to her looked around, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

Xiao Qi in front of me laughed and said, "French fries are a delicate food, but do you know what jasmine milk tea is?"

Si Tang had never heard of this name before. He frowned and said meaningfully, "Is this the snack you made, Aqi? Of course I don't know."

However, the people around her did not follow her wishes and accuse Xiao Qi of being difficult as usual. Instead, they looked at her with an expression that was speechless.

Si Tang's heart sank, and he said aggrievedly, "If I was wrong, you don't have to look at me like this, right?"

Someone rushed in from the front door of the school holding a paper tube and turned around proudly, "I just bought some French fries. I waited in line for a long time. Look, they're still hot!"

"You have behaved inappropriately. You must copy the school rules ten times." The head teacher who followed her in suppressed the chatter in the room with a deep voice. Almost everyone lowered their heads, except Si Tang, who was still staring blankly at the paper tube in front of him.

The paper tube was very rough, and the aroma it emitted was strong and pungent, completely different from the fine food she had imagined. She saw Xiao Qi turn her head and twitch the corners of her lips in a mocking manner, and she couldn't help but shudder.

It seemed that something was different from what she had imagined.