Si Li was woken up by Wang Ting knocking on the door. The thin winter sunlight shone in, and she had gotten up early for several days in a row, so she was a little confused about what time it was.

"It's already noon?! Why didn't you call me?"

Meng Taotao put clothes on her and said, "I'll let you rest for a while. It's just to make one less wolf-tooth potato in the morning. How can a shopkeeper work so hard?"

Si Li didn't feel very tired, but she didn't argue. She shook her arm and leaned close to her, "I really found a treasure. You must have been busy this morning, so you can take a rest and read in the afternoon. Leave everything to me."

"Originally, I could let you sleep a little longer, but the news brought by Wang Ting and Uncle Tang is not good, and someone is looking for you and waiting outside, so you'd better get up quickly."

Si Li heard this and fastened her belt faster. The only thing Wang Ting and Manager Tang had in common these two days was that they had to find a blacksmith to rebuild the pot. Meng Taotao could say that it was not good, so the situation was probably very bad. However, another thing was quite strange, "Who came to see me?"

The capital is so big, the original owner has almost no social contacts, and the Si Mansion has not come to visit her yet, so she doesn't know anyone except Xiao Qi. Xiao Qi is still in the academy at this time, and if she wants to find someone, she will just come in casually, so how could there be someone else?

"He said that they made an appointment yesterday. He was asked by the Prince of Yue to come and find the shopkeeper." Meng Taotao reminded.

Recalling what happened before going to bed yesterday, Si Li's face suddenly changed, "Oh no, the candied sweet potatoes were not delivered yesterday."

"I've finished it and sent it to you." Meng Taotao was very calm.

Knowing who the visitor was, Si Li quickly packed up and went out to meet the person. Sitting at one side of the lobby was a familiar face, with a cup of milk tea in hand and a relaxed look on his face.

The first guest after Lai Ju was listed was actually related to the Prince of Yue's Mansion? Thinking of this, Si Li took two steps forward and saluted, "I am sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. This cup of milk tea is from me."

Zhong Liuru tilted his head to look at her, then stood up and bowed, "Please sit down, Manager. My name is Zhong, and I am here on behalf of the Crown Prince to discuss the date of the wall construction and what will happen next."

The Prince of Yue's Palace set the date for demolishing the wall to be three days later. Si Li didn't need to do anything. The craftsmen and on-site managers were all in charge of the Prince of Yue's Palace. The area under the wall was empty, so just don't get close to it on that day. For the demolition of the wall and the impact on business on the day of demolition, Si Li would be compensated five taels of silver. If the shop was later sold because of the door on the courtyard wall, the Prince of Yue would pay for it. And for the princess's visit, guards and maids would be provided, and expenses would be recorded at double the amount and settled at the end of the month.

The favorable conditions are tinged with stinginess, which is a familiar taste.

Si Li smiled, "I shouldn't push my luck, but I do have a problem right now. After the shop was taken down, there were a lot of small pots left. I don't need them for cooking, so I want to modify the pots and stoves, but the blacksmith is unwilling to take the job. I wonder if you can help me? I think this should be a piece of cake for the prince. If the prince can help me solve it, I won't take the five taels of silver."

On the way here, Si Li had already heard Meng Taotao talk about the problems encountered by Wang Ting and the other man. Neither of the two blacksmith shops was willing to take the job.

One refused with all her might, while the other hinted at raising the price. Manager Tang thought that it would cost half an ounce of silver to modify a pot, which was enough to make a new one, so he simply advised her to give up. According to Meng Taotao, although Daning blacksmith shops were restricted by the government, the government only controlled new iron tools and did not care about anything else. Things like modifying pots, repairing pots, and sharpening knives were too small and did not cause any harm. It was entirely up to the blacksmith shops to decide whether to accept the job.

Then the matter was clear. It was estimated that someone had heard about the money-making here and the trouble with the Sifu, and they were either afraid of causing trouble or wanted to make a killing. Although there was no rush to modify the pots, after all, they were not needed now, but instead of going to get involved with these people later, it was better to seize the power that could be borrowed at present and let people with greater power solve the problem.

Zhong Liuru lowered her head to drink tea to hide the smile on her face, exchanging money for favors. This little girl is really smart.

"Yes, a craftsman will come to help you adjust the tools. They will come together in three days. However, you have to pay the five taels of compensation to the craftsman."

"That's right." Si Li finalized the matter with a smile and sent Mr. Zhong away.

As soon as the person in front of her left, another familiar person came in. Guan Zhizhen looked downcast, holding a cup of milk tea in her left hand and a bag of paper in her right hand, and walked around the corner. When she met Si Li's eyes, she immediately perked up, completely different from the expression that seemed like she was about to cry before, "Manager Si, long time no see!"

Si Li raised an eyebrow, "What's the matter?"

"You don't know, but your Wanglai House is very famous now. I'm here to congratulate you." Guan Zhizhen said jokingly and raised both hands to let Si Li see the gift he brought.

[System: "Becoming Famous" has been completed, and one thousand achievement points have been issued. The task has been updated, please continue to work hard. ]

When the word "reputation" was mentioned, the system prompt and Guan Zhizhen's voice sounded at the same time. Was this inexplicable task completed just like that? Si Li stared at him for a long time before opening the door.

Si Li believed that Wanglaiju was beginning to gain fame in Beijing, but it was unlikely that it was famous. There were so many old shops in Beijing, how could a newly opened small shop have a chance to stand out? Was this guy talking nonsense?

However, since the guests had come, Si Li couldn't rush them out. She took the gift and was suddenly stunned.

Although the milk tea was also packaged in a bamboo tube wrapped in cloth, there was no "Wanglaiju" printed on the baffle of the cup lid. When she opened the lid and took a smell, the floral fragrance filled her nose, covering up the fishy smell of milk. The tea aroma was completely suppressed underneath. It was obviously different from the recipe she gave to Manager Tang, but she could feel the connection between the two.

The other package contained a donkey roll, which was very similar to the one Si Li had eaten at Guan Ji. Si Li flipped over the packaging paper and took a look. There was no "Guan Ji" printed on either the paper or the red paper covering the package.

The common point of the two "gifts" is that they are both imitations. Guan Zhizhen's purpose is obvious. Si Li frowned and asked, "What does Guan Shaodong want to remind me?"

Guan Zhizhen said sincerely, "I'm here to ask the storekeeper for help."

"I can't help you. You should be able to see that." Si Li was somewhat helpless and said frankly, "Thank you for reminding me, Master Guan. It is inevitable that counterfeit milk tea will appear. Making pastries is not my forte, and Guan's has many experienced masters. Why does it need me? As for the counterfeit products of Guan's, Guan's has been doing it for so many years, so I think they have their own way to solve it. So what can I do?"

Si Li really couldn't understand why he insisted on letting her help make cakes. Not to mention that people in the same industry are enemies, Guan Bobo Shop is said to have been opened in the capital for several generations, so how could it lack a master chef to realize the ideas of the master?

Guan Zhizhen smiled bitterly, "Guan Ji, there are only apprentices left."

Maybe it was because she had been holding it in for too long, but Guan Zhizhen opened her mouth and told him everything that had happened to her, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.

Guan Zhiyu, the eldest son of the Guan family, is now the shopkeeper of Guan Ji. He was originally a genius with a great talent in cooking. However, he injured his hand while keeping vigil for his parents' death a few years ago. Guan Zhizhen, on the other hand, is a guy with only a sensitive tongue and his cooking skills are terrible, so all the work in the shop is left to the master chefs.

Originally, I thought that with Guan Zhiyu's verbal guidance and cooperation with the masters, the shop could be kept going. With the next generation of successors, the operation would be much easier. However, after taking over the Guan Ji, the masters not only refused to accept Guan Zhiyu's innovations, but also wanted to increase the salary. In the end, they were greedy and asked for half of Guan Ji.

The Guan brothers naturally refused. Who knew that they had been prepared for this? Overnight, the masters left with their apprentices and opened another Guanwailou in the capital, selling Guan's cakes and trendy snacks. It was very prosperous for a while. Without the master chef, Guan's was completely unable to open for business. Business was temporarily suspended, and Guan Zhiyu was hit hard. Guan Zhizhen thought about it and remembered Si Li's craftsmanship that she had tasted before, so she went to Wanglaiju again.

In a sense, Guan Ji and Wang Lai Ju are indeed on the same front. After all, the trendy snacks include Wang Lai Ju's slightly famous milk tea.

Si Li was like a civet that strayed into a melon field, occasionally letting out a couple of exclamations, and finally concluded, "So now it's your brother who can't do it, you don't know how to do it, and you want me to help your brother complete his idea?"

Guan Zhizhen nodded with difficulty, "We still have Guan Ji's recipe, and we can teach the apprentices ourselves. In addition to helping my brother realize his ideas, we only need to test the apprentices' level from time to time. I can't give you the recipe, but there is still money in the shop. As long as the price is reasonable, we can negotiate." It can be seen that he really has no other choice.

Young man, if they really want to harm you, you'd be escaping from the tiger's den and falling into the wolf's lair, do you know that?

Si Li looked at him with a complicated expression, "It's not about the money, but I really can't help you."

"You said exactly the same thing as them." Guan Zhizhen lowered his head. He had looked for chefs who could grasp the subtle balance of dishes and snacks a few days ago, but they all had their own shops and didn't want to get involved in the Guan family's business. Who knew that the youngest chef in Wanglaiju also rejected him for the same reason.

Si Li was also helpless. Guan Zhizhen made it very clear that what she valued was her control over seasoning and mixing of various ingredients, but this was not her ability at all.

The system recipe has already given the most perfect proportions, and there is a progress bar to monitor the operation, plus the system comments after each dish comes out of the pot, which makes it so-called "just right". If she deviates from the system recipe and does something else, her level may not even be as good as Guan Zhizhen.

Guan Zhizhen didn't say anything else. Sitting opposite with her head down, like a dazed puppy caught in the rain, Si Li's heart softened.

"I can't help you, but I think you and your brother may have walked into a misunderstanding. The recipe is still there, and they won't be able to jump for long. Why don't you go to the government office to sue? You are the successors of Guan Ji. Generally, the master's inheritance requires the apprentice to continue working in the restaurant, right? How much will they have to pay for breaking the contract in advance?"

Thanks to Meng Taotao, a little expert in popularizing the law, her first reaction now is whether this matter can be judged by the government.

Guan Zhizhen was stunned.

Si Li smiled and continued, "Your brother's hands are not good, but you have mouths and eyes, you can try and adjust. If those apprentices are trustworthy, remember that the current lows are just preparations for future glory."

"You're right." Guan Zhizhen's eyes lit up. "Thank you very much!"