The two men who had been sitting at the door, intending to bow to Gu Lili, stood up and said angrily.
Manager Wan snorted coldly and said, "Eat it or don't, our Wanxiang Restaurant doesn't need two sycophantic customers like you!"
The reason why Manager Wan didn't dare to speak to Gu Lili like that earlier was because Gu Lili was the Princess of Yongning, personally appointed by the Emperor, while the two of them were just ordinary people. So Manager Wan vented his anger on the two of them.
It's ridiculous, really. It was Manager Wan and his ilk who looked down on people first, but now they're turning around and accusing others of being sycophants.
"Hmph! We don't even want to eat at a restaurant like yours!"
The two men angrily paid the bill and left.
In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all the guests in Wanxianglou left one after another, even the VIPs in the private rooms on the second floor.
Only Manager Wan and the waiter were left looking at each other in bewilderment, and Manager Wan immediately sensed something was wrong.
However, when facing one's own shop assistant, one must naturally maintain the dignity of a shopkeeper.
"These are all opportunists. They just followed that damned village chief when he left. Just you wait and see, in a few days, these people will be scrambling back to eat!" Manager Wan said defiantly.
The waiter flattered, "That's right, our Wanxiang Restaurant is the best restaurant in the entire Donghai Town. Anyone with a reputation in this town, who wouldn't invite us to dinner!"
After hearing what the waiter said, Manager Wan also felt that it made sense.
He snorted and went behind the counter to settle his accounts.
The two were completely unaware that their actions today would lead to the Wanxianglou restaurant never being able to establish itself in Donghai Town again.
Most of the people who came to eat today were scholars from Wangyue Academy in Donghai Town. Most of them were well-read and had the utmost disdain for people like Manager Wan who looked down on others.
Moreover, given how harsh Manager Wan's words were today, they probably wouldn't want to set foot in Wanxianglou again, even if it meant starving to death.
After all, what scholars have in abundance is integrity!
Several scholars returned home and immediately began to write poems criticizing Manager Wan's actions that day.
By the time Manager Wan realized things were going wrong, it was already too late to salvage the situation.
These rumors had already spread throughout the entire Donghai Town.
Some people even spit a few times towards the entrance when they pass by their Wanxianglou restaurant.
However, that's all in the future.
Gu Lili, who turned and left, did not take the matter to heart. Since she transmigrated, she had seen quite a few people and things that looked down on others.
That's just how the world is; Gu Lili can't change what others think of her.
But can't we punish ourselves and be sullen just because of someone else's mistake?
Of course not. Gu Lili had long forgotten about what had just happened and took Zhang Dahua and Gu Erniu to another restaurant for dinner.
"Sister, this braised pork seems to be undercooked. And I just checked, this plate of braised pork costs a hundred coins!" Gu Erniu said to Gu Lili in a low voice.
Ever since he started eating his sister's cooking, Gu Erniu has become quite picky about food.
Actually, this place is considered cheap.
I estimate that the price would be much higher at Wanxianglou.
Gu Erniu did the math in his head: a pound of pork costs about thirty coins, and with seasonings and such, it's only two or three coins. This plate of braised pork is less than a pound, and it's just casually stir-fried, yet it can sell for such a high price.
Gu Erniu thought it was too expensive. He should have bought some and asked his sister to cook it for them when he got home.
Gu Lili smiled and said, "I invited you here to eat so you could understand the market prices. Now you know the prices of these dishes, right?"
Gu Lili felt that the fee was actually quite reasonable.
There are also shop costs and labor costs included. As for the taste, Gu Lili agrees with Gu Erniu's assessment that it's indeed not very good.
Gu Erniu nodded heavily in agreement, "Yes, now I do understand the prices. Once our restaurant opens, I'll have a general idea of what to do."
Gu Erniu had already carefully observed how the waiter urged the customers to sit down.
Then, how should we serve tea to the guests and introduce the dishes?
He remembered everything, and he was certain that nothing like what happened at Wanxianglou would happen in his own restaurant.
The group chatted and ate a hearty lunch.
After lunch, Gu Lili led the group back to the shop.
The shop needs renovation, and Gu Lili had already arranged for craftsmen to work there.
Not long after Gu Lili and her three companions arrived at the shop, the craftsman arrived with several workers.
"Master, can you understand these drawings?" Gu Lili took out the drawings from her sleeve and handed them to the craftsman opposite her.
The old craftsman held the blueprints in his hands and examined them carefully, but his brows slowly furrowed.
“Little girl, look, I understand this part, it’s just dividing the second floor into five private rooms. But I don’t quite understand this part.” The old craftsman said, pointing out the part he didn’t understand and asking.
In the back courtyard, Gu Lili had drawn several pavilions.
This old craftsman may have built countless houses in his lifetime, and he may have built pavilions in his courtyards, but it is rare to see him build so many.
The old craftsman felt it was somewhat unreasonable that such a small courtyard had three pavilions.
Gu Lili smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that. Just do as I ask."
The old craftsman wanted to persuade him further, but since his employer had already said so, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
In this courtyard, Gu Lili not only built three pavilions, but also designed a fish pond around the pavilions.
The pond separates the three pavilions, and each path leads to only one pavilion.
After explaining the matter to the craftsman, Gu Lili gave him the key and then took the four of them home.
For the next few days, Gu Lili kept traveling back and forth between Donghai Town and Gu Village.
Before we knew it, it was time to move to our new home.
Because they had already drunk alcohol when the roof beam was raised, they didn't invite anyone to drink alcohol when they moved.
So, Gu Lili simply invited her maternal grandfather's family over for a meal to liven things up, treating it as a housewarming party.
"Wow, cousin, how come your house has such a big bed?" Li Qimu asked curiously, pointing to the large kang (heated brick bed) in the room next to the kitchen.
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