Chapter 201 Ruyi Restaurant
The couple snuggled together in bed for a long time before falling asleep. When they woke up, it was already late.
As soon as they stepped out of the room, dressed neatly, a guard came forward to report that Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua had invited them to have dinner at the Ruyi Restaurant outside.
Ruyi Restaurant is a century-old brand that enjoys a high reputation throughout Dongjiang Prefecture.
Sheng An had been looking forward to Ruyi Restaurant for a long time and wanted to try the taste of this century-old brand, so he naturally wouldn't refuse tonight's dinner.
So the couple went to the main hall in the front yard and went to Ruyi Restaurant with Fang Qingzhou and his wife and Ye Yunhua and his wife.
The Ruyi Restaurant was not far away; the carriage would arrive in a short while.
As soon as the group got off the carriage, Tan Zhenlin complained from above: "You guys are too slow. I've already finished two pots of tea."
Sheng An looked up and saw Tan Zhenlin leaning on the windowsill, with Tan Qingrou next to him covering her face with a handkerchief because she felt ashamed of her brother.
The others were speechless at his appearance. Fang Qingzhou slowly uttered a sentence: "He's already of age but still acts like a child. Isn't he afraid that his future siblings will dislike him?"
Ye Yunhua added with a smile, "Perhaps he's just too naive, which is why no young lady has taken a liking to him yet."
Listening to the two of them bickering back and forth, Sheng An and the other two were at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
As the son of the prefect, Tan Zhenlin passed the imperial examination at a young age and had no bad habits. How could he not have any girls wanting him?
It was only because he insisted on establishing his career before starting a family that he rejected all the advances of young ladies.
It was precisely because his marriage was delayed that he hadn't been able to return to Jinling enough in the past two years, fearing that Madam Tan would nag him all day long.
The group arrived at a private room on the second floor. Tan Zhenlin, acting unceremoniously, stepped forward, hooked his arm around Xu Jinnian's neck, and turned to the others, saying:
"My parents know you have arrived in Jinling, and they asked me to invite you to their home tomorrow."
The group exchanged glances, and the eldest, Fang Qingzhou, politely declined, saying, "With the provincial examinations approaching, it's not appropriate for the three of us to visit you. Perhaps we should wait until after the examinations and then choose an auspicious day to visit our elders."
At such a crucial juncture, it is even more important to avoid suspicion. If people find out that they visited Prefect Tan on the eve of the imperial examination, who knows what rumors will spread in private.
If someone cheats in the exam, the investigation could implicate them; this has happened before.
Tan Zhenlin wasn't stupid. As soon as he heard Fang Qingzhou's words, he knew what Fang Qingzhou was worried about. So he nodded and smiled brightly, saying, "Alright, after the provincial examination is over, you can all come to my house for a get-together."
Everyone readily agreed.
They had a close relationship with Tan Zhenlin, and it was only proper etiquette for them to visit their elder.
The servants who accompanied them were left outside the private room. There were only eight of them inside, so they chatted and ordered food without any restraint, but they all tacitly refrained from ordering drinks.
The food was served quickly, and the first signature dish arrived shortly afterward. It featured duck as the main ingredient, and before we could even taste it, the rich aroma of the meat was accompanied by another unique fragrance that lingered in everyone's nostrils.
Sheng An's eyes lit up, and his anticipation for the Eight Treasures Duck dish increased significantly.
Xu Jinnian saw through her thoughts and explained softly:
"Ruyi Restaurant started as an unknown little restaurant, but the culinary skills passed down from generation to generation have improved, which is how it has grown from a small restaurant into what it is today."
Ye Yunhua laughed and said, "Speaking of which, my sister-in-law is much more capable than the first owner of Ruyi Restaurant. In just three years, she made Shengyuan famous, and even people in Jinling know about it."
Fang Qingzhou couldn't help but say, "We've been to Ruyi Restaurant a few times before. The taste is not much worse than my sister-in-law's cooking, but I still prefer my sister-in-law's dishes."
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes it so delicious, but the taste is so unforgettable that it leaves you feeling completely satisfied and happy.
The Tan siblings chimed in unison, "That's right, Sister-in-law (An'an) is still the best cook!"
Sheng An felt a little embarrassed by their praise and said modestly, "It's not as good as you say, there are still many areas that need improvement."
For example, she doesn't pay attention to the presentation of her dishes, so they don't look very refined.
This problem has existed for a long time, and Sheng An himself has never thought of improving it. In his previous life, when he ran a private restaurant, he was just as casual, and not a single customer would complain about this.
Shengyuan has been open for three years, and no one has complained about the lack of proper plating.
As long as it tastes good, that's all that matters!
Thinking this to himself, Sheng An had to admit that exquisite plating could enhance a dish, turning an eight-point flavor into a nine-point one.
So after Fang Qingzhou, who was hosting, started eating, she also picked up her chopsticks, took a slice of Eight Treasure Duck, and put it in her mouth.
The meat is tender and juicy, with a wonderful aroma that lingers on the lips and teeth—delicious!
Sheng An's eyes lit up again, and he silently gave an objective evaluation in his mind.
This Eight Treasure Duck is even better than the Eight Treasure Duck at Zuixianlou.
She doesn't make Eight Treasure Duck, so it's not appropriate to compare it with her own culinary skills.
Soon, the other dishes were served one after another.
Sheng An tried several dishes and ate with great relish.
Xu Jinnian rarely saw her enjoying a meal out so much, and in a good mood, he whispered, "An'an likes the food here, so I'll come here with you every day from now on."
Sheng An shook her head. Just when the man thought she was deliberately trying to avoid coming over every day to avoid taking up his reading time, she happily said:
"The provincial examination is only a few days away, so you should eat out less often. I can come by myself."
Xu Jinnian: "..."
The chef at Ruyi Restaurant is impeccable; not a single dish on the table was subpar, demonstrating his consistent and excellent performance.
Without the superb buff of culinary skills, Sheng An dared not guarantee that he could do this.
If she weren't still rational, she would have liked to go to the kitchen to get to know them.
Ruyi Restaurant is not cheap. Signature dishes like Eight Treasure Duck cost no less than five taels of silver each, which is similar to the pricing of Shengyuan Restaurant.
Looking out the window at the diners coming and going downstairs, Sheng An knew that Ruyi Restaurant's daily income definitely exceeded that of Shengyuan Restaurant, truly living up to its reputation as a century-old brand.
After eating and drinking their fill, the group left Ruyi Restaurant, where it was already getting dark.
Before curfew, the group strolled aimlessly along the street to digest their food.
When they see a shop that interests them, Sheng'an and her women will go in and take a look.
In particular, Liu Xiaoyun and Liu Yanran couldn't resist the exquisite jewelry and headdresses that were not available in Qingzhou City, and spent several hundred taels of silver without blinking an eye.
Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua watched with smiles, occasionally offering some reliable suggestions, completely unaware that they had married a spendthrift wife.
Sheng An showed little interest in these designs, admiring their aesthetic appeal but making no purchases.
Just as everyone else was still throwing money around, she heard a shrill and familiar voice coming from downstairs:
"Pah! This thing is neither edible nor wearable. I just accidentally broke off a corner, and you want me to pay you two hundred taels of silver? You're trying to extort money from me!"
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