On the eighth day of the second lunar month, all the ladies arrived as promised, including Old Madam Shen and Old Master Shen who came in a carriage to show their support.
Everyone knows the old master of the Shen family's health; it's a miracle he can even get out of bed.
This event caused a sensation throughout the entire state, and people flocked to watch. Accompanied by the ladies, Tian Sangui and Madam Shen cut off the red cloth together, revealing a brand-new black-framed plaque with gold lettering.
The crowd applauded and cheered for the Hefang Restaurant. Tian Sangui straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and announced in a loud voice to the people below the steps.
"To thank all our patrons, Hefang Restaurant is holding a three-day event where all dishes are half price, drinks are complimentary, and there are other surprises waiting for you to discover upon entering the restaurant. Congratulations on the grand opening of Hefang Restaurant!"
"Alright, alright, let's go inside and take a look!"
The diners couldn't wait to enter, so Tian Sangui helped Old Madam Shen to stand aside to make way for them.
People crowded in, and the upstairs and downstairs rooms were quickly filled.
The employees had received intensive training from Tian Sangui before, so this time they were busy in an orderly manner, instead of being chaotic and at a loss.
With a full staff, the food is served quickly, and there's no fear of being overwhelmed even with a large number of customers.
The ladies were all seated in private rooms. After Tian Sangui helped the old lady to her seat, he went to the kitchen to cook for them himself.
"Oh, Your Excellency, welcome! You are a rare guest indeed!"
The prefectural governor, dressed in a thick black coat, spoke with his hands tucked into his sleeves, and plumes of white smoke billowed out.
"Ha, nothing is as amazing as your Hefang Restaurant. It's been all over the place in the whole state. I've come to see what's so special about it that makes it worthy of such high praise."
The waiter was from the prefectural city and knew the prefectural magistrate very well. He quickly greeted him with a smile: "Hehe, sir, you've come to the right place. Our restaurant is different from others. Please come upstairs!"
"Hmph, all that fancy stuff, what kind of flower can it possibly grow?"
The governor didn't believe it verbally, but followed him to the second floor without taking it seriously.
When the waiter respectfully placed the menu in front of him, the prefectural magistrate glanced at it, looking back and forth between the waiter and the menu with a blank expression.
He recognized every single word on the menu, but when they were combined into dish names, he couldn't recognize them.
"Wow, what kind of dish is this?"
The waiter chuckled to himself, recalling how he had reacted the same way when he first saw the menu. Hahaha.
"Sir, to be honest, every dish on this menu is absolutely superb. Please feel free to order whatever you like. If it doesn't suit your taste, I'll make up for the cost of your meal!"
"Oh ho, quite the big talker. How much is your monthly wage? I may not recognize the vegetables, but the prices written on the back are easy to read."
Each dish isn't expensive, but it's not cheap either. Ordering just two or three dishes will easily cost you half a tael of silver. Can you afford to lose money like that?
The waiter was amused by the prefectural magistrate: "Sir, why don't you try it and see if I can afford to pay? I dare to say this because I know our restaurant's culinary skills inside and out. Otherwise, how could I dare to make such a boast in front of you, sir?"
"Alright, I don't eat ginger. Just bring out a couple of good dishes!"
The waiter nodded repeatedly, poured the adult a cup of honey tea, and bowed and scraped as he went to prepare.
After a while, the prefectural magistrate, his steps unsteady and cheeks flushed, with a pair of dazed eyes, exclaimed loudly to the waiter, "Your restaurant is truly something else!"
"Hehe, it's good that you're enjoying your meal, sir. Let me call a sedan chair to take you home!"
The prefectural magistrate waved his hands repeatedly: "No need, I am... uh... very clear-headed!" After saying that, he lost his balance and leaned on the waiter for support.
The waiter was not tall, and it seemed quite difficult for him to carry the burly prefectural magistrate.
He could only grit his teeth and, using the door frame for support, barely managed to straighten him up.
"Sir, I'd better call a sedan chair!"
Before the prefect could react, a horse-drawn carriage pulled up outside, and the waiter hurriedly waved and called out.
"Hey, driver, come here! This... this..."
"Hehe, young master, what brings you here?"
The elderly coachman, in his sixties, hunched over as he ran to the restaurant entrance. One look at the waiter's clothes and appearance and he knew he was the waiter.
"This is the magistrate of our prefecture. He drank a bit too much at the banquet. You must escort him back to the prefectural government office properly, without any mistakes!"
The waiter then took out two copper coins and handed them to the coachman. The two of them then worked together to lift the prefectural magistrate onto the carriage.
"Don't worry, brother, the old man will definitely deliver the master!"
After saying that, he jumped onto the carriage, cracked the whip, and rode off. Despite his advanced age, the old man was still very agile.
The waiter finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to attend to the next customer.
It was time for Tian Sangui to say goodbye to the ladies, and he prepared small perfume samples as gifts for them.
Some of the ladies couldn't wait to open the spray and, following Tian Sangui's instructions, sprayed it on their wrists and the front and back of their necks. With just a little, their whole bodies were filled with a refreshing and invigorating fragrance.
"It smells so good! What kind of flower is it made of?"
Tian Sangui continued the story, adding, "Pear blossoms, peach blossoms, and roses, all combined together, create a dish that can't be found in the market; only the ladies present today have it!"
Upon hearing this, the ladies' eyes lit up a bit. Did this mean that they had a good chance of gaining favor at home?
No matter how arrogant the concubine is, without this perfume, it's all for naught!
"What a pleasant surprise, San Gui! If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to my residence. My aunt will never refuse to help if I can!"
"San Gui, Aunt Wang can also help. My birthday is in two months, so you must come and do my makeup then!"
"Pah, you really know how to take advantage of someone else's precious stuff. You want to get it for free?"
"San Gui, come visit me when you have time. My daughter is about your age and has a gentle personality. You two will definitely get along well, and maybe you can even become best friends!"
The ladies each had their own motives, all wanting to cultivate a good relationship with Tian Sangui, all for the sake of the alluring rouge in her hand.
Tian Sangui knew perfectly well what was going on, but smiled kindly and said, "Yes, ladies, I will definitely visit you when I have time!"
Upon hearing Tian Sangui's words, they happily dispersed, eagerly anticipating the small gift he would bring when he came to visit.
Finally, when bidding farewell to the Shen family, we presented them with fine wine, and a set of nourishing and health-preserving products for the old lady. The third madam received the same set, but unlike the old lady, it contained some added moisturizing ingredients.
After using it for a period of time, you will see obvious results. They are prominent figures in the prefecture and even the capital, and they visit countless relatives and friends. Naturally, they become free advertisements for Tian Sangui.
This will establish a resounding reputation for the rouge shop in the future.
The three-day event made the people of the city realize that Hefang Restaurant was different from others, not only because of its delicious food and wide variety of drinks, but also because of its diverse flavors, which attracted countless diners to come and try it.
Hefang Restaurant became famous overnight, causing its competitors to suffer a severe decline in business.
Some went bankrupt and went out of business.
They were so angry that they grimaced, filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred!
Many people have tried to cause trouble for Tian Sangui, but they have all been deterred by the ridiculously large number of influential people behind him.
No matter how jealous they were, they dared not offend him directly.
But there are always a few rebellious individuals who disagree, believing that he is exceptionally clever.
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