Early in the morning, the family got up and washed up at the usual time. Tian Laosi went to work as usual today, and he took six extra roujiamo (Chinese meat sandwiches) with him when he left, as a way of keeping a promise he had made to someone.
Only Tian Er was busy in the front hall. Tian Sangui was initially worried that her second brother would not be able to handle it, but when she came to the front hall under the pretext of serving dishes, she saw that Tian Er was greeting guests with ease, and she finally felt relieved.
A new type of dumpling was introduced today, which made the students eagerly anticipate the lunch at Jueweizhai.
Tian Sangui was delighted to see this. He packed up his breakfast stall and worked with Zhang Shi in the backyard making dumplings, while Tian Da and Tian Er helped clean the front hall.
As Tian Er was mopping the floor, a pair of black cloth shoes appeared before his eyes, and the light above his head suddenly dimmed.
He looked up in confusion: "Sir, we've already closed for breakfast. Are you looking to reserve a table for lunch?"
The man in black robes stared at Tian Er with a half-smile on his face.
A chilling aura emanated from his brown eyes, and Tian Er immediately sensed that this was not someone to be trifled with.
He stared at Tian Er for a long time. Just when Tian Er thought he wouldn't answer him, the man turned his gaze to the door, sat down, and looked around their shop.
His eyes were full of disdain; if this place didn't have what he needed, he wouldn't have condescended to come here and be tainted by the atmosphere of a poor village.
"Bring your daughter out here. I am the head manager of the Yangzhou Restaurant. Tell her to come see me immediately!"
With a rather commanding tone, Tian Er quickly thought: "Sir, if you're here to reserve a table for lunch, just tell me. If you're here to see someone, I'm sorry, you've come to the wrong place. We're closing now, please go ahead!"
Tian Er disliked the man's manner of speaking. Although he knew perfectly well that the person the man wanted to see was his third sister, the man's arrogant and conceited manner was unpleasant.
Tian Er didn't want his third sister to get involved. He was too busy with his own business to have time to see such a self-righteous person.
After saying that, he went about wiping the floor, completely ignoring the presence of the man in black.
"Hmph, you're a born scoundrel. If you don't appreciate my kindness, don't blame me for being rude."
The man got angry and immediately overturned the square table in front of him. The heavy sound of it hitting the ground carried to the backyard, startling Tian Sangui and Zhang Shi.
When they came to the front hall, they saw Tian Er and a man in black tearing at each other.
Zhang immediately stepped forward to break up the fight, pulling Tian Er away and saying, "Tian Er, what are you doing? How can you hit a guest? Let go!"
Seeing that her words had no effect, Zhang began to pry open Tian Er's fingers that were pulling on the man's sleeve.
Tian Er was tall and strong. These days, Tian Sangui had been preparing him to eat nutritious food, so his strength was naturally much greater than before. Zhang Shi's face turned red, but she couldn't even bend a single little finger.
Enraged, she punched Tian Er's arm repeatedly, trying to make him let go.
Tian Sangui didn't immediately stop Tian Er; she could tell that it was this arrogant man in front of her who had provoked her first.
Feeling sorry for Zhang and Tian Er, Tian Sangui came to stop the anxious Zhang and calmly persuaded Tian Er to leave.
"Second Brother, please let go. I think this customer must have something to discuss with us, otherwise he wouldn't have come to smash our shop for no reason, would he?"
Since his younger sister had spoken, Tian Er naturally wouldn't hold on too tightly. He slowly pulled his hand away from the man's sleeve. Just as Tian Er lowered his hand, the man in black seized the opportunity and suddenly pushed Tian Er, who had let his guard down, to the ground.
"Second Brother! Tian Er!"
"You!" Tian Sangui lunged at Tian Er's side, pointing at the culprit, his eyes filled with hatred.
"Second brother, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
The mother and daughter helped Tian Er up with heartache, asking about his injuries with concern.
"It's alright, little sister. I think this person is just here to cause trouble. Don't be afraid, your second brother will beat him out!"
This person would only resort to underhanded tactics when no one was looking, and was no match for Tian Er in a direct confrontation.
Upon hearing that Tian Er was going to throw him out, panic flashed in the man's eyes. This brat was incredibly strong, and if they started fighting, he would definitely be the one who suffered.
I'm here today to discuss business, not to spar with this kid.
"Wait, I, Gu, was a little nervous just now, so I threw you down with force. It was completely unintentional. I hope you and your family can forgive me!"
Shopkeeper Gu smiled apologetically and apologized for what had just happened, his attitude very humble, as if it was his brother who had pushed them, not him.
Tian Sangui and Zhang Shi are not fools. Pushing someone in front of them and then believing his lies just because of an apology afterwards? Bah! Tian Sangui is not that easy to fool.
"Sir, have you come here today just to cause trouble?"
Tian Sangui had a feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface.
"Haha, I'm here to discuss business with you, young lady. Your brother was unwilling to invite you out earlier, so I had to resort to this tactic. I apologize!"
Is this something a businessperson should do?
Although her family was short of money, they didn't want to earn just any kind of money. Tian Sangui had a deep-seated aversion to Manager Gu, and it was better not to discuss this business with him!
"Our place is too small to accommodate someone as important as you, Manager Gu. You should find business partners elsewhere. Please!"
Tian Sangui had no intention of paying any more attention to this person and decisively sent him away.
"Miss Tian, I've come here sincerely to discuss business with you. You should at least listen to my entire presentation before you send me away, shouldn't you?"
Does this mean that this deal is absolutely necessary to be discussed?
"Alright, it won't hurt to listen. Please, Manager Gu, focus on the important points. I have a lot of things to do in the kitchen."
After she finished speaking, she pulled out a chair and sat down, staring intently at his face, listening attentively.
With a slight smile, Manager Gu took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Tian Sangui.
She opened it and saw that it clearly stated: "Spicy and Sour Jadeite, Twenty Taels of Gold, for Yangzhou Restaurant."
Gold, equivalent to two thousand taels of silver, is a truly tempting price. However, she had already promised Tongfu Restaurant, and the contract hadn't expired yet. How could she go back on her word halfway through?
Besides, this Manager Gu has a sinister air about him, so how can there be any guarantee of cooperation with him?
If one day he wants the formula she has, can she be sure she can protect her family?
Tian Sangui put down the letter in his hand and lowered his eyes to ponder.
Given Manager Gu's unpredictable personality, the lives of the Tian family members are nothing to him. He would definitely do anything to harm people for money.
She couldn't earn this money at the cost of her family's lives.
After a moment, Tian Sangui looked at him with a firm gaze.
Seeing the gleam in her eyes, Manager Gu's lips curled into a smile, while he inwardly felt contempt.
Which country folk aren't greedy for money? They may appear honest and unconventional, but in the face of twenty taels of gold, they're nothing but a fart, and they still have to compromise.
Before Manager Gu could even laugh out loud, Tian Sangui poured cold water on his eager anticipation.
"I'm sorry, Manager Gu, you are unaware of this, but I have already signed a contract with Tongfu Restaurant. No matter how high your offer is, it is not a reason for me, Tian Sangui, to go back on my word."
Shopkeeper Gu was incredulous. Wasn't she tempted? That was gold! It was money that people in their impoverished village couldn't earn in several lifetimes.
Tian Sangui's attitude was clear, and there was nothing more to say to him. He stood up and said politely, "Manager Gu, you should go find business elsewhere. I have other things to attend to, so I won't keep you company any longer. Second Brother, please see him out!"
Afterwards, he pulled the bewildered Zhang Shi into the backyard, and Tian Er, rubbing his wrist, approached the stern-faced Manager Gu.
"Please!"
Tian Er's words brought him back to his senses. He then calmly put on his hat, stood up, straightened his clothes, and strode away.
Seeing the Tongfu Restaurant packed with customers, he felt a surge of resentment and clenched his teeth.
Back at his Yangzhou restaurant, he found the lobby nearly empty, which fueled his anger.
When had his restaurant ever been in such a state of disarray? It had been ruined by an unknown restaurant. At this moment, his hatred for Tian Sangui intensified.
It's just a dish, he didn't believe that his family was the only one in the entire Wei County who knew how to make it!
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