Lan Yu eventually let Tang Qiqi go, and Steward Liu also sent people to secretly observe and protect her as he requested.
Tang Qiqi and Erzhuzi then got down to business. Lanling City was bustling and lively, with many restaurants. After wandering around the city, Tang Qiqi and Erzhuzi locked onto their target.
It was a restaurant called "Zui Xian Ge" (Drunken Immortal Pavilion). The restaurant had three floors and occupied a large area. Just looking at its exterior, it seemed incredibly luxurious and grand.
Even the waiter at the door who greeted customers behaved in an unusual manner.
"Uncle, this is the place!" Tang Qiqi pointed with her chubby little hand.
Erzhuzi shuddered in fright: "Qiqi, we can't go to this place, we'll be kicked out!"
Tang Qiqi insisted, "This is it, but we can't go through the front door, we have to go through the back door!"
Erzhuzi couldn't persuade Tang Qiqi otherwise, so he nervously led her around to the back street, and it took quite a bit of effort to find the backyard of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
The backyard was even more bustling than the market. People were washing dishes, washing vegetables, killing chickens and fish. Everyone was doing their job, and there was order amidst the chaos. Erzhuzi watched from outside the door, completely mesmerized.
He was a little hesitant: "Qiqi, let's try a smaller restaurant!"
Before he could finish speaking, Tang Qiqi told him to wait outside the door, and she happily skipped into the courtyard.
Because she was small, she had to walk around the yard before she was spotted.
"Wow, whose child is this? He's so good-looking!"
"Did one of the guests bring it? Its little nose and eyes are so cute!"
"Judging from his clothes, he doesn't look like the customer in front; he looks more like a beggar." At this moment, Tang Qiqi had changed into her own clothes, so she looked very shabby.
Because of Tang Qiqi's arrival, everyone stopped what they were doing and crowded around, asking questions all at once.
A man who looked like he was in charge came over and asked Tang Qiqi, "Little girl, what's your name? Are you hungry? Go and get her something to eat!"
Tang Qiqi quickly said, "Uncle, I'm not begging for food, I'm here to discuss business. May I ask who is in charge of purchasing here?"
The man laughed: "Good heavens, a little brat who can't even wipe his snot properly comes to talk business? Since you're not a beggar, go play somewhere else. This isn't a fun place!"
Tang Qiqi said with a serious face, "Uncle, I really came here to sell chickens. I just saw that you killed more than 30 chickens in less than half an incense stick's time. You must have several hundred chickens here every day!"
The man became interested: "Little girl, you have a good eye. But you're wrong. We sell thousands of chickens every day. However, our chickens are delivered by a special person. We don't accept loose chickens!"
Tang Qiqi tilted her head back and said, "Your chickens are just common free-range chickens. They're small and the meat is tough. They're okay for stewing, but they won't taste very good if you cook them using other methods."
The man was taken aback. The kid was right. Their chicken soup was the best-selling item; other types of chicken didn't sell very well.
This is normal, though, as this breed of chicken is the only one found in Lanling, and even throughout the entire Liang Kingdom.
The man grew impatient: "Kid, we're all busy. Let's go. In this world, there are only roosters and hens!"
As he spoke, he tried to pull Tang Qiqi out.
Seeing that they were giving her the order to leave, Tang Qiqi used a provocation tactic. She looked at the manager with disdain and said loudly, "Judging from your appearance, you're not exactly an expert. Even a three-year-old like me knows that different cooking methods require different types of chicken. It seems that your Drunken Immortal Pavilion is all talk and no action!"
The supervisor got angry: "Hey, you little brat, I didn't bother with you because you're young, but you've gotten too big for your britches. Little Liu, throw her out!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a thin servant picked up Tang Qiqi and was about to take her away.
Tang Qiqi shouted into the room, "You're all blind and deaf, blinded by a single leaf. Sooner or later you'll ruin the reputation of this No. 1 restaurant in Lanling. If you don't know its value, I'll find someone else!"
In the end, it was Erzhuzi who came in and took Tang Qiqi out. He said with heartache, "Qiqi, let's not sell this chicken, let's go!"
Tang Qiqi was a little angry. She said in annoyance, "Uncle Zhuzi, why did you come and make things worse? This was almost done, but now it's all ruined!"
Erzhuzi was also getting angry: "They're about to throw you out, and I can just stand by and do nothing? I've said it before, we're not cut out for this kind of thing!"
For the first time in her life, Tang Qiqi felt resentment towards Erzhuzi. She said angrily, "What do you know? All you've ever done is back down and avoid things. You don't have any manly drive. No wonder no one wants you!"
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. These words struck a chord deep within Erzhuzi's heart, tearing open his scabbed wounds once more!
Tang Qiqi ignored Erzhuzi, who was standing there dumbfounded, and ran off with her short legs after she finished speaking.
Just then, the manager of Zuixian Pavilion ran out and chased after Tang Qiqi, calling out, "Kid, kid, wait a minute!"
Tang Qiqi was furious and didn't realize that the person was calling her; she was only focused on running away.
The manager had no choice but to run after him. Just as he reached for Tang Qiqi, Erzhuzi thought he was going to snatch her away, so he rushed over and punched him hard.
That man was no pushover either; he grabbed Erzhuzi and started beating him. It took Tang Qiqi a lot of effort to stop them.
Although the manager was annoyed, he had no choice but to ask Tang Qiqi and Erzhuzi to go back, since the landlady had given the order.
When Tang Qiqi heard that the landlady had invited her, she knew that the business was on track.
Erzhuzi said apologetically, "Qiqi, did Uncle cause you any trouble?"
Tang Qiqi's anger subsided, and she realized that Erzhuzi was worried about her.
She took Erzhuzi's hand and said, "It's okay, Uncle, if it's not working out, we can go to another house!"
As they spoke, the two entered the backyard of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, where the manager led them directly into a room.
Inside the house, a pretty, smartly dressed woman was waiting for them.
The woman appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and exuded an air of shrewdness.
Seeing Tang Qiqi, she couldn't hide her disappointment: "Wasn't it you who said that my Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the No. 1 Restaurant in Lanling, was going to lose its reputation? Who do you think you are? Just a little kid who hasn't even grown all her teeth yet. Send her away, you're wasting my time!"
Tang Qiqi knew that she wanted to meet the person who had spoken because she had heard her words.
Seeing that he was too young and that Uncle Erzhu was too dull, he immediately changed his mind.
Tang Qiqi wouldn't miss such a good opportunity. She looked at the woman with admiration and said, "I never thought that the owner of Lanling's No. 1 Restaurant would be such a heroine."
"Sister, since what I just said got your attention, why were you so quick to tell us to leave? Let me finish speaking before you send us away!"
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