Upon hearing Song Liyun say that her husband now earns more than one tael of silver a month, Lin Tao's wife glanced at Lin Tao, who was being surrounded by people, her eyes filled with love and joy.
But she couldn't praise her man, so she could only say shyly, "I've already heard from Lin Tao that he has this opportunity because of Miss Song's help."
Song Liyun smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. Although I'm in charge, the one who really works hard is Brother Lin, the shopkeeper. He has to watch over the shop every day and doesn't even have time to take you out to play!"
Lin Tao's wife hurriedly shook her head: "He doesn't need to accompany us. We should focus on our business. Luo'er and I will just take a look around!"
She came to Broken Gold Town with only a try-it-out attitude.
Lin Tao had been serving in the army in other places and had not returned home for five years. This time, he not only sent five taels of silver back through someone, but also said in his letter that he would come to visit his family after the autumn harvest.
When Lin Tao last came home, his son was only three years old. Now Luo'er is eight years old and can't even remember what her father looks like.
Her in-laws felt that Lin Tao only had one child and his family was not large enough, so they urged her to come and stay for a while after receiving the letter. They insisted that she wait until she was pregnant before going back.
Who knew that as soon as they arrived, Lin Tao said he would switch to military household registration and stay.
Lin Tao's wife was also tempted to be with her husband!
Lin Tao is the second son in his family. He has an older brother-in-law and a younger brother-in-law. His sisters-in-law are all alive, so she doesn't need to go back to serve her parents-in-law.
Besides, Luo'er is older now and can learn to read a few words with his father. He can no longer run around the village like a wild boy every day.
Lin Tao's wife touched her belly, her face, already flushed from working in the fields, now flushed again.
Maybe she's already pregnant these past two nights.
As the crowd moved along, Song Liyun suddenly spotted a stall that surprised her.
This is where they sell alcohol.
Liao Fuzheng from Furui Winery was hiding behind a long table next to a wine vat, his eyes darting around, a mixture of excitement and nervousness in his gaze.
He secretly asked someone to write his name on the list that had already been submitted to the county government at the last minute, without Shen Leyan and the others' knowledge.
These past few days I've been living in fear, afraid of being eliminated or for the news to leak to the head of the association.
On the long table, several bowls were simply placed, and the waiter, carrying a wine jug, loudly called out:
"Take a sip, have a taste, this is a century-old vintage from Fu Rui Winery!"
"Three bowls can slay a tiger, five bowls can make you a king!"
When someone wanted to try it, the waiter would scoop a mouthful into a bowl and hand it to them, but it seemed as if his hand was unsteady and some wine would always spill out, getting on their clothes, the floor, and the tablecloth.
The strong aroma of alcohol mingled with the crowds, then carried to other places, attracting connoisseurs of fine wine.
This is also a sales tactic.
After the shop assistant at Furui Winery finished a sale in high spirits, Song Liyun and Lin Tao's wife stopped in front of the stall.
Just as the waiter was about to ask the young woman if she also wanted to buy wine, he heard a panicked whisper behind him: "Manager Song... Manager Song!"
Liao Fu, bowing deeply and with a flushed face, emerged from behind a wine jar that was half his height. He cupped his hands in greeting to Song Liyun, saying, "Greetings, Steward Song! I...I'm here..."
"May Manager Liao's business prosper! I am deeply grateful for your support of Tianxiang Restaurant!" Song Liyun said with a smile.
"Ah! This... Hahahaha! Thank you so much, Steward Song, for your magnanimity!"
Liao Fu didn't get any ridicule, but instead received Song Liyun's friendly words, which immediately made him beam with joy. "Manager Song, do you have time to sit at the teahouse next door?"
Is there something you want to say?
Song Liyun glanced at Lin Tao's wife beside her and the child eating candied hawthorns, and said with a smile, "I'm going shopping with my sister-in-law. Manager Liao, why don't you come to Tianxiang Restaurant this afternoon!"
Liao Fu's face fell. Looking at Song Liyun, who was about to turn and leave, he could only nod in agreement.
Sigh! Why is it so hard to have your cake and eat it too?
Yaqian Street was bustling with activity. In Zuichunlou, He Dong, Shen Leyan, Huang Changsheng and others gathered together again.
He Dong's face was full of anger: "That old bastard Liao Fu betrayed us, and now he's setting up a stall too. Chairman Shen, what about his drinks this year..."
"From now on, not a single vat of wine from Fu Rui Winery is allowed! Also, investigate every shop that sells rice, flour, and seasonings," Shen Leyan said with a gloomy face.
He Dong was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but shudder.
Shen Leyan is the head of the Culinary Guild, a position that ordinary people would not normally take seriously.
There are rules within a guild.
Any restaurant or eatery that wants to open a shop needs a chef, and the chef's skills and dishes need to be judged by the guild members.
In other words, whether a store lives or dies can really be summed up in a single sentence.
When they say that someone's food or cooking oil is problematic, there's simply no way to refute them.
By blocking the supply of grain and oil for the business to open, driving away the cook, bribing the employees to commit dirty tricks, or hiring people to vandalize the shop and extort money, any of these tactics would be enough to cause trouble for any business, and they wouldn't stop until they had lost money and injured people.
Only Tianxianglou is an exception, or rather, Song Liyun is an exception.
The workers inside were required to have their families act as collateral as soon as they signed the contract, which made them afraid to accept any money offered to them.
You can open a business without a chef, grains, oils, or seasonings. You don't sell any dishes, only rustic barbecue that's not presentable at formal events.
This stuff... doesn't really need a chef!
As for those who extort money and cause trouble, they are utterly useless.
A thug meets a kingpin; a nobody meets a big shot.
Before they even open their mouths, they're already throwing out excrement; if there's any trouble, they're just throwing it out. Who can stand that?
Originally, Shen Leyan's moves, which were supposed to be powerful and effective, now seemed like a lot of noise but little action, like a strong wind blowing through the grass in the night rain... weak and powerless, failing to damage Tianxiang Tower in the slightest.
Song Liyun is strange; even when she tried to ruin her reputation by having a young master Lin come to her door and scold her, scaring him away.
Now, is Shen Leyan going to target the businesses that have dealings with Tianxianglou as well?
Just then, a waiter from Zuichunlou rushed into the room in a panic: "Master, Master Shen, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"
“Let’s talk this out. What’s wrong? It’s just that those bastards are here again. Go buy another truckload of vegetables!” Huang Changsheng said through gritted teeth.
They had just discussed it; the trade fair would last three days, and they would hold out for another three days until this storm passed, at which point those ravenous wolves would never be able to set foot in their shop again.
"No, it's...it's..." the waiter stammered.
Huang Changsheng was furious and kicked him, saying, "If you don't talk, get out!"
After being kicked, the waiter suddenly spoke fluently: "Everyone outside is saying that it's us, uh! Gao Li from Jinxi Tower is jealous of Tianxiang Tower's good business, that's why he's saying that!"
"What? What?" Huang Changsheng had a bad feeling.
They said we were stealing the techniques of Tianxianglou.
"Bullshit!" Shen Leyan stood up abruptly. "Who dares to say that? Who?"
Having already spoken, the man grew bolder.
Seeing that his boss had a strange expression and didn't object, he said without hesitation, "Now everyone on the street is saying that Jinxi Restaurant is trying to steal business and is deliberately distorting the facts because it is the head of the culinary association."
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