Chapter 101

Madam Han has said so much, what else can Chu Changping say.

He turned to look at Old Lady Chu: "Father, what do you think?"

Old Lady Chu obviously hasn't come back to his senses yet. What is the status of the King of Liaoning, and what is the status of the Chu family?

He tightened and tightened his hand holding the cane, and asked in disbelief: "This... are you going to take Yi girl as your principal wife?"

Not to mention that Feng Shuo is a noble family, even when the Chu family was still prosperous, sending a daughter of the family to be a concubine was not enough. Now Feng Shuo has become the most powerful among the several rebel kings to take over Kyoto, and his principal wife must be a daughter of a prince.

Old Madam Han said with a smile: "This is according to the three matchmakers and six betrothals, isn't it to marry a wife?" Old

Mrs. Chu held the cane and hesitated to speak. When Chu Changping was transporting the coffin back to the capital, the emperor wanted to deal with the Chu family, and the King of Liaoning helped. He felt something was wrong, and now he finally knew the answer.

The King of Liaoning did not take a fancy to Chu Changping's ability at the beginning, but because of Jiang Yanyi, he helped the Chu family.

Later, the doctor from Feng Mansion came to see Chu Yangui's injury. The King of Liaoning mentioned Chu Yangui's injury during the banquet. When the two siblings left the mansion, the carriage from Feng Mansion came to pick them up... At that time, he only vaguely realized that the King of Liaoning might have some interest in his granddaughter, but he never thought that he was planning to marry her directly.

Old Mrs. Chu opened her mouth and finally said, "The prince has been very kind to the Chu family. It is her blessing for the granddaughter to be loved by the prince. Changping, you are the father of Yi girl, so you decide on this matter."

Chu Changping's mood was still complicated. On the one hand, he was happy that the King of Liaoning liked Jiang Yanyi so much, but on the other hand, he was afraid that Jiang Yanyi would be bullied in the future because of the huge gap in their family backgrounds. He said, "For the marriage of our children, we still have to ask them what they want. Please wait, Madam Han. I will send someone to ask Miss Yi what she wants."

"That's right, that's right." Madam Han smiled.

The Chu family did not have a deep foundation in Xizhou, and their power was not as strong as other generals under Feng Shuo. It was like a pie in the sky to get such a marriage.

But the Chu family was shocked, but they did not rush to agree to the marriage as if they were selling their daughter. It was no different from the marriage of ordinary families. Madam Han admired the way the Chu family handled things.

The servant who went to ask the question quickly came back and said, "The second young lady said that everything is up to the third master."

The girl was shy, and saying this almost meant that she agreed to the marriage. Old Lady Han was entrusted to go on this trip, and naturally she hoped that the marriage would be successful. She smiled and asked Chu Changping, "Third Master Chu, what do you think?" After

the betrothal ceremony, if the woman agrees, she can ask for her name. The matchmaker will take the woman's name and birth date back to the man, and the man will use the two people's birth dates to divination in front of the ancestral temple. This is called "Na Ji". After Na Ji, the betrothal ceremony can be held, that is, the betrothal gift can be given. Once the betrothal gift is received, the marriage is almost halfway done.

Chu Changping said, "Please ask Madam Han to come here in person. I'll have someone write down my daughter's birth date for you."

Madam Han smiled so hard that she couldn't stop: "I'm looking forward to the wedding wine of Master Chu's family."

Jiang Yanyi was also confused by Feng Shuo's sudden proposal, but she had to face it.

After the servant in the front hall came to ask questions, Madam Chu asked Chu Shubao and her sisters to go out first, leaving Jiang Yanyi alone to ask questions.

"Good boy, tell grandma, did you know King Liaonan when you were in the Xizhou camp?" Madam Chu's voice was filled with a trace of guilt.

When she first arrived in Xizhou, she lost her beloved daughter, but it was Jiang Yanyi who cared about her every day and took care of her food and daily life. Occasionally, when talking about the days when she was sent to the Xizhou camp, Jiang Yanyi only said that she was cooking in Huotouying .

Mother Yang beside her had an experienced look in her eyes. Just by looking at the girl's figure and face, she could tell whether

she was a virgin. After learning from Mother Yang that Jiang Yanyi was not bullied in the barracks, Mrs. Chu felt a little comforted, but she was also afraid that mentioning those experiences would embarrass Jiang Yanyi, so she rarely asked about her life in the Xizhou camp on weekdays, just thinking that everything was starting over.

But when the King of Liaoning suddenly came to propose marriage, Mrs. Chu had to think more.

Facing Mrs. Chu's question, Jiang Yanyi nodded.

As a girl, she couldn't tell them unless the elders asked about it.

Jiang Yanyi said, "Don't worry, grandma. He is not as the rumors say. He is not a ruthless person who kills without blinking an eye. He has always been polite to me."

This was to tell Mrs. Chu that Feng Shuo had never bullied her.

Mrs. Chu sighed, "Silly child, the Liaonan Palace is a high-ranking family. Grandma is afraid that you will have a hard time in the future because of your low status." Mrs. Chu

has seen too many cases in her life where a concubine climbs over her head and bullies her while she only has the title of the principal wife.

She said, "You are young now, and you look good, so he likes you. But when you are old, there will be young and beautiful girls who will come to him. You will not be able to compete with them at that time. You must have a son. Although you have been adopted by your third uncle, you still have to observe the mourning period for your mother for one year. During this year, your grandmother will find someone to take care of your body."

No matter how stupid Jiang Yanyi was, she understood what Madam Chu meant by taking care of her body.

She blushed and said, "This is just the betrothal ceremony. My body is fine and I don't need to take care of it."

Madam Chu tapped her forehead and said, "What do you know, little girl? Listen to your grandmother. She will never hurt you."

When Jiang Yanyi left Madam Chu's room, the three sisters Chu Shubao surrounded her immediately.

Being stared at by six pairs of eyes, Jiang Yanyi was a little embarrassed, but she saw Chu Shubao with a sad face: "Ayi, I heard that the reason why the King of Liaoning is not interested in women is that he likes men. Is he trying to marry you back home as a cover by showing his kindness to the Chu family?"

Jiang Yanyi: "..."

This development was unexpected to her.

Chu Jiabao also looked a little worried: "When I was in the capital, I heard some rumors that the King of Liaoning was completely inhumane, so his temperament was so cruel. What if he tortured you after you got married?"

Jiang Yanyi: "..."

She was very curious about how bad Feng Shuo's reputation was.

The youngest Chu Huibao pinched the corner of her clothes nervously and said: "He might lock up my second sister and not give her food."

Jiang Yanyi: "... His temper is not that bad."

When she returned to the antique soup shop that day, Jiang Yanyi went to find Feng Shuo.

Feng Shuo thought she would be surprised, but the first thing Jiang Yan said when she saw him was: "Let's improve your reputation?"

Feng Shuo: ...?

He stopped writing and looked up from the official document. After a brief thought, he realized that Jiang Yanyi was talking about his reputation outside. He said with a smile, "Are you disgusted?"

Jiang Yanyi moved a cushion to sit next to his desk and said sullenly, "I feel bad."

He did have a bad temper, but it was definitely not as bad as the rumors said.

He even did a lot of things for the people, but he never publicized them.

Feng Shuo ruffled her hair: "You can't stop the gossips of the world. Those scoundrels like to spread rumors. When I kill all the scoundrels, the rumors will naturally fall apart."

Jiang Yanyi pulled down his hand on her head, hugged his arm, and rubbed it gently with her face: "I don't want you to be misunderstood like this. Feng Shuo, water can carry a boat but can also overturn it. The people are led by the nose. Whoever makes the loudest sound, they will believe. You don't bother to make these noises, I will."

Winter clothes are thick, but when Jiang Yanyi hugged Feng Shuo's arm with both hands, his elbow just touched her chest, which seemed much softer than other places.

Feng Shuo's hand holding the brush trembled slightly, and a drop of ink fell from the tip of the pen, staining half a page of paper.

He pulled his arm out calmly, "You go? What are you going to do?"

Jiang Yanyi's little brain was working rapidly, she said: "When it's cold, you can give out some porridge, I'll find someone to mingle with the crowd to publicize your kindness and love for the people, those people who can't even get enough food will be grateful to you, reputation is accumulated bit by bit. And the achievements on the front line, whether it's storytelling or writing into a play, should be publicized among the people. "

Xizhou is still stable now, all thanks to Feng Shuo, many people in the south have not been able to survive for years, all are fleeing for their lives.

Sometimes you have to make a comparison to know how good your life is now.

Feng Shuo said, "It's up to you."

He changed the subject, "I asked Madam Han to go to the Chu family to propose marriage."

Jiang Yanyi felt a little embarrassed and coughed twice, "I know, why so sudden?"

Feng Shuo looked at her thoughtfully, "I'm afraid the night is long and dreams are many."

At this time, Jiang Yanyi didn't quite understand what she meant. Not long after the teahouse was renovated and the antique soup shop moved, she learned that Xing'an Hou wanted Feng Shuo to marry his daughter at the banquet.

Jiang Yanyi chose to move the shop two days before the Laba Festival. A new plaque with a black background and gold paint was replaced in front of the teahouse. Because this neighborhood was called Ruyifang, Jiang Yanyi used this place name when naming the teahouse, called "Ruyilou".

The first and second floors both sell antique soups. The clear soups are mainly mutton and mushroom hotpots. The red soups are not as popular as the clear soups, but they already have a group of spicy food lovers.

Now that the place is bigger and Jiang Yanyi has more money, the decoration of Ruyi Building is more elegant and beautiful than the original antique soup shop, but the style is still the same as before.

There are five waiters upstairs and downstairs, and the kitchen has also added staff. The recipes for clear soup and spicy hotpot are in Jiang Yanyi's own hands. He just needs to prepare the soup stock and stir-fry the base ingredients in advance. Most of the people he hires are Dunzi chefs and assistants.

Before the official opening, she made new clothes for all the employees in the store, using decent materials. After the employees were dressed in the same clothes, the place looked much more upscale.

Jiang Yanyi also gave them a simple training, from the posture of serving dishes to the honorifics to use when talking to diners, she explained and demonstrated with her own hands. The employees were able to do it, and the service in her store had unknowingly opened up a gap with other places.

On the official opening day, Jiang Yanyi used all the strategies she could to attract customers, and there were many diners coming to the store, but the place was too big, and most of the diners went upstairs, so that the lobby downstairs looked empty, giving people the illusion that it was deserted.

The old scholar was going to tell a story on the stage downstairs, but because there were few diners downstairs, he was too embarrassed to open his mouth.

Jiang Yanyi was a bit troubled. This was indeed her mistake. She could only tell Yang Xiu: "Go buy a fan and screen."

Putting the screen at the door can block the line of sight and be pleasing to the eye, which is the best of both worlds.

The good or bad business on the first day of opening affects the reputation of the store. If there are few people coming to support it, the store will not be very good in the eyes of others.

Jiang Yanyi was worried when a few scoundrels walked into the upstairs like a big boss, shouting and asking what delicious food there was.

Although the other party had a very arrogant attitude, the waiter who had been trained by Jiang Yanyi still politely introduced the various soup pots and dry pots in the store, as well as Chef Yao's specialties.

"The food doesn't look like anything, why is it so much more expensive than other places?" The leading man looked around the lobby and sneered: "No wonder there are so few customers in the store."

There was a plate of osmanthus cake on the table for free. The man picked up a piece and took a bite, then he spit and shouted: "Is this for human consumption? It smells so bad. Did a rat shit get into the cake when it was steamed?"

The waiter looked unhappy and realized that something was wrong. The man came to find fault and said, "Hey, sir, the osmanthus cakes in our store are praised by all the dignitaries after they have tasted them. You are the first one to say they are unpalatable." The

man poured a plate of osmanthus cakes on the ground and crushed it to pieces with his feet: "I say it is unpalatable, and it is unpalatable. I am running a store to do business, and I am not allowed to say that the food is not well made? What kind of rule is this?"

The man had a loud voice and everyone at the door could hear him clearly.

Jiang Yanyi was not angry yet, but Chu Shubao could not stand it anymore. She slapped the counter and stood up: "This osmanthus cake is a free gift from the store. You don't spend a penny and waste the things in the store. How can you have the nerve to do that? Do you believe me, I will report you to the police?"

The man looked at Chu Shubao with a lewd look: "Everyone knows that this building was bought by your Chu family. Master Chu Sanye is a very powerful official. I am naturally very afraid of him."

"You!" Chu Shubao was so angry that she wanted to roll up her sleeves.

Jiang Yanyi held Chu Shubao down and said to the man, "The food in the store is not to your taste. Please go somewhere else."

She was worried that Lai Fu Restaurant was causing trouble again, but they knew that they were Chu family members and Feng Shuo's marriage proposal was almost known to everyone in the city. They still dared to make trouble. The person behind them must be a tough guy.

The man stood up, and the few ruffians who followed him also kicked away the bench and stood up.

The man said, "I ate the cakes in your shop and now I have a stomachache."

Jiang Yanyi ordered the waiter who had just received them, "Go and get a doctor for this strong man."

The waiter was about to run out, but the man joked, "Why do I need a doctor? Boss, rub my stomach with your hands, and maybe it will stop hurting."

His frivolous words not only attracted a crowd of people at the door, but even the diners upstairs who heard his nonsense couldn't help but stand up and look down from the railing.

Jiang Yanyi's face turned completely cold.

Yang Xiu, the best martial artist in the store, was not there. Aunt Guo had been following Jiang Yanyi and immediately shouted, "You dirty bastard, get him out!"

Several waiters downstairs went over to push the man, but they didn't expect that the man knew some martial arts, and the waiters were no match for him and were knocked to the ground.

Aunt Guo was about to take action herself when a female voice came from upstairs, "You assholes!"

Then a woman in Hu clothing jumped down from the upstairs, took off the long whip hanging from her waist, and whipped the troublemakers. The men

didn't dare to fight back, and one of them even had his face bruised, and almost fled.

The woman put away her long whip. She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a pretty face. Compared with ordinary ladies, she had a more heroic look between her eyebrows.

The guests upstairs all applauded.

Jiang Yanyi stepped forward to thank the woman: "Thank you for your help, may I know your name?"

The woman looked at Jiang Yanyi and said with a hearty smile: "My last name is Yang."

She put a ten-liang silver coin on the counter, glanced at Jiang Yanyi, Chu Shubao and Chu Jiabao, thought for a while, and seemed to think it was not enough, so she took out two ten-liang silver coins and put them together: "The things in your store are delicious! The rouge is also beautiful, I will buy two boxes."

Chu Jiabao didn't even have time to wrap the rouge box for her with a bag embroidered with beautiful patterns, she just picked up two boxes of rouge and walked out of the store briskly.

Jiang Yanyi and Chu Shubao looked at each other and felt that something was wrong.

Although there was such an unpleasant episode, business still had to be done.

Jiang Yanyi asked a waiter to follow the men who were chased away to see where they went in the end. Shopkeeper

Xu of Laifu Restaurant might have heard that someone was making trouble at Jiang Yanyi's place, so he came to eat hot pot in a pretentious manner. When he saw Jiang Yanyi, he bowed and said, "I heard that Shopkeeper Chu moved the shop today, so I came to congratulate Shopkeeper Chu."

He glanced at the lobby downstairs and asked in surprise, "Why are there no tables of people downstairs? Is there no one listening to the storytelling in your shop?"

He pretended to be sorry and said, "The chef's antique soup had a very good business on Duhufu Street. It's easy to run a small shop, but not everyone can open a restaurant."

Jiang Yanyi Yanyi smiled but didn't smile: "Thank you

for your concern, Manager Xu. My business is still good." Manager Xu said: "I am sincerely considering you, Manager Chu. If you can't run this restaurant, you might as well transfer it to me. It's better to stop early so that you won't lose money in the end."

Before Jiang Yanyi could answer, Yang Xiu hurried back from outside and shouted: "Boss, quickly ask the kitchen to prepare the dishes. Old Madam An is celebrating her birthday and the banquet will be held in our restaurant."

When Manager Xu heard the news, his mind was confused and his face was a little embarrassed.

The An family is a wealthy family in Xizhou. For Old Madam An's birthday, there must be at least 30 tables.

Jiang Yanyi said, "Look, I'm busy here, so I won't tell Manager Xu any more. Manager Xu, just tell the waiter what you want to eat."

Manager Xu felt that the diners in the store seemed to be pointing and laughing at him. He was definitely not going to eat this meal, and almost ran away.

The lobby on the first floor was just right for the An family to hold a birthday banquet. The other party said they wanted to eat hot pot, but this was the first big business the store had received. Jiang Yanyi wanted to make a good reputation, so he went to the kitchen to watch it himself, and planned to make longevity noodles for the birthday celebration.

While they were busy, Chu Shubao suddenly sneaked into the kitchen, pulled Jiang Yanyi out, and said mysteriously, "Do you know who the girl who just rescued you is?"

Jiang Yanyi shook his head.

Chu Shubao said with a complicated expression: "It's the county head of Xing'an Marquis. I just heard that on the day when my third uncle returned to Xizhou to celebrate his success, Xing'an Marquis proposed to let the King of Liaonan marry her at the banquet."

Jiang Yanyi finally understood why Feng Shuo was in a hurry to propose marriage to the Chu family.

However, if the girl was really the county head of Xing'an Marquis, her behavior when she left didn't seem to be targeting her. On the contrary... it was a bit like giving her, Chu Shubao and Chu Jiabao a little gift for meeting.

The inn where Xing'an Marquis stayed.

Several men who ran out of Jiang Yanyi's shop knelt in the room. Marquis Xing'an pointed at their noses and cursed angrily: "Waste, you can't even do a small thing!"

The leading man said: "Marquis, it was... the county lord who took action, so we retreated."

Marquis Xing'an kicked the man and said angrily: "Zheng'er is straightforward, but King Liaoning dared to humiliate my son like this. I can't swallow this!"

In another room of the guest inn, Yang Zheng had rolled around on the bed with an embroidered pillow in her arms.

The maid who was taking care of her asked in confusion: "County Master, what are you grinning about?"

Yang Zheng sat up, resting her chin on the embroidered pillow, and smiled so hard that her teeth were showing: "I helped his sister today, he will be grateful to me, right?"