Upon learning that his father had returned disappointed, Xiao Yi was quite certain of it. At the lunch table at the palace, Xiao Yi couldn't help but joke, "Father, I told you long ago that she wouldn't agree."
"This Sister Tao is quite something, and she even talks big. She said that as long as I have some decent delicacies, she can make them into a gourmet meal for me. What a boastful country woman! How many presentable delicacies has she seen?" Prince Rui said somewhat emotionally.
"But it cannot be denied that she cooks home-style dishes with great flavor; our cooks are not as good as her!" Princess Rui said truthfully.
“If I hadn’t met her a few times on the road, I wouldn’t have believed that Sister Tao had such a tragic background. Her courage and wit are completely unlike those of a young widow who raised her son alone.”
Xiao Yi sighed, "Perhaps it was the hardships of life that made her so extraordinary!"
"Unique!" Prince Rui and Princess Rui exchanged glances; this was the highest praise they had ever heard from their son for a woman. However, thinking of Tao Wanniang, neither of them had any other thoughts.
Prince Rui was also disappointed. He lost, so he couldn't make his son go to the arranged marriage.
Several tables of guests arrived at the farmhouse restaurant. Tao Wan's mother was worried about her two sons ordering food, so she watched from the kitchen entrance.
"Sir, you would like to order stir-fried pork kidneys, braised pork belly, stir-fried greens, meatball soup, and cold dishes, right?" After confirming with the customer, Ling Dahu took the "charcoal pencil" given to him by Tao Wanniang and wrote the names of the dishes on the paper in a crooked manner.
"Mother, it's for table number three." Ling Dahu solemnly handed the paper to Tao Wan's mother.
Tao Wanniang took a look and couldn't help but twitch her lips. What kind of nonsense was this? There was always a missing stroke here or an extra stroke there, and the pork kidney was even missing by half!
Tao Wanniang glanced at Ling Dapeng with a slightly chilly look before heading to the kitchen.
Soon, Ling Dapeng also sent over a sheet, which had even more spelling mistakes. But miraculously, even with one or two missing characters, she still knew what it meant.
Wang Hongyu washes vegetables and tends the fire, while Xiao Qiao'er chops vegetables and adds side dishes. With both pots working together, Tao Wan's mother feels that things are much faster.
"Mom, another one's here. There's braised pork on every table. Can we serve it up first?" Xiao Qiao'er asked as she took the next one Ling Dahu handed her.
"Okay, serve it first. My kidney dish will be ready soon too." As Tao Wanniang spoke, she scooped out the kidney dish from the pot.
"Table number three is serving food!" Xiao Qiao'er's childish yet clear voice rang out from the kitchen entrance, and Ling Dahu immediately went over.
"Serve the food on a tray, don't carry it by hand!" Tao Wanniang scolded when she saw Ling Dahu directly using his hands.
"For table number three, the braised pork and pork kidneys are ready, and the cold dishes are served too. Please also bring two bowls of rice and serve them on a tray!"
Ling Dahu immediately withdrew his hand and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, Mother, I forgot!"
In another pot, the eggplant with minced garlic was ready. Ling Dahu went out, and Ling Dapeng came in, where he was scolded by Tao Wanniang again.
As the Ling brothers were serving the dishes, more guests entered, and Bai Yumei naturally went to greet them. Throughout the noon, a total of seven tables of guests came and went. After finishing her duties, Bai Yumei calculated the bill and found she had collected eleven taels of silver.
"Eleven taels in just one noon! Mother, we're going to strike it rich!" The Ling brothers' eyes lit up. And this was only one noon!
"You're so happy with such a small amount of money? We have twelve tables in total. Do you think business is good?" Tao Wanniang retorted.
"We're exhausted, can we eat yet?" Yang Song and his group walked in looking annoyed. Each of them had twenty flyers and were distributing them across five streets.
It wasn't supposed to be a difficult task, but these guys were thugs who had bullied people before. Yang Song ran into someone he had a grudge against and was ridiculed and humiliated, which eventually escalated into a fight. Although Yang Song didn't end up getting the better of them, he ended up with a bruised face and hadn't even managed to deliver the orders, making him worse off than his underlings.
"Let's eat!" Upon seeing the group, Tao Wanniang didn't say much, and told the Ling brothers to go to the back to get the dishes. Yang Song and his four companions were given six dishes, a soup, and a plate of braised meat.
"Close the door, we're taking a break from lunch!" Tao Wan's mother said. "Let's eat!"
When Yang Song and the others ate Tao Wanniang's food, they were all stunned. Aren't green vegetables supposed to be bitter? Why were they so delicious? And what about pig offal? Even dogs wouldn't want that, how could she make something so tasty? Meat—she was actually giving them meat! Fragrant, juicy braised pork!
The group, already starving, devoured the juicy and oily dishes as if possessed by ravenous wolves.
"Mother, how long have they been hungry?" Little Qiao'er couldn't help but ask worriedly, "They're afraid they'll choke if they eat like this."
"This is so delicious, boss! This food is better than anything I've ever eaten in my life."
"If I had known this restaurant was so delicious, boss, I would have wanted to work here. Waaah, I need to ask the manager if they need any waiters."
The Ling brothers' expressions changed upon hearing this.
“Mom, we will definitely do our best. Today is the first day and we are not yet proficient, but we will definitely do better in the future,” Ling Dahu said first.
"Yes, Mom, we didn't make any mistakes today, right? That means we're quite suitable to be waiters."
Tao Wanniang didn't say anything. Of course, she heard what they were saying, but for now, two waiters were enough for her small restaurant.
"Bang bang bang!" The restaurant door was pounded on. Before Tao Wanniang could even speak, Ling Dahu immediately got up and went to answer the door, looking as eager as if someone was chasing after him.
"Lord Cheng? Young Master?" Ling Dahu was stunned when he saw the people outside.
"Is Sister Tao here?" Xiao Yi asked with a warm smile.
"Yes...yes, Your Highness, please come in." Ling Dahu dared not be disrespectful to the young master and immediately led him in.
"You guys are still eating!" Seeing the two tables of people, Xiao Yi felt that he had come at the wrong time.
Tao Wanniang had finished eating and immediately stood up, saying, "Your Highness and Lord Cheng came to see me? This way, please." Tao Wanniang then led the two to a private room.
"What brings you here, Your Highness?" Tao Wanniang asked directly.
"My father came this morning and offended me greatly. I have come here now to apologize to Sister Tao. If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask."
"Any request is acceptable?" Tao Wanniang's eyes lit up, and she immediately thought of one.
"As long as it's within my power," Xiao Yi replied, unsure of what Tao Wanniang wanted, yet filled with anticipation.
“In that house in Shanhai Prefecture, I also raise ten chickens and ten ducks. I entrusted them to a broker to look after for six months. If no one takes care of these chickens and ducks within six months, then they will all be given to the broker, Xiao Lu.” Tao Wanniang spoke with utmost seriousness. “Young Master, can you send someone to dispose of those chickens and ducks for me?”
Xiao Yi's expression faltered for a moment. Deal with the chickens and ducks? Let him?
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