As soon as Yun Pingting stepped into the Star-Picking Tower, she immediately caught everyone's eye. The waiters were stunned for a moment before someone came forward to greet her.
"Are there three of you? Would you prefer a private room or the main hall?"
"Give me a private room, I know what you want. Oh, and tell Sister Tao that Yun Pingting from Sifang City has arrived!" After entering, Yun Pingting looked around.
There was a rockery and flowing water in the lobby, with a misty atmosphere. On the stage, a female performer was playing the zither, and the tune... was quite pretentious.
"This way, sir." The waiter led Yun Pingting and the other two through the lobby to a private room upstairs. "Would you like to wait for our manager, Tao, or order first?"
"Let's wait for Sister Tao." Yun Pingting wasn't in a hurry and was still looking at the furnishings of the private room.
After the waiter left, he immediately went to the kitchen to inform Tao Wan's mother that Yun Pingting from Sifang City had arrived.
"Pingting is here?" Tao Wanniang was somewhat surprised. "Is she extremely beautiful, so stunning that people can't take their eyes off her?"
"Yes, yes, Shopkeeper Tao is truly an extremely beautiful girl. Her voice is lovely, and she has a good temper. It's just that her two guards have stern faces and are rather impolite."
"She really is Yun Pingting!" Tao Wanniang chuckled, changed out of her apron, wiped her hands, and went to meet the person with the waiter.
"Sister Tao!" Upon seeing Tao Wanniang, Yun Pingting immediately stood up and happily walked to Tao Wanniang. "Sister Tao, I've missed you so much."
The beauty's coquettishness was indeed pleasing. Tao Wanniang laughed and said, "Why are you the only one here? Where is Young Master Zhu?"
"Brother Zhu Yan needs to check on the business at home first. I've been wandering around since I'm free, so I thought I'd come and take a look at your restaurant first," Yun Pingting said, vividly recounting her encounter with the thugs.
"Sister Tao, it seems the local thugs in the capital are all talk and no action. An Feng and Bai Tao hadn't even made a move when your restaurant's waiter Yang Song arrived with some constables and scared them away," Yun Pingting said with a smile. "That Yang Song, he's your waiter, isn't he?"
“Yes, they are our waiters.” Tao Wanniang nodded. “Although the capital is prosperous, it is also crowded and chaotic, so you should be careful. As for the three of you, I will serve you the dishes.”
“Okay, Sister Tao, I want to eat your best dish.” Yun Pingting nodded immediately.
“Okay, then you wait a moment while I have someone bring some cold dishes and snacks,” Tao Wanniang said, not in a hurry to ask about the opening of the Star-Picking Tower in Sifang City.
The news of the arrival of a great beauty spread quickly. In the kitchen, several apprentices inquired about the beauty's background from Tao Wan's mother.
"That is the daughter of the city lord of Sifang City. She is indeed a beauty of unparalleled grace and divine grace," Tao Wanniang praised without reservation.
"Then... what brings you to the capital? Do you have a husband?"
Tao Wanniang glanced at the apprentice who had asked the question and smiled faintly, "Pingting is still unmarried, but... the men who want to marry her could probably stretch from Sifang City all the way to the capital. She can't possibly choose them all!"
"It's so beautiful, shall I serve it later?"
"I'll go instead. The beauty that Manager Tao praised so highly must be a celestial being descended to earth. I'd like to see her for myself."
Looking at the group of people scrambling to get ahead, Tao Wanniang wanted to laugh. Who wouldn't love a beauty!
"Hongyu, go ahead!" Tao Wanniang said to Wang Hongyu, "You guys, don't offend the beauty."
"What's going on? A beauty is just a woman, is it really that big of a deal?" Seeing the unrest, Yang Tiansheng couldn't help but mutter, "Manager Tao, I heard that Sifang City is going to open the Star-Picking Tower. Is it this woman who will open it?"
"No, but who knows if it will be hers in the future?" Tao Wanniang laughed. "Chef Yang, don't look down on women!"
"Hmph, there are few women like you," Yang Changsheng sneered.
Tao Wanniang waited quite a while after all the dishes were served before going to check on Yun Pingting in the private room.
"So, do these dishes suit your taste?"
"Sister Tao, it's delicious! Will the Star-Picking Pavilion in Sifang City be able to make dishes like this after it opens?" Yun Pingting nodded vigorously and said.
“I will give you the recipes. It’s up to you to find a chef who can make them!” Tao Wanniang said. “If your chef can’t make them, my apprentices can go over there to work as chefs after they graduate.”
Yun Pingting thought for a moment, and said confidently, "Sifang City is not small, surely we can find a cook who can cook."
“That’s the right way to think,” Tao Wanniang nodded. “We also have some dessert after the meal. If you can still eat, I’ll have someone bring it to you.”
"Sister Tao, I'm too full from this meal. How about I rest for a bit?" Yun Pingting said playfully.
“Of course you can. You can also pack up and take it with you when you leave. By the way, where are you staying?” Tao Wanniang asked.
Yun Pingting immediately told him which inn she was staying at and sighed, "I need to urge Brother Zhu Yan to come over as soon as possible to discuss things with you, and then we can go back to Sifang City to build a restaurant."
"By the way, we've chosen an old restaurant, Zhu Yan's family's, which is going to be demolished. Sister Tao, you should know where it is."
After listening to what Yun Pingting said, Tao Wanniang thought about it for a moment. It was indeed a good place. However, the restaurant wasn't very old. Anyway, the Zhu family was rich, so she didn't care too much.
"Sister Tao, where do you live? I miss Xiao Qiao'er and Master Shen too. How are they?"
“My home? You wouldn’t know it even if I told you. How about this, sit for a while longer. I’ll take you back to see it when I’m done here,” Tao Wanniang said.
"That's great!" Yun Pingting said happily.
Tao Wanniang went to do some work first. Fortunately, everyone could handle the tasks, and there weren't any difficult dishes at the moment, so she simply took Yun Pingting and the others to her home as guests.
"Sister Tao, your house is very big. Why don't I stay at your house?" Yun Pingting suggested shortly after entering Tao's house.
"If you're staying at my house, where's your brother Zhu Yan?" Tao Wanniang teased. "My son and daughter-in-law and I work at the restaurant during the week, and we only come home at night. There are servants, two women who look after the children, and Xiao Qiao'er and Master Shen at home."
“Brother Zhu Yan will naturally stay at an inn. He’s a man, and he’s very busy. He can’t be as shameless as me,” Yun Pingting said with a smile. “Then let’s make it a happy decision, Sister Tao, is that alright?”
Tao Wanniang was really fine, so she asked Gao Cuiniang to prepare three rooms in the west wing.
“Master Shen lives in the west wing, and Xiao Qiao’er goes to Master Shen’s house in the west wing for lessons every day, so you can stay here too!” Tao Wan’s mother led the three of them to the front of Shen Lian’s house.
"Master Shen, Little Qiao'er, an old friend has come to visit. Come out and greet her!" Tao Wanniang knocked on Shen Lian's door.
Upon seeing Yun Pingting, Xiao Qiao'er was overjoyed. "Sister Yun!"
Shen Lian smiled as she looked at Yun Pingting, a beautiful woman with a vibrant and alluring appearance. Who wouldn't be delighted to see her?
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