Tao Wanniang looked at Ling Yunzhou, who had a stern face, and at Minister Shi of the Ministry of Revenue, who was looking at her with curiosity. She obediently greeted him, saying, "This humble woman, Tao Wanniang, greets General Ling and Minister Shi."
Ling Yunzhou couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Look at that pretentious attitude; she wouldn't act like this in front of him.
"Manager Tao, I apologize for coming here. Well... you should know the general idea, right?" Shi Tianbao asked tentatively. "The rice on your estate is growing very well. If this kind of rice could be planted by the people of Dayue, then there would surely be no more starving people in Dayue."
"Lord Shi, there's no need to flatter me like that. If the court wants to requisition grain, then let's name the price!" Tao Wanniang said directly. "Keep what we need for ourselves, as well as the one mu of land we'll plant next year. You can take the rice from the other four mu!"
"Manager Tao is very generous. How much do you think you should pay for the millet from your four acres of land?" Shi Tianbao asked immediately.
“Let’s go by the market price, Lord Shi should know that very well,” Tao Wanniang said with a smile. “But since it’s something that benefits the country and its people, shouldn’t we… well, Lord Shi understands.”
"Hmph~" Ling Yunzhou sneered, knowing that Tao Wanniang was only after money.
Tao Wanniang glanced at Lingyunzhou but said nothing.
"Lord Shi shouldn't be able to decide for himself, right? Now that you've come to Zhaixinglou, how can you not try our dishes first? Our restaurant has recently launched several new dishes that are absolutely unique in the capital. Please wait a moment, gentlemen." Tao Wanniang said politely, then left the private room to go to the kitchen to prepare the dishes.
"General Ling, why aren't you saying a word in her defense?" Shi Tianbao asked. "This Manager Tao is quite audacious. The court wants grain, but she can still demand a price. If this rice can be promoted, it will indeed benefit the country and the people. General Ling, what do you think is the appropriate reward?"
“You should report this to the emperor. How can matters concerning the people’s livelihood not be known to the emperor?” Ling Yunzhou said. Although he disliked Tao Wanniang’s money-grubbing manner, this was indeed something the court needed to know about.
"I heard that His Majesty is also acquainted with Manager Tao, so the price is negotiable, right?" Shi Tianbao thought for a moment and asked tentatively.
"Ha!" Ling Yunzhou scoffed again.
This situation left Shi Tianbao somewhat puzzled. Wasn't it Ling Yunzhou who suggested coming to Zhaixing Tower? Moreover, in his opinion, General Ling's attitude towards Manager Tao seemed rather unusual!
"General, what you're saying is making me uneasy. Manager Tao must have connections with the Emperor!"
What could Ling Yunzhou say? He didn't know the details of the Rui Prince's Mansion incident, and consequently, he dared not speculate on the Emperor's intentions. He didn't know what kind of relationship the Emperor had with Tao Wanniang!
"If it's beneficial to the country, just report it to the emperor. Why waste time with nonsense!" Ling Yunzhou said bluntly. "The food at Zhaixinglou is good; the wine is even better. Since we're here today, let's have a big meal."
"Then...who will pay?" Shi Tianbao asked tentatively. "General Ling, I am just a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and my salary is not high!"
"Don't worry, you won't have to pay any money."
Tao Wanniang quickly had the dishes served. She had already made her point, and she didn't care whether Lord Shi would bring someone even more important next time.
"What is this?" This wasn't Ling Yunzhou's first time here. Seeing the bright red soup base and smelling an unfamiliar aroma, he grabbed the waiter who was serving the dishes and asked.
"This is our manager's newly developed sour tomato fish soup. It's sour and spicy and delicious. Why don't you two try it?"
"What is a tomato?" Shi Tianbao asked, "I've never heard of it!"
"Hehe, these are grown by our shopkeeper himself. Don't worry, sir. We've all eaten them before. These tomatoes are also called tomatoes. When eaten raw, they are sweet and sour with a refreshing aroma; they can also be cooked. This taste is something that no other food can replicate."
"And what about this?" Ling Yunzhou asked again about the plate of golden yellow balls. The aroma was so tempting that he suspected something had been added to them.
"This is also a recent product from our Zhaixinglou restaurant, the Golden Meatballs," the waiter said excitedly. "You won't find another restaurant like this in the capital. The potatoes are grown on the manager's own land. You two can rest assured, every new dish we serve has been tasted by all the staff in the restaurant, so there's absolutely no problem with them."
"These two gentlemen are no ordinary people. Could it be that you dare not touch the chopsticks?"
Ling Yunzhou was genuinely worried that Tao Wanniang might have poisoned him, but the taste was undeniably tempting. Provoked by the waiter's words, he sneered, picked up a potato ball, and put it in his mouth.
"General Ling... how is it?" Shi Tianbao swallowed hard and asked. It smells really good!
Without answering Shi Tianbao, Ling Yunzhou picked up a second one.
Seeing this, Shi Tianbao naturally understood, and he hurriedly started eating as well.
"Mmm, so delicious!" Shi Tianbao exclaimed excitedly as he ate. "Who is this Manager Tao? How can he grow so many vegetables I've never heard of before? These potatoes are so tasty! I wish every household could grow them!"
Ling Yunzhou didn't have Shi Tianbao's awareness of always thinking about people's livelihood. This meal consisted of fresh ingredients, but the taste was indeed good. He could imagine that after these dishes were introduced, no other restaurant could compare!
Tao Wanniang seems to be doing something really big. Not only has she expanded this restaurant, but I heard she's also planning to open several more branches. Ling Yunzhou stopped eating midway through his meal.
"General Ling, eat, keep eating! It's so delicious! I've never eaten such delicious food in my life. I should have come to Zhaixing Tower sooner."
"No, it must be very expensive. With my meager salary, I definitely can't afford it. General Ling, thank you so much for letting me eat such delicious food," Shi Tianbao said excitedly.
Ling Yunzhou had a premonition that if he gave Tao Wanniang another ten years, she might become one of the wealthiest merchants in Dayue. But after ten years, would he still be able to lead troops into battle? Suddenly, a sense of defeat overwhelmed him. He used to be puzzled as to why Tao Wanniang insisted on divorcing him, but now he thought that she probably just didn't want to be confined to the inner quarters.
Now that her children are all grown up, she can do whatever she wants. Why should she waste her energy on a man who has lived half his life?
"Eat more if you like it!" Thinking of this, Ling Yunzhou lost his appetite and felt a little resigned to his fate. He thought that from now on, he would just be a decrepit old man!
Shi Tianbao didn't care what Ling Yunzhou was thinking. He ate until his belly was round and full, and then he even had his eye on the unfinished pastries.
"Um... General Ling, you're not going to eat these, are you? Can I take them back with me? My wife and child have never eaten at Zhaixinglou before!"
Ling Yunzhou responded absentmindedly, feeling increasingly annoyed the more he thought about it!
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