As the autumn winds rose, Tao Wanniang thought of her trip to Youzhou last year. Now that the Zhaixing Tower there was completed, she could send some things over, but...
Few merchants go to Youzhou, and this is the only letter they've received in the past six months, sent ahead of schedule. So... Tao Wanniang thought of Zhao Zhe. She couldn't very well ask Zhao Zhe's spies to deliver the letter to her! So... the escort agency.
With this in mind, Tao Wanniang took advantage of a lull in her schedule to visit the Weiwu Escort Agency.
Having had previous dealings with him, she easily met the chief镖头 (chief镖头, head镖师, of the Mighty Escort Agency).
"Manager Tao, I've long admired your name but never had the chance to meet you. It's an honor to meet you!" Chief Escort Wu warmly welcomed Tao Wanniang and also had his wife and son called over.
"Manager Tao, Liang Laifu from my escort agency had a past with you. Alas, to my shame, I, Wu, also owe Liang Laifu a debt of gratitude..."
“Since the person is no longer here, let’s not talk about these things,” Tao Wanniang said. “I have come here today to ask your esteemed escort agency to do a delivery.”
"Oh, what kind of escort mission requires Manager Tao to come in person?" Wu, the head escort, asked with great curiosity.
"For this shipment, I need to find someone trustworthy. The contents are some recipes from our Zhaixinglou restaurant," Tao Wanniang said directly. "Will Chief Escort Wu understand what I mean?"
The menu? Isn't that the most important thing in a restaurant? Wu, the head镖师, tensed up.
Where is it being sent?
"Youzhou, the Youzhou Prince's residence, in the hands of Crown Prince Xiao Yi," Tao Wanniang said directly. "To be honest, Chief Escort Wu, there's also a Zhaixinglou restaurant in Youzhou. I'm here to deliver the dishes from Zhaixinglou in the capital to them. Will you take this escort?"
Youzhou, Wu the镖头 thought for a moment. He could accept the mission. It was just delivering something. Although the journey was long, as long as he traveled fast, he could return before the New Year.
“I will accept Tao’s shipment, I will definitely accept it, even if it means going through fire and water.”
Tao Wanniang smiled, "Alright, Chief Wu, name your price. I've prepared everything and will send it over when I get back."
"Two hundred taels of silver, one hundred taels as a deposit, to be paid in full upon return," said Wu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), directly.
"Okay!" Tao Wanniang liked straightforwardness and immediately agreed. Just as she finished speaking, Madam Wu and Wu Dasheng came over.
"Manager Tao, it's been a long time," Madam Wu said with a smile.
"It's been a long time." Tao Wanniang exchanged a few pleasantries, and looking at Wu Dasheng, he seemed more composed than before.
“I’ve accepted Manager Tao’s escort mission. It’s a great success. This time, my son and I will take on this mission,” said Wu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort).
"You're going?" Madam Wu was still somewhat surprised. "That won't do. You take the others with you. The two of you can't go on the escort mission together!"
"Why?" Wu Dasheng asked, puzzled. "Mother, Father never took care of me personally before, but he can this time. Why don't you agree?"
"Ha, why? Tell me why! What if something bad happens?" Madam Wu said angrily.
Tao Wanniang understood; she was afraid of the entire group being wiped out!
“Madam Wu is very farsighted. Youzhou is a long way away, and we have to travel through mountainous areas where bandits are rampant. It would be better for Chief Escort Wu to travel with others. My escort is nothing of great value. If we encounter a life-or-death situation, then we can just give it up.”
Tao Wanniang's words impressed the Wu family members. Wu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), immediately clasped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Manager Tao. My Weiwu镖局 (Weiwu Escort Agency) does business on the edge of a knife. I will definitely deliver this shipment to you."
Wu Dasheng understood his mother's concerns and didn't insist.
"Manager Tao, is that spicy hot pot place also yours?" Wu Dasheng thought of the hot pot he had eaten before.
“I’ve seen your son and daughter-in-law, and I doubt they have the ability. It must have been your idea.”
“Young Master Escort is quite astute, not bad, but his son is grown up, he should be allowed to shoulder some responsibilities,” Tao Wanniang said with a smile. “It seems that Young Master Escort quite likes my hot pot restaurant.”
"It's true, Manager Tao. I've offended you a lot in the past, whether it was Zhaixinglou or this hot pot restaurant, Manager Tao's business is getting better and better." Wu Dasheng scratched his head and said, "It's just... too popular, there's always a queue for this hot pot!"
"This hot pot is a new thing. I was worried that if the restaurant was too big, there wouldn't be many customers, but business is actually quite good," Tao Wanniang said modestly. "If you like it, Young Master, you can make a reservation in advance."
"Manager Tao is truly a woman who is just as capable as any man. I heard that Zhaixinglou has opened a branch in Wangjing." Madam Wu also praised her. "Since we're going on a delivery mission tomorrow, sir, why don't we go to Zhaixinglou for dinner tonight?"
"Let's call the brothers and go get some food," Wu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), immediately said.
"Then I'll give you a discount," Tao Wanniang said.
The Wu family members thanked Tao Wanniang and escorted her to the entrance of the escort agency.
After leaving the Mighty Escort Agency, Tao Wanniang went to check out the hot pot restaurant. It was already past noon, but there were still five or six tables occupied. Hot pot really is a favorite of everyone!
"Mom, what brings you here?" Ling Dahu's face was beaming. He was busy, but he was earning a lot and had plenty of motivation!
"I was out running errands, so I came to check on things. How are you managing?" Tao Wanniang glanced around and saw that all six tables of guests had already been served, while Ling Dahu and another waiter were still available.
"Mother, I'm busy enough, but it's already this late and my stomach is still empty," Ling Dahu said with a simple smile.
"Then I'll cover for you, why don't you go get something to eat?" Tao Wanniang asked in return.
"No need, Mother, you can just sit and rest. I'm happy to be busy like this," Ling Dahu said with a smile.
"Shopkeeper, another serving of these sweet potato chips, please." A group of customers called out, and Ling Dapeng immediately went to greet them with a cheerful smile.
"Manager Tao!" Another shop assistant, Fei Jiacai, greeted Tao Wanniang somewhat reservedly.
"It's nothing, I'm just taking a look." Tao Wanniang smiled, her expression gentle.
Soon, Ling Dahu finished preparing the dishes the guests wanted and went to the kitchen to hand them to Wang Hongyu. Not long after, Wang Hongyu came out with a plate of pre-cut sweet potatoes and went straight to Tao Wanniang.
"Mother, did you come to see us?" Wang Hongyu's face was also rosy and her expression was joyful.
"I just came to see if you can handle the workload. If you can't, we can hire more people!" Tao Wanniang said.
“No need, we can manage. Look, Xiao Lu is still free.” Wang Hongyu said casually, “Mom, now we’ve handed over the entire shop to you. We know how busy you were before.”
"It's alright, you know that's good." Tao Wan's mother was also gratified, her eldest son and daughter-in-law were ultimately capable.
As they were talking, a few people walked in through the door. Tao Wanniang looked over, and the people there froze.
It was Ling Dapeng who arrived. Even though Ling Yunzhou had thrown him into the military camp, he still had days off.
The hot and spicy restaurant is very popular among young people. Ling Dapeng was brought here by someone he knew in the military, thinking that it would be less crowded at this time.
"Mother!" Ling Dapeng called out stiffly. When he saw Wang Hongyu and Ling Dahu, he immediately understood that this shop... belonged to his family.
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