Just as the barbecue restaurant closed and everyone was rushing around, a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes, riding a tall horse, arrived in Longyang Town with two attendants.
Manager Zhang of Xiangmanlou Restaurant has been suffering greatly from the competition from the barbecue restaurant across the street lately.
Today, as usual, I stood at the door observing the other party's business. When I saw the officials arrive, the shop was closed and the customers were locked out. I immediately wondered if something had happened again.
Curiosity and competitiveness drew several shopkeepers from the neighborhood together, and they started chattering away.
"Did you see that? Did you see that? The officials came again just now. I don't know what they were saying, but they're not doing business anymore."
"The last time the officials came, someone died. Could someone else have died this time?"
"Ugh, what bad luck! If you ask me, we should really team up and drive this barbecue restaurant out of Longyang Town. Otherwise, if she opens her doors, what business will we have left?"
"That stuff is roasted until it's black and dry, what's so good about it? I heard they even deep-fry it, completely disregarding costs! They even give customers free snacks every now and then. With him doing this, what rules are left in the restaurant industry? Everything's in chaos!"
"These past ten days have felt harder than a year. There are only seven or eight customers in the store every day, and we can barely afford to keep the staff."
“You still have seven or eight customers. My shop hasn’t opened for two days. My regular customers who used to come here can’t be dragged in now. Do you think she’s here specifically to bring bad luck to us?”
Just as everyone was indignant and preparing to unite against the barbecue restaurant.
Someone came to ask for directions.
"Gentlemen! I've heard that Longyang Town has some delicious food. Could you please tell me about it?" The man dismounted, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked politely.
Seeing that the newcomer was of extraordinary status and exuded an air of nobility, the shopkeepers immediately stopped complaining and warmly gathered around him.
The head innkeeper, Zhang, asked, "Where are you from, sir? What kind of food are you looking for? Our Longyang Town has many local specialties, such as eight-treasure porridge, beef buns, lotus leaf chicken, braised pork, lion's head meatballs, braised fish in a clay pot, and so on. There are just too many to list."
"Is there a way to cook fish three ways? The fish head can be made into two-color chopped peppers, the fish scales can be deep-fried and dried, and the fish body can be steamed and served fragrant?" Ever since the master ate the fish cooked by that girl in Shura Mountain, he has been thinking about it. As his personal bodyguard, Wang Youtian was ordered to find it.
Following the accent, I searched for two days in Lin'an, but it wasn't right. Someone said there was delicious food in Longyang Town, so I rushed over there.
Manager Zhang, quick-witted and resourceful, said, "Oh, what a coincidence! Come with me! Our chef is a first-rate cook, and these are his specialties."
"Thank you for your trouble!" The man believed it without a doubt, clasped his hands in thanks to the managers, and then went to Xiangmanlou with Manager Zhang.
Seeing that Manager Zhang had made some business, the others became extremely jealous. One of them said, "Pah, his chef can't cook anything! I've never even heard of these dishes. Let's see how he makes a fool of himself."
"Oh, I'm done playing. I have to get back to work. The barbecue restaurant is closed today, but my shop's business will definitely be good." With that, he left with his hands behind his back.
Actually, that's what everyone thinks! Her not opening the door is everyone's opportunity, so they all gloated and busied themselves preparing for today's surge in orders.
The previously listless waiters and chefs were now huddled together, looking dejected. Privately, they all envied the staff at the barbecue restaurant across the street; they feared they wouldn't even get paid this month, and some were already considering switching jobs to find work across the street.
Seeing the innkeeper inviting the guests to take their seats, everyone busied themselves with tasks.
"Sir, please have a seat! Our chef's skills are absolutely top-notch! He's the best cook in the entire Longyang Town." Manager Zhang smiled and gave a thumbs up.
"Thank you for your trouble! Please go and give the order quickly, we are waiting for our meal." Liu Xun said, sitting down with two guards.
Manager Zhang hurried to the kitchen to give instructions, and then came out to serve the three guests a pot of the finest Maojian tea.
"Shopkeeper, besides your shop, which other restaurants in Longyang Town serve good food?" Liu Xun dared not place his bets on this place.
"Our shop is the best in town. If you want to know about other shops, just look for the barbecue restaurant across the street." At this point, Manager Zhang probably understood that the group was looking for the barbecue restaurant across the street.
A surge of jealousy welled up inside her. "If I can't earn this money, then you can't either," she thought. Deliberately, she said, "Then it's Hua Manlou!"
"Hua Manlou?" Liu Xun frowned, his expression turning somber at the mention of the name, as if he had a bad impression of it.
"Sir, do you know Hua Man Lou? It's the Heaven on Earth of Longyang Town! It's even more so in Lin'an! Beautiful women everywhere, luxury cars and fine horses, bright lights and revelry every day, and everyone who comes and goes is no ordinary person." Manager Zhang introduced with a proud look, completely unaware of the three men's unpleasant expressions.
"Is that so?" Liu Xun said calmly.
Shopkeeper Zhang approached with a lewd grin and said, "A man's paradise, huh? Heh."
Liu Xun looked unwell, as if he looked like a lecherous man.
The guard waved to Manager Zhang, who then realized he had misspoke and quickly shut his mouth and withdrew. Back in the kitchen, he thought to himself, "She really is a glutton!" He then ordered the kitchen to prepare the food with care.
The service was quite fast; the three dishes were served in less than half an hour.
The green and red peppers on the chopped chili fish head were delicate and soft, but raw. The fish head, steamed, wasn't burnt or charred at all, and was still fresh and fragrant. Even the presentation was different; the fish's mouth looked like a severed box, making it unappetizing.
Deep-fried fish scales look somewhat like fish, but what's with the scrambled eggs inside?
Looking at the steamed fish again, it did resemble the dish from that day. I picked up a piece with my chopsticks and tasted it, and immediately frowned! The taste was wrong!
Shopkeeper Zhang noticed the customer's displeasure and realized he had made a mistake, which filled him with apprehension.
However, Liu Xun did not make things difficult for the other party, after all, he was doing something as simple as finding a needle in a haystack. He left a tael of silver without saying a word and left.
After everyone left, Manager Liu leaned over and asked, "Not satisfied?"
Watching the three figures leave, Manager Zhang felt a deep sense of loss. Could they have come for her? Impossible! That girl had only been running her shop for less than a month, yet she was already so famous?
Shaking my head, absolutely impossible.
When Lan Yamei rushed to the Lin'an County Government Office, Lord Liu had just returned from investigating the scene. After taking a sip of water, he said to her as she entered, "I've examined the scene, and there's not a trace of a struggle. This was definitely done by a master! However, Er Gou and his wife worked in your shop and are from the countryside. They shouldn't have made enemies with anyone. So who were they, and why did they kill them? I need an expert to think this through carefully."
"Lord Liu, investigating cases is your forte. Please, Lord Liu, thoroughly investigate the true culprit! We will cooperate with you wholeheartedly." In ancient times, there were no surveillance cameras; investigations relied entirely on the government. Only through cooperation could the truth be revealed as quickly as possible.
"Cooperate?" Lord Liu paused for a moment, holding the cup.
The puppy, Egg, was still so young, and his mother only had him as her son. The family was completely ruined. Lan Yamei secretly vowed to find the murderer and tear him to pieces!
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