After returning to her room, Ye Qiuling sat at the table, thinking about how to promote the hotpot restaurant. If only a few people showed up for the opening tomorrow, wouldn’t that mean a loss? She had no intention of running a business at a loss.
A good idea suddenly flashed through her mind. She could write notices on paper and pay people a few copper coins to help spread the word. With that thought, she immediately got to work, laying several sheets of paper on the table.
Ye Qiuling was not very skilled at writing with a brush. She dipped the brush lightly in ink, careful not to take too much, but the moment it touched the paper, a drop of ink fell and spread into a dark blot. That sheet was ruined.
After writing many characters, she felt they all looked too ugly. With no other choice, she went straight into the Gourmet Recipe System space and used the printer to print characters in the style of this dynasty.
Since the town was called Xiangfeng Town and she was not good at naming things, she simply based it on that. On the paper, the bold words “Xiangfeng Hotpot Restaurant” stood out clearly.
A smile appeared on Ye Qiuling’s face. Flyers needed to be plentiful, so she set the printer to produce over a dozen copies, adding small animals, flowers, and plants to make them more appealing to those who received them.
Taking the printed flyers, Ye Qiuling went downstairs. At the table, Shen Wanru and Ye Dazhi were sitting together, picking vegetables.
Both of them wore bright smiles, chatting about tomorrow’s opening. Ye Qiuling walked over, patted Shen Wanru on the shoulder, and called out, “Father, Mother.”
Startled by the sudden voice, Shen Wanru dropped the vegetables in her hands onto the table and scolded lightly, “You child, why don’t you make any sound when you walk?” She picked the vegetables back up and continued working.
Pouting, Ye Qiuling muttered, “It’s because you and Father were talking too seriously.” She raised the flyers in her hand and said, “Mother, these are the flyers I made to promote our hotpot restaurant. Let’s go hand them out together.”
Shen Wanru took one and examined it. The writing looked quite nice, and the little drawings of plants and animals were very eye-catching. She could not help but sigh in admiration. “Qiuling, your handwriting is beautiful, and these flyers are very creative.”
Ye Dazhi leaned over to look at the flyer in Shen Wanru’s hand and gave a thumbs-up in agreement. “Our daughter is amazing!”
Thinking of her own terrible handwriting, Ye Qiuling could hardly bear the praise. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her head aside guiltily, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers. “Alright, Father, Mother, let’s go. Handing out flyers is more important.”
“That’s right, let’s go,” Shen Wanru said as she took the lead, with Ye Dazhi walking beside her.
Ye Qiuling followed closely, walking alongside them.
Looking around, she saw the town bustling with activity. Vendors shouted their wares, customers laughed and chatted, and the sounds of bargaining filled the air.
She handed part of the flyers to her parents and said, “Father, Mother, you go hand these out first. I’ll go to the teahouse.”
Shen Wanru frowned and grabbed her hand worriedly. “Why don’t we just hand them out like this? I’m afraid you’ll get kicked out later.”
Hearing Shen Wanru’s words, both critical and concerned, Ye Qiuling was speechless.
She took out a few copper coins from the pouch at her waist and waved them in front of Shen Wanru. “With this, I won’t be driven out.”
Shen Wanru laughed. “You clever girl. Be careful. We’ll go hand out the flyers first.”
“Alright, Father, Mother.” Ye Qiuling waved at them.
Shen Wanru and Ye Dazhi did not quite understand the gesture, but they waved back anyway.
As she walked, Ye Qiuling looked for shops with the most customers, planning to promote her hotpot restaurant there. By chance, she spotted a teahouse packed to the brim. Without hesitation, she quickened her steps and went straight inside, heading directly for the counter.
Peering through the small window, she saw a long-bearded middle-aged man dressed in black, holding an abacus. Without even looking up, he asked what kind of tea she wanted.
“Shopkeeper, I would like to discuss a business deal with you,” Ye Qiuling said.
The bearded man looked up and saw a young girl dressed in goose-yellow clothing, delicate and well-mannered, her eyes bright with intelligence. “Oh? What kind of business?”
Ye Qiuling handed him a flyer through the window. He took it and glanced at it. The design was quite interesting, but why should he promote her business?
At that moment, Ye Qiuling said, “This is my family’s hotpot restaurant. It will open tomorrow. Your teahouse seems very popular, and I happen to know a secret recipe that pairs your tea with our hotpot, creating an unexpectedly wonderful taste.”
The bearded man stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Have you sold this secret recipe to anyone else? Can I taste it first before deciding whether to cooperate?”
Seeing how cautious he was, Ye Qiuling replied, “Don’t worry, I haven’t sold this recipe to anyone else. You can taste it, but I’ll need to use your kitchen.”
The bearded man readily agreed and led her to the kitchen.
Taking the opportunity, Ye Qiuling secretly took out two or three lemons from the Gourmet Recipe System and hid them in her sleeves.
When the kitchen door opened, a faint aroma of tea wafted out. Ye Qiuling inhaled deeply and praised, “Your tea smells wonderful. Just the scent alone makes it seem delicious.”
Flattered, the bearded man laughed proudly. “My teahouse has been open for nearly ten years. Even travelers from other regions praise our tea and beg for the recipe.”
“Really? That’s amazing.” Ye Qiuling looked at him with admiration.
The bearded man was clearly pleased. “I’ll look forward to your secret recipe.”
“Of course.” Ye Qiuling took out the lemons.
The bearded man pointed at the round fruits in her hand in confusion. “What are those?”
“They’re called lemons. Shopkeeper, may I use some salt?” Ye Qiuling asked.
“Go ahead. You can also use the tea over there,” he replied cheerfully.
Grateful, Ye Qiuling washed the lemons with salt, then sliced them into thin pieces on the cutting board.
Looking at the two large stoves in front of her, she lit a fire and placed tea leaves into the pot, stir-frying them until their fragrance was released before adding water.
Using the same trick as before, she took out a shaker and a muddler from the system.
Seeing her produce these unfamiliar items as if by magic, the bearded man stared at her with shining eyes, as though he had discovered a treasure.
Unaware of his reaction, Ye Qiuling focused on her task. She placed the lemon slices into the shaker and crushed them thoroughly, then poured the brewed tea into a mug.
After that, she poured the drink into three bowls and set them out, gesturing for him to taste.
The bearded man hesitated and did not move.
Seeing his caution, Ye Qiuling picked up a bowl and drank it herself.
Only after confirming she was fine did the bearded man take a bowl. He first licked it cautiously, then his eyes lit up. The taste was unexpectedly delightful, the tang of lemon on the tongue and the sweetness of tea lingering in the throat. He drank the rest in one go.
Even after finishing, he was still savoring the flavor. “Good! I’ll cooperate with you on this business.”
Seeing that the lemon tea had won him over, Ye Qiuling smiled. “Thank you, Shopkeeper, for giving me this opportunity.”
“Could I ask for one more condition?” she continued. “Could you have the storyteller in your teahouse mention our hotpot restaurant, and also allow me to distribute flyers to your customers?”
The bearded man hesitated. “This…”
As a businessman, he valued profit. Without benefit, he would not agree.
Ye Qiuling added, “Don’t worry, it won’t be free. I’ll pay you copper coins. I also won’t disturb customers who aren’t interested, so it won’t affect your business.”
The bearded man was tempted. “Alright, young lady, for the sake of your recipe, I’ll grant you this. There’s no need for payment, consider making a friend.”
Seeing how sincere he was, Ye Qiuling felt it would be inappropriate to charge him for the recipe, so she decided to give it to him for free.
With his permission, she quickly went over to the storyteller. He was dressed in dark blue robes, sitting at a table, holding a cup of tea and covering it with his sleeve as he drank.
After he finished, Ye Qiuling explained the hotpot business to him and placed a flyer on his table. The storyteller glanced at it and nodded, indicating he understood.
He then began to speak according to the flyer, vividly describing the hotpot, making it sound so enticing that listeners could not help but drool, their desire to taste it growing stronger by the moment.
Seeing the effect, Ye Qiuling moved among the customers, placing flyers with the image of hotpot on their tables.
The customers, already tempted, drooled even more. Before long, all the flyers in her hands were gone.
Suddenly, one customer spoke up, “Is it really as good as this paper makes it sound? You’re not tricking us, are you?”
Ye Qiuling knew their doubts were reasonable. Blind trust would be strange, so she had already prepared her response.
“Esteemed guest, my family’s hotpot restaurant opens tomorrow. I guarantee it’s delicious, enough to leave you completely satisfied. We’ll also be giving away free desserts, first come, first served,” she said with a bright smile.
At the mention of free desserts, the customers became even more enthusiastic.
They thought there was no harm in trying, especially with free pastries included. One by one, they rubbed their hands together, their eyes drifting toward the sky outside as if urging tomorrow to arrive faster.
Ye Qiuling returned to the shopkeeper and borrowed paper and a brush, quickly writing down the recipe before handing it to him.
The bearded man accepted it happily, grinning from ear to ear.
Ye Qiuling waved goodbye, and the bearded man mimicked her gesture, waving back.
Both of them felt pleased, each thinking they had gained an advantage.