“What? How could such a thing happen?” Xi Hongrui exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock.
Qin Xingchao lowered his head, speaking sorrowfully, “Perhaps it was the rain, and he had drunk a little too much. He lost his footing and fell. Please accept my condolences, Miss Hong.”
“Oh…”
Xi Hongrui hid her smile behind her fan, trying hard not to appear too delighted. She couldn’t even be bothered to squeeze out a tear, merely dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. “Then, Luyan, you should go back for a while. Return after everything is settled.”
Xi Luyan nodded vigorously.
With Lin Gui’s death being such a significant matter, it would be suspicious if she wasn’t present.
And after Lin Gui’s death, Xi Luyan no longer had anything to fear from that household.
After seeing Xi Luyan off, Xi Hongrui didn’t keep up her sorrowful expression for long. She fanned herself and clicked her tongue. “That old dog is dead and gone, but now I have to find another pig castrator.”
To better protect her, Qin Xingchao had been assigned to assist her. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Miss Hong, why are you so determined to castrate pigs?”
“Well~” Xi Hongrui fanned herself mysteriously and leaned closer. “If you really want to know, I can tell you. But it’s a secret—I’ll only tell you, so don’t tell anyone else~”
Qin Xingchao looked up, meeting her gaze seriously. “Don’t worry, Miss. I’m as tight-lipped as a sealed jar.”
“Hahaha!” Xi Hongrui laughed cheerfully. “In that case, I’ll tell you~”
It wasn’t actually anything complicated—it was simply that castrated pigs produced tastier meat.
The transmigrated woman came from a later era and knew many things the people of Daqi were unaware of.
For example, in her time, pork was the most commonly consumed meat, but in Daqi, pork was considered the lowest quality because it always carried an unpleasant, gamey smell that couldn’t be washed away. Compared to beef and mutton, it tasted far inferior, so the nobility disliked eating it.
The transmigrated woman explained that this was because people in this era hadn’t yet mastered pig castration techniques. If pigs were castrated from a young age, they wouldn’t develop that strange odor. Moreover, castrated pigs wouldn’t go into heat, fattened up faster, and could be sent to market sooner.
The transmigrated woman didn’t like doing things that attracted too much attention, so she avoided anything as sensational as “gunpowder” or “salt refining” before meeting the male lead.
But castrating pigs was harmless enough. She didn’t like the gamy taste of mutton, so she taught the kitchen staff this method.
Xi Hongrui had the good fortune to taste the meat from castrated pigs, and it was indeed delicious—even better than mutton!
In Daliang City, mutton was all the rage, but sheep were too destructive. Wherever they grazed, not a blade of grass was left behind. In mountainous areas where sheep were commonly raised, even tree bark would be gnawed bare. Only the northern pastures with abundant water and grass could sustain large flocks of sheep.
Every year, countless mutton merchants flocked to Daliang City, driving up the price of mutton until it was more expensive than gold.
Whenever Xi Hongrui saw the northern Rong people exchanging cartloads of mutton for cartloads of gold, strutting around with their burly builds, bulging waistlines, and strings of egg-sized gemstones, she couldn’t help but seethe with envy.
While her own people toiled and suffered, these foreign barbarians grew fat and wealthy. For someone like Xi Hongrui, who couldn’t stand others living better than herself, this was simply unbearable!Compared to sheep, pigs are much easier to raise. They eat bran and slop, can be kept in a pen, eat anything, and produce many offspring. If their flavor can be improved while keeping the price this low, they will definitely quickly surpass mutton and become the mainstream.
Recalling her previous life, when a time-traveling woman used castrated pork to make dishes like “Dongpo pork,” “Dongpo elbow,” “Sweet and sour pork tenderloin,” “Steamed pork with rice flour,” “Iron pot stewed ribs,” “Perfect roasted suckling pig,” and “Steamed pork belly with preserved mustard greens”… Xi Hongrui couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.
Widow Song Noodle Soup Restaurant catered specifically to people from all walks of life. These folks might not be able to afford mutton for every meal, so making pork the signature dish was perfect.
Thus, Xi Hongrui opened an additional pig farm specifically to supply this type of pork.
All the intricacies around the noodle shop’s name were ultimately trivial. Taste, price, and unique signature dishes were the true foundations for a restaurant’s longevity.
In the future, they could not only offer quick noodle soups but also a variety of signature pork dishes.
Xi Hongrui loved to eat and loved to show off. In her previous life, after learning that the female lead used clever homemade dishes to win over the male lead, she immediately went to great lengths to steal the recipes to please him.
In the end, the male lead ate everything without a single word of gratitude. Even hiring a chef requires payment, yet he freeloaded shamelessly and acted entitled! The nerve!
Ugh, she shouldn’t think about it—it just made her angry!
In this life, she wouldn’t do such stupid things again, working for free for a stingy boss who would never appreciate it. If she was going to work, she’d work for herself.
She had memorized all those recipes, and with the same ingredients, the cooking methods were just variations of frying, stir-frying, boiling, and deep-frying. If she renamed the dishes, how would the female lead ever figure out where she learned them?
As for the simple technique of castrating pigs, once someone started doing it with noticeable results, it would be impossible to keep secret. Even if the female lead knew others had stolen the idea from her, what could she do? She’d just have to accept her bad luck.
Although she knew the technique would spread quickly, Xi Hongrui still covered her face with a fan, her eyes sparkling as she asked Qin Xingchao to keep it a secret.
Qin Xingchao looked at her, a look of sudden understanding dawning on his face. He clasped his hands and said solemnly, “So that’s how it is. Miss Hong, rest assured, I will definitely heed your words.”
“Hehe, so obedient~”
Compared to De Ren, who was clever, cunning, ruthless, with clear strengths and weaknesses, this Commander Qin was a smooth, dull, and nearly faultless “honest man.”
However, even honest men have their schemes. When he sent his mother and sister to cozy up to her, Xi Hongrui knew that, no matter what, he would become her ally.
In this world, where there are shared interests, there will always be shared allies.
…
Lin Gui’s death didn’t cause much of a stir. Apart from his bizarre manner of death, which the neighbors gossiped about for a long time.
His mother wailed a few times and cursed for half the day.
Alive, he was a beast; dead, he still couldn’t let anyone rest, forcing her to spend money to bury him!
Seeing her mother cursing heaven and earth in her rage, Xi Luyan quietly handed her the bracelets Xi Hongrui had given her. At the sight of those heavy silver bracelets, Mother Xi finally shut her mouth and broke into a delighted smile.
She swiftly handled the funeral arrangements and immediately sent Xi Luyan over, telling her to work hard for Xi Hongrui.
Xi Hongrui looked at Xi Luyan, who seemed much more spirited after attending the funeral, and grabbed her hand: “Come on, let me show you where you’ll be working from now on.”Xi Luyan was pulled along by Xi Hongrui to the noodle restaurant, and as soon as they approached, they heard the lively sounds of celebratory music.
To celebrate the grand opening, Xi Hongrui had hired a festive band, planning to keep the music playing for three consecutive days.
Amid the joyful beats of gongs, drums, and suonas, Widow Song energetically directed the staff, bustling back and forth.
Her days selling sour plum drink had built up her stamina, and now, running around all day didn’t tire her out.
Her mind was completely filled with one thing: making money! Making money! There was no turning back—this restaurant had to thrive!
Several workers climbed ladders, hoisting up the signboard and raising it into place.
As the red cloth covering the sign fell away, the bold, flowing characters for “Widow Song Noodle Soup Restaurant” were revealed, drawing cheers and applause from the onlooking crowd.
Widow Song, with a cloth headscarf tied neatly and dressed in clean, practical clothing, thanked the arriving customers.
With the grand opening offering a half-price discount, it quickly attracted a large crowd of diners.
When Xi Hongrui arrived, she saw Widow Song busily managing everything. Xi Hongrui went over to greet her: “Auntie Song, are you busy? I brought my sister to help you.”
Widow Song’s eyes lit up at the sight of them, and she welcomed them inside to show them how the restaurant looked now.
The place was bustling with energy, each person holding a large bowl, slurping up noodles and broth heartily.
Located in the capital city of Daliang, a place known for refinement, the local tableware was usually delicate and exquisite, with thin noodles considered a mark of a master chef’s skill—the finest ones could even pass through the eye of a needle.
After surveying various restaurants, Xi Hongrui had pondered for a moment and decided to go against the trend. She ordered a batch of wide-mouthed, large bowls and used the broad, hand-sliced noodles that Widow Song had originally made. The large bowls paired with the wide noodles, topped generously with savory minced meat, made the portions look substantial and satisfying.
A boatman who had just come from the docks finished a large bowl in one go, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and exclaimed delightedly to Widow Song: “Boss lady, your noodles are really generous! I’ll have another bowl!”
“Sure thing!” Widow Song replied cheerfully, instructing the kitchen to hurry.
She turned back to Xi Hongrui, beaming: “Miss, every idea you’ve suggested has been spot on!”
Xi Hongrui hid her face behind a fan, fluttering it quickly, and snorted with pride—of course.
In business, it all comes down to two things: the seller and the customer.
What the seller offers should match the right customers, and what the customers need should be what the seller provides.
For laborers coming and going, who has the patience to fuss over details? It’s all about portion size and price.
The prices were agreed upon collectively to avoid undercutting neighbors and spoiling relationships, but there was room to play with portion sizes.
Top-tier chefs were usually privately retained by generations-old restaurants in Daliang, nurtured with gold and silver—outsiders could only dream of such talent.
If they couldn’t compete in fineness, they’d compete in breadth. Their specialty became wide bowls and broad noodles—just one look, and you knew it was hearty and satisfying.
Seeing the delighted expressions of the customers, Xi Hongrui knew it was a success. From now on, she could comfortably settle into her role as the boss lady. The feeling of money flowing directly into her own pocket was truly wonderful!
Widow Song was also overjoyed. When her relatives had driven her out of the family, how could she have ever imagined a day like this? Miss Hong must be a bodhisattva!Through all these events, Widow Song had come to realize just how formidable Miss Hong truly was.
She truly couldn’t fathom what those who had driven her away back then had been thinking…
…
During the daily account review at Linglong Pavilion, everyone fell into an uneasy silence.
Not long before, in his efforts to drive out Xi Hongrui, the shop assistant named A Si had shouted at the top of his lungs that they would earn even more without her.
Yet within just a few days, the sharply declining profits left everyone present utterly bewildered. How could this be happening…
Ning Meng flipped through the account books, pressing her lips together without speaking.
Logically, after Linglong Pavilion gained fame through scented soap, business should only have improved. Yet now, apart from the scented soap profits holding relatively steady, all other categories were deteriorating day by day.
Ning Meng had some idea where the problem lay. After Xi Hongrui left, many of the regular customers she had cultivated stopped coming upon hearing she was gone. Those who did come only sent their servants.
But what Ning Meng couldn’t understand was where Xi Hongrui had gotten such remarkable charm.
While she had indeed schemed against Xi Hongrui, she wouldn’t recklessly change successful business strategies. She had even provided more attentive service than before.
Most customers at Linglong Pavilion were noble ladies and young misses. Having served in a prince’s mansion for many years, Ning Meng knew the temperaments of various noblewomen well and was confident she could serve them better than Xi Hongrui ever did.
With Xi Hongrui’s seductive appearance and unrestrained, provocative behavior, how could she possibly win the favor of ladies from respectable households?
Had Xi Hongrui been present to hear these thoughts, she would have burst out laughing.
Of course noble ladies wanted their maids to be proper and obedient – but the standards they applied to themselves versus others were entirely different!
Just like the female protagonist in that novel – someone who valued propriety above all else. She would deem a maid wearing flowers in her hair as improper, or a concubine in sheer clothing as indecent. Yet when it came to herself, wouldn’t she also don light, translucent garments before the male lead, momentarily releasing her “modern soul” to seek spiritual comfort from this ancient “soulmate”?
Those who set the rules could certainly proclaim them loudly, cutting everything neatly into rigid squares.
But when it came to themselves, who would willingly be bound by those rules?
The noble ladies came to Linglong Pavilion to shop, not to select maids. Why would they care whether the salesperson was proper or not?
Therefore, Xi Hongrui dressed elaborately every day, constantly changing her hairstyles and coordinating outfits, all to instantly captivate the ladies and young misses.
In the mansions, as a maid, the noblewomen saw her as competition threatening their status, naturally predisposed to dislike her.
But at Linglong Pavilion, she represented their idealized selves – everything she displayed was what they secretly desired.
The truth was, people naturally gravitate toward beauty and comfort. No one wants to mutilate themselves for the sake of propriety. Though her low-cut dresses might be considered scandalous, the noble ladies never hesitated to purchase them.
In the mansions, where pleasing masters was paramount, I might not compare to you, because I could never make myself docile and unambitious.
But out here, when it comes to making someone – whether man or woman – like me, how could you possibly compete with me?
Heh~
And suffering even more than Ning Meng was naturally Pei San.Because he had personally mocked the words Xi Hongrui once said, when her words proved true, leaving no room for excuses, it meant he was wrong.
But how could he be wrong and Xi Hongrui right? If she found out, how smug she would be!
The image of Xi Hongrui lifting her chin, sneering as she held power over him, surfaced in Pei San’s mind, making him somewhat uncomfortable.
It was just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse—why did she always think so highly of herself!