He Yang was getting hotter and hotter as he ate, already sweating profusely. This hot pot was especially suitable for winter.
Wiping his sweat, he said softly,
“It’s Shopkeeper Luo’s voice. Did he follow the smell here?”
“Probably.”
After speaking, she called toward the door.
“Come in.”
As soon as Shopkeeper Luo entered, a spicy aroma hit him head-on, making him unconsciously swallow several times.
Yu Zhizhi noticed it immediately.
“Want to eat?”
Shopkeeper Luo didn’t expect her to be so sharp.
“…Mm.”
“Sure.”
Yu Zhizhi replied lightly.
Shopkeeper Luo was overjoyed and quickly sat beside He Yang, thinking inwardly that this young lady was surprisingly generous.
But just as he was about to praise her, he froze.
Yu Zhizhi stretched out her hand directly in front of him.
“Pay up.”
…
He swallowed back his words.
“I just wanted to try a taste.”
At this moment, He Yang chimed in.
“Tasting also requires payment.”
Shopkeeper Luo was speechless. He pointed at the meat plate already half-eaten.
“How much is that meat?”
“Premium fatty beef. 20 wen.”
He felt cheated.
“There aren’t even that many slices left—how could it be worth that much?”
Yu Zhizhi ignored him and turned to He Yang.
“Did you eat enough beef?”
He Yang shook his head.
“You can never eat enough!”
The two of them worked in perfect sync.
Shopkeeper Luo finally gave in and handed over twenty wen.
He swore he would only eat this one plate of beef and leave immediately.
But reality quickly slapped him in the face.
Oh heavens—why was this beef so unbelievably tender and fragrant? The rich beef-fat aroma filled his mouth completely.
He Yang was right.
You really couldn’t get enough.
“Sell me another plate of meatballs.”
“And another portion of duck intestines, mushrooms, lettuce slices…”
Within just two ke, Shopkeeper Luo had already spent over a hundred wen.
If the ingredients hadn’t run out, he probably would have kept spending.
He was completely satisfied.
In his experience, the soul of this hot pot lay entirely in the spicy red broth.
Duck intestines, pig blood, and tripe cooked briefly in it had no odor at all—instead, they carried a unique fragrance that lingered endlessly.
Even the vegetables tasted better after soaking in the broth.
If Fuju Restaurant introduced this dish, it would absolutely explode in popularity.
Shopkeeper Luo’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Miss Yu… no, Miss Yun. I want to discuss a business deal.”
Yu Zhizhi took a sip of cheap peach wine, her lips curling slightly as she looked at him.
“Oh?”
“You want to buy the recipe?”
“You’re very clever, Miss Yun. I’ll be direct. Fuju Restaurant is willing to offer one thousand taels to buy the hot pot recipe outright.”
He spoke confidently, as if the price was extremely generous.
Yu Zhizhi sneered inwardly.
Again trying to scam her. No chance.
One thousand taels for a buyout? Ridiculous.
She knew Fuju Restaurant had over thirty branches across the kingdom. They would recover the cost in days.
Thinking she was broke?
She did need money—but not that little.
“Shopkeeper Luo, are you sure you can make that decision?” she asked lightly.
He smiled.
“There’s still approval from our owner, but I can speak on your behalf.”
Yu Zhizhi’s tone turned cold.
“So you can’t decide, yet you’re negotiating with me?”
She stood up.
“Let’s go.”
He Yang followed immediately.
“Alright, Boss.”
Shopkeeper Luo sighed and left.
He had earned a hundred wen earlier, but now lost even more on food.
And the deal failed.
Sigh. He would have to report to the owner.
“Hey Yang, are you excited about our stall in seven days?”
He scratched his head.
“My family doesn’t agree with me following you to set up a stall. I’ll try to convince them.”
“They think we’ll mess things up again.”
“If I insist, they’ll cut off my allowance.”
Yu Zhizhi understood the situation well.
Then she suddenly smiled.
“Let me teach you a truth.”
“What truth?”
“Nothing in this world can’t be solved with a hot pot meal.”
He Yang laughed.
“So you’re planning to conquer them with hot pot?”
Exactly.
But Yu Zhizhi didn’t tell him everything yet.
Not yet.
Because the thing she planned to sell…
Wasn’t hot pot.
It was something else entirely.
And it would be set up… right outside the Sixth Prince’s residence.