Marchioness Yuan gritted her teeth. “Little Prince, how about I compensate you with silver? Please let Zijin off this once.”
Xiao Xiao stroked his chin. “Does this young master look like someone lacking money? How about this—have him kneel and kowtow in apology, and I’ll let him go.”
What was silver worth? Kneeling was far more sincere.
Yuan Zijin glared viciously at Xiao Xiao. “In your dreams! Just wait until the Marquis arrives, then we’ll see how all of you die! Sister, hurry and fetch Father!”
Smack!
A slap sent Yuan Zijin’s face jerking to the side. The Marchioness glared at him angrily. “Shut your mouth!”
It would be better if the Marquis never came at all. If he did arrive, who would die was still uncertain. The Marchioness was furious.
This fool truly knew how to cause trouble for her.
In the end, Yuan Zijin was still forced by the Marchioness to bow his head and apologize before Xiao Xiao was willing to let him off.
Seeing the matter resolved, Qi Yanqing turned to return to his post and continue bookkeeping.
Xiao Xiao called after him, “Hey, Qi Yanqing, why are you leaving in such a hurry? This young master just dealt with someone insulting you, and you don’t even have anything to show for it?”
Hearing that, Qi Yanqing revealed a look of surprise, as though genuinely shocked by his words. “So the Little Prince’s skin is actually this thick?”
Xiao Xiao widened his eyes. “Ungrateful.”
Qi Yanqing: …
Yun Zhiyue silently walked away, neither participating nor approaching, fully embodying the attitude of “this has nothing to do with me.”
“Father, have you been busy lately?”
“Ever since the teahouse was handed over to Yue’er, your father has been quite idle.”
“Then does Father want to open a shop? Your daughter wants to open a braised food store. Father can manage it, alright?”
“Certainly. Your father happens to have nothing to do anyway.” Master Yun thought the idea was excellent. He loved braised foods himself.
Yun Zhiyue took out a sheet of paper from her sleeve and handed it to him. “Father, this is the spice recipe for the braised dishes. Father will be responsible for keeping it safe. As for the storefront and hiring workers, Father can decide on those himself.”
Master Yun moved swiftly. In less than half a day, he had already found a suitable shop.
A brand-new signboard was immediately hung up:
Yun Family Braised Goods Shop.
He hired four shop assistants and two rough-looking older women to clean tables and wash dishes.
Yun Zhiyue prepared spice packets in advance. Whenever they needed to cook more braised goods, they only had to collect them from her.
“Yue’er, look at the menu Father drafted. Is there anything that needs changing?” Master Yun had already subconsciously started consulting his daughter about everything.
Braised pig intestines — 50 copper coins per jin
Braised pig head — 50 copper coins per jin
Braised pig lungs — 50 copper coins per jin
Braised pig heart — 50 copper coins per jin
Braised pig liver — 50 copper coins per jin
Braised chicken wings — 20 copper coins each
Braised duck wings — 20 copper coins each
Braised lotus root slices — 10 copper coins per jin
Braised cabbage — 10 copper coins per jin
Braised edamame — 10 copper coins per jin
The prices were very affordable. The highest expense was the spices, but since it was a small business, there was no need to price things too highly.
After all, the ingredients themselves were things most people normally rejected.
Yun Zhiyue nodded. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Father can proceed like this. On opening day, cut a little of every type and offer free samples for tasting. Once sales rise, begin limiting purchases. The harder it is to buy and the harder it is to eat, the more people will crave that taste.”
Master Yun stroked his chin. “Yue’er’s words make sense.”
[Good morning, Host~ (๑＞＜๑)]
[Mission Two: Unlimited ingredient supply — potatoes]
[Requirement: Reach 5,000 points within one month]
[Once the mission ends, potato supplies will stop.]
“Oh.”
[Host, you’re so perfunctory.]
Yun Zhiyue couldn’t be bothered with it. Last time she had worked hard for an entire month, only to be rewarded with a bowl of stinky tofu.
Heh. Even a clay figurine had some temper.
[Host, let me tell you some good news.]
[Once points reach 100,000, the system can upgrade and unlock the Trading Mall~]
“This time you’re telling the truth? What’s in the Trading Mall?”
[It’s true~ The Trading Mall contains items from your modern world. Once you reach 500,000 points, the Interdimensional Trading Mall will unlock.]
“What’s the Interdimensional Trading Mall?”
[It contains items from various planes. For example, wolf fangs from a primitive savage world, or spirit pills from a cultivation world.]
“That actually sounds decent. You finally did something useful for once.”
Today was the grand opening of the braised goods shop.
Drums thundered and gongs rang out. Crowds gathered everywhere, lively and bustling.
Master Yun wore a dark red robe, looking festive as he cupped his hands toward the crowd.
“Dear patrons, I am Yun Cheng, owner of the Yun Family Braised Goods Shop. Thank you all for coming to support us.”
“Today is our grand opening. Every type of braised dish can be sampled for free before purchase.”
After speaking, he waved a hand, and the shop assistants behind him each stepped forward carrying trays.
The freshly cooked braised dishes released a rich fragrance that quickly drifted into everyone’s noses.
The crowd surged noisily.
“It smells amazing! What exactly are these braised foods? Have any of you tried them?”
“No idea. Since they’re offering free samples, just try some and find out.”
“It’s free food! Anyone who refuses free food is an idiot. Let me taste it!”
At that moment, two men stepped forward, picked up chopsticks from the side, and popped a piece into their mouths.
“Delicious! Absolutely delicious! The braised flavor is rich and savory, springy and chewy. Such delicacies should only exist in heaven itself! I’ll buy ten jin!”
“Wow, delicious! This is the first time I’ve tasted food like this. It’s unbelievably good. I’ll buy twenty jin!”
Watching the two men’s exaggerated performance, Master Yun subconsciously raised a hand to hide the corner of his mouth. “Ahem.”
Madam Yun, standing nearby, couldn’t bear to watch anymore and whispered to the young woman beside her, “Yue’er, your father really does have some tricks up his sleeve.”
Yun Zhiyue raised a brow slightly.
Weren’t those two men Father’s close friends?
Who would have thought her father even knew how to hire shills?
The crowd in front began stirring.
“Is it really that tasty?”
“It should be true. The way they’re eating doesn’t seem fake.”
“Indeed. They look like they’re really enjoying it. No, I can’t hold back anymore. I’m trying some too.”
Several more people gathered around the trays of braised dishes to sample them.
One of them picked up a piece and, after examining it closely, suddenly discovered the truth.
“Bah! Your shopkeeper is making black-hearted money! You’re actually feeding us pig offal!”
Hearing that, the crowd immediately put down their chopsticks.
“What? It’s pig offal? Ugh, disgusting!”
“Ptooey! I just ate several pieces!”
“But honestly… it tasted pretty good.”
“So what if it tastes good? Filthy things are still filthy things.”
“Black-hearted shop! It shouldn’t be allowed to open!”
Seeing the scene descend into chaos, Master Yun began to panic.
Yun Zhiyue immediately sensed trouble. She strode forward quickly, grabbed the gong from the servant’s hand, and struck it hard.
Clang!
The scene instantly quieted down.
“Everyone, please listen to me for a moment.”
“I admit that most of the ingredients used in this braised goods shop are pig offal.”
“If you think they’re filthy, that’s understandable and perfectly normal.”
“But our braised goods are not filthy. You say we’re making black-hearted money—I refuse to accept that accusation.”
“These ingredients were washed through water ten separate times to ensure they were completely clean and odorless. During the braising process, we added more than a dozen spices, most of which were purchased from apothecaries and are quite expensive, with benefits that strengthen the body.”
“And besides, I believe that no matter what an ingredient originally was, if it can be transformed into a delicacy—something people savor and remember fondly—then it is something good.”
“Why not let go of your previous prejudices and simply enjoy the food before you? Delicious food itself is not guilty. We guarantee that every braised dish in our shop is absolutely clean.”
Her clear and forceful voice rang through everyone’s ears.
The crowd gradually quieted, recalling the taste of the braised food.
“Actually, the moment I tried it, I thought it tasted really good. I quite liked it.”
“Me too.”
“Other than being pig offal, I don’t see anything wrong with it. The flavor is so rich that they must have spent a fortune on spices, yet the prices are still very cheap.”
A man dressed in a plain white robe stepped out from the crowd.
“Well said, little girl. Delicious food is innocent. One should simply enjoy the present moment. This old man will have a taste as well.”
The man picked up a piece of pig intestine and placed it into his mouth. After chewing a few times, his eyes lit up immediately.
“Soft yet fragrant, crisp yet springy, delightfully chewy. Truly delicious. Weigh out five jin for me—I’ll take it home to enjoy with wine.”
The man left carrying five jin of packaged braised goods.
Only then did the crowd react.
“Hey, wasn’t that the Director of the Imperial Academy?”
“That’s right, it was him!”
“If even the Director says it’s delicious, then I want to buy some too!”
“Give me three jin—no, make it five!”