Chapter 63
Jiang Yun Zhu frowned. She didn't object to competition, but this store's behavior was too low. Simply disgusting!
In this era, there was no copyright protection and anti-unfair competition law, otherwise they would definitely go to jail.
"How could they do this!" Li He and the others heard the news and came out to check it out.
"Who is the owner of this store?" Xue Jing was already anxious. Seeing this, he went straight to the door and shouted angrily.
"I'm the owner of this store. What's the matter?" Manager Meng came out triumphantly in a brown pongee robe.
"You decorate it according to our restaurant? And you dare to call it Qishanju!" Xue Jing uttered with red eyes.
"Why can't I dare to call it Qishanju? Have the words Xishanju been contracted by your family? Besides, which eye of yours saw that I decorated it according to your restaurant? Everything in this store is my own idea." Said Manager Meng.
"You!" Xue Jing raised his fist and was about to beat him up. He was clearly being unreasonable.
Manager Meng wasn't afraid at all. He looked at him like that. Come hit. Hit and he’ll send him to prison. Let's see what Qishanju would do then!
"Xue Jing." At the critical moment, Jiang Yun Zhu called out to Xue Jing and then signaled Li He to stop him.
Li He was a little more sensible than Xue Jing. So he quickly pulled Xue Jing back.
Manager Meng smiled and said to Jiang Yun Zhu, "Oh, isn't this Boss Jiang? I will open a new store in two days. All drinks and food would be discounted by 50%. You must come over to join me!"
Jiang Yun Zhu looked at him, "Definitely."
Her reaction was beyond Manager Meng's expectations. He thought she would either leave angrily or cry. After all, a girl could only cry when something happens.
"Then I'll wait for you." Manager Meng responded.
Only then did Jiang Yun Zhu turn around and return to Qishanju.
Inside Qishanju, Xue Jing felt aggrieved. He looked at Jiang Yun Zhu, wanting to say something. When he suddenly found her sitting there with her eyes downcast without saying a word, his heart dropped. He was so focused on getting angry, he didn't consider her feelings.
When the store was first renovated, Jiang Yun Zhu didn't have much money. More than half of the items in the store were bought by her from all over the county and then decorated by herself.
Now that something like this has happened, she should be the one who took the hit the hardest!
Thinking of this, Xue Jing's heart was on fire; wishing to kill that Manager Meng.
The others felt similarly. They stood there with their heads down.
At this moment, Jiang Yun Zhu smiled and said, "What are you doing standing there? It will be noon soon. Everyone, let’s get busy."
"Boss." Xue Jing and others responded in unison.
"Everyone, let’s work harder in the future!" Jiang Yun Zhu stated.
"En." Everyone immediately agreed. They all stifled back that energy. They must not let the neighbor steal their business.
"Then go get busy." Jiang Yun Zhu said.
Everyone dispersed.
What the neighbor did disgusted Jiang Yun Zhu. But if it was just this, Jiang Yun Zhu wouldn't care about it. A fake was always a fake. When the road was bumpy, one would know the horse's power. Jiang Yun Zhu was confident that they would never take away her business.
Just now she lowered her eyes because she was thinking about another thing.
Manager Meng did this because he simply envied Qishanju's booming business. Or there were other reasons?
If Manager Meng had someone behind him, such as Baofulou, then there would be troubles.
After all, Qishanju's foundation was superficial... She remembered Manager Meng said that they would offer a 50% discount for opening!
Who knows if the 50% discount was for one day or for a long time.
It made Jiang Yun Zhu guess that the restaurant next door was opened by Manager Meng and Manager Song from Baofulou.
What's going on? Recently, more and more gentlemen and misses in Wuling County like to go to Qishanju. It seemed that eating there had become a trend. Those remaining people gradually heard about the name of Qishanju. They all wanted to go there to have a look.
There were only so many people eating out in the county. These days, the running water in Baofulou had dropped by 40%. At the sight of this, Manager Song was anxious.
This day, he was pacing around and came to the vicinity of Qishanju. He happened to meet Manager Meng.
Manager Meng's store hadn’t been rented out yet. Each day it was vacant, it was a lost of lots of money. At that time, Jiang Yun Zhu wanted to rent his store but didn't. He held a grudge since then. Now seeing that Qishanju's business was so good, he was naturally fuming.
When two people meet in this way, they naturally have a common topic.
Suddenly, Manager Song had an idea. He could rent Manager Meng's store and build another Qishanju! He had to admit that Jiang Yun Zhu was capable. Whether it was the decoration of her store or her method of depositing bank members or the dishes she cooked, they were all refreshing.
But he had an advantage. Baofulou had been open for so many years. His net worth was not Qishanju, which had opened, could compare.
He could drag her to death even if he did.
By then, his Xishanju would be authentic in Wuling County.
Moreover, he had a selfish intention. Baofulou was left to the two brothers by his father. Old Second Song did nothing and could take a large amount of money from him every month. Why? If he took the opportunity to put all the money to the new store and leave an empty shell for Old Second Song, wouldn't he be able to get rid of him in the future?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was a good idea to kill two birds with one stone. Immediately, he told Manager Meng that he wanted to rent the store.
Manager Meng was a sly fox. Hearing what he said, he thought a lot.
Renting a store was naturally a good thing for him. How much money could come from renting out the store in a year? He watched Qishanju's people come and go every day and roughly estimated that it could earn two to three times his annual rent. This was a big piece of fatty meat.
So he suggested forming a partnership with Manager Song. One of them would provide the store, and the other would provide the money and people. When the money is earned, they would share it together.
Manager Song disagreed at first, thinking that he was dreaming a wonderful dream. However, Manager Meng refused to budge.
Later, Manager Song thought it out. In the beginning, this Xishanju would definitely not make money. Wouldn't it be a good thing to have someone help him fill in the hole? When Manager Meng couldn't hold on anymore, he’ll kick him away. It was perfect.
What's more, at the beginning, he couldn't show his face.
So the two signed a contract. Manager Meng would step forward to manage Xishanju as the Manager. Manager Song would support him from behind. After the two make money, they’ll divide the money three to seven.
The two of them made up their minds to destroy Qishanju and replace it.
Because of the incident next door, Qishanju was a little silent today. Everyone was immersed in their work. They didn't laugh like before.
At night, when everyone was already asleep, Jiang Yun Zhu stood alone in the kitchen, looking at the pots and pans as she thought about something.
"Do you need my help?" Shen Feng Ming came in and asked.
He seemed to have just bathed. There was a touch of water vapor on his skin. Under the warm yellow candlelight, it contained a little bit of luster.
On such a night, he suddenly appeared like this and asked such a question, Jiang Yun Zhu's expression softened unconsciously.
She looked at him. He wanted to help her? On the contrary, with his identity, he could help her solve the current problem with ease. But he couldn't help her all the time.
Jiang Yun Zhu smiled and replied, "Probably don’t need."
She already had a plan.
Shen Feng Ming looked at her. His eyes were shining brightly, like a river of stars flowing. It made people want to immerse themselves in it.
The next day before meal time, next door was already bustling with activity. The lion dance team took up half of the street. The activity was much bigger than when Qishanju opened.
In particular, those lion dance teams. They unexpectedly blocked the entrance of Qishanju whether it was intentional or not.
A lot of people came. Some of them came to eat at Qishanju. They noticed that there was a Xishanju opened next door. The decoration was mostly the same as Qishanju. They pointed there. There were those who were attracted by the lion dance team. When they saw the two were very similar stores, they felt that there was some drama to watch and gathered there.
Manager Meng stood in front of the store entrance. His face was full of spring breeze. He would glance at Qishanju from time to time. His eyes were full of complacency.
Inside Qishanju, everyone was fuming.
"Block the door, eh?" Xue Jing brought out a basin of bloody water from the back kitchen and was about to splash it on the lion dance team to vent and remove the bad air.
Li He looked at Jiang Yun Zhu. She needed to come up with a decision on this matter.
"Stop." Jiang Yun Zhu called to halt Xue Jing. There were so many people outside. Him pouring out this basin of blood would disgrace Manager Meng, as well as himself.
"Boss." Xue Jing said anxiously.
Jiang Yun Zhu looked around the store. Anyway, there was no one. "Come out with me," she stated.
After speaking, she went out.
Xue Jing and others followed immediately.
As soon as she came out, Manager Meng saw her. However, he didn't give her a proper gaze.
Jiang Yun Zhu wasn't annoyed. She stood there and watched.
The lion dance team danced for a quarter of an hour. It was mealtime. The streets were full of people. Some people were complaining that the lion dance team blocked the door of Qishanju and they couldn't go in to eat. Some were waiting for Xishanju to open. It was said that it was half price for drinks and food today!
Feeling that it was about time, Manager Meng stretched out his hand. The lion dance team stopped.
There was a ladder next to him. At this time, according to the procedure, he should tear off the red cloth on the store plaque and announce that Xishanju had officially opened for business.
His hand had already grabbed the red silk.
At this moment, a clear voice sounded, "Manager Meng, I want to compete with your cook from Xishanju. I wonder if you dare to accept it."
Though Jiang Yun Zhu's words lightly flowed out, they fell into everyone's ears like thunder. She was throwing down a challenge!
Everyone turned to her and saw a slim figure in a satin dress with a light grass pattern. It seemed to be just a little girl, but the calmness in her eyes and the look on her face made people dare not underestimate her .
Manager Meng was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Holding the red silk, he viciously glared at Jiang Yun Zhu. How dare she!
Jiang Yun Zhu looked at him with a smile. She didn't want to, but they were so shameless. After much contemplation, she felt that if her Qishanju wanted to continue opening, it would be best to chop the mess down quickly.
"What? You don't dare?" Xue Jing ruthlessly asked at once. He wanted to yell twice now to express the agitation in his heart. Sure enough, the boss was the boss. It was right to follow her.
As soon as he said this, the crowd immediately exploded.
"Manager Meng, compete!" The spectators didn’t mind making the drama bigger.
"Manager Meng, you dare to decorate like the other party and even chose such a name on purpose. You have done everything you should and shouldn't do. Why? Are you scared now?" There were those who couldn't stand Manager Meng and spoke fair words.
"Manager Meng, you don't even dare to compete. I don't think you need to open a restaurant anymore. Close it as soon as possible." Someone sighed.
"That's right. One look and the cooks don’t seem very skilled. And you still open a restaurant here."
...
Everyone was being noisy, as if wanting to put Manager Meng on top of the fire.
On a very cold day, Manager Meng broke out in a hot sweat. The beads of sweat flowed down his back. Should he accept Jiang Yun Zhu's challenge? He knew that Jiang Yun Zhu's cooking was delicious. So if he accepted it and they won, it was good. But what if he loses? He didn't need to open this store.
There was a big chance of losing. Honestly, he felt that Baofulou's cook wasn't as good as Jiang Yun Zhu. Otherwise she wouldn't have robbed their guests.
But if he didn't accept, can't his store still open today?
He subconsciously searched the crowd and finally found Manager Song in a corner of the crowd.
What to do? He looked at him questioningly.
Manager Song never expected that a girl like Jiang Yun Zhu would be so bold. Of course he didn't want to accept it, because he had already got people to buy Qishanju's dishes and got his store’s cook to taste them and try to imitate the exact same dishes.
After the cook finished eating, he said, "I'm not as good as her."
Then he gave up. This...
His plan was to use money to bring down Qishanju.
But not accepting...
Suddenly, he thought of a person and nodded to Manager Meng.
Manager Meng wondered if he was seeing things. He kept staring at Manager Song.
Manager Song nodded his head twice more before turning around and leaving in disgust. Today's opening! With Jiang Yun Zhu’s fuss, there was nothing to see at all.
Instead, it went Jiang Yun Zhu’s way.
It didn't matter though. When he picks up that person, he’ll win over Jiang Yun Zhu. Everything would be solved naturally.
Manager Meng accepted Jiang Yun Zhu's challenge. But as Manager Song guessed, it took him a long time to accept it. He obviously lacked confidence in himself. So their cooks’ skills were probably not very good. Since that was the case, who would go to their place to eat.
Half price? Were they people who sought cheap prices? Alright, some people were. Still, not everyone went to Xishanju, just them. Won’t that make them have no face?
The ruckus at Xishanju took up half a day. After the real opening, there were very few people.
The nearby Qishanju was overcrowded. Manager Meng was so angry that his teeth itched. He immediately went to Manager Song to discuss. When he came back, he was full of confidence. When looking at Qishanju, he regained his previous arrogance.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yun Zhu and Manager Meng sat together and formally talked about the cooking competition.
"Boss Jiang, since it's a competition, there must be a prize!" Manager Meng said this as soon as he opened his mouth. Quite an aggressive move.
Jiang Yun Zhu smiled, "What kind of prize does Manager Meng want?"
Manager Meng's eyes spun around her, "If Boss Jiang loses, you will work for me for three years."
As soon as he said this, Xue Jing and the others' eyes burst into flames. How dare he say that.
However, Jiang Yun Zhu didn't respond. She only asked, "If Manager Meng lost?"
"This... I'll give you one hundred liang silver."
"Me working for Manager Meng for three years is only worth a hundred liang silver? It's two months of my Qishanju’s turnover. Manager Meng should know that if I work for you, I won't be able to open my Qishanju.
The prizes’ difference is too big!
If Manager Meng is me, would you agree? "Jiang Yun Zhu unhurriedly asked as she closed in step by step.
Manager Meng had been in business for so many years. He had seen all kind of people. But facing Jiang Yun Zhu, he always felt suppressed. He didn't know how this feeling came about. Nor could he shake it off and erase it.
"Then what are Boss Jiang’s thoughts?" He asked.
"If I lose, I will work for you for one year. If I win, I want this Xishanju." Jiang Yun Zhu said. This way, the conditions were reasonable.
"Impossible!" Manager Meng almost jumped up.
Jiang Yun Zhu responded, "The sum of the house deed and land deed of Xishanju is only worth about five hundred liang. Oh, plus decoration, it could be a little more. But it is only the profit of Qishanju for less than a year. Not much. Still, it’s a loss."
Indeed, in terms of money, Jiang Yun Zhu was losing money. However, Manager Meng never thought of selling the store. The stores on this street were all hens that could lay golden eggs. Generally, no one sells them.
"This condition isn't acceptable." Manager Meng stated.
Jiang Yun Zhu stopped talking and sat there, as if other than this condition, there was no discussion.
Manager Meng gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he heard coughing outside. He said, "I'll be right back."
Then he went out.
The one coughing outside was naturally Manager Song.
The two had a verbal war with each other. In the end Manager Song patted his chest and said that he would definitely not lose. If he lost, he would give him money back. Only then, Manager Meng finally agreed.
When Manager Meng came back, he discussed with Jiang Yun Zhu the prize of the competition. Afterward, it was the question of how to compete and who to invite as judges.
The two of them talked for half an hour before everything was finalized. They wrote the contract and signed their fingerprints. The contract would take effect after the competition starts five days later.
The two dispersed. Jiang Yun Zhu led her people back to Qishanju.
At this time, the boiled blood cooled. Xue Jing and the others began to worry. What if Jiang Yun Zhu lost...losing their jobs didn’t amount to much. Jiang Yun Zhu was going to work for Manager Meng for a year? Who knew how he would make it difficult for her.
"Boss, this..." This wasn't a joke. Xue Jing wanted to persuade Jiang Yun Zhu not to compete.
The others were similar, full of worries.
"Let's all get to work. I know what I’m doing." Jiang Yun Zhu assured. She self proclaimed that in Lu Prefecture, there was no cook who could compare to her.
Outside Lu Prefecture? Five days wasn't enough to bring over cooks from other places. Besides, even if it was a famous cook from other places, she may not necessarily lose. So they didn't have to worry so much.
Everyone dispersed, not daring to disturb her.
Only Shen Feng Ming was left. He had been watching from the side today.
At this moment, he looked at her, frowning slightly.
Was he worried about her? Jiang Yun Zhu thought to herself. But he was in Qilin Guards. It was dangerous. At the slightest carelessness, life could be lost. Even so, he wasn't seen retreating. He should be able to understand her!
As a cook, if she didn't even dare to compete in this kind of competition, then she would lose that enterprising spirit. Then it was better to close the store and do something else.
Shen Feng Ming's brows slowly relaxed.
Jiang Yun Zhu smiled.
At this side, Manager Meng was chasing after Manager Song to ask about the competition. He promised him that he would win.
"I'm going to invite old Man right now and get him go out to invite that person. If you stop me, I won't be able to make it in time." Manager Song said.
Manager Meng quickly backed away and let him go. Afterward, he asked, "Who do you want to invite?"
Manager Song smiled slightly, "Have you heard of the Marquis Anping in Lu Prefecture? There is a Cook Gao in the Manor. In the early years, my father did him a favor!"
Manager Meng had been to Lu Prefecture a few times. So of course he knew the Marquis Anping Manor. That was a noble household. Let alone Lu Prefecture, the cooks in their Manor were among the best in the Middle South.
If they could invite the cook from that Manor, they would surely win!
Thinking of this, Manager Meng finally smiled. He couldn't wait to start the competition.
Jiang Yun Zhu frowned. She didn't object to competition, but this store's behavior was too low. Simply disgusting!
In this era, there was no copyright protection and anti-unfair competition law, otherwise they would definitely go to jail.
"How could they do this!" Li He and the others heard the news and came out to check it out.
"Who is the owner of this store?" Xue Jing was already anxious. Seeing this, he went straight to the door and shouted angrily.
"I'm the owner of this store. What's the matter?" Manager Meng came out triumphantly in a brown pongee robe.
"You decorate it according to our restaurant? And you dare to call it Qishanju!" Xue Jing uttered with red eyes.
"Why can't I dare to call it Qishanju? Have the words Xishanju been contracted by your family? Besides, which eye of yours saw that I decorated it according to your restaurant? Everything in this store is my own idea." Said Manager Meng.
"You!" Xue Jing raised his fist and was about to beat him up. He was clearly being unreasonable.
Manager Meng wasn't afraid at all. He looked at him like that. Come hit. Hit and he’ll send him to prison. Let's see what Qishanju would do then!
"Xue Jing." At the critical moment, Jiang Yun Zhu called out to Xue Jing and then signaled Li He to stop him.
Li He was a little more sensible than Xue Jing. So he quickly pulled Xue Jing back.
Manager Meng smiled and said to Jiang Yun Zhu, "Oh, isn't this Boss Jiang? I will open a new store in two days. All drinks and food would be discounted by 50%. You must come over to join me!"
Jiang Yun Zhu looked at him, "Definitely."
Her reaction was beyond Manager Meng's expectations. He thought she would either leave angrily or cry. After all, a girl could only cry when something happens.
"Then I'll wait for you." Manager Meng responded.
Only then did Jiang Yun Zhu turn around and return to Qishanju.
Inside Qishanju, Xue Jing felt aggrieved. He looked at Jiang Yun Zhu, wanting to say something. When he suddenly found her sitting there with her eyes downcast without saying a word, his heart dropped. He was so focused on getting angry, he didn't consider her feelings.
When the store was first renovated, Jiang Yun Zhu didn't have much money. More than half of the items in the store were bought by her from all over the county and then decorated by herself.
Now that something like this has happened, she should be the one who took the hit the hardest!
Thinking of this, Xue Jing's heart was on fire; wishing to kill that Manager Meng.
The others felt similarly. They stood there with their heads down.
At this moment, Jiang Yun Zhu smiled and said, "What are you doing standing there? It will be noon soon. Everyone, let’s get busy."
"Boss." Xue Jing and others responded in unison.
"Everyone, let’s work harder in the future!" Jiang Yun Zhu stated.
"En." Everyone immediately agreed. They all stifled back that energy. They must not let the neighbor steal their business.
"Then go get busy." Jiang Yun Zhu said.
Everyone dispersed.
What the neighbor did disgusted Jiang Yun Zhu. But if it was just this, Jiang Yun Zhu wouldn't care about it. A fake was always a fake. When the road was bumpy, one would know the horse's power. Jiang Yun Zhu was confident that they would never take away her business.
Just now she lowered her eyes because she was thinking about another thing.
Manager Meng did this because he simply envied Qishanju's booming business. Or there were other reasons?
If Manager Meng had someone behind him, such as Baofulou, then there would be troubles.
After all, Qishanju's foundation was superficial... She remembered Manager Meng said that they would offer a 50% discount for opening!
Who knows if the 50% discount was for one day or for a long time.
It made Jiang Yun Zhu guess that the restaurant next door was opened by Manager Meng and Manager Song from Baofulou.
What's going on? Recently, more and more gentlemen and misses in Wuling County like to go to Qishanju. It seemed that eating there had become a trend. Those remaining people gradually heard about the name of Qishanju. They all wanted to go there to have a look.
There were only so many people eating out in the county. These days, the running water in Baofulou had dropped by 40%. At the sight of this, Manager Song was anxious.
This day, he was pacing around and came to the vicinity of Qishanju. He happened to meet Manager Meng.
Manager Meng's store hadn’t been rented out yet. Each day it was vacant, it was a lost of lots of money. At that time, Jiang Yun Zhu wanted to rent his store but didn't. He held a grudge since then. Now seeing that Qishanju's business was so good, he was naturally fuming.
When two people meet in this way, they naturally have a common topic.
Suddenly, Manager Song had an idea. He could rent Manager Meng's store and build another Qishanju! He had to admit that Jiang Yun Zhu was capable. Whether it was the decoration of her store or her method of depositing bank members or the dishes she cooked, they were all refreshing.
But he had an advantage. Baofulou had been open for so many years. His net worth was not Qishanju, which had opened, could compare.
He could drag her to death even if he did.
By then, his Xishanju would be authentic in Wuling County.
Moreover, he had a selfish intention. Baofulou was left to the two brothers by his father. Old Second Song did nothing and could take a large amount of money from him every month. Why? If he took the opportunity to put all the money to the new store and leave an empty shell for Old Second Song, wouldn't he be able to get rid of him in the future?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was a good idea to kill two birds with one stone. Immediately, he told Manager Meng that he wanted to rent the store.
Manager Meng was a sly fox. Hearing what he said, he thought a lot.
Renting a store was naturally a good thing for him. How much money could come from renting out the store in a year? He watched Qishanju's people come and go every day and roughly estimated that it could earn two to three times his annual rent. This was a big piece of fatty meat.
So he suggested forming a partnership with Manager Song. One of them would provide the store, and the other would provide the money and people. When the money is earned, they would share it together.
Manager Song disagreed at first, thinking that he was dreaming a wonderful dream. However, Manager Meng refused to budge.
Later, Manager Song thought it out. In the beginning, this Xishanju would definitely not make money. Wouldn't it be a good thing to have someone help him fill in the hole? When Manager Meng couldn't hold on anymore, he’ll kick him away. It was perfect.
What's more, at the beginning, he couldn't show his face.
So the two signed a contract. Manager Meng would step forward to manage Xishanju as the Manager. Manager Song would support him from behind. After the two make money, they’ll divide the money three to seven.
The two of them made up their minds to destroy Qishanju and replace it.
Because of the incident next door, Qishanju was a little silent today. Everyone was immersed in their work. They didn't laugh like before.
At night, when everyone was already asleep, Jiang Yun Zhu stood alone in the kitchen, looking at the pots and pans as she thought about something.
"Do you need my help?" Shen Feng Ming came in and asked.
He seemed to have just bathed. There was a touch of water vapor on his skin. Under the warm yellow candlelight, it contained a little bit of luster.
On such a night, he suddenly appeared like this and asked such a question, Jiang Yun Zhu's expression softened unconsciously.
She looked at him. He wanted to help her? On the contrary, with his identity, he could help her solve the current problem with ease. But he couldn't help her all the time.
Jiang Yun Zhu smiled and replied, "Probably don’t need."
She already had a plan.
Shen Feng Ming looked at her. His eyes were shining brightly, like a river of stars flowing. It made people want to immerse themselves in it.
The next day before meal time, next door was already bustling with activity. The lion dance team took up half of the street. The activity was much bigger than when Qishanju opened.
In particular, those lion dance teams. They unexpectedly blocked the entrance of Qishanju whether it was intentional or not.
A lot of people came. Some of them came to eat at Qishanju. They noticed that there was a Xishanju opened next door. The decoration was mostly the same as Qishanju. They pointed there. There were those who were attracted by the lion dance team. When they saw the two were very similar stores, they felt that there was some drama to watch and gathered there.
Manager Meng stood in front of the store entrance. His face was full of spring breeze. He would glance at Qishanju from time to time. His eyes were full of complacency.
Inside Qishanju, everyone was fuming.
"Block the door, eh?" Xue Jing brought out a basin of bloody water from the back kitchen and was about to splash it on the lion dance team to vent and remove the bad air.
Li He looked at Jiang Yun Zhu. She needed to come up with a decision on this matter.
"Stop." Jiang Yun Zhu called to halt Xue Jing. There were so many people outside. Him pouring out this basin of blood would disgrace Manager Meng, as well as himself.
"Boss." Xue Jing said anxiously.
Jiang Yun Zhu looked around the store. Anyway, there was no one. "Come out with me," she stated.
After speaking, she went out.
Xue Jing and others followed immediately.
As soon as she came out, Manager Meng saw her. However, he didn't give her a proper gaze.
Jiang Yun Zhu wasn't annoyed. She stood there and watched.
The lion dance team danced for a quarter of an hour. It was mealtime. The streets were full of people. Some people were complaining that the lion dance team blocked the door of Qishanju and they couldn't go in to eat. Some were waiting for Xishanju to open. It was said that it was half price for drinks and food today!
Feeling that it was about time, Manager Meng stretched out his hand. The lion dance team stopped.
There was a ladder next to him. At this time, according to the procedure, he should tear off the red cloth on the store plaque and announce that Xishanju had officially opened for business.
His hand had already grabbed the red silk.
At this moment, a clear voice sounded, "Manager Meng, I want to compete with your cook from Xishanju. I wonder if you dare to accept it."
Though Jiang Yun Zhu's words lightly flowed out, they fell into everyone's ears like thunder. She was throwing down a challenge!
Everyone turned to her and saw a slim figure in a satin dress with a light grass pattern. It seemed to be just a little girl, but the calmness in her eyes and the look on her face made people dare not underestimate her .
Manager Meng was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Holding the red silk, he viciously glared at Jiang Yun Zhu. How dare she!
Jiang Yun Zhu looked at him with a smile. She didn't want to, but they were so shameless. After much contemplation, she felt that if her Qishanju wanted to continue opening, it would be best to chop the mess down quickly.
"What? You don't dare?" Xue Jing ruthlessly asked at once. He wanted to yell twice now to express the agitation in his heart. Sure enough, the boss was the boss. It was right to follow her.
As soon as he said this, the crowd immediately exploded.
"Manager Meng, compete!" The spectators didn’t mind making the drama bigger.
"Manager Meng, you dare to decorate like the other party and even chose such a name on purpose. You have done everything you should and shouldn't do. Why? Are you scared now?" There were those who couldn't stand Manager Meng and spoke fair words.
"Manager Meng, you don't even dare to compete. I don't think you need to open a restaurant anymore. Close it as soon as possible." Someone sighed.
"That's right. One look and the cooks don’t seem very skilled. And you still open a restaurant here."
...
Everyone was being noisy, as if wanting to put Manager Meng on top of the fire.
On a very cold day, Manager Meng broke out in a hot sweat. The beads of sweat flowed down his back. Should he accept Jiang Yun Zhu's challenge? He knew that Jiang Yun Zhu's cooking was delicious. So if he accepted it and they won, it was good. But what if he loses? He didn't need to open this store.
There was a big chance of losing. Honestly, he felt that Baofulou's cook wasn't as good as Jiang Yun Zhu. Otherwise she wouldn't have robbed their guests.
But if he didn't accept, can't his store still open today?
He subconsciously searched the crowd and finally found Manager Song in a corner of the crowd.
What to do? He looked at him questioningly.
Manager Song never expected that a girl like Jiang Yun Zhu would be so bold. Of course he didn't want to accept it, because he had already got people to buy Qishanju's dishes and got his store’s cook to taste them and try to imitate the exact same dishes.
After the cook finished eating, he said, "I'm not as good as her."
Then he gave up. This...
His plan was to use money to bring down Qishanju.
But not accepting...
Suddenly, he thought of a person and nodded to Manager Meng.
Manager Meng wondered if he was seeing things. He kept staring at Manager Song.
Manager Song nodded his head twice more before turning around and leaving in disgust. Today's opening! With Jiang Yun Zhu’s fuss, there was nothing to see at all.
Instead, it went Jiang Yun Zhu’s way.
It didn't matter though. When he picks up that person, he’ll win over Jiang Yun Zhu. Everything would be solved naturally.
Manager Meng accepted Jiang Yun Zhu's challenge. But as Manager Song guessed, it took him a long time to accept it. He obviously lacked confidence in himself. So their cooks’ skills were probably not very good. Since that was the case, who would go to their place to eat.
Half price? Were they people who sought cheap prices? Alright, some people were. Still, not everyone went to Xishanju, just them. Won’t that make them have no face?
The ruckus at Xishanju took up half a day. After the real opening, there were very few people.
The nearby Qishanju was overcrowded. Manager Meng was so angry that his teeth itched. He immediately went to Manager Song to discuss. When he came back, he was full of confidence. When looking at Qishanju, he regained his previous arrogance.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yun Zhu and Manager Meng sat together and formally talked about the cooking competition.
"Boss Jiang, since it's a competition, there must be a prize!" Manager Meng said this as soon as he opened his mouth. Quite an aggressive move.
Jiang Yun Zhu smiled, "What kind of prize does Manager Meng want?"
Manager Meng's eyes spun around her, "If Boss Jiang loses, you will work for me for three years."
As soon as he said this, Xue Jing and the others' eyes burst into flames. How dare he say that.
However, Jiang Yun Zhu didn't respond. She only asked, "If Manager Meng lost?"
"This... I'll give you one hundred liang silver."
"Me working for Manager Meng for three years is only worth a hundred liang silver? It's two months of my Qishanju’s turnover. Manager Meng should know that if I work for you, I won't be able to open my Qishanju.
The prizes’ difference is too big!
If Manager Meng is me, would you agree? "Jiang Yun Zhu unhurriedly asked as she closed in step by step.
Manager Meng had been in business for so many years. He had seen all kind of people. But facing Jiang Yun Zhu, he always felt suppressed. He didn't know how this feeling came about. Nor could he shake it off and erase it.
"Then what are Boss Jiang’s thoughts?" He asked.
"If I lose, I will work for you for one year. If I win, I want this Xishanju." Jiang Yun Zhu said. This way, the conditions were reasonable.
"Impossible!" Manager Meng almost jumped up.
Jiang Yun Zhu responded, "The sum of the house deed and land deed of Xishanju is only worth about five hundred liang. Oh, plus decoration, it could be a little more. But it is only the profit of Qishanju for less than a year. Not much. Still, it’s a loss."
Indeed, in terms of money, Jiang Yun Zhu was losing money. However, Manager Meng never thought of selling the store. The stores on this street were all hens that could lay golden eggs. Generally, no one sells them.
"This condition isn't acceptable." Manager Meng stated.
Jiang Yun Zhu stopped talking and sat there, as if other than this condition, there was no discussion.
Manager Meng gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he heard coughing outside. He said, "I'll be right back."
Then he went out.
The one coughing outside was naturally Manager Song.
The two had a verbal war with each other. In the end Manager Song patted his chest and said that he would definitely not lose. If he lost, he would give him money back. Only then, Manager Meng finally agreed.
When Manager Meng came back, he discussed with Jiang Yun Zhu the prize of the competition. Afterward, it was the question of how to compete and who to invite as judges.
The two of them talked for half an hour before everything was finalized. They wrote the contract and signed their fingerprints. The contract would take effect after the competition starts five days later.
The two dispersed. Jiang Yun Zhu led her people back to Qishanju.
At this time, the boiled blood cooled. Xue Jing and the others began to worry. What if Jiang Yun Zhu lost...losing their jobs didn’t amount to much. Jiang Yun Zhu was going to work for Manager Meng for a year? Who knew how he would make it difficult for her.
"Boss, this..." This wasn't a joke. Xue Jing wanted to persuade Jiang Yun Zhu not to compete.
The others were similar, full of worries.
"Let's all get to work. I know what I’m doing." Jiang Yun Zhu assured. She self proclaimed that in Lu Prefecture, there was no cook who could compare to her.
Outside Lu Prefecture? Five days wasn't enough to bring over cooks from other places. Besides, even if it was a famous cook from other places, she may not necessarily lose. So they didn't have to worry so much.
Everyone dispersed, not daring to disturb her.
Only Shen Feng Ming was left. He had been watching from the side today.
At this moment, he looked at her, frowning slightly.
Was he worried about her? Jiang Yun Zhu thought to herself. But he was in Qilin Guards. It was dangerous. At the slightest carelessness, life could be lost. Even so, he wasn't seen retreating. He should be able to understand her!
As a cook, if she didn't even dare to compete in this kind of competition, then she would lose that enterprising spirit. Then it was better to close the store and do something else.
Shen Feng Ming's brows slowly relaxed.
Jiang Yun Zhu smiled.
At this side, Manager Meng was chasing after Manager Song to ask about the competition. He promised him that he would win.
"I'm going to invite old Man right now and get him go out to invite that person. If you stop me, I won't be able to make it in time." Manager Song said.
Manager Meng quickly backed away and let him go. Afterward, he asked, "Who do you want to invite?"
Manager Song smiled slightly, "Have you heard of the Marquis Anping in Lu Prefecture? There is a Cook Gao in the Manor. In the early years, my father did him a favor!"
Manager Meng had been to Lu Prefecture a few times. So of course he knew the Marquis Anping Manor. That was a noble household. Let alone Lu Prefecture, the cooks in their Manor were among the best in the Middle South.
If they could invite the cook from that Manor, they would surely win!
Thinking of this, Manager Meng finally smiled. He couldn't wait to start the competition.
From her ‘dream’ she probably know cook Gao.
ReplyDeleteFinally the plot is moving somewhere. Almost thought the younger sister is forgotten. Thanks for the translation!
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