In recent years, Marquis Shi had lost some of the favor he once enjoyed in the emperor's eyes. The emperor was by nature a cold, ungrateful man who delighted in the new and tired of the old, swapping out his favored ministers every few years.
Although the Shi family's deep foundations meant they need not scramble for favor like those of shallower roots, of late the Marquis had come under attack. His eldest son, Shi Feiyu, had refused to march south to suppress the rebels, and had vocally played up the threat from the northern border, putting him at odds with most of the court. That discord had inevitably dragged the Marquis into the crossfire as well.
He had spent the entire morning on the throne enduring one bitter slap after another, and by the time he returned home, the Marquis was steeped in foul temper.
Thankfully, his beloved wife was considerate and virtuous, fussing over him with warm concern until his mood gradually softened.
Madam Shi then asked, "And Feiyu? Didn't he come back with you?"
"Don't mention that unfilial wretch. His old man takes all the flak out front, and he stays perfectly composed—whether they mock him openly or stab at him sideways, he pretends not to hear it, leaving me to deflect every barb."
Madam Shi laughed. "Father and son in battle together—you two both hold such weighty power that envy is only natural. A man without enemies is a mediocrity. It's only to be expected you draw attacks from all sides."
"Those petty little clerks at the bottom rung—no one even bothers to pay them mind. Yet I'd wager they'd dream of having your good fortune, husband."
The Marquis thought to himself: if it were truly a matter of his sole monopolization of power drawing fire, that would be one thing. But the truth was that his authority was being steadily squeezed away, and in the past two years he could no longer even make decisions on his own.
He was no fool. He knew full well the emperor resented that both father and son of the Shi family held high office, and so had chosen to whittle down one of them.
But the one being cut was him—which meant in the emperor's eyes, the eldest son carried more value. How could a Marquis who had spent a lifetime ignoring that eldest son stomach such a thing?
Still, inwardly he was pleased by his wife's flattery.
Madam Shi had secured her grip on the Marquis quickly after marrying into the family, and had long since made Shi Feiyu's life one of "a stepmother in the house, a stepfather to the son." Over the years, she had become a master at finding the Marquis's pressure points.
She served him with delicate attentiveness, then smoothly steered the conversation: "My lord, in a few days it will be Feiyu's birthday. I asked the boy, and he said he doesn't want a celebration."
"But since we're family, we should at least sit down and share a meal together."
The Marquis was not surprised. His eldest son had never been fond of courtly flattery—and, of course, a man commanding heavy troops would only invite imperial suspicion by cozying up to officials. Better to keep a low profile.
So he nodded. "Have a table arranged then. Make sure to include several of Feiyu's favorite dishes."
Madam Shi paid no mind to the Marquis's show of 'concern.' Talking cost nothing—if he had ever truly exerted himself for Shi Feiyu's sake, from childhood to now, things would never have come to this pass.
The truth was simple: now that Shi Feiyu had risen, with the son stronger than the father, the Marquis had no choice but to finally take notice of this long-ignored eldest son.
Madam Shi nodded agreeably, then gave careful instructions in front of the Marquis, playing the devoted mother to the hilt.
When she finished, she let out a worried sigh. "These matters are hardly mine to pry into as a stepmother, I know."
"But as a parent, who doesn't wish their child settled and married? Feiyu's career is nothing for a woman like me to fret over—but his marriage..."
She sighed again. "Besides, if he doesn't wed, his younger brother can't very well jump the queue ahead of him."
The Marquis was well aware of what his wife was scheming, and smiled. "What now? Trying to marry off another of your nieces to him again?"
"Have you forgotten what happened a few years ago, when you insisted on betrothing him to your sister's daughter—and within days, her son had his legs broken?"
After that, none of Madam Shi’s relatives from her maiden family dared to scheme for the position of the future marchesa anymore. They had married their daughter off to elevate their clan, but the other side had simply cut them off at the roots, threatening to uproot the family’s very lifeline—who would dare to try a head-on collision?
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Madam Shi’s face. “Wan Niang is sensible and refined, gentle by nature. What’s wrong with her?”
“Have you seen me speak another word on the matter since then?”
“I know that because his birth mother died early and his father remarried, he resents us both. I’m no longer asking for our two families to be joined. But even if it were some other family’s daughter—if he’d only set his eyes on someone and showed the desire to court her, that would be something.”
“I’ve watched coldly over the past few years, and Feiyu has grown more and more indifferent. He spends all his days in the military camp, and there isn’t even a female mosquito around him. He’s already past twenty, and if this drags on, he truly might end up wasting away the years.”
Hearing this, Marquis Shi had to admit she had a point. The eldest son could hardly remain unmarried for life. For now, it was all right, but if in a couple of years the second son was surrounded by wives and concubines while the eldest still stood alone, he feared the clan elders and outsiders would accuse him of being unkind and neglectful.
So he said, “Then what does the lady have in mind?”
Madam Shi replied, “My Lord, what do you think of Miss Wei, who often visits the manor?”
Marquis Shi nodded. “Her cooking is excellent, and she’s a fine person. But her status is too low.”
Then a thought struck him, and he looked at her, saying, “You’d better not be getting any ideas there. She’s a commoner woman, out in the public eye all day. If we dared to do such a thing, the whole capital would drown us in scorn, saying the two of us are degrading the eldest son.”
Madam Shi quickly said, “Am I the kind of woman who wouldn’t know her own bounds?”
“But consider: Feiyu is curt with all women. The words he’s spoken to other girls wouldn’t add up to half of what he’s said to Miss Wei. He’s also praised her cooking. Clearly, if there is any young woman he regards differently, it would be Miss Wei.”
“My thinking is this—Feiyu stays away from women, perhaps because from the time he came of age, he’s been living among army men. He’s never tasted that experience, so naturally he doesn’t know the virtues of a woman.”
“We could nudge things along a little. If he’s satisfied, we bring her into the household. Once he gets the taste, once he knows the pleasure of warmth and soft fragrance, the problem will resolve itself.”
Marquis Shi nodded. “That’s a plan. On Feiyu’s birthday, send an invitation to Miss Wei. Leave the rest to your discretion.”
With that approval, Madam Shi was free to do as she pleased.
But the worry on her face had not lessened.
True to expectation, Marquis Shi noticed and asked, “What’s the difficulty now?”
Madam Shi sighed. “My Lord, as you said just now, an ordinary woman isn’t suited to be Feiyu’s principal wife. And that’s true. He is the heir of a marquisal household. At his age, he has already won repeated military honors, and his prospects are limitless. Not merely a top-tier noble lady—even a princess would be a match for him.”
“But Feiyu is already growing more dominating by the day. If he gains the backing of a powerful wife’s family, then not just Ling’er and I—there may come a day when even you, my Lord—“
Marquis Shi’s expression shifted. He disliked hearing these words, but he could not deny them. Over the past few years, he increasingly felt himself losing ground before his eldest son.
He was not yet old. In the official sphere, he was in his prime. Yet he had long been overshadowed by his son’s brilliance.
He himself was fully aware of his previous coldness and neglect toward the eldest. He also knew that his eldest was no blind filial son, no simple-minded oath-swearing fool who was easy to control.
Outwardly, the eldest never gave anyone a handle to grasp, but the times when the marquis could truly sway him were few.
Marquis Shi was not the type to rest on his laurels or drift aimlessly as a idle nobleman; he harbored his own ambitions and an unyielding desire for control.
The achievements of Shi Feiyu bringing even more prominence and power to the Shi family were a good thing.
But when he thought about how he would gradually have to depend on the goodwill of his eldest son, with whom he shared a poor relationship, Marquis Shi felt a heaviness in his heart, weighed down by a sense of crisis.
So he began to think that, rather than that, it would be better to have his eldest son marry a wife who could bring no advantage to the family.
Naturally, common women like Wei Yingshu still fell below the baseline of what he would accept.
Yet Madam Shi knew to quit while ahead—a meal must be eaten bite by bite, and even plotting for the impossible had to be done step by step.
Afterwards, Madam Shi busied herself preparing for the birthday banquet a few days away.
Meanwhile, at the First Tower, the stunning performance from the opening day had diners spreading the word in every direction, and those who had missed out on the ham-thread-stuffed steamed fish the first day had been thinking about it all night long.
So on the second day, the very next morning, before the restaurant even opened, a long queue had already formed outside.
Of those gathered, nearly all were familiar faces from yesterday—and someone who had come because of all the boasting spat, "Didn’t you already eat here yesterday? Why are you cutting in line ahead of those of us who haven’t had a taste yet?"
One returning customer from yesterday retorted with full conviction, "Everything at First Tower is a masterpiece, every dish a delicacy. I hadn’t even tasted a tenth of the menu yet yesterday—if I weren’t short on coin, I’d live here for half a year."
"Alright, alright, no bickering—coming back again is fine, restaurants thrive on repeat customers, but let’s agree first, no jumping the queue."
"Yes, yes! We’re all respectable folks; surely we wouldn’t do anything ridiculous just for a bite to eat," everyone chimed in.
But the moment the doors opened, those who had spoken most grandly were the ones who sprinted in fastest, leaving the few who actually believed them gaping in bewilderment.
That second day, Pei Liang and the others had prepared even more ample stock, and had even hired temporary helpers and prep cooks the night before to handle the ingredients.
With the experience of day one, the second day ran orderly even amid the bustle, and any minor slip-ups were forgiven by diners on account of the delicious food.
So after several days of opening promotions and a return to regular prices, the revival of the Number One Restaurant under heaven had become well known throughout the capital.
Compared to the steady stream of customers at First Tower, the cold and empty entrance of Tianxiang Tower across the street stirred some sighs.
People said outright, "Truly, wherever Pei’s family goes, that’s where the Number One Restaurant is."
Wei Yingshu, naturally unwilling to concede, swiftly used her connections and generous spending to assemble a brand-new team, then reopened Tianxiang Tower, vowing to go head-to-head with First Tower across the way.
She pulled out all the stops for the reopening—firecrackers, lion dances, hiring the best troupes in the capital.
The fair lady was back in the game, and her devoted admirers naturally poured in their full support.
They threw money as if it were nothing to build a grand spectacle—the congratulatory gifts and flower baskets stretched almost around the entire street, nearly pushing up against First Tower’s door.
Wei Yingshu waited for someone from First Tower to come out and pick a quarrel, but the opposite side paid it no mind. The raucous celebration and deep discounts at Tianxiang Tower did manage to pull in a few of the customers who had been patronizing First Tower in recent days.
But the vast majority of regulars remained unmoved—they came out to eat for a single bite of true flavor, not for bargains. If the cheap prices came at the cost of lower-grade ingredients and compromised taste, why would they spend money just to be miserable?
That day, Tianxiang Tower was still in the middle of its promotional discount period, and in the kitchen, Wei Yingshu was losing patience.
In the dozen-odd years she had studied under her father, his influence had taught her to stay calm and focused, free of distraction—but ever since finishing her apprenticeship, she had used what she learned to trade for fame and fortune.
She was also doing the same work in the kitchen as Little Chef Pei had once done—toiling away in obscurity, unnoticed. But when she received a word of praise from an honored patron, fame and followers came flocking from every direction.
Seeing how unequal results followed from equal labor, Wei Yingshu had also come to place a premium on her own culinary skills, and was unwilling to waste effort on unnecessary exertion.
Thus, although she was envious of First Tower's recent glory, she also despised Pei Liang's approach.
Back then, why had Heavenly Fragrance Tower become the number one establishment in the capital, outshining all its competitors? Wasn't it because of that imperial plaque? Otherwise, even if Chef Pei had fed ordinary people his exquisite cooking for a lifetime, could he have earned those few characters from the late emperor?
So Wei Yingshu grew increasingly impatient, handed her duties over to the other chefs, and stepped out into the main hall for some air.
She exchanged a few cups of wine with the young gentlemen who had come to show their support and took a light sip or two, when she saw a sizable group of diners appear at the front entrance.
Wei Yingshu signaled for the waiter to receive them, but before the waiter could even reach them, another group of customers outside happened to be heading for First Tower.
Seeing that the newcomers had out-of-town accents, a local patron chuckled and said, "Just arrived in the capital and don't know your way around, right?"
The out-of-town party clasped their hands in greeting: "Indeed, we just closed a deal and came to Heavenly Fragrance Tower to celebrate with a good meal."
"The last time I came was over a decade ago. That heavenly flavor is still fresh in my memory—truly worthy of the Number One Tower under Heaven written by the emperor's own hand."
The local regular laughed: "Then you've come to the wrong place. Heavenly Fragrance Tower changed hands a few years ago. Today, Heavenly Fragrance Tower and the Number One Tower have split in two."
"Heavenly Fragrance Tower was stolen by petty people—just an empty shell, nothing more. The First Tower across the street is the one run by the true Pei family heir."
Startled, the out-of-town guests looked up and saw that the two signs were exactly the pair that had once hung together at Heavenly Fragrance Tower.
On the Heavenly Fragrance Tower side, flowers were bedecked and loud voices filled the air, bustling and lively. Meanwhile, at First Tower across the way, though it also appeared full from the outside, the atmosphere was much more subdued.
For a moment, the out-of-town customers were uncertain.
Just then, a group of richly dressed young gentlemen arrived together. Their expressions were proud and arrogant, their bearing affluent and uncommon—the fabric of their clothes alone must have been worth a fortune. They were clearly the kind who were accustomed to the finest pleasures and exceedingly particular about everything.
Yet that group of gentlemen walked into Heavenly Fragrance Tower without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing this, the out-of-town guests turned back to the local patron with a look that said quite plainly: you're a shill for the restaurant across the street.
The local patron choked on his words, waved his hand hastily, and said, "Fine, fine, suit yourselves."
"But let me warn you first—what they eat and what we eat are not the same thing."
The out-of-town guests didn't understand what he meant at first and paid it no mind.
When the waiter came to greet them and they walked past a table of those fine gentlemen, they stole a glance at the dishes on that table.
Every dish was perfect in color, aroma, and taste—just from the look and presentation you could tell the heat had been controlled with expert precision, and the smell alone made you hungry. It was exactly the feeling from before.
Clearly, that man just now must have been a shill sent by the restaurant across the street.
The out-of-town guests sat down, placed their orders, and learned that the restaurant was running a discount these days—the dishes were nearly half price. They were even more delighted.
With their two tables of people, they ordered almost every signature dish on the menu.
But the wait for the food was a little long, and the waiters seemed somewhat inexperienced, fumbling and flustered under the pressure.
By the time the dishes finally arrived in full, everyone was famished.
The guest who had once visited Heavenly Fragrance Tower before pointed at a plate of clear-simmered cabbage and smiled: "Let's try this dish first, while we still have no flavors lingering on our palates."
"This restaurant's Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup base is as clear as spring water, yet the flavor is rich and deeply savory—one sip of the clear broth encompasses a hundred tastes, paired with crisp and tender cabbage hearts, an absolutely exquisite delicacy."
The other patrons were wealthy households in their own hometowns, so naturally they could afford such fare.
Hearing the boasting, they couldn't wait to start tasting.
But before even taking a sip, someone furrowed their brow.
"This soup—"
"What's wrong?"
"It seems a bit cloudy. It didn't show before we stirred it, but now that two scoops have been ladled out, the dregs that were settled at the bottom are floating up."
Everyone looked, and sure enough, the soup that had seemed crystal clear was now covered in floating residue, greatly diminishing its appearance and dashing their expectations.
When they tasted it, the disappointment on their faces could no longer be hidden.
"The broth is a bit bland," someone said. "But it's not a problem from the simmering process."
"If it were just a ratio issue during the stewing, there wouldn't be a raw water taste."
"This soup has been watered down."
How long these guests had waited, and how great their anticipation—now matched their disappointment and anger.
If you can't relate, imagine eagerly ordering your favorite takeout, starving for two hours while you wait, and when it arrives, it's a shoddy replacement made by a different chef—you'd be crying tears of genuine fury.
The group refused to let it go. They stood up and shouted loudly, "Manager! Where's the manager?"
Wei Yingshu happened to be nearby, so she stepped forward and said with a smile, "Dear guests, is there something wrong?"
One of the out-of-town guests sneered, "Wrong? Far from it. This Buddha Jumps Over the Wall costs a pretty penny, and even at a discount, it's beyond what ordinary folks can afford."
"We paid a premium for this dish, and you're fobbing us off with watered-down soup?"
Wei Yingshu's expression changed, and she quickly said, "Guests, what makes you say that? I personally watched over the simmering of this broth."
"For just this one serving of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, we use a whole old hen, along with ham hock and spare ribs, slow-simmered with great care. To ensure the broth stays clear, we keep removing impurities throughout the process."
"Once the stock is finished, we use minced pork and minced chicken to absorb the residue and purify the broth, then strain it several times until we get a bowl of soup as clear as spring water. How could we dare to adulterate it?"
The guest said loudly, "No matter how prettily you tell it, what you've brought us is dishwater with floating dregs and a bland taste."
"Don't believe me? Taste it yourself."
Wei Yingshu glanced at the soup that those men had already stirred through with their spoons, and a hint of displeasure crossed her face.
How could those young noble gentlemen bear to see a fair lady suffer such humiliation?
They immediately rose to their feet, glowering fiercely at the out-of-town guests. "If you want to eat, eat. If not, get out. I can tell you're hired troublemakers sent by the Pei family across the street."
"How is it that every dish of ours is delicious, and yet you're the only ones finding fault? A bunch of low-born merchants—do you really think you've tasted more delicacies than I have? Stop pretending to be connoisseurs."
"If you keep causing trouble, I'll have you all thrown into prison!"
The out-of-town guests were in no position to clash with the locals, especially when these men were clearly from powerful families. They had only entered this den of thieves because they'd trusted these people's initial coaxing, and now the bullies were openly abusing their power.
All they could do was swallow their anger.
But then, a voice suddenly rang out in rebuttal: "Quite the display of authority, aren't you?"
“If a paying customer receives poor food, are they not allowed to complain? What logic is that? Since when does your refined tongue give you the right to judge for others? If these gentlemen have spoken truthfully, then even if this went to court, the law would be on their side.”
“As for you young sirs, the airs you put on today were bought with the blood and sweat of your fathers and elder brothers. Have a little consideration, at least. If you can’t help, then at least don’t stir up trouble for your families like that Young Master Gou did a few days ago.”
That speech left the gaggle of young gentlemen purple in the face with anger, but when they looked at the speaker, he wasn’t someone they could bully with their status.
The newcomer, Wei Yingshu, was no stranger to them—he had caused them endless trouble before. Though their clashes were only verbal, he had bested them every single time, and now just the sight of his face felt like bad luck.
He was the younger brother of the wife of Gao Lezhang, the son of Minister Gao and one of Wei Yingshu’s many admirers.
Years ago, Gao Lezhang had backed Wei Yingshu in winning the Tianxiang Tower, but when the truth about the Wei family’s scandal came to light, his reputation was ruined. He went from being every young lady’s dream husband to a laughingstock.
Even Minister Gao had suffered ridicule from his political rivals over the affair, and it vexed him endlessly.
But Minister Gao wasn’t like other indulgent fathers who pampered their wayward sons and never laid a finger on them.
He promptly confined Gao Lezhang to the house, ordered an immediate marriage, and when his son tried to run away, had his leg broken.
On the day of the wedding, Gao Lezhang limped down the aisle.
Even after marriage, he remained hopelessly devoted to Wei Yingshu, and out of guilt, he sheltered and protected her obsessively. Otherwise, how could Wei Yingshu, standing at the heart of such a storm, have stayed safe all these years?
Wei Yingshu played on that guilt, and the two of them remained tangled in a messy, unbroken affair to this day.
Which made things hard for Gao Lezhang’s wife. She was a noble lady of high birth, not one to be forced into marriage, but her father—a powerful regional governor—had been away on official duty and hadn’t received the news in time, so before she knew it, Minister Gao pushed through an early wedding.
Only after they were wed did she realize she had married a fool.
She had been raised as a lady of a great house, trained to be a matriarch. She had no romantic grand illusions. If her husband had someone he held dear in his heart, fine—so be it.
The marriage was a mutual exchange of interests, a union of strength between families. Love between husband and wife was secondary. As long as he gave her the honor and authority befitting a principal wife and didn’t make a public spectacle, they could coexist just fine.
But that idiot couldn’t stop acting like the heartbroken hero—always telling his wife, “I married you, but never of my own will. My heart will forever belong to her, the pure one.”
That noble lady saw her husband was a lost cause and immediately cut her losses. She made a bold move, forced him to fulfill his marital duties a few times, got pregnant, bore a son, and since she couldn’t enjoy honor through a husband, she decided to enjoy it through her son instead.
But her young brother couldn’t swallow this outrage. He loathed that pair of adulterous dogs, and whenever he had the spare time, he came looking for trouble.
The wife’s family name was Fang, so let’s call him Young Master Fang.
Having finished speaking, Young Master Fang walked over to the table of the out-of-town merchants, looked at the dish of boiled cabbage in supreme broth, stirred it with a spoon, and saw at once that the guests weren’t lying.
He then said to Wei Yingshu, “Come now, you’re the head chef. Have a taste of your masterpiece.”
By now, every diner in the restaurant had their attention on this scene. What had started as a few young men scaring off customers to shut down a complaint had now drawn Young Master Fang into it—and this was not going to end quietly.
Just because Wei Yingshu had been publicly humiliated by Pei Liang before for passing off inferior goods as superior ones, she naturally wouldn't make such a mistake again in a short time. So before the opening, she earnestly told her mother not to lose the big for the small.
She also personally checked the ingredients. Although the cook hired at a high price was not as flexible and versatile as Chef Lin and the others before, he was still very experienced.
Wei Yingshu didn't believe that she would make such a mistake. If these guests had deliberately put something fake into the soup, she would definitely be able to taste it.
So, suppressing her discomfort, she took a clean spoon, scooped up a spoonful of the soup and tasted it.
Sure enough, there were sediment residues in the soup base, and the soup tasted insipid. It was obvious that water had been added to it.
Seeing that they had the support of a noble person, those guests also wanted to get justice. "Well, we didn't wrong you, did we?"
However, Wei Yingshu smiled. "This Dish of Poached Cabbage in Clear Soup wasn't ordered only by your table. The soup base for all the orders came from the same pot. How come there were no problems with the other tables' soup, but only your bowl was full of impurities and tasted insipid?"
The several out - of - town guests were so angry that they were dumbfounded. "What do you mean? Do you mean that we faked it to frame you?"
Wei Yingshu said, "You gentlemen are carrying water bags with you all the time. This high - quality soup has a strong taste of raw water. I don't dare to make wild guesses, but it's really a situation that's open to suspicion..."
The young gentlemen laughed. "Exactly. You can taste the soup at other tables. I'm sure so many guests won't be stingy."
"The soup from the same pot has problems only with your bowls. It's obvious that you secretly added water to the soup and framed us to cause trouble."
"Tell me, were you sent by the opposite side? Do you have to be beaten with a board before you'll talk?"
"Why bother with them? Just drag them to the opposite side and question them."
Just as everyone was about to let the servants rush forward, Young Master Fang said, "Wait..."
Wei Yingshu looked at him, with an even more aggrieved look on her face. "Young Master Fang, I know that there are some grudges between you and me, but you can't do such a despicable thing."
Young Master Fang gave a cold smile and ignored the woman. He gave a signal, and several of his followers immediately rushed into the back kitchen. No one could stop them in time.
After a short while, the followers carried out a large iron bucket from the back kitchen, followed by Mrs. Wei who was chasing after them.
"Hey, who are you? What do you want? Why are you rushing into our back kitchen and snatching things?"
When the bucket was placed in front of Young Master Fang, he knew that his guess was right.
He shouted loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, you can take a look at this bucket. By smelling the fragrance and looking at the clumps on the top of the bucket, you can tell that this is the bucket used to make the high - quality soup."
"If we only consider the insipid taste caused by adding water in those guests' soup, it's possible that they are just crying 'thief' while being the thief themselves. However, there are clearly a lot of sediments in the soup base. These sediments are the minced meat that was not completely filtered out and settled at the bottom of the pot. To ensure the appearance of this dish, the soup at the bottom of the pot is usually not used."
"Young Chef Wei only tasted the insipid taste of the added water but didn't notice the abnormalities of the sediments, which means that the sediments and the soup come from the same pot. It's impossible for the diners to have done anything."
"Now, look at the clean bottom of this soup bucket. There are obvious traces of being rinsed with water. The situation is already very clear."
"It's obvious that when this table of guests ordered the Dish of Poached Cabbage in Clear Soup, there wasn't enough high - quality soup in your back kitchen. So you used the soup base with the remaining impurities and added some water to it to make up a serving."
Then he looked at Mrs. Wei, whose eyes were evasive, and said half - smilingly, "Judging from your accents, you gentlemen are from other places. Maybe you don't know that the Wei family who is in charge of Tianxiang Tower now is used to short - changing customers and passing off inferior goods as superior ones."
"Moreover, this restaurant treats customers differently. If you gentlemen were high - ranking officials or nobles, there would be no such embarrassing situation today.
But if you're just ordinary merchants with no power or influence in the capital, when the Wei chef here receives an order and finds that the ingredients are insufficient, instead of canceling the order, he simply dilutes the dishes with water and serves them as if nothing was wrong."
The out - of - town guests found it extremely unreasonable. They came to have a meal but were belittled by such a snobbish attitude. Even though they were the lowest - ranked merchants, they were rich. Usually, business people greeted them with smiles. Where had they ever suffered such humiliation?
So one of them slapped the table and stood up, saying, "This is outrageous! Earlier, someone outside advised me to choose a restaurant carefully, but I didn't appreciate their kindness. I'm not eating here anymore. Let's go to the opposite one."
Several other tables of guests also stood up and said, "This place never changes its bad ways. I thought that with the First Floor around, they would at least behave themselves for a few days. Who would have thought that they'd return to their old ways in less than three days."
"We shouldn't have been so greedy for the cheap food. Our taste buds aren't as discerning. Even if they mixed in sub - standard ingredients, we might have still happily thought we got a good deal."
"Let's go to the First Floor opposite. It may be at the original price, but the quality is definitely guaranteed."
"Me too. I only came here because of the discount these days, trying to take advantage of it."
"The first two dishes were okay, but the later ones were just average. To be fair, it's just the level of an ordinary restaurant."
"Hey, didn't you notice? Chef Pei is from the old team and mostly stays in the kitchen to oversee the cooking. But Chef Wei here, when it's the busiest time in the restaurant, is outside drinking and having fun with a bunch of young masters. They claim that the well - known Chef Wei is in charge here. But except for the lucky few who got the dishes at the beginning, aren't we all just eating the dishes made by ordinary cooks on their own?"
"Oh, then how can this be considered a discount? Forget it. We shouldn't be so greedy for such cheap things in the future."
All of a sudden, most of the guests in Tianxianglou got up and rushed towards the opposite restaurant.
Madam Wei kept trying to stop them, shouting, "Wait! You haven't paid yet. Do you want to eat for free?"
Wei Yingshu was so angry that she was trembling all over.
Once again, and again and again.
Since Pei Liang returned to the capital, she hadn't had a good time in a short period. That woman was just here to bring bad luck to her.
She was so angry that her vision went black, and she almost fainted. At this moment, a man entered through the front door, which made her forget about everything else.
The man was the steward of the Shi Mansion. Usually, what kind of matter would require him to come in person?
Wei Yingshu thought the steward was here to dine. However, as soon as he came in, he changed his usual haughty attitude, with a big smile on his face, and said, "Miss Wei, there's no need for formalities."
"I'm here today just to give Miss Wei something."
Then he took out an invitation card and respectfully handed it over, saying, "It will be our young master's birthday in two days. The family doesn't plan to hold a grand celebration, just a small family dinner."
Wei Yingshu thought she was invited to cook. She was quite happy, but she didn't expect an even bigger surprise was waiting for her.
She heard the steward say, "Master, Madam, and the young master all hope that Miss Wei will attend then."
Being invited to such a family - style private dinner, Wei Yingshu felt as if there were blooming flowers exploding in her mind. It was like a dream.
She took the invitation card blankly. By the time she came to her senses, the steward had already left.
But this grand gesture was seen by others.
Wei Yingshu's admirers were extremely anxious. If it was the Shi family, it was a far - too - powerful competitor. So they surrounded her and bombarded her with questions.
At this moment, Wei Yingshu was too impatient to deal with them. So she pretended to still be sad about what had happened in the restaurant just now and sent everyone away.
The other customers in the restaurant witnessed the scene and thus had something new to talk about.
The eldest young master of the Shi family - wasn't that General Shi, who now held heavy military power and was extremely influential in the court?
It was rumored that General Shi had no interest in women and was still unmarried at his age. For his birthday family banquet, he didn't invite any of the court officials or noble lords, but only invited an eligible young woman.
The intention was obvious.
Although people despised the Wei family's character and Wei Yingshu was well - known in the capital for her bad reputation, they were still extremely surprised that she could climb onto such a high - branch.
Someone noticed the hidden meaning: "Hey, the step - wife is in charge of the Shi family. It's rumored that Young Master Shi has a cold relationship with his step - mother. Back then, Madam Shi wanted to marry her niece to Young Master Shi, but her nephew's leg was broken."
"After a few quiet years, it seems she's going to cause trouble again."
"But this is too demeaning! What's Wei Yingshu's status? She's just a commoner. Even if Young Master Shi has no interest in women, he is still the dream lover of countless noble ladies in the capital. How can she be worthy of him?"
"Not only is her status low, but she's also promiscuous. Madam Shi has such vicious intentions."
Some people from equally prominent families could see through it at a glance: "That woman's only skill is in pleasing men. She's both venomous and stupid. Only that cold - hearted and blind old fool, Marquis Shi, would fall for her tricks."
"Doing such despicable things that are obvious to everyone, yet thinking she's extremely clever. She gave birth to a son who can't be supported. Instead of trying to please his elder brother, he's always eyeing the meager benefits."
"Shi Feiyu has earned his military achievements on the battlefield. How could he be manipulated by such a stupid woman? Just wait and see, there'll be a good show."
"Now I'm even tempted to visit the Shi family that day."
While this incident caused quite a stir, Pei Liang was still busy in the kitchen.
To be honest, the First Floor was of a limited scale. Even though it made a lot of money every day, considering the effort and reward, it wasn't worth Pei Liang working himself to the bone here every day.
If she went out to do a business deal, she might be able to earn enough money to build a Tianxiang Tower in just one day.
However, her life was different from the usual calculation.
For her, doing business and making money was a skill she had long mastered and was extremely proficient in, as easy as breathing.
But cooking was a new skill. When a world ended, she couldn't take away all the wealth and power she had accumulated in this world. Only skills were the real rewards that truly belonged to her.
So she was willing to spend a great deal of time and energy on this job that brought her only a tiny fraction of the income, doing something where the energy allocation was completely unreasonable.
However, once the kitchen staff had fully coordinated and worked well together, she wouldn't have to work so hard, as she still had other important things to do.
In the past few days, apart from going to court, Shi Feiyu would stay at the First Floor. However, he didn't enter through the main door, so no one knew about it.
He didn't immediately sit in the private room to enjoy the delicious food. Since Pei Liang was busy in the kitchen, he couldn't just sit there.
So he grabbed Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji and sat outside the kitchen, clumsily helping to peel potatoes.
The kitchen staff had never seen the three of them before. They just thought that their demeanor didn't seem like that of odd - job workers, but they were too busy to care.
However, Pei Liang thought that Shi Feiyu was quite self - aware of being a good - looking man. Even though he held a high position, he never showed any inappropriate airs.
Shi Feiyu would never allow the situation where the benefactor was standing while he was sitting, or the benefactor was watching while he was eating. He was very good at pleasing others.
Pei Liang was quite satisfied with his good sense. After finishing her work, she threw several delicious dishes to Qiu Sanxiang and the others to eat. After they left, she bit the tip of Shi Feiyu's ear.
Shi Feiyu felt a tingling numbness all over his body. It took him a long time to react and he stiffened. Then he kissed her back and said with bright eyes, "It will be my birthday in two days."
Pei Liang immediately understood.
He was hinting at a gift. She was never stingy in this regard, so she stood up and said, "Wait."
