CH 31

On the way, Cheng Yun noticed that Cheng Bao’er was getting more nervous as they approached Tengyun Town. In order to relieve his tension, Cheng Yun took the initiative to mention Wang Liang.

Hearing Wang Liang’s name, Cheng Bao’er paused for a moment, and after a while, a suspicious blush appeared on his face.

Cheng Yun silently chuckled in his heart, but he didn’t show it on his face. He subtly probed Bao’er with his words.

If was said that Cheng Bao’er didn’t have much thoughts about Wang Liang yesterday, after this morning, his mood has undergone a significant change. However, when someone in the early stages of love talks about love-related topics, they tend to be particularly shy and unable to express themselves clearly.

In his heart, Cheng Yun silently sighed, “Ah, youth is truly wonderful,” but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a bit psychologically unbalanced.

He had never been pursued before, and yet Cheng Bao’er got married at the first opportunity. Although the person he married seems satisfactory for now, he still wanted to experience the ambiguous feelings of budding love.

The more Cheng Yun thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt, unable to resist reaching out and pinching Yang Hongjin’s face.

Yang Hongjin, who was driving the donkey cart, was suddenly pinched and blankly turned to look at Cheng Yun.

The two stared at each other, and the first to lose was Yang Hongjin. As if trying to please, he smiled at Cheng Yun, sweetly calling him “wife,” completely unaffected by Cheng Yun’s face pinch. Looking at Cheng Yun, he even felt a little pleased.

Cheng Yun couldn’t help but laugh at him, reaching out to ruffle his hair. The slight sense of unfairness in his heart was blown away by this person’s trusting smile.

Cheng Bao’er was still immersed in his own budding emotions, when he was suddenly stuffed with dog food. Looking at the two people in front of him, the nascent feelings in his heart quickly blossomed. He had never liked anyone before, but now he had a slight longing for love.

The trio continued chatting and laughing and quickly arrived at Tengyun Town. It had been almost half a month since they last visited Yueqiong Tower. Now there was a new shopkeeper at Yueqiong Tower, and he was well aware of what happened to the previous shopkeeper. Seeing Cheng Yun from a distance, before they even reached the door, he greeted them.

Cheng Yun didn’t inform Liu Wen in advance about his visit this time, but luckily Liu Wen wasn’t out today. After sitting downstairs for a while, they were led to a private room upstairs where Liu Wen was waiting.

“What wind blew you here, Cheng-Ge’er?” Liu Wen quickly greeted him to take a seat while pouring tea for him. He noticed Cheng Bao’er’s new face and raised an eyebrow, “And who is this?”

Cheng Yun greeted him and introduced the two, “This is my younger brother, Cheng Bao’er, and this is Boss Liu, the owner of Yueqiong Tower.”

Cheng Bao’er had never seen such a distinguished person before and felt a bit uncomfortable. He adjusted his clothes and, he with an originally soft voice, now became even lower, barely audible, he lowered his head, “Hello, Boss Liu, I’m Cheng Bao’er…”

Liu Wen, being a slick businessman, didn’t really catch what was said but still responded with a smile, “Hello, hello.”

Nothing happens without a reason, and Cheng Yun’s visit this time was definitely not just for a simple greeting. Moreover, Liu Wen had already heard that Cheng Yun had brought a cart full of things this time.

So, after exchanging a few pleasantries, Liu Wen couldn’t wait and asked, “Cheng-Ge’er, have you come up with any new dishes this time? I’ll be honest with you, the cold dishes and pine nut fish you suggested last time made Yueqiong Tower popular throughout the town. People from even the neighboring town came here out of curiosity. Just wait until evening, during the lunch hour, you’ll see there are people lining up to get a seat!”

As Liu Wen spoke, excitement flushed his face. Initially, he had confidence in Cheng Yun’s dishes, but he approached it with a trial-and-error mindset. If it worked out, great; if not, he would only lose a few dozen taels of silver. The food would definitely sell, it was just a matter of more or less profit.

However, he didn’t expect that within a few days of introducing the new dishes, he was still worried about how to promote them when Li Fan brought him good news.

That morning, after making his rounds in the store, he went straight to the kitchen to discuss the new dishes with Chef Ye. But as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, Li Fan hurriedly rushed in.

He gasped for breath and pointed outside, “B-Boss!”

Liu Wen rarely saw him so anxious, which startled him, thinking that something big had happened.

As it turned out, it was indeed a big matter, but a good one.

Usually, business at Yueqiong Tower during the morning market was decent, with just enough customers to fill the place. Occasionally, there would be a few empty tables. However, only two days after the introduction of the new dishes, news spread from somewhere, claiming that Yueqiong Tower had hired a new chef and the taste of the new dishes was exceptional. Throughout Tengyun Town, no, throughout the entire Nanming City, there couldn’t be any dishes as delicious!

So, the news quickly spread, and even during the morning market, a wave of customers arrived, filling the halls of Yueqiong Tower. Everyone wanted to try the new dishes. Even the regular customers couldn’t find a table and had to be served in a private room.

This word-of-mouth publicity gave Yueqiong Tower a reputation. Lately, people would discuss their new dishes over tea and dinner. Those who hadn’t eaten there were considered ignorant, while those who had tried the food looked down on them. As a result, more and more people came, from morning till night, keeping the door of Yueqiong Tower busy.

Liu Wen managed to snatch away the business of his competitors in town. These days, he enjoyed strolling through town, hearing people talk about how exceptional his food was. His face beamed with joy. Of course, apart from that, the money in his pocket also increased. Previously, most customers would order one meat dish, one vegetarian dish, and a soup. Now, it became customary to add two cold dishes. At the end of the meal, he would earn an extra half a tael of silver compared to before.

Having tasted success, he wanted to capitalize on it and release the new dishes into the market all at once. However, he was afraid that once this wave passed, people wouldn’t come back. Without many new dishes in hand, he didn’t dare to hastily introduce more.

For Liu Wen, Cheng Yun’s visit was like someone bringing him a pillow while he was dozing off. Nowadays, Liu Wen practically saw Cheng Yun as a culinary genius. Any dish he guided them on sold better than before!

Cheng Yun had completed his own tasks before, assisting the chefs in perfecting the dishes, and then he went back. He didn’t really know about the subsequent developments. This time, apart from discussing the collaboration on sour plum soup, he also wanted to see how well the previous dishes were selling.

He had confidence in his own skills, but he wasn’t sure if his cooking suited the tastes of this era. Now it seemed that everything was progressing smoothly, and he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

After pondering for a moment, Cheng Yun continued, “To be honest, this time I’ve come up with some new ideas for our collaboration.”

Liu Wen’s eyes brightened, and he rubbed his hands together, saying, “Come, come, I’m all ears.”

He asked Yang Hongjin to bring the sour plum soup Cheng Yun had brought and personally opened it, scooping some out as he spoke, “This is a new beverage I’ve created called ‘Sour Plum Soup.’ Please taste it and give me your feedback.”

Lifting the white cloth covering the jar, the fragrance of plums and osmanthus wafted out, captivating Liu Wen even before tasting it.

Liu Wen couldn’t wait and took a sip. The sour and sweet taste of the sour plum soup, along with the refreshing sensation from being chilled, swept away his morning drowsiness. He smacked his lips and took another sip, unable to resist calling his subordinates to bring him several baskets of steamed buns.

“Ah, this soup,” Liu Wen sighed and took another sip, his eyes shining brightly. “This soup is something good!”

Upon hearing these words, Cheng Bao’er, who had been feeling anxious, instantly felt relieved, and his whole body relaxed.

However, the next moment, he was filled with anxiety once again.

Liu Wen pondered for a moment and decisively said, “We have only traded hot dishes and cold dishes before, Cheng-Ge’er, name your price. I want to buy the recipe for this soup!”

Cheng Bao’er’s face turned pale, and he looked at Cheng Yun in a panic.

This, this is different from what they had planned before!

If Boss Liu directly buys the recipe, can they still sell this sour plum soup?

Under the gaze of everyone, Cheng Yun, unruffled, smiled at Liu Wen and opened another jar of sour plum soup. He scooped a fresh cup for Liu Wen and said, “No rush, try this one too.”

Liu Wen raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Cheng Yun’s reaction. He didn’t know what kind of trick Cheng Yun was playing, so he suppressed his excitement and obediently took the cup of sour plum soup, taking a sip.

“How is it?” After seeing him drink both cups, Cheng Yun asked, “Is it delicious?”

“It’s alright, quite good,” Liu Wen replied, taking another sip and giving an affirmative answer. “They’re all quite tasty.”

“Good to hear,” Cheng Yun said and continued, “I won’t sell you this recipe, but I want to discuss a new collaboration with you.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Wen furrowed his brow. His mind went through countless possibilities in just a second, wondering if Cheng Yun wanted to raise the price after experiencing success. At the same time, he tried to figure out what Cheng Yun meant by “new collaboration.” With an air of authority, he exerted pressure and asked, “What kind of collaboration do you have in mind?”

Cheng Yun wasn’t at all overwhelmed by the attitude Liu Wen displayed. He still had a good-natured expression, and he patted Cheng Bao’er, who was sitting beside him, saying, “This is the reason I want to introduce our Bao’er to you.”

Liu Wen followed his words and turned his gaze to Cheng Bao’er. Only now, with Cheng Yun’s introduction, did he formally take a closer look at this slender child.