226, A Sudden Enlightenment (4th update)
Yuanbao arched his eyebrows and whispered, “It’s no use for me to say anything. Look at her, she’s busy every day. Aside from noon and evening when she returns, I hardly see her at other times!”
“…” Li Hengyi furrowed his brows.
After a moment’s thought, he added, “You go and ask her if she has chosen the wine.”
“…” Yuanbao looked at Li Hengyi seriously, “What does master mean?”
“A restaurant, no matter how good the dishes, will be flawed if the wine is not up to par!”
Yuanbao nodded, “That makes sense. Then I’ll go tell Miss Xie right away. Master, shall we look around to see where we can find good wine and take Miss Xie there?”
“This task is yours to handle!”
Yuanbao complied and went down to make arrangements.
When Xie Zhinuan received the invitation from Xu Xuanjin, she was surprised, “Him?”
Why would Xu Xuanjin seek her out at this time?
It was in the small hall of the back courtyard where she met Xu Xuanjin.
“Miss Xie!”
“Please have a seat, Young Master Xu!”
Xu Xuanjin glanced up at Xie Zhinuan, surprised to see she was still dressed in plain cotton clothing, with her hair in a simple braid.
By all accounts, she wasn’t lacking in silver.
The servant served tea, and Xu Xuanjin gently sipped from the teacup. The tea was of the finest quality, at least beyond what he could afford or have access to.
After sipping his tea, Xu Xuanjin spoke, “Miss Xie, I came to inquire about those grains. How do you plan to deal with them? People from over there have been asking me, and I have informed the manor that it has been sold to you. You should visit the manor sometime, and let the people there acknowledge their new owner!”
“I should indeed visit. I’ve just been too busy these days and forgotten about it. I will make time in the next few days to go over. Thank you for making this trip!” Xie Zhinuan said sincerely.
She then handed over an invitation to Xu Xuanjin, “Kechanglai is having its grand opening on the twenty-seventh of September. I would be honored if Young Master Xu could attend and have a drink!”
“My handwriting is ugly, so my cousin wrote this invitation!”
Xu Xuanjin, looking at the invitation, was quite flattered.
The handwriting of His Highness King Han himself was something incredible…
He quickly stood up, accepting the invitation with both hands, shaking slightly, unsure of where to put it.
He was beyond delighted.
“I will definitely be there!” Xu Xuanjin’s voice trembled as he replied.
After a few more words, Xie Zhinuan invited Xu Xuanjin to visit the front courtyard for some advice.
“Is your kitchen also located in the back courtyard?”
“Yes!”
After some thought, Xu Xuanjin said, “If possible, you should set up a kitchen in each courtyard, and employ two chefs specializing in the same cuisine for each; that would be a good arrangement!”
Hearing this, Xie Zhinuan had an epiphany.
Plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and the four seasons, corresponding with the eight major cuisines sounded perfect.
She also needed to set up a large hall. Some guests couldn’t afford private rooms and had to dine in the main hall. Although the dishes were covered when served, and transporting them from the kitchen to the front courtyard didn’t take very long, it was always better to be closer so the dishes could be served right out of the pot.
Moreover, each courtyard had plenty of rooms and wells, so converting a room into a kitchen wasn’t a big deal.
In winter, dishes served right out of the pot and placed on the table allowed customers to enjoy their meal while it was still steaming hot.
“Young Master Xu, your suggestion is really enlightening. When I have some free time, after I’ve put the finishing touches on the restaurant, I will prepare some dishes and invite Young Master Xu to give some feedback!”
Xu Xuanjin didn’t expect Xie Zhinuan to say that.
He was delighted inside, “It would be my utmost pleasure!”
After Xu Xuanjin left, Xie Zhinuan went to find Li Hengyi.
She sat in a chair, her brow furrowed in silence.
Li Hengyi took a sip of his tea and then said, “What’s wrong? Did that Xu fellow say something that troubled you?”
“…” Xie Zhinuan shook her head, then took a sip of tea before saying, “I just feel that I don’t write well and know too few characters. It’s quite embarrassing!”
Chapter 227