435: Courteous (2nd Update)
Xie Zhinuan had ideas in mind and discussed them with Shaniu and Xiaoyuan. In Fengping County, she essentially didn’t have to manage everything personally anymore. The braised meat shops that had opened in several towns weren’t as busy as those in the county city, but they stood out as some of the best in the small towns. The apprentices trained by the head chefs were also quite skilled. While they couldn’t handle all the dishes on their own just yet, they were fully capable when it came to preparing braised meat.
Firstly, the braising mix was concocted by her own hands, and with the addition of Spiritual Spring Water, the two most important factors were already in place. The rest, which involved purchasing shops, was not a particularly difficult task.
“So, young miss, how many braised meat shops do you plan to open?”
“Just one in other county towns for now, one braised meat shop and one noodle place. We won’t be opening any restaurants yet!”
Opening a restaurant primarily depended on the head chef.
She still had many dishes that she hadn’t been able to develop due to missing ingredients, and she also hadn’t gathered all the necessary materials.
“Then, how do you plan to proceed with the opening?” Shaniu asked again.
“We’ll start wherever there’s a river channel. In places with a dock, whether it’s a county town, a small town, or even a prefectural town, we’ll just open Xieji braised meat shops and noodle houses. As for restaurants, that will depend on the situation!”
Yet at the moment, the main task was purchasing and developing land on the mountain.
She had already sent Shaniu to post notices, hiring day laborers at eighty wen per person daily, including three meals a day.
The first thing these workers needed to do was to build temporary shelters to have a place to stay.
She left these tasks to Ming Xi. He and his group, accustomed to idling around and knowing all kinds of people, could be trusted to gather the workforce, and Xie Zhinuan felt confident in their capabilities.
When Chujiu went to survey the mountainous land, many people from the Governor’s Office showed up, including those with any semblance of official status.
Xu Xuanjin and Xuan Mu also came along.
“…”
Xie Zhinuan was somewhat surprised to see the two men.
“Miss Xie!”
“Miss Xie!”
Xu Xuanjin felt fine about it; he dared not harbor any thoughts towards Xie Zhinuan.
Xuan Mu, on the other hand, suppressed his feelings time and again, not daring to reveal them, yet the look in his eyes when he saw Xie Zhinuan was indeed different.
Xu Xuanjin was witty and humorous in his speech. Even when looking at Xie Zhinuan, he only glanced briefly before moving on, not daring to look closely, and he spoke much faster.
Xuan Mu was different. He spoke very slowly, articulating every word with great care and caution, afraid to misspeak and cause unnecessary trouble for Xie Zhinuan.
He worried she might be subjected to gossip, accused by others, or troubled because of him.
He wanted to see her but didn’t dare, especially not alone. Today, with the crowd present, he could only keep his distance, occasionally stealing glances and then quickly turning his head away, afraid of anyone noticing the love he concealed, the feelings he hid.
Seeing this made Xie Zhinuan feel uncomfortable.
This discomfort was partly her own, but even more so because of the original body’s feelings.
Xie Zhinuan felt apologetic.
Therefore, when Xuan Mu spoke, she listened more attentively and responded thoughtfully.
During lunch, Xuan Mu happened to sit beside her, and she saw his hands trembling slightly.
Her heart sank even further.
In truth, Xuan Mu was an excellent man-handsome, noble, gentle and considerate, intelligent, well-educated, ambitious, skilled, and hailing from a good family background. In modern terms, he was a perfect example of tall, rich, and handsome.
He was the ideal husband in the eyes of many women.
However, he had a mother with a strong need for control.
Joining such a family, unless the woman came from a powerful and noble background, would be troublesome. But even then, given Lady Xuan’s self-righteous nature, she would likely use her status as a mother-in-law and the principle of filial piety to manipulate her daughter-in-law. It was better to avoid men who were “mama’s boys.”
After casually eating a few bites and respectfully offering a toast, she set down her chopsticks and left first.
Chapter 437