Chang’an Street was filled with large stores and was basically a place for the affluent to stroll. A small noodle house like Xiao Yu’s logically wouldn’t fit in here, as the people who could afford to frequent the street were either rich or noble. Who would take interest in an ordinary little noodle house?
Yet, by some twist of fate, a restaurant snubbed by the elites had caught their attention. People saw none other than Prince Qing of Yan Country, casually enjoying a meal, slurping noodles with such relish that onlookers couldn’t help but swallow their own saliva.
Is it that delicious? How could he be enjoying it so much?
Looking at the other diners, they all seemed to be cherishing every bite, as if they had never tasted noodles so delightful before.
Thus, some curious onlookers peaked in the doorway and asked, "Is it good?"
With sips of soup, the diners nodded, "It tastes quite good, and it’s affordable—only three cents for a bowl of hot dry noodles. It’s served quickly too, each table gets one complementary soup with egg drops and tiny shrimps, very tasty."
From the beginning, Xiao Yu catered to the less wealthy. Stew Noodles were made with a thick soup boiled from sheep bones. Although the mutton smell lingered, adding scallion and coriander balanced the flavors considerably. Besides, the noodles also contained daylily, tofu skin, and glass noodles, and a whole bowl still only cost eight cents.
Other than the plain hot dry noodles, the fried noodles (egg, shredded meat), and fried bean sauce noodles sold for five cents, whereas the stew noodles and seafood noodles were priced at eight cents.
In this affluent area, these prices weren’t just competitive—they were a steal.
Even the local people attracted by the grand opening seemed better dressed than those from other areas.
Thankfully, Xiao Yu had hung a sign at the entrance that said "Grand Opening Special for Three Days," indicating that these prices were only for the trial opening and would return to normal after three days.
To better introduce these five types of noodles, Xiao Yu had also hung tales of their origins and nutritional values around the walls of the restaurant, showing a great level of detail and care. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel✶fire.net
After dining, Yan Qing and his companions hadn’t seen Xiao Yu; he guessed she might be busy in the kitchen. He sighed, thinking he’d find another opportunity to meet her, then ordered his men to leave one silver ingot (five taels) and got up to leave.
Yaya, clearing the table, saw the five silver taels and was so shocked she couldn’t close her mouth, which prompted Fubao, who was more experienced, to comment.
"It’s a tip from the customers. Don’t act like you’ve never seen such a thing before. Hurry and put it away."
Actually, they had received quite a lot in tips today. Many young gentlemen praised their noodles exceedingly, but still, none were as generous as Yan Qing had been.
The group returned to Xinglong Inn, with Yan Qing patting his bloated stomach, burping contentedly. Such an unguarded demeanor was something his guards had never seen before.
"Sir, have you ever tasted this chef’s cooking before?"
"What chef? If he were just a simple chef, would I offer to let out the gold building?"
The guards whispered among themselves, eliciting a cold snort from Yan Qing, "Are you all idle then? Have you figured out the mess King Wu Wen has caused? The Crown Prince gave me only a month to investigate thoroughly. If we don’t figure it out, my position as leisure prince might just turn tasteless."
"Please rest assured, Prince. Your thirteen subordinates have already cleared the statistics on the missing children from the families of officials in Beijing. Next, we’ll wait to play the long game and catch a big fish. Rest assured everything is arranged, as soon as King Wu Wen’s people show themselves, we will surely find their hiding spot."