Lv Liu knew that her young lady was angry again, but still, she steeled herself and said, "Madam Li said she had some matters today and it was inconvenient to meet Miss."
Inconvenient? Clearly, she just looked down upon her, the precious daughter of the Magistrate Yecheng!
Wang Qiaoxin snorted coldly, "Inconvenient, perfect, I also find it inconvenient to see her! Come on, I’m hungry. Let’s go to the best restaurant in Zhuma Town to see if it can compare to Drunken Immortal Residence."
Chen Shimei, seeing through it all but saying nothing, knew that Wang Qiaoxin’s pride had been hurt by Lin Yuan. She intended to elevate her status by spending silver, hoping Lin Yuan would see her going to Fuman Building as well.
When Wang Qiaoxin and her entourage arrived at the Fuman Building, there was still some time before mealtime, so there weren’t many people in the main hall. However, when she heard that the minimum expense for an elegant room was 20 taels of silver, she hesitated. Had it been any other day, it would have mattered less, but just now, she had already spent thirty taels of silver in her rivalry with Lin Yuan, so she couldn’t afford to spend more.
Having no choice, the two of them settled for a quiet spot in the main hall.
"My dear, this Fuman Building is the best restaurant in Zhuma Town, and the Fragrant Full Building in Yecheng is just a branch of this establishment," said Chen Shimei.
Now on his home turf, Chen Shimei spoke with renewed confidence. As he sat in the chair looking around joyfully, he recalled how he used to cherish rare visits to the town. And now, sitting in Fuman Building for a meal, he felt his back straighten more than ever.
Wang Qiaoxin, fond of Chen Shimei, not only wasn’t put off by his novelty of a grand restaurant but was actually pleased. She smiled with her lips pursed, "Shimei, had you ever imagined dining here before? How does it feel, being with me, do you feel as though you’re superior?"
These words might not have been the kindest, but over the month Chen Shimei spent with Wang Qiaoxin, he had grown accustomed to her occasionally spiteful remarks. As the only daughter of the County Magistrate, she was naturally spoiled since childhood, her inconsiderate speech was somewhat unavoidable.
Chen Shimei didn’t respond but just smiled and sipped some tea. The tea wasn’t ordinary; it was a very common tea from Tea Tree Town, but it had been enhanced by Lin Yuan with some floral tea leaves. This newly blended tea combined the faintly bitter taste of the tea leaves with the fragrant freshness of the floral tea, making it very appealing.
"This tea is much tastier than the one at Fragrant Full Building," Chen Shimei, who hadn’t known how to appreciate tea before, had learned this gradually from frequent visits to various tea houses with Wang Qiaoxin.
Wang Qiaoxin also sipped the tea and silently nodded in approval, "Indeed, this tea is not only superior to Fragrant Full Building’s but even somewhat surpasses Drunken Immortal Residence."
What was even more remarkable was that this tea was complimentary—in Drunken Immortal Residence, such a pot of tea would cost at least two taels of silver.
As the two exchanged words, the Servant had already brought the dishes. The tofu of Fuman Building was once considered a signature dish, but now new tofu dishes had been gradually introduced in every branch, so Wang Qiaoxin had tasted them before.
However, due to Lin Yuan’s shrewdness in developing a unique dish for each branch to serve as their signature, the influx of customers had greatly increased.
Not only did Wang Qiaoxin order the signature dishes, but she also chose two new dishes made from potatoes. These potatoes hadn’t yet been fully introduced in all the branches, which meant they could only be tasted at Fuman Building.
As they ate and praised the dishes, it was unclear whether it was psychological or something else, but they both felt the food in this main restaurant was much better than in the branches.