Cheng Jiao-niang stopped in her tracks, and Zhou Liu-lang turned back to look at her.
“Miss?” the maid whispered softly.
What’s wrong?
Cheng Jiao-niang turned her head and looked outside the door.
“Young Master, how have I bullied women and children? Just because she is a woman, must I greet her with a smile and give her money whenever she asks for it?”
“Exactly, Young Master, you don’t know the full story, so don’t speak out of turn.”
“That woman has caused trouble here many times. Her husband no longer works at our place, so why should we still pay his wages?”
Outside the door, Dou Qi and the staff all voiced their opinions to the young gentleman.
“Regardless of the circumstances, why lay a hand on a woman?” the young gentleman said, extending his hand in a gesture of restraint. “You claim to be the Immortal’s Abode, yet you act like this—how can immortals dwell here?”
What a pretentious scholar!
Dou Qi frowned. As the examination season approached, the number of scholars in the capital was increasing.
“Whether immortals reside here or not is neither up to me nor you, young master,” Dou Qi sneered, waving his hand. “Throw her out! If she causes trouble again, send her to the authorities and accuse her of extortion! This is a restaurant I run, not a charity!”
The young gentleman was visibly furious.
“Such conduct—how could it possibly match the reputation of fine cuisine!” he retorted.
Dou Qi chuckled and turned to look at the young gentleman.
“Indeed, let’s not sully the young master’s refined mouth,” he said with a laugh, pointing his finger. “This young master is so pure that he scorns my establishment. In that case, this table is free—who wants to dine here?”
As soon as he spoke, the crowd waiting outside burst into a noisy uproar.
“Me.”
“Me.”
The young gentleman’s face turned extremely unpleasant.
Dou Qi burst into hearty laughter.
“Please, come in!” he shouted loudly.
At this point, the two companions of the young gentleman had no choice but to step outside. The commotion at the door grew livelier, and, sure enough, three people entered the restaurant.
“Yuanchao, your temper really is…” one of the companions said, shaking his head with a wry smile.
Han Yuanchao bowed to the two of them.
“It was my fault for ruining everyone’s mood,” he said.
The woman holding the child also stood up at this time, wiping her tears as she clumsily kowtowed to Han Yuanchao.
“It was me who disturbed the gentlemen’s refined gathering,” she sobbed.
Han Yuanchao hurriedly reached out to stop her, while the other two companions also stepped forward to help her up.
“What’s going on here?” Han Yuanchao asked.
“My husband has worked as a cook at this restaurant since he was a boy,” the woman said, choking back sobs as she soothed her child. “After the old master passed away and Master Dou took over, he introduced these new practices and changed the name. My husband happened to catch a cold and wanted to rest for a few days, but Master Dou dismissed him. My husband was so upset that his condition worsened, and now he can’t even get out of bed…”
“Then, he doesn’t owe you any wages?” a man asked.
The woman hesitated for a moment.
“He doesn’t,” she said.
The expressions of the three men turned a bit strange.
So… this is unreasonable troublemaking?
But if it really were senseless troublemaking, why would the woman admit it now?
“Back then, the old master promised to give my husband a thirty percent share of the profits…” she said, lowering her head. “But before he could put it in writing, he fell gravely ill…”
The three men suddenly understood, their expressions complicated. Though they were scholars, they weren’t naïve or unaware of worldly affairs. Such matters of changing fortunes—favor fading after a benefactor’s passing, or the rise and fall of power with a new leader—were all too common.
Han Yuanchao hesitated briefly before untying the pouch at his waist. He poured out a handful of coins and handed them to the woman.
“I don’t have much money with me, and I’ll be staying in the capital for quite some time, but this is the least I can do,” he said.
The woman quickly waved her hands.
“I can’t take your money,” she said, choking on her tears. “I’ve already caused enough trouble for you.”
Han Yuanchao tried several times to give her the money, but the woman firmly refused.
Clutching her child, she staggered away.
The three of them sighed for a moment.
“Well, it seems we won’t be able to have ‘Passing Immortals’ today,” one of them said.
“It’s all my fault for ruining everyone’s mood,” Han Yuanchao said apologetically.
“You, huh… what can we do? Your temper just can’t be changed. Yuanchao, you shouldn’t have become a scholar; you should’ve been a wandering hero,” another companion said with a laugh, patting him on the shoulder.
“Not so,” Han Yuanchao replied with a smile. “A wandering hero can ease the troubles of only a few in anger. My father always said, if you want to ease the worries of all, you must study. Then, you can either serve in office or teach and pass on knowledge.”
He changed the subject as he spoke. “The capital is vast. Finding another place to eat shouldn’t be difficult. Let’s move on and look for one.”
Just as the three were about to leave, they suddenly heard someone call out, “Young master, please wait!”
They turned back, somewhat surprised, and saw a maid walking out of the restaurant.
“Young master,” she greeted them with a smile and a polite bow.
The three, unsure of her intentions, returned a half-bow.
“May I ask the young master’s honorable surname and name?” the maid asked with a smile.
Han Yuanchao exchanged a glance with his companions.
“I am Han Jun from Su-zhou,” he replied.
“Then ‘Yuanchao,’ is that your courtesy name?” the maid inquired further.
Han Yuanchao nodded. His companions had called him that in public earlier, so it wasn’t surprising for others to have overheard.
“What a fine courtesy name,” the maid said with a smile, then suddenly shifted the topic. “Young master, where are you staying in the capital?”
“Kuiyuan Residence,” Han Yuanchao blurted out.
Only after saying it did he realize—this maid was remarkably skilled at drawing information out of him!
“And may I ask your name, miss?” he asked, now a bit surprised.
The maid simply bowed.
“Your chivalry is truly admirable,” she said. With that, she said no more and turned to leave.
The three men were left exchanging puzzled glances, unsure what to make of the encounter.
“Yuanchao, who says the world is full of indifference? It seems quite a few people admired your actions just now,” one companion said with a smile.
“Must have been a graceful young lady,” another teased, patting him on the shoulder. “Who knows? Before the results are even announced, someone might come to claim you as a son-in-law. You’d better watch out.”
It was a common custom in the capital during exam season for wealthy or influential families to vie for high-ranking scholars as sons-in-law after the results were posted.
Han Yuanchao laughed heartily.
“What harm is there in knowing where I live? I don’t seek gratitude or admiration. And if someone comes to teach me a lesson, I’m not afraid of that either.”
“Enough nonsense! Let’s go, quickly now,” he said with a laugh.
The maid opened the door to the room, where only Cheng Jiao-niang sat calmly inside.
“Mistress, the gentleman is Han Jun from Su-zhou, courtesy name Yuanchao,” the maid said softly as she sat down beside her.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“So, it’s him,” she murmured.
“Miss, do you know him?” the maid couldn’t help but ask, her curiosity piqued. Judging by her reaction, she seemed to recognize the name but not the person.
Cheng Jiao-niang remained silent.
“What was being said in the hall?” she asked instead.
“That man, Li Dashao, used to work here at Immortal’s Abode—or rather, it was called Drunken Phoenix Pavilion before. Li Dashao was known for his exceptional cooking and was highly favored by the previous owner of Drunken Phoenix Pavilion. However, after the old proprietor passed away, the new owner, Dou Qi, didn’t care much for him. When business picked up and it became clear that the kitchen could manage without him, Dou Qi took the opportunity to dismiss him,” the maid explained in a low voice, recounting the gossip she had overheard in the hall earlier.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded again, taking it all in.
At this point, the door was opened, and two servants entered carrying trays filled with meat and vegetables.
“So, it’s a meal for Miss,” the maid said with a slight smile, glancing outside.
Zhou Liu-lang wasn’t with them, instead, he was in a private room next door.
“Miss, our ‘Passing Immortal’ dish is top-tier cuisine. You’re truly making the right choice by having it,” one of the servants said proudly, smiling.
As he placed each dish down, the maid let out a surprised sound.
“What is this?” she asked, her voice faltering.
“This dish is called ‘Passing Immortal,'” the servant replied. “It’s a unique delicacy, blessed by the immortals of our restaurant.”
“Passing Immortal?” the maid exclaimed in surprise.
It was clear she had never ventured far from home and hadn’t tasted many fine foods. The servant smirked.
“The Young Master sure has a kind heart,” he said, complimenting the gentleman while subtly putting down the maid. He gestured toward the outside, “A reservation was made in advance; otherwise, you wouldn’t even be able to eat it tomorrow. Just look at all the people waiting outside.”
At this point, the table had been neatly arranged.
The servant noticed the maid’s surprised expression and couldn’t help but feel more pleased with himself.
“This way of eating is quite rare. Let me tell you something—this meat isn’t meant to be eaten raw…” he said loudly, “And this bowl isn’t for drinking water, it’s for holding the sauce…”
The more he spoke, the more he noticed the maid’s astonished look, which made him even more smug.
“You…” The maid straightened up and raised her voice to speak.
Cheng Jiao-niang raised her hand to stop her, and the maid sat back down.
“What’s the matter?” The servant asked, somewhat confused, looking at the two of them.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at the dishes, the meat, the pot, and other items placed in front of her.
“Bring me a whole rabbit that’s not yet sliced, a knife, and all the seasonings. Also, please send your chef here,” she said.
The servant paused for a moment.
“What would you like to do?” he asked.
“This is the order,” the maid replied, raising an eyebrow and gesturing toward the servant to point outside.
The little maid is quite fierce.
The servant, along with his team, retreated, closing the door behind them. Everyone exchanged looks.
“What is this lady planning to do?”
“Probably curious, wants to see how it’s done.”
“That won’t do, this is our secret recipe.”
“But it looks like she’s from a wealthy family, don’t upset her…”
“Why fear the wealthy? Our master has just made Secretariat Editor Liu, a senior official in the Imperial Archives, his godfather.”
The servants whispered among themselves in the hallway when suddenly the door was thrown open.
“What are you gossiping about here?” Zhou Liu-lang barked.
The servants were startled and hurriedly bowed, apologizing.
“Young master.” A servant recognized the young man and the lady from earlier as companions, and hurriedly said, “This lady wants our chef to come over, but I’m afraid we’ve upset her somehow. The guests are many, and I’m afraid the chef won’t be able to leave.”
Zhou Liu-lang frowned and looked toward the door of the room across from him.
“Just do as you’re told and stop talking!” he scolded sharply.
It seemed he had asked the wrong person. Clearly, this young man was accompanying the lady, here to flatter her, and naturally, everything was done with the lady’s wishes in mind.
The servant, left with no choice, bowed and withdrew to go report to the manager.
The manager was standing respectfully, listening attentively as Master Dou Qi spoke.
“…The restaurants in the capital are almost ready; once the New Year is over, they’ll open for business…” he said with a smile, taking a sip from his wine jug. A freshly cut oleander flower, just picked, was pinned at his temple, slightly trembling with his smile.
“But this old shop was left by the old master, who believed in its good feng shui. Perhaps we should keep it?” The manager hesitated before speaking.
“Good feng shui? If it had such good feng shui, after ten years of business, it would have done better than my ‘Passing Immortal’ which became famous in just three days. Keeping this place? How could it attract people to the new shop?” Dou Qi said, displeased, slamming his wine jug onto the table.
