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墨書 Inktalez
Upon entering the Flavor Fragrance Tower, the two approached the shopkeeper and requested to see Hua Heng, knowing that he lived in the house behind the restaurant.
The shopkeeper recognized them immediately and went to inform Hua Heng. Shortly after, he returned and invited them to the back, leading them into a quiet room.
Hua Heng was already seated inside. Upon their entrance, he asked what they needed.
Xiao Lihua explained their purpose for coming. Hua Heng was naturally interested; from Xiao Lihua's previous creations like high-heeled shoes and Pickled Eggs, he knew she was not an ordinary woman. He had previously told her to come to him if she had any new ideas, promising to offer a fair price. Now she had indeed come, even daring to propose a partnership. Hua Heng thought she must have a solid plan and was eager to see what new ideas she had developed this time.
Tea Eggs and Pickled Eggs had become signature dishes at the restaurant. Not only was business booming at Flavor Fragrance Tower, but also at his other establishments. He had even sent people to various places to produce more Tea Eggs and Pickled Eggs. It could be said that wealth was flowing in; even if others figured out how to make these eggs later, he would still profit immensely.
Hua Heng was looking for even more lucrative methods—those that could not be easily taken away by others.
It was clear that this couple before him possessed such a method.
Xie Youshun took a jar of sauce from the basket and placed it on the table, opening the lid. Hua Heng looked inside; he did not recognize this item and thought it did not look very appealing, but the smell was quite pleasant.
"What is this? How do you eat it?"
"I call it sauce," Xiao Lihua replied, explaining in detail how to enjoy the sauce. As she described the eating methods, Xie Youshun recalled her Zha Jiang Mian and felt hungry again. Not just him; Hua Heng's eyes lit up as he imagined those dishes and also felt a strong desire to taste them. He told Xiao Lihua that hearing about it wasn't enough and asked her to prepare those dishes so he could decide whether or not to collaborate after tasting them.
Xiao Lihua agreed, saying she could make a few dishes along with Zha Jiang Mian.
At that moment, it was still before noon, and there were no customers yet; the kitchen was free. Xiao Lihua and Xie Youshun headed straight for the kitchen, and after a moment's thought, Hua Heng followed them.
Xiao Lihua instructed the staff to prepare noodles and ingredients before starting to cook. She didn't make too many dishes—just Sauced Diced Chicken, Sauced Eggplant, Sauce-Braised Potatoes, and Sauced Stir-Fried Shredded Pork. The shredded pork was wrapped in tofu skin for eating; it was actually her favorite Peking Style Shredded Pork—though not made with sweet bean sauce, it still tasted good. Finally, she prepared an Egg Sauce to pour over the noodles, garnished with fresh cucumber shreds. Even in the sweltering kitchen, it looked refreshing, stimulating everyone's appetite as they watched.
"Alright, we can eat now, but shouldn't we take this food somewhere else to eat?"
Xiao Lihua wiped her hands with a cloth and looked at the dishes and noodles she had prepared; she was feeling a bit hungry as well.
Hua Heng immediately instructed someone to take the finished dishes and noodles to the previous room.
Xie Youshun took away the sauce jar, and both the shopkeeper and the chef looked at it with reluctance. They all knew that this jar could make delicious dishes, and if they had it, their restaurant could earn more Silver, allowing them to make more money.
Xiao Lihua made two bowls of Zha Jiang Mian and pushed one bowl in front of Xie Youshun.
"Eat up. I don't think Hua Gongzi would like us just watching him eat all this food alone."
Xiao Lihua glanced at Hua Heng, who could only nod, inviting Xie Youshun to eat together. He watched as Xiao Lihua used chopsticks to mix the noodles for Xie Youshun and thought that this couple really had a good relationship. It seemed that Xiao Lihua truly had no feelings for the Gao Family person anymore, which made him feel more at ease.
Xie Youshun looked at Xiao Lihua and thought how nice it was to have a wife.
Hua Heng ate quite a bit of each dish, even dipping scallions in sauce and eating some flatbread. He found this way of eating quite enjoyable. He finished the bowl of Zha Jiang Mian entirely, feeling stuffed; it was the fullest he had ever been in his life. He had great confidence in the sauce made by Xiao Lihua.
After finishing their meal, both sides began discussing partnership matters.
Hua Heng listened as Xiao Lihua mentioned wanting to repair a bridge, seeing her in a new light.
Xiao Lihua expressed her concern that if they had a large sum of money, it might attract jealousy. She worried that people would say they sold the recipe to Hua Heng instead of revealing their partnership, hoping Hua Heng would help keep it under wraps.
Hua Heng naturally agreed.
In the end, both parties were satisfied with the outcome. Hua Heng gave Xie Youshun five hundred taels of Silver, and Xie Youshun's group would take fifty percent of the profits. It seemed like Hua Heng was at a disadvantage, but in reality, he was benefiting because he owned several restaurants and would also earn quite a bit using these sauces for cooking.
The contract was quickly written up, and both parties signed it and pressed their fingerprints. Hua Heng also stamped it.
Xiao Lihua wrote down the method for making the sauce, as well as how to change its flavor, so they could make salty, sweet, and spicy sauces later on.
Once everything was completed, Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua stood up to take their leave.
Hua Heng got up to see them off. At this point, he had already regarded them as partners, which meant an equal relationship. He was even a bit courteous towards them because Xiao Lihua might bring out other Secret Recipes.
As they exited, Hua Heng wanted to speak with Xiao Lihua alone for a few moments before they reached the restaurant ahead.
Xie Youshun thought for a moment and walked ahead, but after a short distance, he stopped and looked back at them.
"I hope we have other partnership opportunities in the future," Hua Heng said. After pondering for a moment and glancing at Xiao Lihua, he added, "The Gao Family might come looking for you. The business for Tea Eggs and Pickled Eggs is doing well, and the Gao Family is already investigating. Once this sauce comes out, they might approach you. I hope you won't have any dealings with them; that family is not good people."
To prevent Xiao Lihua from partnering with the Gao Family, Hua Heng revealed what had happened in the past.
"Thank you for telling me all this," Xiao Lihua replied. In fact, even if she had no ties with the Gao Family, she wouldn't want to partner with them. When doing business, one should choose partners with good character so that they can comfortably count their money at home. The Gao Family was definitely not the kind of people one could trust.
The couple left Flavor Fragrance Tower and sat in the Ox Cart. Xie Youshun didn't ask Xiao Lihua what they had just discussed, but he could tell from her expressions that he wanted to know. Xiao Lihua smiled slightly; it wasn't anything she couldn't share, so she told him. Naturally, she embellished a bit, portraying herself as more innocent and the Gao Family as worse than they were. Xie Youshun felt angry that the Gao Family was taking advantage of Xiao Lihua.
"Wife, you've been wronged."
"It's fine; I'm doing quite well now. Anyway, I won't let the Gao Family get any methods for making money from me. Let their business be overshadowed by Flavor Fragrance Tower; that's a fitting retribution for them."
As they talked, they arrived at Qiao Xiu Fabric Shop. With some income coming in at home, Xiao Lihua wanted to make new clothes for everyone in the family and also some new quilts. The old quilts had all become thin over time; this time she wanted to make thicker ones for autumn and winter. As a result, they bought quite a bit of fabric and cotton.
"Dear wife, you pick here, I'll be right back."
Xie Youshun saw Xiao Lihua talking to Hong Niangzi and said to her as he walked outside. Xiao Lihua didn't think much of it; it was normal for a big man like him not to want to stay here.
While Xiao Lihua was buying fabric, an old woman came over, someone from the Gao Family.
Listening to the old woman's words, Xiao Lihua learned that the Gao Family was preparing for a wedding. It seemed that Young Master Gao was getting married, and the bride was Su Yuanchun. She raised her eyebrows, recalling the commotion that had happened here before. The way Su Yuanchun had acted back then clearly indicated she had been disturbed during pregnancy, almost as if she were about to miscarry. Now they were getting married; it seemed that Su Yuanchun had indeed been genuinely disturbed during that time, and the child was her cousin's.
After the woman left, Hong Niangzi confirmed to Xiao Lihua that it was indeed Young Master Gao who was marrying Su Yuanchun.
"They are quite a pair."
Hong Niangzi laughed, clearly with a hint of mockery. Then she remembered that Xiao Lihua seemed to have some grievances with the Gao Family, but seeing a slight smile on Xiao Lihua's face, she decided not to dwell on it.
Xiao Lihua also smiled, thinking that once the Gao family married Su Yuanchun, their household would likely be in turmoil and their reputation would be tarnished. However, she didn't pay too much attention to this matter and left after finishing her shopping.
The couple went on to buy food and other necessities before heading home.
Once they reached outside the town, Xie Youshun pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Xiao Lihua. Seeing it was a long object wrapped in cloth, she wondered what it could be. When she opened it, her eyes lit up.
It was a pair of hairpins; one was a dazzling Golden Hairpin adorned with two butterflies made of gold and embedded with pink jade. The other was a silver hairpin wrapped with golden threads forming several flowers, with white pearls in the center of each flower, looking quite elegant.
"I always thought that if we separated our household, I would buy you the jewelry you wanted. But when we separated, we had to borrow money even for our house, so I thought I would wait. Now that our lives are better and we have some silver saved up, you can get what you want. However, I could only afford this silver hairpin."
Xie Youshun's face turned slightly red; he felt that all the silver at home had been earned through his wife's efforts and he seemed somewhat useless for only being able to buy her a silver hairpin.
Xiao Lihua felt touched inside and put on the silver hairpin on her head, asking, "Does it look good?"
"Good-looking."
Xie Youshun nodded. Xiao Lihua was not unattractive; as long as she didn't have a flat nose and bulging eyes, she was quite delicate and gentle. Now, with her smiling at him, he truly found her very beautiful.
Xiao Lihua said, "I prefer this silver hairpin." This was Xie Youshun's intention. This man was not useless; he was capable and had this thoughtfulness. She felt very content, thinking that living with such a man would be very happy.
Upon hearing this, Xie Youshun smiled and said, "I will work hard to ensure you have a good life in the future. I will buy you more jewelry."
Xiao Lihua nodded. She thought that even if she didn't earn this silver, Xie Youshun would still buy her more jewelry.
The scenery along the road was beautiful, with many wildflowers, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. Xiao Lihua looked at Xie Youshun's silly smiling face and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
Xie Youshun's face instantly turned red. In the years since they got married, Xiao Lihua had never been this close to him. He thought about how ever since his wife had fallen and hit her head, she had said she wanted to spend more time with him. Did her kissing him mean that she had accepted him and was willing to be his wife?
Seeing Xie Youshun looking at her with bright eyes, asking if it was okay now, she felt shy but still nodded. Since he was a good man and they had two sons together, then so be it.
Xie Youshun happily cracked the whip and urged the ox cart to go faster. The ox cart moved swiftly along the road, and seeing his joyful demeanor made Xiao Lihua smile as well.
The author has something to say: Thank you for the grenade from Yuxue Feifei~~~
The male lead is a bit difficult to write; I hope no one thinks he is useless. The male lead just needs to be honest and fully support the female lead when she wants to do something, and protect her when she encounters trouble. As for making money, let's leave that to the female lead; she is a time traveler, and earning money is easy~~~
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