Eldest Sister, Why Haven't You Married Yet Chapter 129

Published at 5th of May 2023 10:05:52 AM

Chapter 129 Sujiayan (2)

Xiao Lin Feng and Xiao Lin Wen's arrival in Luohe Prefecture was only known to Xiao Family, Mrs. Su, and You Jin. Although Xiao Family had now been spared from execution, Xiao Hai Ru brothers were still in exile. So Xiao Lin Feng and Xiao Lin Feng were still fugitives. If their whereabouts got exposed, not only they will be finished, but also Su Family who harbored the criminals will be finished. This matter must be kept a secret. Not a whiff of it was to be leaked out.

Although Xiao Lin Feng was muddled-headed, he also knew that the matter was of great importance. After confirming that his family members were still safe, they stealthily left on a snowy night before the end of the year.

"With this farewell, I don't know when I will be able to fulfill my filial piety to Mother again. Please take care of yourself!" Before departure, Xiao Lin Feng knelt heavily in the snow and knocked his head three times. His eyes reddened, but he still held it back. As if he had grown up overnight, the youth bidded farewell to his family and took a deep look at his family who were also holding back tears. He hopped on the horse and led his younger cousin brother and four-five guards out of Luohe Prefecture.

With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Yu watched the back of the cloak blown high by the night wind as it gradually disappeared into the dark night. She was heartbroken. She only had this son. But for his future life, not only the mother and son couldn’t be reunited, but Son also had to change his name and surname from now on. This way, their Xiao Family bloodline can continue.

"It's windy outside. I’ll support Auntie in." Although You Jin was thin, she was much stronger than the average woman. Almost all of Mrs. Yu's body weight was on her and they can steadily walk away. Over at this side, Xiao Lin Ru supported Mrs. Zhao. The four of them returned to the warm room and drank another cup of steaming soup to warm up.

Knowing that Youngest Son was doing well and You Jin had entrusted someone to take care Northern Xinjiang’s side, Mrs. Yu felt that everything she cared about had been settled. Even though Eldest Son’s bones weren't found, You Jin had used the Jade Hairpin he had given to You Jin as a keepsake and put it in a tomb erected in the bamboo grove not far from Su Family’s courtyard. All this was thanks to Su Family’s kindness. So she put her whole heart in Sujiayan. From where to buy a plum blossom, a clump of green bamboo, to the cups for drinking tea and drinking alcohol, she dedicated herself to everything. For the opening of Sujiayan, she really did her best and personally handled everything.

The fifteenth day of the first month was the Lantern Festival.

Although it was still a bit cold in early spring, on this day, they had a rare good weather.

"A few days ago it was raining and snowing. It was freezing. Unexpectedly, the sun rose today. It's a good day." Sitting beside Mrs. Su, Mrs. Yu cheerfully had a chat with her, in order to relieve Mrs. Su’s tensions.

Today was the royal chef’s successor, Mrs. Su’s first time revealing her skills. Her heart was pounding like a drum. Her hands under the wide and warm cloak were tightly entangled like a knot. She was extremely nervous. Even when Mrs. Yu chatted with her, she half-heartedly listened.

At this side, three carriages drove Su Family to Luohe Prefecture. At Sujiayan in Luohe Prefecture, the male wore bamboo green, while the female wore lotus root purple narrow-sleeved jackets and trousers of the same color. The three characters ‘Sujiayan’ were neatly embroidered on the left of the jacket. Everyone was in an orderly manner, busy with their duties, arranging, and tidying up. It will be officially opened when the auspicious time arrives.

Third Master Huang was a well-known gourmet in Luohe Prefecture. It went without saying naturally had his own contacts. Before Sujiayan opened, You Jin hadn't thought of this. It was Third Master Huang who came knocking first and suggested a good idea: "We can hold an opening banquet. I’m not talented, but I can be regarded as a little successful gourmet. All the famous gourmets in Luohe Prefecture can be invited. With Madam's skills, it shouldn't be difficult to conquer these old gourmets. With their endorsement, Sujiayan will definitely become a hit."

You Jin agreed without a second thought. As for the matter of inviting those old gourmets, it was naturally up to Third Master Huang to make arrangements. Third Master Huang's face was indeed useful. Within two days, nineteen well-known food connoisseurs in Luohe Prefecture were invited to come. Sujiayan hadn't yet officially opened and the invited guests had already arrived. For welcoming, a lion dance team performed at the entrance of Sujiayan. It attracted countless crowds of onlookers.

Standing in the corridor outside the wing room on the second floor, You Jin watched the already lively scene on the first floor. She smiled happily: "Today's performance lived up to the hard work all of us had put in for a good few months."

Sujiayan focused on being middle-to-high-end. From the moment one enters the restaurant, one can see the menu sign on the entire wall behind the counter. They were all in beautiful standard script. Categories were Sichuan cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Guangdong cuisine, Huai cuisine, snacks, desserts, and drinks. The menu on the entire wall attracted every guest who walked into Sujiayan.

The hall on the first floor can accommodate forty-eight tables of guests. It was divided into four areas: plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Twelve tables in each area and were separated by screens, potted plants, and miniature rockery landscapes corresponding to the theme. In the center of the hall was a rockery and flowing water display about the size of five people huddled together. There were several koi in it. Quite an interesting and natural-looking feature.

Beside the atrium, a four-people wide stair led up to upstairs. There were 24 wing rooms in total. They were named after the 24 solar terms. After coming down from the second floor, walk through the winding path about 20 steps, and one will arrive at Sujiayan’s wing room at the back. Buying the one-mu property and the almost two-mu property after the backyard of the original shop were Mrs. Yu and Mrs. Zhao's suggestion. Like the hall’s plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, it was divided into four courtyards. There were four wing rooms in each courtyard and placed importance on the privacy of guests as well as providing quiet and comfortable dining experience and temporary resting places.

When Third Master Huang was wandering around the backyard with his guests, You Jin had lit the opening firecrackers in the front. The three big characters ‘Sujianyan’ on the signboard in gold-plated cursive script were particularly eye-catching in the early spring sunshine.

In the hall, the servers were so busy that their feet barely touched the floor. The maids in charge of serving the tea brewed pot after pot of Su Family’s tea and served it to the guests;

In the back kitchen, in the small kitchen built solely for Mrs. Su, Mrs. Su and their family’s two female chefs were busy preparing the opening banquet;

In the back kitchen outside the small kitchen, the four different cuisine chefs also have their own dedicated stoves, assistant chefs, and apprentices. Each stove was lit with bright flames, and everyone was busy as a bee.

Most of the invited guests that came this time were giving face to Third Master Huang. Most of them loved good food and were foodie. They knew how many good chefs there were in Luohe Prefecture. They haven't heard of any chefs being poached recently. After leaving, I must have invited some little-known chefs to Sujiayan. Presumably, this Sujiayan hired some unknown chefs. If they didn't consider their relationship with Third Master Huang, most of them wouldn’t have attended.

Third Master Huang noticed that many of the guests were absent-minded. The smile on his face remained unchanged. Their attitude was understandable, but he had 100% confidence in Madam's skills. After leading them around for a while, the assistant in the back kitchen sent a message. So Third Master Huang took many guests into the wing room that had been prepared long ago to drink tea and chat.

"Dear guests, it's time to serve!" You Jin had already finished her work and came to take the lead. Third Master Huang had another purpose when he called these old gourmets: to push You Jin out. Now Su Family's business was getting bigger and bigger, as the master, she naturally needed a suitable occasion to enter the circle of Luohe Prefecture’s business circle. Most of the guests who came today were respectable people in Luohe Prefecture's business circle, so it was naturally the most suitable opportunity.

When the guests heard a girl's voice ordering the food to be served, they thought it was a maid from the restaurant. However, seeing that the clothes were of wealthy people, they didn't know how to address her for a moment. Fortunately, Third Master Huang interjected at this time: "Everyone, this is the owner of Sujiayan as well as my current boss, Miss Su. Sujiayan, Sujiaxiang, and Sujiami are all established by our boss."

"So that’s the case. Miss Su is no inferior to men!" Although all the guests were men, most of them were about the same age as Third Master Huang. When they saw such a delicate little girl present, they presumed it was some miss from another family. Unanticipated, it turned out to be the boss of Sujiaxiang, who had suddenly risen above in Luohe Prefecture in recent years!

The amazed and appreciative eyes of the guests at the banquet fell on You Jin. You Jin just smiled lightly and said: "I’m just doing something small. In the future, I’ll still need Elders’ care."

Turning around, she picked up a dish and placed it on a special wooden round table that imitated the modern round turntable table. She introduced the dishes to everyone: "Fullfill Soup, Golden Ham & Roasted Round Fish, Dragon and Phoenix’s Prosperity, Vegetarian Delicacies, Osmanthus Eight Treasure Duck, Orange Peel Beef, Hot and Sour Cucumber, and First Class Futiaogiang. Our small shop has just opened, please give me some feedback."

From the moment the first dish came to the table, the eyes of these old gourmets were widened. Every dish was truly ‘full of color, fragrance and taste’. Among them, a slightly older elderly sitting at the head clipped a piece of eight-treasure duck with very tasty sauce into the bowl with his chopsticks first, tasted it, and remarked: "It seems that I haven’t come in vain today. Third Huang didn’t fool me, ah!"

Third Master Huang laughed heartily and responded: "Who doesn't know that Fifth Master He has the best tongue. If there’s truly no quality, how could I possibly dare to ask you to come out of the mountain, right?"

One must know that Fifth Master He was the one with the highest status among the old gourments. If he gave Sujiayan a good evaluation, would there be anything to worry about in the future? That’s why he repeatedly requested Fifth Master He to attend. As expected, Madam's cooking was recognized. Third Master Huang himself was secretly relieved. Fortunately, this matter wasn't messed up.

Fifth Master He gave a good evaluation and other people picked up their chopsticks one after another. From the moment the first chopsticks were put into their mouths, everyone's lit-up eyes entered into You Jin's eyes. You Jin left Orchid Court with a satisfied smile.

On the opening day, Sujiayan’s business wasn't a big hit. But since the opening day, many old gourmets in Luohe Prefecture have voluntarily endorsed Sujiayan. Even Fifth Master He, who was the most respected in the circle of old gourmets, had mentioned more than once that he wanted to try Sujiayan's Fulfill Soup again. Originally, Sujiayan, which other restaurants of the same level didn’t hold much expectation for, became a hit.

As for the old gourmets who declined Third Master Huang's invitation, their expressions turned very ugly when they heard other old friends who attended the banquet smack their lips again and again in reminiscence. Then they found out that Sujiayan stipulated that only the first ten tables of guests could order special dishes on that day and each table could only order one dish! They couldn't help but beat their chest and felt vexed about rejecting the other party that day!

But now it was really useless to regret. Sujiayan’s special dishes were only 10 dishes a day and were ordered immediately after opening every day. These old gourmets who declined Third Master Huang at the beginning had to form a group to go to Sujiayan every day. As soon as the door opened, they rushed in to order food. Not even wanting their old gourmet’s face and dignity.

Since they were an old gourmet glutton, what kind of shame was it to wait in line for delicious food? When they finally tasted the legendary Sujiayan special dishes, they cried while their chopsticks fought to snatch food. The tears flowed from excitement because the Sujiayan was really delicious. Secondly, from regret. Why did they stupidly refuse back then! If not, they would have been able to eat a whole table of 20 dishes at the beginning, instead of only eating one dish a day. And it wasn't guaranteed to be able to have it every day!

"Hunger marketing is really effective!" Looking at the daily sales that have been rising in a straight line, You Jin was really in a good mood these days.

Chapter end