In January, Tianxiang Restaurant was packed daily.
The newly released braised pork ribs, pork and pickled cabbage stew, and blanched pork belly had become staple orders at every table. The pickled cabbage was particularly noted for its slight sourness, complemented by the savory, non-greasy pork belly, especially when dipped in garlic sauce – a truly exquisite flavor.
The only drawback was the excessive consumption of rice!
This surge in popularity allowed Murong Sheng to rake in a fortune, leaving him beaming with joy every day.
By mid-January, winter greens were officially available.
In summer, a plate of greens cost only about ten *wen*, but by this season, the price had multiplied several times over. Furthermore, Tianxiang Restaurant was the only establishment in the entire town and county to offer them.
This presented a significant business opportunity for many, including Steward Wang.
Every day, Fan Zehao would deliver some greens. For the past six months, whenever new, fresh food items were available, neither Zhao Jiaqi nor Fan Zehao had forgotten to send some his way.
One reason for this was Zhao Jiaqi's desire for protection.
Although Steward Wang had paid them no mind for the past half-year, they were mindful of accepting his provisions.
Moreover, he had heard numerous praises for the young couple from his son-in-law, Xie Kun. The couple had also straightened out their lives over the past six months, which made Steward Wang quite happy.
"Tomorrow, Kun'er, invite that young couple over for a meal. I've been receiving their provisions for months, and they are honest people, worth befriending!"
Wang Lifeng issued his command, and Xie Kun was overjoyed but immediately shook his head in refusal.
His reasoning was rather unconventional: "Father, let's go to Brother Zehao's place. His wife cooks exceptionally well; her dishes are even more delicious than those at Tianxiang Restaurant, and their sweet wine is wonderful and doesn't cause hangovers."
Upon hearing this, Wang Lifeng was somewhat tempted, but the idea of inviting someone over for a meal felt backward.
Just as he was about to refuse, Xie Kun, astute as he was, understood his father-in-law's thoughts. He quickly offered a suggestion.
"Father, we can bring gifts when we visit. We'll first discuss our business, and if he doesn't invite us to stay for lunch, we can express our gratitude then. This way, we show them respect and let them know we value them. It's a win-win, don't you think?"
This idea was excellent; it also meant a free meal!
"Then we'll go tomorrow morning. Buy plenty of gifts. The couple is honest, so we should buy more practical items. You handle the details!" Wang Lifeng was not stingy when it came to Fan Zehao.
Few people in this county could command his proactive attention.
The next day, a horse-drawn carriage slowly entered Nanling Village. The villagers were accustomed to it now, knowing it was heading to the east end of the village.
The courtyard house came into view, with rows of large greenhouses opposite it, where people were still working.
Outside the greenhouses, several carriages were parked in a line. Before long, neatly arranged baskets of greens were carried out of the sheds and loaded onto the carriages, then covered with quilts.
"Kun'er, you go inside first. I want to take a look at that… greenhouse!" Wang Lifeng was captivated by the scene.
He was immensely curious how this couple managed to grow winter greens in such cold weather, something usually only possible in heated conservatories!
In the study, Fan Zehao was surprised to learn that Xie Kun and his father-in-law, Wang Lifeng, had arrived. Even Murong Sheng, who was teaching him, showed a look of astonishment.
Fan Zehao put away his books and rose with Murong Sheng to greet them. Meanwhile, Zhao Jiaqi was settling accounts with Shopkeeper Song.
Upon seeing the visitors, both were taken aback. Zhao Jiaqi greeted them with a light smile: "Steward Wang, it's been a while. You look so radiant, younger than ever."
Shopkeeper Song silently gave her a thumbs-up for such a quick, unscripted compliment.
Wang Lifeng responded with a hearty laugh: "It's not just eating your greens that has me so captivated. Seeing this scene today, I truly admire your sharp mind. I have no choice but to admit my age."
Was this a compliment to her, or was he lamenting his own aging and acknowledging defeat?
"Sir, you've eaten more salt than I've traveled roads. I still need to learn much from you; I wouldn't dare use such trivial tricks to appear clever!"
The two sparred verbally in the greenhouse, their atmosphere quite harmonious.
After settling the accounts, Shopkeeper Song immediately led his convoy of carriages away. They then proceeded to Wang Zhaodi's place; the restaurant was now reliant on both winter greens and pickled cabbage.
The group toured the greenhouses and then visited the new house. The newly built house was grand, with a spacious and bright main hall. They even had tea in the house.
It wasn't the finest quality, but it was a significant step up from tea dust.
After being seated, Wang Lifeng revealed the purpose of his visit: "I heard from Kun'er that your vegetable patch spans ten *mu*. To be frank, I wish to purchase your greens here and resell them in the county and prefecture to earn some silver for the New Year!"
As soon as he spoke, Murong Sheng chimed in with a smile, "You, the wealthiest man, are still short of money for the New Year? Steward Wang is truly modest."
"Alas, even the wealthiest man is so only in this small area. How can I compare to you, the proprietor of Tianxiang Restaurant? I must be modest in your presence!"
These two bantered back and forth, never quite getting to the point! They were merely teasing each other.
While they were chatting, Zhao Jiaqi pondered this business deal. How much should she price each type of vegetable? Should she set a fixed price?
Furthermore, she had ten *mu* of land under cultivation, not a bumper harvest, but still a considerable amount!
As she was lost in thought, Wang Lifeng repeated his earlier question: "I'll buy all the produce from your vegetable patch. I also heard your terms from Kun'er; you settle payments after each delivery, and I won't be late with mine!"
"I am overjoyed to cooperate. These greens are quite costly to produce. I sell them to Tianxiang Restaurant for ten *wen* per *jin*. I'll offer you the same price. All greens will be sold at one price, which simplifies things! What do you think, Steward Wang?"
Upon hearing ten *wen*, Wang Lifeng felt the price was not high and immediately agreed: "We'll do as you say. I'll send people to collect them this afternoon!"
Zhao Jiaqi had no objections and readily agreed.
A contract was essential. While the contract was being drawn up, she went to the village chief's house and asked Li Wencai to find some swift, honest workers for picking vegetables that afternoon.
She also invited the village chief and Fan Guangping to her home to accompany the guests.
At noon, the table was laden with a rich spread: pork and pickled cabbage stew, blanched pork belly, braised pork slices, crispy fried pork, a large mixed salad, boiled fish, another pot of braised pork ribs, and stir-fried vegetables.
She also brought out the remaining fruit wine to entertain the guests. As Wang Lifeng took a bite, he understood why his son-in-law insisted on coming for this meal; it was truly delicious.
Many of these dishes had never appeared in any restaurant before.
In response, Murong Sheng followed Zhao Jiaqi, constantly inquiring and strongly inviting her to include these dishes in the profit-sharing scheme.
After much persistent persuasion, he finally succeeded in getting these dishes added to Tianxiang Restaurant's menu.
As a result, the restaurant became even more popular.
Consequently, many other restaurants gradually began to close down. Behind the scenes, they cursed Song Mingliang, and some attempted to imitate the dishes. However, their imitations fell far short in taste.
Even more infuriating was that the raw ingredients for the pickled cabbage were simply unavailable. Wang Zhaodi was exclusively supplying Song Mingliang.
This greatly angered the other restaurant owners.
They secretly united, strategizing ways to deal with Tianxiang Restaurant and the person behind the recipes.