Thinking back to the words Chu Shaoyang had spoken to her last time in that alley, Tang Jin felt she could confirm one thing for certain.
Chu Shaoyang harbored no ill will toward Chu Lingyue.
Seeing that Tang Jin truly wasn’t worried at all, Tang Laidi was baffled. “Aren’t you afraid she’ll… you know, have bad intentions toward Lingyue?”
Her little sister’s heart was way too big. Or perhaps the two of them had a love that was rock-solid, utterly unafraid of any outsiders sniffing around.
Tang Jin glanced at the two tables of guests who had already taken their seats and smiled faintly. “Don’t worry about it. I’m completely confident in my wife. Now go greet the customers.”
With that, she quickened her pace and hurried over to welcome them.
“One order of garlic honey glazed chicken wings, one black pepper beef cubes, and a pot of wine.” Cao Kesang was a regular customer. No sooner had he stepped through the door than he scanned the menu and placed his order.
“Right away, sir. Please wait just a moment.” Tang Jin replied with a smile, then turned to the woman seated nearby—this was her first time here—and pointed to the menu as she introduced it. “For you, miss, the garlic honey glazed chicken wings are one of our restaurant’s signature dishes. Care for an order?”
Madam Miao followed the direction of her finger to the menu, along with the warm reminder posted right beside it: the restaurant’s rules. They offered only six portions of each dish per day, and no customer could order more than two.
How novel…
Especially the prices. Five taels per dish—nearly on par with the fare at Tower Beyond Towers across the street.
Tower Beyond Towers was one of the realm’s top two imperial merchants, with branches dotting nearly every prefecture and county. They were undisputed heavyweights in taxes.
Not only was their food delicious, but they enjoyed the deep favor of the authorities. Even scoundrels and ruffians trembled at the mere sight of their doorways. When it came to safety, there was simply no comparison.
So what gave this little restaurant the gall to charge prices like theirs? How good could the food possibly be?
“Then I’ll have one order of garlic honey glazed chicken wings and one crispy fried fresh milk.”
Fresh milk… fried?
Madam Miao felt a spark of anticipation. For them to charge such steep prices, the taste had to be exceptional. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have left that old man of hers unable to stomach his meals.
“Right away. Please wait just a moment.” Tang Jin turned and headed to the kitchen.
Moments later, more customers arrived.
The newcomer was a middle-aged woman. She stood in the doorway, peering around with a scrutinizing gaze laced with disdain.
Tang Laidi stepped forward. “What would you like, miss? We’re down to just garlic honey glazed chicken wings and osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root.”
As she spoke, she pointed to the menu posted on the wall. Inwardly, she couldn’t help but marvel at how thoughtful Tang Jin and Chu Lingyue had been in handling things. Posting the rules and the daily menu like this saved everyone a lot of hassle.
The woman flicked her eyes over the menu, a flicker of calculation passing through them. She said casually, “Both, then. And make it quick.”
Tang Laidi acknowledged the order and hurried to the back yard to inform Tang Jin.
Before long, the dishes were all served.
Cao Kesang and Madam Miao lifted their chopsticks almost simultaneously.
Cao Kesang moved with swift efficiency, alternating sips of wine with bites of food. His eyes narrowed in contentment.
Madam Miao was far more reserved, savoring each morsel with deliberate slowness.
The chicken wings were tender and bursting with flavor.
She turned her attention to the other dish, finally seeing what fried fresh milk looked like.
Strips about the thickness of a thumb, coated in what seemed like a layer of flour, each one fried to a perfect golden hue.
The outer crust was crisp, the inside rich with creamy fragrance.
Crispy on the outside, tender within—the taste was simply divine.
She had to admit, her old man had refined tastes. Eating meals like this every day? He was living like an immortal.
Savoring the aftertaste, Madam Miao felt her dissatisfaction with her husband deepen another layer. Food this delicious, and he hadn’t even brought her along to try it? The man needed a good talking-to.
The middle-aged woman, however, didn’t rush to eat. Her gaze lingered on the plates. A fine dish wasn’t just about flavor; presentation and aroma were essential too.
From the appearance and plating alone, she could tell the chef’s knife work and care were passably on par with Tower Beyond Towers’s.
Only after careful inspection did she languidly pick up a chicken wing. The moment it touched her tongue, she froze.
Incredulous, she chewed a few quick bites. The disdain in her eyes evaporated, replaced by astonishment.
She had eaten chicken wings countless times and knew every style under the sun. But chicken this juicy and tender? This was a first.
Aromatic without being greasy—it almost melted her tongue.
The woman reached out with her chopsticks again, her pace much quicker now.
The osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root proved equally delightful. The lotus root slices were sweetly chewy in perfect balance, infused with the fragrance of dried osmanthus flowers. One bite led to another; she simply couldn’t stop.
She savored it carefully. Ping’an County lay in the south of Hundred Blades City, and this sweet treat was commonplace here.
Yet the simpler and more familiar the dish, the more it tested a chef’s true skill.
Before she knew it, both plates lay empty. The woman stared at the bare bottoms, then turned to Tang Jin, who was standing nearby. “Might I ask which master chef prepared these? Could you introduce me?”
She instinctively ruled out Tang Jin and Tang Laidi. These two young women were far too green to be veterans steeped in the culinary arts for decades.
Tang Jin smiled. “You’re too kind, miss. I made all these dishes myself. Hardly a master chef.”
A flash of displeasure crossed the woman’s eyes, and her mouth twitched before she schooled it. “The bill, then.”
Clearly, she didn’t buy Tang Jin’s claim.
Tang Jin took note of the woman’s shifting expressions, her own gaze darkening slightly.
After collecting the silver, she made her way to the counter. She scribbled a few lines on a scrap of paper and nudged Tang Laidi.
Tang Laidi glanced at the note, her face paling slightly.
It read: This one’s no ordinary customer. Follow her and see where she goes.
Without betraying a hint of suspicion, Tang Laidi eyed the middle-aged woman. The moment she stepped out the door, Tang Laidi slipped out after her.
The woman was indeed acting furtively, glancing around nonstop as she walked.
Tang Laidi kept herself well hidden, thinking gratefully that her days as a constable had given her plenty of practice tailing suspects. Otherwise, she might easily have been spotted.
She followed the woman around one street, then halted at the corner, staring in surprise.
That was… the back door of Tower Beyond Towers.
Someone from Tower Beyond Towers?
Considering how the woman had deliberately taken the long way around, Tang Laidi’s heart tightened. Her instincts told her this was no simple matter.
By the time she returned to the restaurant, Cao Kesang and Madam Miao had both paid and left.
She shared her discovery right away. “…What does Tower Beyond Towers think they’re doing?”
Tang Jin pondered for a moment. “If I’m not mistaken, that woman was probably one of their cooks, here to scout the competition. I never imagined they’d pay a little place like ours any mind.”
To think Tower Beyond Towers would send someone in secret like this—it was hardly sporting for an establishment of their stature.
Tang Laidi frowned in confusion. “We only sell six dishes a day at most, serving maybe three or five tables. What’s there for Tower Beyond Towers to scout?”
Tang Jin fell silent. Their restaurant posed no real threat to Tower Beyond Towers. But the dishes rewarded by the System were top-tier.
In ancient times, there were no appliances, no wealth of modern seasonings, no refined contemporary cooking techniques. Some flavors were simply impossible to replicate.
From what she’d seen, Tower Beyond Towers must be coveting the recipes—even though she had no actual recipes to give.
Would they come at her openly, or from the shadows?
She couldn’t afford to take this lightly…
Her thoughts were interrupted as Chu Lingyue returned. Trailing behind her was Chu Shaoyang.
Tang Jin looked up, her train of thought derailing. Something was off about those two’s expressions.
