Chapter 56

Yuniang’s words stunned Madam Wen, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Yuniang, why do you think it’s not Ling’er?”

Xu Qinyu replied, “The timing doesn’t match.”

It wasn’t that she was defending Wen Yunling or thought highly of her, but the timing of the rumor didn’t make sense. It had been almost a month since Wen Yunling saw Granny Gui. If Wen Yunling wanted to spread this rumor, she would have done it back then. Even if she didn’t spread it then, it wouldn’t make sense to do it now. She would have waited until her restaurant opened, which would benefit her. So Xu Qinyu instinctively felt it wasn’t Wen Yunling.

As for whether it was someone else from the Wen family, she couldn’t be sure, but she still felt it wasn’t, as the timing was off.

Recently, her business has been getting better and better. Even if there were nothing else to eat for breakfast, customers would rather buy two meat sandwiches at the door and take them away than eat elsewhere. This surely attracted jealousy from other eateries, restaurants, and food stalls.

Madam Gui’s condition was known only to family members and the Wen family. The Wen family probably thought Madam Gui had recovered and didn’t know she was pretending to be ill. Her family knew Madam Gui didn’t have tuberculosis, and Madam Wen and Ning Jie’er were not the type to gossip. They wouldn’t spread rumors.

Even Cheng Ge’er’s side only had Madam Bai, who knew the truth and wouldn’t spread it. Though still young, Cheng Ge’er and Gong Ge’er had proven to be tight-lipped over the past few months. Tao Jie’er spent all day with Ning Jie’er and didn’t visit other neighbors in Osmanthus Alley.

So, it definitely wasn’t her family or Cheng Ge’er’s side who spread the rumor.

Xu Qinyu frowned. If it wasn’t her family or the third branch, who could it be?

But it had to be someone close to the family, at least someone they interacted with daily.

She asked, “Mother, have you mentioned grandmother’s situation at the restaurant recently, or have you heard Cheng Ge’er and the others bring it up?”

The only possibility was that the rumor spread from the restaurant.

Madam Wen thought for a moment, her heart sinking. “A month ago, Ling’er came to the restaurant looking for you. After she finished eating, she said she wanted to see you. I told her you were busy in the kitchen and asked her to go back. She then asked about Granny Gui, saying she had tuberculosis and wondered if she was feeling better. I was worried someone might overhear, so I lowered my voice and said your grandmother had recovered. She didn’t say anything; she just nodded and left. It was during breakfast, and there were many customers around. Could it have been spread then? If so, it’s my fault…”

Xu Qinyu still felt something was off. If the rumor had started a month ago, why were customers only now hearing about it and avoiding the restaurant?

She said, “It’s okay, Mother, don’t worry. This isn’t urgent. People are saying someone in our family recently got tuberculosis from overwork. This rumor is clearly malicious and is targeting our business. It’s easy to resolve. Tomorrow, we’ll bring Grandmother and Ning Jie’er to the restaurant. Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er can come too. I’ll make some dinner for everyone, and after eating, Ning Jie’er can take them for a walk.”

Tuberculosis is indeed frightening, but since no one in their family is actually ill, clearing up the misunderstanding should resolve the issue.

Madam Wen felt a bit relieved upon hearing this.

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Wen Yunling also heard about the rumor and scoffed. She told Madam Yue, “Could it be that Granny Gui never had tuberculosis and deliberately deceived us? Now that this rumor is spreading, it’s their own fault.”

Madam Yue nodded, “Indeed, it’s not anyone else’s fault. But if other eateries or restaurants did this, it’s really foolish. A simple rumor can be easily debunked by having Madam Gui stay at the restaurant for a couple of days. It won’t have any impact.”

After saying this, Madam Yue asked, “Ling’er, how is the renovation of your restaurant going?”

Wen Yunling couldn’t hide her joy. “It’s still being renovated. I’m planning to decorate it like Jixiang Restaurant.”

If the tallest buildings in Yuanbao Town weren’t only three stories high, she would have wanted a six-story building with eight or nine storefronts for her restaurant. But for now, she had to make do.

Madam Yue said, “Don’t worry about Fourth Sister-in-law. Just take care of your own restaurant and make a lot of money in the future.”

Wen Yunling nodded, “Mother, I understand.”

The chef was personally hired by her and her mother from Raozhou City. They had tasted the chef’s cooking, and it was indeed good. They offered a monthly salary of twenty taels of silver, but Wen Yunling was still a bit dissatisfied because she knew that even this renowned chef from Raozhou City couldn’t match Fourth sister-in-law’s skills. Not even the chefs at Jixiang Restaurant could compare. The chef she hired could, at best, be on par with the head chef at Donglai Restaurant. In her heart, she still preferred Fourth Sister-in-law.

Thinking about her fourth sister-in-law’s cooking…

Wen Yunling swallowed, wanting to go to Xu’s Food Mansion for breakfast and dinner.

In fact, her family had never tasted Fourth Sister-in-law’s cooking. Previously, her grandparents had learned that Fourth Sister-in-law had opened a restaurant and scolded her second aunt for being unfilial, saying that with such good cooking skills, she should have sent some food to them.

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The next evening, Ning Jie’er took Madam Gui, Feng Ge’er, and Yuan Jie’er to the restaurant. She was already aware of the recent rumors in the market and was very angry.

Madam Gui felt even more guilty when she found out.

On the way, they met other neighbors from Osmanthus Alley, who couldn’t help but ask, “Ning Jie’er, where are you going?”

The neighbors all knew Ning Jie’er and liked her very much.

Ning Jie’er smiled and said, “I’m taking my grandmother to the restaurant for dinner.”

The neighbors had also heard the rumors circulating in the West Street market, but since they lived in Osmanthus Alley, they knew whether there were any sick people in Xu Qinyu’s family. The whole family looked healthy, and even the elderly lady who had returned a few months ago, though initially frail and haggard, had become much healthier after being cared for.

The neighbors comforted Ning Jie’er and Madam Gui.

“Ning Jie’er, Aunt Gui, don’t worry about it. Just take a walk and let those people see for themselves.”

“Exactly. They say there’s someone with tuberculosis in Xu Qinyu’s family. It’s ridiculous. We’ve been buying fish from her for over half a year, and nothing has happened to us. I think someone is just jealous of Xu’s Food Mansion’s success and came up with this nasty trick.”

“That’s right. Whoever did this is really mean. When we go to buy fish tonight, we’ll tell the people around us not to believe everything they hear. Xu’s Food Mansion has been open for a month and a half, and everyone is fine.”

“Yes, yes. Ning Jie’er, Madam Gui, you should go ahead. We’ll go queue up for fish later.”

Pei Jianing and Madam Gui felt warm inside, seeing the neighbors standing up for them.

Pei Jianing knew very well that this was the result of her fourth sister-in-law’s good deeds.

Ning Jie’er and Madam Gui led the two children to Xu’s Food Mansion.

In the past, there would have been a queue by dinner time, but now there was no queue, although there were already customers seated in the dining hall.

Seeing her son, daughter, granddaughter, and mother arrive, Madam Wen quickly arranged a table by the window for them. “Ning Jie’er, Mother, please sit down. Yuniang said she prepared squirrel fish for you. After eating, you can go for a walk.”

Pei Jianing nodded and quietly watched the bustling market outside. Madam Gui, who rarely went out, felt a bit uneasy. Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er sat obediently.

After about 15 minutes, Madam Chen brought over a dish with a raised head and tail. Its bright color and fragrant aroma filled the restaurant with a sweet and sour scent.

Madam Gui and Ning Jie’er’s table was the first to be served.

Other customers couldn’t help but ask, “Manager, what dish is this? We haven’t seen it on the menu before. Is it a new dish?”

Madam Chen loudly replied, “It is indeed a new dish, but it’s not on the menu. Our young lady made it especially for her grandmother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and niece. It’s called squirrel fish and has a sweet and sour taste. It is suitable for the elderly and children. Our young lady’s whole family is here, so don’t believe the nonsense about someone in her family having tuberculosis. Look at their healthy complexions. It’s probably just a rumor spread by someone jealous of our business. Our young lady even said she would bring her family to the restaurant to show everyone. If anyone continues to spread rumors, she will report it to the authorities.”

As soon as the word “authorities” was mentioned, there was a loud crash, like a plate or porcelain breaking on the ground.

Madam Chen turned to see that it was Madam Sun, another waitress in the restaurant. Madam Sun was carrying several empty plates to the kitchen when she slipped, causing the plates to fall. These small porcelain plates were used for serving pickles.

Each table received two types of pickles with their dinner, and some customers had already finished their pickles before their main dishes arrived.

So, Madam Sun was carrying the empty pickle plates back to the kitchen.

Madam Chen couldn’t help but ask, “Sister, are you okay?”

Among the three waitresses, Madam Sun was the oldest.

Madam Sun quickly said, “It’s nothing, just slipped. I’ll clean up the shards. Everyone, please stay back to avoid getting hurt.” Her face was a bit pale, whether from the shock of dropping the plates or something else.

Madam Sun swiftly swept up the broken pieces and mopped the floor.

Madam Chen wasn’t very familiar with Sun Shi but was closer to Madam Yuan.

Madam Chen lived in Laixi Alley, while Madam Yuan lived in Guihua Alley. They were relatively familiar with each other, both chosen by Wu Wan to help Xu Qinyu.

Madam Sun, who dropped the plates, was picked by Xu Qinyu from a list of women applying for the waitress position. Madam Sun was relatively tall and looked strong, so Xu Qinyu chose her. Madam Sun worked diligently and never slacked off. This was her first time dropping a plate.

In the kitchen, Xu Qinyu heard about the dropped plate but didn’t say much. She just asked Madam Wen to note it down, and the cost of the plate would be deducted from Madam Sun’s wages at the end of the month.

Although the small plate wasn’t expensive, just two wen each, it was a rule that broken utensils had to be compensated for at cost.

Madam Sun quickly nodded in agreement.

Madam Chen didn’t make a big deal out of Madam Sun dropping the plates and continued talking to the customers in the dining hall about the unfortunate rumors affecting their business.

“Our owner’s grandmother wasn’t in good health when she first came back a few months ago, but look at her now—healthy and robust. If she had tuberculosis, would she look like this?”

The customers nodded in agreement. “Exactly. If there’s fair competition, there’s no need for underhanded tactics. It’s disgraceful.”

They understood that the rumors were likely due to business competition, as many of them were businesspeople themselves.

One customer joked, “Well, at least there’s a silver lining. With fewer people believing the rumors and coming here, we don’t have to queue up.”

“Ha ha ha, but it’s not good for the owner. Without business, they can’t make money.”

The customers laughed and chatted, planning to help clear up the rumors in the future. They didn’t want Xu’s Food Mansion to close down, as they enjoyed the delicious food there.

Madam Chen continued explaining the situation to new customers in a loud voice.

Neighbors who came to queue up also chatted at the entrance, saying they had been buying fish balls from Xu Qinyu’s family for over half a year and had only become healthier. They dismissed the rumors as nonsense, likely spread by someone jealous of Xu’s Food Mansion’s success. They pointed out that the restaurant had been open for over a month, and if there were any truth to the rumors, it would have been evident by now.

Many people heard these conversations.

Sure enough, within a few days, business at Xu’s Food Mansion picked up again.

Even when rumors spread, business was still decent, with Xu Qinyu busy for over an hour during breakfast and dinner. Now, with business even better, queues formed once more.

Another main reason was that customers who believed the rumors and went to other eateries found themselves missing Xu’s Food Mansion’s food, as the taste was incomparable. So, they returned to Xu’s Food Mansion.

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Business at Xu’s Food Mansion continued as usual, with Xu Qinyu taking two days off each month. Eventually, they decided to close at the beginning and middle of each month, giving all employees a break.

Even for the past two days, Xu Qinyu didn’t need to prepare diet meals for Yang Zhizhi.

Soon, it was mid-June, the day Xu’s Food Mansion took a break.

When Xu Qinyu rested, she truly rested, doing nothing but lying in bed, daydreaming, or thinking about recipes.

Madam Wen wished Yuniang could sleep for twelve hours straight on her rest days. If Yuniang hadn’t refused, Madam Wen would have brought breakfast and dinner to her bedside.

Whenever Xu Qinyu took a break, many customers sighed in disappointment. These customers were loyal Xu’s Food Mansion patrons, dining there almost daily, either for breakfast or dinner. When Xu’s Food Mansion was closed, they had to eat elsewhere or at home.

Unexpectedly, on the day Xu’s Food Mansion was closed, Ping An Eatery on West Street started selling custard buns, glutinous rice with pork intestines, and fish porridge for breakfast.

However, Ping An Eatery’s custard buns and glutinous rice with pork intestines were not served in small steamers like at Xu’s Food Mansion. Instead, they were in a large steamer, with the glutinous rice and pork intestines on the bottom layer and the custard buns on the top. The fish porridge was also cooked in a large pot.

Moreover, the prices were cheap. Custard buns were two wen each, glutinous rice with pork intestines was three wen per piece, and fish porridge was only four wen per large bowl.

As a result, many customers went to try it.

When customers entered, the female manager of Ping An Eatery openly admitted, “Indeed, we are imitating Xu’s Food Mansion’s food. The taste may not be as good, but it’s cheaper. Whether you enjoy it or not, I’m being honest. If you find it not as good as Xu’s Food Mansion’s breakfast, you can go back there next time.”

Her words were clear, and the customers understood.

After trying the food, they found it was indeed not as good as Xu’s Food Mansion’s, not even half as good, but it was cheap. Xu’s Food Mansion’s custard buns were five wen each, while here they were two wen and even larger. The glutinous rice with pork intestines and fish porridge had a fishy taste and were quite heavy, making customers thirsty after eating. They decided not to return the next day.

However, since Xu’s Food Mansion was closed that day, Ping An Eatery’s imitation breakfast items sold out quickly to curious customers.

But without exception, customers who had eaten breakfast at Xu’s Food Mansion couldn’t help but say as they left, “Manager, even if you’re imitating Xu’s Food Mansion’s breakfast, the taste should at least be similar. Your custard buns are overly sweet and lack the right milk flavor. The glutinous rice with pork intestines is fishy, and the fish porridge has thick, fishy slices that aren’t tender at all. Sigh.” Only then did they leave.

The female manager smiled and promised to improve but secretly resented Xu’s Food Mansion.

County Office Residence.

The maid, Chunhong, happily carried several food boxes back to the west wing.

The west wing was where Yang Zhizhi lived. Today, Xu’s Food Mansion was closed for a break, so she didn’t go out and asked Chunhong to buy her something to eat.

Xu’s Food Mansion was closed, and since Qinyu worked so hard every day, Yang Zhizhi, now a close friend of Qinyu, knew how exhausted her friend was. She didn’t want to burden her friend with making breakfast and dinner on her rest days and hoped Qinyu could rest well. Fortunately, it was only two days a month, and Qinyu said she could eat whatever she wanted on those days, as long as she didn’t eat after the evening.

But Yang Zhizhi couldn’t stomach food from other restaurants.

The first time Xu’s Food Mansion was closed, she had Chunhong pack her usual dishes from Donglai Restaurant, only to find she couldn’t eat them. The flavors were too strong and didn’t taste like the ingredients themselves. Qinyu’s cooking always brought out the natural flavors of the ingredients.

So, she didn’t feel like eating much during Xu’s Food Mansion’s breaks.

She had been losing weight for two months. In the first month, she weighed herself every three to five days but later found it too troublesome and stopped.

Weighing herself was indeed a hassle, so she measured her waist and legs instead. Both were getting smaller. After more than two months, her family, who saw her every day, couldn’t tell if she had lost weight, but a few days ago, her grandmother visited and said she looked much slimmer. Her clothes also fit more loosely. She planned to have Chunhong help her weigh herself after bringing back breakfast.

Chunhong had just returned and happily said, “Miss, guess what breakfast I bought for you?”

Yang Zhizhi lay on the table, her round face resting on it, looking a bit listless. “Food from Donglai Restaurant? Qinyu didn’t open the restaurant today, so I don’t feel like eating anything.”

Chunhong immediately smiled, “Of course not. I bought custard buns, glutinous rice with pork intestines, and fish porridge.”

Yang Zhizhi quickly lifted her face from the table, “Did Qinyu open the restaurant today?”

“No,” Chunhong said. “I bought it from Ping An Eatery. I went to West Street this morning to see if there was anything to eat and found that Ping An Eatery was also selling custard buns and other items, so I bought some. Miss, try the taste.”

Yang Zhizhi immediately opened the food boxes. She wasn’t hungry but wanted to see what courage Ping An Eatery had to imitate Qin Yu’s cooking. She didn’t fuss about it and picked up a custard bun to try. The texture was off, not soft at all.

When she took a bite, the dough lacked the milky aroma and wasn’t soft. She hadn’t even reached the filling yet, and when she did, her face turned a bit green. It was overly sweet, likely made with sugar and egg yolk, and had a slight eggy smell. The filling was also dry.

She tried the glutinous rice with pork intestines, but the taste was off. The fish porridge was even worse.

Yang Zhizhi took one bite of each and refused to eat more, angrily saying, “What is Ping An Eatery doing? If they want to imitate Xu’s Food Mansion’s food, they should at least make it taste good. This is a mess. Even if it’s cheap, it might still harm Xu’s Food Mansion’s reputation.”

Chunhong also tried a bite of what her mistress didn’t eat and frowned. She had eaten at Xu’s Food Mansion before, and the taste was indeed not comparable.

Yang Zhizhi was a bit angry but helpless. It wasn’t possible to say that just because Xu’s Food Mansion made certain dishes, other eateries couldn’t make or sell them. She lost the mood to weigh herself and initially wanted to inform Qinyu. But thinking about her friend resting, she decided not to spoil her mood with such news.

Xu Qinyu only found out the next day when customers mentioned it to Madam Chen, who then told Xu Qinyu in the kitchen.

Xu Qinyu just smiled and said, “It’s okay, no need to make a fuss. It’s common for food trends to be imitated. Customers say their food doesn’t taste good and don’t want to go back for a second time. There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll continue doing what we do.”

Madam Chen angrily said, “But this is too much.”

Xu Qinyu smiled, but her heart sank a bit.

It’s normal for food to be imitated, but the unusual part was that Xu’s Food Mansion had an insider leak. Even if someone wanted to imitate the food, they should know how it was made.

Fish porridge and glutinous rice with pork intestines are easier to figure out; you can guess how to make them by tasting and observing, though the recipes and ingredients might differ. But custard buns are different. You can’t just know how to make the filling by tasting it; you need to see how it’s prepared and cooked. However, some skilled chefs can deduce the ingredients and seasonings only by tasting the food.

She just felt that the head chef at Ping An Eatery wasn’t that skilled. If they had such a keen sense of taste, they would be a renowned chef by now.

So, it’s highly likely that Xu’s Food Mansion had an insider leak.

Even if there was an insider, she could rule out some people. Cheng Ge’er was already her apprentice and wouldn’t sell the custard bun recipe to others. Gong Ge’er wouldn’t either; he was straightforward, and his thoughts were easy to read. Besides, they had been together long enough to judge their character. Madam Wen was even less likely. So, the remaining suspects were the three waitresses.

Xu Qinyu couldn’t figure out who it was for now, so she glanced at Madam Chen, Madam Yuan, and Madam Sun.

The three were chatting and laughing while washing pots and pans. Madam Chen’s voice was still loud, Madam Yuan didn’t talk much, just smiled, and Madam Sun was less outgoing than Madam Chen, only occasionally responding to her.

She thought for a moment and called Cheng Ge’er over, whispering a few words in his ear.