Heaven is the shore of mortal dust

Chapter 11

It had been a long, long time since she felt this peaceful and carefree. Thinking back to her past self, she drove luxury cars, wore designer clothes, and ate the same few simple meals. She owned property after property, but ultimately slept in the same tiny two-square-meter room. Yet she continued to work tirelessly to earn money, unable to distinguish between happiness and unhappiness, unsure if she was truly content. She believed happiness meant having a home, being by her parents' side. But of all her many properties, which one was truly her home? People say home is where your parents are, but with her parents gone, she could no longer find her way home.

Today, that feeling of being with her parents has returned. Perhaps all she has ever longed for in her life is to enjoy family time in such a warm and leisurely place. If she were to give up all her wealth in exchange, she would gladly do so.

Wei Zijun hefted the fifty coins in her hand and couldn't help but smile. She couldn't bear to part with them now. Fifty coins! That wouldn't even buy a decent fast food meal in modern times.

Her goal today was to turn those fifty coins into fifty taels, or even fifty thousand taels.

He walked around, looking around, trying to find some business opportunities.

As I was observing, a commotion arose from ahead.

Wei Zijun stepped forward and saw that it was a restaurant. The restaurant was three stories high, with double eaves and a roof covered with peacock green glazed tiles. The eaves were upturned, and ten large red lanterns hung under the eaves. The windows were decorated with latticework and colorful paintings. There were two stone lions in front of the door, and various stone crane sculptures were lined up along the side. A wooden plaque hung under the eaves of the top floor, with three large gilded characters: "Danhe Lou" (Red Crane Tower).

Wei Zijun thought to herself, such a magnificent restaurant must not be run by an ordinary person.

Moreover, with her keen business sense, she deduced that this must be a place where food was both expensive and plentiful.

The people who open this kind of restaurant are the smartest, because there are always some special groups of people in this world who need such necessary occasions.

There are generally two types of people who come to places like this. One type has money to burn and spends it here to show off their status. The other type doesn't care about how much money they have, but they want their guests to feel the joy of having their status affirmed.

The noise came from the open doors and windows of the restaurant, and from the people waiting to eat beside the doors.

It's surprising that such a grand display existed in ancient times. Those waiting outside were all dressed in fine silks and satins, exuding elegance. The owner of the restaurant clearly knew how to behave; not only had a magnificent pavilion been erected nearby, but also fine chairs and couches were provided, and waiters were there to serve tea and snacks, so even while waiting, one wouldn't lose face.

"Sixth Brother, hurry up!" the waiter shouted.

"Hey! Coming!" The waiter, nicknamed Liu Lang, hurried over carrying tea.

As I put down the teapot and turned around, I saw a person standing at the door, looking around. The person had dark hair tied up high, topped with a cloth crown, and wore a white robe draped over their slender shoulders, exuding an indescribable air of elegance. Their jade-white face had delicately raised eyebrows, and their clear, blue eyes were slightly narrowed. Beneath their straight, smooth nose, a faint smile lingered on their pale red lips. Their expression seemed to suggest they were pondering something amusing, or perhaps calculating something. Judging from their demeanor, they must be someone of some importance, so I stepped forward, bowed, and greeted them.

"May I ask how many guests you have? Did you make a reservation?"

Only after the words were spoken did he realize that the man was actually wearing a homespun long gown, which puzzled him. Perhaps this distinguished guest had dressed like this on purpose? But that shouldn't be the case. He knew everything about what nobles liked and what was fashionable these days, and he had never heard of anyone wearing homespun clothes. Could he have misjudged the guest? But judging from the guest's air of importance, he dared not judge his worth based on his attire. He considered himself to have seen countless people, but he had never encountered someone so difficult to assess. Just as he was pondering this, the guest unexpectedly spoke, but what he said made him stumble.

"Excuse me, sir, do you need any help in this shop?"

Wei Zijun hesitated for a long time before making this decision. Who would be so fortunate as to be asked to serve others? But he had to bear the humiliation because he wanted to pry into someone else's business secrets.

"If necessary, someone of your stature, young master, is probably not suited for such a servant's job." Liu Lang looked at Wei Zijun's delicate skin and clean, refreshing appearance. How could someone like him do such a job? Even he couldn't bear to see such a clean person covered in grease and smoke while going around calling for guests. It really wasn't a job he should be doing.

"Young man, you're overthinking it. I've done all sorts of errands, from serving tea and water to taking care of people. If your shop needs help, I'm the perfect person to help you."

"Well... then please come in with me, young master."

"Thank you for your help, sir."

Life is unpredictable, and people's fates are hard to control. In less than half an incense stick's time, Wei Zijun had already put on the hat of a waiter and was running around doing errands.

[Volume 1, Deer City Chapter: Chapter 11 The Origin (Part 2)]

Because Wei Zijun was intelligent, had a good memory for the dishes, was good at handling people, and was witty and funny, she served the guests at the tables she was in charge of with smiles on their faces. In addition, these guests rarely met someone who was so eloquent and good-looking, so they all left some silver coins as tips.

The lunch rush passed quickly, and only a few scattered customers remained on the second floor where Wei Zijun was.

Wei Zijun took the dishes she had cleared to the kitchen to wash. Just as she put the greasy plates and bowls into the water, Liu Lang pulled her aside. "Look at your hands, sigh, they're rough from washing. Go and watch over those tables of guests for me, I'll wash them." With that, he forcefully pushed her out of the kitchen.

Wei Zijun was grateful and walked towards the main hall while wiping her hands.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, three guests came up.

The leader was a tall and imposing figure with an extraordinary bearing. His handsome and resolute face featured long, sword-like eyebrows, a straight, high nose, and a pair of bright, shining eyes. He wore a silver crown, a moon-white silk robe embroidered with pale blue orchid patterns, a white jade belt around his waist, and gold-embroidered phoenix boots. Holding a folding fan, he slowly strolled up the stairs, his steps deliberate yet exuding an air of dominance.

The one in the middle was also tall and strong, with slightly dark skin, thick eyebrows, big eyes, a straight face, and a wide mouth. He wore a long blue satin robe, a black silk sash around his waist, and light blue satin boots.

The last one was still tall, but thinner than the two before him. His face was also more handsome than theirs, with fair skin, thin red lips, and slanted phoenix eyes full of charm. He wore a black silk robe with nothing tied around his waist, black satin boots embroidered with gold, and held a black folding fan. He followed closely behind the two in front of him.

All three of them looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

"Please come in, distinguished guests," Wei Zijun quickly stepped forward to greet them.

The three ignored her and went straight to a window seat.

"What would you like to eat, esteemed guest?" Wei Zijun asked as she stepped forward.

The three men, who hadn't glanced at her the whole time, finally looked up at Wei Zijun, and were all stunned for a moment when they saw her clearly.

Although the waiter was dressed in plain clothes, he had an extraordinary bearing, and his simple clothes could not hide his stoic elegance.

The man in black, with his phoenix eyes slanted, said to Wei Zijun, "How come you're even more handsome than me?"

Wei Zijun was taken aback by these words. "Sir, you flatter me. You are as handsome as a celestial being, adorned in fine silks and satins, a sign of great nobility. I am but a humble villager, crude and unworthy, how could I possibly compare to you, esteemed guest?" Wei Zijun stood with her head bowed, her demeanor submissive.

"Huh? Judging from what you've said, this isn't something a villager could say. It seems that Lucheng is full of talented people, even a villager can have such eloquence."

"Shang Zhen, please say less. We have important business to attend to." The man in white beside Wei Zijun came to her rescue.

"What would you like to eat, sir? I'll have someone prepare it right away," Wei Zijun asked.

"Just pick a few dishes that you think are delicious."

"Yes, our stir-fried dishes are fragrant and crispy, the crispy roast goose is crispy but not greasy, the steamed osmanthus fish is fragrant, smooth and tender, and the seasonal vegetable hearts are refreshing and crisp. Two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, plus a stew of dried vegetable and pork bone soup, are good for the lungs and spleen. How does this sound to you, sir?"

"Very good, quickly tell them to prepare."

"Yes, would you like to drink alcohol? What kind of tea would you like?"