But he wasn't happy at all.
The thought that Gu Fengyan might actually remarry after returning home and spend the rest of his life with someone who wasn't him made him inexplicably sad.
If only Gu Fengyan could go back with him.
"Young Master Gu, you're not allowed to cheat!" Suddenly, he turned his head towards Gu Fengyan.
Gu Fengyan was startled.
Ah, we've been discovered.
He quickly averted his gaze from the beautiful woman not far away, suppressing his smile. "Ahem... Don't talk nonsense. Everyone appreciates beauty, and besides, the young lady greeted me. It would be ungentlemanly not to respond. This isn't cheating; it's gentlemanly conduct."
The three of them were passing by the Mianchunlou on West Street.
What kind of place is this? It's the most famous brothel in Qianmo County, where all the girls, boys, and men are top-notchly good-looking.
Huo Duan was a little jealous. "I don't seem that good-looking at all. Do you like that kind of guy?"
What?! That was a man?!
Gu Fengyan looked at her more closely and saw that the girl had a flat chest and no birthmarks on her face, so she was definitely a man.
"I misread it, I'm blind." Gu Fengyan quickly looked away; he couldn't handle a cross-dressing man.
Even if it were a girl, he would only admire her.
Huo Duan smiled and said, "I'm not as good-looking as you."
A note from the author:
It's a little short now, but it'll definitely be thick and long tomorrow! (Clenches fist)
Chapter Eighteen
As they spoke, they arrived at East Street and could see Manager Li of Dongfulou Restaurant standing at the entrance seeing off guests.
This person had bought bamboo shoots from Gu Fengyan before and was considered a regular customer. Since he was passing by, he thought he'd say hello.
"Manager Li, it's been a long time. I hope your business is booming," Gu Fengyan said with a smile and a wave.
Manager Li had just seen his guests off and was about to go inside when he heard the greeting. Turning around, he saw Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan and quickly stepped forward, saying, "It's you two young men! What a coincidence! I was just about to send someone to the village to look for you two, but I've caught you!"
This was the first time Ye Shan had met such an important figure as Manager Li. He was taken aback when he heard that Manager Li wanted to see Huo Duan and his wife... Could it be that Er Dan had done something to offend Manager Li?
While Huo Duan was chatting with Manager Li, Ye Shan hurriedly asked Gu Fengyan with a serious expression, "Brother Yan, have you two done something to offend Manager Li?"
Gu Fengyan was both amused and exasperated, and explained, "Brother Dashan, don't worry, it's nothing like that. The other day I went up the mountain to dig up some bamboo shoots and sold them to Dongfulou, so I know Manager Li. I was just saying hello."
Ye Shan was relieved after hearing this, but then remembered that his mother had asked him to buy some snacks to appease his younger brother. He told Gu Fengyan that they would meet at the city gate before leaving.
After exchanging pleasantries with Huo Duan, Manager Li hurriedly asked Gu Fengyan, "Young Master Gu, there's something I'd like to discuss with you two. Would you have the time to do so?"
Gu Fengyan glanced at Huo Duan, who whispered, "It's about the bamboo shoots."
Gu Fengyan suddenly realized that the bamboo shoots he sold to Dongfulou last time were very popular, and he wanted to cooperate with them in the long term.
“Whatever Manager Li says goes, no need to be so polite,” he said with a smile.
Manager Li glanced at the two men, then suddenly bowed. "To be honest, those bamboo shoots last time were a hot commodity. They were all gone as soon as they hit the table. Some people even came specifically to try them. It's just a pity that there weren't many left..."
At the last time, at Master Zhang's birthday banquet, a dish of stir-fried bamboo shoots was served and was immediately devoured. Even Master Zhang, who was used to eating delicacies, praised it highly and rewarded Dongfulou, the restaurant that had contracted the banquet, with a lot of money on the spot.
After that, Dongfulou's reputation even surpassed that of Yingchunlou, a chain restaurant across the street.
Thinking of Manager Zhou's green face with anger, Manager Li felt even better and continued, "What I mean by saying this is that I want to do business with you two young men. From now on, you can send any mountain produce or wild vegetables from the mountains to Dongfu Restaurant. Name your price, and I can afford any amount."
"What do you two think, gentlemen?" He sized them up, afraid they might refuse. "Or perhaps you could name your terms..."
Gu Fengyan had already anticipated Manager Li's thoughts, so he was not surprised.
"I'm afraid we two cannot agree to Manager Li's suggestion," Gu Fengyan said with a slight smile.
Manager Li was immediately stunned. He thought the conditions he had proposed were already quite generous, and he never expected that the two of them would refuse.
"Why? If you're worried about the price, feel free to state your terms," Manager Li said urgently.
Gu Fengyan was about to explain when Huo Duan said, "It's not about the price, Manager Li, please let my wife explain."
After saying that, he looked at Gu Fengyan and raised an eyebrow, indicating that he had seen through Gu Fengyan's thoughts.
Gu Fengyan's face burned from the word "Madam," and he smiled helplessly before speaking, "Manager Li, think about it. The two of us are selling you seasonal mountain products. We can still find some now that it's late spring and early summer, but once the season is over, I'm afraid they'll be gone. How much money can we make then?"
Manager Li lowered his head and pondered, finding it quite reasonable.
Gu Fengyan then got straight to the point, "I have an even better idea, I wonder if Manager Li would be interested?"
"Please speak freely, young man," Manager Li said hastily when he heard that he had a better idea.
"Manager Li, have you ever heard of medicinal cuisine? Why don't you consider selling medicinal cuisine at Dongfu Restaurant? Besides wild vegetables and mountain products, Heqing Village is also rich in medicinal herbs, and I happen to know how to prepare them. We can cooperate with Dongfu Restaurant on this basis," Gu Fengyan said, revealing his ultimate goal.
"Medicinal cuisine?" Manager Li pondered. "I've heard of it, young man. Your suggestion is indeed good. It's just a pity..."
Medicinal cuisine uses medicinal herbs in food to achieve the purpose of health preservation and longevity. Due to its beautiful scenery, many retired officials and wealthy merchants will buy properties in Qianmo County and stay there to enjoy their retirement.
These wealthy merchants rely on precious medicinal herbs to nourish their bodies and attach great importance to maintaining their health. If Dongfulou can really make medicinal cuisine, there will be plenty of people coming to dine there. Why would they be afraid of not being able to surpass the restaurant across the street?
It's just a pity...
Manager Li sighed, "It's a pity that not only Dongfulou, but I'm afraid the entire Qianmo County can't find a chef who can make medicinal cuisine!"
Huo Duan smiled slightly, showing great trust in Gu Fengyan, "There's no need to worry about Manager Li. I think the head chef of Dongfulou has some skills. As long as we have the recipes, why should we be afraid that he can't cook them?"
Manager Li was taken aback, then overjoyed, "Could it be that you two actually have a medicinal diet recipe?"
Huo Duan smiled but remained silent, looking at Gu Fengyan.
Mr. Huo has dug up all our secrets.
Gu Fengyan felt completely exposed to Huo Duan and the others' gaze, as if he were naked.
“If Manager Li is willing to do this business, I will provide the medicinal diet recipe,” Gu Fengyan said.
Manager Li was naturally more than willing, but if only the couple knew this skill, they could easily monopolize it. There was no reason for them to sell it to him, especially since the price... was probably not low.
"I'm willing, but the price..." Manager Li looked troubled.
"Manager Li is a good man. He didn't look down on us because we were poor when he sold bamboo shoots..." Gu Fengyan wasn't very good at drafting contracts, so he passed the buck to Huo Duan, "Brother Duan will give you the fairest price."
Huo Duan had anticipated Gu Fengyan's response and continued, "We can provide the medicinal herbs and prescriptions for free, but... once Dongfulou starts offering medicinal cuisine, if it doesn't make a profit, fine. But if it does, we need to share 40% of the revenue with them. What does Manager Li think of this proposal?"
Selling only medicinal herbs and prescriptions is a dead end; if you can become a shareholder of Dongfulou, money will come in every month, so why worry about not making a profit?
Huo Duan was confident that medicinal cuisine would propel Dongfulou to new heights.
Manager Li has been in business for many years... Brother Huo's suggestion is very pertinent. Besides, if we were to buy that medicinal diet recipe, we might not be able to get it even if we lost the entire Dongfu Restaurant.
Why not let them invest?
Besides, he wouldn't lose money even if he didn't make any.
"Then I thank you both in advance." Manager Li smiled and respectfully invited them into the building. "Let's go inside and talk in detail."
After talking for an afternoon, Huo Duan carefully drafted the contract, and both parties signed it before leaving with Gu Fengyan.
Because I needed to write a recipe for medicinal cuisine, I went to the bookstore and bought some writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
At the city gate, Ye Shan, who had been waiting for a long time with several packets of snacks in his hand, hurriedly asked upon seeing the two, "What have you been doing? Why are you only arriving now?"
When Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan told Ye Shan about their business with Dongfulou, Ye Shan was surprised again. He also thought that if the business grew bigger, Erdan and his wife would be even busier, and his uncle wouldn't be able to help.
He then made up his mind that he would persuade his mother to help him once he got home.
In the evening, Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan, dressed in their clothes, wrote down prescriptions page by page on the table by lamplight.
Gu Fengyan is alright with hard-tipped pens, but they're using small wolf-hair brushes here. He's never held a calligraphy brush in his life, so how could he know how to use one?
Fortunately, there was Huo Duan.
"Use three grams of the finest ginseng and one hundred grams of japonica rice, cook them in a clay pot until the porridge is done, then add the dissolved rock sugar syrup and mix well." Gu Fengyan rested his chin on his hand and slowly recited the recipe.
Huo Duan listened and wrote as he went, and the characters he wrote were vigorous and powerful, with a natural and unrestrained spirit.
"It's used to replenish vital energy, benefit the spleen and lungs, promote body fluid production, and calm the mind..." Gu Fengyan looked down at his slender joints against the backdrop of the ink-black pen, and praised, "I didn't know, President Huo, you can do this. This handwriting... tsk tsk."
Huo Duan put down his pen and set the paper aside to dry. "My grandfather loved calligraphy and painting, and he was especially good at it. When I was a child, I spent every day in his study with him... Although I didn't put my heart into it, I still learned a thing or two."
Seeing Gu Fengyan staring intently at the words, he handed him the pen. "How about I teach you? Give it a try?"
Gu Fengyan gripped the pen and smiled, "Don't find me annoying."
"How could that be?" Huo Duan walked behind him, placing his hand on Qi, his chest pressed against that thin, blade-like back. "Follow me, you recite..."
"Place sliced Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Poria cocos into the duck's abdomen..."
As Huo Duan wrote, he gradually became lost in thought.
The hand I was holding was slender yet soft, cool to the touch, and the fingertips were pink... Gu Fengyan had taken a shower when she came back; the collar of her snow-white nightgown revealed an even whiter collarbone and neck, and her whole body exuded fragrance.
Huo Duan was momentarily unable to control himself.
How could it be so white? It's like it's beckoning people to leave their marks.
His face turned red. Writing requires a calm and peaceful mind; his mind was unsettled, so the characters he wrote were crooked and uneven.
Gu Fengyan sensed something was wrong, stopped reciting, and turned around to ask, "What's wrong... why is your face so red?"
"Cough cough... I'm fine. You try writing it. I'm going to wash my face; it's too hot." Huo Duan practically fled.
The snow-white snow under the warm yellow light kept shimmering before his eyes, stirring his heart.
hot?
Gu Fengyan pulled his clothes tighter. It was only May, and it was nighttime. How could it be hot?
He didn't understand, so he buried his head in writing those scrawled characters again.
...
The next day, before dawn, Huo Duan and Gu Fengyan got up first.
Having successfully established businesses at Dongfulou and Xinglinyuan, they not only made money but also became busier.
They planned to go recruit workers after finishing their breakfast.