Chapter 104: The Culinary Tycoon

Jia Xiaoren

Upon hearing that the tea house at the intersection was closing down, Yu Qingze immediately left the house.

The tea house in question was a well-known establishment, spanning two floors with a sizable storefront. It was situated at the bustling intersection of North-South Street and East-West Street, occupying a prime location. Such a great storefront needed to be seized promptly!

Shortly after, Boss Liu followed along, saying, “I’ll go with you. I know the owner, and he and his wife often come to your snack shop for desserts.”

“Oh? They come to the snack shop regularly?” Surprised, Yu Qingze asked.

Boss Liu nodded and said, “Yes, they are a friendly elderly couple.”

“That’s good to hear. Thank you, brother!” Yu Qingze expressed his gratitude.

The two hurriedly arrived at the tea house and took a quick look around. They noticed that the tea house was still open and had customers, but they didn’t see the owner or the waitstaff.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

In the main hall, there were several scattered tables where customers were enjoying tea and chatting. Most of them were leisurely elderly people, and bird cages were placed on the tables, indicating that they had just finished bird-walking and came here to sit and drink tea. Another table was occupied by three or four young men, dressed as sons of wealthy families, laughing and joking.

At that moment, a waiter came out carrying a teapot and, upon seeing the two, smiled and asked, “Would you like to have tea? Open seating or a private room?”

The two exchanged glances, and Boss Liu asked, “Is Boss Qin here?”

The waiter replied, “Are you here to see the boss too? He’s upstairs in a meeting. Would you like to wait downstairs for a while?”

Wait, what?

Yu Qingze and Boss Liu became a bit concerned. They were worried that someone might have taken the opportunity to negotiate the lease for the shop. It was said that the shop belonged to the boss himself because he was idle at home and loved tea, so he opened it to pass the time.

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Alright, we’ll wait. Please bring us a pot of Biluochun tea.”

The waiter responded, “Sure, please have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

The two sat by the window, sipping tea and chatting. After about fifteen minutes, a plump man in his fifties and a slim, seemingly refined man in his early thirties came downstairs. The plump man had his back turned to them, while the slim, refined man faced them.

As soon as they saw the slim, refined man, they were instantly shocked.

“I didn’t expect it to be Jia Xiaoren, the owner of Xiang Man Yuan. What is he doing here? Doesn’t he already have a shop?” Boss Liu whispered to Yu Qingze.

Yu Qingze shook his head, equally puzzled. Xiang Man Yuan had only been open for half a year. It seemed unlikely that they would be opening a new branch so soon. Perhaps they were looking for a larger space? The business at Xiang Man Yuan seemed to be doing well on regular days.

Boss Liu continued, “The plump one is Boss Qin.”

Yu Qingze took a look and coincidentally, the plump boss turned his body, allowing Yu Qingze to catch a glimpse of his profile. It sparked some recognition, and he nodded, saying, “I’ve seen him a few times at the shop.”

Both of them continued to observe, and suddenly, the owner of Xiang Man Yuan, Boss Jia, glanced in their direction, making direct eye contact with Yu Qingze.

During such a sensitive time, both of them knew why they had come here.

As a gesture of politeness, Yu Qingze lifted his teacup hand slightly towards Boss Jia, and Boss Jia smiled and nodded in return, acknowledging the greeting.

Once Boss Jia left, Boss Liu immediately called out to Boss Qin. “Older Brother Qin!”

Boss Qin turned around, surprised. “Oh, it’s Old Liu. What brings you here? Hey, isn’t this Yu, the boss of Yu’s Delicious Delights?”

Yu Qingze stood up, cupped his hand in greeting, and smiled. “Boss Qin, I’ve seen you a few times at the shop, but I didn’t know you were the owner of this tea house.”

Boss Qin chuckled and replied, “Oh, forget about being an owner or not. I’m just passing the time running this place, and it won’t be open for much longer.” Then he motioned for them to sit and said, “Hey, don’t just stand there, have a seat. Xiao Cong, bring us a pot of good tea!”

“Got it!” The waiter’s voice echoed from the tea room in the back.

Yu Qingze and Boss Liu took their seats.

Then Boss Liu continued with the question based on Boss Qin’s earlier statement. “Older Brother Qin, you just mentioned that you won’t be keeping this place open anymore?”

Boss Qin nodded and sighed. “Yes, my wife’s health is not good, and I plan to spend more time with him at home.”

Upon hearing this, Boss Liu understood immediately.

Boss Qin’s only son tragically passed away when he was in his teens. It was a heart-wrenching experience for them as parents to lose their child. In the aftermath, his wife shed tears every day. To divert his wife’s attention and provide him with something to do, Boss Qin opened this tea house where they could run it together. The shop indeed brought some improvement to his wife’s well-being. However, the couple was unable to have another child after that.

Boss Qin owned two shops on this street, and they had no worries about food and drink. As they grew older, if Boss Qin’s wife’s health wasn’t good, it made sense for Boss Qin to suddenly decide to close the tea house.

“Is your wife’s health serious?” Boss Liu inquired.

Boss Qin replied, “Well, he’s just getting older, and some old ailments have resurfaced. He needs to rest properly.”

“That’s right, I need to spend more time with my wife,” Boss Liu nodded in agreement and then asked, “Older Brother Qin, until when do you plan to keep this shop open?”

Upon hearing the question, Boss Qin looked up and asked, “Why? Are you interested in taking over?”

“No, not at all. My noodle shop keeps me busy enough,” Boss Liu shook his head and gestured towards Yu Qingze with a chin lift. He said, “It’s my brother, Boss Yu, who intends to rent a shop space to open a restaurant. We heard today that you plan to close down, so we came here specifically to inquire.”

Boss Qin looked at Yu Qingze with surprise and asked, “Oh, Boss Yu, you’re opening a restaurant?”

Yu Qingze nodded and smiled, “Yes, I’m currently looking for a suitable space.”

Boss Qin further asked, “Are you interested in this place?”

Yu Qingze nodded directly and said, “Yes, your shop has a great location and two floors, which is perfect for a restaurant.”

After contemplating for a moment, Boss Qin said, “To be honest with you, two people have already approached me today. You just saw one of them, the owner of Xiang Man Yuan. He also wants to open a restaurant and expand the scale of his current shop.”

Yu Qingze and Boss Liu exchanged a glance upon hearing this, confirming their suspicion that Boss Jia was indeed here to discuss the shop.

Boss Liu asked, “Have you reached an agreement with him?”

Boss Qin shook his head and said, “The rent he offered is quite satisfactory, two taels higher than the market price. However, I still need to consult my wife at home. He doesn’t particularly like Boss Jia.”

Boss Liu whispered, “Why is that?”

Boss Qin didn’t conceal anything and replied, “Before my wife got married, he was neighbors with the wife of the owner of Wu Wei Xuan. They had a good relationship. When Wu Wei Xuan had some trouble before, my wife didn’t really appreciate Boss Jia anymore.”

Upon hearing this, both of them understood, and a sense of relief washed over them. It was quite coincidental, perhaps even destined, that this shop shouldn’t end up in the hands of Jia Xiaoren.

Quickly, Yu Qingze suggested, “Well then, Boss Qin, how about renting it to me? Whatever price Boss Jia offers, I can match it.”

Boss Qin glanced at him and said, “He’s offering twenty-five taels per month. I’ve seen his restaurant before, and the business is quite good. During lunch and dinner hours, it’s usually about seventy to eighty percent full. If you want to open a restaurant, you’ll need to have twice as many customers as him to afford the rent for this shop.”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Boss Qin, rest assured, I have confidence in my culinary skills.”

Boss Liu chimed in, “That’s right, Boss Qin, are you worried that his business won’t be good? Look at his snack shop, it’s always bustling with customers. You’ve tried his dim sum too, and is there any other place in Tongshan City that can compare to his flavors?”

Upon hearing this, Boss Qin paused for a moment and then asked, “Is your cooking skill as good as your dim sum-making skill?”

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “Not the same.”

Boss Qin sighed upon hearing that. He had expected it. If he already excelled at making dim sum, how could he also be equally skilled at cooking?

Even Boss Liu was puzzled when he saw him shaking his head. Why did he shake his head?

Seeing their expressions, Yu Qingze smiled slightly and said, “You misunderstood. What I meant was that my cooking skills are better than my dim sum-making skills. Cooking is actually my specialty.”

Boss Qin looked up at him in astonishment and exclaimed, “Cooking is actually your specialty?”

Yu Qingze nodded.

Cooking was his true expertise, while making pastries and dim sum was just something he dabbled in during his spare time, learning from his master. He didn’t invest much energy into it. He would occasionally observe other pastry chefs in hotels and learn from them. Perhaps he couldn’t match the skills of professional pastry chefs in his world, but here, his culinary abilities were more than enough to captivate the palates of the people.

Boss Qin was shocked to see him nodding.

If he already excelled at making dim sum and pastries, and now he claimed to be even better at cooking?! How extraordinary must his cooking be?!

Suddenly, Boss Qin had a strong desire to taste Yu Qingze’s cooking.

Boss Qin slammed the table and exclaimed, “Alright, I’ll rent it to you! It’s all because of your skills, because of what you just said!”

The other guests at the tables in the lobby looked over in surprise upon hearing the conversation.

With excitement shining in his eyes, Yu Qingze happily exclaimed, “That’s wonderful! Thank you, Boss Qin!”

Boss Qin realized he had been a bit carried away earlier. He waved to reassure the other customers and then turned back to Yu Qingze, saying, “Both my wife and I love the dim sum from your shop. Your skills would be such a waste if you didn’t open a restaurant. I’m glad you’ve chosen my place, and you don’t need to pay as much rent. Just the same as the rent for other shops will do.”

Yu Qingze objected, “How can that be? We agreed on the rent based on the price you mentioned to Boss Jia.”

Boss Qin waved his hand and said, “We’re an old couple with only a few good years left. We don’t need that much money. As long as it’s enough for our expenses. We’ve lived for most of our lives, and now we can still enjoy such delicious dim sum and pastries. We already feel content. But now, you’re saying your cooking skills are even better. How can I not taste it? The best delicacies will be in my shop. Isn’t it wonderful, Old Liu?”

Naturally, Liu Boss agreed and said, “Yes. Before I tasted the cold noodles and liangpi made by Brother Yu, I thought my noodle-making skills were already good enough. But then he came along, and I realized that there’s always someone better out there. My skills are completely incomparable to his. And then, I tried his pastries and dim sum, and they were mind-blowing. It made me feel like I wasted the first half of my life.”

“Yes, indeed, it feels like a wasted life!”

Boss Qin and Boss Liu continued to praise each other, engaging in a back-and-forth of compliments that made Yu Qingze, the person at the center of it all, feel a bit embarrassed.

Finally, in the afternoon of that day, Yu Qingze and Boss Qin signed the lease agreement, and three days later, Boss Qin handed over the shop.

The following evening, when Jia Xiaoren learned that the teahouse had been rented to Yu Qingze at market price, he became so angry that he directly threw a large vase to the ground.

“Why do you get so angry, my dear husband? If we lost the shop, we can find another one. Don’t let it ruin your health. I care about you.” A pair of delicate, fair hands came around from behind and gently massaged Jia Xiaoren’s chest. A tender and gentle voice fluttered like a butterfly.

Jia Xiaoren extended his hand and covered those hands, pulling them down. Then, he turned around and forcefully pulled the owner of those hands towards him, embracing their waist and grabbing a handful of their ample curves, before directly pushing them onto the bed.

“My dear, if you care, then find a way to comfort your husband properly!”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Dammit author, why write about Boss Jia’s sexy scene. Nobody asked.