Chapter 122: The Culinary Tycoon

He’s a Bit Naive

In his own restaurant, he actually heard customers saying that the food wasn’t delicious and praised the rival restaurant, not only its dishes but also the owner. Hearing these words infuriated Jia Xiaoren.

Initially, since the opening of Xiang Man Yuan, business had been decent. Later, he managed to recruit three chefs from other restaurants, further improving the business. In just two months, he had recovered the startup costs.

Over the following six months, business continued to flourish, and he successfully established connections with wealthy merchants in the city. At this point, the restaurant space became insufficient, especially with only one private room converted from a resting area. It inadvertently lost many customers, prompting him to consider getting a larger space.

He had been scouting for over a month for a new location. Later, he heard from a client that the teahouse near the intersection was closing down. He quickly went to see it and was very satisfied with the storefront, even voluntarily increasing the rent.

He thought everything was foolproof, but unexpectedly, the storefront was taken over by Yu Qingze, the owner of the neighboring snack shop. He wondered what benefits Yu Qingze offered to the teahouse owner, as he managed to rent the storefront.

His plan was disrupted, and he couldn’t find another suitable storefront afterwards.

What’s even more infuriating is that Yu Qingze not only took over the storefront but also opened a restaurant. Since the opening day of House of Prosperity, Xiang Man Yuan’s business started declining, and previous regular customers all flocked to House of Prosperity.

In just a month, the number of customers at his restaurant noticeably decreased. Now, he relies solely on passing merchants, and the familiar faces of regular customers are rarely seen. Even those who do come are like Master Liao and others, who only came over because there were no available seats at House of Prosperity.

It’s hateful that although he heard the angry words from Master Liao and others in the private room, he still couldn’t kick them out.

After arranging the dishes in the kitchen’s private room, Jia Xiaoren went to the table of the round-faced owner.

“Uncle, how is the task I asked you to do?” Jia Xiaoren sat down and asked in a low voice with a serious expression. He had endured for a month, but he couldn’t bear it any longer.

The round-faced owner glanced at his son upon hearing his words, then whispered, “I’ve already talked to the seafood and flour sellers. If they still want to get the goods from me, they won’t dare to sell to Yu Qingze.”

Jia Xiaoren’s face eased upon hearing this, and he reminded them again, “Please make sure to keep an eye on them. Whether my restaurant can revive or not depends entirely on all of you. You don’t know, ever since the restaurant at the intersection opened, it took away all my customers. My business is declining day by day, and I can hardly make any money.”

If Yu Qingze’s snack shop doesn’t have good flour, let’s see what he can do. If he uses lower quality flour, the customers will definitely notice, and in the long run, it will result in customer loss. As for the restaurant, without seafood, it will also lose some customers who enjoy seafood. At that time, he will add a few seafood dishes to his menu…

Jia Xiaoren thought that soon he could make Yu Qingze taste the helplessness of watching customers slip away and being unable to regain them. A wordless sense of satisfaction welled up inside him.

The round-faced owner’s expression became complex upon hearing this. He looked at the table for a while, then raised his head and said, “Xiaoren, actually, yesterday…”

“In fact, after unloading the goods yesterday, we wanted to come to Cousin’s place,” Ah Chang quickly interrupted his father, realizing that his father was about to mention how Yu Qingze bought flour from them yesterday evening. He pulled his father’s sleeve under the table, forcefully diverting the topic.

“Is that so?” Jia Xiaoren looked at the father and son curiously.

The round-faced owner glanced at his son and nodded, “Yes, yesterday when we unloaded the goods, the owners of those grain and oil shops came to buy from us. I specifically asked them, and they all said that Yu Qingze had approached them yesterday, but they didn’t sell to him.”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

But we accidentally sold it to him. The round-faced owner silently added in his mind, but his son prevented him from speaking, so he remained silent.

“That’s excellent. Thank you, Uncle, for your trouble,” Jia Xiaoren nodded in satisfaction, feeling a sense of anticipation and his mood improved.

The round-faced owner and his son had lunch there and then returned home.

After they got back, Ah Chang said to his father, “Father, you see it, right? He blames others for taking away his customers when his business is not doing well, instead of finding ways to improve the skills of his own chefs. Running a restaurant relies on craftsmanship, but the chefs in his establishment are not skilled enough, yet he blames the chefs in other restaurants for being too good. What kind of reasoning is that? He deserved to have his business taken away! And he resorts to these petty tactics. Hmph, it’s truly his usual style!”

“Ah, alright, you’ve been chattering all the way. Can you give my ears a break?” The round-faced owner looked helplessly at his son, sat down, and took a sip of tea. He didn’t know why his son found his cousin so annoying.

Ah Chang became annoyed when he saw his father’s good-natured demeanor and said, “Father, I’ll be setting sail the day after tomorrow. Let me tell you, if Boss Yu still comes to buy flour from us, just pretend not to recognize him. Don’t let the employees know that he’s Boss Yu, understand?”

“Cough…,” the round-faced owner choked on his tea upon hearing his son’s words, coughing for a while.

Ah Chang quickly stepped forward to pat his father’s back, soothing him for a while until he finally recovered.

“What did you say? I’ve been to the snack shop to have dim sum. I’ve seen Boss Yu several times, and your cousin knows that I know him. How can I pretend not to recognize him?” the round-faced owner said speechlessly.

Ah Chang replied, “Then just avoid him if you see him. Just don’t stop him from buying flour. Think about it, if we don’t see him, and the employees don’t recognize Boss Yu, we can sell the flour to him, and we can still move our goods. We don’t know the situation, and your cousin won’t say anything, right? Can he stand guard at our warehouse every day?”

The round-faced owner looked at his son in shock, remaining silent for a while before asking, “Will this work?”

“It will work! Besides, it’s his own restaurant, so let him figure it out himself. Why should we take the risk and cover for him?” Ah Chang replied.

“…,” the round-faced owner contemplated in silence for a moment, then asked again, “But what if he causes trouble for us? He holds grudges.”

Ah Chang thought for a moment, then said with some uncertainty, “His influence is all on the other side of the river. He can’t really do anything to us, right?”

The round-faced owner shook his head and said, “I don’t know. Anyway, you know some of his methods.”

Ah Chang remained silent for a while, then asked his father, “Father, do you think Jia Xiaoren is more frightening, or the Cai and Zhao families? We’re in Tongshan, don’t forget.”

The round-faced owner paused for a moment and replied, “At least the Cai and Zhao families wouldn’t resort to underhanded tactics.”

Ah Chang was speechless. “They don’t need underhanded tactics to drive us out of Tongshan.”

The round-faced owner: …

“So, Father, you have to think it through. This is Tongshan. Even if Jia Xiaoren is capable, can he withstand the Cai and Zhao families? Don’t stand on the wrong side, or our whole family will be buried with Jia Xiaoren.”

The round-faced owner fell silent. After a while, he sighed and said, “You’re oversimplifying things. Let’s not talk about our side. Have you considered your uncle? If we don’t support Jia Xiaoren, he can turn around and accuse me of betraying him. How will we live from then on?”

Ah Chang snorted and said, “Uncle also bears some responsibility. He failed to raise his son properly. Father, do you remember when our cousin was only twelve or thirteen years old, and he beat up a classmate who accidentally bumped into him so severely that the classmate couldn’t get out of bed? That classmate even apologized to him, but he didn’t hesitate to attack. Not only did Uncle and his wife not scold him, they even defended him, saying that the classmate intentionally bumped into him. I went to their house as a guest and witnessed him harassing a ger, touching his chest without permission. Like father, like son. Don’t you think Uncle and my cousin are also at fault?”

“Alright, it’s not your place to judge whether your uncle and the others are at fault or not. Go, go, go. You’ll be leaving in two days. Spend some quality time with your husband and son,” the round-faced owner waved his hand.

Ah Chang stood up and reminded his father with concern, “Remember what I told you. Tomorrow, when my second brother returns, I’ll talk to him as well. Oh, and tomorrow when the seafood arrives, if Boss Yu comes to buy, don’t stop him. We have to stay in Tongshan for the long term. We need to make amends as much as possible; otherwise, it won’t be easy in the future.”

“Alright, alright, I got it. Now hurry up and leave. You’re annoying me,” the round-faced owner waved his hand, shooing him away.

With his father’s agreement, Ah Chang returned to his own small courtyard. He didn’t spend much time at home every month. If his father hadn’t insisted on dragging him to Xiang Man Yuan today, he wouldn’t have gone. It would have been better to stay at home and accompany his wife and son.

In the evening, in a mansion in the eastern part of the city, the accountant handed a ledger to Jia Xiaoren.

“Young Master, this is the restaurant’s ledger for last month. It has been calculated.”

Jia Xiaoren took it and flipped through the pages. He glanced at the latest entries and then searched for the records from the previous month and the month before that. His face darkened instantly.

“Missing this much?” Jia Xiaoren clenched the ledger, looking at the half-missing figures on the accounts, his frustration almost causing him to grind his teeth to pieces.

The accountant nodded and said, “In September, it was slightly less compared to August, but in October, it was half the usual amount.”

Jia Xiaoren stared at the ledger, feeling enraged by the significant decrease in revenue. Although it was already evident from the lack of customers on a regular basis, seeing the reduced income in the accounts made him feel even more strongly about it.

“I understand. You may leave,” Jia Xiaoren dismissed the accountant. He paced back and forth in the study, feeling restless, as he tried to come up with a solution.

Before long, there was a knock on the study door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Jia Xiaoren’s wife entered with a bowl of late-night snack.

“My dear, I made lotus seed porridge. If you’re hungry, have a little.” Madam Jia placed the tray on the upper left corner of the desk and tidied up the scattered books on the desk.

“I know,” Jia Xiaoren replied indifferently.

At that moment, Shi Sheng also came over with a tray in hand. Seeing Madam Jia, he smirked and said, “Oh, Big Brother Lian is here. My love, you must be hungry. I made some snacks for you. Come, have a taste.”

Shi Sheng placed his tray on the right side of the desk, pulled Jia Xiaoren closer, and handed him a red bean cake, asking, “My love, how does it taste?”

Jia Xiaoren swallowed the red bean cake in his mouth and nodded. “It’s good.”

“Right? I think it tastes much better than before,” Shi Sheng said with a satisfied smile.

Then, Shi Sheng fed Jia Xiaoren bite by bite until he finished the pastry. Afterwards, when Shi Sheng was about to get another piece, he glanced at the other side of the desk as if he had just noticed another tray of food and said, “Oh, is this made by Big Brother Lian? It smells so good. But Big Brother Lian, next time, don’t make porridge. It’s chilly in the evening, and if husband have porridge, he’ll have to get up in the night, and it’ll be so cold.”

Madam Jia frowned at the red bean cake and said, “My love, it’s not easy to digest snacks in the evening…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Shi Sheng suddenly clutched his stomach and exclaimed, “Ouch!”

Jia Xiaoren quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shi Sheng rubbed his still inconspicuous belly and smiled sweetly at Jia Xiaoren, saying, “It’s nothing. Our baby just kicked me suddenly. The kick was a bit strong and it hurts a little.”

Madam Jia: …How can a three-month-old fetus kick you?

“Sit down quickly.” Jia Xiaoren quickly helped Shi Sheng to sit on a chair and provided him with a soft pillow to lean against.

Shi Sheng enjoyed Jia Xiaoren’s service for a moment and secretly glanced at Madam Jia’s expression, feeling secretly delighted. Then he said, “My love, I’m afraid the baby will disturb me again at night. Will you accompany me while I sleep?”

Jia Xiaoren nodded and said, “Okay.”

“It’s getting late, shall we go back to our room?” Shi Sheng suggested.

“Sure.” Jia Xiaoren helped Shi Sheng up and then turned to Madam Jia, saying, “It’s getting late, my wife. You should go back to your room and rest early.”

With that, he supported Shi Sheng and left.

Madam Jia watched their retreating figures, a hint of disappointment flashing in his gentle eyes.

Back in the room, as Shi Sheng helped Jia Xiaoren change into comfortable clothes, he asked, “My love, I noticed you furrowing your brow earlier. Are you worried about the restaurant?”

Jia Xiaoren nodded and said, “Since the opening of House of Prosperity, business at the restaurant has declined significantly. Last month’s revenue was much lower compared to August.”

Shi Sheng’s eyes flickered at the words, and he asked, “Has my love come up with any good solutions?”

Jia Xiaoren turned around and nodded, saying, “I did come up with something, but it will take a few days to see the results.”

“What solution is it?” Shi Sheng inquired.

“Why, is Sheng’er concerned about my worries?” Jia Xiaoren smiled and reached out to touch Shi Sheng’s belly, saying, “There’s no need to worry, Shi Sheng. Your most important task right now is to ensure a healthy pregnancy and give birth to a strong little boy for me.”

Shi Sheng giggled and nestled his head against Jia Xiaoren’s chest.

After a while, he led Jia Xiaoren to sit on the bed, removed his hairpin, and said, “My love, there’s no need for you to be so concerned. In the food business, it’s inevitable to encounter some issues. Customers may have stomachaches or arguments, there might be pests like cockroaches or mosquitoes in the food, and if the reputation suffers, naturally, the number of customers will decrease, and the business won’t thrive even if it recovers.”

Jia Xiaoren, upon hearing this, took Shi Sheng’s hand and said, “Shi Sheng, you truly are my little strategist. Don’t worry, I’ve already taken action. Just wait a few days, and I’ll share the good news with you.”

Shi Sheng, curious and playful, pouted and said, “My love, you’re teasing me again. I can’t wait any longer. Please tell me quickly…”

Jia Xiaoren, delighted by Shi Sheng’s affectionate act, then proceeded to explain the plan to him.

Upon hearing it, Shi Sheng immediately exclaimed, “My love, you’re truly brilliant! I couldn’t have imagined such a clever trick. It’s a preemptive move, the best strategy!”

Jia Xiaoren, basking in the praise, chuckled and said, “Having been in the business for over a decade, I’ve seen all sorts of people. This Yu Qingze thinking he can oppose me is a bit naive.”

“Yes, my husband is the most formidable!” Shi Sheng hurriedly continued to flatter.

Jia Xiaoren thoroughly enjoyed the admiration from his beloved concubine and said cheerfully, “Alright, come and rest now. It’s getting late.”

“Alright, I want my husband to hold me while we sleep.”

“Okay, okay, I will.”

While Jia Xiaoren and Shi Sheng were still dreaming about the closure of Yu’s shops, the next morning, just as the sky was getting light, Yu Qingze took Da Song with two large wooden tubs and went to the wharf to buy seafood.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: I like this Ah Chang guy. That’s how you survive in the cutthroat business world, my boy.