Chapter 126: The Culinary Tycoon

Leaning On

House of Prosperity introduced Drunken Duck?

This was impossible!

Jia Xiaoren couldn’t believe that House of Prosperity would make his restaurant’s signature dish. He rushed out of the door and went straight to the entrance of House of Prosperity. There, he saw a promotional board placed at the entrance, with red paper and black letters that read: “Today’s New Dish: Drunken Duck. 20% off discount, welcome to taste!”

The words “Drunken Duck” were right in the middle, very large and occupying at least half of the entire paper. It was impossible to pretend not to see it.

Jia Xiaoren stared straight at those two words, as if he wanted to shoot a fireball from his eyes and burn those words directly.

What made him even more furious was that not only did they introduce Drunken Duck, but they also offered a 20% discount!

His own signature dish from Xiang Man Yuan, and House of Prosperity directly introduced it with a discount!

Jia Xiaoren’s face seemed as if it had been simmering at the bottom of a pot for ten or eight years, blacker than ever.

“Oh, isn’t this Boss Jia? Are you here to taste our newly introduced Drunken Duck?” At the entrance, Xiaoshu couldn’t hide his anger when he saw Jia Xiaoren.

During this period, due to the unusual behavior of Tie Zhu and Er Niu, and their frequent sightings of flour and seafood at their residence, Xiaoshu and the others were aware of the situation faced by the snack shop and the restaurant. They were all extremely angry.

How could the owner of Xiang Man Yuan be so unscrupulous, directly cutting off their source of supplies? And now he had the audacity to come to their doorstep.

However, when Xiaoshu saw Jia Xiaoren looking at the promotional board, he couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Hmph, when unable to compete with others, resorting to petty and cunning tricks. Unlike their boss, Boss Yu, who does business in a fair and upright manner and is never afraid of fair competition!

When Jia Xiaoren heard the waiter’s words, he turned his head and glanced at him, observing the mockery and disdain in his eyes. He squinted his eyes, gave him a fierce stare, then turned around and went straight back to Xiang Man Yuan.

As soon as Xiaoshu saw Jia Xiaoren’s figure being engulfed by the crowd, he immediately ran to the kitchen and said to several people, “Boss Yu, just now the owner of Xiang Man Yuan came over and stood at our doorstep for quite a while.”

“Oh?” Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did he say or do anything?”

Xiaoshu shook his head and said, “He didn’t say anything and just left. Before leaving, he was staring at our promotional board the whole time. I could see fire almost shooting out of his eyes, and his face was as black as charcoal. Like this.”

As he spoke, Xiaoshu suddenly changed his expression, lowered his face, and stared fiercely at the plate of freshly made drunken duck in front of him, as if he had transformed into Jia Xiaoren. It was quite a resemblance, to say the least.

The others burst into laughter upon seeing him.

Jiabao, who was marinating spare ribs, saw Xiaoshu’s appearance and laughed, “Xiaoshu, you’re really exaggerating.”

Xiaoshu raised his index finger and shook it, saying, “Not exaggerating at all. His face must be even darker than what I just imitated. Maybe I haven’t mastered it completely yet.”

Da Song laughed heartily and then cursed angrily, “He must have come to see our drunken duck! Damn him! Son of a bitch!”

“That’s right! How can someone be so unscrupulous!” Uncle Mo, who was tending the fire, also looked indignant.

In the kitchen, everyone continued to curse while enjoying themselves. Chang Le also laughed for a while and then gestured to Yu Qingze, asking, “Do you think he will retaliate against us in anger?”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “I’m not sure, but he definitely won’t give up easily. Two days ago, Master Hu sent someone to relay a message to us. The issue with Hongyun has been resolved, so as long as our ingredients are fine, we have nothing to fear from him. We just need to be cautious and careful.”

Chang Le nodded. If it came down to skills, Hongyun would definitely not be able to compare to his husband. He wasn’t worried about that, but he was afraid they would resort to underhanded tactics.

However, they couldn’t guard against such things. If someone wanted to play dirty tricks on them, they would always find various methods. They could only focus on doing their own work well, making it difficult for others to find fault and reducing the chances of trouble.

On the other hand, after Jia Xiaoren returned to Xiang Man Yuan, he called over the waiter and asked him to pack a portion of drunken duck to go.

Once the waiter left, he called over one of the chefs and said, “Master Zhang, do you know what new dish House of Prosperity has introduced?”

“I don’t know, boss. What is it?” Master Zhang shook his head. He had been busy in the kitchen and hadn’t heard the news yet.

Jia Xiaoren looked at the slightly chubby middle-aged man in front of him, stared into his eyes, and said slowly, “Drunken… duck.”

Master Zhang’s eyes and mouth widened in astonishment. He exclaimed, “Drunken duck? Someone at House of Prosperity knows how to make drunken duck? That’s impossible! This recipe was created by my master and only passed down to me. How could someone else know how to make it?”

“I also thought it was impossible, so I went to their doorstep to check just now,” Jia Xiaoren looked at Master Zhang and slowly spoke.

Master Zhang furrowed his brow upon seeing Jia Xiaoren’s expression and said, “Boss, you don’t think I gave away the recipe, do you?”

Jia Xiaoren, noticing that Master Zhang didn’t appear deceitful, quickly smiled and said, “Where did you get that idea, Master Zhang? I trust you, of course. I asked the waiter to buy it, and when he comes back, we’ll see what their drunken duck is all about.”

Hearing this, Master Zhang’s face improved slightly, and he said, “Boss, rest assured, since I, Zhang Dapang, came all the way from Qingzhou with you, I would never do such a thing. Besides, I make a living with this recipe. How could I tell others?”

Jia Xiaoren nodded and said, “I naturally trust you; otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought you along.”

After a while, the waiter returned with the drunken duck from House of Prosperity.

Jia Xiaoren lifted the lid, and a rich and savory aroma wafted out, causing everyone to take a deep breath.

“Smells so delicious,” Master Zhang said, glancing at the half drunken duck with its golden hue in the bowl. He continued, “This method is different from mine. Let me taste it. Why wasn’t it cut open?”

The waiter replied, “They were supposed to cut it, but I was afraid that if they did, you wouldn’t be able to tell how it was made, so I didn’t let them cut it.”

“I see,” said Master Zhang. He took a pair of chopsticks and reached for the wing of the drunken duck. He thought that separating a half duck like this would be difficult, but with just a little force, the wing came off easily.

He caught the wing in a small bowl and sniffed its aroma. It had a hint of alcohol, a slight sweetness, the fragrance of mushrooms and red dates, and the flavors of various other ingredients blending together, creating an enticing aroma.

He took a bite, and the meat was tender and succulent. While retaining the flavor of the duck, it also absorbed the fragrance of the other ingredients, resulting in a unique and delicious taste.

“Boss Jia, you should give it a try too. I think this is even more delicious than the drunken duck I make,” Master Zhang, with an attitude of learning from his peers while savoring the food, honestly shared his feelings.

Hearing this, Jia Xiaoren suddenly lost his appetite, but he still took a bite with the chopsticks.

With just one bite, he knew that it was indeed different from what Master Zhang made, and not just different, but the taste was much better than the drunken duck made by Master Zhang.

He silently swallowed the duck meat in his mouth, then put down his chopsticks and said with a grim expression, “Master Zhang, find a way to figure out how this dish is made. I need to leave for a moment.”

With that, he stood up and went to the storage room at the back.

As soon as he entered the storage room and closed the door, he kicked a stool, sending it flying against the wall. Then he forcefully kicked a sack, causing it to fall over, spilling out the rice inside. He vented his frustration by kicking it a few more times, then sat on the ground motionless.

The staff outside listened to the sounds coming from the storage room and shrank their necks. When the boss got angry, it was terrifying. They knew they had to keep their distance.

Master Zhang glanced in that direction, put down his chopsticks, and sighed.

This young boss, Jia Xiaoren, was full of hot-bloodedness. With money and power, he had been a little tyrant since he was young. He couldn’t tolerate any loss and would seek revenge on anyone who offended him. Moreover, he had a proud and arrogant personality. He insisted on starting his own business and for some reason had a great fondness for running restaurants.

When he had a restaurant in Qingzhou, he forced other better restaurants to close down. Later, a young restaurant owner was driven to the point of jumping into a river, causing a death that the entire city knew about. Even his family couldn’t cover it up, so he came to Tongshan to lay low.

If it wasn’t for the fact that he paid Master Zhang a high salary, Master Zhang wouldn’t have worked at his restaurant.

Master Zhang looked at the drunken duck on the table, shook his head, and wondered if he should make plans early.

On the side of House of Prosperity, in the afternoon, Master Hu, sent someone to summon Yu Qingze to his house, saying that there was something important to tell him.

Thinking that they might have found some information, Yu Qingze followed the person and went to the Hu residence.

Upon arrival, Master Hu, Master Liao, and Young Master Zhao were inside, along with two other people who were also present during the meal that day.

Seeing Yu Qingze’s arrival, Master Hu said, “Boss Yu is here. Old Liao, go ahead and speak.”

Master Liao nodded and said to Yu Qingze, “Boss Yu, a few days ago, Jiabao told us about the recent troubles encountered by Yu’s shops. We took the liberty of investigating it, hoping you wouldn’t mind.”

Yu Qingze shook his head and sincerely said to the heads, “No, I’m not bothered. Jiabao later informed me about this matter. I’m grateful for the help of the bosses. If there’s ever a need for my assistance in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Upon hearing this, Master Liao laughed heartily and said, “Just make more delicious food, that’s all.”

The others nodded with smiles on their faces as well.

Yu Qingze also smiled and said, “That’s not difficult. I don’t know much else, but cooking is my strong suit.”

They all laughed for a while, instantly bringing the two sides closer.

Then, Master Liao’s expression became serious as he said, “I had someone investigate in these past few days. The price increase in flour and seafood is orchestrated by Boss Yuan, the owner of Hongyun, and behind him is Jia Xiaoren, the owner of Xiang Man Yuan. Now you know.”

Yu Qingze nodded.

Master Liao continued, “The reason why Jia Xiaoren did this is clear to anyone with discerning eyes. It’s simply because House of Prosperity has taken away his business, and he couldn’t stand it, so he came after you.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “I’ve also figured that out. What I want to know is who exactly is Jia Xiaoren? Generally, everyone in Tongshan City knows that I have a good relationship with the Cai Family and the Zhao Family. People usually give me some face because of the reputation of those two families. But Jia Xiaoren seems to have no fear of the Cai Family and the Zhao Family, which makes me curious.”

Young Master Zhao snorted and said, “He has quite the background. It will surprise you when I tell you.”

Apparently, Master Liao had already discussed this with the others before Young MasterZhao arrived. So Yu Qingze directly asked, “Who exactly is he?”

Master Liao said, “His family is from Qingzhou, the city across the river, just opposite us. It’s the capital of the province. His family in Qingzhou is similar to the Zhao Family here in Tongshan, but it’s not just an ordinary noble family.”

Yu Qingze was surprised and asked, “What else is his background?”

Master Liao replied, “His cousin is the governor of Qingzhou, and besides that, he has an uncle who holds an official position in the capital, and his rank is not low.”

“What position does he hold?” Yu Qingze asked.

Master Liao answered, “He is the Deputy Minister of Rites.”

“Deputy Minister of Rites?” Yu Qingze was shocked. “No wonder Jia Xiaoren is so audacious.”

Master Liao nodded and said, “It’s not just about audacity. My people went across the river to investigate, do you know why he came to Tongshan?”

“Why?” Yu Qingze asked.

The others were curious as well, as they hadn’t heard this part earlier. They looked at Master Liao expectantly.

Master Liao built up suspense and then said, “He used to run a restaurant in Qingzhou City. He made sure that every restaurant with better business than his would shut down by any means necessary. He used all sorts of tactics. Accusing them of serving unclean food, sending people to eat without paying, causing trouble with thugs, and even cutting off their food supply like he did with you. The most serious incident was when he had someone drug the soup in a restaurant, and a young man who ate it died from poisoning.”

“This incident led to the death of two people. The person who administered the poison was an employee of the restaurant. He was deceived into thinking it was just a laxative, but instead, it caused someone’s death. Unable to bear the guilt and pressure, he eventually came forward and accused Jia Xiaoren, saying that Jia Xiaoren had orchestrated it. The incident caused a huge uproar, and even the restaurant owner, who jumped into the river to commit suicide, couldn’t clear his name. That owner lost everything. With two deaths involved, Jia Xiaoren’s family couldn’t cover it up anymore. They made him lay low and then he came to Tongshan.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, especially Yu Qingze, who felt a heavy weight in his heart.

The hearts of the other bosses sank as well. While they used some means in their business, they had never stooped to taking lives like this.

This Jia Xiaoren went to great lengths, sacrificing even human lives to achieve his goals.

“Master Liao, have you found out what poison he used?” Yu Qingze asked.

Master Liao shook his head and said, “Not sure. According to the information we gathered, others who drank it experienced vomiting and diarrhea, but that young man lost his life. We don’t know the details, but he’s gone.”

Silence fell among the group once again.

After a while, Young Master Zhao spoke up, “If his uncle is the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites, then are we unable to touch him? The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites holds more power than Cai family, and besides, the county magistrate is here.”

Upon hearing this, the hearts of the group sank once again.

County Magistrate Luo Mingda was the son of the Minister of Rites, and Jia Xiaoren was the nephew of the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites. The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites was subordinate to the Minister of Rites. In other words, Jia Xiaoren and the county magistrate were on the same side.

“No wonder. When County Magistrate Luo arrived in Tongshan, it didn’t take long for Jia Xiaoren to establish a connection with him and get mixed up together. So that’s the case. They have such a relationship,” one of the bosses said.

Another boss spoke up, “But we can’t just let this person roam freely in our Tongshan City, thinking it’s still his Qingzhou. Today, he may not fear Cai and Zhao families while targeting Boss Yu as his enemy, but who knows when he might turn against us.”

Master Liao slammed the table and declared, “Exactly! That’s what I’m thinking too. We must find a way to drive him out of Tongshan.”

“But finding a solution won’t be easy.”

“There must be a way. We’ll think it through.”

After a while, Master Hu raised his hand and said, “I have an idea.”

“What idea?” everyone asked in unison.

Master Hu spoke slowly, “It requires County Magistrate Luo to stand on our side.”

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Thandar: OMG please hurry up and kick this guy out. He’s giving me anxiety.