Chapter 129: The Culinary Tycoon

Busy with Appointments

After Luo Mingda went to the yamen, Madam Luo summoned the steward and said, “Send someone to investigate the recent price increase of flour and seafood at Yu’s shops. Also, send someone to the other side of the river to investigate the owner of Xiang Man Yuan, Jia Xiaoren. Check both the Jia family and the Magistrate of Qingzhou.”

“Yes, Madam,” the steward nodded.

“I heard that the Magistrate of Qingzhou is Jia Xiaoren’s cousin. Be careful not to be discovered,” Madam Luo instructed again.

“Understood,” the steward replied and went to make the arrangements.

After the steward left, Madam Luo sat at the table, drinking tea and pondering over matters.

In the past, he also used to think like outsiders that his father-in-law and the Prime Minister were at odds. After all, they had argued many times in public, and on two occasions, they almost came to blows. This was true, and everyone in the capital city knew about it. It wasn’t just a baseless rumor.

However, it turns out that the reality is not like that. No wonder his father did not raise any objections to his marriage with Luo Mingda. Presumably, his father also knew about this matter. If that’s the case, his father is probably also aligned with the Prime Minister.

Regarding this fact, Madam Luo did not find it difficult to accept; instead, he felt happy about it. The Prime Minister is an upright official who genuinely considers the court and the people’s well-being. He has always admired the Prime Minister. Previously, he didn’t understand why his father-in-law, who is a reasonable person with a sense of justice and the people’s welfare, always had conflicts with the Prime Minister. Now he understands and also understands why his father-in-law wanted to bring Luo Mingda to Tongshan.

If that’s the case, they need to be cautious in their interactions with the Cai family in this place.

On the side of House of Prosperity, early in the morning, the Xue family sent someone to deliver a message. They said that their Madam’s health had improved and they could start treating and taking care of Chang Le. If they agreed, they should go over tomorrow morning together for the first time. Dr. Ye has something to advise the two of them.

Upon hearing this, Chang Le was extremely happy and turned to look at Yu Qingze expectantly.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Yu Qingze nodded and asked the messenger, “We’ll go over tomorrow morning. Is there anything we need to prepare? Like medicinal herbs or anything?”

The messenger shook his head and said, “No need. Madam has already prepared everything. You just need to go.”

“Alright, thank you,” Yu Qingze expressed his gratitude.

After the Xue family’s representative left, Chang Le happily gestured and said, “We’re going to the Xue family tomorrow. I’ll go out and buy some gifts.”

Yu Qingze grabbed his hand and said, “We’ll go together.”

Chang Le nodded, and the two of them held hands as they went out to buy suitable gifts. They also went to the snack shop to invite Brother Chang and the others to make some snacks for the evening, which they packed up and planned to bring together tomorrow.

When Brother Chang heard that the treatment would begin tomorrow, he was delighted for Chang Le and readily agreed.

In the evening, Luo Mingda brought Madam Luo and their two sons to House of Prosperity for dinner.

As agreed, Yu Qingze prepared a pot of spicy crayfish and a serving of sour fish soup. He made steamed fish cakes and meatball soup for the two children. Additionally, to accommodate Luo Mingda’s tolerance for spiciness, he also prepared two other dishes.

Madam Luo actually has a high tolerance for spicy food, but usually, he eats mildly spicy dishes to cater to Luo Mingda’s taste.

Now, this pot of crayfish is entirely vibrant red. The shrimp are red, the chili peppers are red, and even the broth is red. Only a small amount of green onions and cilantro on top provide a touch of green amidst the sea of red. Just one look at it, and Madam Luo’s mouth begins to water.

“Wow, so red…” Luo Mingda and the two children exclaimed in astonishment as they looked at the pot of crayfish. Their eyes widened; with so many chili peppers, and round Sichuan peppercorns on top, it looked both spicy and numbing.

Yu Qingze had the waiter bring them a pot of warm water and said, “If it’s too spicy, you can wash it off with water before eating. Also, Lord Luo, you can try a moderate amount of the crayfish, but it’s best not to eat too much in case it affects your health.”

“Okay, I understand. I’ve eaten river fish and shrimp before, so it’s not a problem. Don’t worry,” Luo Mingda replied.

“Additionally, this is cured chicken meat made in our village. Please give it a try,” Yu Qingze said. “Tomorrow, we can start selling cured meats. This afternoon, Grandpa Chang and a few villagers helped extract the spicy flavors.”

“I haven’t seen it before, but it smells really good,” Luo Mingda said.

“It does smell delicious. Well, Lord Luo, Madam Luo, enjoy your meal. I’ll go downstairs first,” Yu Qingze said.

“Alright, go ahead and take care of your tasks,” Luo Mingda replied.

Yu Qingze nodded and then left.

After he left, Madam Luo said, “Let’s start eating.”

With that, he first helped the two children mix their rice. The older child was five years old and could eat by himself, while the younger one, who was three years old, was fed by the servant, Yuanyuan.

Once he had taken care of the two younger ones, Madam Luo turned his head and saw that there were already four or five pieces of peeled shrimp meat in his empty bowl. Beside it, Luo Mingda was struggling to peel a shrimp.

He smiled and picked up a piece of shrimp meat, enjoying the numbingly spicy and delicious flavor. The shrimp meat was tender and incredibly tasty.

He then picked up another piece and brought it to Luo Mingda’s mouth, saying, “My dear husband, open your mouth.”

“Hmm? Oh.” Luo Mingda had just peeled another piece when he saw the shrimp meat that his wife brought to his mouth. He opened his mouth and took a bite. However, immediately after, he furrowed his brows and said, “Wow! It’s so spicy! Wife, water, water, quickly!”

His hands were covered in shrimp oil and juice, making it inconvenient for him to hold a cup, so he urgently sought help from his wife.

Madam Luo chuckled and picked up a glass of water, helping him take a big sip. He laughed and said, “Is it that spicy?”

“It’s spicy! And numbing too!” Luo Mingda smacked his lips and looked at his wife as he directly picked up another piece of shrimp meat, dipped it in the broth in the bowl, and ate it. His scalp tightened, and he carefully observed his wife’s expression. He furrowed his brows and asked, “Wife, is it delicious?”

“It’s delicious,” Madam Luo nodded and said, “It’s both numbing and spicy, very satisfying!”

“…,” Luo Mingda blinked and then reached into the plate to peel a shrimp for him. He said, “I’ll peel it for you. Eat more. Normally, no one else can make such delicious shrimp for you to eat.”

Madam Luo saw Luo Mingda’s hands covered in sauce and said, “Let me peel them. You wash your hands and eat first. After you’re full, you can peel them for me.”

Luo Mingda insisted on peeling almost half a bowl for Madam Luo—those were the ones Madam Luo hadn’t eaten yet, otherwise, there would be no way to save half a bowl. Then, he washed his hands and dried them before starting to eat.

“Oh, wife, the sour and spicy fish is delicious too. Try it,” Luo Mingda recommended to Madam Luo after taking a bite of the fish. Then, he had a piece of the cured chicken meat and said, “This cured chicken is really delicious!”

With that, he directly picked up a piece and placed it in Madam Luo’s bowl.

Madam Luo tasted it, nodded, and said, “The flavor is good, very home-cooked.”

The whole family enjoyed a satisfying and delicious meal.

Before they left, Yu Qingze gave them a block of cured meat, a string of sausages, a cured chicken, and a cured fish. “Just steam them when you get home, or you can stir-fry them with celery, garlic, or anything you like.”

Luo Mingda happily accepted the cured meat.

The next day, Yu’s cured meat went on sale in front of House of Prosperity. Those who had tasted it last year hurried to buy it when they saw it. House of Prosperity also added a cured meat platter to their menu and promoted it, resulting in a very good response.

At noon, following Yu Qingze’s suggestion, the chef at the Lu Mansion steamed a small portion of cured meat and sausages. Luo Mingda and the others enjoyed it and learned that these items could be stored for a long time and were easy to prepare. Madam Luo then sent Yuan Bao to order a batch of cured meat from Yu’s, intending to keep some for themselves and send the rest to the Lu Mansion in the capital and to his in-laws.

In the evening, Luo Mingda went to Xiang Man Yuan to meet Jia Xiaoren.

During the meal, Jia Xiaoren kept tempting Luo Mingda, urging him to drink and suggesting that they team up against Yu Qingze.

Luo Mingda only drank two symbolic glasses of wine and then stopped. He didn’t engage in Jia Xiaoren’s conversation and simply chatted about random topics.

Seeing that Luo Mingda was not swayed, Jia Xiaoren went out and brought back a young ger who appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. He had delicate eyebrows and a handsome face.

As soon as the young ger entered, he sat beside Luo Mingda, leaning against him and automatically wrapping his hands around Luo Mingda’s arm. He spoke softly, “Young Master Luo, it’s been so long since you last visited. I’ve missed you so much.”

Luo Mingda: “…”

Luo Mingda’s body trembled, and a piece of meat fell onto the table.

He turned his head, furrowing his brows, and asked, “Who are you?”

“Oh, Young Master Luo, you’ve forgotten about me so quickly. I’m Yu’er from Wangchunlou,” the young ger replied.

Upon hearing that, Luo Mingda blinked his eyes and after a moment, he pushed the young ger away and said, “Oh, I don’t remember you. Don’t cling to me, go keep Boss Jia company.”

“Eh, Young Master Luo, I’m here to serve you. Don’t chase me away,” the young ger insisted, leaning back in again and even lifting a wine glass to Luo Mingda’s lips, coquettishly saying, “Young Master Luo, here, let me feed you.”

Luo Mingda frowned as he looked at the wine in front of him, pushed it away with his hand, and turned to Jia Xiaoren, saying, “Boss Jia, there’s no need for this. Please have him leave.”

Jia Xiaoren laughed and said, “Just for some excitement. Don’t worry, Young Master Luo. Madam Luo is not here, so no one will know.”

Luo Mingda glanced at him obliquely, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and said, “Your mind is even more twisted than mine. Is it because you can’t stand Yu Qingze?”

Jia Xiaoren nodded and said, “It’s said that there can’t be two tigers on the same mountain. If he exists, I don’t, and if I exist, he doesn’t.”

Luo Mingda chuckled and asked, “So, how do you plan to deal with him? Tell me about it.”

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Author’s Note:

Luo Mingda: Trying to use beauty trap! I won’t fall for it! ╭(╯^╰)╮

Thandar: Btw, Xiang Man Yuan means Fragrant Garden. Huh, more like Stinky Garbage Can.