Travel to the mountains and make a fortune in silence

Manager Li warmly invited everyone to take their seats and quickly instructed his servants to serve tea and delicate pastries.

Wang Qing'er was already starving, and when she saw the delicious pastries on the table, how could she resist? She immediately reached out, picked up a piece, and began to chew it slowly.

She also made sure to invite the village chief to eat.

Manager Li took out a thick cookbook and handed it to Mu Nan, smiling as he said:

"Brother Mu, see what you'd like to eat, just order whatever you like."

His employer had instructed that Mu Nan would be exempt from paying for meals at the restaurant.

Mu Nan took the recipe and began to flip through it at a leisurely pace.

After a while, he caught a glimpse of Wang Qing'er out of the corner of his eye and saw that she had already devoured all the pastries on the plate. So he smiled slightly and handed her the menu, indicating that she should order.

Wang Qing'er took the recipe and carefully flipped through it.

The menu is filled with a dazzling array of delicious dishes.

The signature dishes provided by Wang Qing'er were prominently listed in Fuxianglou's menu.

Wang Qing'er quickly ordered several dishes.

First came a dish of pickled fish, followed by a cold dish of shredded chicken with wood ear mushrooms, then a delicious mushroom soup, and a spicy and tempting dish of diced chicken. Of course, there was also a refreshing stir-fried water spinach. Finally, she specially ordered a generous platter of braised meat.

Wang Qing'er ordered her own dishes mainly to see what unique flavors the chefs at Fuxianglou Restaurant in town could bring to her dishes.

Whether she can reach or even surpass her own cooking skills.

If things don't go as planned, she feels it's necessary to remind and guide the chefs to improve and enhance their skills.

As for ordering the braised meat platter, it was naturally with the village chief in mind. His family was tired of it, but the village chief ate little, so they wanted him to have a good meal today.

As the village chief watched as Manager Li walked out of the private room with the menu, he couldn't help but show a hint of heartache.

Unable to contain himself, he looked at Wang Qing'er and her husband with a pained expression and said:

"Mu Nan, why did you order so much food? I just said we could just find somewhere to grab a bite, why did you order so much..."

"Uncle Village Chief, these dishes are all signature dishes of Fuxianglou Restaurant. I've never tried them before. I've come all this way to town, so I'd like to try them too. You should eat more later." Wang Qing'er said to the village chief with a smile.

"I've heard that your family has partnered with the restaurant to sell braised meat. Everyone who's tried it says it tastes great. I only had it once when Muxia got married. I never thought I'd get to eat it at the restaurant again today."

Seeing Wang Qing'er's words, the village chief said nothing more. He told her to just eat, as this might be the only time in her life she would have the opportunity to eat at a restaurant.

The food was served quickly, and the three of them began to eat. The dishes looked delicious and tasted very appetizing.

Wang Qing'er savored the food slowly. The taste was almost identical to what she had made. If she were asked to offer any suggestions, she wouldn't be able to give any meaningful advice. Therefore, the chef at Fuxianglou Restaurant in town was quite skilled.

Oh, there's one thing that needs changing, the stir-fried water spinach is a bit greasy. I need to talk to Manager Li about this, but I feel like I'm nitpicking, so I just shook my head.

Think about it and forget it.

"Why isn't the food to your liking?" Mu Nan asked his wife when she shook her head.

"Oh no, the food is delicious!"

"Mu Nan's wife, this braised meat tastes really good. Did you make all of this?"

The village chief ate braised meat first; a variety of braised dishes gathered together, emitting a rich aroma.

We ate the other dishes. The sauerkraut fish was fragrant, the fish was tender and smooth, and the sauerkraut was tangy and delicious.

He was hesitant to drink the mushroom soup at first, but after seeing that Mu Nan and Wang Qing'er had both, he drank a small bowl as well. The mushroom soup was delicious, steaming hot, and had a wonderful aroma.

And then there was that fragrant and tempting spicy chicken cubes. The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the spiciness of the chili peppers was mouthwatering. He was spitting out spicy gasps, but he really enjoyed it.

The cold-dressed wood ear mushrooms and shredded chicken also have a refreshing taste, and even the green vegetables look very appetizing with their bright green color.

He had never even seen these dishes before, let alone eaten them.

“The village chief likes to eat, so he will come to our house for meals often from now on.”

Wang Qing'er warmly invited the village chief to visit her home sometime.

"Okay! Okay, okay." The village chief responded happily. In fact, no one in the village was having an easy time, and they rarely went to other people's houses for meals.

"Uncle Wang, I have to drive the carriage back to the village today, so I can't have a drink with you. Next time, I'll invite you to my house for a meal, and my father will have a proper drink with you. Thank you for always helping us out and for giving my family so much land."

Mu Nan sincerely thanked the village chief.

So the village chief's surname is Wang? This is Wang Qing'er's first time appearing in the village today, and her first time interacting with the village chief. She doesn't even know his surname and keeps calling him Uncle Village Chief.

At that moment, the image of a woman named Xiuhe suddenly appeared in her mind. How could she have forgotten this woman who was trying to steal her husband? She was the village chief's daughter!

Sigh! How come my brain is so forgetful at such a young age?

However, the village chief was actually a very kind person. He didn't make things difficult for the Mu family because of this, and even helped them a lot.

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely go. I'm so happy that your family is doing well again, Mu Nan. But now that things are better at home, can you continue your scientific expeditions?"

"Back then, you passed both the preliminary and advanced levels of the imperial examinations on your first attempt, and you were studying at such a prestigious academy. If you had continued with the imperial examinations, you would definitely have passed the provincial examination."

Village Chief Wang also sincerely advised Mu Nan that if Mu Nan could pass the imperial examination, it would be beneficial to him both publicly and privately.

Mu Nan: "Uncle Wang, I will consider it, but I haven't picked up a book in so long, I'm afraid it won't be so easy for me to pass the imperial examination."

"No, you still have the foundation. As long as you continue to study hard, you will definitely pass the imperial examination. Then our whole village will benefit from it."

"Do you know that after your Mu family came to our village, your uncles ran a private school in the village? Over the years, several students have passed the imperial examinations, and you have passed the county-level examination and gone to study in the county town."

"I heard that Lishan Academy is quite remarkable. When people know that someone from our village is studying at Lishan Academy, the village chief is very proud when he goes out to do business."

"Putting that aside, it's much easier for the boys and girls in the village to find husbands. Many girls from the town are willing to marry into our village, and many girls from the village also marry into the town. This is all thanks to your Mu family."

When Village Chief Wang talked about these things, he was beaming with pride.

Wang Qing'er felt very grateful to the village chief for his earnest advice to Mu Nan.

"Village Chief, I will think it over carefully." Mu Nan said this after a long silence.