Travel to the mountains and make a fortune in silence

After leaving Luomashi, Mu Nan took Wang Qing'er to Fuxianglou for dinner. Mu Nan packed up the food for Wu Zihao to take back to the pharmacy, and they agreed to meet at the pharmacy entrance the next morning.

Wang Qing'er flipped through the menu of Fuxianglou, casually ordered a few dishes, and the two of them didn't ask for a private room, but found a table in the lobby to eat.

The chef at the restaurant was quite skilled, but Wang Qing'er felt there was still room for improvement. Some dishes were bland without chili peppers, and she felt that once she filled her stomach, she didn't want to eat anymore. She always felt that her own cooking was better.

In a private room on the third floor, Shang Congjian tapped the table with his fingers, "Manager Li, when you get back, ask that family if they sell braised meat recipes. The price is negotiable."

Manager Li hurriedly and respectfully said, "Young Master, I'll take care of this as soon as I get back."

Shang Congjian continued, "Well! If you can buy the recipe for braised meat, you and your son will be in charge of managing several Fuxianglou restaurants around Nan'ao Town, and you'll also receive a bonus."

Upon hearing what the young master said, Manager Li quickly assured him, "Don't worry, young master, I will definitely handle this matter properly."

"Okay, go get busy first."

Manager Li left the private room and went downstairs to the corner of the stairs on the first floor. Suddenly, he saw Mu Nan eating in the lobby. "Hey, isn't that the boss of the braised meat shop? What a coincidence!"

Shopkeeper Li hurried over to Mu Nan, "Young Master Mu, what a coincidence! What are you doing in the county town?"

"Manager Li." Mu Nan stood up and greeted him politely. Manager Li had been a great help to the Mu family.

For years, Fuxianglou in Nan'ao Town has been buying vegetables from the Mu family and has never tried to lower the price.

Manager Li's mind raced, and he said, "Young Master Mu, I happen to have something to discuss with you. Why don't we go upstairs to the private room?" He glanced at Wang Qing'er sitting opposite him and asked suspiciously, "And who is this?"

"Manager Li, this is my wife, Wang Qing'er," Mu Nan introduced.

Shopkeeper Li greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Miss Qing'er!"

"Hello, Manager Li!" Wang Qing'er greeted him in a very generous manner.

"Let's go upstairs to talk. Our young master is here; he wants to discuss the braised meat with you!"

"Manager Li, haven't we always sold our braised meat to your Fuxianglou restaurant? Are you not planning to sell our braised meat anymore?"

Upon hearing this, Manager Li quickly waved his hand, "No, no, Brother Mu, please don't misunderstand. Our boss wants to have a deeper cooperation with you."

"Brother Mu, come with us to the private room upstairs!" Manager Li couldn't resist seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Let them negotiate on their own; if they succeed, he'll get some credit, and if they fail, it's the employer's problem, not his. He won't get a promotion or a raise, but at least he can keep his current position.

Mu Nan and Wang Qing'er were led to the entrance of a private room on the third floor. Manager Wang went in first to report, and soon the two were invited inside.

"Eldest brother?"

"Simplify business practices?"

Shang Congjian hurriedly stood up and wanted to hug Mu Nan enthusiastically, but Mu Nan stopped him. Shang Congjian said with a wronged look, "Senior Brother, we haven't seen each other for several years. It's not too much to hug!"

"Hey, who is this beauty?" Shang Congjian pushed Mu Nan aside after seeing Wang Qing'er behind Mu Nan and walked over to Wang Qing'er to tease her.

"Your sister-in-law," Mu Nan said, pulling Wang Qing'er behind her again.

"Sister-in-law? Mu Nan, you again..." Shang Congjian quickly covered his mouth and changed his words with a playful smile, "Hello, sister-in-law! You are so beautiful."

"Hello!" Wang Qing'er peeked out from behind Mu Nan and greeted her with a smile, while secretly glancing at Shang Congjian. "This man is quite good-looking too. How come all the men here are so good-looking? Mu Nan, Mu Xiao, and Wu Zihao, whom we just bought today, should look good if they dress up."

Shang Congjian thought to himself, "Senior Brother is really lucky with women. Both of them are so beautiful. I really don't know what's so good about Mu Nan, that blockhead."

"The Yun family girl used to beg and plead to be with him, though I don't know why they divorced later. This one is not only beautiful but also so young; I wonder how the two of them got together. It seems Mu Nan cares a lot about that."

Manager Li, who was standing nearby, could tell that they knew each other and were quite familiar with each other. He thought that this would make things much easier, so he quickly smiled and said, "Since the young master knows Young Master Mu, you two can chat for a while. I'll go and prepare some food for you."

"Manager Li, go ahead and do your work, don't worry about us!" Shang Congjian said.

After Manager Li left the private room, Shang Congjian invited Mu Nan and Wang Qing'er to sit down, and the waiter brought up tea and snacks and set them out.

"Manager Li said you wanted to talk to me about braised meat. Let's talk quickly, I still need to take your sister-in-law to the night market!" Mu Nan only knew that Shang Congjian's family was in business before, he didn't expect that Fuxianglou was actually his family's. But he was too lazy to ask any more questions and went straight to the point.

Shang Congjian was also very direct, saying in a flattering tone, "Hehe! Senior brother, I want to buy your family's braised meat recipe."

"I can't make that decision."

"Isn't the braised meat recipe yours? Why can't you make the decisions?"

“My sister-in-law is in charge of my household now, and this recipe belongs to her, so I don’t have the final say. You have to ask her.”

Shang Congjian looked at the little girl sitting there boredly picking at her fingers and couldn't believe it. "What? Your family is... your sister-in-law's housekeeper? And the braised meat recipe is hers too?"

Mu Nan said with a hint of smugness, "Well, that's why you need to talk to your sister-in-law."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Shang Congjian said to Mu Nan in an annoyed tone, then quickly sat down next to Wang Qing'er and called out ingratiatingly, "Sister-in-law! Can you sell me the braised meat recipe?"

"Young Master Shang, right?" Wang Qing'er didn't expect him to ask for the recipe for braised meat so directly.

"Sister-in-law, my surname is Shang, and my given name is Congjian. I am the junior brother of my senior brother."

"Young Master Shang, I won't sell the braised meat recipe, but I can sell you other dish recipes." While eating downstairs, Wang Qing'er thought that the dishes in this restaurant weren't very good, and there weren't many varieties. She could easily make a dish that tasted better than the food here. It wouldn't be bad if she could sell a few dish recipes to the restaurant.

However, this braised meat recipe is unique in this dynasty, so she has to keep it in her possession. Even if she no longer cooperates with Fuxianglou in the future, she can still open her own shop to sell braised meat.

"Other recipes? Sister-in-law, do you have any other good recipes?"

"Yes, I have many unique recipes that I created myself, which are no worse than my braised meat recipe. If you want them, Young Master Shang, I can sell them to you, but I will not sell the braised meat recipe."

"How much would you like to sell your other recipes, sister-in-law?" Shang Congjian thought that if she could make such delicious braised meat, her other dishes must be good too. The restaurant's menu was really limited and they urgently needed new dishes, so she became interested.