After transmigrating, I became a stepmother.

Just as Master Zhao was astonished by the changes in the upstairs private rooms, the diners led by the servants to different private rooms were also quite shocked! Some went to the opulent Hongyun Hall, some went to Nanshan Residence with its painting of cranes symbolizing longevity, and others entered Zhegui Garden with its painting of magpies perched on branches... In short, everyone was very satisfied with the place where they were going to dine! This was exactly what Lin Hao and Gu Liunian had anticipated.

After all, those waiters weren't just randomly leading the way; they had all received training from Manager Li and had a certain understanding of the professions and backgrounds of regular customers, so they naturally knew where to lead them. For unfamiliar faces, Manager Li also trained them on how to judge a customer's identity through their clothing and behavior, thus providing them with better service!

The restaurant was packed with customers all morning. Luckily, Gu Liunian had arranged for a large amount of ingredients to be transported from the estate beforehand; otherwise, they might have faced the embarrassing situation of having no ingredients available.

From the manager to the waiters, everyone in the restaurant didn't even have time for lunch. They managed to grab a bite in shifts during the afternoon to barely keep going. They thought they could finally rest in the evening, but to their surprise, many of the customers who had patronized the restaurant at noon returned with their families or friends.

Master Zhao was one of them. When Manager Li saw him arrive, he quickly went up to greet him, "Oh! Master Zhao, what brings you here? Was there something wrong with our hospitality this morning?" He smiled while carefully observing Master Zhao's expression.

"No, not at all. There were two flavors we hadn't tried this morning, so I brought my youngest son to try them!" Old Zhao said with a smile, reaching out to pat his youngest son's head.

Upon hearing this, Manager Li felt a mix of relief and delight. For Master Zhao to treat him this way meant their specialty hot pot had certainly established itself! Seeing the child beside Master Zhao, who appeared to be only five or six years old, he immediately flattered, "This must be the young master! He's so clever; he's clearly no ordinary person!"

Master Zhao smiled without saying a word, which was taken as agreement, and followed Manager Li to Mingqing Restaurant. After closing the door to the private room, Manager Li called over a waiter and instructed, "Master Zhao has brought the young master again. This morning we had spicy hot pot and mushroom hot pot, so this time we'll have clear broth hot pot and tomato hot pot. Also, when you go in to order, ask the young master if he has any dietary restrictions, and bring him an extra serving of pudding and double-skin milk pudding. Just say it's a gift from the restaurant for the young master!"

"Yes."

Seeing that the servant agreed, Manager Li hurried to the kitchen and instructed the purchasing manager: "Go to the estate and get another batch of vegetables quickly!"

"Yes, boss."

Watching the manager rush out, Manager Li didn't even dare to catch his breath before hurrying upstairs to find Gu Liunian. "Master!"

Gu Liunian, who was with his wife and son, saw Manager Li enter and asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"

"Master, quite a few guests have come again, and we're afraid our prepared ingredients won't be enough. I've already sent someone to the estate to bring over some more ingredients, which should be enough for a while. But, what about fish balls, pudding, and the like..."

Before Manager Li could finish speaking, Gu Liunian already understood what he meant. After a moment's thought, he said, "Then send someone to the mansion to fetch Wang Bao and his wife from the kitchen to help out, and also call some other people to come and assist."

Upon hearing this, Manager Li's eyes lit up, and he readily agreed, "Yes, I'll arrange it right away!" Without waiting for Gu Liunian's reaction, he hurriedly left.

Seeing that Manager Li was so busy that he didn't even have time to wipe the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, Lin Hao had even higher expectations for today's sales.

Seeing her eyes grow even brighter since Manager Li came in, Gu Liunian was once again certain that she was a greedy cat!

The family of three enjoyed their dinner leisurely, chatting and laughing. Gu Yu, the little dumpling, was especially excited. Normally, he would definitely take a nap at noon, but today he had been listening to the conversation all day and was still chattering about his experiences.

"Father, Mother, look, there!" Little Baozi pointed to the flickering lights on the Qingyuan River with his short, chubby fingers. The candlelight flickered and reflected in the river, adding a layer of hazy beauty to the scenery on both banks!

Various vendors lined the river, enthusiastically hawking their wares and trying to attract attention. Pleasure boats carrying tourists cruised along the river, carrying the melodious sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments. The graceful dances of dancers reflected in the windows added a touch of vibrancy to the nighttime atmosphere.

Such prosperity and liveliness cannot be experienced in secluded courtyards.

Not only was the little dumpling looking on with amazement, but even Lin Hao was captivated by the lively atmosphere! She hadn't experienced the bustling city in a long time. It was inconvenient after transmigrating, and before, she was too busy writing her thesis to have much time for leisure. She took a deep breath—it was such a long-lost feeling!

Suddenly, a fragrant aroma wafted into her nostrils. She sniffed and confirmed that it was the smell of roasted sweet potatoes!

From ancient times to the present, only this taste has never changed. She looked down and sure enough, she saw an old lady's roasted sweet potato stall not far from the entrance of the restaurant.

"Liu Dan, go downstairs and buy me some roasted sweet potatoes," Lin Hao gestured to Liu Dan.

Before Liu Dan could respond, Gu Liunian said, "Let Tu Bai go down! There are too many people today." Then he called out, "Tu Bai."

Hearing the voice calling him, Tu Bai, who was standing at the door, quickly pushed the door open and entered: "Master, you called me."

"Go downstairs and buy a few roasted sweet potatoes."

"Alright!" Tu Bai's tone was light and her steps were quick. Roasted sweet potatoes were clearly not something the master wanted to eat himself; it must have been something the young master or mistress wanted to eat.

Watching him leave, Lin Hao remarked, "Tu Bai is really full of energy!" After all, he'd been busy all day, and to still be like this was truly remarkable!

Gu Liunian glanced at her, pursed his lips, and said nothing.

Liu Dan chimed in, "That's just how he is, he always seems to have inexhaustible energy!"

"Oh? It seems you know him quite well!" Lin Hao looked at her with a malicious smile.

Liu Dan's face flushed instantly, and she said shyly, "Madam, what are you saying?"

"Oh, I didn't say anything! You guys always work together, so it's normal for you to know each other!"

Lin Hao looked at Liu Dan with an expression that said, "I didn't say anything, you're just making a fuss," which made Liu Dan open her mouth but couldn't say a word, her face turning red with frustration. Finally, she could only turn to Fu Cui for help: "Sister Fu Cui, look where Madam is!"

Fu Cui's hand was being pulled and twisted by her. She patted her hand with a smile and comforted her: "That's just how Madam is. She always likes to joke around with us. Just ignore her, and she'll get bored!"

"Fu Cui, what are you saying? How could someone as upright as me joke around with you? Liu Dan, don't be fooled by Fu Cui!" Lin Hao feigned slight anger.