The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 285 Plot Twist
After inspecting her family's pesticide and seed shop, Tong Huaqiong found everything going smoothly and was just waiting for the opening of Peach Blossom Dessert Shop the next day.

The next morning, Tong Huaqiong dressed up and went to Peach Blossom Dessert Shop.

The opening day of Taohua Dessert Shop in Fucheng was more grand and lively than when it opened in Yanguan Town.

The efforts made in the early stages to build momentum among the students of Wanliu Academy were evident on the opening day.

A huge crowd lined up at the entrance of Peach Blossom Dessert Shop.

Tong Huaqiong knew that many people weren't necessarily there to buy pastries, but rather to sample them.

"I heard this shop lets you sample the food inside; they're really going all out," said an elderly woman holding her grandson's hand.

The old woman came because of the gimmick of being able to sample the food.

The opportunity to sample products in stores not only sparked heated discussions in Yanguan Town, but also in Fucheng.

A middle-aged woman said, "Good pastries usually sell well, so these pastries must be really bad to come up with this trick. But it doesn't matter, it's worth it to come in and try something that doesn't cost any money."

"Auntie, once you eat these pastries, I guarantee your wallet won't be able to hold back. The owner of Peach Blossom Dessert Shop has a nephew who is our senior at Wanliu Academy. A while ago, the owner sent our senior a four-basket set of pastries, which he generously shared with us. Those pastries were so delicious, let me tell you, auntie, that all the pastry shops in Ningcheng combined couldn't compare. And it's not just me who thinks so; every student at Wanliu Academy who has eaten them thinks so. When we came back to buy more after we finished our pastries, the shop hadn't even opened yet. We begged them for a long time before the owner finally agreed to sell us some before the shop opened."

"We're finally open for business today! I'm going to buy a variety of things. I'm not bragging, but many of our pastries are things that other bakeries don't have."

When Tong Huaqiong heard someone enthusiastically promoting their own pastries, she thought it was a shill hired by He Chao.

Then I turned around and saw a handsome young man actively recommending peach blossom desserts to the people around him.

The middle-aged woman, who was persuaded by the recommendation, curled her lip and said, "There are new and exciting pastries. I don't believe that other pastry shops don't have what Peach Blossom Desserts has. This Peach Blossom Desserts didn't come from the capital, but from Yanguan Town in Pingchuan County. What good pastries can a rural place have? If it weren't for the tasting, I wouldn't bother queuing up."

The handsome young man grew anxious and said, "Auntie, words are no proof. You'll see when you enter the shop at the opening."

"This is the shill you hired. He did a good job, so you can get more money," Tong Huaqiong whispered to He Chao.

He Chao laughed and said, "Master, these are students from Wanliu Academy. They are from prominent families, how could I possibly invite them?"

Tong Huaqiong smiled; it seems her promotional efforts continued right up to the opening day.

Those four baskets of pastries were a worthwhile gift!
However, this also shows that her pastries have become popular among the scions of prominent families.

“Master, look, not only this student, but there are several behind him,” He Chao said, pointing.

Today is a day off for Wanliu Academy, and these students have come to Peach Blossom Dessert Shop to join in the fun.

"Boss, look how many people there are, let's open for business! You can cut the ribbon." Hong Xiaoxi brought over a red tray with a pair of red scissors on it.

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself that it would be great if she could shamelessly invite Prefect Yao to cut the ribbon.

Given her contribution in eradicating ear rot, Prefect Yao probably wouldn't refuse.

Now she has to come by herself!
At this moment, a commotion broke out in the crowd, and Tong Huaqiong turned around and saw Lu Zhaoyang.

Her eyes lit up. Good heavens, could it be that her cheat code had been activated and Prefect Yao had come uninvited?

Tong Huaqiong craned her neck, but there was no Prefect Yao there; instead, there was an old man beside Lu Zhaoyang.

The old man was unremarkable in appearance, and Tong Huaqiong guessed that he was the Lu family's steward accompanying the young master to join in the fun.

This plot twist is unexpected.

"Oh my, Grandpa, my grandpa is here!" Lu Zhaozhao, who was standing next to Gu Taohua, rushed to Tong Huaqiong's side and said excitedly, "My grandpa came to attend the opening of Taohua Dessert Shop. The reason I didn't tell you in advance was to give you a surprise."

It turned out that the unassuming old man was Grandpa Lu.

They had eyes but couldn't recognize Mount Tai.

After realizing what was happening, Tong Huaqiong rushed forward and grabbed Old Master Lu's hand.

At this point, Tong Huaqiong had already forgotten the regret that Prefect Yao couldn't come to the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Why didn't she think of inviting Grandpa Lu to the ribbon-cutting ceremony?

Old Master Lu is a royal merchant and a powerful tycoon in the city. His arrival signifies his acceptance of Peach Blossom Desserts, an outsider, which will help Peach Blossom Desserts gain a foothold in the city's business community.

I'm afraid that if Old Master Lu were to sever his scissors once, no merchant in the entire city would dare to cause trouble for Peach Blossom Desserts. He Chao was equally excited.

Our boss is really something, managing to invite Old Master Lu here.

Why didn't they give us any advance notice?

"Hello, Grandpa Lu." Tong Huaqiong shook Grandpa Lu's hand a few times.

Tong Huaqiong was so excited that she used her handshake greeting from her previous life.

Old Master Lu's beard twitched as he tried to pull his hand away.

He didn't expect Tong Huaqiong to be so informal, holding his hand tightly in public and refusing to let go.

Old Master Lu was immediately impressed by Tong Huaqiong. He liked people who weren't bound by rules; doing business required quick thinking.

"Master Tong, I should have visited your home, but I haven't had the time. Now that you have a shop in the prefectural city, I naturally have to come and support you," said Old Master Lu.

"We've been waiting for you," Tong Huaqiong said, withdrawing her hand.

He Chao chuckled and invited the two to the shop entrance, where Hong Xiaoxi brought out a tray.

"Please." Tong Huaqiong handed the scissors to Grandpa Lu.

Without any hesitation, Old Master Lu cut the red silk ribbon in half with a single snip of the scissors.

Originally, firecrackers were supposed to be prepared for the occasion, but considering safety concerns, He Chao did not prepare any firecrackers. Instead, he had the people he had hired in advance play the suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument).

"Dear fellow villagers, Peach Blossom Dessert Shop is now open for business! Thank you all for your support. In the future, Peach Blossom Dessert Shop will rely on your help to grow and thrive." With a wave of her hand, Tong Huaqiong stopped playing the suona and delivered her opening speech.

Soon, Chef Song and Chen Sufeng's bakery were busy, bringing trays of pastries into the shop, their aroma filling the entire street.

The students of Wanliu College were so tempted that they rushed into the shop and grabbed any pastries that suited their taste.

Some wealthy families even sent their maids, servants, and young men to queue up.

Most people come here to take advantage of the free samples.

The shop was quickly filled with customers, and the shop assistants, dressed in uniform, greeted them with enthusiastic smiles that revealed eight teeth.

The peach blossom desserts aren't left out to cool for customers queuing outside; tea and melon seeds are already prepared and provided.

There were even staff members carrying sliced ​​pastries for everyone to try, introducing the names of the pastries as they went.

"This is taro paste pastry."

"What you're talking about is pork floss buns."

"These are butterfly cookies."

As Tong Huaqiong had expected, the recipe she devised won over the well-informed people of the prefecture.

Everyone enjoyed the pastries and offered their comments.

"These pastries are better than those from other shops."

"Other shops offer the same old dishes, but these peach blossom desserts are really something else."

"Hey bro, can I have another taste of that pork floss bun you mentioned earlier?"

"I need to buy two pounds of butterfly cookies later."

Tong Huaqiong paid special attention to the old lady in the crowd who was battling with the students. After trying a few samples, the old lady bought two pounds of butterfly pastries.

These are pastries that other shops don't have.

Due to their immense popularity, several best-selling products were subject to purchase limits at one point.

There's no way around it, the bakery is just too busy!