Dare to shirk responsibility? This adorable little one will tear down your military district!

Lin Wanrou said she wouldn't set off any fireworks, and there really wasn't a single sound.

On the morning of the opening day, the red-lacquered gate of the Gu family's side courtyard in Nanluoguxiang was simply opened by removing the plaque covered with red silk.

The four large characters "御膳柔心" (Royal Cuisine with Gentle Heart) on a black background gleamed with a restrained light under the sun.

There were no flower baskets, no ribbon-cutting ceremony, and not even a waiter to greet the guests.

Niu Dan, dressed in a clean dark blue Zhongshan suit, had washed his face and neatly combed his hair. He stood at the gate with his hands behind his back.

His eyes were still like a wolf cub's, fixed on the people passing by in the alley. Anyone who tried to peek in and met Niu Dan's eyes would have their legs turn twice before they could even get close.

Today, Ya Ya put on a new maroon vest made by Lin Wanrou, which was stuffed with White Rabbit milk candies and chocolate balls.

She sat on a stone stool at the foot of the large screen wall, swinging her short legs back and forth, crunching on a piece of candy.

"Mom, do you think our business will actually attract customers?" Ya Ya looked up at Lin Wanrou, who was busy in the backyard.

Lin Wanrou was pouring the last batch of medicinal ingredients into a purple clay pot. The smell was indescribably pleasant. It was bitter with a hint of herbal fragrance, and as it entered her nose, she felt completely refreshed.

"What's the rush? Didn't Jiang Guo say that good wine needs no bush?" Lin Wanrou took off her apron and straightened her collar.

There's really no rush.

Before 10 a.m., the sound of an engine could be heard at the entrance of the alley.

It wasn't the sound of a dilapidated bus, but the deep, even roar of a jeep.

The lead vehicle, bearing the sign of the garrison command, stopped directly at the gate. The door opened, and Lei Zhentian, dressed in civilian clothes, stepped out, carrying two beautifully packaged boxes of specially supplied pastries.

"I could smell the medicine from afar! Old Sun, Lin girl, it's me, Lei, here for a free meal!" Lei Zhentian shouted as soon as he entered the courtyard.

Following behind him was Commander Yang Zhengjun. These two bigwigs, usually only seen in newspapers, were now acting like ordinary old men, first examining the set of huanghuali furniture upon entering the courtyard.

"Good heavens, Lin girl, the foundation here is even more solid than my headquarters." Yang Zhengjun sat down in the warm armchair, rubbing the armrest a couple of times. "This kind of wood is hard to find these days."

"Uncle Yang, please have a seat." Lin Wanrou brought over a cup of warm herbal tea. "This is wild tangerine peel that Ya Ya dug up on the mountain, with a little ginseng added. Please soothe your throat first."

Yang Zhengjun took a sip, and his previously somewhat cloudy mind instantly cleared. He looked at Lin Wanrou and nodded: "This tea is good. I heard you wanted to order this medicinal cuisine for eight hundred yuan? That price is unprecedented in the capital."

Lin Wanrou smiled gently, but her words were unwavering: "Uncle Yang, all the medicines here are personally overseen by Grandpa Sun. Every single one is extremely rare. This 800 yuan is for life, not food."

Just then, another commotion arose outside.

There were several men in crisp Zhongshan suits. The leader, who was about fifty years old, had an arrogant expression and put his briefcase on the table as soon as he entered.

"Is this the legendary private medicinal cuisine restaurant?" The man leading the group, surnamed Wang, was a powerful director in the department. He had heard the news of Zhou Quan's downfall and wanted to see what kind of background this place had.

Director Wang glanced around the room, then fixed his gaze on the menu on the wall. There was only one word there: Medicine. Next to it was a note: 800 per table.

"Eight hundred yuan?" Director Wang sneered, turning to look at Lin Wanrou. "Young comrade, has this price been approved by the Price Bureau? Are you trying to restore capitalism by doing this in Wangfujing, Beijing?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Lei Zhentian was sitting behind a screen in the inner room, drinking tea, and had not yet shown himself.

Niu Dan walked out from behind the screen wall. Although he wasn't carrying a boning knife, the murderous aura he exuded made Director Wang shrink back.

"Who are you?" Director Wang asked, noticing something amiss in the boy's eyes. His voice became slightly weaker.

"I'm just a gatekeeper," Niu Dan replied coldly.

Ya Ya jumped down from the stone block and walked over on her short legs. She looked up, her big eyes blinking innocently.

"Uncle with a big belly, do you want to eat? If you want to eat, you have to pay first and then take a number. There are no more numbers left for today."

Director Wang was rebuffed by a five-and-a-half-year-old child, which enraged him. He slammed his fist on the table: "Number? Who gave you the audacity to set up rules here! I now suspect you're practicing medicine illegally. Not only will I shut this place down, but I'll also arrest you and take you back for questioning!"

"Who should we arrest?"

A muffled sound came from behind the screen.

Lei Zhentian walked out with his hands behind his back. Although he was dressed in civilian clothes, the aura he exuded, as if he had crawled out of a pile of corpses, was something that someone like Director Wang, who sat in an office, could not withstand.

When Director Wang saw Lei Zhentian's face clearly, his knees buckled on the spot, his briefcase fell to the ground, and several Parker pens were thrown out.

"Lei... Chief Lei?" Director Wang's lips trembled, and cold sweat poured down his face.

Lei Zhentian ignored him, walked straight to Ya Ya, picked up the little girl and sat her on his shoulders: "Ya Ya, is this person trying to kidnap you?"

"He said my mom is involved in... capitalism," Ya Ya complained smoothly, "and he even wants to block our door."

Lei Zhentian turned to look at Director Wang, the imposing force in his voice making the surrounding air seem to sink a few degrees:

"Director Wang, this house is the home of my old comrade-in-arms, and this medicinal diet was prescribed to help him improve his health. Do you want it approved? Or should I call your department and have them send someone to reconcile the accounts with me?"

"No, no, no, it's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!" Director Wang slapped himself hard across the face. "I was blind! I came to the wrong place! Commander Lei, you're busy, I'll get out of here right now!"

Director Wang picked up his briefcase and scrambled out of the yard.

Those in the alley who had initially wanted to wait and see, upon seeing Director Wang's miserable state and the red-plated jeep, all understood what was going on.

This isn't a restaurant; it's a gateway to heaven!

On the first day of business, apart from a few familiar faces like Lei Zhentian and Yang Zhengjun, Lin Wanrou only served three tables.

800 per table, cash on delivery.

After drinking those bowls of medicinal soup, those big shots walked with much lighter steps.

Jiang Guo was using an abacus inside the room, the sound of which was so clear it sounded like singing.

"Aunt Lin, we collected two thousand four hundred in cash today, and filled half a bag with special-supply cigarette and alcohol coupons and cloth coupons." Jiang Guo put away the abacus and looked at Lin Wanrou. "But this is just the beginning. Once those people go back and spread the word, the doorstep here will be kicked down tomorrow."

Sun Shouzhen sat to the side, flipping through his medical records, his expression somewhat grave.

"Wanrou, medicinal cuisine is good, but it can only be the icing on the cake." Sun Shouzhen put down his pen and looked at the steaming medicine stove in the backyard.