Divine Tang Era

Chapter 162 Meeting

The next morning, Xu Dan completed his cultivation as usual.

After breakfast, I opened the door and saw Chi Lei'er standing silently outside like an iron tower. The falling snow had already piled up a thin layer on his shoulders and hair, but he seemed unaware of it.

"This guy, he doesn't even know how to knock."

Xu Dan shook his head helplessly, beckoned Chi Lei'er in, led him to the kitchen, and began teaching him how to prepare the ingredients. Although Chi Lei'er was a little dazed, he was very focused on learning.

This busy period lasted the entire morning.

Around noon, a richly decorated carriage drove out of Mingfenglou and slowly headed towards the hot pot restaurant.

The carriage was adorned with exquisite carvings, and the curtains fluttered in the wind, subtly revealing the luxurious furnishings inside. Inside, Ya Zhu and Zhu Yu Xian sat facing each other, both dressed in magnificent robes, exuding elegance and refined grace. Outside, on either side of the carriage stood a graceful maid and two stern-faced guards, their steps steady and orderly following the carriage forward.

Mingfeng Tower was renowned as the largest trading place for rare and exotic items in Jingning City.

The group's departure immediately attracted the attention of many people. Passersby turned their heads, whispered among themselves, and speculated about the identities of the people in the car and their purpose for the trip.

"I wonder what the little guy did to invite us to come," Zhu Yuxian said.

"We've done our job spoiling him. If he doesn't cook well, we'll spank him next time we see him," Ya Zhu threatened.

Inside the hot pot restaurant, Xu Dan sliced ​​a portion of cooked ingredients and placed them into a dark, gilded iron pot filled with a rich, simmering animal bone broth. He then topped it with a thick layer of cooked animal meat and asked Chi Lei'er, "Did you learn it?"

"I've learned it, it's very simple."

Chi Lei'er nodded heavily.

In fact, not only Chi Lei'er, but even her mother, Rui Wu Ni, and the bouncy little magpie who were watching from the sidelines had learned it. It's such a simple thing; anyone who isn't mentally challenged knows how to do it.

As the weather gets colder, Jiusi Abode has also started its holiday.

The little magpie was overjoyed. She didn't have to go to school and could play around with her mother every day. She couldn't be happier.

After preparing the hot pot, Xu Dan immediately set out to prepare a raw hot pot. The raw hot pot is even simpler; all you need to do is arrange various fresh ingredients on a plate, bring it to the table, and let the guests cook it themselves. Xu Dan himself doesn't eat spicy food, so the hot pot he prepared was all in a clear broth, with maybe a little pepper for seasoning.

To be honest, good ingredients don't need overly complicated or fancy cooking methods.

The same goes for hot pot. Various fresh ingredients are cooked in a rich broth carefully simmered with animal bones, then dipped in sauces—the taste is simply divine. Anyway, Xu Dan himself tried it and thought it tasted great, finding no problems whatsoever.

After teaching Chi Lei'er how to cut and prepare vegetables, Xu Dan had him make a hot pot base himself.

Despite his burly appearance, Chi Lei'er's knife skills are superb. He can cut raw meat into even slices and cooked meat into perfectly sized pieces. He can handle all kinds of dishes with great care and arrange them neatly.

Xu Dan watched from the side, nodding repeatedly, feeling that they had invited the right person.

Suddenly a commotion came from outside, as if a carriage was approaching.

Xu Dan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly went out to greet them. Just as he reached the door, the carriage came to a smooth stop, and two maids respectfully opened the door, helping Zhu and Zhu Yuxian alight. Xu Dan immediately stepped forward and warmly welcomed them, saying, "It is a great honor to have you two sisters grace our humble abode with your presence; it truly brings glory to our place!"

"Opening a shop really changes things; everyone's become more talkative," Ya Zhu teased with a slight smile.

"That's right." Xu Dan straightened his back and said proudly, "Sister, from now on we're on the same level. You're the landlord, and I'm the shop owner. We both have owners, so there's no difference in rank."

"Giggle giggle"

Upon hearing his words, Shanzhu burst into laughter. She stepped forward, gently cupped Xu Dan's chubby face in her hands, and said with a smile, "Your little shop, calling itself on the same level as ours? People would laugh themselves to death if they heard that."

Zhu Yuxian and the two maids were also amused by Xu Dan's words and couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle.

"Aside from being smaller in scale, earning less money, and employing fewer people, there's really not much difference between us," Xu Dan said indignantly.

Shanzhu scooped him up in her arms, nuzzling her pretty face against his chubby cheek affectionately, and said, "You forgot one thing, which is that you're also a little smaller than me, shorter, tiny." She then burst into cheerful laughter again. Zhu Yuxian laughed even harder, his eyes crinkling into slits.

Xu Dan noticed that Ya Zhu always liked to touch him inappropriately. She used to be more well-behaved, but recently she started to rub her face against his.

Sigh, having lived two lives, I never imagined I'd still have to sacrifice my looks to please women. It's truly wrong of me! But, this gigolo does taste pretty good, it's delicious.

After chatting for a bit, Xu Dan got down from Zhu's arms and led them into the store.

The moment Shanzhu and Zhu Yuxian stepped into the shop, their eyes met Rui Wuni's. Their pupils contracted sharply, and alarm bells rang in their minds.

Zhu's eyebrows arched slightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Her fingers tightened unconsciously, a chill creeping into her fingertips, and the surrounding air seemed to grow colder with her change in emotion. Zhu Yuxian's expression hardened, her lips pressed down slightly, and her eyes revealed a hint of wariness and alertness. Her posture tensed slightly, like a cheetah poised to pounce, ready to deal with any potential danger.

They had no choice but to do so, for the person before them was a descendant of Empress Wu Zetian, a direct descendant of the Wu clan, and the previous Flower Lord, who had stood firm through generations of court trials.

Any one of these names alone could put immense pressure on them.

With that thought, Rui Wuni's figure instantly became tall and majestic in their eyes, and the surrounding air seemed to become heavy because of her presence.

Shanzhu felt an invisible pressure bearing down on her, as if a towering mountain stood before her, making her breath catch slightly. Her clothes fluttered without wind, her sleeves gently lifting, as if drawn by a mysterious force. Zhu Yuxian felt the same way; her long hair lifted slightly, strands brushing gently against her shoulders, and her aura became sharp, like a drawn sword, its edge fully revealed.

Behind the two, the void distorted slightly, and a lotus flower quietly bloomed.

The petals of the peony are as white as jade, radiating an unparalleled, sacred, and majestic radiance, illuminating the surrounding space as if it were a fairyland. At the same time, a rose of Sharon slowly blooms in the void, its petals alluring yet eerie, carrying an aura of impermanence and death, intertwining with the sacredness of the peony to create a peculiar and awe-inspiring scene.

When Rui Wuni saw the two, she was slightly taken aback, but then a bright smile appeared on her face as she warmly stepped forward to greet them, saying, "Please come in, both of you guests."

As soon as she finished speaking, taking advantage of the fact that no one in the shop was paying attention, Rui Wu Ni secretly transmitted her voice and said, "My two sisters, I have absolutely no ill intentions towards the young master. Please believe me, we can discuss this matter in detail later."

Zhu and Zhu Yuxian exchanged a glance. Given her status and reputation, she certainly wouldn't resort to any underhanded tricks.

So, the two of them withdrew their imposing auras and instantly returned to their previous peaceful demeanor, as if nothing had happened.

Seeing the two women stop, Xu Dan couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, ladies?"

"It's nothing," Ya Zhu said with a slight smile, her expression as usual.

Seeing that she didn't seem to be in any trouble, Xu Dan continued leading them forward. The hot pot was already prepared, so without further ado, Xu Dan invited the two to take their seats. Since Shan Zhu and Zhu Yuxian had brought maids and guards, Xu Dan arranged for them to dine at another table. Originally, that table was reserved for Yun Niang and Rui Wu Ni's lunch, so now they had to prepare another table for them.

Just as two maids were about to step forward to serve, Xu Dan stopped them, saying, "Eating hot pot is more fun when you do it yourself. It loses its flavor if you're served. You two go eat by yourselves; we don't need you here."

When Shanzhu and Zhu Yuxian saw Xu Dan's actions, they simply nodded to the maid and didn't say anything more.

The fire roared in the pot, and the rich broth made from animal bones simmered and bubbled happily, emitting an enticing aroma.

Xu Dan placed various dishes into the pot one by one, then picked up a slice of tender long-haired beef and gently dipped it into the hot pot. "Sisters, look, this meat is sliced ​​very thinly, so it doesn't need to be cooked for too long, just three dips and three dips. Then dip it in the sauce and it's ready to eat. Here, Sister Yazhu, you try it first."

Xu Dan placed the blanched meat into a pearl bowl and then blanched another portion for Zhu Yuxian.

Shanzhu took a small bite, savored it carefully, and nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Hmm, it tastes really good."

"That's right, I personally seasoned it, so it's naturally excellent."

Xu Dan looked proud and continued, "The food here is also ready to eat. Ladies, please help yourselves. Take as much as you want, and cut more if you're not full. Our shop may not have much else, but we have plenty of meat." In preparation for opening the shop, Xu Dan had stocked up on a large amount of animal meat, so he was very confident and spoke with great magnanimity.

"You put medicinal herbs in this soup, didn't you? It has a bit of a blood-nourishing effect," Zhu Yuxian said while enjoying the food.

"You can even taste the difference? You're amazing, sister." Xu Dan gave a thumbs up and praised her generously.

Zhu Yuxian rolled her eyes at him, showing no appreciation.

"The medicinal herbs should include cordyceps, ginseng, goji berries, and red dates. This is a combination of medicinal herbs, animal meat, and fresh vegetables. How much do you plan to sell this pot for?" Ya Zhu asked curiously.

"Ugh————"

Xu Dan was a little stunned by the question, and then realized that he had been so busy with various matters related to opening the store that he had forgotten to set a price for the hot pot.

When Shanzhu and Zhu Yuxian saw his silly appearance, they shook their heads repeatedly.

For a moment, Xu Dan didn't know how much to sell the hot pot for. But that didn't matter; these two women were shrewd businesspeople, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to run Mingfenglou so successfully. He quickly and humbly asked, "Ladies, what do you think is a suitable price for my hot pot?"

Zhu thought for a moment and said, "The amount of medicinal herbs in your soup is not much, and the meat is not a rare breed. The main problem is that fresh vegetables are relatively scarce this season, so selling it for ten taels of silver should be reasonable."

"Ten taels, isn't that a bit too much?" Xu Dan's eyes widened in disbelief.

You should know that a large meat bun made with fresh animal meat by the Meng family only costs a few coins, and rice is only a few coins per pound. For him to sell a hot pot for a thousand taels of silver seems like he's ripping off customers.

"I'm just giving you a suggestion; the final price is up to you to decide," Ya Zhu said.

"Let me think about it." Xu Dan felt he needed to consider it carefully.

"Why isn't there a sign outside your shop?" Zhu Yuxian asked while eating hot pot.

"The signboard? Oh, I forgot. I'll have someone order one tomorrow. There's no rush anyway, we still have two more days before we open." Xu Dan patted his head, somewhat annoyed.

"Isn't everything ready? Why isn't it open for business yet?" Zhu Yuxian asked again.

"When you open a shop, you always need to invite some friends over to get together, have some fun, and celebrate, so that the opening day won't be deserted," Xu Dan explained.

"Oh—" Zhu Yuxian suddenly realized.

"You can actually use a fire stone or a talisman fire instead of this stove, so you won't need to burn charcoal. Burning charcoal indoors can easily produce carbon monoxide poisoning, which is a bit dangerous," Ya Zhu suggested with concern.

"The flame stone is cold, nothing like the warmth of charcoal. Besides, I made a small window on it so that the poisonous gas can escape. I don't have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning."

Xu Dan pointed to several small windows that had been specially opened in the shop. He explained that he had these windows made specifically for this purpose when he was renovating the house, just to prevent poisoning.

"I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful," Zhu Yuxian couldn't help but praise.

"That's right." Xu Dan smiled smugly.

The three chatted and ate, enjoying themselves immensely. After finishing their meal, Shanzhu and Zhu Yuxian went to visit the kitchen before leading everyone away.

Before leaving, Ya Zhu took out a storage bag and handed it to Xu Dan. "There are a few lamps made of firestone in here. Hang them in the room so it won't be too dark. Also, Yu Xian and I have prepared some medicinal herbs and animal meat for you to use when you open the shop, as well as various dishes. Take these and use them first. If you need more, come find us."

"Thank you, sisters." Xu Dan knew he couldn't refuse, so he could only thank them and accept the gifts.

"No need to thank me, just remember to tell us your legendary stories in the future." Shanzhu gently patted Xu Dan's head, her eyes full of tenderness.

"Let's go, little one." Zhu Yuxian also stepped forward and patted Xu Dan's bald head. To be honest, it felt really good.

Xu Dan watched the carriage slowly disappear into the distance before turning around and walking back into the shop.