Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Qian Duofu's face, full of fat, drooped down as he looked at the bustling scene in front of Zhiweixuan, filled with envy.

Just then, he suddenly saw a crowd of people pouring into the wonton shop next to Zhiweixuan.

It turns out that today's stinky tofu was sold out.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

Yes, he could move his shop here!

In this way, they can benefit from the customer traffic of Zhiweixuan.

Moreover, Zhiweixuan only sells snacks, while his shop sells proper meals. People need to eat proper meals to feel full.

Four-beauty soup, stinky tofu, and the like are just novelties; once the novelty wears off, nobody buys them anymore.

Qian Duofu thought it over and over and found it more and more feasible. His smile grew wider and wider. He even secretly decided that once he moved near Zhiweixuan, he would definitely raise the prices of his own food.

No, we must strike while the iron is hot and get it done immediately!

Qian Duofu immediately made up his mind and hurriedly ran off to prepare.

Shen Qing had already returned home.

Today is the fourth day of selling stinky tofu. If I sell stinky tofu for one more day tomorrow, I can take a break again this week.

The thought of weekends off made Shen Qing feel cheerful.

After a good night's sleep, Shen Qing went to Zhiweixuan as usual the next day.

Today's order is 1,000 servings of stinky tofu.

Although it sounds like a lot, one batch can yield several servings, and Shen Qing even brought okra to help out.

It was still early, not even dawn, but a long queue had already formed outside Zhiweixuan.

Shen Qing was already used to this scene. As usual, she opened the door, heated the oil in the wok, and started selling stinky tofu.

Soon, the unique aroma of stinky tofu filled the streets.

"Madam Shen, I'd like three servings!"

"I'll take three servings, and pickled radish too!"

"It smells so good! Even the smell of stinky tofu makes me drool! Oh my god, I can't stop drooling!"

"..."

The place was bustling with noise and extremely lively.

Suddenly, the sound of gongs and drums rang in everyone's ears.

Dong dong qiang— Dong dong qiang—

Shen Qing looked up and exclaimed, "Good heavens, it's lion dance again!"

Why are we heading towards Zhiweixuan? Could it be Zhao Wan's doing this again?

"Some big shot must have been captivated by stinky tofu again!"

"That's right, if it weren't for Madam Shen on this street, I'm afraid no one would come here."

"Look, look! What are we sending to Zhiweixuan this time?"

"..."

The diners craned their necks, each one filled with anticipation.

In their eyes, only Zhiweixuan deserved such a big commotion, especially since the two famous scholars had only presented the plaque together two days ago.

However, this time everyone was destined to be disappointed, as the lion dance troupe performed with their backs to Zhiweixuan.

The lion dance troupe's destination was clearly the other side.

"But didn't the shop across the street close down a long time ago?" one customer couldn't help but ask curiously.

Just as he finished speaking, the door of the shop across the street opened, and a fat middle-aged man with a greasy smile on his face walked out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today is the official opening of our Duofu Restaurant! We hope you will all support us. Our Duofu Restaurant offers delicious food at reasonable prices—it's so good you'll want to come back again and again..."

Qian Duofu's smile stretched almost to the back of his ears; seeing so many people here, he was incredibly excited.

That's great! With so many people opening shops here, they're sure to make a fortune!

He finally managed to get a free ride!

"Please come in, everyone! We're offering complimentary side dishes with your meal today, including peanuts and pickled radishes!"

Qian Duofu bowed and scraped, but he was filled with anticipation. In his mind, a large group of customers would be coming into his restaurant to eat the next moment.

The kind of restaurant that fills up completely.

However, the diners present only glanced at the lion dance and immediately looked away when they heard about Duofu Restaurant.

Their gaze remained fixed on Zhiweixuan, and on stinky tofu.

"Oh, it's just a newly opened restaurant. Nothing special. I was so excited."

"Yeah, restaurants and stuff like that are so common, they're everywhere."

"I thought someone was delivering something to Zhiweixuan~"

"..."

Qian Duofu was dumbfounded. He never expected that after shouting for so long, he wouldn't have attracted a single customer.

He thought that with so many guests, there would be at least a few curious ones.

Goodness, is stinky tofu all these people care about?

Qian Duofu's face darkened, but then he thought, once the stinky tofu is sold out, those who can't buy it will be hungry and will definitely come to his restaurant!

After all, if the wonton shop has business, his place will definitely have business too.

Thinking of this, Qian Duofu called out, "I know everyone is here for the stinky tofu, and I like it too. Buying the stinky tofu is the priority, but after you've bought yours, you can come to my shop and try some!"

"Free side dishes on opening day!"

Qian Duofu had never eaten stinky tofu before, and he didn't want to send money to Zhiweixuan, but that didn't stop him from using stinky tofu to win over customers.

Shen Qing was still busy making stinky tofu. She only glanced at the opposite side before looking away.

There were too many people, and she couldn't even see Qian Duofu's face clearly. She only knew that a new shop had opened across the street.

This didn't affect Shen Qing at all; she even thought it was a good thing that a new shop was opening on this street.

After all, one flower does not make a spring. If this quiet street can become lively again and many shops can reopen because of her, then it is meaningful.

......

Old Master Yan got up very early, as he was preparing to go to Zhiweixuan to buy stinky tofu, just like always.

He has servants at home, but he still wants to queue up himself so he can have a hot meal as soon as possible.

Just as I reached the gate and was about to get into the carriage, I saw a carriage coming towards my house in the distance.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the carriage of his own son, Yan Wenli.

In the blink of an eye, Yan Wenli's carriage arrived.

As soon as Yan Wenli stepped off the carriage, he saw the old master's appearance and asked in confusion, "Father, where are you going so early in the morning?"

"Why did you come back instead of staying in the capital?"

"I'm on vacation these few days, so I've come home to keep you company. Dad, let's go home first. I have a lot to say to you, and many questions I need your advice on."

Old Master Yan served as Minister of Revenue for decades. Although he has retired, he still wields considerable influence and has a keen understanding of many matters.

Therefore, whenever Yan Wenli was unsure about something, he would run back to ask Old Master Yan for advice.

"I'm not going back yet, I have other things to do." Old Master Yan frowned.

Between talking to his son and eating stinky tofu, he decisively chose to eat stinky tofu.

Hesitating for even a second is disrespectful to yourself.

"Father, what's wrong? Let me help you." Yan Wenli looked filial and his expression was very serious.

Old Master Yan was somewhat embarrassed. After a long pause, he stammered, "I'll go buy some food..."

???

Why does my dad have to buy all this food himself?

Yan Wenli simply didn't understand.