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

When it was fully light, Shen Mao set off from the dilapidated temple and went directly to Shen Qing's house.

At this time, only Shen's mother was at home. Upon hearing that an elder from the clan had come to visit, she quickly invited him to the main hall.

"I was unaware of the clan elder's arrival; I have failed to greet you properly..."

Before Shen's mother could finish speaking, Shen Mao interrupted, "No need for further words. I've come today only to ask one question: Was the brutal beating of Cheng Zong and his wife in Ping'an County the work of you and Shen Qing?"

"And what happened to Shen's Restaurant? Why did it close down?"

"It is only right and proper for Chengzong and his wife to inherit the family business. Only in this way can the Shen family's business be carried forward and developed. Why are you and your daughter trying to obstruct it?"

A barrage of scolding nearly brought Shen's mother to tears again.

After suppressing her emotions for a long time, she slowly spoke: "My husband started from scratch and built Shen's Restaurant from nothing. Over the years, we have accumulated some wealth, but it was not easy."

"Over the years, the clan has never helped us in the slightest, but my husband still contributes money and effort to build houses and repair ancestral halls for the clan members, and helps those who cannot afford to eat. He has never complained."

"Why are you saying all this?" Shen Mao said angrily.

He admitted that the clan had indeed received a lot of favors, but what was important now was to carry forward the Shen Family Restaurant.

Those things from before are all in the past.

"Why are you saying all this? I wanted to ask why you elders repay kindness with enmity when my husband has done so much for the clan?" Mother Shen gritted her teeth, her hands clenched tightly.

Shen Mao was stunned: "What do you mean by repaying kindness with enmity?"

"Seizing his property, driving his wife and daughters out of their home without food or water, and driving them to the brink of death—isn't that repaying kindness with enmity?"

Shen's mother's voice was filled with resentment.

Even though she was blind, Shen Mao inexplicably couldn't meet her eyes.

"Chengzong is an adopted son, how can it be considered as taking over?" Shen Mao tried to correct him.

Mother Shen snorted coldly, "Pah!"

"Shen Chengzong is a wolf. He's always plotting to kill my daughter and me and seize all the family business. You think you can rely on him to make the Shen family prosperous? Dream on! He's just a good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun. He's not even worthy to carry my daughter's shoes!"

Shen Mao remained silent for a long time. Through his mother's words, he understood that Shen Chengzong was too greedy. Not only did he fail to keep his promise to take good care of Shen Qing and her daughter, but he also secretly did a lot of dirty work.

"No matter how good Shen Qing is, she is still a girl. If Cheng Zong is not suitable, we can choose another good young man from the clan," Shen Mao sighed.

"So what if Qing'er is a girl? Which son of the Shen family can compare to her?"

"If Shen's Restaurant really falls into the hands of those incompetent fools you mentioned, it will be completely finished sooner or later!"

Shen Mao had his own insistence: "No matter how good Shen Qing is, once she gets married, won't the Shen family's business have to be handed over to someone else?"

"Putting aside the fact that my daughter isn't married yet, even if she were, she wouldn't stop bearing the Shen surname. She still has Shen family blood flowing in her veins, and her children would still be Shen family children. Why can't she inherit the family business?"

"Most importantly, Qing'er has an exceptional talent for cooking. She started by setting up a stall and gradually built up her customer base. Now she has opened a shop. The plaque of our Zhiweixuan restaurant was carved by famous scholars and artists. Now, everyone in Ping'an County loves Qing'er's food and everyone talks about 'Lady Shen'."

"Qing'er is the most suitable person to inherit the restaurant!"

After hearing those words, Shen Mao felt like his head was about to explode.

What?! Zhiweixuan is owned by Shen Qing?!

So, the "Lady Shen" those people were talking about yesterday was Shen Qing?!

Shen Qing actually opened such a successful shop!!!

Compared to Shen's Restaurant, Zhiweixuan's business is much better.

God...

Not only Shen Mao, but Shen De was also shocked.

At this moment, Shen De had arrived at the front of Zhiweixuan. He looked at Shen Qing's nimble figure with disbelief on his face.

"Are you... are you Shen Qing?"

"I am Shen Qing," Shen Qing replied, looking up. The old man in front of him looked somewhat familiar.

"I am the patriarch of the Shen family!!" Shen De exclaimed excitedly.

Good heavens, after Shen's Restaurant, their family has produced another restaurant called Zhiweixuan.

This Zhiweixuan restaurant is even more popular than Shen's Restaurant was before!

"Oh, so you're the clan leader." Shen Qing's voice was indifferent, but his movements were extremely swift. "Here are your Four Happiness Meatballs."

Upon seeing the four glistening, dark red Four Happiness Meatballs, Shen De couldn't take his eyes off them.

He accepted it with both hands, his face full of piety. The rising steam hit his face directly, and in just an instant, his sense of smell was captivated.

"If I had known that Zhiweixuan was owned by you, I wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble and wait in line. It's like the flood washed away the Dragon King's temple; we're family now, but we don't even recognize each other," Shen De said while stuffing food into his mouth.

The excitement is beyond words.

Shen Qing continued working, only saying calmly, "Everyone has to queue up at Zhiweixuan."

"But I am the patriarch of the Shen family..."

"You still have to wait in line."

Shen De was disappointed. Well, he thought, "I'll just have to wait in line. These Four Happiness Meatballs are so delicious; they're a gift from heaven."

Thinking of this, he ate another one.

While eating, he couldn't help but ask Shen Qing, "Do you have any rice in your shop?"

"No." Shen Qing's lips twitched.

This clan chief really doesn't consider himself an outsider.

"What a pity, what a pity! Your meatballs are the best with rice. I tried one yesterday and it was absolutely amazing!!" Shen De said as he ate, his mouth covered in sauce.

He had even forgotten why he had come to Ping'an County in the first place.

"Rice for sale! Rice for sale! Three coins a bowl!!" someone shouted from the street.

Shen De quickly bought a bowl of rice. He poured the meatballs and soup into the rice, then used chopsticks to break the meatballs into smaller pieces before stirring it well.

The sauce coated every grain of rice, and the meatballs were broken into small pieces.

With one bite, the meatball and rice blend together perfectly, the aroma of rice mingling with the fragrance of meat, and the savory flavor of the sauce dancing on the tip of the tongue.

"Comfortable~" Shen De rubbed his belly, looking quite content.

"Look, you should have brought rice. Are you trying to let others make money?" he couldn't help but say after finishing his meal.

Shen Qing: "No need."

Others sell rice because they've discovered a business opportunity themselves; she doesn't need to.

Besides, she was too busy to sell rice.

Shen De licked the bowl clean, and seeing that Shen Qing was too busy to talk to him at all.

We could only prepare to go to the teahouse and sit down for a while.

Just then, a limping figure came from a distance.