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

Li Duan, sporting dark circles under his eyes, opened the door: "Eunuch Zhao, how about I send ten servants to line up first, and we can go to Zhiwei Restaurant together this afternoon?"

"No, no, what if something goes wrong and I won't be able to eat it again? Let's go now, right now!" Zhao Gou was very stubborn.

Although he was beaten yesterday, the smell of that grilled sausage was so delicious that even after spending half the night at a brothel, he couldn't forget the aroma.

Today he must try it himself.

As for the grudge of being beaten, humph, a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years.

He's a palace person; all he needs to do to get revenge is return to the palace.

Li Duan's vision went black again and again.

Left with no other choice, I had to go along.

Before it was fully light, there was already a queue outside the Zhiwei Restaurant.

Fortunately, there weren't too many people. After all, if we started queuing now, it would take more than four hours for Zhiwei Restaurant to open.

Li Duan felt he had to stand guard all day.

This is really a headache.

"Ouch, my leg hurts a little," Zhao Gou suddenly said.

Li Duan gave a forced smile: "Or, shall we go back?"

"I'm not going back."

"Then... shall I get you a stool?"

"You can't lie down on the stool either."

Upon hearing this, Feng, the steward standing nearby, immediately spoke up: "Lord Li, you should at least get a soft couch for Eunuch Zhao. It's so uncomfortable to sit on a stool."

"Besides the soft couch, it would be best to bring a few maids with umbrellas, several fruit platters, and tea. The weather is so hot now, what if Eunuch Zhao gets sick from the heat?"

Feng, the clerk, was so obsequious that it disgusted passersby.

Eunuch Zhao, however, was quite pleased: "I think Steward Feng is right, very right."

Li Duan: "......"

Are you just trying to make things difficult for him?

He was just a minor county magistrate...

I really want Lady Shen to punch this damned eunuch to death.

......

Just before the restaurant opened in the afternoon, Shen Qing leisurely arrived at Zhiwei Restaurant.

I only start work in the afternoon; to be honest, this is a really good day.

As soon as she reached the door, she noticed something extremely conspicuous.

On a large, soft couch, a person lay sprawled out.

There were several maids around, some holding umbrellas, others fanning the air.

Some even feed them fruit.

Upon closer inspection, good heavens, it was none other than that androgynous eunuch from yesterday.

Shen Qing was speechless. After being beaten up, he could still come and queue up. This eunuch really had a thick skin.

Stepping into the restaurant, Shen Qing began preparing today's new dishes.

The ingredients for honey grapefruit sparkling water are very simple: grapefruit, honey, and sparkling water.

The grapefruit used is red-fleshed grapefruit. It is soaked in salt water for 15 minutes, then the grapefruit is peeled open and the pulp is removed.

Blanch the grapefruit peel in boiling water first, then take it out and soak it in ice water.

After processing the grapefruit, all that's left is to assemble it.

It was almost time, so Shen Qing opened the door of Zhiwei Restaurant.

"The usual food items remain the same, but today's new product is a honey grapefruit sparkling drink, limited to 100 servings."

Everyone was excited, and Zhao Gou even sat up abruptly from the soft couch.

The door is open! It's finally open!

I didn't expect there to be new products.

"I'd like three sparkling drinks!" he said, his voice full of anticipation.

Li Duan: "......"

He was speechless.

Ten grilled sausages and three cups of sparkling drinks—this damned eunuch is really living the high life.

At the front of the line, Shen Qing had already begun making the first cup of honey grapefruit sparkling drink.

She took a pretty glass, first put in some grapefruit pulp, then added a pinch of grapefruit peel, scooped in two spoonfuls of honey, and gently stirred it with the spoon.

The honey coated the grapefruit segments directly.

Then add a full glass of ice cubes and slowly pour sparkling water along the side of the glass.

Use a long spoon to gently stir and mix the honey at the bottom with the sparkling water.

Finally, place a small sprig of mint on the rim of the cup and insert a bamboo straw.

"Your honey grapefruit sparkling drink is ready."

The diner was overjoyed. After taking a sip, he was so happy that he spun around in circles. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was going crazy.

Shen Qing was used to it and looked at the second customer.

It's that little medicine man.

However, his expression was solemn, lacking his usual ease and anticipation.

It was as if something major had happened.

"Hmm... I remember you didn't return the food box and glass cup from yesterday," Shen Qing asked.

Chen Jie: "I will return it all today, Madam Shen. Same as always, one starch sausage and a cup of your new drink."

Shen Qing accepted the money and chatted with Chen Jie while making honey pomelo sparkling drinks.

"Why do you seem a little unhappy today? Have you encountered some problems?"

Chen Jie frowned and said with a wry smile, "It's a dilemma."

"Did you have a fight with someone important to you?"

Shen Qing was still very curious.

For these ancient people, grilled sausages and sparkling drinks were extremely rare delicacies. Few people would buy food from her and then give it to others instead of eating it themselves.

Chen Jie lowered his eyes: "It's worse than arguing."

"Hmm..." Shen Qing didn't know what the boy in front of her had encountered, so she could only advise him, "No matter what the problem is, it will always be solved."

"After all, important people will always be important, won't they?"

"Your honey grapefruit sparkling drink is ready. This drink is bitter at first but sweet at last, and you two will definitely have a sweet ending too."

The honey grapefruit sparkling drink in Shen Qing's hand was ready.

It has a pale yellow color overall, like a rising moon.

At the bottom of the cup, there were pinkish-white, translucent beads, one by one, like broken jade.

The thick honey is at the bottom, turning into golden threads that float in the cup.

Bubbles rise from the bottom of the cup, carrying tiny grapefruit pieces as they float upwards.

This cup is equally beautiful, but it is noticeably different from the previous two.

"Thank you, Madam Shen."

Chen Jie carefully took the cup of honey grapefruit sparkling drink and carefully put it into the food box.

He then took the rice noodle sausage and headed towards the Xiao residence.

Is it true that things will be bitter at first but sweet later?

Perhaps he and Miss Xiao will experience hardship first and then find happiness later...

From beginning to end, Chen Jie never dared to covet Xiao Mo, so he ran away.

He was just a poor medicine man, a penniless and powerless man, living in abject poverty.

Poverty is a disease that has no cure.

He didn't want Miss Xiao to suffer with him.

Because hard times are truly hard, and being without money means being truly powerless; poverty can make people lose all sense of happiness.

So he ran away.

He escaped, but he was terribly panicked.

He didn't sleep a wink all night, tormented by a dilemma.

In the end, he decided to go to Zhiwei Restaurant.

He promised Miss Xiao that he would bring her something new every day.

Since we're stuck in a dilemma and can't find a solution, let's not think about it for now.

I simply presented her with this honey grapefruit sparkling drink.