Ye Qingcheng patted Bi Xi’s head. “It’s because their restaurant was about to close that I could buy it at a low price!”
Bi Xi still wanted to struggle, “But… but…”
Ye Qingcheng directly choked her words back.
“Do you know how expensive the vases in Xiao Wangye’s mansion are? A single vase costs over two thousand taels! Do you know what two thousand taels can get you? It’s more expensive than a restaurant! I can only use the money I earn from the restaurant to pay him back, so…” Ye Qingcheng roared at Bi Xi, who was clinging to her leg and refusing to let her go, “Stop holding onto my leg!”
After a long while, Bi Xi, with a lump on her head, squatted in a corner like a mushroom…
Ye Qingcheng, after a good tour of the restaurant with the owner, bought the deed without a second word.
The owner happily handed over the deed, but official documents were still needed from the government. Ye Qingcheng had been there a few times, but there was always a queue, and it would take months to process. Ye Qingcheng was furious and went directly to Pei Changqiu. He was a constable, so he could surely get the documents done quickly.
Pei Changqiu was currently preparing for his engagement. His engagement banquet with Li Mo’er was in just over ten days.
Ye Qingcheng was in a daze.
“No wonder Mo’er hasn’t come to find me for half a month. It’s for this reason!”
Pei Changqiu smiled foolishly and scratched his head. “Yes! Mo’er said this is a major event in our lives, and we need to invite many guests to witness it. Wangfei, you must come! You are the matchmaker for both of us!”
Ye Qingcheng nodded and smiled. “That’s a given.”
As they were speaking, the transfer documents were also ready.
Ye Qingcheng took the deed, and Pei Changqiu was puzzled. “Wangfei, aren’t you the Regent Princess? Why do you still want to open a restaurant yourself?”
As soon as Ye Qingcheng thought of this matter, she thought of Xiao Wangye. “It’s all because of Xiao Wangye. I merely threw a vase at him, and it was he who broke it, yet he wants me to pay him back. Over two thousand taels! What kind of vase is so expensive? Even if he took everything I own, I still wouldn’t have enough to repay him.”
Pei Changqiu chuckled. “So, Wangfei is thinking of opening a restaurant because of this?”
Ye Qingcheng said angrily, “That’s right! The money for the restaurant is cheaper than the vase! Hmph! Xiao Wangye, he truly lives up to his name. He should pass on this name. Wangye, Regent? Pfft, Regent! I curse him to always choke when he eats, get water up his nose when he drinks, get hit by a carriage when he goes out, and have snot flow from his ear when he sleeps…”
Pei Changqiu said helplessly, “Wangfei, a lady should not utter such vulgarities…”
Ye Qingcheng gave him a disdainful look. “Since the deed documents have been processed, we shall part ways.”
Bi Xi followed Ye Qingcheng. “Wangfei, since we’ve bought the restaurant, what do we do next?”
Ye Qingcheng looked at the restaurant’s exterior. This restaurant was located in the heart of the capital, with excellent trade. This was also the reason she chose this restaurant. The restaurant had three floors. The first floor was the dining area, which was quite spacious. The second floor was a private room area where young masters of various families liked to dine and enjoy the scenery while listening to music. The third floor was an inn with five rooms. Yet, in such a prime location, Ye Qingcheng couldn’t understand why it would be sold at such a low price.
Ye Qingcheng looked around. “Bi Xi, have the kitchen make me something to eat so I can test the cooking skills.”
Bi Xi nodded. “Okay.”
Actually, there were many restaurants in the vicinity, but none of them had a distinct characteristic. Perhaps she could start from here, a restaurant with its own unique style, to attract attention and then draw in customers.
Soon, the dishes were served. Ye Qingcheng tasted a mouthful of white rice, and her face immediately turned as sour as a bitter gourd…
She then took a sip of tea to rinse her mouth and used the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of the restaurant’s signature dish. Ye Qingcheng could barely hold it for three seconds before spitting it out.
“Bi Xi, go and call the chef.”
Bi Xi understood. “Okay.”
In a short while, the chef came up.
The chef was a middle-aged woman, slightly plump, with a perpetually smiling face that made her look rather naive. “Hehe, Boss, what is it?”
Ye Qingcheng had just taken over the restaurant and didn’t know why the former owner hadn’t fired such a bad cook. Perhaps there were difficult decisions to be made, but she would never allow this woman to continue as the chef.
Ye Qingcheng faced her with a cold expression and no courtesy. “You’re fired. You don’t need to come tomorrow. You can leave now!”
The middle-aged woman was stunned and gradually dropped her smile. “What did you say?”
Ye Qingcheng looked her directly in the eye. “I think I’ve made myself very clear, and my meaning is also very clear: you are fired.”
The words echoed in the woman’s mind, but she only heard one sentence clearly: you are fired.
How could the woman tolerate such a shock? She immediately slammed the table. “Say that again if you dare!”
Ye Qingcheng was somewhat surprised to look at her this time. She now understood why the former owner had so readily accepted her low-price purchase. It seemed that part of the reason was for this middle-aged woman.
“What, you’re not willing to leave?”
The woman’s demeanor was strong, and she wasn’t afraid of Ye Qingcheng. “I just want to know why I shouldn’t be fired.”
Ye Qingcheng pointed at the table full of dishes. The appearance of these dishes was already lacking, let alone the taste.
“Do you think your cooking is delicious?”
The woman nodded. “Of course. I’ve always cooked for my family at home.”
Ye Qingcheng was almost amused to anger.
“Then go home and cook! We can’t afford to keep a distinguished guest like you here.”
The woman was having none of it. She slammed a bowl down and became domineering.
“You dare to fire me? On what grounds do you dare to fire me!”
Ye Qingcheng didn’t want to waste any more words.
“Bi Xi, note down the cost of the plate she just broke, and then find someone to escort her out.”
Bi Xi understood. “Yes.” With that, she went out to find someone.
The woman was not afraid. She sat directly on a stool, making her intentions clear: she wasn’t leaving.
Ye Qingcheng wouldn’t budge either. The two of them were locked in a stalemate in the main hall.
Soon, a crowd gathered to watch the spectacle, as people naturally enjoyed watching a commotion.
Many people also recognized the woman. “Isn’t that Zhang Jiacun’s wife?”
“Alas, I heard she’s notorious for being unreasonable.”
“More than that! If anything doesn’t go her way, she’ll make a scene. Last year, she even drove a whole family away.”
“Isn’t that true!”
Some people also noticed that the restaurant had a new owner.
“Alas, this restaurant has changed owners.”
“Oh! It really has.”
“Speaking of which, this restaurant used to be fine, but after Madam Zhang came, everything changed.”
“Isn’t that true! She’s clearly not good at cooking, but she insists on being the head chef. If it were me, I wouldn’t want her to be the head chef either.”