The Lady's Sickly Husband

C9. Negotiations

The restaurant's courtyard was quite spacious, with several evergreen trees adding a touch of tranquility to the surroundings.

The master of this building must be an elegant person.

The waiter, Xiao Er**, told the ladies to wait in the courtyard while headed towards the side building to notify his master. After knocking on a door, a middle-aged man wearing a long green robe walked out of the room. He had a small moustache and an air of authority about him. Overall, he had a calm bearing.

Seeing Xiao Er standing before his door, he asked "What brings you here to the inner court?"

"Manager Li, these two ladies have come to find you saying they had some important business. This little servant dared not to get in their way." The young boy bowed before the shopkeeper.

"Oh? Why do you ladies seek for this old man?" Manager Li looked looked carefully at Mo Qian Xue and Fang Fangzi. Although he did not openly show his contempt, there was a slight arrogance to his tone.

Mo Qian Xue bowed in courtesy and spoke her purpose. "Manager Li, this maiden has indeed taken this opportunity to meet Manager Li. There is an important business we would like to discuss."

"Important business? What could it be?" Manager Li's face revealed a trace of doubt.

A country woman has never sought a meeting with him. What matters could they possibly discuss?

"This Lady has several recipes that I would like to sell to the shopkeeper." Mo Qian Xue went straight to the point. She was calm and composed.

Since she was discussing about business and mutual benefits, there was no need for her to be humble or shy.

When Manager Li heard that they were selling recipes, his complexion changed. Year after year, many people would come to sell menus, but none of them managed to come up with fresh ideas. Such meetings wasted many good ingredients in their restaurant, causing Manager Li regret.

"You're selling recipes? I don't think I understand. What dishes can a country woman possibly know? Can your home recipes compare to the skill of a master chef? It looks like you ladies aren't familiar with things around here. This old man will not dare to haggle prices with you two. Xiao Er, please see these guests out."

Xiao Er noticed his manager's impatience. Fearing punishment, he immediately gestured to the visitors to lead them out.

Mo Qian Xue did not pay attention to Sister Fang's pulling. Instead she turned to the shopkeeper and raised her voice, "Manager Li's words are improper. As the saying goes, Women hold up half the sky.** Manager, how can you look down on women!"

So he dares to look down on her?

Hmph! He's never even dreamed of the food she's able to make.

Mo Qian Xue sneered at the manager. "You have a competitor right across the street similar to your restaurant, and yet this Bai Yunju is not as frequented. Has Manager Li decided to give up and let others take the profit?"

Manager Li stopped in his tracks. He was left speechless by Mo Qian Xue's words.

Of course he didn't want to be outcompeted. Both Bai Yunju Restaurant and Ying Ke Xuan Restaurant had similar recipes and were well-matched. Even their buildings' architecture ranked among the best in the city.

However, somehow their rival, Ying Ke Xuan, was able to invite the famous Qing Guan of Hong Cui Fang to play several musical pieces in their restaurant every day.

Many customers were drawn to such an amusement, and because their rival was located right across the street, the customers soon flocked to the other direction. At this point, Bai Yunju's business began to plummet.