Novel Bin Chapter 327 - 327: Hundred Flowers Restaurant
Shanghe Village.
The rankings issued on the fifth day of September only reached Shanghe Village on the tenth day of September.
The village chief, Shen Menghu, was overjoyed when he heard that Shen Yao was the Jieyuan. He carried two jars of good wine and went to the ancestral hall of the Shen family!
On the tenth day of the ninth month, Magistrate Ji personally sent a congratulatory gift!
Shen Dashan and Shen Yao were not at home, so Shen Menghu personally received Official Ji!
The thing that made Shen Menghu the happiest was that the county magistrate planned to choose a location to build a school! Shanghe Village was the place that the county magistrate first considered.
Therefore, over the past few days, Shen Menghu had been busy choosing a suitable location in the village.
Once the school in Shanghe Village was built, the children in the village could study! Nothing is more important than education!
Shen Menghu attributed all of this to Shen Yao!
Ever since the news of Shen Yao’s high score came, there was an endless stream of people coming to congratulate him every day.
After all, even the county magistrate thought highly of Shen Yao. Those wealthy gentry rushed into the Shen family’s courtyard like carps crossing the river. They said that they were congratulating him, but in fact, they were here to give him gifts.
However, Eldest Brother Shen was a smart person. He did not accept the gifts from those people.
Ever since he had suffered at Zhao Xu’s hands, Eldest Brother Shen had become even more cautious in his actions.
After all, these people looked like humans, but who would have thought that they were some kind of monsters behind the scenes?
Of course, Eldest Brother Shen was not inflexible. After all, if he rejected everyone’s congratulatory gifts, it would give Shen Yao a reputation of being aloof. Therefore, he symbolically accepted some small gifts, such as some inconspicuous eggs, pastries, or silk.
Regardless, he still asked Feng Chunyan to help him make a list of the things.
Therefore, when Shen Yao returned, he expressed high praise for his brother’s appropriate actions.
“Thank you, Big Brother!” Shen Yao thanked his big brother sincerely.
“We’re all brothers. Why are you being so polite with me?” Eldest Brother Shen smiled and patted his shoulder. The smile on his face was very sincere. “Third Brother, you’re really promising! I’m proud of you!”
After the family had a lively conversation, Shen Dashan brought his three sons to the back mountain in the eastern suburbs to pay their respects to their ancestors.
“Tomorrow is a good day.” After looking through the old lunar calendar, Zhao Lanhua immediately decided. “Our family will hold a banquet tomorrow afternoon and treat the villagers to a good meal!”
“We’ll all listen to Mother-“
The three daughters-in-law of the Shen family agreed with Zhao Lanhua’s decision.
On the 15th of September, Ji Zhao accompanied Shen Yao to the county city early in the morning.
“Thank you for the generous gift, Official Ji. Shen Yao doesn’t deserve it.” Shen Yao thanked him sincerely.
After all, Ji Ting’an had given him the imperial examination questions from past years. Ordinary people would not be able to get the entire set of questions.
Although Shen Yao was the Jieyuan, he was not arrogant. After all, he still had to welcome the more complicated Spring Quarter Examinations.
Only by showing his talents in the Spring Quarter Examinations could he stand tall in the imperial court.
“You’re welcome.” Ji Ting’an smiled and waved his hand indifferently. “When the locusts passed through our Dingyuan County previously, the two of you could be said to have helped a lot. Moreover, getting those questions was not difficult for me.”
“By the way, 1 heard that you’ve already opened a restaurant in the prefecture capital?” Ji Ting’an’s gaze landed on Ji Zhao’s face as he asked curiously, “There are many restaurants in Yunchuan Prefecture City. It’s definitely not easy for you to obtain a place in the prefecture capital!”
“There’s nothing in the world that can’t be done.” Ji Zhao smiled lightly and said, “However, 1 still have to thank Official Ji for your concern. Spring Breeze Pavilion has only opened for a few days and is not profitable for the time being. However, I believe that in time, Spring Breeze Pavilion’s business will definitely prosper!”
“Good!”
What Ji Ting’an admired the most about Ji Zhao was her fearless courage and confidence! After bidding farewell to Official Ji, the two of them went to Hongxing Restaurant. Second Manager You had long known about Shen Yao’s high score, so when Ji Zhao and her husband arrived, he specially set off a loud firecracker to express his excitement! “Second Brother You…” Ji Zhao, who was covering her ears with both hands, was caught between laughter and tears.
Their friends and family were already this happy after Shen Yao became the Jieyuan. If they knew that Shen Yao would become the Grand Secretary of the Great Jing Empire in the future, wouldn’t they be even crazier?
“Let’s go, let’s go to the private room and have a good drink!” Second Manager You invited the couple to the private room on the second floor without any explanation. “Second Brother You, isn’t it a little too early to eat now?” Ji Zhao pointed at the sky outside the window and said helplessly with a smile.
It was only loam. It was ridiculously early to have lunch now.
“Look at my muddleheaded head, I’m so happy that I’ve gone silly!” Second Manager You suddenly patted his head and laughed involuntarily.
“Shen Yao, I have a presumptuous request.” Second Manager You looked at Shen Yao and asked with a simple and honest smile, “Can you draw a painting for me? When the time comes, it can be hung in the middle of our restaurant’s lobby! The Jieyuan’s painting can definitely attract many customers!”
“Sure,” Shen Yao agreed happily.
After all, with their relationship with Second Manager You, a painting was really nothing.
On the other hand, Ji Zhao found Second Manager You’s tone strange. “Second Brother You, did something happen to Hongxing Restaurant?”
Second Manager You was stunned for a moment before nodding with a bitter smile. “Ah Tao, you really have sharp eyes…”
“The Hongxing Restaurant is a long-established restaurant. In the past, Second Brother You has never been worried about the restaurant’s business, but when you asked Shen Yao to paint just now, I felt that something was wrong.”
“That’s why 1 said that you’re amazing.” Second Manager You’s smile became even more bitter. “I’m afraid you didn’t notice when you came, right? Right opposite our Hongxing Restaurant, there’s a new Hundred Flowers Restaurant.”
“Hundred Flowers Restaurant?” Ji Zhao subconsciously frowned. This name seemed to be slightly unusual.
“I heard that the owner of Hundred Flowers Restaurant is the brother-in-law of County Magistrate Sun of Thunder Mountain County!” Second Manager You sneered and said, “This person is also the owner of the Wind and Moon Restaurant of Thunder Mountain County!”
After Second Manager You’s reminder, Ji Zhao recalled something from before.
After Ji Ting’an came to Dingyuan County, he cracked down on those brothels to completely change the obscene atmosphere in Dingyuan County. However, it was different in Thunder Mountain County.
The ancestors of the Sun family were from Thunder Mountain County. The ancestral hall of the Sun family was still in Thunder Mountain County.
With the protection of the Sun family and the fact that the county magistrate of Thunder Mountain County was an arrogant and debauched person, how could he really take measures to benefit the people?
“Official Ji explicitly prohibited the Wind and Moon Restaurant from opening in Dingyuan County because the Wind and Moon Restaurant is a well-known brothel. Who would have thought that the other party would change their method and directly open a Hundred Flowers Restaurant opposite Hongxing Restaurant? On the surface, it does indeed look like a proper restaurant, but every evening, one can hear the debauched music coming from Hundred Flowers Restaurant..”