vstars Chapter 476 Juxian Restaurant
Chapter 476 Juxian Restaurant
"Qingfeng, let's find a restaurant to stay in first." Afan said as he vigilantly scanned the pedestrians on the street.
Before leaving, Aunt Xiuying had repeatedly told him that he must be extra careful in crowded places and not take it lightly. He kept Aunt Xiuying's words in mind.
Yang Qingfeng's eyes were drawn to a magnificent two-story restaurant—Juxian Restaurant. Its carved beams and painted buildings exuded a sense of opulence. "Let's stay here and move out once we find a suitable permanent residence," he said to Afan, pointing to the restaurant.
Afan slowly parked the oxcart at the entrance of the restaurant. A majestic stone lion crouched on either side of the door. The steps, as white as jade, made it clear that this restaurant was no ordinary place. Afan asked hesitantly, "Are we sure we want to stay in such a nice place?"
"Well, we are away from home and don't know anyone here. It would make us feel more at ease if we live in a place with better conditions. Let's settle down here first, and then we can slowly look for a suitable house to rent." Yang Qingfeng said, and reached out to stop the ox cart.
As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter guarding the gate came up to him with a big smile on his face. He looked at the two people in front of him with his eyes and greeted them warmly, "Sir, are you staying at the hotel or having a meal?"
Yang Qingfeng raised his hand slightly, elegantly flicked the non-existent dust off his robe, and said slowly, "We're staying in a hotel and eating."
The waiter quickly scanned Yang Qingfeng and Afan. Yang Qingfeng was wearing a scholar's robe. While the quality was decent, it wasn't the kind of top-grade silk used by the rich. He must have been the son of a modest family.
Young masters of wealthy families usually travel in horse-drawn carriages, but the man in front of him was riding in an ox-drawn cart, which was piled with luggage. It was obvious that he had come from another place.
Looking at the man next to him, dressed simply in a short shirt, he must be the young master's attendant. With this in mind, the waiter hurriedly and enthusiastically greeted Yang Qingfeng as soon as he got off the ox cart.
Upon hearing Yang Qingfeng's reply, the waiter's smile widened. He immediately made a respectful gesture of invitation and then turned to his companion standing in front of the store and shouted at the top of his voice, "Hey! Go help this young man pull the ox cart into the shed. Remember, feed the oxen some good straw!"
"Young master, please come in." The waiter made a gesture of invitation again, and his attitude was very attentive.
Afan hurriedly took down a few pieces of luggage from the ox cart, and then followed closely behind Yang Qingfeng.
The moment he stepped into the store, he was suddenly at a loss and didn't know where to put his feet.
He stared wide-eyed at the polished floor. Could it be made of jade? Then he looked at the store's thick pillars, emitting the fragrance of pear blossoms. Ah Fan smacked his lips in amazement. How much could this be worth? The entire store was ablaze with lights, as bright as day. The young men and women who came in and out were all dressed in exquisite attire.
"Okay, Afan. Let's take the luggage upstairs first, and then come down to eat something." Just as Afan was lost in thought, Yang Qingfeng had already booked a room.
"Young master, please go upstairs." The waiter smiled and led the way respectfully in front.
The two followed the waiter to Room No. 2 upstairs. The waiter quietly retreated, leaving the two of them inside the room.
The two looked around the room and saw exquisite tables and chairs, quaint screens, and several pots of green plants placed in an orderly manner. All of them were high-end items.
Ah Fan couldn't help but ask, "How much does it cost to stay here for a day?"
Yang Qingfeng sighed slightly and said, "It costs one tael of silver a day."
"What? He wants one or two taels of silver! Why doesn't he just rob him?" Afan became excited instantly.
Yang Qingfeng seemed quite calm. He walked to the table, poured a cup of cold tea, took a sip, and slowly calmed down. He said, "My sister specifically told us to come to a more expensive restaurant like this to see what's going on."
Ah Fan responded, "Oh... but this is really too expensive. No wonder this restaurant is decorated so luxuriously, it really is true that the wool comes from the sheep."
Yang Qingfeng narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes becoming increasingly darker, and he slowly said, "Don't you feel that there's a strange energy here?"
"What's so strange about that?" Afan curled his lips slightly, with a hint of helplessness on his face. "This only shows that there are a lot of rich people here. Look at our side. After a natural disaster, how many people starved to death, and how many people became homeless." After that, he sighed heavily.
Yang Qingfeng gently turned the teacup in his hand, his eyes thoughtful as he continued, "Since there are so many wealthy people here, the entire city seems to be prosperous, but why are so many businesses unable to survive? Even Mr. Chen's jewelry store here can only barely make ends meet."
When Afan heard this, his brows, which had been slightly relaxed, instantly frowned tightly. What Yang Qingfeng said was indeed reasonable. Behind this seemingly prosperous place, there seemed to be some unknown reasons hidden.
After properly placing their luggage, Yang Qingfeng and Afan went downstairs together and sat down at a table by the window. The waiter, with a sharp eye, immediately walked over with a smile on his face.
"Sir, what would you like to eat?" the waiter asked enthusiastically.
Yang Qingfeng took out a tael of silver from his sleeve, handed it to the waiter, and said, "Give us two of the restaurant's special dishes and a soup."
The waiter's smile widened as he quickly took the silver with both hands, carefully putting it away and saying, "Okay, sir, wait a moment, I'll be right there!"
While waiting for the food to be served, Yang Qingfeng and Afan looked around carefully without making any expression.
Yang Qingfeng frowned slightly and said softly, "Look, this restaurant is almost full. Business is so brisk. The income from just one day must be quite considerable. In a year, a lot of taxes must be paid to the court."
Ah Fan nodded slightly, his face full of confusion as he responded, "Yes, but this is completely different from what's being said outside. Isn't there anyone who noticed something was wrong and came out to do something about it?"
Yang Qingfeng slowly shook his head and said solemnly, "I'm afraid we'll have to slowly investigate the reasons behind this."
"The dishes are here! These are all the signature dishes of our restaurant. Please enjoy your meal, sir. If you need anything, please feel free to call me." The waiter deftly placed the dishes on the table one by one, and then tactfully stepped aside.
Ah Fan's eyes fell on the dishes on the table. His eyes widened instantly and his jaw almost dropped in shock. "What are these?"
He couldn't help but mutter, "Such a big plate, but there are only twelve pieces of pork in it, and it's as thin as paper. You can even see the other side through the slices of meat. And this plate, what is this? Just five leaves, this is too..." Afan shook his head at these dishes.