Free Web NovelChapter 229: Chapter 229: Ming Family Restaurant
By the time Ming Lingyi and Ming Chengyu had seen Pu Yan off, Li Yun still hadn’t left.
As Ming Lingyi turned to come back, she happened to see a man in black kneeling before Li Yun, reporting intelligence.
Li Yun did not look pleased.
The Hidden Guard noticed Ming Lingyi the moment she appeared. However, seeing that his master didn’t seem to have any intention of making him hide, he remained kneeling respectfully on the ground and reported everything he had found out to Li Yun in detail.
"I understand. You are dismissed," Li Yun said.
Only then did the Hidden Guard stand up. He turned to bow to Ming Lingyi before backing away and disappearing from the rear courtyard.
"Someone gave you a hard time at that... what was it, Jewelry Pavilion today. Why didn’t you tell me about it?" Li Yun asked.
When Ming Chengyu came in, he had originally wanted to mock Li Yun a bit, but upon hearing this, he, for once, refrained from retorting and instead turned to ask Ming Lingyi a nearly identical question.
"Exactly. If anyone bullies you out in the world in the future, you should tell your big brother. After all, we’re the real family here."
It was unclear if Ming Chengyu’s words were meant as a jab at Li Yun.
"Even family members differ in capability. Yuan Niang should seek out the one who can solve problems most quickly, like me," Li Yun said shamelessly. "As for the Ming family’s older brother, he hasn’t been in Shangjing City for many years, after all. It wouldn’t be convenient to trouble him."
Listening to the sharp barbs in their exchange, Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but rub her forehead, a headache coming on.
"That’s enough, you two." She rolled her eyes without hesitation. "If I run into a problem I can’t solve, I’ll definitely ask for help. But right now, aren’t I fine? I’ve already handled the matter, so you don’t need to worry," Ming Lingyi said.
Li Yun said, "I’ll have people keep an eye on the Ministry of Justice."
When he said he’d "have people," he naturally meant he would openly send a eunuch to watch over them.
If anyone dared to accept a bribe from Qin Shiqi, or give Qin Lingzhi a light sentence—or no punishment at all—out of respect for him, word would immediately reach his ears.
’Those who are nothing but deadwood, who cannot uphold the laws of my dynasty—how can they serve me while occupying positions as officials in the Ministry of Justice? If I find any, I’ll strip them of their post immediately!’
Qin Shiqi did indeed swallow his pride and seek out his contacts in the court, hoping to get Qin Lingzhi out of the Ministry of Justice.
She was, after all, his legitimate daughter. Moreover, his most accomplished son also doted on this full-blooded sister of his.
But Qin Shiqi never expected that the incident would blow up so much that even the Emperor in the palace would hear of it. The Emperor had even dispatched the Chief Eunuch from the palace to the Ministry of Justice to record the entire trial process.
Once the eunuch from the palace appeared at the Ministry of Justice, even those who had previously coveted the silver the Qin Family offered had to think twice.
While Qin Shiqi was running around trying to deal with Qin Lingzhi’s situation, Ming’s Restaurant hosted another poetry competition.
And during this event, Ming Lingyi announced that Ming’s Restaurant would soon be opening a new location on Vermilion Bird Street.
The already lively crowd erupted into an even greater clamor at Ming Lingyi’s words, with all sorts of chatter breaking out.
Most of them, however, were neighbors from the area who frequented Ming’s Restaurant.
When Du Xuan heard that Ming Lingyi was actually going to open a shop on Vermilion Bird Street, he was both happy and a little worried.
"Boss Ming, once you go to Vermilion Bird Street, will this restaurant here in Huaided Fang stay open?" Du Xuan asked.
This was a question many of the neighbors in Huaided Fang were concerned about.
Ming Lingyi opening a restaurant in Huaided Fang had brought them a fair bit of extra income each month. Besides, the food at Ming’s Restaurant was truly excellent—fresh and delicious. In all the time it had been open, no one had ever questioned the quality of its dishes.
"Of course," Ming Lingyi replied with a smile. "Ming’s Restaurant in Huaided Fang is where I got my start. I will always keep this location open."
Mrs. Wei asked, "Will the prices at the restaurant stay the same in the future?"
Mrs. Wei was also a regular at Ming’s Restaurant. In the past, she had been reluctant to spend money eating out, but the food at Ming’s Restaurant was simply too good. Forget about waiting for her young children to be out of school every ten days to go to the restaurant; she couldn’t even wait that long. Even when her youngest son was still at the academy, she would drag her husband to Ming’s Restaurant for a treat.
Mrs. Wei felt she could still manage the current prices at Ming’s Restaurant by working a little extra. But if the prices became comparable to those of the inns in the East and West Markets, she wouldn’t be able to afford it.
This was probably the question most people in the crowd wanted to ask.
After all, the people who could afford to eat at the restaurants on Vermilion Bird Street or in the East Market every day were a small minority in the whole of Shangjing City.
"You can all rest assured on this point." Ming Lingyi looked at the crowd before her and announced, "We at Ming’s Restaurant can guarantee to everyone here that for all the dishes currently on our menu, the price, taste, and portion size will not change at all. Whether you’re at the Vermilion Bird Inn or the restaurant in Huaided Fang, the price will be the same."
The moment these words left her mouth, a cheer erupted from the crowd below.
"Does that mean I’ll be able to afford to eat at a restaurant on Vermilion Bird Street from now on?"
"Then I’ll definitely have to go check it out when Ming Family Restaurant opens! I have to be part of the excitement! After all, I’m a loyal customer of Ming’s Restaurant!"
"Boss Ming, when is your restaurant on Vermilion Bird Street opening? I want to reserve a table right now."
As the clamor from below reached Ming Lingyi’s ears, the smile on her face deepened.
"Our new restaurant isn’t taking reservations just yet. We will certainly inform all our valued customers when the opening day is set. For the first three days after the new restaurant opens, both it and this eatery here will have discounts," Ming Lingyi said.
The onlookers wanted to know what kind of discounts the new restaurant would offer and if there would be new dishes, but Ming Lingyi just smiled and kept them in suspense.
"If the restaurant on Vermilion Bird Street were exactly the same as the eatery in Huaided Fang, that would be no fun at all, would it? But if you want to know what’s different about our new restaurant and our eatery, you’ll just have to come early on opening day and join the festivities. As for new dishes, of course there will be! At the Vermilion Bird Street location, we have prepared around twenty completely new signature dishes. We welcome you all to come and try them!"
Although Ming Lingyi didn’t clearly answer everyone’s questions, this very fact only made them more curious.
"Around twenty new signature dishes all at once? What kind of dishes are they? I’m so curious!"
"Anyway, when Boss Ming’s restaurant opens, none of you better try to beat me to it! I’m definitely going to be the first customer inside Ming Family Restaurant!"
"Boss Ming, you have to choose a rest day for the opening, or we won’t be able to get a table!"
"No, no, no, Boss Ming, you have to open on a day that isn’t a rest day! Otherwise, it’ll be too crowded, and I’m afraid I won’t get a spot!"
"Hey, how can you be so shameless? Boss Ming, don’t listen to him!"
After leaving through the small back gate of the courtyard, Ming Lingyi boarded the carriage that had been waiting outside for her for a long time.
