Free Web NovelChapter 232: Chapter 231: Pirated Official Gazette
Ming Lingyi followed Feng Shuyu to a spot across from the restaurant on Vermilion Bird Street. Ever since she’d decided to take over the establishment, she had put a great deal of thought into its layout and decoration.
The place had previously been a restaurant run by the Hu family. From the outside, it looked quite grand, but it didn’t align with Ming Lingyi’s vision.
So now, she sat with Feng Shuyu in a teahouse across the street, watching the construction site from a distance and chatting idly.
Feng Shuyu had already made her concerns clear to Ming Lingyi back in the carriage, but Ming Lingyi didn’t seem too worried.
"Nothing has happened yet, so there’s no need to worry about things that might not even occur. Whatever they plan to do, I’ll just deal with it as it comes," Ming Lingyi said.
"That may be true, but you should still be prepared," said Feng Shuyu. "The Hu family is a very powerful merchant family in Shangjing City. And as you know, both the East Market and the West Market have their own chambers of commerce. The head of the Hu family is the president of the East Market’s chamber. If he wants to cause trouble for you, there will be plenty of people willing to act as his lackeys."
Neither Ming Lingyi nor Feng Shuyu expected that before the Hu family made a move regarding the restaurant, another issue would arise.
Ming Lingyi had been spending her days at the restaurant. During the sweltering summer, Li Yun had people deliver a large amount of ice to her establishment every day. Naturally, Ming Lingyi was happy to stay at the restaurant and had no desire to go anywhere else.
Ming Lingyi had actually prepared for the summer slump, expecting far fewer customers to dine at the restaurant.
But perhaps due to Li Yun’s generous gift of ice, business at the restaurant not only showed no signs of declining, but it actually became even busier.
"Boss Ming is so generous! It’s cooler in here than in my own home! Who wants to spend a hot day waiting on the old and young at home? It’s so much more comfortable to eat at Ming’s Restaurant!"
Mrs. Wei couldn’t help but exclaim as she walked in.
Du Xuan had already claimed the best spot in the entire restaurant—closest to the ice and completely out of the sun.
As a large man, he had grown even rounder after practically living at Ming’s Restaurant for the past few months.
Hearing a familiar voice, he couldn’t help but nod in agreement. "Absolutely. If I didn’t have to go back and watch my shop every day, I’d love to spend all my time here!"
Ming Lingyi calculated the days. She estimated that Yao Niang would probably be released from the Jingzhao Mansion jail before their new restaurant opened.
She was just about to ask Xiao Chun to go to Jingzhao Mansion to inquire about the situation when, before she could find him, she saw Little Stone run in hurriedly, clutching something in his hand.
"Miss! Miss!"
Little Stone called out loudly for Ming Lingyi. When he saw her, he ran over and thrust the object in his hand toward her, his little face flushed from running. "Miss, look! This is an official gazette too! But it’s definitely not the one Boss Feng’s bookstore makes!"
After school today, Little Stone had seen people outside his academy selling this "official gazette."
Because the price was extremely low, quite a few people were buying it.
But he remembered his Miss saying that Boss Feng was a person with high standards. Anything she produced had to be the best, or she wouldn’t bother making it at all.
Just like this official gazette—the ones from Feng Shuyu’s bookstore were all exquisitely made. Even now that they were available for wider sale, they were not cheap.
But the copy now in Ming Lingyi’s hands felt just like an ordinary book—it was especially soft and would easily become creased and wrinkled.
As for the content, it was identical to the official gazette sold at Liufang Bookstore, featuring the top three poems selected from the poetry contests held at Ming’s Restaurant every ten days. It even had the private seals and names of the reviewers.
"This is definitely not something from Boss Feng’s bookstore," Little Stone said categorically.
Of course, Ming Lingyi could also tell it was a counterfeit. "Were many people buying it?" she asked.
This was originally an exclusive venture between her and Feng Shuyu. She hadn’t been too greedy; a few days after the initial release, the major bookstores in Shangjing City could also purchase copies from Guanwen Hall to resell.
She had never seen any bookstore selling a "pirated copy" like the one in her hand.
Little Stone said, "Some people at my school bought it because it’s very cheap, only ten copper coins. And on my way back, I saw people in several places selling them to pedestrians from shoulder poles, like street vendors!"
Ming Lingyi thought for a moment. "In a little while, I’ll have to trouble you to go to Guanwen Hall first to see if Boss Feng is there. If not, go find her at Liufang Bookstore. Tell her I have urgent business to discuss and ask her to come to the restaurant."
Little Stone nodded eagerly and ran back out, not even staying for dinner.
"Hey!" Ming Lingyi tried to stop him, but Little Stone was like a slippery eel, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Before the lamps were even lit for the evening, Feng Shuyu arrived at the restaurant.
Business was still bustling. The restaurant’s recent dinner special of grilled meat and iced drinks had attracted many people for a late-night meal.
Since the restaurant hadn’t closed yet, Ming Lingyi gestured for Feng Shuyu to join her for a bite to eat.
After Ming Lingyi ushered her to a seat, Feng Shuyu looked at the glass bottle Ming Lingyi had personally brought over. The cold drink inside seemed to be giving off faint wisps of chilly air, and she twitched her nose.
"It smells like a sweet fruit," Feng Shuyu said. But the scent was unfamiliar to her, and she couldn’t immediately identify what kind of fruit drink it was.
Ming Lingyi nodded. "That’s right. It’s a drink made from a fruit from the south." As she spoke, she took out two smaller glass cups, poured the drink into them, and pushed one toward Feng Shuyu. "Have a taste. See what you think. This is what our restaurant serves to esteemed guests."
Feng Shuyu joked with a smile, "If I come to your restaurant a few more times, my face is going to get as round as a plate." After her quip, she took a sip of the cold drink Ming Lingyi had given her.
Feng Shuyu hadn’t had much of an appetite, as she’d eaten quite a few snacks in the afternoon. But after one sip of the cold drink, her eyes lit up. "What kind of fruit drink is this? The taste is so unique! The first sip hits you with a frosty mist, and the creamy pulp slides down your throat. It’s as sweet and crisp as something from the heavens, instantly cutting through the summer heat. It’s incredible!"
Feng Shuyu could see the snow-white, translucent pulp inside. When she took a sip just now, some of it had landed between her lips and teeth. When she bit down, a sweet juice, without the slightest hint of sourness, burst in her mouth. It was simply wonderful. But she still couldn’t say what exactly it was.
’My stomach felt full just a moment ago, but now... I could surely fit several more cups of this marvelous fruit drink.’
