"Sister-in-law, this is my first time visiting your restaurant, and the business is truly booming," Li Shopkeeper said to the two little ones, then looked at the bustling scene outside the restaurant and laughed.
"The business here has always been good, and the accumulated regular customers gave us an advantage," Luo Ge replied with a smile.
Knowing that Luo Ge was being modest, Li Shopkeeper smiled and nodded, then turned to look at her, reminded of the real reason for his visit.
"Sister-in-law, have you heard of Young Boss Fu from the Spring Bloom Pavilion?"
Recalling Fu Zhixi's visit and conversation with him yesterday, Li Shopkeeper asked.
Although puzzled, Luo Ge nodded honestly: "I've heard of her. What about it?"
Seeing this, Li Shopkeeper did not conceal anything and recounted everything Fu Zhixi said to him at the Fu Xin Shop yesterday.
Upon hearing that Fu Zhixi wanted to cooperate with the Fu Xin Shop to purchase a large quantity of preserved eggs, and intended to make an agreement that they would only supply to the Spring Bloom Pavilion, not allowing outside sales, Luo Ge was taken aback.
"The price she offered... is quite generous."
The Spring Bloom Pavilion has grown very large in the southern region. Doing this could be considered monopolizing the preserved egg market in the restaurant industry, which is no exaggeration.
Moreover, the price offered was indeed quite tempting and showed her confidence.
But what Fu Zhixi did not know was that Luo Ge had already been cooperating with the Fu Xin Shop and was one of their bosses, practically family.
And the benefits Luo Ge brought to the Fu Xin Shop were far greater than what Fu Zhixi offered, so Li Shopkeeper and others naturally remained unmoved.
It was just that seeing the other party scheming against Luo Ge and them, he still came to inform them, so they could be on guard against the petty tricks.
Luo Ge understood Fu Zhixi's intentions and what Li Shopkeeper said.
But Luo Ge was still a bit speechless. This Young Boss Fu did not even bother to inquire who she and her husband were? Or inquire where the Fu Xin Shop sourced their preserved eggs?
...Well, the Fu Xin Shop was indeed very prudent when it came to business, and all their supply sources were kept strictly confidential.
And now, only the Fu Xin Shop had a large supply of preserved eggs. Perhaps Young Boss Fu thought the First Class Pavilion also obtained their goods from the Fu Xin Shop.
Seeing Luo Ge's expression, Li Shopkeeper shared the same thought and felt a bit speechless.
They produced the goods themselves, yet she wanted to snatch them and use them to undermine their business. Isn't that ridiculous?
"At that time, we rejected her. But in the future, Sister-in-law, you should still be careful when operating your restaurant business."
"The Fu Family can be quite persistent." After some thought, Li Shopkeeper relayed the message his boss had asked him to convey to Luo Ge.
"If you need any assistance, Sister-in-law can come to the shop and find me."
This meant he would support them. Although the Fu Family was persistent, with Jiang Feng's abilities, a bit of effort could still resolve the matter.
"I understand. Thank you, Brother Li, for coming to inform me."
"The restaurant recently introduced some new dishes that are delicious and popular. Brother Li, why don't you stay and have a meal with us?"
Hearing Luo Ge's words, Li Shopkeeper knew he should refuse, but the wafting aroma of the dishes made him swallow involuntarily.
"Ahem, since Sister-in-law insists... then I shall shamelessly accept your kind invitation."
In his heart, he thought, "Boss, I'll be back a bit late and bring you a share."
"Very well," Luo Ge smiled, amused by Li Shopkeeper's reaction.
The Water-Boiled Fish dish was indeed to Li Shopkeeper's liking as a hidden gourmand. When leaving, he even packed two portions to take away.
...Meanwhile, at the Spring Bloom Pavilion.
"What did you say?"
Fu Zhixi was not resigned after failing to reach an agreement with Li Shopkeeper yesterday. But due to the influence of the Jiang Family behind the Fu Xin Shop, she did not take further action.
She merely instructed someone to investigate the source of the preserved eggs thoroughly. However, the report they just brought back made her eyes widen in shame and indignation.
"That small workshop is indeed run by the couple from the First Class Pavilion, and they seem to have established ties with Li Shopkeeper from the Fu Xin Shop long ago."
"Moreover, today, that Li Shopkeeper visited the female boss of the First Class Pavilion."
Seeing Fu Zhixi's expression, the subordinate mustered his courage and spoke.
The people in that workshop were very wary of outsiders, and he could not approach them at all.
Many villagers were also very united and refused to divulge any information about the couple from the First Class Pavilion, guarding the secrets fiercely.
He could not get close at all, and this was the information he could only obtain by spending a significant amount of money to bribe others.
But after learning this news and recalling their actions from the previous day, he truly felt foolish and embarrassed.
So Fu Zhixi was filled with shame and indignation.
"It seems I underestimated them. But this just makes things more interesting."
After the incident with Lu Manager and others, Fu Zhixi knew that this couple was quite intelligent.
But there were many intelligent people in the world, which was not uncommon. At most, it would just require more effort.
And they appeared to be ordinary, low-profile people without any significant resources.
Therefore, Fu Zhixi did not pay them any heed and was too lazy to put in the effort to investigate them.
She had sensed the value of preserved eggs long ago when the Fu Xin Shop first introduced them and they became wildly popular among the masses.
She was always sensitive to lucrative opportunities and could see that this was a profitable business.
She had been considering sourcing them for her restaurant and turning them into dishes, but at that time, the Fu Xin Shop refused to wholesale and only sold individually to the public, so she could not proceed.
Now, seeing the preserved eggs at the First Class Pavilion, she assumed the Fu Xin Shop made an exception and wholesaled to them, so she wanted to secure the supply.
Moreover, seeing the First Class Pavilion's booming business from selling preserved egg dishes further fueled her temptation.
But she never expected to suffer such humiliation as a result.
That Li Shopkeeper's visit to the First Class Pavilion meant the couple must have learned about her foolish actions, and they were probably mocking her at this very moment.
In her entire life, this was the first time she had experienced such shame and indignation.
But she also knew that the fault lay in her own arrogance.
However, realizing that this couple was not as simple as they appeared, her interest was further piqued.
Just like a cunning fox finding an interesting toy to play with.
...At the First Class Pavilion.
"Ahchoo! Ahchoo!"
Just as Fu Zhixi was pondering, Luo Ge suddenly sneezed repeatedly.
"Sister-in-law, put on some clothes."
"Drink some water."
The two little rascals thought she had caught a cold, so they hurriedly found her cloak and handed her a cup of warm water.
Luo Ge wiped away the physiological tears that came from yawning and smiled as she took the items.
"Thank you, Yun Mu and Yun Yi. It's getting late now, so let's prepare to head home."
The tavern was now stable, and Dong was a reliable person, so she didn't need to worry too much about it.
It was too late to return home, so it was better to go back early.
Her constitution made her susceptible to the cold, and now she felt a bit afraid of catching a chill.
"Okay."
"I'll go call Uncle Dong."
Listening to her words, the two little rascals obediently packed up their things and went home by carriage with Dong.
