Li Yue Shu was not an immortal. Even with her superb medical skills, she couldn't save Madam Wei in her current state.
Madam Wei seemed to have accepted this, spending every day with her daughter and not demanding too much.
The restaurant had begun its renovation, and Li Yue Shu rarely visited the Heng De Pharmacy, spending most of her days at the restaurant site instead.
When Shen Ting Wen heard the news that she was opening a restaurant, he was so happy he almost jumped for joy on the spot.
Whenever he had a day off, he would accompany Li Yue Shu to the restaurant.
Seeing that he completed his studies before coming, Li Yue Shu didn't say much and even proactively discussed minor matters with Shen Ting Wen.
Looking at the chaotic restaurant before them, Shen Ting Wen's eyes sparkled, "Have you thought of a name for the restaurant?"
Li Yue Shu placed her hand on his shoulder, "I have. It's called Liu Xian Restaurant, what do you think?"
Shen Ting Wen was accustomed to her occasional affectionate gestures. He savored the four words, "Liu Xian Restaurant? That's a good name!"
Li Yue Shu gently rubbed his head, "Study hard at the academy and learn more knowledge. Only then can I confidently entrust the restaurant to you to manage."
Hearing this, Shen Ting Wen was eager to try, wishing he could grow up the very next moment.
...
Besides focusing on the reconstruction of the restaurant, Li Yue Shu also spent considerable effort planning its future direction.
Previously, when she went to retrieve the property deed, she met Hong Dai, the proprietress of Qing Feng Pavilion, and mentioned wanting to cooperate with her. Recently, she had been developing this idea into a more complete plan.
Now that she had some free time, she should visit Qing Feng Pavilion to discuss the matter and, at the same time, verify if this Hong Dai was indeed the person she thought she was.
...
As soon as Li Yue Shu revealed her identity, she was immediately led to Hong Dai.
The shapely beauty was dressed in a flowing red gauze gown, her alluring face exuding an indescribable charm.
Even Li Yue Shu, as a woman, couldn't help but feel a stir in her heart.
Hong Dai slightly raised her eyes, "This humble one has been waiting for a long time. I thought Madam Shen had forgotten."
Li Yue Shu smiled calmly, "When discussing business with Miss Hong Dai, one naturally must come fully prepared."
Her words startled Hong Dai, who then covered her mouth and chuckled, "Miss? It has been many years since anyone has called me that."
Li Yue Shu raised an eyebrow, her expression calm, "Today I am here as a partner. Calling me 'Miss' is the appropriate address."
Hong Dai looked at her with interest, casually waving a red handkerchief, "May I ask what specific cooperation Madam Shen is referring to?"
Li Yue Shu took out the booklet she had prepared and said, "Tong Mu County is vast, but there are quite a few restaurants in various towns. Since I've decided to do this, I naturally want to be the most special."
"I plan to introduce one special dish each month, with a limited quantity of forty servings. Qing Feng Pavilion will take half, and the restaurant will keep the other half."
"'Scarcity breeds value.' Enough buzz and deliciousness will surely allow the restaurant to stand out in a short period."
Li Yue Shu only stated the general idea. She had written down the detailed plan in the booklet she handed to Hong Dai.
The booklet did not contain much, but it was organized logically, and Hong Dai finished reading it quickly.
"Liu Xian Cuisine? The name is quite good," she smiled. "But opening a restaurant cannot be sustained solely by a bit of hype. The further one goes, the more one relies on one's own strength."
Li Yue Shu was prepared. She opened the box on the table and took out several small plates.
"These are a few dishes I've made. Miss Hong Dai, please try them."
Hong Dai had already caught a faint aroma and sat up from the couch.
She took the chopsticks handed to her by Li Yue Shu and tasted each dish.
It was a seemingly ordinary action, but on her, it carried an indescribable allure.
After tasting, she gently wiped her lips with a handkerchief and looked at Li Yue Shu with a hint of surprise, "I didn't expect Madam Shen to not only be skilled in medicine but also possess such culinary talent. With such skill, establishing a foothold in Tong Mu County is indeed not difficult."
Li Yue Shu's lips curled into a smile, "My ambition is not just to establish a foothold in Tong Mu County."
She looked directly at Hong Dai, unreservedly revealing her ambition in her eyes, "What I want is for nobles throughout the land to be willing to spend a fortune for my Liu Xian Cuisine."
Hong Dai's heart skipped a beat, feeling a peculiar sensation: her words seemed destined to come true.
Hong Dai regained her composure slightly, "Madam Shen is a person of great courage. But what delicacies haven't people with power and influence tasted? Madam Shen's cooking is indeed excellent, but there aren't no others with such culinary skills in the world."
Li Yue Shu naturally knew this. "What if my Liu Xian Cuisine is something that cannot be found anywhere else in the world?"
She smiled confidently, "The more status and position people have, the more they like to use precious things to prove their identity. My Liu Xian Cuisine can precisely satisfy such psychological needs."
Hong Dai looked at her in silence for a long time, then finally smiled softly, "Madam Shen has such courage. It is expected that Liu Xian Restaurant will surely become the top restaurant in the world in the future."
Faced with her praise, Li Yue Shu narrowed her eyes slightly, "If the Ming Yue Tower were to assist, becoming the top restaurant in the world would surely be faster."
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere around them instantly changed, and Hong Dai's expression grew cold.
Li Yue Shu remained calm, but her heart had already confirmed her conjecture.
Ming Yue Tower, the foremost brothel in the land, had branches spread throughout.
Legend had it that most of the women in Ming Yue Tower were skilled in singing and dancing, their beauty and talent not inferior to noble ladies. They offered their services and performances willingly, yet no one dared to disrespect them.
Many knew that besides being a place of pleasure, Ming Yue Tower was also an intelligence organization within the martial world.
However, with Chi Yun Tower, the foremost intelligence organization, ahead, few paid attention to this aspect of Ming Yue Tower.
Li Yue Shu knew of Hong Dai because Ming Yue Tower had traces in the original book.
In the later part of the original book, Ming Yue Tower directly surpassed Chi Yun Tower to become the foremost intelligence organization in the land.
And Hong Dai was a hidden card of Li Xiang Ru.
Li Yue Shu no longer remembered the specific details, only that after Li Xiang Ru became the daughter of the General of Zhen Bei, she accidentally saved the injured Hong Dai, thus gaining a valuable subordinate dedicated to collecting intelligence for her.
With the aura of a protagonist, Li Xiang Ru helped Hong Dai expand Ming Yue Tower, while Hong Dai helped her secure the position of Crown Princess. Even after she became the mother of a nation, Hong Dai assisted the Chen Nan Kingdom in gathering much intelligence on enemy nations.
The other day, upon hearing Hong Dai's name, Li Yue Shu didn't recall it immediately. It wasn't until she was on her way back that it dawned on her.
Looking at her composed demeanor, Hong Dai did not deny it but asked, "How did Madam Shen know about Ming Yue Tower and my connection to it?"
Faced with her question, Li Yue Shu was not flustered at all, "Just as Miss Hong Dai investigated me after knowing my identity, I naturally used my own methods to investigate future partners."
As she spoke, she took out another booklet from her sleeve and handed it over.