After dinner, Yuan Cheng asked Xie Zhinuan to sit in the small hall. "Miss Xie!"
"Uncle, just call me Zhinuan," Xie Zhinuan said softly.
She sat upright and proper.
Her appearance, beautiful as flowers, should have been dazzling, but the more one looked, the more one would be subdued by her composed demeanor.
Though the young girl was young in age, her serene demeanor had a calming effect on the heart, quieting his own restless and anxious heart gradually.
"Actually, to be frank with you, if my restaurant doesn't come up with a few more impressive dishes soon, it won't survive until the end of the year. It has been a long time since we've had as many customers as today, and many have even reserved meat for tomorrow!" Yuan Cheng said, taking a silver note out of his sleeve and placing it in front of Xie Zhinuan, "I've discussed it with your grandpa to pay you five hundred taels of silver for the recipes, and after reconsidering, I'm willing to add another fifty taels. Would you be willing to give a few more dish recipes, or even just some advice?"
Blinded by a single leaf, he could not think of a better solution.
His brothers and son-in-law had no experience running restaurants and were even less able to offer advice.
The young girl in front of him made excellent dishes; if she were willing to teach him a few more...
Xie Zhinuan pondered for a moment, reached out for the silver note, every one of which was fifty taels. She took three and pushed the rest back towards Yuan Cheng.
"This is enough!"
Yuan Cheng was astonished.
In this world, who would think they had too much silver?
He did not know that Xie Zhinuan carried space with her, filled with abundant wealth; just one yard taken out of it could rival a nation's treasury.
The sight of such wealth left Zhinuan calm and composed, let alone this small amount of silver.
"I actually wouldn't mind not taking any silver at all, but I encountered a disaster and was left penniless, which forced me to take this measure!"
Her grandpa and grandma had saved her life, a kindness as great as the heavens, which she must repay like a gushing spring—especially when it was a matter of life and death.
She wanted a home of her own, just to make it convenient for her to indulge in cooking without restraint and not have to consider anyone else's feelings, wishing to live a simple life.
"..."
Yuan Cheng wanted to say something.
Then Zhinuan said, "Since uncle asked me about the evening's dishes, let me be frank: there is still room for improvement in these dishes. If you don't mind, I will teach the head chef tomorrow. Let grandfather and grandmother know, and we will come back the day after tomorrow!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Cheng readily agreed.
He figured he'd prepare more dishes tomorrow and have Xie Zhinuan give some advice.
Telling his parents would be easy enough; returning a day late should not be a problem. As for the donkey cart driver, a bit more money would surely keep him happy as well.
After talking to Xie Zhinuan for a while more, he had the maid take her to rest, and he went to discuss the matter with his parents.
The old man Yuan had no objections, and the donkey cart driver was more than happy; the extra few hundred wen would allow him to buy something in the county that wasn't available in the township, something to take home to satisfy his family's cravings.
The most important thing was that Yuan Cheng was generous; after returning home the day after tomorrow, he would give the driver some meat, so it was a lucrative deal indeed.
The maid took great care, even heating water for Xie Zhinuan to bathe, and Yuan Cheng's wife brought a set of clothes that Yuan Ya had worn before her wedding, "These clothes were worn by your cousin Ya before she got married; this includes brand new garments and undergarments that have never been worn!"
"Thank you so much, auntie!"
Yuan Cheng's wife smiled and nodded in response.
Such a sensible, polite, and appropriately generous girl—although she could not remember exactly who she was, her demeanor suggested an extraordinary family background, which could arguably be a match for her own eldest son.
However, this matter had to wait until after the regional examinations for her eldest and youngest sons were over.
"You should rest early then, tomorrow will be hard work!"
"Alright!"
Xie Zhinuan saw Yuan Cheng's wife out before she went to bathe.