Guiding Shopkeeper Chen

"So it was Shopkeeper Chen. I am Li Bai, and this is my brother Zhou Bao. A pleasure, a pleasure."

Li Ye cupped his hands and said.

Zhou Bao followed suit and greeted the shopkeeper.

"So it was Brother Li and Brother Zhou. Is this your first time at Hongbin Tower? I wonder if the food here is to your liking?"

The shopkeeper said.

The reason he asked this was because he noticed the food on the two men's table had not been touched yet.

Zhou Bao's mouth was practically watering with unseemly tears. Just as he was about to say something, Li Ye stopped him.

Li Ye slowly picked up his chopsticks and said lightly, "Whether it is to our liking or not, we have to eat it to know."

As he spoke, he picked up a slice of Braised Beef, placed it in his mouth, and began to chew slowly.

The head shopkeeper of Hongbin Tower had appeared before two people who looked like beggars, and the guests dining in Hongbin Tower cast curious glances one after another.

"How is it?"

The shopkeeper asked, his confidence written all over his face.

This Braised Beef was a signature dish of their Hongbin Tower. Within a radius of eighty miles, if he claimed it was second best, no one dared to claim they were first.

Pfft!

Suddenly, Li Ye spat all over the shopkeeper, spitting out the entire mouthful of beef he had just eaten.

"You..."

The latter was furious.

"Shopkeeper, why is this Braised Beef so fishy? How is anyone supposed to eat this?"

Li Ye questioned.

Zhou Bao was also eating, and he felt that this beef was simply the greatest delicacy in the world. He was involuntarily beaming with joy, his face full of enjoyment, but seeing Li Ye spit it out, he spat his out as well.

Even though he didn't know why.

"That's right, how is anyone supposed to eat this?"

Zhou Bao said.

The shopkeeper was stunned.

Fishy?

No one makes Braised Beef better than Hongbin Tower.

If this is gamey, then everyone else's can only be described as rotten.

"Heh, don't tell me these two are here for a free meal."

"Kid, looking at the two of you, have you even eaten Braised Beef in this lifetime?"

"It seems the manager has misjudged his guests this time."

Hongbin Tower was suddenly filled with sounds of mockery.

The diners who hadn't spoken crossed their arms, wearing expressions of those waiting to watch a good show.

The manager's face turned from green to red, and he pointed a trembling finger at Li Ye and his companion: "My Braised Beef is gamey? Could it be that you have eaten Braised Beef better than this?"

"If you don't give me a proper explanation today, don't blame me, Chen, for being heartless."

As soon as the manager's voice fell, a group of burly men rushed out from the back of the restaurant. They didn't approach, but their fierce and menacing expressions were terrifying.

Zhou Bao glanced behind him, nearly scared out of his wits by this display.

This is bad. With this setup, I can't even escape through the window.

Young Master Li Bai is too impulsive.

"Of course! If I hadn't eaten better, why would I think this beef is inedible?"

Li Ye responded with a calm expression.

The manager's face turned ferocious: "You're lying through your teeth. Beef has a strong flavor by nature, and my Hongbin Tower handles it the best."

"Within an eighty-mile radius of Licheng City, if I, Chen, claim to be second, no one dares to claim to be first. You actually dare to say you've eaten Braised Beef better than what is served at my Hongbin Tower?"

Li Ye waved his hand:

"I don't care how you process it. Let me ask you, did you wash it before boiling?"

"Naturally, I rinsed the blood off the surface. I don't need you to remind me."

"Then did you soak it in clear water overnight?"

"Wh... what?"

"Beef tastes gamey because of its blood. If you don't soak the blood out completely, how could it not be gamey? Let me ask you again, did you add leaves from a Bay Laurel Tree when boiling the meat?"

"..."

"Did you add Cinnamon Bark?"

"I have added them..."

Bay Laurel leaves, Cinnamon Bark—could those things really be used as seasonings?

The shopkeeper was left stuttering and speechless by Li Ye's question.

Bay Laurel leaves, or what he knew as bay leaves from his past life, along with Cinnamon Bark, were common seasonings used in every household back then.

However, the people of this world did not seem to have utilized them yet.

Although the shopkeeper had tried his best, the food he cooked was still barely satisfactory to Li Ye, who came from the twenty-first century.

The other guests exchanged glances.

Bay Laurel leaves? Cinnamon Bark?

Aren't those just the weeds and wild trees outside the city?

Is this kid trying to make a fool out of the shopkeeper?

The shopkeeper felt the same way, his face gradually twisting. "I'll acknowledge your 'blood-soaking in clear water' method, but..."

Not good, Li Ye thought. This old guy doesn't approve of my recipe and is about to get physical.

He realized he had miscalculated. While he wasn't afraid, he didn't want to blow things out of proportion.

Just then, a noblewoman dressed in red with exquisite makeup descended from upstairs.

"Hmm, if you don't believe me, you can ask this lady."

Before the noblewoman could react, Li Ye stepped in front of her and recited his recipe.

"This young master is correct. Bay Laurel leaves, Cinnamon Bark, wild star anise, and the like are indeed essential seasonings for cooking."

"My household uses them often. Shopkeeper Chen, it is you who are ill-informed; you nearly wronged an innocent person."

The noblewoman lifted her fair, pointed chin and said to the shopkeeper.

Seeing her speak up, an uproar immediately broke out at the scene.

This was because the woman's status was no small matter—she was the wife of the General of Licheng City.

Who would dare doubt her words?

But how did this kid know that the General's residence used these seasonings for cooking?

People were filled with doubt.

Words Manifest Reality: All women believe what you say.

"It is Chen's shallow knowledge that led me to nearly wrong the two heroes. Please, forgive me."

Since the General's Wife had personally vouched for them, the manager had no choice but to believe it.

He immediately softened his stance and apologized to Li Ye and his companion.

Li Ye frowned, then pointed at the thugs in front of him with a mocking smile. "Heh, I kindly offered to share my secret recipe, yet you, Manager, decided to greet us with clubs and staves."

"Is this how Hongbin Tower treats its guests?"

The manager's expression stiffened. He waved his hand to dismiss the group of thugs, thought for a moment, and said, "It is my fault. Let this meal be my apology. What do you two think?"

This... he was just waiving the bill?

Zhou Bao, sitting at the table, was dumbfounded; his brain could barely keep up with the situation.

He was now so impressed by Li Ye that he was ready to prostrate himself in admiration.

Li Ye did not respond to the manager, but instead said to the noble lady before him, "Many thanks, Madam. You should head back now. As far as today goes, let us pretend we never met."

As he spoke, a faint, almost imperceptible golden light shimmered in his mouth.

The General's Wife naturally obeyed without question. "The young master is right. Today, you and I have never met. I shall take my leave."

And so, accompanied by several maids behind her, the General's Wife exited Hongbin Tower.

Li Ye returned to his seat, picked up his chopsticks, and poked at the intact roast chicken in front of him. He said to himself, "Manager, do you want your restaurant to have one more signature dish?"

The manager, Chen Hong, eyes lit up. "...What dish?"

Li Ye replied, "Have you ever heard of Eight Treasure Chicken?"

Eight Treasure Chicken?

In an instant, the manager nearly racked his brain trying to recall everything from his past life, yet he couldn't find a single memory regarding Eight Treasure Chicken.

"Someone, bring me one hundred taels of silver!"

"No, two hundred taels."

"Five hundred taels..."

The manager spoke to his waiter, noticing that Li Ye was busy stuffing his face. It wasn't until he mentioned five hundred taels that Li Ye finally put down his chopsticks.

Five hundred taels of silver was too much and too heavy to carry conveniently. Thus, the waiter brought over silver banknotes instead.

The manager handed them to Li Ye with a fawning expression.

In this era, five hundred taels was an astronomical sum for people at the bottom of society.

With Li Ye's prior guidance, the manager felt that if he could obtain the secret recipe for the Eight Treasure Chicken, it might just make Hongbin Tower the number one restaurant in Licheng City.

A mere five hundred taels of silver was nothing more than the cost of a few tables of food; compared to the Eight Treasure Chicken recipe, it was not worth mentioning.

"Brother Chen, you have a good heart. Put it down."

"Bring me the writing implements."

Li Ye said.