Chapter 174: Fish Cabin Restaurant
In the capital city.
Chen Xiao Mai held his face and said in confusion, "It's so strange. It's been a long time since Highness Cheng came to our house!"
Highness Cheng always invited himself to their house, which made Mai frown from time to time. However, Mai started to miss Highness Cheng now that he hadn't seen him for a while. Plus Highness Cheng was very generous and he would bring gifts every time he came.
Ji Yun An glanced at Chen Xiao Mai and said, "Highness Cheng is not in the capital city, you don't know that?"
Chen Xiao Mai was a little surprised. "Is that so? I haven't heard of it."
Ji Yun An smiled bitterly and said, "Yes!"
It was said that the trigger was the consort and the concubine had a dispute about whose turn it was to spend the night with Highness Cheng. Highness Cheng left the manor on the excuse of attending a banquet.
That night, the consort thought Highness Cheng spent the night with the concubine after he came back from the banquet, and the concubine thought Highness Cheng spent the night with the consort.
It wasn't until the next day that the two of them found that Highness Cheng wasn't home. And neither of them had any clue about Highness Cheng's whereabouts.
This wasn't the first time that the consort and the concubine fought for Highness's attention, the two ladies reported this to the emperor, blaming each other for Highness Cheng's runaway. However, the Emperor had heard enough of Highness Cheng's family affairs, he couldn't be bothered to give it any attention this time, he just comforted the two ladies by saying something like he was sure Highness Cheng would come back soon.
Chen Xiao Mai blinked and said, "I think Highness Cheng is in Fish Cabin County now."
Ji Yun An nodded, that was exactly what he thought as well. He knew Highness Cheng had long been considering visiting Lu Lin and his family.
Chen Xiao Mai tilted his head and said, "I also want to go visit Big Brother."
Ji Yun An said apologetically, "Sorry, you are staying in the capital city all because of me."
Chen Xiao Mai blinked and said, "No, don't say sorry, we are married now, I want to be wherever you are."
Chen Xiao Mai lowered his head and thought to himself, 'Husband and wife are supposed to be together. I occasionally misses Big Brother, but I'm sure I will miss Yun An all the time if I'm not with him.'
......
Lu Lin walked into the county yamen and saw Chen Xiao Cai waiting for him in the hall.
Chen Xiao Cai had moved out a while ago. Seeing Chen Xiao Cai at noon, Lu Lin was a little surprised, "Cai, is everything okay?"
Chen Xiao Cai held his chin and said, "Highness Cheng just went to the buffet restaurant."
Lu Lin nodded, "Oh, how come I'm not surprised, I know Highness Cheng isn't a snob like the young masters from the capital city we have met in Sha County!"
Chen Xiao Cai nodded. "Highness Cheng bought a ticket with 10 cents, but he left a 10-tale tip! No one in the restaurant knows who he is, they were all shocked. The shopkeeper rushed to my residence just now and reported it to me, I knew immediately it must be Highness Cheng according to the description."
Lu Lin's mouth twitched. 'His Highness is too generous, I appreciate his tips, but he better stop doing that just in case people figure out his true identity!'
"His Highness has been here for a while!" Chen Xiao Cai said that with a strange expression.
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Yeah!"
This time, he did not receive any letter from the consort or the concubine. However, Highness Cheng's butler had approached him several times, implying that Lu Lin should talk to His Highness and convince him to go back to the capital city.
Lu Lin understood where the butler was coming from, but he didn't think that he was in the position to say something His Highness didn't want to hear.
Lu Lin glanced at Chen Xiao Cai and said, "I remember you mentioned that His Highness booked one of your inns for three whole months, right?"
Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "Yeah, three whole months."
Lu Lin held his chin and said, "Hmm, I don't think His Highness will go back to the capital city any time soon. Ji Yun An said that His Highness left the manor without telling his consort or concubine."
Chen Xiao Cai chuckled and said, "Lin Ge, actually, it's good for our business that His Highness is staying for long."
Lu Lin nodded, "I know what you mean... but it's different this time, I'm worried what if His Highness enjoys his time here a bit too much and decides to extend his stay again and again now that the Emperor can't be bothered to write letters to rush him back."
......
Highness Cheng always managed to keep himself entertained in Fish Cabin County, he had even visited the dormitory building and had fun watching the women drying the seafood in the open space.
This day, His Highness asked Chen Xiao Cai to take him to the sea on the pilot ship.
Chen Xiao Cai was very against the idea, but he didn't have the guts to disobey His Highness.
"Captain Qin, who is this Master Cheng? He puts on such great airs." A fisherman asked.
"Yeah, he was just telling his servant that our boat is small! This boat! Small? I beg to differ!"
"Yeah! He said this boat reeks of fishy smell, and he said the boat is not pretty."
"Humph, this is a pilot boat for fishing! Of course it smells like fish!"
Qin Lang signaled the fishermen to keep it down and said, "This Master Cheng is a purchaser from the capital city, Second Master Chen told me he is very wealthy, let's treat him with utmost respect."
The fishermen nodded in agreement, "No wonder he is so picky, he is from the capital city, as a purchaser, he is a man of the world - he must have seen it all."
The consort and the concubine arrived at Lu Lin's county yamen when Highness Cheng was having fun on the sae.
Lu Lin didn't have much experience in dealing with women. Luckily, the two ladies didn't find fault with him and they left for the inn after some small talk with Lu Lin.
......
Highness Cheng decided to go back home after he saw the two ladies.
Chen Xiao Cai sat opposite Lu Lin and said, "His Highness is leaving soon."
Lu Lin said curiously, "Did you hear something?"
"His Highness are buying seafood in bulk, I think he must be doing that for his trip back."
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Great observation, and I think it's time we started restock, chances are more and more people will place more orders with His Highness's promotion after he goes back to the capital city."
Chen Xiao Cai nodded, the same thing happened when they were in Sha County, he firmly believed more and more orders were coming soon.
"Lin Ge, I'm considering opening a high-end buffet restaurant soon," Chen Xiao Cai said excitedly.
The all-you-can-eat-for-10-cents buffet restaurant was a hit. And recently, the people in Fish Cabin County were earning more money, they were willing to go to the restaurants more often and spend more money on gatherings.
The shopkeeper had suggested several times that a high-end buffet restaurant was a great idea.
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Sounds great, you have my full support, Cai."
Highness Cheng stayed for a few more days after the two ladies arrived in Fish Cabin County. Highness Cheng travelled light when he came here, but he bought several carriages to transport the stuff he bought on the way back.
All the shop owners loved this generous 'Master Cheng' who never haggled.
Just as Lu Lin had expected, His Highness started to send seafood presents to his friends right after he went back home. And it worked, more and more people were planning to visit Fish Cabin County.
As the saying goes, "It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books."
It was the custom in the capital city that the young scholars would do a 'travel for study' program.
After the name of Fish Cabin County became more and more well-known, many young scholars decided to go there this year.
......
Chen Xiao Cai built a restaurant by the seaside where you could enjoy the sea view by the stairs on the second floor.
After the restaurant was built, it attracted quite a few tourists.
Ji Yun An's friend Wei Jiyu sat in the restaurant while enjoying the sea breezes, "Second Young Master Chen is such a genius."
Su Nan, a friend who came to Fish Cabin County together with Wei Jiyu, smiled and said, "I heard that it was Magistrate Lu's idea to build this restaurant."
"Really? The hot springs resort in Sha County seemed to be Magistrate Lu's idea as well."
A servant knocked on the door with a plate of roasted oyster with garlic in hand now.
Wei Jiyu had a taste. Oysters had been popular in the capital city for a while now. Both men and women had found they were beneficial to their well-being.
This was the first time that Wei Jiyu had the chance to try the fresh oyster, he was so excited.
Highness Cheng was the No.1 ambassador of Fish Cabin County tourism, he kept telling the young masters and the young scholars in the capital city that it was worth the trip to just try the different seafoods.
And now there were a lot of purchasers from the capital city who made a living by transporting seafoods from Fish Cabin County and selling them in the capital city.
Wei Jiyu held his chin and sighed in his heart. He felt that Lu Lin was something different. He just had the charm to bring life to the place he went, and people around him would benefit from that as well.