Chapter 532: What Did Helian Wei Wei Want To Do?
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Helian Wei Wei had met two of the people in line at the Bayview Seafood Restaurant when she first arrived at the provincial capital.
Helian Wei Wei summoned them separately into the inner yamen and asked Da Xiong to prepare some tea for them. historical
Little Seven sat beside Helian Wei Wei, staring fixedly at the crabs that the two people were holding.
Those two were quite sensible too. Seeing that Little Seven was just a child, they untied one of the crabs and handed it to him, despite not knowing his identity.
They originally wanted to let him play with it.
After all, the crab was still alive.
Little Seven politely accepted the crab and thanked them. Then, to their great surprise, he immediately opened his mouth and gave it a huge bite!
"It's still alive!" Those two people were greatly stunned by seeing it. Then, they hurriedly shouted, "Don't eat it!"
Little Seven scrunched his bushy brows and looked at the crab that was shivering with fear in his hands. After thinking for a moment, he passed it to Helian Wei Wei, saying, "Third Aunt, let's steam it tonight. It doesn't taste that good eating it this way."
The two people at the side were shocked when they heard him, their mouth twitching furiously. The... taste is not the problem here!
"This one won't be enough for you." Helian Wei Wei took out her handkerchief and helped the little one wipe the corner of his lips, saying, "After I'm done with my things, I'll make 100 of them for you. There would be 50 steamed ones and 50 spicy stir-fried ones. You would like them all."
Little Seventh Prince nodded in agreement obediently; it was so unlike himself!
Eunuch Sun, who was watching from the side started to get emotional. So, this is the trick to deal with Little Seventh Prince!
I should've done the same thing at the time when he bit the goldfish!
Helian Wei Wei stroked the little one's head and looked at the two people in the eyes, saying, "I asked both of you here to request for your help."
"Don't mention it, Lord Wei. Whatever instructions you have, you can just directly tell my brother and me!" One of them was very righteous, as ever. He then professed, "Lord Wei, you have helped us to get rid of these corrupt imperial officials, and shut down the despicable Bayview Restaurant. We're simply overjoyed! There's nothing we won't help you with!"
The other person did not utter a word, but merely reached out and tugged at his friend's sleeves while mumbling something.
The person turned his head around and doubtfully raised his brows, "Brother Wang, why do you keep pulling my sleeves!"
"Didn't you hear the child called her Third Aunt?" The person with the surname Wang lowered his voice, his expression changing slightly, and continued, "Could it be just like what the other villagers said, is Lord Wei really a woman?"
Helian Wei Wei laughed and replied, "I am indeed a woman, but this should not affect our cooperation."
"It certainly won't." Both of them replied in unison, but they had some confusion about Helian Wei Wei's identity. Thus, they asked, "But, how can a woman become an imperial official?"
Standing at the side, Eunuch Sun grinned and replied, "Princess Consort wants to be one, so she became one."
Princess Consort?
Both of them were dumbfounded!
When they regained their senses, they immediately kneeled down and pleaded, "We are too ignorant to recognize Princess Consort, we hope that you can..."
Without waiting for them to finish, Helian Wei Wei held them up and said, "Both of you don't need to act this way. However, Brother Lee has misspoken just now. The Bayview Seafood Restaurant won't be closing down."
"Not closing?" Both of them unconsciously frowned, asking, "Why?" Haven't they thoroughly investigated it? Why are they not closing such an evil restaurant!
Helian Wei Wei answered in the affirmative with a smile and said, "Not only would it stay open, but I also intend to expand it."
"What do you mean?"
Helian Wei Wei fiddled with the jade pendant in her hands, and replied, "From today onwards, I will be formally taking over Bayview Seafood Restaurant. After all, it has been a time-honored brand in the War Dragon Empire for all these years. Many merchants who come to this provincial capital often drop by. The provincial capital is the only coastal city in the Northern Region, and most of the commoners rely on the sea to make a living. Closing it down might bring temporary satisfaction, but in the long run, the disadvantages would outweigh the advantages. Without the restaurant buying their seafood, the commoners would not be able to sell them for money. Ultimately, the commoners are still the ones who would suffer."
"Wei Wei is still the thoughtful one." A deep voice echoed from the outside.
Little Seventh Prince turned his head around and picked up the crab, before running toward the old man and yelled, "Grandfather!"
The Retired Emperor petted his grandson's head and looked at Helian Wei Wei with a commending smile.
Helian Wei Wei stood up casually, neither being servile nor overbearing. However, she still showed great respect toward the elderly as she said, "Imperial Grandfather probably did not close down the Bayview Restaurant for this very reason as well. What I'm trying to do pale in comparison with your thoughtful consideration of the country and the people."
"You cheeky girl." The Retired Emperor laughed and continued, "It sounds like you already have a solution, so carry on with it. If you need any help from any ministries, just let me know."
"I will," Helian Wei Wei promised him with a smile.
With so many things happening, the Retired Emperor was already very busy, thus he could not stay for long. After advising Helian Wei Wei, he returned to the Capital with Eunuch Sun.
Helian Wei Wei turned around and continued discussing with the two merchants, "Both of you are familiar with sea products and trading, would you be willing to stay in the provincial capital and manage the reopening of Bayview Seafood Restaurant?"
"Yes! We are willing to!"
At that moment, both merchants felt that a golden opportunity had fallen from the sky and onto their lap.
How would anyone be unwilling to do it!
She is the boss of Wei Ze World, the genius who has created a miracle in the business world!
For merchants who worked in trading like them, being able to follow her was simply a blessing of three lifetimes.
"Let's start by picking sea products," Helian Wei Wei said with a smile. "At noon, the yamen will make an announcement urging all the fishermen to go to the entrance of Bayview Seafood Restaurant to deliver their goods, and we will choose them on the spot. It must be big, fresh, and the meat must be nice and fat. These kinds of shrimps and crabs will make delicious dishes."
"No problem! Leave it to us!" These two merchants immediately went to make the preparations.
However, Helian Wei Wei then made a command no one could make heads or tails of.
"Move the big iron wok that's used to cook dishes to the entrance of the restaurant. Then, prepare a chopping board, some firewood, ginger, garlic, salt, vinegar, and sugar. Do not forget any of the seasonings. Most importantly, prepare the chilis and peanuts. Go now, do it quickly."
Da Xiong and Chen Liang looked at each other and answered, "Yes!"
They muttered quietly to themselves. What is the boss planning to do?
Move the big iron wok to the restaurant's main entrance?
Wouldn't it obstruct the entrance?
Will people still come and eat?
Chapter 533: The Reopening Of Bayview Seafood Restaurant
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
It was an afternoon when the sun shone brightly and the wind blew gently.
The people in the provincial capital felt unsure when they heard about the reopening of Bayview Seafood Restaurant.
They were happier than everybody else when it was closed down.
The big bully of the provincial capital was finally gone!
Yet, someone wants to reopen it now!
Wouldn't it be the same no matter who the boss is?
The new boss would probably be another corrupt scammer, scaring away all the merchants and causing the provincial capital to be unable to prosper.
In the end, the fishermen and the farmers would be the ones who would suffer.
The only thing that made them less wary was that the new boss of Bayview Seafood Restaurant bought it at a sky-high price. Furthermore, the boss would examine the goods at the main entrance, right in front of the watching crowd, and paid for them directly in cash!
This was something unprecedented.
Previously, they had never been paid accordingly when they sent goods to Bayview Seafood Restaurant.
Sometimes, the fishermen would lay their hands on some precious seafood. A huge lobster would be worth five silvers, but the restaurant would only pay them one.
It was because these transactions happened secretly behind the kitchen, and the superiors did not bother to supervise it.
Now, they would be paid in cash instantly in front of everybody, and at a great price no less...
A lot of the people were very tempted, but they would merely peer in from the main entrance of Bayview Seafood Restaurant. They were afraid to go near it due to the notorious reputation it previously had.
Helian Wei Wei sat by the window on the second floor of the restaurant, holding a cup of tea in one hand and supporting her chin with the other, as she gazed out the window with her celestial eyes.
"The time is almost up." Helian Wei Wei stood up and stretched lazily, saying, "Bring me the wok, we'll go out now.
Da Xiong and Chen Liang nodded and walked over to the big iron wok, trying to lift it up together.
However, before they had even bent down, the little one had already picked it up single-handedly. He turned his eager little face toward them and stared at them cutely while biting a meat bun in his mouth.
Da Xiong and Chen Liang were speechless...
"What are you waiting for?" Helian Wei Wei raised her brow and marched toward them.
Da Xiong instantly burst into tears, crying, "Ahhh, boss, both of us lost again!" The Seventh Prince was merely a toddler who could barely walk properly, how could he have such Herculean strength? Both of them were gigantic three-feet men, how could they continue living with shame like this? It was simply a crushing defeat for them.
Helian Wei Wei laughed evilly and 'comforted' them, "It's fine. He's still young, both of you are 15 years older than him. He can't steal your girlfriends no matter how good he is."
Da Xiong and Chen Liang were rendered speechless again...
The more their boss 'comforted' them, the more they felt that their lives were a failure.
"Third Aunt, I carried firewood for you too." The Seventh Prince was eternally bursting with passion, and he seemed like a mini grown-up when he spoke.
Da Xiong and Chen Liang were extremely taken by surprise!
"Your Highness, please put it down. Let us carry the firewood instead!"
"Yes, let us do it!"
We need to stop being decadent and show them our worth!
Little Seventh Prince stopped and stood still, staring at them arrogantly as he said warningly, "Be careful, make sure you don't scatter Third Aunt's firewood."
"No, of course, we won't..."
Thud!
Da Xiong and Chen Liang had dropped the firewood on the floor during their scuffle. They froze, staring at the firewood scattered on the ground, and exclaimed, "Are we that dumb?"
The little one glanced at both of them and did not bother to nag them. He bent over and picked up the firewood with his toes, one by one, onto his shoulder. Then, he carried all of them in a huge bundle and left.
The sight that unfolded was witnessed by the entire crowd. The little one walked over in the front, carrying the firewood on his left shoulder and holding a big iron wok with his right hand. Two gigantic men followed quietly behind, holding nothing in their hands...
Governor Chen saw it and quickly pulled his son toward him, "Liang Zi, how can you let the Little Seventh Prince carry so much stuff?"
Chen Liang opened his mouth, trying to explain.
However, his father quickly interjected, "Even if we ignore his identity, he is still a child! How have I taught you? You have to respect the elders and love the children! You, you are such a disappointment!"
Chen Liang had not uttered a word, but he could feel the piercing gaze from the surrounding onlookers. Their disapproving eyes were just like his father's.
"Little Seventh Prince, please say something to help us!" he cried.
Little Seventh Prince ignored him, pointing his finger at a crab as he asked Helian Wei Wei, "Third Aunt, the crab that the grandfather is holding is so big, it looks really delicious."
Helian Wei Wei glanced at the direction of his finger and casually asked, "Old man, are you selling the crab?"
Her tone was calm but very respectful. After all, she was simply doing business, she would not treat him differently because of his status.
The old man never thought the new boss of Bayview Seafood Restaurant was Lord Wei, the person who overthrew the Liao family. His feelings became even more complicated, and his expression was filled with uncertainty.
Helian Wei Wei did not force him, saying, "You can consider for a moment first." Then, she turned around and ordered quietly, "Da Xiong, Chen Liang, light up the firewood and set up the wok".
"Yes!"
The two of them seemed highly motivated!
One of them would be responsible for holding Little Seventh Prince back, while the other would burn the firewood and set up the wok.
This time, we must not let the Seventh Prince steal our job or we will be cast aside!
This truly proved that Da Xiong and Chen Liang were overly imaginative...
Little Seventh Prince paid no attention to them. His huge, fiery eyes widened as he ogled excitedly at the crabs, shrimps, and kelp around him.
Only one word was flooding his mind. Food! These are all food!
Pluck!
The first firewood was ignited.
Everybody turned their eyes toward the Bayview Seafood Restaurant.
Most of them were still wondering why Helian Wei Wei had brought a wok out.
The two merchants aforementioned exchanged quick glances with one another and showed Helian Wei Wei what the wooden barrel contained, saying, "These are the freshest seafood here. We have a sea fish, two lobsters, and two crabs. Lord, this seems far more complicated than we initially thought. The villagers are not very willing to do business with us because of the previous Bayview Seafood Restaurant incident."
"Hmm, I can understand." Helian Wei Wei replied calmly as if she had already expected this outcome, "Don't worry, somebody will do business with us very soon. Please move this barrel and place it in front of the chopping board."
"Yes!"
Everybody had something to do, even Little Seventh Prince was kneeling on the ground and dutifully watching the crabs crawling about.
The shadow guards were originally worried that the Seventh Prince might eat whatever he saw. However, they were relieved when they saw him. historical
They kneeled down on one knee, reporting, "Master, everything is normal,"
Baili Jia Jue was in the teahouse across the street, fiddling with a ceramic cup in his hand, as his black, elegant eyes darted around, scanning over the crowd beneath him. Then, with a little smirk on his face, he uttered in an effortlessly regal voice, "She has moved all the kitchen utensils out to the front. Do you call this normal?"
Chapter 534: Grilled Fish Titled 'Wei Loving Jue'
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
"This..." The point was that he did not know what the Princess Consort was going to do!
The Shadow was in a dilemma when the windows banged loudly.
Helian Wei Wei had three more knives in her hands, each of which was shaped differently but they were beautiful and eye-catching.
She held one of the long knives and took three wooden sticks. After that, she sharpened one end of the three sticks and aligned them according to length.
Then, with her body bent forward, she inserted her hand and swiftly caught a saltwater fish from the wooden barrel!
Her movement was fast. Among the floating clouds and flowing water, she already scaled the saltwater fish that was jumping around.
Compared with freshwater fish, this type of saltwater fish had almost no bones. The flesh was fat, sweet and so soft that it would melt in the mouth.
But before that, one must be able to control its taste.
"Is Lord Wei cooking?"
"Cooking with his own hands!?"
"The speed of removing the fish scales was so fast! Wait, why isn't the fish put into the wok yet?"
Whoosh!
Indeed, Helian Wei Wei did not put the fish into the wok. Instead, she sliced open the fish at an amazing speed and inserted the three wooden sticks into the saltwater fish horizontally. Then, the fish was racked above the fire!
Helian Wei Wei was very skillful in doing these things. It did not seem like her first time cooking at all. Holding a brush on her left hand, she dipped the brush into the sauce and sesame oil that was mixed previously and brushed it over the fish. Along with the sizzling sounds, the light fragrance of the fish wafted in the air.
The people frowned. After all, eating seafood was all about the original flavors.
Was it not a waste to grill such a good saltwater fish directly above the fire?
When everyone was still in doubt, Helian Wei Wei had picked up the second knife. She started to dice onions, ginger, and garlic. Then, she cut some celery and young garlic into pieces. After heating the wok with some oil, all the ingredients were added into it and they bloomed in the wok.
Only within an instant, the fragrance spread across the street.
People could not help but inhale deeply.
That was really no big deal for Helian Wei Wei. These were just simple steps when cooking a dish. The key was the next step, which was to add peanuts and chilies into the wok together.
With a quick stir-fry, the fragrant yet spicy smell blasted out of the wok, alluring the people around to eagerly take a sniff.
The actions following that were even faster. After the young garlic and celery were stir-fried until fragrant, the tree fungus and Shiitake mushrooms were next!
In ancient times, not many people knew how to differentiate poisonous and non-poisonous mushrooms.
So when Helian Wei Wei threw the Shiitake mushrooms into the wok, people were really surprised.
However, until the end when the peculiar flavor of Shiitake mushroom drifted through the air, it instantaneously made the people feel hungry!
The little one stood on his toes beside Helian Wei Wei, looking at the flavorsome dish in the wok. His saliva was at the brim of his mouth!
It was not only Little Seven who wanted to try the dish badly, but Chen Liang was also attracted to the smell. "Boss, what are you cooking? It smells so nice!"
"Well... Only Loving Jue Grilled Fish." After Helian Wei Wei finished her sentence, she felt that she could not be smarter!!
One of the rules in the 'Court Your Wife' manual by the bossy president, was definitely to be cool as f*ck!
Naming something under his name was no big deal!
"Only Loving Jue Grilled Fish..." The Little Seventh Prince scratched his bald head and lifted his little face to look toward the teahouse opposite them...
As Shadow was relaying the name of the dish, his heart was beating more than 10 times faster than before!
"Heh."
To his surprise, His Highness actually laughed! Besides, his laugh was so good-looking!
Was it because the name that the Princess Consort came up with was so st*pid that he laughed?
"The only loving Jue... Wei loving Jue. Very well, she has made progress at last." Baili Jia Jue lifted the teacup in his hand and looked out of the window at the slender, jade-like figure. The curve at the corner of his mouth was more gentle than ever...
However, at this time, the onlookers who were originally just standing outside Bayview Seafood Restaurant now had the impulse to taste the dish in the wok!
Helian Wei Wei did not stop. While the saltwater fish was still grilling, she picked up the third knife. Holding the lobster's back with her left hand, she made a small opening right in the middle and filled it with minced chicken meat from earlier. Next, she added some of the Shiitake mushrooms as well. Then, she spread a thin layer of honey on the lobster and placed it directly into the steamer.
After that, she scooped the red oil vegetable bottom out from the wok and placed it on an iron tray. historical
Under the tray was a small charcoal stove where there were woods from fruit trees. The fire was neither big nor small, yet just moderate.
After such a trick, the fragrance just now became more tempting.
Some of the people could no longer wait and had already taken a deep breath.
"I didn't expect that Lord Wei could cook so well. The fragrance alone can make people salivate."
"It's a wonderful move to mix peanuts with chilies!"
"I really want to have a bite!"
The last sentence represented everyone's thoughts.
Helian Wei Wei brought two big crabs onto the table. One was chopped and stir-fried with hot oil, whereas the other one was steamed with only onions. The two fragrances were entangled together and were constantly filling people's nostrils, stimulating everyone's taste bud.
"It smells so nice!" Even the two merchants who had been wandering around the world for many years could not help but ask curiously, "What did Lord Wei add into the dish? It's so fragrant."
"Pepper flavor." Helian Wei Wei knew that no one in the War Dragon Empire had ever used spices as food additives. So, she took star anise and showed it to the two gentlemen.
Those two people had seen this kind of spice before, but they had never taken it seriously. The first time they smelled it, the odor was too strong, so they thought for certain that it was nothing good. They did not expect that it would smell so nice after adding it to the meat! What a magical thing!
The hot aroma filled the air and Helian Wei Wei knew that the lobster was almost done. She straightened her bamboo chopsticks and up she lifted the entire lobster from the steamer into a pot. She watered the lobster with some of its juices and poured half a cup of her own grape wine into the pot after opening it with her teeth. Then, she covered the pot with a lid!
Following that was the steamed crab which was pretty huge. Ordinary steaming seemed common, but right at the beginning, the fishy smell had already been removed by using just enough cooking wine and salt, leaving only the fresh, original flavor of the crab itself. It was served with some seasoned soy sauce for seafood and cold mixed fungus.
"Little Seven, remember to leave half of the dishes, so the rest of the villagers get to have a taste too." Helian Wei Wei handed a big plate to the little one.
The little one nodded his head very seriously, then opened his mouth and took a crab leg. Without a word, he pushed the crab leg until it was right in front of the Old Master and stared at the old man with his tiny face. No one could ever reject him like that.
The old man took the bamboo chopsticks and only with a bite of the crab meat, the fragrance that lingered between his teeth made his eyes open wide at that moment!
He took a second bite right away!
"Hey, don't just eat by yourself, Old Man Yu. Tell me quickly what the taste is like!"
"Delicious! I've never eaten this before, especially this sauce. It's too delicious! " Old Man Yu's words aroused the curiosity among the people, wondering what would be Lord Wei's next dish?
As it was obvious that they would not have the chance to touch or even taste the steamed crabs anymore...