Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

Chapter 170 Lord Guan, a man of deep feelings

Gu Mochen found it amusing. This Commander Yang had only allowed him to leave on his own once along the way, and then wouldn't let him out of his protection again. Sometimes he really wanted to tell him that he knew martial arts, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He had only mentioned how skilled Grandpa Lu was, and how skilled Uncle Gu and Sanqi were, all of which Commander Yang acknowledged. But he just wasn't at ease with him. Gu Mochen concluded that it was probably because they had provided Commander Yang and everyone else with military supplies, and no one wanted him to get into any trouble. Therefore, he shook his head, silently amused.

Lord Guan was both amused and annoyed. He thought to himself, if he hadn't been so confident, this brat would have intended to hurt him and humiliate him, fearing for his young prince's safety. But then, upon realizing his skills were superior, the brat sent ten men to accompany his young prince and left quite magnanimously. The boy had suffered some internal injuries, and Lord Guan wondered how he was doing. The princess had given him medicine, but he didn't know how effective it was, and he was too embarrassed to offer his own medicine.

At this moment, Lord Guan said to Gu Mochen, "Your Highness, let's go then. We have a restaurant here that gathers famous dishes from both the north and south. The taste is quite good. Please try it today. Actually, besides this one, the dishes at Handsome Men's Pavilion and Lady's Pavilion are also very good, but they are too fashionable. I think this restaurant is more down-to-earth. We're getting the real value for our food." Gu Mochen and Ye Qingchen looked closely and couldn't help but smile at each other. Oh dear, how did we end up at our own restaurant again! It turns out that this restaurant, named "From North to South," was something Ye Qingchen had painstakingly come up with during her leisure time. The biggest feature of this restaurant is that it gathers delicious dishes from all over the country, aiming to allow diners to taste the unique flavors of the entire nation.

Because this restaurant was highly praised and enjoyed great success in the capital, they seized the opportunity to open chain stores in other places. However, unexpectedly, this Lord Guan had a particular fondness for this restaurant! The restaurant's main advantage was its affordability, and the food was also quite delicious. However, given the need to cater to so many different regional cuisines, it was difficult to ensure that every branch could replicate the exact same taste for each dish.

As Gu Mochen and Ye Qingchen stepped into the restaurant, they were greeted by the familiar innkeeper. The familiar aroma of food instantly lifted their spirits. Meanwhile, Lord Guan was equally delighted. The reason was simple: this restaurant was not only reasonably priced, perfectly matching the quality of its ingredients, but the food was also exceptionally delicious. Normally, however, Lord Guan was frugal and reluctant to dine there frequently. Today, thanks to Gu Mochen, he finally had a perfect excuse to indulge in this delicious meal!

Lord Guan, with a stern expression, said to the innkeeper, "Innkeeper, quickly prepare and serve all ten of your restaurant's most signature dishes, then present the menu so my distinguished guest can choose other dishes he desires. Remember, these dishes should be prepared for four full tables!" It turned out that the seating arrangement at these four carefully arranged banquet tables was quite deliberate. One table was for Gu Mochen and several high-ranking ministers; another table was for Ye Qingchen, Bai Zhi Fuling, Zhao Zhixin, Grandpa Lu, Uncle Gu, and Sanqi, among others; a third table was for the lesser ministers; and the last table was for ten soldiers specifically to protect Gu Mochen and his entourage.

After everyone was seated, Gu Mochen picked up the menu he had already chosen and examined it carefully. It listed ten mouthwatering dishes: golden-brown, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside sweet and sour carp; tender, melt-in-your-mouth braised pork knuckle; exquisitely shaped, rich and flavorful water chestnut lion's head meatballs; crispy-skinned, fragrant, and not greasy roast duck; rich, flavorful, and nourishing stewed mutton; bright red, mellow-flavored braised beef; crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fragrant and delicious soft-fried pork tenderloin; plump, flavorful braised prawns; golden, tempting, and fluffy fried eggs; and steaming hot, tangy, and appetizing pickled cabbage and pork bone soup.

Looking at the delicious dishes, Gu Mochen felt a surge of satisfaction, and a contented smile appeared on his face. After a moment's thought, he ordered a few refreshing and palate-cleansing cold dishes: crisp and refreshing cucumber and jellyfish salad, light and elegant shredded cabbage and tofu salad, juicy stuffed tofu, savory and flavorful steamed pork with dried green beans, sweet and soft pumpkin soup, and smooth and delicious winter melon and wood ear mushroom soup. He chose these dishes to see firsthand how well the shopkeeper was running the business, but Lord Guan thought Gu Mochen was deliberately showing consideration for his difficulties.

Lord Guan bowed slightly and said to Gu Mochen with a smile, "Your Highness, please don't be so formal with me! Although I have become an official in this prefecture, to be honest, my income is not much. However, I grew up in this vast Northeast, and I am a native of Mochen! I have three brothers, and I am the youngest. Back in the day, my father was a very famous and wealthy man in Mochen! When he was alive, he generously bestowed upon us three brothers numerous shops and a great deal of money. So, even though my salary as an official is limited now, I am certainly not short of money!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Mochen was amused by Lord Guan's frankness and thought to himself, "This man is quite interesting." He then asked with interest, "Oh? I wonder what types of shops you manage, Lord Guan?"

Lord Guan's smile deepened, and he quickly replied, "Your Highness, my place is a major ginseng-producing area, so I own a sizable pharmacy, mainly dealing in ginseng. In addition, I also run a rice shop. After all, our region has a considerable rice production, so my family naturally runs a rice business. Furthermore, there are many sika deer here, so I also opened a winery. This winery specializes in brewing and selling ginseng wine and deer antler wine. Today, when I came to pay my respects to Your Highness, I specially brought these two kinds of fine wines, hoping Your Highness would do me the honor of tasting them." With that, Lord Guan ordered his men to present the two carefully prepared bottles of fine wine to Gu Mochen.