"Atleast not all of them are bad but just on this reception alone they fall short of the thousand flavors restaurant and the other restaurants at the Order," thought Yang Qing as he took everything in.
As a basic rule, all the restaurants within the grounds of the Order had to create a menu that catered to customers of all spectrums. Food that could be bought with spirit stones from low grade to high grade and food that could be bought with coins from gold coins to silver. It was required to be all-inclusive in every sense of the word.
....
"Sorry I'm new to the city and I just arrived today so I wasn't there when the notice was being given.
Zhong Quan gave me an open invitation to visit his place when I was around so I did. Once again I'm sorry for badging in, I will take my leave. When he comes back tell him Yang Qing passed by," said Yang Qing as he turned to leave. When he was scanning the restaurant with his monarch sense he noticed Zhong Quan's aura wasn't anywhere in the restaurant.
"Let's go," he gently said as he spoke to the two siblings who nodded and turned to leave with him.
The middle-aged man was left frowning as he stared at Yang Qing's departing back but he made no attempt to stop him from leaving.
The reason he had even personally intervened was the strangeness surrounding Yang Qing. He was seemingly a 20-year-old youth with no cultivation base who just easily opened their doors that had a restriction that would prevent it from moving not unless one used the strength of a middle-stage foundation establishment realm expert.
Even at such a close range, the middle-aged man didn't detect any cultivation realm fluctuations coming from Yang Qing which is why he opted to be polite and then there was the matter of him being friends with the owner. He wasn't sure how valid that statement was because many people use that same line to try and get in the restaurant especially when there are not any empty spaces for them to seat.
"It doesn't matter what his background is. It can't beat the restaurant's backing with the Golden bamboo pavilion.
Speaking of which, I hope master makes it in time to host the guest from the main headquarters and the branch head of Purple city," nervously thought the middle-aged man as he decided to push the matter about Yang Qing to the back of his mind and focus on the task at hand. He continued yelling orders as the staff moved with more urgency.
….
Yang Qing and the Zhi siblings were already a few meters away from the Earthvine restaurant making their way to Wang's restaurant.
It took them a bit of time before they reached it as the restaurant was quite some ways away from the Earthvine restaurant.
The roads, the buildings, and the shops seemed more downscaled compared to the street the Earthvine restaurant was in. Even though the area was still decent in terms of infrastructure but even someone who wasn't a craftsman would notice there is a huge difference in stature between the two areas.
From what Zhi Da told him Yang Qing learned that the area was known as the lower market square while the area the Earthvine restaurant and the other big stores were located in was the upper market square.
After they had left the Earthvine restaurant, they all as if in tacit agreement didn't bring up what happened in there. Yang Qing suggested they go to Wang's restaurant which was a welcomed suggestion to the two siblings who perked up quickly erasing their earlier gloom. Atleast on the surface, it seemed that way but Yang Qing saw the sadness the two hid deep in their eyes even though they tried to mask it by resuming their information guide on the areas they passed by before they finally arrived at Wang's restaurant.
Just like advertised it was a small three-storey restaurant made out of sandal wood while its interior was simple with wooden round chairs and tables and a few plants here and there to add a little freshness to the place.
It was a welcoming and lively place, especially with the sounds of joyous laughter, gorging sounds, and conversations that spanned across tables. It reminded Yang Qing of the restaurants from the Order during dinner time when almost everyone had clocked off and were in there at the same time. Employees from different departments would be there sharing laughs, banter, and good food.
"This is nice," Yang Qing said with a smile.
"Told you," Zhi Da smugly said as he cheekily rubbed his nose with his finger.
"Zhi Da are you up to no good again? You shouldn't pull sweet little Luoran into this,"
"Luoran ask grandma Wang to give you the blue cloud cake on my tab,"
"Put plum juice on mine,"
"And a few dumplings on mine,"
Some of the customers started chiming in when they saw Zhi Da and Zhi Luoran walk in.
"Don't I get anything?" Zhi Da hurriedly asked when he heard no mention of his name on the food being offered.
"Pay me back the few silvers you owe me from the bet you lost,"
"Zhi Da how can you be so thick-skinned after you charged my sworn brother from out of town four gold coins to show him the best blacksmith shop where he ended up being charged an arm and a tooth,"
"Wait, he did that to you too. He did that to my maternal uncle's granddaughter. Now I can never visit them and the way their house has a good spirit gathering array even the guest house...Zhi Da you bastard,"
"Why don't you start your own information organization? You always brag about how you could guarantee the lifeline of one. With the money you get from being an information broker, you could buy us meals for years instead of being the stingy braggart you are,"
"I doubt he would do it. We all know how stingy he is. He could stumble on a spirit stone mine and still hustle us for free food,"
"Yes, he is that type of person. Stingy money grabber,"
The tune took a turn from gentleness when it came to Zhi Luoran to vengeful anger and scorched earth when it was Zhi Da's turn.
