Finest Servant

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Chapter 103 Doubts

Governor Luo Min? Wasn't that Little Luo's father? Lin Wanrong was friends with Little Luo, but even if he cared deeply for his son, there was no need for him to curry favor with Lin Wanrong like this. It was strange indeed.

Looking at Luo Yuan and Luo Ning, they too seemed dumbfounded, clearly not expecting their father to make such a move. Luo Yuan managed a sheepish smile, saying, "Big brother, I have no idea what's going on either. When you meet my father one day, you can ask him yourself."

A knot formed in Lin Wanrong's heart. He had a premonition that this Governor Luo Min was not a simple character.

Dong Qingshan and others stepped out to welcome the guests, but the one who entered was a skinny, sharp-eyed secretary, not Governor Luo Min himself. The secretary bowed to Luo Yuan and Luo Ning, saying, "Greetings, Young Master. Greetings, Miss."

Luo Yuan nodded and smiled, saying, "Uncle Liu, did Father send you here specifically to deliver the plaque? This is the host of this place, Young Master Lin."

Lin Wanrong was startled. In front of outsiders, the owner of the restaurant was always known to be Old Dong. Today, Luo Yuan pushed him into the spotlight, clearly indicating something significant. Had Luo Min already figured out that he was the true owner of the restaurant? How did Luo Min get to know him? Why did he value him so much? Lin San was just a small servant of the Xiao family. Luo Min, a prominent governor, was showing an unusual amount of favor towards a mere restaurant owner, and it couldn't be simply because of his friendship with his son Luo Yan. There must be other reasons.

As Lin Wanrong's thoughts raced, he glanced at Luo Yuan. Although Luo Yuan seemed a bit confused as well, he was not as surprised as Lin. Suddenly, a thought struck Lin Wanrong. Little Luo was definitely hiding something from him.

Secretary Liu approached Lin Wanrong, smiling and bowing, "Congratulations, Young Master Lin. My master instructed me before leaving to personally convey his congratulations. Due to his position, it's inconvenient for him to be here personally, so this is the only way he can express his sentiments. I hope you don't mind."

Hearing Secretary Liu's flattery, Lin Wanrong's confusion deepened. Luo Min was the top official in Jiangsu, a powerful figure whose slightest movement could shake the region. But why did he value Lin Wanrong so much? According to Secretary Liu, if not for officialdom etiquette, Luo Min would even personally congratulate Lin Wanrong. Good heavens, a visit from the governor was no small matter. What was Old Luo up to?

Lin Wanrong's head started to spin. There must be hidden reasons unknown to him. If it was related to politics, things could become really complicated. Despite his racing thoughts, Lin Wanrong, being a shrewd man, quickly responded, "Secretary Liu, you're too kind. Today, thanks to your master's magnanimity, our humble establishment is graced with such honor. We are flattered by Governor Luo's regard and couldn't be happier. Please convey to your master that I am deeply grateful for his generous gesture."

Secretary Liu's eyes were filled with deep meaning. Any ordinary person, given a plaque by the Governor of Jiangsu, would immediately express their gratitude and willingness to serve. But this Lin San merely expressed his thanks, highlighting his uniqueness and high degree of alertness.

Lin Wanrong held his own concerns. Until he understood Luo Min's true intentions, he dared not pledge servitude. Politics was a tricky field. Once entangled in it, one could find themselves in peril without even knowing why. Caution was necessary.

Although Luo Min had sent a secretary with the plaque, the presence of a governor's gift elevated the status of the restaurant significantly. Luo Min's sentiment was indeed not a light one.

What followed was a parade of friends specially invited by Luo Yuan and Old Dong, along with some neighbors who came to offer their congratulations.

Seeing Luo Yuan's genuine concern for the restaurant, Lin Wanrong sighed inwardly. This Little Luo, like his father, was no ordinary person. Pulling Luo Yuan aside, he asked directly, "Little Luo, did your father tell you something?"

Luo Yuan nodded, "Big brother, my father told me to get close to you. He said you're extraordinary and destined to soar high. He asked me to follow you closely."

"Did he mention anything else?" Lin Wanrong asked with a frown. What was this Old Luo playing at?

Luo Yuan managed a bitter smile, "Big brother, my father doesn't allow me to meddle in political affairs. He always speaks in half-truths. I can only act according to his words. Besides, I've seen your capabilities with my own eyes. Following you can't be wrong."

Lin Wanrong sighed. So that's why Little Luo agreed so readily to join Hung Hing that day. It turned out Old Luo had given instructions beforehand. Damn, and here I thought I had some irresistible charm.

"And today, your family gave three plaques. What's that about?" Lin Wanrong chuckled, deciding not to dwell on the puzzling matters. It would only strain his brain.

Seeing that Lin Wanrong wasn't blaming him, Luo Yuan happily explained, "Big brother, you don't know our family situation. Although we're just a family of three, we're split into three factions: one for my father, one for me, and another for my sister. Each of us does our own thing without interference. You're my big brother, my sister's friend, and a person my father respects. It's normal for us to give you plaques separately. Besides, my father is very open-minded and never interferes in my sister's and my affairs. Otherwise, do you think I could so easily visit brothels?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled. Old Luo was indeed interesting. In an era of strict education, Luo Min practiced a free-range parenting style, and his children turned out to be quite competent. No wonder Luo Yuan, a young master, could wander outside all day and Luo Ning, the young lady, could enjoy such freedom. Lin Wanrong was growing increasingly interested in this Old Luo.

After a little more conversation, seeing that the auspicious time had arrived, Lin Wanrong nodded at Dong Qingshan, who immediately went to make the arrangements.

The crowd waiting outside the restaurant grew restless until, with a clang of a gong, the doors behind the stage opened. A bright-eyed young man of about eighteen or nineteen stepped forward. He clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd, "Friends, esteemed elders, and fellow villagers, hello. Today marks the grand opening of our restaurant, ‘Food for Immortals.' To express our gratitude for your generous support, we've designed the best promotional policy to welcome your patronage. Within this month, anyone who spends ten taels of silver at our establishment will receive a voucher worth two taels. This voucher cannot be used as cash but can be used for any purchase within the restaurant. If you accumulate a hundred taels of expenses within the month, you'll receive a VIP card from us. With this card, you can enjoy a 20% discount at our restaurant. Moreover, we also have a plethora of discount coupons, with which you can enjoy our meal sets at a discounted price..."

The young man spoke eloquently, and the staff of ‘Food for Immortals' had already posted various promotional signs around the place. These enticing offers, such as spending ten taels to get two taels back and various coupon-related promotions, immediately sent the crowd into a frenzy.

"Young Master, this is another one of your arrangements, isn't it?" Qin Xian'er asked, looking at the excited crowd with a smile.

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "I'm just making a small fortune. Miss Xian'er, there's no need to expose me."

Luo Ning laughed lightly, "Big brother, I don't know how you come up with these ideas. They're quite amusing. And the best part is, people don't even realize they're being tricked."

Luo Yuan was still puzzled, "How is this tricking people?"

Luo Ning looked at her younger brother with amusement, "Take the promotion of spending ten taels to get a two-tael voucher. If one fully utilizes it, they're essentially using ten taels to buy twelve taels worth of goods, all of which are spent in the store. It's barely a 10% discount, yet everyone thinks they've gained an extra two taels for nothing. And the meal sets are even more cunning. A tea egg, a bowl of Yangchun noodles, and a portion of stewed beef, sold separately, would each cost four maces of silver. With the discount coupon, they total up to just one tael of silver [1 mace = 1/10 tael]. It seems like a bargain, but it's not. Those who originally only wanted to eat the noodles will end up spending more to get the beef and tea egg just for the discount. Isn't this cunning?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuan had an epiphany and gave Lin Wanrong a thumbs up, "Big brother, you're really something."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "Miss Luo Ning, if you were to go into business, I'm sure you'd be an even more cunning merchant than me."

Luo Ning blushed and said nothing.

By this time, people had started to enter the restaurant, eager to take advantage of the discounts. The power of example was infinite. Seeing others clutching their discount coupons and buying "bargain" items, the crowd surged forward.

There were still quite a few people gathered in front of the stage. Judging from their attire, most of them were scholars with a somewhat lofty demeanor, not stooping to rush into the fray for discounted items like the others.

The young man on the stage was carefully chosen by Lin Wanrong from among the hundreds of brothers in Hung Hing, as instructed by Dong Qingshan. He was a quick-witted and eloquent brother, much like a DJ in a bar.

The young man clasped his hands and said, "To express our gratitude for the generous love you've shown our establishment, we have specially invited two talented singers from Miaoyu Pavilion, Miss Lian and Miss Cui. They will perform a new song 'West Chamber' composed by Miss Qin Xian'er."

The mention of Miaoyu Pavilion and Qin Xian'er was enough to pique the interest of these scholars, who were all men of the world. Upon hearing these names, they cheered loudly.

Little Cui and Little Lian, one in a purple-red long skirt and the other in a light yellow shirt, took dainty steps and slowly walked onto the stage. Though young, these two girls were already becoming attractive, with a touch of coquettish charm. They held hands and bowed to the audience, eliciting a wave of applause.

With a gentle strum of the strings, the musicians brought over by Qin Xian'er from Miaoyu Pavilion, who had been rehearsing 'West Chamber' for a while, started to play.

"Passing the West Chamber, a fragrant scent fills the air. The lady next door is still in the midst of flowers—" Little Lian, holding Little Cui's hand, swayed gently from side to side in time with the rhythm. As the singing began, there was a sense of surprise among the crowd. The melody was fresh, catchy, and different from the usual tunes. Moreover, the girl's natural swaying, devoid of any coquettish affectations, and the lively tune made people want to sway along.

By the time the girls reached the rap-like part of the song, the crowd fell silent. This half-spoken, half-sung melody was so novel that it was hard for people to accept, yet it was so catchy that they couldn't resist learning it even if they wanted to.

"I passed the West Chamber again, a daydream from twelve years ago, writing about you and me back then, a tune with the lyrics of a poem—"

The two girls hand in hand, walking and singing on the stage, had quickly whipped the atmosphere into a frenzy. The literati downstairs prided themselves on their elegance, yet they had never seen such a fresh and natural performance. Unable to voice their admiration, they could only express their appreciation through enthusiastic applause.

Among the spectators upstairs, Lin Wanrong was the most nervous. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure whether this R&B-style song would be accepted in this era. But Qin Xian'er was the expert here. She was confident that this tune would cause a sensation and had made many improvements to the arrangement, leading to the excellent effect seen today.

Seeing Qin Xian'er smiling at him, seemingly asking for his opinion, Lin Wanrong gave a thumbs up. Qin Xian'er covered her mouth and giggled, glanced at him, and fell silent.

The scholars' excitement had been fully stirred. Upon hearing that the fourth and fifth stories of this restaurant, known as "Wealth and Talent," would welcome anyone who could solve a couplet onto the premises to enjoy VIP treatment, beyond just the rich and powerful, these self-confident men of letters became somewhat tempted.

Seeing the crowd's growing excitement, the "DJ" dropped his final bombshell at the right moment: "I have some good news for everyone. Today, the couplets for 'Wealth and Talent' will be revealed by none other than Jinling's number one talented female, Miss Luo Ning."

A collective gasp ran through the crowd. Having heard of this, the aspiring scholars surged toward the building like a wave. The idea of having Jinling's top female scholar reveal the couplets wasn't Lin Wanrong's, he asked with a smile, "This idea is good, very interesting, Qiaoqiao. Was it your idea?"

Qiaoqiao smiled and replied, "Big brother, I learned from you."

Lin Wanrong roared with laughter. Ah, this Qiaoqiao truly knew him inside and out. He pulled Qiaoqiao into his arms, looking at her blushing face, he wished he could plant a big kiss on it.

Luo Ning's appearance attracted everyone's attention. She smiled and gave a slight bow to the crowd, picked up the festive pole, and revealed each of the four upper couplets.

Seeing everyone deep in thought, Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "Alright, our grand opening is a great success. Today, as the owner, I invite everyone to enjoy a banquet. Here's to our restaurant thriving and prospering."

Launching such a grand opening in this era was indeed sensational. The promotional tactics employed by Lin Wanrong had spread throughout the city of Jinling in a matter of days, especially the four peerless couplets of "Wealth and Talent," which had caught the eye of all the scholars in the city.

As a result, all of Jinling knew about the newly opened restaurant called "Food for Immortals," with its fresh ambiance and elegant style. Even the governor had personally inscribed a plaque, and the unveiling had been done by the top female scholar of Jinling, drawing a crowd of literati and poets.

The restaurant was bound to do well. After three days of operation, the gross profit astonishingly reached a thousand taels of silver.

However, at this point, Lin Wanrong had no time to manage the restaurant because the perfume workshop had been completely renovated and was about to produce the first batch of test products.

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