Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 68: The Tang Family Restaurant

Chapter 62

The Tang Family Restaurant

For about a week, the chubby-cheeked Xiaolin taught her three aunts how to cook various dishes. They also hired Wu Zhong’s younger brother and two of his friends to help in the kitchen and serve customers since the restaurant featured hot pot dishes that required a lot of preparation and serving.

Meanwhile, Tianrong, Hui Song, and the two young vendors cleaned the restaurant and set up the tables and chairs. Today was the grand opening of the Tang family seafood restaurant.

"Tang Family Restaurant, huh? The name is quite straightforward," Zhou Ming remarked, looking up at the sign written by Liu Hao.

"Please come inside. Today, for our grand opening, we’ll serve the best meals for all our guests," Tianrong invited the guests in.

The simple opening ceremony had already taken place earlier. The guests included Jiangnan governor Zhou Ming, the apothecary owner, Zheng Luan, Song Li, the village chief, and a few friends and acquaintances of the Tang family.

The children of the guests eyed the exotic fruits arranged on the table at the front of the restaurant with eager eyes. Among them was Xiaolin, who had regained her plump figure within a week.

There were only ten tables inside the restaurant. Seeing that the guests were mostly acquaintances and family, Zhou Ming suggested combining the tables to form a long table to accommodate everyone. This left only about three tables in their original positions.

"Please, take a seat. Today, I’m not the governor of Jiangnan but Xiaolin’s uncle," Zhou Ming announced, trying to make everyone feel at ease.

Seeing this, Xiaolin climbed onto a chair beside Zhou Ming and flashed a wide smile at everyone. She waved her small hands to invite the Ling family children to sit next to her.

"Brother Hai, Xiao Han, Uncle, come quickly," Xiaolin called out to the three Ling family members. Mie Hua couldn’t join due to her ongoing morning sickness, so she stayed back at the Tang house with Hui Ning and Zhang Ruo.

Seeing that no one was willing to sit, Tianrong took a seat next to Zhou Ming, prompting others to follow suit.

"I need to check on things in the kitchen. A’Chen, A’Hao, come on," Tianrong said, not forgetting to call his two younger brothers. Ling Heng, not wanting to just sit around, followed them into the back of the restaurant, along with Wu Zhong’s group. This left Hui Song, Apothecary Hong, Zheng Luan, the village chief, Song Li, and the children at the table.

Soon, small stoves were brought out and placed on wooden boards to protect the tables from the heat. Then came the hot pots filled to the brim with seafood tom yum.

"Oh, this looks good and smells amazing, Uncle." Zhou Ming commented, turning to Hui Song, who jumped a bit at being addressed as "uncle."

"There will be more dishes coming, but the hot pot is the highlight. Right, Xiaolin?" Hui Song said, seeking confirmation from his niece, who giggled and nodded.

"We’ll also have seafood fried rice, steamed fish with boiled vegetables and spicy dipping sauce, seafood basil stir-fry, grilled shrimp with spicy dipping sauce, steamed squid with lime, seafood glass noodle salad, and baked shrimp with glass noodles," Xiaolin listed out the dishes quickly, causing the guests to struggle to keep up.

Earlier, she had soaked mung beans to make glass noodles but fell ill before she could finish. However, not wanting to waste them, she had wrapped herself in a blanket and watched her father grind the mung beans into flour.

She then asked her grandmother to spread the flour thinly on wooden trays and steamed it. Once cooked, they soaked the sheets in cold water, cut them into strips, and dried them for future use.

The dishes gradually filled the table, and both children and adults looked at the delicious dishes with excitement. The children fidgeted, enticed by the mouth-watering aromas, but waited patiently, giving pleading looks to the adults to start serving.

"Hehe, if the food is ready, let’s eat. The kids must be very hungry," Zhou Ming said, then started picking up food and serving it to chubby Xiaolin. Everyone else began to eat as well.

Zhou Ming’s attendants sat down to eat at a nearby table. Tianrong diligently served several dishes, and the cooks and assistants also sat down to eat.

"This is very delicious, Father," a wide-eyed three-year-old boy said, looking up at Guo Lu.

"If you like it, eat a lot. What do you want? I’ll serve it to you. Do you want some fried rice?" Guo Lu asked his little son. The boy nodded eagerly, his hair bouncing.

"Yes, please."

"Where is great-grandmother, Uncle?" Xiaolin asked Liu Hao, looking around the table but not finding Grandma Liu.

"She went to sit with the sisters-in-law inside. She said this table is full of men, so she’d rather sit over there," Liu Hao replied.

Xiaolin nodded in understanding, her chubby hands picking up a piece of shrimp and putting it in her mouth. She wiggled happily, not having to serve herself or peel the grilled shrimp, as she had the governor of Jiangnan himself peeling shrimp for her.

"Do you want more?" Zhou Ming asked the little girl beside him. Seeing her nodding head, he picked up another shrimp to peel for her.

"Xiaolin is really lucky, having the governor of Jiangnan peel shrimp for her," Hong Chuan remarked humorously. Everyone who heard laughed.

"Hehe, Grandpa, you don’t have anyone to peel shrimp for you, so it must be a bit hard for you," the chubby girl said, chewing on her shrimp.

"Haha, this little one," Hong Chuan laughed, his mustache shaking.

Everyone continued eating and drinking happily, with Xiaolin telling jokes to entertain everyone. Sometimes others would take turns telling jokes too. In the midst of the laughter, someone walked up and stood at the entrance of the restaurant.

"Excuse me, is the restaurant open yet?" a well-dressed man asked as he walked in. Upon seeing Zhou Ming at the head of the table, he quickly bowed.

"Governor."

"Oh, Master Tianxu, are you here to eat?" Zhou Ming greeted him warmly.

"I brought a merchant from abroad to eat, sir. We were passing by and saw this new restaurant, so we stopped by," Wang Tianxu replied respectfully.

"Are we ready to serve customers today, Tianrong?" Zhou Ming turned to ask.

"We are ready," Tianrong stood up to invite the customer.

"Please come inside. Our restaurant serves seafood. Is that acceptable?"

"Really? Let me check with my guest first," Wang Tianxu frowned slightly, unsure if his guest would want to eat seafood.

"Of course."

Tianrong didn’t have to wait long before Wang Tian Xu returned with two tall, large men. The hair color of the two men was notably lighter than the locals’. Tianrong frowned slightly but then relaxed, assuming Wang Tianxu could communicate with them.

"Please follow me," Tianrong gestured and led the three guests to another table. Once they were seated, he pointed to a large menu board on the restaurant wall.

"The menu is over there. If you have any questions, feel free to ask," he said.

Wang Tianxu looked at the menu and then turned to converse with the two guests. His communication with them was somewhat limited, often leading to misunderstandings, including this time.

Xiaolin, observing the scene, took a sip of water, then jumped down from her chair and walked over to cling to her father’s sleeve, curiously eyeing the two large men. Upon closer inspection, they seemed familiar to her.

One of the tall men felt someone staring at him and turned to see the wide-eyed, chubby-cheeked little girl. He frowned in thought before nudging his friend, who was still trying to communicate with the interpreter.

"What is it?" His friend asked, irritated by the persistent nudging.

"Doesn’t she look familiar to you?" the first man asked.

"Is there something wrong, Master Noel?" Wang Tianxu asked the light-color-eyed man sitting across from him, noticing his gaze fixed on the little girl.

"I think I’ve seen her before. Where was it..." Noel tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought.

"That’s right! She’s the little girl who bumped into you that time, Carlson," Noel told his friend. Carlson, upon hearing this, nodded in agreement. When he made eye contact with the chubby girl, he recalled the encounter but asked his friend for confirmation.

Tianrong could only watch the two large men in confusion before looking down at his daughter, who was tugging at his sleeve.

"What is it, dear?"

"Father, please go back and continue your meal. I will take care of the customers," the chubby-cheeked girl looked up at her father.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Tianrong looked at his daughter for a moment before nodding and walking away. Xiaolin stepped up to the table, fearlessly looking at the two large men, unlike most children who would be frightened by their size and different hair and eye colors.

"What would you like to order?" The clear, bright voice of the little girl rang out, accompanied by a wide smile that made her eyes nearly disappear. Noel and Carlson’s eyes widened in surprise, and even Wang Tianxu sat quietly in astonishment.

"She can really speak our language!" Noel exclaimed, repeatedly patting Carlson’s shoulder, making Carlson wince in pain.

"I know, stop hitting me," Carlson shrugged away from his friend and leaned down to talk to the little girl in front of him.

"Who taught you to speak this language?"

"It’s a secret," she replied.

"Ah..." Carlson blinked in surprise.

"Little one, what dishes would you recommend?" Noel asked excitedly. The child impressed him with her ability to speak their language so well.

"Can you handle spicy food?"

"A little bit. How about you just choose for us? We’ll have rice and three or four dishes."

"Alright, do any of you have food allergies?"

"No, we can eat anything."

Xiaolin acknowledged their requests with a squint-eyed smile before walking off, her little belly leading the way to the kitchen where the cooks were already preparing food.

"Oh, Xiaolin, what do you need?" Sister-in-law Lei asked as the chubby girl walked into the kitchen.

"I’m here to tell you the customers’ orders. We’ll have fried rice with seafood, baked shrimp with glass noodles, steamed fish, and three fried eggs. Oh, and seaweed soup as well."

"Got it. You can go back to eat now, Xiaolin. We’ll handle the cooking," the cooks replied. The chubby girl nodded energetically and didn’t forget to instruct the workers to bring drinks to the customers.

The little boss walked out of the kitchen with her arms behind her back, belly forward, and head held high. Hui Song, who was facing the kitchen, choked on his water when he saw his niece’s posture. It reminded him of how he walked.

The chubby girl climbed back onto her chair, looking at her plate filled with a heap of shrimp. She glanced at Uncle Zhou sitting next to her, who was talking to her father, while on her left, Ling Hai was happily slurping noodles.

She picked up a shrimp with a heavy heart. If she ate this much shrimp, she’d probably be sick of it for days.

After a while, the dishes for the first table of customers started to be served. The two foreign customers ate excitedly, exclaiming in delight. The seafood from this restaurant was unlike anything they had tasted in the city, worlds apart.

"It seems like they really enjoy Xiaolin’s food," Ling Heng said, glancing back at the two large men who were happily eating. The customers’ table was quite a distance away, but even if it were closer, they wouldn’t understand the language, so they could only observe their actions.

"It’s not surprising at all. Even I like it. I never thought those strange sea creatures could be made into such delicious food," Zheng Luan chimed in. After eating together for about half an hour, they were more relaxed and conversing freely. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Yes, I agree. Next time, I must bring my wife and grandchildren here," Hong Chuan said, stroking his beard contentedly. He had eaten so much that his belly was protruding.

"How much does this hot pot cost?" Zheng Luan asked Tianrong.

"Two silver taels,"

"Oh, I think that’s quite cheap! The pot’s almost overflowed, hahaha," Hong Chuan laughed heartily.

Xiaolin ate while observing, thinking to herself that Grandfather Hong Chuan laughed too often. Or maybe her restaurant had accidentally put five-pointed leaves in the tom yum soup?

"I’d like to order some steamed fish, baked shrimp with glass noodles, and fried rice to take home for my grandchildren," Hong Chuan said again. Others wanted to order as well, but upon hearing the price, they felt a chill.

"I’ll take some too, but can I get shrimp with holy basil, or does it have to be seafood basil?" Zheng Luan asked.

"Sure, I’ll have the cook make it for you."

"I’ll take everything that was served at the table today," Zhou Ming added. Having enjoyed the delicious food, he thought of his wife. She couldn’t come today because relatives from her side of the family were visiting.

"Uncle, will you be able to finish it all?" The chubby-cheeked girl asked, holding a shrimp in her hand. Zhou Ming laughed at this sight.

"Yes, I can. My wife’s sister’s family is visiting, so I wanted to order a bit more," Zhou Ming explained. Xiaolin nodded, her mouth shiny from the grilled shrimp.

Despite eating for a long time, the pile of shrimp on her plate didn’t seem to diminish. The chubby girl nudged her older brother and pointed at the shrimp. Seeing that his little sister couldn’t finish it all, Ling Hai helped eat the shrimp, making sure to share some with their younger brother too.

After everyone had eaten their fill, leaving only shrimp shells and empty plates, they began to disperse. Xiaolin noticed that the children of her uncles were still eyeing the empty plates longingly. She went to ask her Aunt-in-law Wu to fry a large batch of rice and wrap it up for the children to take home.

"Thank you, Xiaolin," a thin little girl said, smiling widely and showing off her missing teeth. Xiaolin nodded in acknowledgment.

"You’re welcome. Get home safely," the chubby girl said, waving as everyone left before returning to the restaurant. Her big eyes glanced at the two foreign men who were still eating enthusiastically. She approached them when one of them beckoned her over.

"The food here is delicious. Could we get another plate of this?" Noel pointed to the empty fried rice plate.

"I’ll take this too," Carlson pointed to the empty bowl of baked shrimp with glass noodles.

"Certainly," Xiaolin replied, heading back to the kitchen to place their orders before returning to help clear the dishes.

"Xiaolin, sit down and rest. Don’t work too hard, or you’ll get sick again," Tianchen said, rushing out from the kitchen to lift his granddaughter and place her on a chair.

Xiaolin pouted, crossing her arms as she watched the large men quickly clearing dishes, wiping tables, and rearranging the chairs.

"Just sit and wait to collect the money, little boss," Liu Hao said, sitting next to her. The table by the kitchen entrance was for collecting payments and bookkeeping, a task shared by Tianchen and Tianrong, with Liu Hao occasionally assisting in the beginning.

After the first table of customers left, paying several taels of silver and praising the food while promising to return, more customers started arriving, curious to see if the new restaurant’s food differed from the famous eateries in town.

Initially, customers were puzzled by the strange-looking dishes served, unsure of what meat was used. But once they tasted it, they found the food to be delicious and unlike anything they’d had before.

"This is delicious! What kind of meat is this?" A male customer called out to a waiter who was rushing around due to the packed restaurant.

"It’s made from squid, a sea creature,"

"Great, great!"

"I’ll have another plate of this rice!"

"Is the grilled shrimp ready yet?"

"Tom yum with thick broth for table four!"

"Hey! Don’t step on my foot!"

Xiaolin watched the chaos unfold, with both customers and the restaurant’s bustling staff, including the four gluttonous men of her family shouting orders. Sometimes they even bumped into each other while walking. The chubby girl held her head in her hands, overwhelmed by the commotion.

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