Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 89: A Daily Life of the Chubby Kid

Chapter 83

A Daily Life of the Chubby Kid

After tasting the delicious Moo Kata, the gluttonous group urged Xiaolin to open her restaurant immediately. The mastermind behind the idea could only blink in surprise.

Her father had already contacted a builder, who was ready to start construction as soon as they received the design from Xiaolin. Zhou Ming even offered to invest in building the restaurant to get it open quickly, seeing her hesitation. However, Xiaolin quickly waved off his offer, declining vehemently.

The greed of this group of men was truly frightening.

Xiaolin was compelled to draw up a design for an open-air restaurant to ensure proper ventilation for the grilling smoke. The tables had to be custom-made to accommodate the grills for extended periods. She decided on a small restaurant with only ten tables, and she wouldn’t expand beyond that initially. If the restaurant became popular, she planned to implement a reservation system to manage the demand.

Since the restaurant was small, it was completed within a week. The stoves and pans were constantly in production, so it didn’t take long to get them made. Xiaolin used the savings she had earned from her share in the blacksmith shop to invest in her Moo Kata restaurant.

This restaurant would be entirely her own, without having to share the profits with anyone. The meals would be offered in sets, including large trays of various meats such as pork, squid, shrimp, clams, and fish, which she would use to make fish balls. There would also be pork balls, tofu cubes, and a generous serving of vegetables and glass noodles, all for just five silver taels.

On the opening day, they set up a simple offering table and the gluttonous group sat at the front, eating to entice passersby. The restaurant was located opposite the meat market, which had a constant flow of people. As the delicious aroma wafted through the air, curious onlookers turned their heads with interest. The group eating at the front was too engrossed in their food to pay attention to anyone else, focused solely on the grilled pork in their pans and broth pots.

"Is that the new restaurant? It smells amazing,"

"There are three restaurants in this area. Won’t they end up competing for the same customers?"

"But every restaurant is packed, especially the seafood place that opened first."

"This new place smells really tempting. I want to find out what it is. Shall we go take a look?"

"Yes, let’s go!"

A group of five young men, around Tianchen’s age, approached, peering in with curiosity. Xiaolin, noticing the potential customers, nudged her uncle, who was chewing on grilled pork with a full mouth.

"Uncle, we’ve got customers," Xiaolin informed her uncle, who was helping her manage the restaurant along with her grandfather.

Regarding the larb restaurant, the niece and uncle had agreed to sell it outright to become part of the Liu family’s business.

Initially, Liu Hao had been reluctant to accept it solely for himself, but the niece and uncle pointed out that the Tang family had many other enterprises to manage, and it was better to hand it over completely. Liu Hao finally agreed, appreciating the opportunity to have a family business. Today, he joined them to enjoy the grilled pork, leaving his shop in the care of a friend’s wife he had hired to help.

"We’ve only been eating for fifteen minutes, and the customers are already here?" Tianchen remarked, quickly chewing the pork in his mouth before heading out to greet the customers waiting at the entrance.

"Xiaolin’s shops are always so successful. Will you open any other businesses in the future?"

Zhou Ming asked, flipping the pork in the pan. He had used his work as an excuse to visit the chubby child’s Moo Kata restaurant, leaving his son to look after his wife at home.

Who told those kids to steal all of his wife’s attention from him? So now, he snuck in to enjoy the delicious snack all by himself. Next time, his son could come to the restaurant himself if he could even get a table.

"Welcome! We have sets of meals for five silver taels each. Once you see the food, you’ll find it worth the price, and the taste is unparalleled," Tianchen said, leading the customers to a table not far from their own.

"In that case, let’s give it a try. The food at Xinjian Restaurant is more expensive, and so are other restaurants in town," one young man said to his friends. They were from wealthy families, so the cost wasn’t an issue.

"A large meal set for five taels means we each pay one tael. Even if it’s not good, we wouldn’t be spending much anyway. What do you all think?"

Tianchen remained silent, allowing the customers to discuss among themselves, though he kept glancing at their table to ensure they didn’t run out of food. The back of the restaurant was well-stocked, but he still worried.

"Let’s try a set each then. It’s grilled pork, right?" The first young man asked Tianchen, while the others took their seats.

"There are grilling stoves and broth stoves," Tianchen explained. "We have pork, seafood, vegetables, noodles, and eggs. Let me demonstrate how to cook and eat this. Please wait a moment." He then turned and headed to the back of the restaurant.

Xiaolin had her father hire five young men around Tianchen’s age to work at this restaurant, paying them fifty brass coins a day, which was higher than the city’s average wage. They were also provided with meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At that moment, these workers were enjoying grilled pork in the back. Before opening the restaurant, Xiaolin had trained them well to avoid incidents like stoves toppling over on customers.

              

Tianchen instructed the employees before returning to the customers’ table. Once everything was set, he began the demonstration. First, he arranged vegetables in the broth pot, followed by meat, fish balls, and glass noodles. He then moved on to the grill, adding butter first, then peeled shrimp. Once cooked, he added an egg and cheese.

"When the food is cooked, please try it. Before grilling, apply this to prevent the meat from sticking," Tianchensaid, showing them a small dish of butter.

"If you prefer boiled food, you can add the meat and vegetables to the broth, cook until done, and eat with the dipping sauce. If you like it spicy, we have chilies and garlic available," he added. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"This smells amazing. I’ll give it a try. Is this shrimp the same as the one sold at the Tang family restaurant?" one young man asked, picking up a cheese-covered shrimp.

"Yes, it is. This restaurant is also owned by the Tang family," Tianchen confirmed.

"In that case, I’m confident. The Tang family’s food is always delicious," the young man said before dipping the shrimp in the sauce and taking a bite, his eyes widening in delight. "This is delicious!"

"I love this! What is it?" Another young man asked, holding up a fish ball.

"That’s a fish ball. This one is a pork ball,"

"I love it!"

"This squid is so crunchy," another commented, holding up a piece of crispy squid.

"The dipping sauce is fantastic,"

"Enjoy your meal. If you need anything, just let us know," Tianchen concluded before rushing back to his own table and quickly grabbing his chopsticks.

The young man looked down at his plate, which was filled with pork, squid, shrimp, and crispy squid, along with fish balls. He glanced over at the fair-skinned child next to him, who continued to grill and serve him meat. It was clear that during his time serving the customers, his chubby niece had been diligently grilling pork for him.

"Xiaolin, my dear niece!" Tianchen exclaimed, hugging and kissing her until her cheeks were squished.

"Uncle, your mouth is all dirty!"

Following the opening day of the Moo Krata restaurant, the first group of customers did an excellent job of spreading the word. Xiaolin had to establish a daily limit on the number of customers and implemented a reservation system for those who didn’t want to wait for an open table. The reservation list extended into the next month.

Most of the customers were regulars from the seafood restaurant, eager to try the new and enticing dishes that filled the market on the opposite side with their fragrant aroma.

Originally, Xiaolin had planned not to add more tables, but the demand was overwhelming. She asked her father to hire a builder to extend the roof and add ten more tables. They also hired five additional workers and brought in the mothers of the workers to help prepare the meat and vegetables in the back, as the current staff couldn’t keep up with the workload.

"We’re not accidentally running a buffet, are we? SIGH,"

Xiaolin muttered to herself as she got off the family wagon one morning, seeing the restaurant packed with so many customers waiting there were no tables left and even more people waiting outside the restaurant.

"Are they people or ants?" The chubby child grumbled.

Hui Song, hearing his granddaughter’s complaint, laughed so hard his stomach hurt. He was now fully involved in helping Xiaolin and Tianchen manage the Moo Krata restaurant, as Ling Heng had returned to overseeing the dry goods shop after taking a couple of weeks off to care for his wife, who had just given birth. Mi Hua, feeling indebted to the Tang family, had insisted her husband return to work to earn his keep.

"Wasn’t it your idea?" Hui Song asked, holding Xiaolin’s hand as they navigated through the bustling restaurant. Xiaolin pouted, following her grandfather closely.

"I didn’t think it would be this chaotic," Xiaolin said, puffing out her cheeks.

"Don’t underestimate yourself. Even just cooking at home attracts a crowd of gluttons," Hui Song replied with a chuckle.

"Hahaha. Grandfather, you’re one of the gluttons too," Xiaolin laughed, her mood lifting.

"Indeed, I’m part of that crowd,"

The two grandfather and granddaughter talked and made their way to the rest area, where Hui Song ensured everything was in order before stepping out to oversee the restaurant. Tianchen, having stored the cart and tended to the ox, joined the staff in serving food.

Meanwhile, Xiaolin leaned on the small window ledge, watching the hustle and bustle inside the restaurant with boredom. She had been instructed to stay in the rest area to avoid being bumped into by customers or splashed by hot broth if she walked around the restaurant.

"How will we manage in the winter? We might only have pork and crispy squid. I wonder if the uncles will be able to go out to sea,"

Xiaolin mused, poking her chubby cheeks as she pondered. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts. If there was no seafood to sell, she could close the restaurant temporarily. Winter ingredients were expensive, and customers might not want to spend their money on dining out.

"Eh, or should I sell pickled vegetable soup with tofu and Korean-style mixed rice? But how do you make the sauce for that?"

Xiaolin thought, squeezing her soft belly in contemplation. She then decided to ask her grandfather to take her to the larb restaurant. Staying put at the seafood or Moo Kata restaurant was dull since she was prohibited from moving around both places. Doing nothing, she got bored so she went out to find things to do at the Larb restaurant.

Waving goodbye to her grandfather, who was heading out, Xiaolin made her way to the larb restaurant. It was bustling with customers stocking up for winter. Some goods were cheapers than the ones they took to resell.

"Oh, Xiaolin, what brings you here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the Moo Krata restaurant?" Liu Hao asked as the chubby child waddled over to the cashier’s table where he was doing the accounts.

"I’m bored. I’m not allowed outside at the restaurant, so I came here to find something to do," Xiaolin said with a pout. Liu Hao laughed at her expression.

"How about we go for a walk in the city? I need to buy some fabric for your great-grandmother. Would you help me choose?" Liu Hao looked at her fondly.

"What will Great-Grandmother use the fabric for?"

"To make winter clothes and a new blanket. Last year, I only bought two, and they weren’t enough,"

"Why not buy ready-made ones? That way, she won’t have to sew them herself. You don’t need to buy high-quality fabric; it won’t be too expensive either. We don’t need to show off to anyone,"

"That’s a good idea. Let’s go then,"

"Let’s go!"

Liu Hao entrusted the restaurant to his friend and employee before letting Xiaolin climb onto his back. With the chubby child piggybacked, he headed into the city.

The two entered the fabric store they had visited the previous year. Xiaolin remembered that her handsome young uncle seemed to have a crush on the salesgirl who worked there. She wondered if the girl was still employed at the store.

"Welcome! What kind of fabric are you looking for, sir?"

A familiar young salesgirl greeted them politely. Xiaolin narrowed her eyes at her uncle, who stood still for a moment, before glancing across the room at a pretty young girl.

"Ahem! Tell the lady what you need, father,"

"H-huh?" Liu Hao turned sharply to look at the chubby child clinging to his back, his eyes wide. The mischievous girl kept a straight face as she watched the sales girl’s expression falter slightly before she smiled.

The female worker remembered Liu Hao from last year; she hadn’t forgotten him since that day, even though he hadn’t visited the store again. However, she didn’t recognize the chubby child, as the importance in her heart was vastly different, and she wasn’t sure if this child was truly his daughter.

"Hurry up, father," Xiaolin urged, as Liu Hao stood silently, seemingly lost.

"What are you talking about, father, you little rascal? Watch it."

"Hehe. Miss, could you please help my uncle find some fabric?" Xiaolin asked the salesgirl, who blushed slightly, relieved that Liu Hao wasn’t really the child’s father. However, she still didn’t know if he was married.

"Right this way, please," the salesgirl said, leading them inside. Xiaolin leaned in to whisper to her uncle.

"Uncle, you were interested in this lady since last year, but you let a whole year pass? How long until Great-Grandmother gets a granddaughter-in-law?"

"I’m... I’m not in a hurry," Liu Hao mumbled, clearing his throat, though his ears turned red. Xiaolin giggled and continued to stoke the fire.

"I wonder if any young men have shown interest in this lady. If I were a man, I would have proposed long ago," Xiaolin remarked, glancing at her uncle. Liu Hao frowned, deep in thought.

"I bet there are dozens of unmarried men who come here every day. Someone is bound to notice her beauty. She’ll probably get married soon,"

"Let’s just look at the fabric," Liu Hao said sternly, carrying Xiaolin further into the store. She stifled a laugh at his serious expression.

Don’t worry, Great-Grandmother. Xiaolin will help find you a granddaughter-in-law, she thought with a smile.

-----

Read ‘Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en