Chapter 292: Eat Himself To Death
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He looked at the menu at a loss. “Which ones are delicious? You can choose for me.”
“Do you prefer sweet, sour, or spicy flavors?”
“I’m not picky. Just give me the best-sellers from your shop. Let me try a few.”
“Alright.”
Yubao stood beside the Emperor. The Emperor gestured for him to sit, “We’re outside. Sit.”
“Isn’t that inappropriate?”
“I said sit. As the Emperor, I’ll treat you to a meal. Look at the sign outside this shop – Eat what you order, and don’t waste. Food is the result of the commoners’s hard work. Not bad for someone from the Yuan family, running a business and still thinking about the people.”
“Mr. Yuan is a good official. I heard he sent people to buy grain for disaster relief in the South. The money came from his wife. With his limited salary, it’s even tough to support a family.”
“Many officials in the court are like this. I don’t allow them to engage in
business.”
While chatting, the yogurt arrived, followed by four large plates filled with snacks on the table.
“It’s five hundred coins for snacks and one tael of silver for a cup of yogurt. If you want more, we’ll settle separately. Our rule is to settle the bill immediately after serving the food.”
Yubao took out a silver ingot from his sleeve. “Pack the remaining snacks from your shop for us.”
“Alright.’
After the worker left, the Emperor lowered his head and continued to look around. Yubao glanced around nervously. He learned to slurp it first.
“You can suck it this way. The milk and fruit bits will come into your mouth.”
Following his example, the Emperor sucked gently, and the flavors of fruit and milk filled his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, sighing lightly at the refreshing and sweet taste.
“One tael of silver per cup is indeed delicious.”
“Would you like to try this? It’s called popcorn, made by popping corn kernels.” “Shouldn’t it be golden yellow?”
“The brown layer on top is called chocolate. Some people like it, and some don’t. It’s a matter of preference.”
Yubao picked one and tried it first. Seeing that he was fine, the Emperor hurriedly took one and put it in his mouth.
“Have the palace buy it every day. No, you buy it. We should eat fresh food.”
“Alright, Your Majesty.”
“What is this?”
“It’s called crispy rice. It’s crispy and fragrant the more you chew.”
“Alright. We came here by carriage. Go to the shop later, buy all the snacks, and
I’ll taste them slowly at the palace.”
“Understood.”
The Emperor tasted all four snacks. Leaning back on the chair, he said, “This is the life of the Immortals. Not bad. In the future, I should come out more often.
“It’s getting late. Shouldn’t you return to the palace?”
“No hurry.”
Having eaten his fill, the Emperor decided to stroll to the embroidery shop across the street.
“Come, let’s go to that shop.”
“Yes.”
Yubao assisted the Emperor to Lucky Embroidery Manor, where two young girls served customers.
As soon as they saw a male customer, the two girls were momentarily stunned and quickly shouted.
“Manager Jin, there’s a male customer.”
Nanny Jin stepped out when she saw the Emperor and turned pale with fright. Feeling a sense of familiarity, the Emperor asked, “Who are you?”
Nanny Jin glanced around, knowing that the Emperor was in disguise, trying to keep it a secret.
She hurriedly approached, bowing respectfully. “This servant greets Your Majesty. This servant used to serve as a maid by Consort Xian’s side. As I grew older, I was released.”
“Hmm, that’s why you look familiar. After leaving the palace, did you go to the
Yuan family?”
“Yes, I am their youngest daughter.” “Is this your Mistress’s embroidery shop?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
The Emperor walked around the shop, inspecting and nodding. “Not bad. You’ve managed this shop well. The embroidery here is better than in the palace.”
“Is there anything you fancy? This servant will send it to you as a gift.”
“I’m not a bandit.”
After browsing the shop and picking a few items, the Emperor had Yubao settle the bill. He didn’t stay long and left.
Once he left, Nanny Jin was drenched in cold sweat. She quickly had someone watch over the shop and rushed to Yuexian Residence to find Qiao Mai.
“Madam Qiao?”
Qiao Mai came out of the house, and the two sat in the courtyard. Qiao Mai poured her a cup of hot tea.
“Is there trouble at the embroidery shop?”
“Today, I saw the Emperor in the shop.”
“We’re conducting legitimate business. There’s nothing to fear.” “I was scared to death.”
“You reacted out of reflex. He’s not a tiger, and he won’t eat people.”
“Accompanying the Emperor is like being with a tiger. If he’s unhappy, my life would be in danger. I’m afraid he’d target our family.”
“He won’t. He’s just bored in the palace, coming out for fresh air. He heard our shop is doing well and then visited your shop for a stroll after eating at Qiao’s Small Eatery, bringing some gifts back to his favorite concubine.” “Oh, if that’s the case, then it’s good. I won’t have to worry.”
“How has business been this past month?”
“Exceptionally good. We’re making a fortune daily.”
“Remember not to be overly excited. We don’t seek trouble, but we’re not afraid of it either. If any issues arise, there’s no need to panic.”
Nanny Jin left, and the Emperor returned to the palace with a pile of gifts. He gave some to his favored concubine and kept the rest in his palace.
Looking at the paperwork for the meeting later, he said, “Yubao, no wonder Yuan Jiaqi is so willing to spend money on his children. The profits from these two shops alone are comparable to the income of ten other shops.”
“Yes. Even I envy what I see.”
“Go. Open that jar of boneless chicken claws for me. I want to eat.”
“Emperor, let’s wait until evening. You’ve already exceeded your normal meal amount, which isn’t good for your health.”
“Do what I said.”
Yubao had no choice but to open the jar and try one.
“It’s so delicious.”
He quickly filled a small bowl and handed it to the Emperor.
“Try it; it’s delicious.”
Seeing him salivate, the Emperor knew he wanted to eat it. “Since there’s no one else, take a bowl and eat. After eating, go buy more.”
“Yes.”
Yubao happily took a bowl. After a bite, the Emperor fell in love with the spicy, fragrant, and crispy taste.
“It’s delicious. How much is this jar sold for?”
“Ten taels. It’s about two catties.”
“Not expensive. How many chickens are needed to fill this jar? It still tastes so delicious. ”
“This one is spicy. There’s another jar of sour and spicy. Want me to open it to see the difference?”
“Go, open it. Let’s taste the difference.”
“Emperor, you exceeded your normal amount.”
“Go! I’ll go out and walk off my appetite. I won’t eat dinner tonight.’
Yubao thought, “You won’t eat? Don’t lie. With that table full of food, you’ll be unable to resist tasting once you see it.”
As expected, the Emperor had no mood for handling official documents.
He threw the documents aside, sat at the table, and tasted one dish after another, insatiable.
He sampled various styles of chicken claws, trying boneless ones —tiger skin, pickled pepper, and fragrant braised. This culinary exploration widened his horizons.
Even pigskin, usually avoided by wealthy families, was consumed by the Emperor until his mouth was oily.
After filling himself, he strolled outside for a while, digested the food, and continued tasting.
Qiao’s Small Eatery boasted dozens of varieties. The eunuchs serving the Emperor worried he might eat himself to death.
These snacks, irresistible even to the Emperor, spoke volumes about their popularity in the capital.
Shopkeeper Niu set the prices for each snack extremely high, but it still couldn’t stop the shop from being fully occupied every day, morning to night.
From the moment the shop opened in the morning until it closed at night, every seat was taken.
The Emperor was pleased with Yuan Jiaqi, and his impression of Qiao Mai was also favorable.
After all, one earned money while the other distributed relief to the commoners. This combination was indeed commendable. For an emperor, it was ideal for every household to be like this, making his rule easier..
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