The fishermen sang high praises for the clear - soup and spicy hot pots. They had thought that the seafood hot pot back then was already the most delicious food they had ever tasted. But they never expected that such simple boiled vegetables could be made into so many mouth - watering dishes!
"Ah Ying, how on earth did you grow that smart brain of yours? How can you come up with so many ingenious ideas!" A fisherman stuffed his mouth with tender lamb slices, looked at Li Ying with a beaming smile, and mumbled incoherently.
Zhang Lu slapped him on the back. "Just enjoy your hot pot! Why do you need to know so much!"
He had had some disputes with Li Ying before and now regretted it so much that he was determined to protect her.
The villager was just asking casually. He wisely shut his mouth and forced a laugh. "Brother Zhang is right. Ah Ying, I meant no harm. Don't be angry..."
Li Ying flashed a charming smile and said nonchalantly, "I learned these recipes from the ancient books in my hometown. They're not my original creations."
The villager suddenly realized. "No wonder those scholars in the town are always muttering about finding gold houses in books. There's really some truth to it!"
Li Ying couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"There's a gold house in books. Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles will surely broaden one's horizons. It's always a good thing."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
After the meal, when they had cleared away the mess, Li Ying went to prepare the spicy hot - pot base for the fishermen to sell on their next voyage.
It was Mrs. Zhang who kept ruminating on Li Ying's words. After discussing with her husband, she made up her mind and nudged her husband who was sleeping beside her.
"What do you think of what Ah Ying said today?"
Zhang Lu was still half - asleep. He yawned and said, "Think about what? Don't worry. I know I should earn more silver and listen to Ah Ying. I won't be so muddle - headed again..."
Mrs. Zhang simply grabbed him and sat up in the bed, wrapped in a robe.
"Our eldest daughter, Danni, is not a little girl anymore. As her father, don't you have any plans?"
Zhang Lu grunted. "Only you are in a hurry! Haven't I been saving up for Danni's dowry?"
Seeing that he was missing the point, Mrs. Zhang slapped him again.
"I'm talking about studying! Didn't you hear what Ah Ying said? She learned all her skills from books. Although our Danni is not as smart as Ah Ying, it's still good for her to read some books and learn more skills!"
Zhang Lu was shocked by her words. Most of his drowsiness vanished, and he stared at his wife in disbelief.
"Goodness! Are you out of your mind? We've just made a little money, but you're not thinking of making our daughter a female scholar, are you?"
Mrs. Zhang was both angry and amused.
She trained the female workers in the canned - food factory. Except for Mrs. Li, she had the closest contact with Li Ying. Naturally, she was most influenced by Li Ying's ingenious ideas.
"I'm just thinking that our Danni shouldn't be illiterate. Gaining more knowledge will make things easier for her, whether she gets married or continues to make money with Ah Ying in the future!"
Zhang Lu frowned and was about to say "a woman's virtue lies in her ignorance", but then he remembered that during the day, the prefect, the county magistrate, and even the great scholar, Mr. Yan, all praised Li Ying. His heart began to itch.
"Alright. Next time I go fishing, I'll try to catch more fish. We may not be able to send her to school, but we can at least buy a few books for Danni to study!"
Li Ying was obviously well - educated. If she could give Danni some guidance, that would be even better.
The next day, the fishing boats loaded with the soup bases for the braised chicken in clay pot and the spicy hot pot set sail in a hurry.
The spicy hot pot was an instant hit as soon as it was introduced.
Su Buchi was ordered to deliver a calligraphy work written by Yan Lianzhi to congratulate the hot - pot restaurant on its booming business. From afar, he saw a huge crowd in front of the food stall. It was extremely lively.
He had expected that Li Ying's business would be popular, but he never thought it would be this prosperous!
"Miss Li, these customers have been waiting for a long time. You should be careful not to let them get annoyed and think that your restaurant is being overbearing."
Su Buchi kindly reminded her. Li Ying appreciated his concern but just gave him a confident smile.
"Uncle, look over there. What do you see?"
Following the direction of her slender, fair finger, he saw many scholars sitting opposite each other at the small tables outside the restaurant. One held the white pieces and the other the black ones. They were playing chess vigorously.
"Using chess games to relieve the boredom of the customers while they're waiting for a table is really a brilliant idea!"
But before his praise faded, Su Buchi hesitated.
"Playing chess is wonderful, but if the players are well - matched, they could play for days and nights. If they're in a close game and have to be called to have a meal, won't it be a real dampener?"
Li Ying seemed to have anticipated his words. She gave another charming smile.
"Uncle's concern is reasonable. The customers are here for entertainment, so I've made some slight changes to the rules of the chess game."
As she spoke, she casually demonstrated.
"This is called Gomoku. You don't need to worry about the 'qi' of the pieces. As long as you're the first to line up five pieces of the same color in a row, you win."
The rules were really simple. Seeing the look of doubt on Su Buchi's face, Li Ying calmly placed a piece. "Uncle, you can give it a try and see for yourself."
She set up a few "winning Gomoku formations". Su Buchi, who was a disciple of Yan Lianzhi, was really good at chess. But when he first encountered Li Ying's "unconventional" way of playing, he couldn't help but make mistakes. He actually lost two games to her.
"Miss Li, I'm convinced. This Gomoku is really fascinating. It's such a clever idea!"
Although he lost the games, there was no trace of annoyance on his face. His clear eyes were filled with undisguised admiration.
With the wind fluttering his clothes and gently waving his folding fan, he made several girls nearby cover their faces and giggle. Such a handsome and elegant young gentleman was bound to capture the hearts of many girls!
Su Buchi seemed oblivious to them. He just looked at Li Ying and asked, "The men are playing chess, but won't the female relatives who come with them be bored?"
As if to answer his question, two girls passed by him. Their casual conversation drifted into Su Buchi's ears.
"The hot pot in this restaurant is really delicious!"
"Not only that! The hand - care service we booked while waiting in line is so comfortable! I think our skin has become a bit fairer!"
They held each other's hands, looked at them with admiration, and only walked away contentedly after Li Ying bowed respectfully to them.
The filtered refined sea salt, combined with local honey and flower petals, made the simplest hand scrub.
With a sharp knife, they trimmed the hangnails on the fingers, then carefully filed the nails into smooth almond shapes, and finally applied coconut oil and gently massaged the knuckles until it was absorbed.
Women love beauty, and hands are a girl's second face. With such careful grooming, even the fingertips were filled with the fragrance of coconut. Naturally, everyone was delighted.
"If there are customers who bring their children, there will be sweet - potato chips for the kids while they're waiting for a table, and a steamed egg will be served as well."
Li Ying explained calmly, looking as if she was just chatting casually.
But in Su Buchi's eyes, there was even more admiration.
The charming girl in front of him clearly had a heart as sensitive and resourceful as a seven - orifice exquisite heart!