Chapter 65: Distinguished Guests Arrive

After all, the Spring Breeze Tower had stood tall in Xiuan County for so many years, and it naturally had its extraordinary strengths.

The patrons dining there had already grown accustomed to it, acknowledging the restaurant as the finest in the county, and were largely unwilling to try the food at other establishments. Therefore, the Spring Breeze Tower's business remained unaffected by the Top Scholar Pavilion.

However, the situation was quite different for other lesser-known restaurants. Initially, thanks to the county examinations, their business over the past couple of days had been respectable, and they had turned a handsome profit.

To their astonishment, the moment the Top Scholar Pavilion in the East Market opened its doors, it swept away all their customers in a single stroke! This proved intensely infuriating.

Desperate to claw back their clientele, they blindly followed suit, slashing the prices of their dishes by half.

Yet the patrons who had dined at the Top Scholar Pavilion were hardly fools. Given comparable pricing, the Top Scholar Pavilion offered dishes that were clean, hygienic, and exceptionally delicious—who would willingly return to those mediocre eateries? As for those who had yet to visit, swayed by the enthusiastic word-of-mouth recommendations, they willingly queued up to give it a try.

In an instant, the Top Scholar Pavilion drew the jealousy and resentment of every other restaurant in the county.

A few days prior, Gu Qingbai had visited the ingenious Craftsmen's Workshop in the county seat. He explained to the proprietor his need to commission simple tableware and food boxes. Initially, the proprietor was somewhat confused, but after repeated explanations and a detailed description of his concept, the man finally understood.

He immediately summoned all the veteran artisans of the workshop, and after continuous discussion and research, the group finally produced a set of samples.

Gu Qingbai brought them back to the Top Scholar Pavilion to test them out, and indeed, they proved marvelous. He then signed a contract with the workshop, commissioning them for mass production.

Since the concept and blueprints were provided entirely by the Top Scholar Pavilion, the introduction of these simple food boxes and tableware to the market would undoubtedly attract a massive volume of orders from merchants and restaurants. This practically secured a highly lucrative revenue stream for the workshop.

Consequently, Gu Qingbai put forward his own condition: moving forward, regardless of the price at which the workshop sold the tableware to others, the price for the Top Scholar Pavilion would forever remain at cost, with no profit margin charged to them.

The proprietor of the workshop, a man of remarkable foresight, signed the agreement without hesitation. Had he refused, Gu Qingbai would have simply turned to another workshop, and the head start seized by the Craftsmen's Workshop would have been wasted in vain.

Within a few days,提盒—tiered food boxes bearing the signature brand and slogans of the Top Scholar Pavilion could be seen everywhere in the county. Patrons leaving the establishment invariably walked away carrying one in hand.

The fourteen-character slogan inscribed upon them was undeniably bold: *The people regard food as their heaven, food regards safety as its utmost priority, and may the country be prosperous and the people at peace!*

Even the magistrate himself could not help casting an appreciative glance, personally bringing his entire family to dine at the Top Scholar Pavilion.

With distinguished guests gracing the establishment, the entire Gu family emerged to welcome them.

Lin Zhengkang waved a hand and said, "Go about your respective tasks. There is no need for special hospitality. I heard from Mo'er that the dishes at the Top Scholar Pavilion are exceptionally savory, so I brought my family here to have a taste."

Although he claimed no special hospitality was necessary, the Gu family dared not truly leave the county magistrate unattended, so they arranged for Gu Tingzhi to accompany them.

Though Lin Zhengkang had long been aware of Gu Tingzhi, this was their first face-to-face meeting. Knowing that the young man had fully recovered his wits, he tested him on various matters of scholarship, to which Gu Tingzhi responded with effortless ease.

Lin Zhengkang nodded repeatedly, praising him as a talent worth molding.

Seeing that he intended to continue his questioning, Madam Feng gave him a sharp pinch on the waist and smiled delicately, "My lord, what are you doing? This is not a study hall. If you wish to examine Young Master Gu the Third, you can simply have Mo'er invite him to our residence. We are still waiting to sample the delicacies of the Top Scholar Pavilion."

Reaching beneath the table, Lin Zhengkang clasped her hand and offered an apologetic smile, "Quite right, quite right; my lady is entirely correct. Whenever I lay eyes on a brilliant young scholar, I simply cannot help falling into my old habits. Still, the people regard food as their heaven, and a meal takes precedence over all else."

Seated to Madam Feng's right was a charming and lovely young maiden. Covering her mouth, she giggled softly, "Father isn't falling into an old habit at all—this old habit of yours has never changed! I recall when Cousin came to visit around the New Year; regardless of whether he had dined or not, you examined his scholarship for several good hours, nearly starving the poor man half to death."

Only Lin Yin possessed the audacity to tease her own father.

Lin Zhengkang tapped the tip of her nose and gently scolded, "You mischievous little sprite, just how many times have you used this incident to mock your father?"

Lin Yin burst into a cascade of clear, ringing laughter, declaring that she would continue to bring this matter up to tease him in the future. Helpless against his youngest daughter, Lin Zhengkang could only surrender. The dining table was filled with laughter and mirth, brimming with lively cheer.

Seated opposite Lin Yin, Lin Xin gazed at her legitimate younger sister with eyes full of envy. She herself would never dare address their father in such a casual manner. Since childhood, her biological mother, Concubine Feng, had drilled into her that as long as she remained docile and obedient, her father would favor her. Yet, clearly, her father favored Sister Yin far more!

Lin Xin stole a glance at Gu Tingzhi, who was seated beside her legitimate elder brother, and shyly lowered her head, a mixture of vexation and resentment churning within her heart.

She had never imagined that this third young master of the Gu family would turn out so handsome. Over a year ago, she had reached the age for marriage discussions. Since Concubine Feng lacked the status to vet marriage prospects for her, she could only place her hopes on her legitimate mother to find her a reputable match.

As a daughter born to a concubine, she could never dream of becoming the primary wife in a prominent household. Thus, her legitimate mother had set her sights on promising, impoverished scholars excelling in their studies, with Gu Tingzhi standing as the primary candidate.

Though filled with secret resentment at the time, she dared not openly object. Instead, she begged her biological mother to whisper in the magistrate's ear and secure a scholar from a wealthier background.

Yet her father had declared that Gu Tingzhi was an exceptionally fine choice and told Concubine Feng to set her mind at ease. With her father having spoken thus, Lin Xin had no choice but to resign herself to her fate.

However, just as her legitimate mother was preparing to send someone to sound out the Gu family's intentions, Gu Tingzhi lost his wits. Learning of this from her legitimate elder brother, she had rushed to her legitimate mother's courtyard, kneeling and pleading not to be pushed into a fiery pit.

Perhaps she had been overly anxious at the time and lacked proper decorum, infuriating her legitimate mother to the point that she declared on the spot she would no longer concern herself with Lin Xin's marriage, subsequently delegating the task entirely to Concubine Feng. Overjoyed, Lin Xin believed that her biological mother, being her flesh and blood, would surely protect her interests and secure a husband a hundred times superior to Gu Tingzhi.

Later, she heard that Gu Tingzhi had married with astonishing swiftness, taking as his bride an unwed, plump woman from the neighboring village. More than once, she had felt a sense of profound relief that her legitimate mother had not managed to propose a match in time; had an engagement been made and subsequently broken, it would have undoubtedly ruined her reputation.

Who could have foreseen that this third young master Gu would not only possess such striking good looks, but also have his wits fully restored? Furthermore, he had now clinched first place in the county examinations. With his literary talent, passing the prefectural and provincial examinations would pose no obstacle at all—his status as a licentiate was practically guaranteed.

She had utterly missed her chance to become the wife of a scholar! Bitterness gripped Lin Xin's heart. She cast a pitiful, winsome glance toward Gu Tingzhi, adopting a delicate demeanor as moisture shimmered in her eyes.

Madam Feng's expression darkened. This was the fine daughter fostered by Concubine Feng! When instructed to marry him previously, she had resisted to the death; what was the meaning of this behavior now? In broad daylight, to cast such lingering gazes at a married man—did she take her for dead? Simply shameless and utterly lacking in propriety!