Chapter 39: Grand Opening

A Liquor Permit was essentially a license for eateries to sell alcohol. Although regulations varied from city to city, alcohol and salt were not commodities that private individuals could sell at will. This was especially true for spiritual wine; selling it in large quantities required an extremely strict approval process. Of course, smuggling was an exception.

Consequently, the shops in the city that could sell wine either had connections that reached the heavens or employed their own winemakers. For a small hotpot restaurant like Bian Chunzhou’s, trying to apply for a Liquor Permit was incredibly difficult from the start, so he hadn’t even planned on applying.

He never expected that Senior Sister Xia Ying would actually bring a connection right to his doorstep.

But it made sense. Having been at Yonglu Mountain for nearly half a year, Senior Sister Xia Ying’s background was no longer a secret. She was the biological niece of Xia Huainan, the City Lord of Langyuan City. City Lord Xia was at the mid-Soul Transformation stage, with no Dao companion or children. The Xia family was already small, and Xia Ying was the junior whom City Lord Xia doted on and valued the most.

In reality, with Xia Ying’s talent and background, she could practically walk sideways^[1] in Langyuan City. Pulling a few strings to get Bian Chunzhou a Liquor Permit was an absolute breeze.

But Bian Chunzhou was no fool. Senior Sister Xia’s willingness to help was clearly aimed at something else.

“Thank you, Senior Sister. My friends and I did take a medicine delivery mission to Tinghe Villa. However, because we had other missions to complete, we didn’t stay there long. Did something happen?”

Xia Ying did not explain directly, but she was clearly very concerned. “Then, while you were at Tinghe Villa, did you notice anything unusual?”

“Unusual? I don’t know what kind of abnormality you mean, Senior Sister, but when we went to deliver the pills that day, Villa Master He of Tinghe Villa looked extremely exhausted. He also carried a very distinct smell of medicine. Wen Xuxu said that’s the kind of medicinal scent one only gets from having someone chronically ill at home.”

Upon hearing the words “chronically ill,” Xia Ying’s brow furrowed completely. “Anything else? Did Villa Master He Gan reveal anything?”

What is the deal with Tinghe Villa? Does it have some connection to the City Lord’s Mansion?

Bian Chunzhou was puzzled, but he did not pry. “No. That day, he seemed to want us to stay the night, but he appeared to have ulterior motives. Since we felt our cultivation levels were too low, we didn’t agree to stay.”

“Did you not see anyone else?”

Bian Chunzhou thought for a moment and shook his head. “Aside from the servants in the villa, we didn’t see anyone else.”

A trace of anxiety appeared on Xia Ying’s face. In truth, to successfully pass the entrance exam for Yonglu Mountain, she had spent the past year cultivating diligently, rarely meeting with her close friend. After entering Yonglu Mountain, her master’s assignments were extremely heavy, so she could only find time to send a transmission talisman once every half a month.

This time, she had finally managed to find the time to go down the mountain to see her friend, only to be told –

“Really? You didn’t see any shifty-looking men?”

Huh? A shifty-looking man?

How did the topic suddenly jump to that? Bian Chunzhou scratched his head. “Does Villa Master He count?”

Xia Ying: “…Aside from him.”

“Then no. We didn’t stay long that day, but Villa Master He was acting very evasive. He also ordered a massive quantity of low-grade pills. Maybe he has some secret trouble he can’t speak of.”

“A massive quantity of pills? How many?”

“A whole lot. I can’t disclose the exact amount, but even if you ate them like regular meals, it would last you eight to ten years.”

“That many pills?” Xia Ying’s close friend, He Qinqing, was the only daughter of Villa Master He. She had grown up in luxury and, though she lacked a spiritual root, was exceptionally intelligent. When Xia Ying was young, she was often bullied by a cousin from a different branch of the family. Once, she was even thrown out onto the street. If she hadn’t run into He Qinqing, Xia Ying might have ended up a homeless stray.

It was also because of that incident that her cousin was severely punished, and her uncle took her in to raise her by his side. Xia Ying was not close to the rest of her family. Aside from her uncle, her friend He Qinqing was the person she was closest to.

During this trip down the mountain, that old geezer He Gan actually claimed that A’qing had eloped with some random man. Xia Ying didn’t believe a word of it. A’qing was so smart; how could she possibly be tricked by some random man into abandoning her home!

“Why would a mortal like him need so many pills? As far as I know, only one member of the He family’s side branches has any talent for cultivation, and his cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment. Could it be…” Did that old bastard He force A’qing to marry that Foundation Establishment cultivator, causing her to run away from home?

“Could it be what?”

“Thank you, Junior Brother. As for the Liquor Permit, go to the City Lord’s Mansion and look for a steward named Bingyun. She will help you get it sorted out.”

Xia Ying left in a hurry, heading in the direction of the path down the mountain.

Bian Chunzhou: “So, could it be what? Can’t you finish the gossip? Damn my curiosity! I really want to know who that lucky bastard is, eating pills like regular meals~”

“…What are you muttering to yourself up here on the mountain? It’s kind of creepy.”

Bian Chunzhou jumped in fright. “You’re the creepy one! Sneaking up on me like that! A guy your size shouldn’t be able to move without making a sound! Wait, why do you look more and more disheveled? Can’t you use your saber to shave your beard?”

“No,” Chen Zui said, cradling his saber. “Besides, the fact that you didn’t notice me means my cultivation has improved. Junior Brother Bian, if you aren’t moving forward, you’re falling behind.”

Would it kill you not to be such a tryhard!

“Don’t force me to burn your beard off! I absolutely will not allow you to stand in front of my hotpot restaurant looking like this on opening day!”

Chen Zui: “…You’re so naggy.”

Despite his words, he was still forced to clean himself up. By the time Wen Xu arrived, Chen Zui had already restored himself to “factory settings.”

“Whoa, Wen Xuxu, how many all-nighters did you pull? If you keep this up, your cheeks are going to cave in! No way, a handsome guy shouldn’t ruin himself like this. Come, come, I got this from my master…”

Bian Chunzhou clapped his hands. Excellent. His two tryhard friends were now spruced up and looking sharp. He felt a great sense of accomplishment.

“Friends! I, your friend Bian Chunzhou, am about to become a boss very soon!” Bian Chunzhou clapped enthusiastically for himself. “But in this startup phase, there is still one final challenge remaining.”

“What difficulty?” two voices asked in unison.

Bian Chunzhou held up a finger. “My hotpot restaurant is still missing a catchy, pleasant name.”

…

Chen Zui spoke up boldly. “Can’t we just call it ‘Hotpot Restaurant’?”

“Of course not! That violates industry etiquette. If a pastry shop just calls itself ‘Pastry Shop,’ isn’t that taking unfair advantage of the competition? Besides, this is a rare opportunity. I have to choose a name that’s truly thunderous!” It was precisely because of Boss Bian’s “wanting it all” attitude that the restaurant’s name had been delayed for so long.

“Wen Xuxu, you’re educated. Help me think of one.”

Wen Xu smiled. “If it’s selected, you’ll have to pay me a writing fee.”

“I’ll pay, I’ll pay! A big fat one!” Bian Chunzhou leaned in. “So, are there any names that bring good luck?”

“That depends on what you want. If you want something elegant, we should naturally draw from poetry. But if you want something common, it should be catchy enough that people won’t forget it. If you want something that appeals to both refined and popular tastes, then why not…”

“Why not what?”

“Why not call it… Gongtang Eatery^[2]?”

Bian Chunzhou: “Which ‘tang’?”

Wen Xu traced the character for ‘soup’ in the air. “This one.”

“…It fits both the shape and the meaning. It’s good, but it feels… a bit unhygienic, and it sounds more like a bathhouse.” Clearly, Boss Bian suffered from the common ailment of clients all over the world. “But I really like the concept of sharing together. What should I do?”

Wen Xu: “Does the eatery sell liquor?”

“Not before today, but from today on, yes! We’ll sell tons of it!”

“Then how about changing ‘tang’ to ‘shang’, the character for a wine cup?”

“Gongshang Eatery^[3]? No, that feels a bit too formal. It doesn’t really match the vibe of a hotpot restaurant. Gongshang Restaurant? Gongshang Pavilion? Gongshang Lao? Gongshang Shop? Ah, I’ve got it—Gongshang Bistro^[4]!”

…To be honest, it didn’t sound like a place for hotpot. It sounded more like a tavern.

But Boss Bian clearly liked this new name. He immediately finalized it and informed his two friends that his Gongshang Bistro would be opening tomorrow.

Naming it today and opening tomorrow, Wen Xu thought. Am I going to lose my entire investment?

“Hey, don’t sweat the details. You both have to come tomorrow. Even if it rains knives, you have to show up!”

Chen Zui was always literal when it came to blades. “Don’t talk nonsense. It will absolutely not rain knives.”

“Then even if it rains scissors, swords, or lovesick fools, you still have to come!”

Bian Chunzhou had even invited the fellow disciples from the Spiritual Beast Peak, Spiritual Plant Peak, and Kaiyuan Peak who had invested during this period. Whether they came or not was one thing, but he had to show the right attitude.

The next day, he got up very early. Just as dawn was breaking, he took his invitation and went to the City Lord’s Mansion to apply for a Liquor Permit. The female manager, Bingyun, was extremely efficient. By the time the sun had fully risen, the Liquor Permit and official seal for the Gongshang Bistro were ready. She even politely accepted his opening invitation.

Yes! Everything went so smoothly this morning. The grand opening will definitely go smoothly too, right?

With these bright hopes in mind, Bian Chunzhou arrived at the three-story building he had rented, only to be surprised. “Wow, you guys arrived so early? I’m so touched!”

Chen Zui pointed to the bare signboard. “I can help you with some manual labor.”

“Ah, that! I think I forgot to order a signboard!” Bian Chunzhou slapped his forehead. He was doomed; he really had forgotten about it. But without a sign, it should… be fine, right?

Wen Xu said, “…Find a wooden board. I’ll write it for you to hang up for a couple of days.”

“I’ll go look for one right now!”

In the end, it was Chen Zui who went to the forest on the outskirts of the city and chopped down a large tree. After Bian Chunzhou dried it with fire, Wen Xu set pen to wood and wrote the four large characters: 《Gongshang Bistro》.

“Wow, Wen Xuxu, your calligraphy is so beautiful! The brushstrokes, the strength… I’ve decided, we’re keeping this one. No replacement!”

Wen Xu said, “…Without mounting and framing, the ink will fade.”

“Then we’ll stick a Fresh-keeping Talisman on it! Wait for me, I’ll go stick one on the back. I spent so much effort researching this Fresh-keeping Talisman to keep ingredients fresh. Look at the sauces and vegetables in the lobby, they’re so fresh and plump. I really am a genius~”

The genius Boss Bian stood with hands on his hips, showing off for a brief moment before getting busy again. When the auspicious hour for the grand opening arrived, the Gongshang Bistro finally officially opened for business.

God of Wealth^[5], please bless us, please bless us. You are the only god in my heart, Boss Bian prayed.