Chapter 308

At the central harbor in the capital, after ownership transferred from the emperor to the Mu family, the situation began to change. Previously, the harbor was used mainly for government purposes, such as transporting weapons and other items. However, with the change of hands, more and more goods started coming in.

People bustled about excitedly. Those who had sailed from afar eagerly unloaded their goods from their ships. On one ship alone, there were over 100 people. Although this was not a large ship—it had to dock elsewhere for government inspection to prevent illegal goods from entering—without such measures, attacking the capital would be all too easy.

They had to use smaller boats to transfer goods from the larger ship. Once the government finished its inspection, the goods could be unloaded from the larger ship. Afterward, they would use the small boats to transport the goods further by water. This process, though complex and cumbersome, was still much easier compared to traveling by foot, which was much more difficult.

Moreover, it must be understood that large ships couldn’t navigate the waterways of the capital. If they wished to proceed, they had to switch to smaller boats.

This once-quiet harbor had become bustling again. Hardy men, their skin darkened by the sun but muscular from hard work, moved about busily.

“We’ve finally reached the capital. Traveling this way is much faster and less tiring.”

“That’s true. The emperor’s idea was brilliant, making travel much easier.”

“I heard he granted this land to the Mu family for their excellent work, didn’t he? The Mu family is quite capable. Look at all the merchant fleets—they’re using this route even if they’re competitors.”

“That’s true. The Mu family must be making a lot of money from this harbor.”

“Haha, let them have it. They’re nobles, after all. It’s only natural they benefit from this.”

“But I’m hungry. There are so many shops around here.”

"That’s true. Look over there—what is that? Why does it smell so good?"

"Strangely shaped food—are these dishes from the capital?"

The first group to finish unloading their goods from the ship that morning wandered around. They saw all kinds of unusual food, with names like "Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Gravy," "Grilled Chicken Sticky Rice," "Braised Fish Maw Soup," "Rice Topped with Stir-Fried Pork and Basil," "Egg Fried Rice," "Egg Fried Noodles," "Pad Thai," and more. They couldn’t read the names but thankfully, samples were displayed in bowls so they could see how unusual the dishes looked.

As they marveled at the unusual food, a group of burly men arrived, cheerfully greeting the women selling the food.

"We’re here. I’ll have a hot bowl of Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Gravy."

"I’ll take Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Gravy too."

"You guys stay here; I’ll have Braised Fish Maw Soup this time."

"I’ll go for the fragrant Egg Fried Rice."

"I want to eat Pad Thai, especially with some spicy chili—it really refreshes me."

"Haha, I’ll have Rice Topped with Stir-Fried Pork and Basil; it keeps me full longer."

"I’ll start with Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Gravy and then get Grilled Chicken Sticky Rice to go." They loudly chatted and moved from stall to stall.

There were small stackable chairs in front of the stalls. When people arrived, they took a chair and found a place to sit and eat comfortably. After finishing their meals, they brought their bowls to a group of women sitting with tubs of water and strange white bubbles clinging to yellow cloths or something. The women happily washed the dishes under the trees, then left them to dry in baskets in the sun. Eventually, three or four women would carry the baskets behind the stalls.

This routine repeated continuously, as if they were the same group, belonging to the same restaurant. While they observed this, the group of people who came with the boat procession passed by one after another, constantly praising the delicious and affordable food.

Until they noticed a group of strange people who had come from a small boat, without unloading any goods, but instead, they wore cloaks that covered them completely.

"I want a pot of Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Gravy."

"Today, I want a pot of Braised Fish Maw Soup."

"I want Grilled Chicken Sticky Rice." They said. Instead of ordering as usual, they spoke with authority. Even so, it was still unusual.

“Yes, master,” the girls selling the food were already familiar with this group. So, they handed them the prepared pots for scooping food, indicating that these were regular and important customers.

If Yueqian saw this, she might pursed her lips in exasperation at these high-level consumers. However, it was good that they disguised themselves. If others found out and an assassination attempt occurred here, she would be the one in trouble!

It was fortunate that the Wang was not around. Otherwise, this large entourage would have even more high-ranking individuals. Ah... And it’s worth mentioning that it’s a good thing the Region’s owner sent trusted guards to buy food. If something went wrong, the Mu family’s heads would certainly roll.

Running a food stall like this would be challenging if it offered made-to-order dishes, as the cost of ingredients would be too high. On the other hand... If they bought ingredients at high prices and grew some vegetables themselves, they could reduce costs significantly. They could sell the food at lower prices and still make a profit. Compared to the docking fees, this type of trade was even more profitable for Yueqian.

The cooks were none other than servants skilled in cooking for large groups. Now, they just switched from feeding refugees to feeding laborers from the ships.

All the income from this went to Mu manor. Once the servants were permanently bought, they received salaries like other servants. However, they did not have to return to the manor and had more freedom to live their lives. If any of them saved enough money and wished to be free, they could buy their freedom from Yueqian.

She wasn’t worried about others copying her food. Essential ingredients like "MSG," "RosDee," "sauces," and "fish sauce" came from her department store dimension.

Even the Yan manor, which tried to cook with cassava, ended up with salty or sweet dishes, lacking the umami flavor of the Mu manor’s cooking. This was why Yueqian never feared competition and freely shared her recipes.

At this harbor, the majority of customers were the workers from the ships. Many were townsfolk from the cities where the nobles had purchased goods. Therefore, they were not house servants; there might be some, but they were only supervisors or inspectors of the goods. This gave them higher spending power.

While the first group of burly men was still confused, the sound of the bell from one of the food stalls rang loudly.

“Morning Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Gravy is sold out. Please come back at noon,” a young woman’s clear voice announced. This caused those who were running to the stall to stop in disappointment, but they quickly headed in another direction.

Soon, the bell from the next stall rang again.

“Egg Fried Noodles are sold out. This afternoon, we’ll have Chinese-Styled Fried Noodle.” The voices of excited and disappointed people rose together. Those who had already eaten breakfast were excited because the Chinese-Styled Fried Noodle was truly delicious, so they planned to wait for lunch.

However, those who hadn’t eaten and were still in line were very disappointed. They had to switch to another stall that was still open.

As people were confused and dazed, the locals who were familiar with the place felt a bit sorry for them. Many of those who had already eaten gently patted the shoulders of those who still didn’t understand the situation.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? The food here is cheap and delicious. It’s better to get in line quickly. Otherwise, you’ll have to go into town to find a tavern to eat,” one well-meaning person said before walking away.

Clang, clang.

“Pad Thai is sold out. Please come back for lunch,” announced the next stall. Now they just looked at each other. It seemed they needed to hurry, didn’t they?

“In that case, let’s try different stalls.”

“But which one should we try?”

“There are four stalls left. We don’t know what they offer, but why don’t we buy some and share them? That way, we’ll know what to get next time we’re here.”

“That’s a great idea.” With that, they split up. Many went to line up for Grilled Chicken Sticky Rice, some for Braised Fish Maw Soup, Rice Topped with Stir-Fried Pork and Basil, and even Egg Fried Noodles.

The price of food here was 15 copper coins, which was quite a lot for them. For 15 copper coins, they could buy three cheap steamed buns. However, it couldn’t be helped; food in the capital was more expensive than in outlying areas. It was no surprise.

Previously, they had to eat in taverns, where each meal cost much more. However, the quality of the food was different, so they didn’t mind spending the money. But if this meal was not delicious or disappointing, they would indeed feel cheated.

This thought crossed everyone’s mind. However, the moment they tasted the food, their eyes widened in surprise. Everyone turned to look at their companions, seeing the same expressions on their faces.

“Delicious, absolutely delicious.”

“This is better than the food in the tavern, isn’t it?”

“This is meat! They actually put real chunks of meat in here.”

“15 copper coins? How can they sell food like this at such a price?”

“I’ve never tasted anything like this before. It’s the most delicious meal I’ve ever had.”

“I want more. Once I finish this, I’m going to buy that,” one of them pointed to the Braised Fish Maw Soup stall. But as soon as he pointed, the young woman at the stall reached out and rang the bell, causing his face to turn pale immediately.

“I need to finish eating before that stall closes...”

Clang, clang.

“We’re closed now. No lunch service today either. See you tomorrow,” the young woman at the stall said, then pulled down a curtain. Other stalls simply took down their signs.

Wasn’t this crushing the hopes of the diners still craving more?

“I-I feel like my heart is being broken,” the man said with tears in his eyes. Others wanted to comfort him but didn’t say anything. They no longer expressed a desire for more food because the other stalls were also announcing that they had sold out.

However, after finishing his meal, one man patted his stomach and realized that this meal was quite substantial. It was just that the deliciousness made him not want to stop eating. So he announced,

“For lunch, I’ll finish my work quickly and get in line as soon as possible.”

“Me too. Let’s unload the goods as fast as we can.”

“Agreed!!” When they announced it, as soon as lunch arrived, they broke out in a cold sweat.

Since people didn’t arrive at the same time for breakfast, the first group had the advantage. But for lunch, everyone had docked their boats early in the morning, so they all rushed in together. In the end, the line stretched all the way back to the docking point.Who could have guessed that thousands of people would be fighting for food so fiercely? Meanwhile, the shop owners could only sit and happily count money with their sons!