In the private room, a round table with three chairs, no specific seating order was established.
However, Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun sat upright with clear consciences.
He Qiulei, on the other hand, was rather dejected.
He hunched his back, lowered his head slightly, and seemed unable to lift it.
But soon, the young steward standing beside him scurried forward, taking the lead:
"No, no, no, Shopkeeper Su, it's my fault. I contacted Xiao Sanzi behind my master's back, thinking I could buy the recipe with my own money before informing my master..."
He hadn't expected the owner to find out about today's transaction.
Su Xiaoqi wasn't very clear about the complexities involved. She lowered her gaze and looked at Shen Yun.
She knew Shen Yun had gone out yesterday specifically for the He family's affairs.
Therefore, she thought Shen Yun might have a clearer understanding.
Shen Yun blinked almost imperceptibly, tacitly confirming the young steward's words.
Su Xiaoqi frowned slightly, realizing why Shen Yun had suggested cooperating with the He family yesterday.
She had been somewhat reluctant at first, not wanting to openly conflict with Shen Yun.
If it was just the actions of subordinates, and the He family's head was unaware, perhaps they could cooperate.
With this thought, Su Xiaoqi quickly regained her composure and put on a friendly smile.
Meanwhile, the young steward had already knelt on the ground, completely confessing all his schemes from the past few days.
"Many people know that the Su family makes bitter buckwheat tea, but how did you know it was made in the small courtyard behind the supermarket?"
He Qiulei saw that Su Xiaoqi's attitude had improved slightly, but he still felt he was in the wrong and eagerly asked the question.
This indicated his intention to resolve the matter in front of Su Xiaoqi and her husband.
"This, this, I heard about it," the young steward replied, head lowered, his back already soaked with sweat.
Su Xiaoqi ignored the young steward and looked at Shen Yun.
She believed that if Shen Yun was involved, there was nothing he couldn't investigate.
As expected, Shen Yun said, "If I remember correctly, this steward's surname is Liu, and your name is Liu Yishou.
Your father's younger sister married Zhao Baoyi, the younger brother of the village head of Zhao Family Village."
Shen Yun's words were roundabout, but the meaning was clear.
Su Xiaoqi immediately understood. She pointed at Liu Yishou and said, "Oh, I see. Your maternal aunt is Zhao Liushi, Zhao Baoyi's wife." That was Liu Cuixiang, the number one foul-mouthed person in Zhao Family Village.
When Su Xiaoqi first arrived, she had tried to bully her but was instead pushed into Yuanbao River by her.
This was why Su Xiaoqi remembered her vividly.
Shen Yun nodded, indicating that she was correct.
With help from someone in Zhao Family Village, it wasn't surprising that Liu Yishou knew about her.
However, Su Xiaoqi still couldn't understand how he managed to pinpoint the small courtyard behind the supermarket.
"This is easy to understand. Someone had their eye on you from the very beginning."
After Su Xiaoqi collected the bitter buckwheat in Zhao Family Village, she hired Zhao Laoshi's mule cart to transport it to Mianzhou City.
If anyone with intent followed the mule cart once, wouldn't the location be exposed?
Then, by guarding the back door of the courtyard and observing who came and went, a little inquiry would reveal everything.
Shen Yun's voice was not quiet; he deliberately spoke loudly to admonish Liu Yishou.
"So this was a deliberate attempt to deal with us," Su Xiaoqi sighed helplessly, hearing the implication in Shen Yun's words.
"Alas, well, my He family also deals in tea. While I admire this newly released bitter buckwheat tea and plan to acquire some for our business, I genuinely never considered using underhanded tactics to obtain the recipe." He Qiulei heard the undertone and quickly denied it.
He hadn't done this, and he wouldn't take the blame.
Su Xiaoqi said, "If that's the case, then cooperation can be discussed."
He Qiulei was surprised at first, then blinked, thinking he had misheard.
He then became delighted. He sat up straight, wanting to ask for more details.
But at that moment, the door to the private room was pushed open, and the waiter brought out the stone-sautéed fish slices.
Although He Qiulei was eager to inquire about the details of cooperation, he suppressed his impatience at this moment and cordially invited Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun to dine.
He had an ordinary appearance and a round face, giving him a somewhat憨厚 (simple and honest) look when he smiled.
But Su Xiaoqi knew the reputation of the He family's tea shop in the Bashu region.
She did not believe that He Qiulei was as genuinely simple and honest as he appeared.
"No merchant is not cunning," as the elders say.
Moreover, He Qiulei, being so young yet already identified by the head of the Meng family as their future proprietor,
and his ability to remain so composed, made Su Xiaoqi feel she should treat him with more caution.
However, she had nothing to fear, as Shen Yun was there.
No matter how capable He Qiulei was, could he be more capable than Shen Yun, who was about to become a powerful official?
If he calculated anything, no one could escape.
So, she followed He Qiulei's lead and turned her attention to the sautéed fish slices on the table.
The key to fish slices lay in the knife skills. The fish slices had to be thin and fine; excellent knife work was considered a rare skill, highly admired.
Like the chef at Zui Feng Lou, the fish slices were as thin as light gauze. An entire fish was sliced into neat piles, stacked like layers of silk.
Coincidentally, Shen Yun picked up a piece with his chopsticks and placed it in her bowl: "Wife, try this first."
Su Xiaoqi thanked him, took a bite, and said, "Mmm, delicious."
It was white and tender, smooth without being greasy, tasted excellent, and melted in the mouth.
In return, she also picked a slice of fish for Shen Yun. Shen Yun didn't look up, but the curve of his eyebrows indicated his good mood.
The young couple casually picked up food for each other, seemingly oblivious to others.
This made He Qiulei feel a bit awkward.
But he quickly adjusted his emotions.
Amidst praises, the three of them finished a plate of sautéed fish slices.
He Qiulei quickly ordered another portion.
Su Xiaoqi had already eaten her fill.
She looked at Shen Yun, who nodded, signaling that the time was right to speak. Only then did Su Xiaoqi begin to discuss the detailed cooperation plan with He Qiulei.
"I will provide the recipe for tea production, free of charge, but I require a share of the profits."
He Qiulei's expression darkened slightly. He thought that just providing the recipe and asking for profit sharing was perhaps too presumptuous.
Although Su Xiaoqi had Shen Yun, the top scholar, this matter concerned the interests of the entire He family, and He Qiulei was somewhat displeased.
"As you can see, the people who make tea for me are all my younger brothers and sisters. We share weal and woe.
They will never betray me for money.
One hundred taels won't do, two hundred taels won't do, perhaps even more won't do, and the tea-making process is complex, not something only one or two people can master."
Su Xiaoqi explained that the bitter buckwheat tea production method was divided into ten steps, with each person mastering one step.
He Qiulei was stunned but quickly recovered.
He knew that tea-making families employed various defensive measures to protect their exclusive recipes.
"Although bitter buckwheat tea is not as precious as your tea shop's Biluochun or Dahongpao,
it excels in its affordability and has a broad consumer base. It will surely have a larger market in the future..."
Su Xiaoqi revealed her intention to promote bitter buckwheat tea.
The business would only get better in the future, but her focus wasn't here; she still had the grain store to manage.
"I have always believed in leaving professional matters to professional people," Su Xiaoqi said, and then stopped speaking. Coincidentally, the second batch of sautéed fish slices arrived.
She continued to eat as if nothing had happened.
Her eating posture was elegant, taking small bites, which was somewhat pleasing to the eye.
He Qiulei glanced at her, then noticed Shen Yun's gaze, and quickly turned his head. After careful consideration, he said, "This matter is of great importance, and I fear I must return to inform my elders."
"Naturally," Su Xiaoqi put down her chopsticks, clapped her hands, and got up to leave.
He Qiulei quickly stood up to see them off.
Shen Yun, however, turned back and said, "Young Master Meng, please stay."
Shen Yun's voice was gentle, but it carried an inexplicable pressure, making He Qiulei dare not ignore his words. Instead, he chose to stand obediently aside, watching them leave.