Chapter 82

The three ancient absolute couplets, the three unnamed delicacies passed down by the Qin family, a pot of the unparalleled dish, a hotpot, and the Qin lady who made a stunning debut.

These have all become synonymous with the Drunken Immortal Inn.

From the highest-ranking officials to the lowest street vendors, everyone knows and talks about them.

After the stinky tofu, the Drunken Immortal Inn once again became a hot topic of conversation.

Now, the Drunken Immortal Inn is packed with people, and it's hard to find a pot. The threshold is almost worn out. For this reason, Li Qi even rented the tea stall from Aunt Cao and set up five more tables on her stall to accommodate more guests, but it was still not enough. Thus, a new way of eating was born at the Drunken Immortal Inn—sharing a pot. Regardless of whether they knew each other, people would each contribute a portion of the money and gather around to eat. After all, eating hotpot is all about the lively atmosphere, and the more people, the better. Sometimes, a table would be crowded with a dozen people, and they would still enjoy it immensely.

Not only that, but every day, wealthy tycoons and high-ranking officials would send people to the Drunken Immortal Inn to reserve a hotpot feast.

At first, Wu Furong thought Li Qi had hired too many people, but now he felt there were not enough. Sigh, human plans are often outdone by fate.

"Making a fortune every day." These four words aptly describe the current state of the Drunken Immortal Inn.

After some time, the membership card system was also implemented very well. Now, many people carry their cards with them, as they are essential for survival.

The fame of the Qin lady has surpassed that of Bai Qianruo and Song Yuchen, making her the top female powerhouse in Bianjing.

She is beautiful, talented, and most importantly, good at making money. Where can you find such a woman?

Now, there is a saying in Bianjing: "If you want to marry, marry the Qin lady."

At first, the Qin lady felt a bit awkward, but after a few days, she got used to it and gradually fell in love with this life, even though it was tiring, she found it very fulfilling.

With the help of the Qin lady, Wu Furong felt much more relaxed. Now, he is fully devoted to the accounts, almost sleeping with the ledger every night.

Wu Xiaoliu, Zhu Zi, and Chef Zheng have also settled into their roles, and Li Qi is no longer as busy as when the inn first opened.

The Drunken Immortal Inn's reputation has soared, naturally attracting a lot of attention.

Cai Mindao was the first to react.

The sudden combination of moves from the Drunken Immortal Inn left him dazed and confused, as if in a dream.

The Jade Pavilion has become the biggest victim of the Drunken Immortal Inn's rise. Not only has its daily revenue decreased by a third, but its former major clients have now become gold members of the Drunken Immortal Inn, including Song Yuchen.

Cai Mindao sat at a table by the window on the fifth floor, listening to the guests in his own shop talking about the Qin lady and the Drunken Immortal Inn, grinding his teeth in anger. He had been so busy dealing with Yanglou that he had neglected the Drunken Immortal Inn, leading to this oversight.

"Qin lady, you are a formidable woman, Cai Mou has underestimated you," Cai Mindao suddenly slammed the table and said angrily.

Standing beside him, Cai Lao San was already sweating profusely. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Master, I think this matter is not as simple as it seems."

Cai Mindao glanced at him and asked, "What do you mean?"

Cai Lao San replied, "Although I have not dealt with the Qin lady and do not know her well, if she were truly so capable, she would not have ended up selling her shop."

Cai Mindao narrowed his eyes and said, "Go on."

Cai Lao San suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Master, could it be that the young man surnamed Li is behind all this?"

"You mean—Li Qi?"

Cai Lao San nodded and said, "Yes, ever since he came to the Drunken Immortal Inn, strange things have been happening one after another. And I heard that the unparalleled dish is his creation."

Cai Mindao took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and nodded. "It's possible. If he is indeed the one causing trouble, that would be truly terrifying."

"Master, why is that?"

Cai Mindao smiled coldly and said, "Think about it, where did the Drunken Immortal Inn get its capital?"

Cai Lao San's eyes widened in surprise. "Master, you mean—he sold us the stinky tofu recipe to raise the capital for the Drunken Immortal Inn?"

"Very likely."

Cai Mindao nodded, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. "If that's the case, it's not good for us. Now, I hope the Qin lady is the mastermind behind it."

Cai Lao San was also frightened and asked, "Master, what should we do now?"

"We must first figure out who the real enemy is."

Cai Mindao thought for a moment, then beckoned to Cai Lao San, who immediately leaned in. Cai Mindao whispered in his ear, "Understood?"

Cai Lao San nodded quickly. "I know what to do."

Cai Mindao nodded and said, "By the way, have someone start making a batch of membership cards."

"Master, why is that?"

Cai Mindao smiled coldly. "We are in business, not a fight. Membership cards are a good thing. I believe it won't be long before Fanlou, Yanglou, and Panlou also introduce their own membership cards, so we need to act quickly."

"Alright, I'll get on it right away."

"Good, go ahead."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

One day, before noon, the Drunken Immortal Inn was already filled with many guests.

Li Qi, taking advantage of the fewer guests, quickly finished his work and came outside to catch his breath. If he waited any longer, he might not even have time to go to the restroom.

Who would have thought that as soon as he stepped out, he saw Hong Tianjiu swaggering over.

Since the Drunken Immortal Inn opened, Hong Tianjiu had almost come every day, bringing a group of sworn brothers. They were the loudest group in the entire inn.

"Brother Li."

Hong Tianjiu, seeing Li Qi at the door, hurried over.

"It's you, Little Jiu!"

Li Qi chuckled. Seeing that he was alone today, he asked in surprise, "Hey? Why are you here alone today? Where are your brothers?"

"Ah, they have some business to attend to, so they sent me to reserve a spot. You know, if you come to the Drunken Immortal Inn a bit late, there won't even be a place to sit," Hong Tianjiu said with a gloomy face.

Li Qi smiled faintly and then said seriously, "I welcome you all to eat at the Drunken Immortal Inn, but you should drink less. Every day, you get so drunk that the servants have to carry you out. If you drink too much and harm your health, your parents will surely come looking for you."

It's not that he didn't want to make money, but Hong Tianjiu and his group drank too much. If they continued like this, they would eventually have problems.

Hong Tianjiu laughed and said, "We can't be blamed for that. It's mainly because your unparalleled dish is so good, and the hotpot, oh, I don't have the words to describe it." As he spoke, his mouth was almost watering. Just then, Xiao Yu was passing by with a few plates of pork slices, and he called out, "Xiao Yu, quickly bring a cup of the unparalleled dish for Brother Jiu."

Sweat! I just told you to drink less, and you're already asking for more. What a headache.

"Xiao Yu, ignore him."

Li Qi waved at Xiao Yu and then said to Hong Tianjiu, "Little Jiu, starting today, each of you can only have one pot. I'll have them serve you according to the number of people."

Hong Tianjiu's face fell. "No, one pot isn't enough. Even if I listen to you, the others won't."

That's true. I run a tavern, and I can't forbid people from drinking in my place. It wouldn't make sense.

Li Qi narrowed his eyes and suddenly smiled. "Little Jiu, have you ever seen a drink that can catch fire?"

"A drink that can catch fire?"

Hong Tianjiu's eyes lit up, and he shook his head. "I haven't. Brother Li, can you make it?"

"Of course."

Li Qi chuckled. "If you all promise not to get drunk every day, I'll let you see it after a while."

Hong Tianjiu was skeptical. "Brother Li, you're not kidding, right?"

Li Qi said impatiently, "When has Brother Li ever lied to you? Making a drink that can catch fire is very simple."

Is that simple?

Hong Tianjiu, hearing this, was so excited that he trembled all over. He licked his dry lips and nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay, Brother Li, you can trust me. I, Hong Tianjiu, promise that from today on, I will never get drunk again."

"Alright."

Li Qi nodded and, seeing more guests arriving, smiled. "Go inside quickly. There might not be any seats left soon."

"Okay, okay, okay."

Hong Tianjiu nodded and walked inside, muttering to himself, "A drink that can catch fire, interesting, interesting."

After Hong Tianjiu went in, Li Qi stood for a while and then returned to the kitchen to continue working.

Just as Li Qi went in, a man dressed as a fisherman appeared at the door. He was in his thirties, about 1.8 meters tall, with a long beard. He carried a fishing rod in one hand and a fish basket in the other, and a bamboo hat was tucked under his arm.

The man looked up at the sign of the Drunken Immortal Inn, a strange smile appearing on his lips, and then walked in.

Request for recommendations, collections, and Three Rivers votes.

{Piaotian Literature}