But when Jiang Yuchuan finally found Ming’s Restaurant, he froze for a moment as he looked at the crowd of people standing outside.

At first, he thought someone was causing trouble. But upon closer inspection, he realized that the people standing outside were all customers waiting in line to dine at Ming’s Restaurant.

As for inside Ming’s Restaurant, Jiang Yuchuan could see at a glance that there wasn’t a single empty seat.

He was surprised. ’So Mrs. Ming’s restaurant business is this popular?’

He had really underestimated it before.

At that moment, the group of officials from the Ministry of Justice following Jiang Yuchuan also stared in a daze.

These men were either Jiang Yuchuan’s colleagues or his subordinates.

Over the years, he had brilliantly solved several major cases in Shangjing City, earning him considerable favor with the Emperor. And although he had a somewhat cold and serious demeanor, he would help anyone who asked, so he was surprisingly well-liked.

When Jiang Yuchuan had gone to work today, he invited his colleagues, saying he would treat them to a meal after their duties ended.

That was why a large group of them had now gathered majestically at the entrance of Ming’s Restaurant.

"Ming Da, is this the restaurant you wanted to bring us to? Business looks great! Looks like we’ll have to wait a bit, huh?" a man about Jiang Yuchuan’s age said, draping an arm over his shoulder.

Ming Da was Jiang Yuchuan’s courtesy name. This man was both a colleague and a good friend of his—the very same one who went to Qinglong Temple for a matchmaking meeting with a young woman during the Qingming Festival.

Jiang Yuchuan grunted in acknowledgment, his tone betraying no emotion. "It should be soon, right?" He saw that the people at one table were about to finish their meal.

Huang Yi lowered his voice. "Spill it. What’s your real motive today? Why treat so many people to a meal all of a sudden? Do you have so much Silver you don’t know what to do with it?"

Just as Huang Yi said this, it occurred to him that his friend here probably did have too much Silver and nowhere to spend it.

The Jiang family was considered a major clan in the Jiangdong region.

It was rumored their ancestors were Imperial Merchants, but that was several generations ago, so who knew if it was true. What was certain was that the Jiang family was by no means short on Silver. One could tell just by the location of the house they had bought in Shangjing City.

Even for officials serving in the court, those living in the eastern part of the city didn’t necessarily own their homes; many of them were renting.

But Jiang Yuchuan’s large residence had been purchased outright.

His parents had passed away young, and he had inherited their estate early on. He was nothing like other young officials, such as Huang Yi himself, whose families had not yet divided their property. Their daily expenses were all covered by the family’s communal funds, and they received little spending money—just five taels of Silver a month. Although their official salaries were decent, the costs of maintaining social connections were also significant, so they couldn’t afford to be lavish.

Jiang Yuchuan, however, had no such worries. The amount of Silver Coin he had at his disposal was many times greater than what they had.

But even so, Huang Yi didn’t believe Jiang Yuchuan was genuinely just looking for a place to spend his Silver.

Hearing his friend’s question, Jiang Yuchuan retorted, "You have a problem with getting a free meal?"

"Definitely not!" Huang Yi said at once. "But this restaurant... why does it feel a little familiar?" He stared at the rather conspicuous sign for "Ming’s Restaurant," muttering, "The calligraphy is quite good. I wonder which master they hired to write it. It must have cost a pretty penny."

A slight smile touched Jiang Yuchuan’s lips when he heard this.

’Of course it wasn’t written by some master,’ he said silently to himself. ’This is Miss Ming’s handwriting.’

Just then, a junior official to the side suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, I know! Isn’t this Ming’s Restaurant the same place that sold those green balls by the Qujiang River during the Qingming Festival? So many people were buying them! I got there a step too late. They were buying way too many, saying something about a salted egg yolk and red bean paste filling that you can’t find anywhere else. I didn’t get to try any."

"Now that you mention it, I remember too! They still had some when I went, but I thought they were too expensive. One of their green balls was, what, thirty wen? You can get them for ten wen, or even five wen, elsewhere. I thought that was just too pricey..."

"That’s because their green balls are exceptionally delicious!" a young man who had actually bought some from Ming’s Restaurant during Qingming finally spoke up. "My mother tried one and ended up buying a whole box to take home! Everyone in the family couldn’t stop praising them. The food at Ming’s Restaurant might be a bit pricey, but it’s absolutely worth it!"

"Ah, it’s that expensive? Then isn’t Mr. Jiang spending a lot to treat us here today?"

Hearing this, Jiang Yuchuan turned to look in the direction of the voice. His expression was calm, showing no awareness that he was about to spend a fortune. "It’s fine. Order whatever you want later."

’He was more than willing to give his Silver to Miss Ming. If his colleagues also found the food at Ming’s Restaurant to be good, they would surely become regular customers. That way, Mrs. Ming’s business would only get better and better.’

’When she was doing well, he was happy.’

Not long after Jiang Yuchuan said this, a table in the main dining hall finished their meal, and it was finally their turn.

Xiao Chun was so busy in the shop she barely had time to catch her breath. She couldn’t understand it. Her young miss had clearly expanded the restaurant, so how did it still seem not big enough? There were no seats left for the incoming customers.

But this was a problem Xiao Chun hoped to have every day.

She was just so happy!

When she saw another group of people enter, Xiao Chun cheerfully looked up, ready to introduce the day’s new specials.

But the moment she raised her head, Xiao Chun saw Jiang Yuchuan, the man who had been at her young miss’s side during the Qingming Festival.

Come to think of it, she had even gone to the Jiang Mansion to deliver a message once. She could probably be considered a semi-acquaintance of this Lord Jiang.

Xiao Chun greeted him generously, "Lord Jiang, you’re here!"

Jiang Yuchuan nodded slightly. "I brought a few friends to have a seat."

Xiao Chun said, "Today, our young miss’s main recommendations are the Jiangnan Three Whites Stew and the lamb pilaf. Both are new to the shop today. The customers who’ve tried them have had great reactions. The Crispy Fat and Congealed Honey Glow that we introduced before was also very popular, and we only have two pieces left. If you and your party want to order it, Lord Jiang, you’ll have to be quick."

Since it was the grand reopening, Ming Lingyi had prepared plenty of ingredients. Plus, with Wu Zhao Yu joining the team, she had combined the lunch and dinner menus.

After all, they weren’t serving breakfast anymore. If the dinner menu still only had noodle and pastry dishes, that would be slacking off a bit too much.

She still wanted to earn a little more Silver so she could "retire" and rest sooner.

The moment Jiang Yuchuan heard Xiao Chun’s words, he immediately ordered the Crispy Fat and Congealed Honey Glow. "How about we get one of everything on the menu? There are a lot of us."

Xiao Chun nodded. Although their restaurant had been open for some time, they didn’t offer a huge number of dishes, not compared to a typical tavern. With so many people in Jiang Yuchuan’s party, ordering one of everything was just right.

"What about the pilafs? Our restaurant’s pilaf is served in single portions. If you don’t want pilaf, we also offer plain white rice," Xiao Chun said.

A serving of pilaf was not cheap. The lamb shank pilaf, for instance, was 108 wen per serving, while the lamb chop pilaf was 88 wen. The price was comparable to a main course.

Huang Yi also saw the menu hanging on a nearby wall. Below the names of the dishes, the prices were clearly marked, with no ambiguity whatsoever.

Over a hundred wen for a single rice dish! He knew that even when they ate at the government office, a meal recorded in the accounts was only ten or twenty wen.

Even when they went out for a nice meal, a full and satisfying dinner would only cost around a hundred wen.

And now, a single rice dish at Ming’s Restaurant cost over a hundred wen. That price was truly not cheap.

"Of course we should get a couple of servings to try..." Huang Yi began to say, thinking that just having a taste would be enough.

But before he could even finish his sentence, he heard his friend beside him lay down the final word. "Let’s get one for everyone."

Huang Yi: "!!!"

’Has my friend lost his mind!!!’

’Even if you have the Silver, you don’t just throw it away like this! What a spendthrift!’

’He isn’t even married yet! How can he be so extravagant?!’