Chapter 50 Invitation

Chapter 50: Invitation

In the blink of an eye, a few days had passed. Under the brutal, grueling training of these past few days, both Wu Xiaoliu and the Zhuzi brothers had made tremendous progress, not only in their knife skills, but also in their fundamental understanding of food.

Of course, aside from their own relentless hard work and dedication, Li Qi’s attentive and meticulous guidance was an achievement that could not be understated.

Throughout these past few days, Li Qi had devoted almost all of his time to them. Yet, regarding the next step for the Drunken Immortal House, he had not uttered a single word.

This time, Wu Furong had learned to be smart. He did not chase after Li Qi’s heels asking questions like he had last time. He knew that Li Qi possessed a secretive way of doing things, the kind that would periodically spring a massive surprise upon you. Therefore, he put his mind entirely at ease, readying himself to watch a magnificent show unfold.

On this particular day, an unexpected visitor suddenly arrived at the Drunken Immortal House.

This visitor was none other than Steward Cai the Third from the Jade Emerald Pavilion.

Following closely behind Steward Cai the Third was a pair of mother and son—the very same mother and son whom Li Qi had rescued outside the entrance of the Jade Emerald Pavilion.

The moment they laid eyes on Li Qi, Chen Anan and his mother immediately dropped to the ground and kowtowed.

Li Qi hurriedly stepped forward to help them up, saying with a displeased tone, "What are you two doing? I'm not dead yet, why are you bowing to me? Get up quickly, quickly." With those words, he hoisted the mother and son back to their feet.

Mother Chen said with tear-filled eyes, "The great benefactor's immense kindness to our humble family is something this old woman can never repay. Should you need us to work like beasts of burden in the future, we await your every command."

"You flatter me, Matriarch. I didn't expend much effort at all. If you want to thank someone, you should thank Master Cai and Steward Cai over there," Li Qi said with a warm, cheerful smile, glancing sideways at Steward Cai the Third, who was standing awkwardly nearby.

"I am certainly not going to thank him!"

Chen Anan let out a cold snort, speaking with a look of utter disdain.

Li Qi furrowed his brow slightly and said in a deep voice, "Anan?"

"Brother Li, I know I was wrong!"

Seeing Li Qi’s displeased expression, Chen Anan hastily lowered his head to admit his fault. Ever since Li Qi had allowed him to thoroughly shine in front of everyone that day, Li Qi had naturally become a great hero and a wonderful person in his heart; he simply dared not disobey a single word Li Qi uttered.

Li Qi lifted his chin and said, "Then why haven't you quickly thanked Steward Cai?"

Mother Chen hurriedly pulled her son along to thank the steward.

Steward Cai the Third was flustered. "I dare not, I dare not. This humble one is thoroughly unworthy of such praise. Thinking back on the events of that day, I am truly ashamed before the young master."

Knowing full well that Cai Minde held Li Qi in extremely high regard, Steward Cai the Third absolutely did not dare to offend Li Qi ever again.

Seeing that Chen Anan and his mother looked healthy, with rosy complexions and clean skin—a world of difference from the sickly, filthy appearance they had worn on the day they met—Li Qi figured that Cai Minde must not have mistreated them. Thus, however one looked at it, this expression of gratitude was entirely appropriate.

Li Qi offered a grateful smile toward Steward Cai the Third, then turned to Wu Furong, who was still standing nearby with a puzzled expression. Cupping his hands, Li Qi said, "Uncle Wu, these two are folks from my hometown. Do you think we could bend the rules a little and let them stay at the restaurant for a few days?"

Wu Furong was slightly taken aback before quickly catching on. He pretended to ponder the matter for a moment before replying, "Very well then. Since they are folks from your hometown, this old man will allow them to stay here temporarily for a few days."

With that, he turned to the mother and son and said, "The two of you, come with me." He could tell that Steward Cai the Third seemed to have something private to say to Li Qi, and he intentionally used this opportunity to grant them some privacy.

When Chen Anan and his mother saw that Wu Furong was willing to take them in, tears of joy streamed down their faces. Mother Chen, in particular, was so overwhelmed with emotion that she was practically rendered speechless.

Once Chen Anan and his mother had stepped inside, Steward Cai the Third suddenly pulled Li Qi off to the side. He drew an invitation card from his sleeve, handed it to Li Qi, and said in a low voice, "Young Master Li, tomorrow our humble establishment's very first batch of 'Cai Family Stinky Tofu' will be coming out of the oven. Therefore, my master has specifically invited you to visit the restaurant tomorrow for a chat and to offer a few pointers."

So that old fox wants to build a brand effect! He really knows what he's doing!

Li Qi understood the situation as clearly as a mirror, yet his face registered genuine surprise as he asked, "Cai Family Stinky Tofu?"

Steward Cai the Third hurriedly explained, "Young Master Li, please do not misunderstand. The reason my master changed the name of your stinky tofu to Cai Family Stinky Tofu is not meant as a slight against you. He simply wishes to distinguish our establishment's stinky tofu from that of the Drunken Immortal House."

Li Qi shook his head and smiled. "Not at all, not at all. Since I have already sold the secret recipe to Master Cai, he naturally has the right to do as he pleases. I was merely asking out of curiosity."

Seeing that Li Qi did not mind this detail at all, Steward Cai the Third felt a huge weight lift from his chest. He chuckled and said, "Young Master Li is truly a straightforward man. I wonder if you might be free tomorrow?"

Li Qi smiled and replied, "Master Cai's warm hospitality leaves me deeply flattered. How could I possibly spurn his kind intentions? Rest assured, Young Master Li will definitely be there tomorrow."

Seeing that Li Qi had agreed, Steward Cai the Third beamed with joy. After exchanging a few more polite pleasantries, he turned and took his leave.

As soon as Steward Cai the Third departed, Wu Furong hurried over and asked, "Young Master Li, what on earth did that Steward Cai want with you?"

Li Qi let out a cold laugh, handed the invitation card to Wu Furong, and said, "He wants to show me what it means when they say 'wise birds choose the tree on which to nest.'"

Wu Furong was startled. Opening the invitation, he saw that it was merely a standard letter of invitation, and asked in confusion, "Young Master Li, what does that mean?"

Li Qi first recounted the conversation he had just shared with Steward Cai the Third, and then analyzed, "Uncle Wu, just think about it. If that old fox genuinely wanted me to offer suggestions, he wouldn't have waited until tomorrow—he would have asked me today. Because tomorrow, his shop will already be selling the stinky tofu. If any mistakes or flaws arise by then, it will be far too late to remedy them. Therefore, he must have made foolproof preparations. Inviting me there is simply his way of letting me witness the grand spectacle of the Jade Emerald Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Wu Furong was suddenly enlightened. With a trace of worry, he asked, "Then will you go tomorrow?"

"Go? Why wouldn't I go!" Li Qi sneered. "The more he acts like this, the more it shows that he completely underestimates our Drunken Immortal House, which is actually a good thing for us. Moreover, in order to entice me to go, he deliberately delivered Chen Anan and his mother right to our doorstep. Since that old fox went to such great lengths for my sake, how could I possibly refuse his kind intentions?"

In truth, ever since the day Li Qi went to the Jade Emerald Pavilion to teach Cai Minde how to make stinky tofu, he had intended to bring Chen Anan and his mother over to the Drunken Immortal House. However, Cai Minde had claimed that it was getting too late and that the mother and son were already asleep, while reassuring Li Qi that he would personally send someone to deliver them over in due time.

Initially, Li Qi had not understood Cai Minde's true intentions.

Now that Steward Cai the Third had delivered the pair at this crucial juncture, Li Qi finally woke up to the reality of the situation.

In fact, the one-month deadline had already passed by three or four days. Logically speaking, Cai Minde should have chased Chen Anan and his mother away long ago, yet he had not done so. The reason he waited until today to send them over was entirely to remind Li Qi that he owed him a favor, ensuring that Li Qi would not be able to decline today's invitation. He had truly gone to excruciating lengths!

Even if Cai Minde had not done this, Li Qi would have gone anyway.

At dinnertime, Li Qi, Chen Anan and his mother, Uncle Wu Furong and his nephew, along with the Zhuzi brothers—a total of seven people—sat closely together around a large round table, with no rigid distinctions of status or hierarchy.

The Zhuzi brothers and Wu Xiaoliu had long since grown used to this informal atmosphere, and since Chen Anan was merely a child, he felt nothing amiss either.

Only Mother Chen felt somewhat ill at ease, sitting as though on pins and needles.

Taking advantage of the occasion, Li Qi gently questioned Mother Chen to learn more about their background.

He discovered that they were originally natives of Xingzhou. Several months ago, their hometown had been struck by a severe plague, and Chen Anan’s father had unfortunately perished. Mother Chen had then brought Chen Anan along as they fled in destitution, and had they not crossed paths with Li Qi, they surely would have starved to death on the streets.

Hearing this, Li Qi felt deep sympathy for the mother and son. He offered a few words of comfort, telling them they could rest easy and make themselves at home at the Drunken Immortal House.

Upon hearing this, Chen Anan was overjoyed. For the past few months, he and his mother had drifted from place to place without a single companion to play with. Now, things were finally looking up; he had befriended such a clever scamp like Wu Xiaoliu, and within less than a day, the two had become so thick that they might as well have sworn blood brotherhood. Their relationship was remarkably close, and naturally, he had no desire to part ways with Wu Xiaoliu and the Zhuzi brothers anytime soon.

As for Wu Furong, he naturally left everything entirely to Li Qi's discretion.