Female Supporting Character with a Good Life

66-70

66

As the days passed, one after another, the weather became hotter and hotter. The Best Braised Duck Under The Heaven was still explosively popular, and bizarrely enough, the explosively popular braised duck store would only stay open for one double-hour every day before it closed, which made the shopkeepers in the surrounding stores endlessly envious and jealous.

With a unique and unmatched secret braised duck recipe, Ruan Xi became the most well-received and popular figure within the capital in one move. Some people joked with Wen gongzi – no, they should be calling him Wen daren now – saying that Wen daren had great fortune, since he was going to marry a Goddess of Wealth back.

大人 (pinyin: da ren) – title of respect towards superiors.

Wen Ting Zhou smiled and agreed, looking like he was honoured by association, which made people's teeth ache in response.

With the growing popularity of the The Best Braised Duck Under the Heaven store, there was no one in the capital who was unaware of its name. There would be wealthy merchants from other parts of the country frequently coming over, whereas others who were embarrassingly short on money or could not bear to spend so many silvers, would pool together the money with a few other people, just for the sake of eating the rumoured, superb quality braised duck.

And against all reason, the braised duck store would only sell one hundred braised ducks per day, and being able to buy it was also dependent on luck, but despite the growing protests for an increase in the quantity, Ruan Xi ignored all of them.

The explosive popularity and high profits that the braised duck store was raking in was already making many eyes green with envy and jealousy. If it were not for the inscribed plaque that had been bestowed by the Emperor, clearly declaring that the owner of the secret braised duck recipe was Ruan Xi, it was unknown how many demons and monsters would be rubbing their fingers as they schemed how they would steal the secret braised duck recipe from Ruan Xi.

If she increased the quantity, wouldn't she be instigating people to take the risk out of desperation?

If someone went insane and killed her...

Ruan Xi did not feel like she was overreacting; the secret braised duck recipe could not be stolen, but the owner could be killed, no?

Beyond that, the Earl Chengyi Residence would receive guests daily, with relatives that bore some relation to them paying them a visit. Zhang shi had been bewildered by the immense profits that the braised duck store was bringing in for a long time, and she would ask Ruan Xi to make a few more cauldrons of marinade to give it to her maternal family covertly and overtly. Ruan Xi rejected her without the slightest hesitation, and she proceeded to divulge her requests to her Earl Father. It was unknown what her Earl Father said, but Zhang shi stopped asking about the braised marinade, though she would always have an ugly complexion whenever she saw Ruan Xi.

Ruan Xi did not mind at all.

Who didn't know that the quintessence of the delicious braised duck was in the braised marinade? Zhang shi had her own schemes.

Which was to take her marinade to make other braised dishes.

After Ruan Xi paid her respects to Lao Taitai and returned from the Tranquil Longevity Hall, she saw Mama Yang looking at her directly and smiling.

A strange feeling emerged in Ruan Xi's heart and she could not help but ask: "Mama Yang, why do you keep looking at me and smiling?"

Coughing lightly, Mama Yang was unable to suppress her smile as she replied: "Young Lady, do you know about the moniker that the people outside have given you?"