Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

"This might be too much trouble for you," Duan Yu Yan said, looking at him. "But could I possibly meet your grandmother? I’m researching Sichuan Cuisine and am fascinated by traditional artisans like her."

"I’m sorry, but my grandmother hasn’t run her stall in over twenty years, and she doesn’t really see visitors these days," Zhou Yan replied with a polite smile, declining her request. "If you have any questions, you can tell me, and I’ll pass them along for you."

’Alright, so it’s not just about the braised beef.’

’She came all the way from Jiazhou to Suji, and even tracked down my shop.’

’And now she wants to meet my grandmother.’

Zhou Yan started to suspect that Mrs. Qiu’s unresolved issue might be connected to his own grandmother.

In that case, he certainly couldn’t let Duan Yu Yan meet his grandmother directly. He still had his eye on the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion; he needed more leverage before he could even get a seat at the negotiating table.

’Just a moment ago, I was frustrated about having no leads. Now an opportunity has fallen right into my lap. I have to grab it!’

Duan Yu Yan stared at Zhou Yan, biting her lip in frustration. ’Why won’t this guy cooperate?’ She just wanted to ask his grandmother about the situation without getting too many people involved.

Zhou Yan kept the smile on his face. ’I have to get involved in this.’

’We’re both old foxes, so let’s drop the act.’

’Sichuan Cuisine research? I did that for a living in my past life.’

’A rich girl with a literature degree... what the hell is she researching?’

Duan Yu Yan glanced at Mrs. Zhao and Yan Fei, who were blatantly eavesdropping, then looked at Zhou Yan. "Can we speak in private?"

"Alright." Zhou Yan nodded.

The two of them left the restaurant and walked toward the river embankment.

Yan Fei hesitated for a moment. He remained at the restaurant entrance instead of following, his eyes fixed warily on Zhou Yan.

"I want to talk to your grandmother about when my grandmother was young." Duan Yu Yan stopped by the riverside railing and got straight to the point. "She’s getting old, and we’re not comfortable with her living alone in Jiazhou. We want to bring her to Xiangjiang to live with us.

But she seems to have some unresolved issue that’s keeping her in the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion, and she refuses to leave. I’ve been trying to convince her for six months to no avail. So I was hoping to find someone from her generation, like your grandmother, who might know something that could help her find peace.

Yesterday, after eating the braised meat from Feiyan Restaurant, she asked me to come to Suji Bridgehead and buy the braised beef from Zhang’s Braised Shop. I’ve been in Jiazhou for six months, and this is the first time she’s ever asked me to do something for her. I think it’s significant—it has to be an important clue."

’Seriously? Feiyan Restaurant got exposed just like that?’ Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow. ’And that Huang He still wants exclusive rights to my beef?’

"Don’t worry, my grandmother and I are not gossips," Duan Yu Yan said, seemingly reading his mind and putting him at ease. "I’ll be returning to Xiangjiang in two months at the most. I won’t say anything that could harm your business partnership."

Zhou Yan didn’t take the bait. Instead, he asked, "Are we talking about the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion, the one across from the entrance to Jiazhou Port?"

At his words, Duan Yu Yan’s eyes widened. ’There’s definitely more to this guy than meets the eye!’

’He knows the location of the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion!’

The Qiu and Duan families had no relatives in Suji, and the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion wasn’t particularly grand. How could a young man running a restaurant in Suji Town pinpoint its location so precisely?

’Could it be... he’s been planning to fight for the property all along?!’

"How do you know that?" Duan Yu Yan asked, struggling to control her emotions. Her hands, hanging at her sides, were clenched into tight fists. "Do you... have some connection to my grandmother? Or is there something you know?"

"You’ve misunderstood," Zhou Yan explained with a calm smile. "Last weekend, I took my parents for a walk down East Main Street. While I was buying some braised goods from a shop at the end of the street, the owner mentioned that the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion was going to be sold. Since I’ve been thinking about buying property in Jiazhou, I got curious and asked a few more questions. The owner mentioned that the old lady’s son, a Hong Kong Businessman, and her granddaughter wanted to take her to Xiangjiang to live out her golden years."

"Miss Duan speaks with a Hong Kong accent, is dressed in luxury brands, travels with a bodyguard, and you also brought up the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion. I figured it was too much of a coincidence for there to be two people fitting that description."

"So, it was a coincidence," Duan Yu Yan said, nodding slightly. But her gaze sharpened as she locked eyes with him again. "Even I thought the braised meat from that shop was terrible. Your braised meat is so delicious; would you really go out of your way to buy some while you’re visiting Jiazhou?"