Chapter 835

Chen Wuji was overtaken on a bend by Xu Zengyi.

The man who boasted he would defeat the Court Army's 400,000 in three months, the moment he revealed his sharp edge, first wounded Chen Wuji.

Everyone was fishing in a shallow bay; as a result, he who had no early catch later pulled up fish all larger than a palm, while Chen Wuji, who had a strong early advantage, kept catching only those tiny fish the size of a finger's length and thickness, so small that biting one feared getting stuck between his teeth, and later he just kept getting empty hooks repeatedly.

Watching Xu Zengyi cast repeatedly, any fish he casually hauled in could outweigh all the fish Chen Wuji had caught before, and Chen Wuji's defenses broke.

"Boring, this is too pointless, I'm leaving!" Chen Wuji reeled in his line and walked away.

This job is no longer suitable for him today.

If he kept fishing, he'd probably only catch his own mindset.

Xu Zengyi advised, "My lord, let's fish a bit longer; the fish are just starting to bite."

Chen Wuji hesitated, then gave up, saying, "That's your luck with the fish, not mine."

He had already suffered this loss once and didn't want to go through it a second time.

If he persisted a bit longer, his face would surely be slapped even harder.

Regarding his somewhat special physique, Chen Wuji now has a bit of understanding.

Just like hunting.

Even if he wandered about Shenxian Ling in a daze, he could still gain something, but elsewhere his luck was so bad that even a dog would shake its head, far from the standard a proper hunter should have.

Xu Zengyi chuckled, "My lord, take your time leaving; I'll keep fishing a bit."

Chen Wuji glanced at the water surface and shook his head.

Fishing and hunting gave him the sudden illusion that they corresponded to his fate.

That thought is nonsense, yet it feels remarkably accurate.

Returning to town, Chen Wuji stopped by the construction site of the Jade Lady Restaurant to have a look.

A dozen or so laborers were exerting themselves to erect the pillars.

The foundations had been laid days earlier, using huge boulders that required several men to lift; although supplies were scarce in Jie Jia Zui, stone was not lacking—whether up the mountain or down the ditch, suitable stones could be found.

For a wooden structure, the hardest part is the frame now being erected; once that's done, the rest is just fine work.

Huo Sanniang and Xue Hongdou sat under a nearby tree's shade with oil-paper umbrellas, heads down, writing and drawing.

They were so absorbed that they didn't even notice Chen Wuji's arrival.

Or it was the workers who stopped their tasks, hurried over to salute Chen Wuji, and only then did the two notice.

"Go on with your work, no need for extra ceremony." Chen Wuji nodded at the workers and walked toward Huo Sanniang and her companions.

"San Niang, what are you busy with?"

Huo Sanniang felt a little embarrassed, "I and Hongdou are discussing how to arrange the interior of the Tavern, first sketching a rough draft. I want to prepare more guest rooms for this Tavern; Jie Jia Zui currently only has one inn under construction, so we can add guest rooms as well."

"My husband plans to open a market in Jie Jia Zui; this place will surely become lively, and business should not be bad."

While speaking, she furtively hid the sketch behind her back.

Chen Wuji reached out, pulled Huo Sanniang's hand from behind, and said, "We're an old married couple; why are you still so shy? Let me see what you're planning."

"Oh, don't, it's too ugly!" Huo Sanniang's ear tips flushed peach-red as she lightly stomped her foot.

Still, she couldn't stop his action.

"Let me look; it's not embarrassing." Chen Wuji chuckled.

Huo Sanniang gave a soft hum, her expression shy and nervous.

Whether it's because the days have improved or because of Chen Wuji's nocturnal efforts, Huo Sanniang now grows ever more youthful.

Her cheeks are so pink they seem to squeeze out water, yet her demeanor and posture carry the allure of a young married woman.

Such a woman is, in Chen Wuji's eyes, the most enticing.

Far more lethal than a pure, cute maiden.

Chen Wuji looked at what Huo Sanniang and Xue Hongdou had drawn and said, "Very good; why are you two embarrassed?"

"An ugly daughter-in-law can't show her face..." Huo Sanniang curled the corner of her mouth in a faint smile and muttered softly.

"You two have managed several Taverns already, yet you're still shy." Chen Wuji gave a light smile.

"The drawings are indeed not bad, but I have a suggestion: if we add guest rooms, this place is a bit small; we'll need to build two more floors."

"You know best what the Tavern usually sells; just this one floor for dining is already enough, let alone guest rooms."

The business of the Jade Lady Restaurant needs no doubt at all.

Prior experience is already more than sufficient.

In this era, stir-fried dishes are very trendy; anyone who has tried them once is almost never unimpressed.

For other Taverns, this is essentially a dimensional strike.

Once stir-fry appears, no matter how delicious the soup, it instantly becomes a side dish.

This isn't because Chen Wuji is so awesome; it's simply due to human taste preferences.

Just as iron pots and paper will inevitably replace clumsy Cauldron and Bamboo Slip.

This counts as historical progress.

"I worry that people elsewhere won't be used to eating our stir-fry." Huo Sanniang voiced her concern, "Just like the Qiang People, what they eat is completely different from ours; they might not like our food."

"Opening a Tavern in Jie Jia Zui, we're not just doing business for the Dayu Commoners; later, perhaps more will be from outside caravans."

Chen Wuji realized, "So you're worried the stir-fry won't sell well?"

Huo Sanniang and Xue Hongdou each nodded, one after the other.

On this point, they seem to have already reached a consensus.

Chen Wuji shook his head, "Don't worry, they'll like it; just do as I say. Speaking of food, none of our neighboring neighbors can match our Dayu People, and stir-fry is a very new kind; they have no reason not to like it."

"My lord, won't that be too absolute?" Xue Hongdou whispered.

Although this girl has long since moved past her psychological trauma, she still has a quiet, reserved nature.

Often she would rather act than say another word.

Just like in bed, after being trained by Qin Zhanhong, Shen Youwei, and later Xiao Yuji, these three demonic pills, Xue Hongdou now performs quite flexibly in bed. Most of the time she keeps her head down and doesn't speak, but when Chen Wuji finally reacts, she has already started swaying.

"Indeed there are some absolutes, but this is inevitable." Chen Wuji said confidently.

"We should learn from the experience of the previous taverns; in those earlier taverns, have any foreign merchant caravans come?"

Xue Hongdou nodded, "Many."

"Look, this is enough; they've all come before, what are you still worried about?" Chen Wuji said.