Chapter 494: The Imperial Edict and a Fortuitous Encounter
As De Hongchen's eating speed gradually picked up, the Mapo Tofu and white rice were quickly almost gone.
Just as he was about to finish off the remaining rice and Mapo Tofu, he saw Qi Han slowly walking toward him, holding a tray in his hands. A rich sweet-and-sour aroma—somewhat similar to the Fried Pork in Scoop, yet carrying an extra hint of tomato fragrance and the fresh scent of fish—reached De Hongchen's nose almost the moment Qi Han approached, causing him to pause mid-bite.
This smell… could it be Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish?
Having already read the detailed description of the dish on the menu, De Hongchen knew that Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish was a sweet-and-sour dish, somewhat similar to the Fried Pork in Scoop he had at noon.
Thinking back to the delightful taste of that Fried Pork in Scoop, he looked expectantly at the dish in Qi Han's hands—the fish spread open like flower petals, its bright reddish hue especially enticing.
"Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish. Please enjoy," Qi Han said, placing the dish in front of De Hongchen before returning to the kitchen.
Looking at the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish before him—identical to the picture on the menu, if not even more tempting—and inhaling the increasingly rich sweet-and-sour aroma as he leaned closer, De Hongchen swallowed and quickly picked up his chopsticks to grab a strip of fish.
Which tastes better, this or the Fried Pork in Scoop?
With that thought in mind, he swiftly put the piece into his mouth.
On the surface of the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish was a sweet-and-sour sauce similar to that of the Fried Pork in Scoop, yet subtly different. From its color alone, one could tell that tomato sauce had been added, giving the familiar sweet-and-sour flavor an extra layer of tomato's unique freshness, creating a wonderfully refreshing taste.
Beneath the sauce were slender strips of fish coated in a crispy batter. Fried to a golden perfection, the exterior was delightfully crunchy while sealing in all the essence and freshness of the fish within.
With a single bite, the crispy coating broke apart, releasing the fish inside—tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. An expression of pure enjoyment unconsciously spread across De Hongchen's face.
This Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish is excellent—on par with the Fried Pork in Scoop, perhaps even superior in appearance.
De Hongchen gently picked up a tender reddish shrimp scattered atop the dish and placed it into his mouth.
The green peas and shrimp had only been lightly prepared—blanched to remove any fishiness—serving merely as garnish to add color. Yet even so, Qi Han had not treated them carelessly. The shrimp was springy and tender, lightly coated in the sweet-and-sour sauce, making for a delightful bite.
Following suit, De Hongchen picked up a green pea and tasted it, savoring the soft texture of the pea itself along with its natural bean aroma blending with the sweet-and-sour tomato sauce. The satisfaction on his face deepened further.
What a truly delicious dish.
Including the white rice, De Hongchen had already tasted five dishes from Han Shi, and each one had given him an unprecedented culinary experience. What was even more remarkable was that every dish had its own distinct character, each with a unique flavor.
If all the other dishes at Han Shi were like this…
The anticipation in De Hongchen's eyes grew even stronger.
He made up his mind—he would dine at Han Shi every day from now on.
With that thought, his gaze lingered deeply on Qi Han, who was busy working in the kitchen.
How long would he be able to enjoy such exquisite food?
Qi Han, what exactly is your purpose in coming to the Sun Moon Continent?
If you truly can bring something unexpected to this land… then even this old body of mine might have to stir into action.
…
At the center of a tornado lies the calmest point.
While the entire Mingdu City was stirred into waves by the emergence of Han Shi, Qi Han—right at the eye of the storm—remained completely unaware.
As the second day of business came to an end, Qi Han happily opened the panel for Side Quest 10-1. Seeing the task progress jump from single digits to triple digits, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
This was all thanks to Xu Jiyun.
What a good brother!
The officials who had come for lunch had almost all returned to Han Shi in the evening, and after their second visit, they had become repeat customers.
Although this sudden wave of returning customers was unexpected and unlikely to grow at the same rate in the short term, Qi Han was still delighted to see the much more pleasing progress on his task.
Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, eight days had passed.
Han Shi had now been open in Mingdu City for a full ten days, and throughout this time, business had remained steady, which put Qi Han more and more at ease.
It seemed that Mingde Hall and the Sun Moon Empire's royal family had not yet noticed him.
Which made sense, he was just running a small restaurant in such a remote location. How could someone so insignificant attract attention so easily?
Over these ten days, new customers had gradually come to Han Shi. Although their numbers were limited due to the remote location, they added up over time. Qi Han's repeat customer task had now reached around three hundred. At this rate, completing the goal of one thousand repeat customers within thirty days seemed entirely achievable.
That was certainly something worth celebrating.
But aside from that, there was another development that both pleased and puzzled Qi Han—the changes in the surrounding area.
Not long after Han Shi opened, three new shops had appeared nearby. After rapid renovations, they quickly began operating. Qi Han had even visited them out of friendliness, supporting his new neighbors.
What he didn't expect, however, was that this was only the beginning.
After that, more and more new shops began opening in the area. Nearly every day brought new neighbors, until now almost the entire commercial district was filled with newly opened businesses. This strange phenomenon left Qi Han quite baffled.
A thriving business district was naturally a good thing. With all these new shops opening, the area was no longer as desolate as before, when barely anyone would pass through all day. This further accelerated Qi Han's Side Quest 10-1 progress.
But it seemed that all these new shops had appeared only after Han Shi began operating.
Could their emergence be related to Han Shi?
Which visionary had seen Han Shi's bright future and decided to invest in the surrounding commercial district in advance?
After thinking it over, this was the only explanation Qi Han could come up with.
Before he could fully figure it out, an imperial edict issued by the emperor of the Sun Moon Empire was posted throughout Mingdu City.
The edict detailed how the court had discussed using Mingke Street as a pilot area to develop a prosperous commercial district, driving growth in remote neighborhoods. This finally made Qi Han realize the truth.
It was likely that some well-connected wealthy merchants had gotten wind of the news in advance and moved early to seize the opportunity. In reality, this had little to do with Han Shi.
In that case, Qi Han had been quite lucky. He had originally thought it would be very difficult to complete his task in such a remote street, but by sheer coincidence, he had arrived just as Mingdu City began developing Mingke Street…
"Ru Yi, looks like I'm pretty lucky, huh?" Qi Han couldn't help but boast.
Ru Yi, who knew the whole story: "…"
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