Chapter Forty-Nine: Time to Open Your Eyes

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Liang Yunqing swallowed the cake in her mouth with effort, then sipped some tea to soothe her throat before answering, “I didn’t bring a snack box today, but I brought something else.”

“What did you bring?”

“Meat. A lot of meat.”

Upon hearing it was meat, Manager Yang immediately spoke up, “Miss Liang, we have plenty of meat in the kitchen. Why did you go through all the trouble of bringing some from afar?”

Hearing this, Liang Yunqing also realized it—indeed, what does the Joyful Guesthouse lack? And here she was, fussing over bringing meat.

She felt a pang of regret over the money spent.

“Miss Liang, the late-night snack you mentioned some time ago has already gone through trial operations with good feedback. Perhaps it’s time to move forward with cooperation?”

Master Xia, twirling the jade pendant at his waist, adopted a more serious tone.

Liang Yunqing set down her teacup and stood up, clearing her throat.

“That’s exactly why I’m here today. Soon, I’ll start making barbecue. After you taste it, we can introduce it officially—though the barbecue will only be served during late-night hours.”

“Good.”

Master Xia nodded in agreement.

The three of them walked from the third floor toward the kitchen. To prevent the smoke from bothering Xia Shian, Manager Yang specially tidied up a separate kitchen on one side.

The spacious kitchen seemed to have only three people, but Liang Yunqing was the only one busy at work.

“Manager Yang, stop just watching. Help me light a charcoal fire.”

Manager Yang had wanted to slack off, but meeting Master Xia’s gaze, he hurried to start the charcoal fire.

Liang Yunqing cut the meat into uniformly sized pieces, then borrowed some side ingredients and long wooden skewers from the adjacent kitchen. She threaded the meat together with green peppers and sections of scallions onto the skewers.

Soy sauce was mixed with sesame and Sichuan pepper powder, simmered in a pot until it turned a dark brown.

After evenly brushing the skewers with oil and sauce, she placed them over the charcoal fire. Both Master Xia and Manager Yang were amazed by this unusual method.

Though the kitchen also used charcoal for some dishes, this approach was different.

As she repeatedly turned the water-soaked skewers, the aroma of beef fat mixed with the unique sweetness of the green peppers fully emanated.

The smoky scent from the charcoal added a distinctive rustic flavor.

When the sizzling, dripping meat was perfectly grilled, Liang Yunqing handed a skewer to Xia Shian.

“Master Xia, have a taste.”

Xia Shian took the skewer, hesitating momentarily at its unusual appearance.

After giving another skewer to Manager Yang, Liang Yunqing eagerly started eating.

The first bite was fragrant and satisfying. She had been inside this novel for over two months, but this was the first time she had eaten meat so heartily.

And it was her favorite—barbecue.

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Master Xia imitated her and began eating as well. The seasoning had infused into the meat, with vegetables underneath each piece.

This combination prevented any greasiness and instead brought a unique flavor.

“Delicious. Is this what you call barbecue? It smells amazing.”

Manager Yang finished one skewer and immediately took another, savoring it without any concern for appearances.

Master Xia’s eyes also showed approval. This taste and the innovative preparation method were unheard of.

She had already keenly spotted a new business opportunity.

Seeing that everyone was nearly done eating, Liang Yunqing finally spoke about her plan.

“Master Xia, we can officially start late-night snack service tonight and introduce barbecue to customers.”

“Sounds good.”

Who wouldn’t want to start making money sooner? Xia Shian was already thinking ahead.

“But for tonight’s late-night stall, I need a different venue.”

Liang Yunqing drew a yellow sheet of paper from her bosom—it was leftover packaging paper from steamed dumplings, upon which she had roughly sketched a blueprint with brush and ink.

It depicted a long barbecue grill and a rather large wooden table.

Xia Shian carefully examined the blueprint and barely grasped Liang Yunqing’s intention.

Without saying more, he clapped his hands and called over a maid standing outside, handing her the blueprint along with some instructions.

Having settled the tools, Liang Yunqing picked two assistants from the kitchen to cut the meat and side dishes and skewer them one by one.

She herself guarded a pot simmering the barbecue sauce.

Night fell.

The Joyful Guesthouse on the first floor had already closed for the day.

The street, however, was lively. Many diners knew that late-night snacks would be offered tonight.

In recent days, only marinated tofu and drinks had been available, but before closing today, a large sign was hung.

It read: “Tonight’s late-night snacks feature barbecue, limited to the first 50 customers.”

Due to Joyful Guesthouse’s recent rising fame, many curious diners lined up at the door before the evening hour.

The barbecue grill was also hurriedly made, set atop a wide wooden table.

The charcoal inside burned fiercely, with skewers of meat and vegetables neatly arranged in front.

At the appointed hour, Manager Yang loudly called from the doorway,

“Open the doors, welcome the guests!”

With that shout, customers surged forward, though everyone seemed unfamiliar with this new style of eating.

Liang Yunqing tied on an apron and addressed the curious crowd,

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“Dear guests, please come here to select your ingredients, then inform the waiter. Once prepared, the food will be delivered directly to your tables.”

After speaking, several richly dressed young gentlemen gathered around. Some young ladies, unwilling to push into the crowd, sent their servants forward to choose.

“How novel!”

“Can this really taste good?”

Facing these doubts, Liang Yunqing simply placed some ordered skewers on the grill.

As the scent wafted into the noses of onlookers, each person was stunned speechless by the powerful aroma.

They scrambled to find seats and called the waiters to place orders.

The first floor bustled with excitement, so much so that even Xia Shian, resting on the third floor, was awakened by the noise. He went to the railing and looked down.

Every customer’s face was filled with eagerness and expectation—something he had not anticipated.

Outside, Liang Yunqing was busy at the grill, the aroma of barbecue spreading along the street, prompting nearby shops to open their windows.

Even owners of neighboring taverns stepped outside.

More and more people gathered around the stall, though only a few could actually eat since only enough for fifty servings had been prepared.

Those who missed out clenched their chests in frustration and settled for a plate of marinated tofu while sitting aside.

Watching those who ate wear expressions of shock and enjoyment, they resolved to come earlier the next day.

Liang Yunqing was glad she had two helpers; otherwise, she would never have managed.

After finishing one round of grilling, she wiped the sweat from her brow and sat on a wooden bench to rest.

In the original story, the heroine, Liang Lianxin, never soiled her hands with household chores.

But now that she had entered this world, not only did her fingers get wet with washing, she also rose earlier than the roosters and slept later than the dogs.

Truly, no one else could compare.

Just as she was complaining, a sudden strong force yanked her upright.

Several middle-aged women dressed in silk and adorned with golden hairpins dragged Liang Yunqing outside.

“Hey! Who are you people?”

Their grip was strong. When she was pulled out of the crowd, she finally saw that these women were accompanied by several men, each wearing an exaggeratedly flattering smile.

“You must be the new junior supervisor at Joyful Guesthouse?”

A man wearing a large golden ring clasped his hands and said.