Chapter 276: Open a Porridge Shop Near the Government Office?

Chapter 276: Open a Porridge Shop Near the Government Office?

"Ah..." Qin Xiaoyao glanced at Song Que.

Then, he looked at the Second Prince.

"I just have a bit more strength, but I don't know how to train troops."

Seeing the Second Prince's expression change, Qin Xiaoyao added, "However, since the Second Prince values it, I am willing to give it a try."

The Second Prince's eyes immediately brightened.

"How about this, if the Second Prince agrees, every other afternoon, I will report to the camp."

Training soldiers was naturally something she had no experience with, but she did have experience leading physical training sessions.

With the knowledge in her mind, helping the soldiers improve their physical fitness was certainly feasible.

Going once every other day for an afternoon wouldn't interfere much with her own affairs.

"How could I disagree?! This prince welcomes it greatly!" the Second Prince said excitedly.

Thus, both of them agreed to help the Second Prince.

The difference was that Song Que would have to go daily, except on rest days.

Qin Xiaoyao, however, only needed to go every other half-day.

Afterward, the three continued chatting.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the Second Prince talked quite a bit about Lingquan Town and Zhao County.

He even mentioned the political situation.

Moreover, Qin Xiaoyao noticed that whenever the political situation was brought up, the Second Prince would often glance at her husband.

It might have been a coincidence once or twice, but as the frequency increased, Qin Xiaoyao became more suspicious.

But there was no opportunity to ask, so she held back her questions.

Finally, it was time for lunch.

Lady Liu and others slowly brought the prepared dishes to the table.

The Second Prince, knowing the current state of Lingquan Town, had not expected much from this meal.

But seeing several meat dishes, he also developed a craving.

"Where does your family get this meat from?" After the meal started, the Second Prince ate several pieces of meat and then asked.

Now, not to mention Lingquan Town, even the entire Zhao County found it difficult to obtain fresh meat.

For the Song family to have cured meat was already surprising enough, let alone fresh pork.

Qin Xiaoyao smiled and exchanged a look with Song Que.

"The cured meat is what we prepared beforehand. The fresh pork, I bought from Fu House."

"Fu House? Oh—I see." The Second Prince quickly understood.

He knew about Fu House, which was said to be the best restaurant in Lingquan Town. Some of its specialty dishes were unique and highly praised.

Previously, someone had invited him to dine there, but due to his busy schedule, he never went.

"Do you have any connection with Fu House?" the Second Prince suddenly asked.

Being able to obtain fresh meat at this time suggested that the owner of Fu House must have some capabilities.

Qin Xiaoyao smiled.

"Not really. We just supply some ingredients to Fu House regularly. Over time, we've become familiar with the kitchen staff."

As she spoke, Qin Xiaoyao gestured for the Second Prince to try the century eggs on the table.

"This is one of the ingredients our family supplies to Fu House. Prince, why don't you give it a try?"

The Second Prince looked at the century eggs on the table and became interested.

He picked one up and tasted it, his eyes lighting up.

"What is this?" he quickly asked.

"These are century eggs," Qin Xiaoyao explained with a smile.

"They are made by processing chicken or duck eggs. Century eggs have a unique flavor and have become a specialty dish at Fu House."

As she spoke, Qin Xiaoyao encouraged the Second Prince to try the century egg soup and century egg and lean meat porridge.

The Second Prince tried each one and found the flavors truly remarkable.

Only then did Qin Xiaoyao bring up her plan to buy a shop and open a porridge shop.

"Excellent. If such porridge is sold at your shop, it will surely attract many customers," the Second Prince said sincerely.

Century egg and lean meat porridge was indeed a delicacy.

Even in the capital, and even in the palace, it would be hard to find.

"Where do you plan to set up the porridge shop? Is it close to the government office?" If it were close, he felt he could have a few bowls every day.

One bowl would definitely not be enough.

Qin Xiaoyao's eyes flickered slightly.

"It would be good if we could find a location near the government office. But I'm not sure if the shops nearby are easy to buy." She said hesitantly.

The government office is located in the central district, where there are actually quite a few people.

Moreover, her husband will be helping out at the government office soon, which would allow him to become familiar with the faces there.

Having the porridge shop near the government office would certainly have its benefits.

Additionally, the consumption in the central district is somewhat higher, so even if she priced her century egg porridge a bit higher, it wouldn't matter.

"It should be easy to buy. The last time this prince passed by, I saw several shops for sale." Although being for sale doesn't necessarily mean they are selling the shops.

But in business, it's not always necessary to buy a shop. Renting can also work.

Anyway, secretly, he hoped the Song family would open their porridge shop near the government office.

This way, he would have a treat for some time to come.

Also, he hoped the Song family could get closer to him.

He was very interested in both Mr. Qin and Song Que.

Qin Xiaoyao's eyes lit up.

"In that case, let's go inquire tomorrow!" she said quickly.

Previously, she had been worried about her husband's cold not being fully recovered, so she hadn't started looking for a shop.

Now that her husband is much better, it's time to focus on acquiring property.

Taking advantage of the current stability in Lingquan Town, many things are still unclear, making it a good time to buy a shop, as the prices should be more reasonable.

Hearing this, the Second Prince glanced at the couple.

"In that case, I'll give you three days. After three days, please come back to help at the government office and the military camp, alright?" He thought he was being quite generous and magnanimous.

Qin Xiaoyao and Song Que exchanged a look and thanked him, agreeing to his request.

They planned to buy more shops, and three days was indeed a tight schedule.

However, after that, only Song Que would need to report to the government office daily, while Qin Xiaoyao would still have time to look for and purchase shops.

Next, Qin Xiaoyao invited the Second Prince to try the bean sprouts.

Finding the bean sprouts to be fresh and delicious, the Second Prince also enjoyed them greatly. He even remarked that the soldiers in the military camp could improve their diet with these.

After the meal, the Second Prince stayed at the Song residence for a long time before finally taking his leave.

Before leaving, he took one hundred century eggs and a basket of bean sprouts from the Song family.

The couple personally saw the Second Prince off, watching until his entourage disappeared down the alley before they looked at each other and returned to the courtyard.

On horseback, Han Chao, the Second Prince's guard who had discovered Qin Xiaoyao at the government office, spoke to the Second Prince.

"Why does Your Highness value Master Song so much?"

Valuing Mr. Qin was understandable, given his evident abilities.

But Master Song—

Alright, even if Master Song has a special identity as the grandson of former Prime Minister Song Hong.

Still, it wasn't necessary for His Highness to go to such lengths to keep him close.

The Second Prince glanced at Han Chao, a smile playing on his face.

"Song Que is more complex than you see," he said.

After speaking, he ignored Han Chao's puzzled gaze and rode ahead.