Chapter Forty-Three: The Current Left Prime Minister
Zhou Changkui signed his name on the franchise contract and pressed his fingerprint with a hint of hesitation on his face, still feeling somewhat uneasy at heart.
Seeing this, Li Pingyang assured him, “Brother Zhou, trust me! Give me three days, and I’ll prove it to you.”
Catching sight of the unwavering determination in Li Pingyang’s eyes, Zhou Changkui nodded, pressed his fingerprint, and handed the contract over. Then, he went downstairs and brought back a sack of money for him.
The money was the franchise fee for stinky tofu. The surplus was a loan from Zhou Changkui to help Li Pingyang expand his business.
Accepting the money, Li Pingyang bowed deeply to Zhou Changkui, silently vowing to remember this kindness. Once the business flourished, he would not let Zhou Changkui down and would ensure he received his rightful share.
Leaving the pharmacy, Li Pingyang felt a weight lifted from his shoulders, as though a great stone had finally been removed from his heart. With this sum, he would build more tricycle carts, seek out more franchisees, and grow the business.
Zhou Changkui’s tofu shop was transformed into the headquarters, renamed Pingyang Restaurant, and became the main store for stinky tofu.
As the chain expanded, he began to consider the name of the flagship store. After much deliberation, he finally settled on naming it “Li’s.”
On one hand, Li Pingyang oversaw the renovation and arrangement of the new restaurant; on the other, he had Little Dragonfly spread the word, recruiting more franchisees and collecting franchise fees.
On the first day, with Zhou Changkui as the first to join, the number of franchisees grew steadily. Many were drawn by the prospects of this novel snack, and, of course, by its founder—the revered Poet Sage, Li Gou Dan!
With such a figure at the helm, it was no doubt a golden signboard.
Even Li Pingyang hadn’t expected that counting the franchise fees alone would keep him and Little Dragonfly up all night, unable to finish.
Previously, selling stinky tofu had won him some loyal customers. When Li Pingyang invited them to join the franchise, they agreed readily. But when it came to the franchise fee, many were troubled. Some said they’d spent all their savings on a house, others had just bought land…
Though the fee was not high, it was by no means cheap for ordinary folk, leaving many hesitant at the threshold.
But Li Pingyang simply smiled and said it was no issue. As long as they wanted to join, they could write an IOU for the fee and pay him back once they made money.
Moved by Li Pingyang’s generosity and genuine concern for them, many signed the contracts, determined to follow him and make their mark in Cangzhou!
On the second day, tricycle carts bearing the “Li’s” sign began to appear throughout Cangzhou. In many alleys and street corners, the sight of these bustling carts became common.
Whenever the Su family sent people to chase them away, they followed Li Pingyang’s instructions: pressing the mechanism on the cart, quickly folding up the stall, and moving to another street to sell.
Thus, they played a game of cat and mouse, wearing out the stewards who eventually grew weary and turned a blind eye.
Anyone who tasted the stinky tofu couldn’t forget it. People recommended it to one another, word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred…
Their reputation was built by word of mouth, saving them a fortune in advertising. Wherever Li’s stinky tofu appeared, crowds gathered.
A snack once ignored on the roadside had, against all odds, become the most iconic delicacy in Cangzhou.
With every new stall that joined, Li Pingyang would plant a small red flag on the map of Cangzhou.
Each flag bore the character “Li,” marking another street under their banner.
Looking at the left side of the map, where the Su family’s territory had been circled, Su Liuwu remained unaware that his domain was being quietly encircled by Li Pingyang’s chain stores.
On the third day, the former Zhou’s Tofu business was completely transformed, emerging as a grandly decorated, ingeniously arranged restaurant—Pingyang Restaurant.
The grand opening was celebrated with drums and firecrackers that never ceased. To mark the occasion, Li Pingyang had invited his friend, the famous courtesan Liu Yan’er from Drunken Moon Pavilion, to entertain the guests.
Li Hu’s injuries had healed. Hearing that Li Gou Dan had opened a restaurant, he hurried to Cangzhou, eager to see his friend after a long separation.
Not long before, Li Pingyang’s fame at the Flower-Filled Tower’s poetry contest had spread. Thus, many young gentlemen and ladies, fond of poetry, traveled from afar to attend the opening and catch a glimpse of him.
Amid the bustling crowd, Li Pingyang spotted a familiar figure.
The Third Prince, accompanied by the elderly man who had once played chess with him, was approaching with laughter and conversation. Excited, Li Pingyang, who was serving a table of guests, quickly instructed Little Dragonfly to see to them and ran over himself.
“Greetings, Your High—” he began to bow, but before he could finish, the Third Prince snapped open his folding fan with a sharp crack and coughed twice.
Catching on, Li Pingyang quickly corrected himself, “Third Young Master! Sir!”
The Third Prince smiled and nodded, fanning himself as he glanced inside, noticing not only the crowd but also the many beautiful women present.
His eyes especially lingered on Liu Yan’er, radiant as a fairy as she served food. With a teasing laugh, he said, “Just a few days apart, Brother Li, and you already have such a stunning beauty by your side? Wonderful! Simply wonderful!”
Li Pingyang could only laugh, hastening to explain that Miss Liu was merely a friend and nothing more. But the more he explained, the louder the Third Prince laughed.
“You know each other?” the Third Prince asked in surprise, noticing the friendly nods exchanged between Li Pingyang and the elderly man. Curious, he inquired how they had met.
Upon arriving in Cangzhou, the Third Prince had first visited Old Master Lin, then the two had come together to support the opening. He hadn’t expected that Li Pingyang and Old Master Lin not only knew each other, but were quite familiar.
With the prince’s introduction, it turned out that the elderly man was none other than the Left Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty—Lin Bowen—the very same who had played chess with Li Pingyang before.
Upon learning his true identity, Li Pingyang was nearly struck dumb with shock. He remembered, mortified, how he had gotten drunk and vomited all over the minister at the Flower-Filled Tower. Now he could only pray Old Master Lin was not one to hold grudges. Otherwise, what crime would it be to vomit on the Left Prime Minister? He’d lose his head many times over!
While these thoughts raced through his mind, Lin Bowen and the Third Prince had already entered the restaurant. As Li Pingyang went to close the door, he noticed, under a distant tree, a middle-aged man peering in.
Looking more closely, he realized it was his own father, Li Shenfang. At that moment, his father stood quietly, watching A Jiao serve tea to guests in the courtyard.
Li’s father and A Jiao had been separated for many years, yet he had always loved her, thinking of her every day, though he pretended otherwise and never spoke of his longing.
Gazing at A Jiao, tears shimmered in his father’s eyes, but pride kept him from apologizing face to face.
Li Pingyang walked over. When his father saw him approaching, he immediately tried to slip away, but Li Gou Dan blocked his path.
He dragged his father inside, saying, “Father! Since you’re here, why not come in and say hello?”
His father replied, “No need,” but Li Pingyang gently pushed him forward.
Just then, A Jiao had finished serving the guests. She turned, and there was Li Shenfang standing at the door.
Surprise and emotion flickered across her face; the cloth in her hand slipped to the ground, and her lips trembled.
After a moment’s pause, A Jiao ran to Li Shenfang and embraced him tightly. Seeing the two reunited, Li Pingyang’s heart swelled with genuine happiness for them.