Yaelle slept straight through until dawn. It might have been because she had a good dream or simply because she had enough rest. When she woke up, she felt radiant, full of energy, and ready to work.
After washing up and finishing breakfast, she went to patrol the backyard garden. Finding nothing unusual, she returned to her own courtyard. With no other way to pass time, she went into her space to look around and found some cross-stitch items she had bought out of boredom before.
There were hanging decorations, ornaments, and shoe pads, all kinds and sizes, but she only had interest for a few days before losing patience. They had been gathering dust in storage. This time, she took them out to stitch again, partly to pass time and partly to use as betrothal gifts.
She had picked cheap, random patterns, some even cartoonish. She wondered if those would seem strange when given away. If anyone asked, she could just say they were her original designs.
Five days later, when Xavier finished the first batch of double-flavor hot pots, she went to check. The quality was good, but since everything was handmade, progress was slow.
Three days after that, Xavier asked her to look at a shop to see if it was suitable for a hot pot restaurant.
They rode in his carriage for over half an hour and stopped in front of a fairly grand-looking store on a busy street. Yaelle got off and entered, finding the space quite large. The main hall could hold over ten tables, with around ten private rooms. The upstairs layout was similar.
"How is it?" Xavier asked.
"The place is suitable, but the smoke exhaust needs work. Otherwise, the room will fill with smoke, which is irritating and could cause poisoning," Yaelle said seriously.
"Oh, I didn't notice that. How do we fix it?" Xavier replied with concern. He had heard of strange deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in winter fires. It must be from harmful smoke inside.
"Have you bought the charcoal stove yet?" Yaelle asked.
"Not yet. I want to order custom-made ones after the tables are ready."
"Let me think. I'll draw a design for you. You can see if it's doable." She went to the carriage, slipped into her space, and spent some time drawing with pencil and paper. But she just seemed to be fetching something, not drawing.
Yaelle based her design on a rural multifunctional energy-saving household stove. The stove has a long smoke pipe to vent smoke outdoors. It's a bit complicated, but with current technology, it should be almost perfect and eliminates the need for tables.
Xavier studied the design carefully and praised, "Wow, this design is amazing!" He gave her a thumbs up. The more he looked, the more he appreciated how clever the stove was.
The stove was integrated with the table for convenience and space-saving. Adding charcoal was easy and didn't disturb users. Most importantly, the smoke vent system worked well to keep the air inside clean.
Xavier admired Yaelle's intelligence and creativity. He wondered how her mind worked to come up with such a perfect design. As time passed, he appreciated her talent more and more.
They discussed details like materials and dimensions. After thorough discussion, they agreed on a plan and decided to start making it soon. Xavier first took Yaelle home, then went to the blacksmith's shop.
On the way, Xavier felt deeply moved. Working with Yaelle taught him many things—not only skills and knowledge but also how to think and be creative. He believed that if they kept good communication, they would achieve even more.
At the blacksmith shop, Xavier showed the design and explained his needs. The blacksmiths nodded and praised the design's originality and practicality. They agreed to make it but needed time to prepare materials and tools. Xavier understood and set a delivery date.
Back at home, Xavier took out the design again to study. He saw it was full of creativity and inspiration, almost like a work of art. He knew only someone who truly understood user needs and had experience could create such a clear plan. Yaelle was such a person. She had spent a winter in Gansheng and deeply understood the stove's use. So it was no surprise she drew such a clear diagram.
Time passed quickly. It was now the third week memorial day for Yaelle's father. The sky was gloomy, as if covered by a thin gray veil. The air felt sad and heavy, making people feel down.
Yaelle and her brother went to the cemetery. They held fresh flowers and walked heavily to their father's grave.
Yaelle knelt slowly and placed the flowers in front. She gently touched the cold tombstone and felt a deep sadness. Maybe it was the original owner's feelings still there. She silently spoke to her father: "Though I accidentally took your daughter's body, I will be a good daughter, visit often, take care of brother, and live well."
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them with a determined light. She knew her father was gone but lived forever in her heart. After this, she felt much lighter. Maybe the original owner's spirit had finally disappeared.
Finally, Yaelle stood and left the cemetery with her brother. Their figures grew smaller and vanished on the distant road.
The stove was indeed difficult to make and expensive. The masters worked fast and slow, and it took nearly a month to finish all the stoves. Before making them, a contract was signed to only make this kind of stove for their family.
If others wanted to make one, they needed Yaelle's permission. Yaelle made a few herself and put them in her and her brother's bedrooms for winter heating. Actually, kang beds were warmer, but considering the relatively mild winters in the southwest, usually not below zero, kang beds were a bit over the top.
Just before the hotpot restaurant opened, Yaelle planned a series of promotional activities like in the future. She also hand-painted a menu sample similar to modern hotpot menus. The menu clearly listed all dishes and their prices.
Customers just needed to check their preferred dishes. Unlike the future, she made the menu reusable by carving it on thin wood and coating it with lacquer. The special ink used could be wiped off with water, so after closing each night, it could be cleaned and used again the next day.
A few days before opening, Yaelle started teaching the chefs she hired how to prepare hotpot base and broth. Though the steps looked complicated, they were easy to master with care. Two or three days were enough to become skilled.
For the neighbors, however, this was a "disaster." Every day they were drawn by the strong, tempting smell but could only watch the hotpot restaurant and hear it was not officially open. Many children cried because they couldn't taste the hotpot, causing complaints from nearby residents who nagged outside the door.
Finally, on July 28, the big day came. The hotpot restaurant opened! As the door slowly opened, festive firecrackers popped loudly, adding a lively atmosphere.
When the noise died down, everyone looked at the signboard covered with a red cloth. The staff gently pulled down the cloth, revealing the three big characters "Xiang Shuan Fang." The name was simple, but from it, people guessed the restaurant offered delicious hotpot dishes.
At that moment, Xavier stepped outside and gave a passionate speech welcoming and thanking the guests. He announced that all dishes would have a 20% discount on opening day and return to full price the next day. This caused a strong response from the crowd.
Many said they were willing to come try the new hotpot restaurant. On opening day, customers came non-stop. Half were attracted by the promotion, and the other half by the tempting smell spreading on the street.
Few could resist the urge to see what it was like. The guests were curious about the new ordering method. After the waiter explained, they praised it as convenient and innovative.
When the broth and dishes arrived, the guests were surprised. They expected a chef to cook on the spot but did not expect the ingredients to be raw and that they had to cook them themselves. With the waiter's patient guidance, they quickly learned the skill and began enjoying this unique dining experience.
Meanwhile, Yaelle's carefully created drinks became popular. Whether the refreshing white fungus soup or the sweet and rich rice wine dumplings, they matched the hotpot perfectly. Customers enjoyed the hot steaming hotpot while drinking cool beverages, creating a thrilling contrast that was addictive.
As time passed, customer satisfaction grew. Many praised the restaurant's innovation and tasty food. Some already planned to come again and recommended the place to friends.
For Yaelle, seeing happy and satisfied customers gave her great comfort, proving her efforts were worthwhile. After closing, Yaelle counted the money and was amazed.
Today's sales reached more than eighteen thousand taels. This was a large amount. Qingyun City clearly had many wealthy people.
Eighteen thousand in one day was no small sum. Even calculating half as profit gave nearly ten thousand taels, and the real profit was even more. Xavier was very happy too.
Today's success brought good earnings and boosted the store's reputation. He was glad he chose to partner with Yaelle. More importantly, after spending time with her, he understood her better.
Especially seeing her money-loving side today, he found her even more adorable.