Episode Summary
The family restaurant opens successfully but is immediately undercut by a rival who copies their menu and halves the price. To counter, Shen Shaoguang introduces a menu based on pork, a cheap but despised meat. After initial failure, she uses her brother's influence with the city's wealthy women to change public opinion, leading to massive success. The episode ends with a warning that their victory has angered powerful people connected to the rival tavern.
Spoiler Alert
A Grand Opening and a Big Problem
The Family Business Booms
The restaurant opens its doors. It is an instant hit. The place is completely packed.
In the kitchen, the dad, Shen Jianshe, is patting himself on the back. He's so proud. The mom, Li Fengxia, quickly reminds him their daughter did all the real work. He just brushes it off and says it's all because of his good genes. Classic dad move.
Things get a little tense when two customers start arguing. They're both in the timber business. A-Yuan freezes up and doesn't know what to do. But Shen Shaoguang handles it like a pro. She walks right up to them. She says the restaurant's wooden stools are very popular. She offers to give them the design drawings so they can both make money. The two guys love this idea. They're impressed with her business sense.
Her brother, Shen Shaojie, is also having a moment. He's become the local love guru for all the rich ladies in Yong'an City. This weird little side-hustle has become a major attraction for the restaurant. Shaoguang sees how happy he is, so she lets him have his fun. It just means more work for her and A-Yuan.
The Competition Plays Dirty
A few days later, Shen Shaoguang takes A-Yuan to the West Market. She buys her a really expensive hairpin. It's a sweet moment that shows how much she cares for her.
On their way back, they walk past Yunlai Tavern. They see something that makes their stomachs drop. The tavern has posted a new menu outside. It's their exact menu. Manager Feng is out front, shouting that his dishes are better and half the price. Customers immediately flock to his restaurant.
Shen Shaojie hears the news on the street. Back at their own restaurant, Li Fengxia is panicking. Shen Jianshe wants to fight fire with fire. He thinks they should just copy Yunlai Tavern's best dishes. He goes to the kitchen to try. The results are a disaster. Shen Shaojie tastes the food and can barely swallow it. Plus, the ingredients are way too expensive. They can't afford this kind of fight.
The Pork Counter-Attack
A Risky New Menu
Shen Shaoguang and A-Yuan finally get back. They are carrying half a pig and a strange-looking iron wok. Shaoguang explains her plan. They can't win a price war. So, they need to get creative with cheaper ingredients.
Pork is super cheap in this era. Most people think it's disgusting. But Shaoguang says her new iron wok can cook the pork in a way that removes the gross, gamey flavor. A-Yuan adds that the wok is custom-made by a specific blacksmith. Nobody has seen one like it before.
Soon, the family restaurant launches a new dish called Agate Meat. People figure out it's made from pork. They are immediately turned off. They think pork is unclean because pigs eat scraps. A crowd gathers to look, but no one buys it. They all leave. Over at Yunlai Tavern, Manager Feng hears about this and gets a smug look on his face.
Winning Over the Influencers
The family holds an emergency meeting. Shen Shaoguang knows the problem isn't the food. The problem is people's deep-seated prejudice against pork. They need someone to try it and prove them all wrong. Then she has an idea. They need an influencer. They need her brother, Shen Shaojie.
Shen Shaojie gathers his fan club of wealthy ladies. He gives them a little speech. He explains that the bad taste is gone because of how they cook it. He says the idea that some animals are "lower class" than others is just a social prejudice. One of the women really admires him. She decides to be the first to try the Agate Meat. She takes a bite. Her eyes go wide. It's delicious. It tastes just as good as beef or mutton. After she gives her approval, the other ladies all dig in. They all love it.
Victory and a Warning
A New King in Town
The plan worked. With the taste of pork now verified by the city's trendsetters, the restaurant rolls out a whole menu of pork dishes. They are a massive success. Someone even brings them a plaque that says "Number One Kitchen."
Shen Jianshe's ego inflates to the size of a hot air balloon. He gets incredibly cocky. He hands Shen Shaojie some money to hang the new plaque and starts spouting nonsense again. Li Fengxia sees this and immediately puts him in his place.
A Late-Night Warning
After a few busy days, Shen Shaoguang realizes she hasn't seen Lin Yan. She decides to visit him after the restaurant closes for the night. She brings him a new dish to try, braised pig's trotters.
It's the first time Lin Yan has ever tasted pork that's actually good. He doesn't care about being messy. He just devours the whole thing. After he's done, he gives her a serious warning. Their little business war with Yunlai Tavern has attracted attention from powerful people. He tells her that Yunlai Tavern has backers in the royal court. Those backers are losing money now. They are not going to be happy about it. They will definitely stir up trouble.
