Chapter 144: Still Wanting More

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Still Wanting More

Qiao Suluo planned to keep herself busy. Only by staying busy could she stop overthinking.

Next, she busied herself with running her stall to earn money, while also offering strategies to Nanfeng Building, taking its business to the next level.

Half a month later, Nanfeng Building reopened after renovations. The stage featured a performance of The Male Consort.

Because Qiao Suluo had helped arrange early promotions, everyone was full of anticipation for the reopening, eager to see what this opera performance was all about. To attract customers, both female and male Beastmen were allowed to watch for free during the first three days. This immediately drew a massive crowd to Nanfeng Building.

When the audience finished watching the first act, every single one of them was utterly stunned.

"This is amazing!"

"The singing is so beautiful."

"It’s my first time seeing a performance like this. What is it? I’ve never seen anything like it before."

"I don’t know, but it’s breathtaking."

"I wonder if he can save his wife. A man disguising himself as a woman to win the top scholar title, only to catch the eye of the Prince... what will happen to his wife?"

"I don’t know. Let’s keep watching."

The crowd couldn’t wait for the second act. While everyone watched, attendants walked through the building carrying trays, selling sunflower seeds and pastries. Many Beastmen weren’t visiting Nanfeng Building for the first time, but it was their first time seeing such a wide variety of pastries.

"What kind of pastry is this?"

"Sir, this is an egg yolk pastry. It’s filled with egg yolk. You can try these small pieces for free."

Some pastries were cut into bite-sized pieces and skewered with toothpicks, specifically to make the free tasting convenient for everyone.

"It doesn’t cost money?"

"That’s right. These small pieces are all free to taste. If you like it, you can buy some; if not, there’s no pressure to buy."

"That’s great."

Curious, a customer took a small piece to try and immediately revealed an amazed expression. "This is so delicious! It tastes completely different from the pastries I’ve had before."

"You’re right! It’s actually savory."

In the past, most of the pastries they ate were made of red beans, mung beans, or rice cakes. This was their first time tasting a flavor like this.

"What flavor is this one?"

"This one is hawthorn, this one is floral, and there are also peanut and walnut flavors..."

The crowd didn’t expect so many flavors. After trying the free samples, they found that every single one was delicious. They wanted to buy them all.

However, upon asking, they learned the prices weren’t cheap. Those from well-off families naturally didn’t mind the cost. They bought some, planning to eat a few themselves and take the rest home for their families.

Nanfeng Building even had attendants specifically designated for packaging. The customers were surprised to find that the packaging boxes were exquisitely crafted.

"With boxes this beautiful, they’d be perfect for gifts, wouldn’t they?"

They had never seen such exquisite packaging before.

As a result, even more people bought them, planning to use them as gifts when visiting relatives. Though some couldn’t bear to spend the money, Nanfeng Building still sold a massive amount of pastries in just a short while.

As for the sunflower seeds, people didn’t care for them at first. However, they soon discovered that snacking on them while listening to the opera was quite enjoyable. Plus, they were cheap, so many bought a plate to munch on while watching the show.

By the time the morning acts concluded, the crowd was still left wanting more. They even made plans with each other to return and watch again the next day.

That evening, Tushan Feishang’s subordinates excitedly reported the day’s accounts to him.

"Mr. Tushan, today’s revenue from just tea and pastries is five times our usual amount! This... this is simply unimaginable."

"Mr. Tushan, offering free admission for the first three days has already produced such a huge effect. Once we start charging after three days, we’ll likely earn even more."

Tushan Feishang looked at the numbers in the ledger, revealing an expression of disbelief. He knew business would be good, but he hadn’t expected it to be this good. Those pastries were indeed delicious, unique in variety, and sweet without being cloying. The egg yolk pastries, in particular, were the best. He checked the accounts and saw that the egg yolk pastries were indeed the best sellers.

"Mr. Tushan, should we order more? Many people wanted to buy them today, but we ran out."

Tushan Feishang said, "Tell them they can place pre-orders. Let Qiao Dalin and the others know tomorrow to make a larger batch."

With Nanfeng Building’s business booming, it could provide a true sanctuary for these male Beastmen. They would no longer need to grovel to please females. Furthermore, with more silver, he could accomplish much more. Judging by this alone, it was obvious that he would definitely go back with Qiao Suluo after a month. Only now, he was no longer averse to the idea.

"What is Qiao Suluo doing right now?" he asked.

"She’s still busy at her stall. Miss Qiao’s stall business is booming. So many Beastmen are lining up to buy her food. She used to close up shop at noon, but now she stays open until mid-afternoon."

The subordinates all envied Mr. Tushan. He got to eat food personally cooked by Miss Qiao on a daily basis, and she always had someone deliver it to him whenever she cooked. Moreover, Miss Qiao was so kind; sometimes she would make extra portions, allowing them to have a taste as well. Every single dish Miss Qiao made was incredibly delicious.

It was no wonder so many Beastmen lined up to buy her food, which in turn caused the business at the Drunken Immortal Tower to boom as well. With more Beastmen gathered in front of her stall, people also noticed the set meal promotions at the entrance of the Drunken Immortal Tower. Many found it to be a good deal and the food appealing, so they would dine at the Drunken Immortal Tower too. That being said, the various tofu dishes at the Drunken Immortal Tower were undeniably delicious.

Tushan Feishang asked with some concern, "Won’t she be exhausted like this?"

She hadn’t been this busy in the past. It seemed that she had thrown herself into this frantic pace ever since Que Hongjin left.

A subordinate replied, "Rumor has it that Miss Qiao wants to earn more silver to buy a house and a storefront."

Tushan Feishang’s hand paused slightly as he held the ledger. "What do you think if I bought a house and a storefront for her?

"Would she be happy?"

Uh...

The subordinate didn’t know what to say. "Then are you going to confess your true identity to Miss Qiao, Mr. Tushan?"

Hearing this, Tushan Feishang let out a helpless sigh. He hadn’t expected that telling a lie at the very beginning would make it utterly impossible to tell the truth later on.

"Let’s wait and see," he said.

He was worried she would be angry if he told her. If that time came, and she was angry with him or refused to take him home, what would he do?

A few days ago, Qiao Suluo had repaired his second tail. He now had eight tails, with only one still broken. But Qiao Suluo had promised that when they went home, she would repair his final tail. He had been waiting for that day.

In the blink of an eye, the one-month deadline agreed upon by Qiao Suluo and Tushan Feishang arrived.

When Qiao Suluo finished her work at the stall in the mid-afternoon and headed to Nanfeng Building, it was still packed with people.

The stage inside was performing The Farewell My Concubine. However, in accordance with the system of the Beast World, the male and female roles had been swapped. The Beastmen sat in their seats, watching with immense relish and occasionally discussing the plot.

There were even Beastmen standing on the sidelines to watch. She knew that Beastmen from all over the prefectural city were now making special trips to Nanfeng Building to listen to the opera. Since all the seated tickets were sold out, many even bought standing tickets. Qiao Suluo wouldn’t have been able to squeeze her way through the main entrance, so she entered Nanfeng Building through the back door.

As soon as the staff at Nanfeng Building saw Qiao Suluo, they treated her with the utmost respect and welcomed her upstairs. Tushan Feishang was already waiting for her.

However, while walking up the stairs, Qiao Suluo felt inexplicably dizzy. She didn’t pay it much mind, but just as she reached the third floor and knocked on the door, her vision went black, and she collapsed in a dead faint.

"Miss Qiao! Miss Qiao!"

This completely terrified Tushan Feishang’s subordinate.

"Mr. Tushan! Mr. Tushan, Miss Qiao has fainted!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Tushan Feishang rushed out like a gust of wind. He immediately scooped Qiao Suluo up in his arms and rushed her to the clinic.

Tushan Feishang didn’t even realize how panicked he was—his hands trembled slightly as he held her.