Serenity Vegetarian Bistro Opens for Business

Winter Solstice Festival.

Firecrackers crackled loudly, a full thousand bursts—Evans Manor's 'Elegant Vegetarian Bistro' was officially open for business!

Tenmile Hill was no longer what it used to be. With Phoenix Academy opening on the same day, the streets of Tenmile Hill were bustling with people, packed to the brim—what a spectacular scene!

Thanks to its beautiful, high-end decor, Lily Evans's Vegetarian Bistro had long piqued everyone's curiosity. Now that it was finally open, the crowd squeezed in to take a look.

But one look at the bistro's elegant furnishings told you the prices inside wouldn't be cheap. Ordinary folk didn't have the nerve to step in—the only ones entering were students from Phoenix Academy.

Phoenix Academy's tuition was sky-high, easily a hundred times that of regular academies. So those who studied here came from extremely wealthy backgrounds—heirs of rich merchants and sons of the nobility.

Lily Evans had a keen eye for business; her target customers were exactly these well-off young gentlemen.

Her bistro took the high-end boutique route, with fresh vegetables supplied by her mushroom house and greenhouse. Every dish was a feast for the senses—and of course, the prices were sky-high, at least double those at Savory House.

The bistro was also strictly members-only. The first round issued five hundred memberships, and only members could dine in. No membership, no entry—even if you were a noble and offered a fortune!

As for selecting the first batch of members, that task naturally fell to Leonard Li, who handpicked the most extravagant young heirs.

“Exactly! The chef’s skills are absolutely incredible. And now, right at the winter solstice, how does this bistro serve such fresh vegetables? Truly remarkable!” Mr. Wang praised.

“Exactly! This Serenity Vegetarian Bistro is just as good as the ones in the capital.”

With Leonard Li’s energetic marketing, all five hundred membership slots were snapped up in no time. Each membership cost fifty taels, so just from selling memberships, they made a net profit of twenty-five thousand taels on opening day!

These wealthy young nobles didn’t care about the money; as long as the place had style and the food was good, the more expensive, the better. Some even regretted not getting a membership and begged their friends to bring them along to eat at Serenity Vegetarian Bistro.

In no time, having a Serenity Vegetarian Bistro membership card became the ultimate status symbol among the elite students of Phoenix Academy—everyone wanted one.

“Of course it’s true! You all know how picky I am—if I say it’s delicious, you can bet it’s top notch!” Leonard Li grinned.

“Right, right! If Young Lord Leonard says it’s good, then it must be!” the young nobles chorused, looking thoroughly convinced.

Meanwhile, Lily was hustling in the kitchen. Since she was aiming for a high-end experience, she didn’t need to push for volume sales, so she could sneak out for a breather whenever she pleased.

When Leonard Li’s table was served, the young nobles were so blown away, they joked about kneeling to the chef in thanks.

“This is vegetarian food? I swear, I’ve never seen anything like it!” Mr. Zhao was absolutely amazed. Dishes made from veggies that looked and tasted just like meat—this was pure wizardry!

“Totally! The chef’s skills are unreal. And now, in the dead of winter, this bistro still serves fresh veggies—how rare is that?” Mr. Wang chimed in, full of praise.

“No kidding! This Serenity Vegetarian Bistro is just as good as the ones in the capital.”

Thanks to Leonard Li’s enthusiastic sales pitch, all five hundred membership slots were gone in a flash. At fifty taels each, just selling memberships netted them twenty-five thousand taels on opening day!

These rich young nobles didn’t care about the price—if the place had flair and the food was top shelf, the more expensive, the better. Some regretted missing out on a membership and begged their friends to bring them along to eat at Serenity Vegetarian Bistro.

Soon enough, having a Serenity Vegetarian Bistro membership card became the hottest status symbol among the elite students of Phoenix Academy—everyone wanted one.