The period of national mourning had passed, and Mengshan County had regained its splendor.
The young men and women, discarding their white mourning clothes, dressed in colorful attire, wished to go outside the city, climb to a high place to look far into the distance, gather mugwort, and appreciate the autumn chrysanthemums.
When the Double Ninth Festival arrived, people went to a high place, drank wine and prayed for blessings.
Of course, these joyful things were mostly done by romantic scholars. Ordinary and poor people had no time to appreciate the nobility of autumn.
Hu Yulin considered himself an ordinary person, and it had nothing to do with him no matter how gorgeous the autumn colors were. Since Jin Shi Xuan reopened, he was too busy to keep his feet on the ground.
Duan Changjin was a kind man, and as a shopkeeper, he was loved by the servants and diners. However, his character was not suitable for business. In addition, Jin Shi Xuan had been in existence for decades and had never been repaired. It was old and outdated, which could easily make people feel old-fashioned and boring.
Hu Yulin knew the thoughts of diners, so he renovated it to give it a new look and make it more modern and spacious.
Not only did Rong Xi draw on the paper the innovative designs of later generations, but he also created many exquisite wooden plaques. Each one was engraved with a dish and its price, and placed in a dark box next to the food table.
Because the number of dishes continued to increase, it was difficult to engrave the names of many dishes on one wooden sign. It was not easy to change them, so the names of the dishes were engraved separately.
Opening on the Double Ninth Festival, there was a 50% discount. Old customers came to Jin Shi Xuan to take a seat out of kindness.
A diner in silk clothes observed that the display in the store was exquisite, the utensils were new, and the dishes were labeled with wooden signs for customers to choose from. He found it novel and interesting and called the waiter over.
“I have never heard of these dishes before. Is it because shopkeeper Duan is recruiting new chefs?”
The waiter smiled and replied, “My dear guest, you are right. There are indeed new dishes in this shop. No one else has tasted these dishes before,” he said, leaning closer and whispering, “Not even Shengjing has one.”
“Is this really true?” The diner asked in surprise, “Not even Shengjing?”
The waiter pointed to the wooden sign in the dark box and said, “Dear guest, why don’t you try two dishes first?”
The diner thought for a while and asked: “What are bean sprouts? What does frying them mean?”
“Soybeans are soaked in water until they sprout, resulting in a crisp and refreshing texture. They are then stir-fried in an iron pot over high heat, imparting a particularly fragrant and sweet aroma. This vegetarian dish boasts high quality at a low price. Guests may choose to complement it with a side of fried shredded pork for a crispy, delicious, and fragrant experience that lasts.”
The diner, puzzled by the waiter’s words, nodded in agreement.
The waiter wrote down the corresponding number of the dish and left with a smile.
After some time, the dishes were placed on the table, filling the air with their aroma. Other diners in the hall were drawn in and turned their heads to catch a glimpse.
The diner picked up their chopsticks and tasted the bean sprouts first. Upon entering the mouth, they were crisp but not astringent, tender yet not tough, with both color and flavor fully satisfying, truly refreshing!
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Upon trying the shredded meat, the meat had been meticulously prepared, devoid of tendons and membranes, lean and chewy. After being stir-fried in oil, it became incredibly crispy, fragrant, and fresh. One couldn’t help but wonder about the culinary skill employed by the chef, creating such a delicious dish!
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The waiter swallowed his saliva secretly on the way.
In an instant, the fragrance filled the hall, drifting into the streets and markets. Passersby, enticed by the aroma, felt their appetites awaken, searching and heading towards Jin Shi Xuan.
However, due to limited ingredients and manpower, Jin Shi Xuan closed its doors within two hours of opening.
The diners who had tasted the delicacies were naturally satisfied, burst into laughter, and made up their minds to come back tomorrow.
Those who had never tasted it sigh with regret, only complaining that they came a step too late. When they went home to eat to satisfy their hunger, they found it bland and tasteless.
Jin Shi Xuan’s business boomed.
Other restaurants, eager to imitate their dishes, could never quite figure out what made them so special, especially the stir-fry.
Upon closer examination, it was simply a matter of not having the magical thin iron pot.
Jin Shi Xuan was bustling and noisy, but Rong’s house remained peaceful and quiet.
In the courtyard, Rong Xi was using loess to absorb impurities. The young man Liu beside him was dancing and recounting the grand occasion of Jin Shi Xuan to Rong Xi.
Due to his studies and martial arts training, Liu Zishi’s demeanor had drastically changed from before.
And since Rong Xi’s soul settled in the Wei Dynasty, the household’s meals were meticulously prepared and delicious. The young man’s height had also grown slightly taller. Now dressed in a narrow-sleeved black robe with a headscarf, he appeared like a handsome and valiant young man.
“Young master, what are you doing?”
Rong Xi smiled and replied: “There are impurities in sucrose, so its color is red. I am removing the impurities, and its color may be like white snow, full and lovely.”
Liu Zishi had seen a lot now, and he became more and more aware that Rong Xi was unfathomable. Hearing this, he asked curiously: “Young master, can this method really turn red into white?”
“Just wait and see.” Rong Xi smiled and stood up, “We’ll see in a few days.”
At this time, Liu He came slowly from outside the house, came to Rong Xi, and said: “Report to the young master, I have inquired. Indeed, there are people in the town who wish to sell their land, but not all of it is good land. However, the seller insists that anyone buying land must purchase both the good and the bad”
“That is fine.” Rong Xi nodded.
He wanted to cultivate several acres of land, so he asked Liu He to ask. Unexpectedly, someone was in urgent need of money and silk.
When Liu He heard this, he couldn’t help but remind him: “Young master, do you really want to buy that land?”
Rong Xi nodded, “It’s a bad field, but the soil is not fertile and the land is not fertile. It doesn’t matter.”
A barren land could also become fertile soil with a little cultivation.
“Young master, I’ll go take care of it.” After Liu He heard this, he immediately turned around and left the house.
Rong Xi dissuaded him, “It’s getting late, it’s not too late to go tomorrow.”
At about six o’clock the next day, a master and two servants traveled together to the home of the seller of the land.
The house was simple, and there were many young children.
Several young boys and children were outside the door catching ants. Upon seeing strangers approaching, they became shy and reserved, moving towards the door but refraining from speaking too much.
Liu Zishi was quite familiar with them. When he saw this, he took a step forward and asked, “Sanlang, is your father here?”
The boy called “Sanlang” instantly widened his eyes, “Are you Daizi?” He carefully looked at Liu Zishi’s clothes and appearance, and he was filled with disbelief.
Liu Zishi used to be a bit silly, hence his nickname “Daizi“. When he was called, the nickname was slipped out of his mouth without hesitation.
“Father! Grandma! We have a guest!” Another young boy came into the room and called someone.
In a moment, a middle-aged man in coarse brown clothes approached the door, and upon seeing Liu He, he forced a weary smile.
“Uncle Liu.” He looked at Rong Xi and was slightly startled, “This must be Young Master Rong.”
Rong Xi smiled and said: “Master Zhang, nice to meet you.”
“Please come in quickly.” Master Zhang, with a simple and honest face, brought the three of them in with a smile and ordered his wife to serve tea to entertain the guests.
“You don’t have to be polite, Master Zhang. I’m here today because of the land’s business.” Rong Xi said in a calm tone, “No matter good or bad, I am willing to trade with you. How much is your expectation?”
Master Zhang and his wife looked at each other and gestured with their fingers: “What do you think, Young Master Rong?”
According to the market price, the price was considered fair. Rong Xi did not hesitate and immediately replied: “Okay. If you are free today, why don’t you come with me to ask the officer?”
After the land was transferred, it would be under Rong Xi’s name.
Unexpectedly, Rong Xi was so vigorous and resolute. Master Zhang was stunned for a few breaths. It was only when his wife tugged at his sleeve that he woke up from his daze and hastily said, “If you have time, let’s go now.”
With sufficient funds, the matter was successfully resolved.
On the way back, Rong Xi saw that Master Zhang was in a trance and at a loss. He couldn’t help but ask, “Please don’t mind my curiosity, what are Master Zhang’s plans for the future?”
“I don’t know either.” The middle-aged man sighed solemnly.
His decision to sell the land was due to his father’s serious illness, which required financial support. Otherwise, he would not have abandoned his means of livelihood.
The road ahead should be taken one step at a time.
“I’m in need of tenants to take care of my property. If you still have no plan, can you help me?” Rong Xi suddenly asked.
Zhang Lang was dumbfounded. It was obvious that Rong Xi was offering to help him! There was nothing special about his family, except that they had a lot of labor!
“Thank you, Young Master Rong!”
He bowed his head to the ground.
The rumors really couldn’t be believed! The young master is such a kind person, yet he’s rumored to be so wicked.
Buying the land cost a lot of money, but Rong Xi didn’t feel a pinch. Nowadays, coal stoves were popular, and Jin Shi Xuan was thriving. His monthly profits would only increase.
When he returned to Rong’s house, he was about to write to Hu Yulin when he suddenly saw a white bird flying through the sky and landing on the eaves of the corridor.
One person and one bird looked at each other for a long time.
Rong Xi had no choice but to speak first: “Bai Shuang?” Then he extended his arms to invite her.
Pride, like white frost, finally leaped onto his arm, shaking its long feathers.
Seeing its left foot tied with a paper tube, Rong Xi untied it, and Bai Shuang flew back to the windowsill to rest.
Instructing Liu Zishi to feed it, Rong Xi went to the study, opened the letter, and saw that the letter was from Chen Chuangu.
After reading the letter, he thought for a moment and quickly replied, which was brought back by Bai Shuang.
“Zishi, I will go to the county with you later.”
He had already instructed Jiang Weiping to present the iron smelting method to the authorities, so why did Chen Chuangu mention in his letter that he was seeking the method of making thin pot because he missed stir-frying?
The Chen family trio were not ordinary merchants; if they were influential, they would have been aware of government affairs. Or perhaps, were they just trying to verify certain things?
Regardless, he had to go and meet Jiang Weiping.
Thanks for the chapter!
Oh, political games
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