Flaming Drunken Shrimp

Upstairs in a private room, Fu Zhiqiao was entertaining Zhou Miaosi and her entourage. She clapped her hands lightly, and soon the door to the private room opened. Dozens of waitresses filed in carrying trays, with all sorts of dishes neatly arranged on the table.

Flaming drunken shrimp made its grand finale appearance as the main dish.

The ladies were quite surprised to see a plate of raw shrimp placed in the center of the table.

"Don't rush, this dish needs to be cooked fresh." Fu Zhi Qiao saw everyone's confusion and answered with a smile.

The key to delicious flaming drunken shrimp is its texture. Fresh, live shrimp are soaked in Taibai wine until they are intoxicated, the shrimp veins are removed, salt is added to create a base flavor, and finally, enough wine to cover the shrimp is poured in, allowing them to fully absorb the flavor of the wine.

Fu Zhiqiao waved her hand, and a waitress immediately pulled down the curtains, making the private room much darker.

Another waitress handed over a tinderbox. Fu Zhiqiao opened it and gently blew into the opening. Sparks flew, and the flames followed the fuse to the plate.

Flames slowly rose from the plate, filling the air with a rich aroma of wine.

"Wow!" the ladies exclaimed in amazement.

As the temperature of the flames rises, the shrimp slowly turn red and become fully cooked.

The maid drew back the curtains, and the room was lit again.

This novel way of eating immediately caught the attention of all the noble ladies.

"How interesting! Shrimp can be eaten in this way?"

"Can these shrimp be cooked through?"

It takes time for a plate of shrimp to cook. While waiting for the shrimp to cook, Fu Zhi Qiao let them try Tai Bai Lou's special appetizer, spicy and sour radish.

The pickled radish is sour and spicy, sweet and refreshing, and extremely appetizing, making it the perfect appetizer!

Fu Zhiqiao introduced, "Don't underestimate this seemingly ordinary radish dish. I guarantee that you'll want to eat it again and again after you try it."

Zhou Miaosi was the most enthusiastic, and immediately picked up a piece of radish. A crisp "crunch" sound rang out, and the sour and spicy flavor exploded in her mouth. She didn't expect that such an ordinary food as radish could be so delicious. She couldn't help but praise, "It's refreshing to the taste, and it's sour and spicy when you chew it. The flavors are distinct. It's really delicious!"

"I'm glad everyone likes it!" Fu Zhiqiao then took out plum wine for everyone to taste.

The maid placed the wine jugs on the table, and two exquisite wine jugs were placed on the tray.

Qin Xiyu twitched her nose slightly: "Sister Fu, is this wine? Why does it smell so sweet?"

Before Fu Zhiqiao could speak, Zhou Miaosi answered for her: "This is called plum wine!"

As the cork was opened, a tangy plum aroma wafted out.

The maids poured a glass of plum wine for each noble lady. The aroma of the wine and the fruit blended together, and each sip was sweet and refreshing. Even women who couldn't hold their liquor would not get drunk easily. After a few glasses of plum wine, they would be in a pleasantly tipsy state.

For a moment, all the noble ladies closed their eyes and savored the taste of the plum wine. Fu Zhi Qiao added at the right time: "Drinking plum wine regularly can not only beautify the skin and nourish the complexion, but also help with weight loss and body shaping."

Can it beautify the skin and improve complexion, and also help with weight loss and body shaping?

No woman could resist such temptation, and all the ladies present chose to refill their glasses. After the last makeup tutorial, they no longer doubted Fu Zhi Qiao's authority in beauty.

Seeing the noble ladies drinking with their heads down, Fu Zhi Qiao smiled. It seemed that in the eyes of these noble ladies, the taste of plum wine was secondary; they valued its effects more.

After enjoying the wine, the flaming drunken shrimp was also cooked.

Some of the shrimp shells were charred, and the air was filled with a strong aroma of roasting. The maids standing by helped peel off the shrimp shells and put the shrimp meat into the ladies' bowls.

Fu Zhiqiao introduced how to eat this dish: "This Flaming Drunken Shrimp is cooked over a flame and served with soy sauce. The cooked shrimp shells are bright red, the meat is tender and has a wine aroma, making it a unique flavor."

Peeling back the shrimp shell reveals the snow-white, tender, and bouncy shrimp meat inside, with the aroma of grilling. The meat is very firm and perfectly preserves the original sweetness of the fresh shrimp. Dipping it in a little soy sauce makes the saltiness and freshness just right.

Zhou Miaosi smiled and joked, "Thanks to Sister Zhiqiao, we are able to enjoy such delicious wine. Come, let's toast her!"

The ladies raised their glasses, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

*

On its first day of opening, Taibailou was advertised with half-price drinks, and with the extensive publicity, diners flocked in.

In the evening, after seeing off the last group of diners, Fu Zhiqiao had the main gate closed and began to settle the accounts.

"Ah Qiao?" A gentle voice came from outside the door; it was Yu Roulan.

Yu Roulan was waiting for news at home, but Fu Zhiqiao hadn't replied for a long time, so she couldn't help but come over to check on him.

She arrived just as Fu Zhiqiao was tallying accounts, and she immediately joined in, her fingers flying nimbly as she moved the abacus beads, making a clattering sound.

With Yu Roulan's addition, the accounting became much easier.

Yu Roulan and Defu calculated the purchase and sales figures respectively. Fu Zhiqiao's brain worked quickly and soon came to the conclusion: "After deducting costs and other expenses, Taibailou made a net profit of 572 taels today!"

Five hundred taels of silver may not be much, but it is indeed a very good omen.

On the first day of Taibailou's opening, Fu Zhiqiao was mentally prepared to lose money to attract customers. However, after calculating all the costs and revenues, she found that half of the profit from the half-price drinks was brought back by the dishes.

Drinks are half price, but food is not discounted. In the end, they still make a profit. If they can make so much money with half-price drinks, imagine what it would be like if the prices went back to normal!

Yu Roulan's anxious heart finally calmed down. It seemed that the profit from opening a restaurant was much higher than she had imagined.

In the following two days, the half-price discount on drinks was no longer offered, and the number of customers dining at Taibailou dropped by nearly half.

Having spent a long time by Fu Zhi Qiao's side, De Fu has developed a calm demeanor. He calmly reassured the employees at Tai Bai Lou that business would definitely improve.

In mid-December, Beijing welcomed its first snowfall of the winter.

Yinxing added two pieces of charcoal to the stove and helped Fu Zhiqiao get up: "Miss, it's snowing outside."

"It's snowing?" It's snowing so early? Fu Zhi Qiao was a little surprised. She remembered that when she was in Qingzhou last year, it snowed during the Spring Festival. It seems that because the capital is located in the north, it snows a month earlier than in Qingzhou.

"Yes, it snowed heavily last night," Ginkgo replied with a smile.

Fu Zhi Qiao had to inspect the restaurant today, so she had no intention of staying in bed. As soon as she lifted the covers, she felt a chill. Although there was charcoal burning in the room, it was not as warm as under the covers. She got out of bed and walked to the window, ignoring the chill, she wanted to see the snow scene in the capital.

When Yinxing saw her standing by the window in her nightgown, she quickly took off her cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

The world outside the window was covered in silver, the sky was misty, snowflakes were falling everywhere, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground. The servants were clearing a path in the middle of the courtyard.

Fu Zhiqiao excitedly ran into the yard, letting the snowflakes fall on her face and body, enjoying the sensation of the snowflakes landing on her skin.

The cool snowflakes melt into water the moment they touch warm skin.

Before Yinxing could stop her, she called out from behind, "Oh dear! Come back quickly, it's cold outside!"

The cold grew stronger day by day, and Fu Zhi Qiao didn't dare to stay in the snow for long. After playing in the snow for a while, she went back to her room.

At 9:00 AM, the snow gradually subsided.

After the people had harnessed the carriage, Fu Zhiqiao went to inspect the Taibai Tower.

Yu Roulan reminded her at the door, "The roads are slippery from the snow, be careful on the road."

"knew!"

The carriages continued to crush the snow on the road, and soon the white snow turned into dirty slush. Shops on both sides of the road sent people to clear the snow in front of their shops.

It was noon when we arrived at Taibai Tower. Once inside, a waitress brought us a bowl of ginger soup.

Yinxing helped Fu Zhiqiao take off her cloak and said, "Miss, quickly drink a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold."

Knowing that her body was weak, Fu Zhiqiao obediently accepted the ginger soup and drank it all in one gulp.

It was lunchtime, and Taibai Tower was bustling with activity.

Although the private rooms on the second floor were not full, the main hall on the first floor was almost full of guests, and the kitchen staff were working hard.

Half a month later, Taibailou's business gradually got back on track.

The food runners moved nimbly through the aisles, serving dishes to the customers with practiced ease.

One customer even grabbed the waiter and asked, "What's that thing burning at the next table? It smells so good!"

The waiter enthusiastically explained: "Flaming Drunken Shrimp is one of our restaurant's signature dishes. The shrimp meat is tender and springy, and leaves a subtle wine flavor in your mouth after eating it."

The diners couldn't resist the temptation: "Quick, give us a plate too!"

Besides the constant sounds of people ordering food, you could also hear diners praising the dishes from time to time.

"This braised duck breast with hibiscus wine is tender and not greasy at all, and it's absolutely delicious with Taibai wine!"

"I think the sake-smoked fish slices are better. The fish slices are tender and smooth, with a slight spiciness. One bite is simply wonderful!"

Of course, there will also be dissenting voices.

"Taibai wine is quite strong, so please sip it slowly, sir." The burly man was annoyed by the waiter's advice: "What nonsense are you spouting? Do you expect me to teach you how to drink?"

The speaker was named Qi Dahu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of the top镖局 (bodyguard/escort agency) in the capital. His companion was also a little unhappy: "Do we have to be so formal about drinking a drink?"

Faced with the difficult waiter, he could only smile obsequiously and bow as he retreated.

Qi Dahu ignored the waiter's advice. Drinking and eating heartily was the style of the Jianghu people. He didn't even use a wine cup, but picked up the wine pot and gulped down a mouthful of wine.

However, the next second he spat it out, which immediately drew laughter from everyone.

Feeling humiliated, Qi Dahu directly yelled at those who were laughing at him, "What are you laughing at? What's so funny?"

Qi Dahu was tall and dark-skinned, and his face was full of anger. His fierce eyes frightened the guests at the next table, and the waiter quickly went over to calm the other guests down.

Seeing that no one else dared to laugh at him anymore, Qi Dahu snorted coldly and turned his attention back to the wine.

He coughed twice to clear his throat and explained to his friend, "I drank that last sip too quickly and accidentally choked."

We absolutely cannot admit that the alcohol was too strong!

Having learned his lesson from the first sip, Qi Dahu dared not be arrogant this time. Following the waiter's advice, he first smelled the aroma of the wine and then took small sips to taste it.

"Tsk tsk, this Taibai wine is quite interesting!" Compared to this Taibai wine, Qi Dahu felt that the wines he used to drink were simply water, tasteless and bland.

Good wine goes well with good food, and they quickly finished the two jugs of wine.

"Waiter, bring the wine!"

The waiter in the lobby on the first floor was named Wang Youzheng. After hearing the guest's call, he ran over and found that the person he needed to serve was the guest who had just made things difficult for him. He lowered his head and said, "Sir, what can I do for you?"

"Bring us two more jugs of Taibai wine!"

Wang Youzheng glanced at the empty wine jug on the table, somewhat embarrassed: "Sir, I'm sorry, but according to our rules, a table can only have a maximum of two jugs of Taibai wine. I'm afraid you two can't drink any more..."

The liquor was strong, and this guest didn't seem to have a good temper. Wang You was worried that they would cause trouble in the restaurant after getting drunk.

What Qi Dahu heard was interpreted as Wang Youzheng looking down on his drinking capacity.

Qi Dahu slammed his hand on the table: "Are you underestimating my drinking capacity?"

Wang Youzheng's face turned pale, and he bent down to explain, "You've misunderstood, that's not what I meant!"

"Then tell me, what does it mean by not serving me wine?"

Qi Dahu's questioning voice was very abrupt, drawing frequent glances from the other guests.

Seeing this, Defu walked over, shielded Wang Youzheng behind him, and said with a smile, "Please calm down, sir. If there is anything wrong with our service, please forgive us."

Qi Dahu and his companions had finished two jugs of Taibai wine. The effects of the alcohol were gradually taking hold. His face was slightly flushed, and he let out a burp. He took out a silver note and slammed it on the table with a "thud." "Shopkeeper, money is no problem. Give me two more jugs of wine."

De Fu's face was full of smiles, but he showed no intention of compromising: "You only have two guests, so we can only provide two jugs of wine at most. If you really want to drink, you can go to the counter and buy a jar to take home."

"What?"

"I'm really sorry, but it's the shop's rule that one person can only have one pot of wine at most," Defu replied helplessly.

The rule that each person can have a maximum of one pot of wine was set by Fu Zhiqiao.

Taibai liquor has a very high alcohol content. What if customers drink excessively in the store and an accident occurs? Excessive alcohol remaining in the body and not being metabolized in time can cause vasodilation, which in severe cases may lead to death. If a customer drinks too much at Taibailou and dies, she cannot bear the responsibility.

Moreover, a pot of wine weighs eight ounces, which is quite a lot.

Qi Dahu stood up and angrily shouted, "Do you know who I am? How dare you refuse to provide me with wine?"