Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Preparing to move...

Compared to today when there was no table of guests, Lin Qiuran was already very surprised that there would be three tables of guests tomorrow.

Although it would be tiring to have so many people, she had spent so much money on decorating the second floor, so of course she hoped to earn back the money quickly.

This time, two people came to the shop when it was closed during the day, and another table was booked while having dinner in the evening. The deposit alone was more than one or two taels of silver today.

The two shopkeepers who came to the restaurant said that they looked unfamiliar and did not look like regular customers of the restaurant. Their clothes were also good, and they had no idea how they found the restaurant.

Coincidentally, in the past, some customers looked down on the Xiao family restaurant.

The place is small, the food is not exquisite, the tables and chairs are worn out, a group of people are crowded together, chatting, some are drinking, and talking loudly, it is very noisy.

I've always heard people say that the food here is delicious, but no matter how delicious it is, I don't want to come here.

The ten guests who came on the first day were all those who had some money at home and could afford to eat. They got together not to share the money, but because they thought that more people would allow them to order more dishes. Besides, Manager Shi said that we couldn't go to the second floor if there were not enough people.

He always came here, and he didn't want to embarrass Manager Shi. He called his friends and guests, and everyone gathered.

Taste is only one of the advantages. The chopped pepper fish head and garlic pork that day were absolutely delicious. The fish had no fishy smell at all, and with the fresh chopped pepper, the fish was spicy, flavorful, and incredibly tender. Who would have thought fish heads could be edible before? That day was a real eye-opener.

The garlic pork was crispy and tasty. I picked out a piece and put it in the dipping dish, then rolled it up with chopsticks, taking a bite of meat and a sip of wine. It was delicious. There was also a boiled fish, which was bright red and the chili peppers were dry and fragrant.

I don’t know how this cook can make the food so delicious.

There was also the modified chicken stewed with mushrooms, which was hot and even had chestnut kernels in it. It tasted salty and sweet, but there were so many delicious dishes that one person ended up taking this one away.

We ate for half an hour that night and were full of food and wine. The food was just delicious.

The second floor is even better decorated, completely different from the first, like two different places. The hallway is carved with the sun, moon, mountains and rivers, and is divided into light and dark rooms. The light room is bright and spacious, while the dark room is quiet and tranquil.

The famous room we visited that day had a reddish-brown wooden table with carved patterns. Xiao Dashi and Sun felt sorry for the table and specially asked a carpenter to make some heat-insulating wooden pads. The plates and bowls used for eating were all matched, and the dishes placed on them didn't seem to be for eating.

The color was not so good before, but now it is so delicious and tasty. The dishes look pleasing to the eye under the light and matched with the patterns of the porcelain.

When you are in a good mood, you will naturally eat a few more bites.

The food was delicious, and the ambiance was lovely, so naturally, I'll never forget it. I even talk about it with friends when I see them. Although it hasn't spread like wildfire, quite a few people know about the restaurant's second-floor decor.

I had heard about it before and it went in one ear and out the other, but this time I heard that the decoration was comparable to the largest restaurant in the county, so I wanted to come and take a look.

As I happened to be entertaining guests for a banquet tomorrow, I went straight to Xiao's restaurant and booked a table for tomorrow's lunch.

It's not others' fault. After hearing about Xiaojia Restaurant and Zuixianglou, Lin Qiuran also felt that Zuixianglou Restaurant tasted better and was more prestigious. However, she didn't want to change the name for the time being because old customers were familiar with it.

The title deed had their own name written on it, called Xiao's Restaurant, which also gave Sun and Xiao Dashi a sense of belonging.

Otherwise, it would be hard work, and if you do the same thing every day, you would get bored after a while.

We booked a dark room for lunch so as not to be disturbed. We were the table that chose the most expensive dishes. The other two tables came in the evening. One chose light dishes, and the other chose the same spicy feast as the night before.

Xiao Dashi has to buy another silver carp tomorrow, so there will be more things to buy for the table with light tastes. Lin Qiuran has ordered mostly Cantonese dishes for that table, which include fish and shrimp, so there is still a lot of work to do.

But as long as it is done, there will be a lot of income, more and more repeat customers, and the reputation will also be spread.

Lin Qiuran originally thought that he would not be able to get a seat at the table, but unexpectedly, he not only got the seat, but was also busy in the restaurant.

The price is high and the work is easy.

And the happiest thing is that Lin Qiuran can take advantage of the time when the guests are ordering dishes and cook whatever they like.

After all, when running a restaurant, you have to cook according to the customers' tastes. You're busy all day and don't have time to do anything else. Often, they don't eat what the customers eat, but what the restaurant has left over.

If it's just the first floor, most of the leftovers every day are stews, and Lin Qiuran is tired of eating them all the time. This time, since there are customers ordering, he naturally made more.

Lin Qiuran also likes Cantonese steamed dumplings.

However, it is not common in Yu'an, and it was quite surprising that someone chose Lin Qiuran.

The next day it snowed, but it didn't affect the restaurant's business. The family went out early, and when they got to the restaurant, some people cleared the snow and boiled water, while others braved the wind and snow to buy things they hadn't had time to buy the day before.

Others went to the kitchen and were busy preparing food.

It was snowing, and there probably wouldn't be many customers at noon, so Lin Qiuran cooked less meat dishes.

With the preparation from the day before, some seasonings no longer needed to be made, so the work was relatively easy. It was very leisurely in the morning, but it became busy in the afternoon.

The steps for making snacks are complicated. Each dish looks very delicate and has many small portions, which means it takes a lot of time and effort.

Peel the shrimps and prepare the stuffing, marinate and steam the spareribs, and then make tiger skin chicken feet. When it was done at the Xu family, there were a lot of things, and Lin Qiuran didn't feel bad about killing a few chickens just to get a few chicken feet, but it was different in the restaurant.

This is my own stuff. To make six chicken feet, I have to kill three chickens. Fortunately, it is cold now, so I can freeze them. If I want to make chicken dishes, I can still use them. Otherwise, this dish may not be on the menu.

As for the fact that only chicken feet were missing, they could be used to make chicken stewed with mushrooms. However, Lin Qiuran did not plan to do that. It would be fine if he met a customer who did not mind, but if he did, and there were two chicken feet missing in the end, losing money would be a small matter, but affecting the restaurant's reputation would be a big deal.

It’s okay to be delicate, this meal is not cheap anyway.

The remaining meat can be used to make boiled chicken, and the chicken wings can be marinated, coated with flour and made into scales and fried, which is not completely useless.

No one else can help with these tasks, so Lin Qiuran has to do it himself.

Lin Dong and Wan Niang watched from the side, dazzled. Lin Qiuran was very skillful. Because of her pregnancy and the winter clothes, her figure was a little wider, but she didn't look bloated, and she was very nimble.

There are three beautiful shrimp dumplings in a basket, and I made three baskets in total. There are also pork ribs with fermented black beans and tiger skin chicken feet, all of which are small and exquisite.

Lin Qiuran asked about it. Although they had booked a table this time, there were only three or four guests, so the portion of each dish was reduced and there were more dishes.

Originally, there were more than a dozen dishes on a table, but this table has more than twenty dishes, a dazzling array.

The guests arrived early, and after they arrived, Sun and others started serving the dishes. Tea was served with this table of dishes, which was the good tea bought by Xiao Dashi.

There were four people in the room, sitting around a round table with the window only a crack open. They would knock on the door before serving the food.

The experience is very good. The tea served by Sun comes with a nice teapot. Compared with the first floor, this place can be said to be a different world.

The white porcelain teacup has orchids painted on the outside. The tea soup is clear, the fragrance is strong when you smell it, and the aftertaste is lingering and the tea flavor is long-lasting.

The host of today's table is a wealthy family in Yu'an, surnamed Li. Although not as rich as the Xu family, they eat delicacies every day and usually go to big restaurants.

Today's banquet was for a favor. At first, someone said the Xiao Family Restaurant had a quiet environment and good food, but he didn't believe it, fearing he'd lose face. But he'd tried other restaurants and found them boring. It just so happened that the guest had a light palate, so the steward said they had a corresponding banquet, so they booked it.

When I passed by the first floor, I saw that some of the table legs were still repaired and some stools had broken legs. My heart sank. It was not until I went up to the second floor that I felt relieved.

What's wrong with Xiao's Restaurant? It's so good.

The guest had never been here before and was looking around with great interest and a relaxed demeanor, apparently satisfied with the place.

Mr. Li was relieved. The restaurant was well arranged. Good tea was served, and then there were snacks. Each one was exquisite. There were snacks on both sides, so everyone could enjoy them.

Mr. Li smiled and said, "This is Yu An's famous private dish. Try it and see if it suits your taste."

To show his appreciation, Master Li lied, "We have a lot of customers here. Just look at the downstairs. It's not unrefined, it's just the kind of downtown atmosphere that makes it always packed. Upstairs, you have to make reservations in advance. The chef is very skilled, and it's definitely worth the trip."

The customer nodded and tried a shrimp dumpling first. It was adorably round and shell-shaped, with a thin skin that revealed the orange-red shrimp inside. The chef's skill was evident here. I wondered how the dough was made, but it looked translucent, the skin springy, the filling tender, and there were probably two or three shrimp inside, perfectly chewy.

The guest nodded after finishing his meal. "It's good. I didn't expect that besides the beautiful scenery, the food here is even better."

The bright room they chose had a cracked window and a fireplace, making it a perfect place. Outside, snowflakes rustled, and inside, they warmed themselves by the fire, enjoying a leisurely snack.

There was also sweet fried meat at the end, called sweet and sour pork. Originally, Lin Qiuran wanted to make pineapple sweet and sour pork, but where could he find pineapples at this time of year?

The sweet and sour pork tenderloin is cooked to perfection. The tenderloin inside is fried quickly to lock in the moisture, and the outer shell is crispy but not hard. The salty and sweet dish is very delicious.

There was also steamed fish, boiled chicken...the meal was a great pleasure for both the host and the guests.

The guests are also particular about the food. They drink a sip of tea after finishing each dish before trying the next one.

No alcohol was consumed at this table, and the business was discussed over the food and tea. The two also agreed to try the first floor next time. In comparison, the first floor was more crowded, and the atmosphere of fireworks made one yearn for it.

This time, Master Li didn't think the first floor was not up to par. "I come here often. Brother Zhao, please stay a few more days. I'll come over tomorrow or the day after tomorrow!"

The food at the other two tables was also good. While eating, Mr. Li gave Lin Xia a piece of silver as a reward, which was quite generous of him. It was about two cents.

After receiving the money, Lin Xia happily handed it to Lin Qiuran, "Madam Lin, this is from the guests at Huanxisha's table!"

Lin Xia was very happy. She had been at the Xiao family for almost a month, and this was the first time she had seen money. Of course, Madam Lin had never treated her badly. She ate well, drank well, slept well, and was happy every day.

Seeing her like this, Lin Qiuran thought, should he give them some monthly allowance?

The two of them were bought by her and lived and ate at the Xiao family. However, maids in other houses also received monthly wages, but the two of them had never received any.

Waiters in restaurants will receive tips. Manager Shi has received one, and so has Mrs. Sun. It should be given to whoever receives it.

Lin Qiuran said, "Since I've given it to you, just keep it."

Lin Dong looked over here and quickly lowered his head.

Lin Qiuran ignored it. Lin Xia could indeed earn tips as a waiter in the front, but she could learn skills in the kitchen. They each had their own strengths, which were incomparable.

If Lin Dong couldn't concentrate and wanted to work as a waiter, Lin Qiuran would not stop him. If he wanted to make money, he couldn't practice his skills.

Now if I ask Taohua if she is willing to spend a few years learning from her, she is afraid she doesn’t want to, and would rather help her family make cakes and earn money.

But she can give some monthly allowance next month, which is help anyway, but she plans to talk about it next month.

This also makes it convenient to observe the personalities of the two people and whether they can work well.

Lin Dong just looked up twice and continued to cut vegetables. When she was not cooking, she would cut mustard roots to practice. After cutting, Lin Qiuran would pickle them. Although they were not eaten much at home, they could be put in restaurants as a side dish for customers.

Just talking about pickles, Lin Qiuran’s are also more delicious.

It’s free and the customers like it very much.

Lin Xia was stunned for a moment and said, "I don't want it, Madam Lin, I don't have any money to spend..."

She is happy just seeing the guests enjoying their food.

Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Take it, work hard, and save it if you don't need it."

Lin Xia nodded and jumped to help.

There were two tables of guests in the evening. Although there were fewer people on the first floor, the overall profit of the restaurant was considerable. Lin Qiuran estimated that the profit today could be three taels and five cents.

Manager Shi would check the accounts every day. Lin Qiuran didn't have to worry about the account book or count the money, as Manager Shi would do it all.

Sometimes Xiao Dashi would take out some of the money for purchases, which would also be recorded in the account. The copper coin shopkeeper Shi would give it to Xiao Dashi every few days.

After converting it into silver, it was easy to store. The shop business was booming and a new house was also found.

The next day, there were no guests on the second floor, so Lin Qiuran followed Zhao Guangcai to look at three houses, and finally decided on a two-story house located in the east of the city.

There are places with quieter environments, but they are far away. Thinking that he would have to go to the restaurant every day and the prices there would be more expensive, Lin Qiuran did not consider it.

Zhao Guangcai went to negotiate the price, and Lin Qiuran did not show up. Two days later, he told Lin Qiuran a price that satisfied her more, one hundred and thirty-six taels, which was also a relatively auspicious number.

Including other taxes, the total amount was one hundred and forty taels of silver.

The more expensive the house, the more taxes one has to pay. Zhao Guangcai even tentatively asked if Lin Qiuran needed to talk to his former employer about paying less to the government.

The tax money is paid to the government. If the house price is reduced by half based on the transaction price, the tax money can be saved by one or two taels of silver.

Many people do this. After all, the tax money is paid to the government, so whether it is more or less will not have any impact on the former owner. They just write a little less on the house price on the deed, and the money owed to the former owner is not less at all. Moreover, the risk is not big. Since both parties have agreed, even if they regret it, no one will believe it.

It's just a bit strange. There are more than a hundred houses around here, but this one is only about sixty or seventy.

If Lin Qiuran had this intention, Zhao Guangcai would just talk about it and he would be 80% sure that it would be done.

However, Lin Qiuran shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Zhao, but forget it."

Since Lin Qiuran was unwilling, Zhao Guangcai stopped trying to persuade her.

Lin Qiuran was afraid. Although Zhao Guangcai said that the risk was extremely low, there had just been an incident over tax money. Low risk does not mean no risk. Xiao Xun still held an official position, so it was better for him to be cautious.

She didn't mind the silver and couldn't let anyone catch her.

Speaking of Xiao Xun, I don't know when he'll be back. He probably won't be able to make it in time for the move. If it weren't for the restaurant, it would probably be like the last time I went back to Xiao Village, and everyone would have left when I got home.

The house has been booked, and the original owner took great care of it, so all that was needed was a simple tidying up of the house.

Xiao Dashi asked someone to calculate a date and decided to move on the third day of next month.

Since they are all in the county town, Xiao Dashi can take time to come and move the things to the new house, and then move the remaining parts over early in the morning on the third day of the New Year. He can cook a meal there without affecting the business of the shop.

Lin Qiuran had considered closing the shop for a day, but then he realized that the Xiao family didn't have many relatives, and they were close only to Aunt Yu. But the housewarming wasn't until October, and gifts were required for the housewarming. It had only been a short time, so he didn't feel comfortable accepting gifts all the time.

We get along a lot here in the restaurant, but as a waiter, I can't accept gifts from him.

Just let me know when you're done moving.

The last time they moved, Lin Qiuran's mother Liu came, but she had just left not long ago. Lin Qiuran thought that she could wait until the move was over to send someone a message and there was no need for her to come to warm up the house.

News spreads quickly when something happens in the village. Such a big thing happened in Li Cuihua's family, and Xiao Xun came back. It is so rare for a person to come back to life, so it is estimated that the news will soon reach Linjia Village.

If Liu knew about it, she might come over. Also, Lin Qiuran was about to give birth, and as a mother, Liu was definitely worried.

Lin Qiuran was quite happy that Liu came, but he didn't want to deal with Yu.

Just stop them when the time comes, show your filial piety, but don't think about anything else.

As the days passed, the restaurant business was good, but not everyone booked banquets there every day. During the quieter times, Lin Qiuran made spices and sent them to Manager Xu at the end of the month.

This time they want more than last time. Just from this, we can see that the spice business is good.

Lin Qiuran took the opportunity to ask Manager Xu if Xu Yuanheng had returned. Manager Xu shook his head and said, "The Second Young Master has been a bit busy these days."

In the past, he would come back once every two or three months, but he came back last month specifically for the Jiang family's affairs.

Lin Qiuran nodded to indicate that she understood. If she wanted to thank Xu Yuanheng, she could only wait until he came back.

On the morning of the second day of October, Lin Qiuran left home late. Seeing smoke coming out of his neighbor's chimney, he knocked on the door and delivered dishes and steamed buns from the restaurant to both of their families. They were all meat dishes that had not been sold out, not leftovers from customers.

Although it has been left overnight, the meat is indeed solid. Winter vegetables will not go bad if left overnight and can be eaten after heating up.

You have to spend money to buy meat now, and the price of meat has gone up in recent days, but it does not affect the restaurant business.

But ordinary people still care about these few cents.

The two kept saying no, so Lin Qiuran said, "These are leftovers from the restaurant. Bring them to the children."

Lin Qiuran smiled at the two of them. "We've lived here for such a long time, and thanks to you two sisters for taking care of us, we're moving out tomorrow. If that tall, thin, slightly hunched old lady named Liu comes looking for me, tell her I've moved to the third house in the second alley on Dongyang Street."

Liu hasn't come over for a few days, and Lin Qiuran is afraid that she will come and leave empty-handed.

Madam Xu was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Okay."

Lin Qiuran thought of another person, "And my husband."

However, Xiao Xun is unlikely to ask anyone and will probably go directly to the restaurant.

Madam Xu glanced at the Xiao family's courtyard wall and said, "Okay, are you moving?"

Lin Qiuran nodded and said, "Relatives from my hometown are here, and we can't accommodate them at home."

After moving, they are preparing for the New Year, and Lin Qiuran is also preparing to have a baby.

-----------------------

The author has something to say: I'm about to give birth, and there are about four or five chapters left.