Chapter 89 The Restaurant Opens

"There is no one in the court who can be of any real use. The civil officials and military generals have all learned to deceive and cheat. When Jizhou was in trouble, they all kept silent, and I, this old man, had to take action myself."

"The great general is still vigorous despite his old age."

“I’m not up to it either! I’m too old to hold out on the front lines for more years. I’ve got my eye on this young man named Xie Pei. He’s not reckless, but he has a lot of guts, which is rare among us outsiders who see him as a brute. I’ve paved the way for him, but I don’t know if he has the ability to walk it.”

"Xie Pei?"

"Does Your Highness know him?"

"We don't know each other, it just so happens that he has some connection with an old friend of mine."

...

Ganzhou, after noon

A group of customers arrived at Zhu Mingyue's shop. Wang Zongxiu and about twenty of his brothers sat inside, gulping down sweet water.

"Boss, this stuff is really sweet!"

Zhu Mingyue came over carrying a basket of dried dumplings and explained with a smile, "This is honey water."

Looking at the plump, white dumplings, Wang Zongxiu asked, "Is this the food your shop sells?"

“Not entirely,” Zhu Mingyue said. “Besides dumplings, our shop also sells other food. Of the three chefs in the kitchen, only one specializes in noodles; the other two have their own specialties. I’ll have them show you their skills later.”

Wang Zongxiu looked around and said, "It's really nice! It's just a bit small." Even with about twenty men sitting inside, the space felt a little cramped.

Following Zhu Mingyue's instructions, he picked up a dumpling, dipped it in the chili oil, and took a bite. His eyes lit up: "Mmm, delicious!"

The others also praised it repeatedly.

"No wonder there are so many customers." They arrived before noon and saw Zhu Mingyue's shop packed with customers from afar. Wang Zongxiu had heard that the shop was doing well, but seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn't help but feel that he had underestimated the business.

They were all镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), and their menacing aura would likely scare away customers if they all rushed into the shop. Without a word, he and his brothers hid in the alley until after noon, and when He An was about to hang up the closing sign, they came over rubbing their hands together, begging for food.

He An brought the dish from the kitchen, calling out, "Our shop's signature braised pork is here!"

He walked in and overheard their conversation, then chimed in, "The shop is indeed too small, but we're looking for one! There aren't any suitable ones in town."

Wang Zongxiu quickly picked up a piece of braised pork, looking quite pleased with himself. Hearing this, he asked in confusion, "Why insist on staying in this small town?"

"Putting everything else aside, these two dishes alone are delicious enough. I've traveled all over the country for many years and eaten at countless restaurants, but none of them can compare to the taste of yours. If you ask me, why don't you just open a restaurant in town and buy one in the county? Wouldn't you make a fortune?"

These words struck a chord with He Anxin, making him realize that his elder brother, whom he was meeting for the first time, was indeed very knowledgeable.

Only Zhu Mingyue subtly twitched the corner of her mouth. A restaurant? That's easy for him to say. Can he even afford to run one?

During the conversation, several more dishes were served, all of which were the chef's specialties that Zhu Mingyue had taught him. The more Wang Zongxiu ate, the more he felt it was a pity.

Finally, surprisingly, he put down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "Are you just content to keep such a good skill hidden in town, earning such a meager living?"

He An excitedly blurted out, "I'm not willing!" In that instant, he considered Wang Zongxiu a true friend.

Zhu Mingyue's focus was somewhat different from his; he said slowly, "It's not hard work."

Wang Zongxiu and He An both looked at him: ...Does it matter if it's hard or not?

Zhu Mingyue thought they didn't believe her, so she pursed her lips slightly and explained, "It's really not hard work. I don't even have a chance to do anything in the shop anymore. They've taken all the work I should and shouldn't be doing. I just stand in the shop every day without really thinking, and after noon I make a few taels of silver. So it's really not hard work."

These words actually made a shameful but real point, and Wang Zongxiu was almost convinced. Fortunately, he immediately came to his senses and said with great remorse, "The hard work is secondary. Don't you think you're not earning enough money?"

He An was equally heartbroken: "It's really too little!"

Zhu Mingyue: ...Is he the only one who thinks it's too much? For him, enough money is enough; he doesn't need too much.

Moreover, running a restaurant is not the same as opening a shop; the risks are much greater, so he was still somewhat hesitant.

“I have an acquaintance, we’re not that close, but I’ve done him a favor. This guy runs a restaurant in Shangyang County, and the Zhengfu Inn where I stayed during my rest period in the county was also run by him.”

Zhu Mingyue nodded, signaling him to continue. He had seen that man at Zhengfu Inn. On the day he set off for Jizhou, the man was at the door seeing Wang Zongxiu off. He had the typical appearance of a businessman, looking shrewd but without any ill intentions.

Wang Zongxiu continued, "His business was huge. He had properties in almost every county in Ganzhou, mainly running pawnshops. He only opened an inn and a restaurant in Shangyang County. You know the inn; business was so-so. But the restaurant was really bad, and he eventually had to close it down."

Having said that, Zhu Mingyue still had something she didn't understand: "Brother Wang means that I should take over that restaurant?"

Wang Zongxiu nodded, "Of course, I'm just suggesting it. If you're interested, you can go and see for yourself."

He An asked, "How is the location?" Business owners all care about location; places with high foot traffic are the easiest to retain customers.

Wang Zongxiu forgot to mention this, so he added: "It's on Fen'an Street, near the dock in Ganzhou. Locals don't go there much, but there are many people from other places who occasionally find a restaurant nearby to rest for a day or two."

Before Zhu Mingyue could even speak, He An rejected the idea: "Brother Wang, this location is probably not suitable. I've heard that merchant ships haven't been sailing on the Ji River for months, and the docks are mostly staffed by government troops. If we open a restaurant there, no one will eat there!"

He finally understood why Wang Zongxiu's friend's restaurant had gone out of business so quickly; it was because the location was wrong.

Even the best wine needs advertising; no matter how good Zhu Mingyue's skills are, she still chose this bustling location when selecting a shop.

Wang Zongxiu grinned and said, "But it's cheap!"

"Oh?" Zhu Mingyue asked curiously, "How cheap is it?"

Wang Zongxiu mysteriously held up three fingers.

The young bodyguard, who was happily eating nearby, looked up and said, "Boss, you can't swear oaths anymore. We almost got struck by lightning last time."

Wang Zongxiu slapped the other man on the back of the head: "Even good food can't shut your mouth." He turned around and continued to explain: "Three hundred and ninety taels."

Zhu Mingyue became interested: "How old is he?"

Wang Zongxiu thought for a moment and then guessed, "I don't know the specifics, but it's cheaper and bigger than Zhengfu Inn."

Zhu Mingyue was genuinely tempted now. "Should I go take a look?"

"Look, that guy is just having trouble getting rid of his stock. If I put in a good word for him, he might be able to get a better price."

Four hundred taels is actually quite cheap; his shop originally cost forty-two taels of silver.

Although the location was just average, Zhu Mingyue had his own considerations. Jihe could not remain without merchant ships forever. If the trade route were to reopen in the future, his business would definitely not be too bad.

After thinking it through, he looked at He An and said, "Haven't you always complained that our shop is too small? Why don't we go take a look today? If it's suitable, we can take over this restaurant."

"Manager, isn't this inappropriate?" He An scratched his head, looking troubled. He did want Zhu Mingyue to expand the shop, but his goal was to earn more money. Taking over this restaurant might even result in a loss.

With guests present, he couldn't say it to their faces, but planned to advise Zhu Mingyue privately later. He thought they had been narrow-minded before; if they couldn't find a shop in town, they should look in the county. He didn't believe that such a large county as Shangyang couldn't find a satisfactory shop.

But his plan ultimately failed. After Wang Zongxiu and his group had eaten and drunk their fill, they took Zhu Mingyue away. He An was worried, so he asked Xiao Cui's younger brother to go home and look after his mother, and then he quickly followed them.

The restaurant was indeed quite large, and its exterior was exquisite, with even the wooden windows featuring beautiful carvings.

Zhu Mingyue looked up and was quite satisfied with how the three-story restaurant stood out so much among the low two-story buildings.

At the beginning of Shenshi (3-5 PM), there were still many porters carrying goods on the dock, as well as many government officials and soldiers.

This gave Zhu Mingyue a bold idea.

Just as he was lost in thought, He An's words of advice rang in his ears.

"Manager, please think carefully! Buying a prime shop only costs less than a hundred taels, but this restaurant will cost nearly four hundred taels."

But Zhu Mingyue was no longer listening to reason. The more he looked, the more tempted he became. If he hadn't been broke, he would have signed the papers on the spot.

"How about that? That guy spent a fortune just building the house, went through all that trouble, and in the end he still had to sell it at a loss," Wang Zongxiu sighed.

Zhu Mingyue said firmly, "I want to buy it. Please convey my intention to Brother Wang. However, 390 taels is still too much. I don't have that much money. My expected price is within 370 taels."

Wang Zongxiu acted quickly, arriving at the dumpling shop alone the next day at noon to inform Zhu Mingyue of the news.

Zhu Mingyue poured him a cup of tea, and after taking a couple of sips, he said, "That guy is really shrewd! At first, he absolutely refused to lower the price, but when asked, he started crying and saying how much he had lost. I talked him until my mouth was dry, and finally I just said I wasn't going to buy it anymore, and that's when he really panicked."

"It's better to sell at a lower price than to have something stuck with it. In the current situation, it's good enough if someone is willing to take it over. It's only because you have good skills that you're lucky; if someone else takes over, you'll definitely have to resell it anyway."

He An stretched his head: "So how much do you want?"

Wang Zongxiu stopped keeping him in suspense and told him the truth: "Three hundred and sixty-five taels, that's the lowest I can go."

Zhu Mingyue knew that Wang Zongxiu had done his best to negotiate the price for him. He was not good at this kind of thing, and if he had been the one to negotiate, he probably wouldn't have gotten such a good price.

However, he still didn't have enough money, so he had to ask Wang Zongxiu to inform the man that he needed another half month's grace.

After Wang Zongxiu left, He An asked in confusion, "Manager, what use do you have for this restaurant?"

“They’ll be very useful,” Zhu Mingyue said with a smile. “Starting today, help me recruit five more chef apprentices. They don’t all have to be talented, as long as they’re not lazy and can work hard.”

He had already planned how to run the restaurant. He wanted to turn the first floor into a canteen, set up several windows, and clearly mark prices so that people could buy what they needed.

The price range for two dishes and a meal should be kept within fifteen coins, which is affordable for ordinary officers and soldiers.

The reason why Wang Zongxiu's friend's business was so bad was that he didn't find the right niche. Opening a luxury hotel similar to the ones of later times next to a dock full of soldiers and porters was simply unrealistic.

As for the second floor, he planned to use it as a proper restaurant. The third floor would be slightly modified to serve as an inn for people to rest.

He An still disagreed with his idea after hearing it: "If you do it this way, there will still be no guests on the second and third floors."

Zhu Mingyue shook her head mysteriously: "Not necessarily."

"It's true that our restaurant is located at the dock, but we're not limited to doing business there. As long as our first floor thrives, our reputation will naturally spread. Don't forget, we still have customers who come all the way from the county just to eat here!"

He An thought about it and realized that he had been naive.

However, a restaurant that costs nearly four hundred taels of silver would never be able to recoup its investment by selling meals for a dozen coins a serving on the first floor.

He An worried about this for more than a month until the sweltering heat arrived, and the restaurant officially opened for business.

Zhu Mingyue left Xiao Cui to look after at the shop in town, while He An was taken to the restaurant by him.

When it was time to eat, the chef Qi Huahua brought out five dishes: cucumber salad, Mapo tofu, scrambled eggs with persimmons, stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers, and a meat dish of spicy stir-fried chicken.

These are all delicious dishes that go well with rice, and their strong aromas attract passersby to stop and watch.

Finally, someone came up to ask the price, and He An patiently explained: "Cucumber salad is one coin, Mapo tofu is three coins, scrambled eggs with persimmons and stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers are four coins each, and today's meat dish is chicken, which is six coins a spoonful."

Actually, it's not exactly cheap. Most people still feel that it's more economical to eat at home. Take this cold cucumber salad, for example. Almost every farmer grows it. It's quite amazing that something that used to be free can now be sold at a price.

Although the ingredients are ordinary, the sauce is rich and dark, and it does look more appetizing than what I make at home.

The man swallowed hard: "Is there rice?"

He An smiled and said, "Yes! Dishes costing nine coins or more come with a free bowl of rice, while the rest require one coin to purchase."

The man nodded upon hearing this: "How about this, first give me a chicken, a serving of tofu, and a generous amount of rice."

"Alright, would you like to dine in or takeout, sir?"

"Do you offer takeout?"

"Of course, but you'll have to pay an extra five coins for cutlery. You can take the money back when you finish eating and bring it over."

"Then I'll take it to go."

The chef quickly served him a bowl of mixed grain rice, and the portion of vegetables was also very generous.

The man paid the money and happily squatted on the riverbank with his meal.

I must say, this dish tastes really good. I don't know how the tofu is made, but it's incredibly spicy, numbing, and savory. It's so delicious that it'll make your tongue tingle when you eat it with rice.

Spicy diced chicken is also delicious; it's deep-fried until crispy, and you can even chew the bones.

He buried his head in his food and ate with gusto, while the people next to him, holding cornbread, looked on with envy and came over.

"Hey bro, what are you eating? Where did you buy it?"

"Hmm," the man looked up and realized he was surrounded. He picked up his water pouch and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water to catch his breath.

"Mingyuelou Restaurant, I saw that it just opened today. I was just thinking of joining in the fun, but I didn't expect the food to be so delicious."

"Mingyue Tower? That sounds unfamiliar."

The man pointed behind him, where a black plaque with gold lettering prominently displayed the three large characters "Mingyue Tower".

The entrance was completely blocked.

Gradually, more and more people began to gather along the riverbank, enjoying their meals.

"Wow! It's really that delicious?"

"It's delicious! The dishes that cost only a few coins are even better than those at Zuixianju."

"Really?" Those who hadn't tried it yet were immediately eager to try it.

When they rushed to the restaurant, before they could even squeeze inside, they heard the chef shout, "Today's dishes are sold out. Please come again tomorrow!"

After saying that, he began to announce the names of tomorrow's dishes: "Stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, tiger-skin green peppers, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and the meat dish is fish-fragrant pork."