When Wang Baogen, who had spent the night in the young widow's bed and had a wild goose chase, returned to Wang's Restaurant, the sun was already high in the sky and the riverside was bustling with people.
Ruan's Restaurant was also packed with guests and was very lively. Many people were gathered around the iron cauldron. Wang's waiter wanted to squeeze in to do something, but he couldn't.
Wang Baogen could hear the shouting from next door while standing at the door of his restaurant.
"Boss, when will the braised food be ready?"
"What's that smell in the kitchen? Is there something better?"
"This smell is so tempting, can you go faster?"
…
Ruan Qin, wearing a newly made navy blue robe, greeted customers in his own restaurant with a smile, "After the master finishes the purification ceremony, we will wash away the old dust. It's almost time for the new braised food to be served!"
Ruan Jialin, who was standing nearby, also said loudly, "We've just added some new barley tea to our menu today, and it's free, so our guests can enjoy the excitement first and then savor the delicious food!"
A scholar asked a classmate who was craning his neck to look at the iron cauldron downstairs, "Didn't you make an appointment? Where is he?"
That classmate: "...Oh no, Yao Niang is still waiting for me."
The two of them came out secretly to pray together. They must have left before dawn. I guess they would be very angry if they didn't leave by now.
He hurried out, shouting, "Brother Yang, I'm in a hurry to leave. I'll definitely come back with something. Remember to order me some braised food! I'll give you the money when you come back!"
The noise attracted many people to go inside. What kind of food could cause such a fire that they had to turn back?
The Wang family is the opposite of the Ruan family. Among the four brothers, there is only one male, Wang Baogen. He is Wang's cousin, and you can tell from his name how much he is valued by his family.
The Wang family specially chose a restaurant on the Pingjiang River for him to manage, just to wait until the Ruan family's last restaurant could no longer operate, and then they could take it over to him.
So in Wang Baogen's view, the Ruan family shop belongs to him.
Seeing that the Ruan family is about to collapse, damn it, why are they getting up again during the Shangsi Festival?
"Go and find out for me what they are making that smells so good." Wang Baogen said viciously.
"If you can steal the recipe, it's okay to give them some extra silver. If not, find out what they did and then get some thugs to smash those two iron cauldrons!"
In the eyes of the Wang family, Ruan's Restaurant is like a sieve. Its business is on the verge of collapse anyway. As long as they are willing to spend money, there will definitely be a waiter willing to leak information.
The clerk took the purse thrown by Wang Baogen, and was so shocked by its heavy weight that he smiled broadly. He patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, boss, I'll leave it to me. Just wait and see."
The Shangsi Festival is a big day. When it gets big, more people will know about it.
If the reputation of Ruan's Restaurant was ruined in one fell swoop, the Ruan shop would probably not be able to continue operating today.
When the time comes, the shopkeeper will be happy and will definitely give him a reward.
The guy was thinking in his mind, and ran out to look for someone with a grin on his face. Although he was a second-rate guy, he had many friends who were good at causing trouble.
Although the Northwest does not celebrate the Shangsi Festival, the third day of March is an extremely important day for the Qiao family, the Zhang family, and even Miao Wan.
Because——Miao Wan is finally out of confinement!
And after one month of opening, Ju Fu Restaurant can finally settle accounts and distribute money!
Miao Wan got up early in the morning and rushed to the kitchen without even taking care of the children, begging Aunt Geng to boil some more hot water for her after she finished making breakfast.
"You must make two more pots. I'm all smelly. I haven't bathed in almost two months."
Aunt Geng laughed at her shaking. "Okay, okay, okay, but you should wait until the sun comes out before washing. Aunt Geng will guard the door for you then. It's too cold this early in the morning."
"Then Aunt Geng will eat first. After dinner, you and mom will take care of Taotao while I take a shower." Miao Wan didn't mind taking this little while.
In fact, she also wanted to give Taotao a bath, but she didn't dare to mention it because she would be blamed if she mentioned it.
After being stuck in the house for a month, not only the adults, but also the children will have a faint smell of milk.
But the house they live in now is old and the weather is still cold. The baby died not long after being born, and no one dares to give the baby a bath.
While boiling water, Miao Wan was still discussing with Geng, "Can we break ground in half a month? Or should we just build a blue brick and tile house and install a ground dragon?"
If it was just the east room, Geng would have no objection.
"I'll just build you a new house. You don't need to use the other rooms. Brick and tile houses cost a lot of money, and the ground heating is even more expensive. I spent a lot of money to open the shop, so I dare not waste it like this."
Geng didn't know how much silver Miao Wan had in her hands, but all the soaps made after the New Year were given to Bayindi to buy the shop, so she wouldn't be making any money for a while.
The shop didn't cost any money, but the decoration of the shop did cost a lot.
The backyard was almost completely renovated, and twelve new rooms were built, all with kangs and wooden floors. The kitchen was also almost rebuilt, and a lot of money was spent on the iron cauldrons and the water table.
That’s more than three hundred taels.
As for the lobby, although it looks inconspicuous, it has been repainted, and a lot of tables and chairs have been customized, and the floor tiles have been laid, which also cost dozens of taels.
Furthermore, he bought eight strong young men. In the hands of human traffickers, strong young men are the most expensive, two or three strings of cash each, which is more than ten taels.
This does not include digging a well, making new clothes for the servants, making mattresses for the kang room, and baking bowls and plates and other miscellaneous tasks.
Later, wages have to be paid, and the Zhang family's pigpen has to be rebuilt. Miao Wan is also thinking about buying a mule cart.
The most important thing is that with Taotao around, raising a child also requires carefulness.
Moreover, the head tax will be paid soon this year. With four adults in the family, Geng is afraid that the money will not be enough.
Miao Wan calculated for a moment and said, "There's definitely enough money. When Third Brother and the others come back from their work tonight, we'll do the math and you'll know."
In fact, she wanted to go to the restaurant in person to take a look. She had not been there since the shop was renovated.
The income was not as good as Miao Wan had expected, which was extremely frustrating for the money-maker.
But Taotao still needs to be breastfed, and she is a little hesitant to let Miao Wan go out alone.
There are so many foreign merchants outside, and it is not as safe as she imagined for such a delicate young lady to go out.
It's obvious that Geng won't agree.
So Miao Wan just hoped that Qiao Bailao would come back quickly, and then take this person out with her. She could also get ahead by borrowing the power of others.
But nothing is more important than taking a bath and having a bowl of braised pork!
After the hot water was ready, Miao Wan and Aunt Geng brought two more buckets of hot water into the house, then closed the doors and windows. Miao Wan couldn't wait to take off her clothes.
Taotao happened to be awake. Maybe Miao Wan had to take off her clothes every time she was fed. She tilted her head and saw her mother taking off her clothes, and she became excited as she slurped up the milk.
Logically speaking, a one-month-old baby cannot see clearly, but who asked Miao Wan to wear a red bellyband?
The little girl opened her mouth to reveal a toothless smile, with the tip of her pink tongue sticking out. She was so cute that Miao Wan walked up to her and gave her a kiss.
Then Miao Wan turned around and happily ran to the bathtub. No matter how lovely a girl was, she was not as attractive as hot water at this moment.
Taotao cried out twice in confusion, unable to get his hands out of the swaddling clothes. He stared at the red bellyband that had been taken off, very puzzled.
Why hasn't Mom come yet? Why isn't she moving? Aren't you going to feed her?
Geng touched Taotao's belly with a smile. It was just over half an hour after she was fed, so it was not time to feed her yet. By the time Taotao was hungry, her mother would have almost finished taking a bath.
Taotao heard the sound of water and saw that the man in the red bellyband didn't come over, so he became a little angry.
"Ahhh--poof!" Taotao farted again with an effort.
Miao Wan laughed at her daughter in the water, "Good boy, this is a joint protest against not taking her to bathe. How about stripping her naked and throwing her into the hot water to play for a while? After washing, wrap her up and put her on the kang immediately."
I heard that all children can swim. Miao Wan remembered that in later generations, many children were thrown into the bathtub to play, and they would just put a small swimming ring around their necks.
She can use her hands instead and just hold it under her armpits.
The little dumplings are not dirty. Rinse them in hot water and the milky smell will probably be gone.
Geng was really angry with her, "She can't even lift her neck. She might choke in the water. Don't give her any advice. Hurry up and finish washing her and come feed her. I think she's going to get angry again."
Miao Wan looked back and saw that Taotao was still turning his head to listen to her voice.
Geng hid the red bellyband under the quilt, so the little guy couldn't see anything. If he couldn't sleep, he would probably cry out soon.
So Miao Wan didn't care about being shy, and asked Aunt Geng to help her rub off the dust. She quickly took a shower, came out, put on only her underwear, and went to the kang to hide under the quilt.
When Taotao opened her mouth to cry, Miao Wan stuffed the food bag into her mouth at the right time.
Mrs. Geng and Aunt Geng couldn't stop laughing when they saw Miao Wan's quick movements.
"Don't say that, raising a child with a quick temper has its benefits. Look at Awan, it's only been a month since she gave birth, and she's already recovered a lot. She's in much better shape than the third wife of the Zhang family."
Sun's belly is still not full yet. In order to have enough milk, she is not as delicate as Miao Wan. She eats a lot of salty food. Now she looks like she is pregnant.
But Miao Wan's belly seemed to have grown for nothing. The edema had gone away after giving birth, and her waist hadn't gotten much thicker, while her arms and legs were still so thin.
If you want to know where she gained weight, it's her chest, and her fair and tender face has a little more flesh.
Geng sighed, "It was the same when I gave birth to Xiaorui. Women tend to become more beautiful when they give birth to girls."
Miao Wan curled her lips secretly. No, she didn't have freckles like Sun. It was because she used sunscreen when she went out, and she didn't go out much.
As for the fact that she lost weight quickly after giving birth, could it be fake that she was sweating profusely while kicking her legs and twisting her waist on the kang?
If it wasn't for the need to regain her figure, she wouldn't have looked so bad after the confinement period.
So Miao Wan doesn’t believe in the impact of the boy or girl of the baby on pregnant women. She only believes in science.
Sister Chenxi gave birth to a big fat son, and he looks better than before.
Thinking of Sister Chenxi, Miao Wan felt a little sad. She would never see her again, right?
She felt the little guy's sucking became lighter, and when she lowered her head, she found that he had fallen asleep.
Miao Wan calmed down and thought that she would have the little princess to accompany her from now on. Instead of being sad, she might as well speed up her money-making process and quickly build a big house for the little princess!
After feeding the child and cleaning the house, Miao Wan couldn't wait to sit at the kitchen door with the crystal agate meat.
I want to relax and satisfy my cravings. Adults don't make choices. Of course, adults do both.
Before she could finish being greedy, Miao Wan felt the wind blowing all over her face.
The yard was full of dirt and dust, and her heart sank.
He opened his mouth and "Puff" it was all dirt.
Mrs. Geng and Aunt Geng watched through the crack in the window and laughed with their hands covering their mouths.
In the main hall, Qiao Rui laughed and asked her father in confusion, "Why does my sister-in-law have to sit in the wind to eat?"
A jar of crystal agate meat was wasted. I'm afraid I have to wash it before eating it, and the soup that is especially delicious for soaking rice is gone.
Qiao Shengwen couldn't help laughing: "Maybe it's to experience the freedom of the wind blowing?"
Miao Wan: “…” Dad, you know I can hear you talking, right?
She didn't get to eat the braised pork, but at Ruan's Restaurant, some customers had already picked up the trembling crystal agate meat.
"As red as the morning sun, as transparent as crystal, wonderful, wonderful!" After saying this, he put a large piece of meat into his mouth. Before the rich aroma of the meat with sweetness and sauce could spread, the meat melted in his mouth and was swallowed.
Someone nearby murmured, "Before I could even taste the flavor, the meat was gone. When did I start eating like this?"
After saying that, he immediately scooped out the gravy and poured it on the white rice with distinct grains, turning the rice into round agate beads, and then ate it in big mouthfuls.
Mmm… it’s delicious! I’ve already wolfed it down, so I don’t mind embarrassing myself for a moment.
Many people think this way and eat without even raising their heads.
The crystal agate meat that comes out of the pot first is so amazing, so what does the braised food that smells fragrant from morning to noon taste like?
At this moment, there was a sudden noise at the door.
"Where's the shopkeeper? Is he here? You asked us to deliver the offal for the braised food, and here we are. Please settle the bill for us quickly!"
As the words fell, someone slammed down two wooden barrels at the door, and a foul smell spread throughout Ruan's Restaurant.
Some people couldn't even eat the crystal meat, covering their noses in disgust. "Is this what the braised food is made of? Holy shit... Ugh! So disgusting!"
The two men, their faces covered in flesh, exchanged a glance. Someone behind them pulled out a string of dirty trotters and threw them on the ground. "Can you please pay the bill quickly? Oh, and you asked for pig's trotters. I don't understand why anyone would like to eat such a filthy thing?"
The guests in the restaurant were in an uproar. Many scholars even turned red in anger, and some even vomited.
Seeing that they had incurred public outrage, some people were even shouting for accountability. Ruan Qin had already prepared the money to be returned, and Ruan Jialin also sorted out the Wang family's shameless deeds in detail.
The father and son were ready to have a fight, and they would rather injure the enemy a thousand than themselves.
The Wang family is shameless? The father and son had already discussed it. At worst, they would lose the Ruan family's reputation, and then they would break up and not accept it.
After a big fuss, the shop was sold and the story of the Wang family's shamelessness spread throughout the streets and alleys. The Wang family went to the capital to fight to the death with Wang Shi.
With the recipes for braised goods and crystal meat, the Ruan family is sure to attract many customers if they move to another place. They are not afraid of making a big fuss. Wang's Restaurant will have to worry about it in the future.
Unexpectedly, a group of people came in from the door. They all looked well-fed, but some of them had skins that were much darker than others, and it was obvious that they had been exposed to the sun for a lot of time.
"What is this? Why does it stink? Brother Zheng, you told me that this is the place where the food is good?" The fat businessman with a pale face was about to leave immediately.
"I can't enjoy this feeling."
"Hey! No, no... Why are the ingredients left here without being processed? Hurry up and take them to the back to get those precious things to process them. It's really affecting people's appetite." Brother Zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and frowned at Ruan Jialin and his son.
Bayin really figured it out.
Ruan Jialin was quick-witted and immediately walked back with the bucket. "Sorry, sorry, it's our first order and the people below didn't know how to deliver it, so they delivered it to the wrong place. Do you want me to take you out, or do you want me to kick you out?"
Seeing that Ruan Jialin had rolled up his sleeves, and there were many waiters in the restaurant, they were scared and quickly retreated because the people who came to cause trouble today were not big guys.
The servants of the Wang family were very cautious. They were afraid that if the news of looting and vandalism got out among so many scholars today, the Ruan family would be in a weak position.
Those who came today are looking for trouble using their brains, they are not that good at physical skills.
But someone's brain was quick, and they immediately asked with wide eyes, "No, I thought the store's purchaser was joking with me. Do you really eat these and eat shit every day..."
"What are you talking about? Weren't you pulled out from your mother's womb?" The man surnamed Zheng directly criticized the Ruan family.
He was almost mad with anger. After finally smelling something, he brought his good friend to support the Ruan family. The main purpose was to let his friend know how many good things there were out there so that he could cooperate with him in business.
Who knew that I would run into two idiots and get into such a disgusting trouble.
Still pretending? Pretend to be your grandma!
He immediately started shouting, "I heard that in the previous dynasty, there was a student from a poor family who used this to nourish his body. Later, he became a Jinshi (imperial scholar) on two exams. This thing is more delicious than meat when it's prepared well. It's also a good omen. It's called "good luck and success, step by step." I heard that someone even became the top scorer in the imperial examination after eating it!"
He simply bowed to his friend and said, "Anyway, I came back after eating a good fortune, and my journey has been smoother than ever before. I believe this. If you don't want to rise step by step, I will eat it by myself. We can meet again another day."
Friend: “…” Damn, can you speak? Who doesn’t want to move up the ladder?
How can I leave if you say that?
Who are the most popular people in the restaurant right now? Scholars.
Just like what Mrs. Ruan thought, if it was really so auspicious, although they would not eat it raw, they would definitely not refuse to boil it in water. It would taste much better than bile, right?
Not to mention it was cooked so deliciously.
"Is there really a step-by-step rise? I want one!"
"Then I'll have one portion of Hongyun Dangtou, too! But boss, please light some incense first to get rid of the smell. It's really affecting my appetite!"
Ruan Qin's smile grew even brighter. "Great! Not only are we blessed with great fortune and advancement, but we also have a place on the imperial examinations, a clear mind, a brilliant tongue, loyalty and a wealth of knowledge. Our family has it all!"
"Good! Give me a knowledgeable one!" Everyone cheered loudly, and some people couldn't wait to shout out.
All of a sudden, everyone in the restaurant started to place orders in a hurry, as if they were trying to be the first to eat an incense stick. Who knows if the sooner you eat, the better.
The people who were causing trouble outside were chased away by Ruan's men with sticks. Several burly men stood beside the iron cauldron, preventing anyone from causing trouble.
A few people could only hide in the corner, listening to the customers of Ruan's Restaurant shouting loudly, looking at each other in confusion, knowing that the job was ruined.
In addition, the fragrance of Ruan's restaurant spread for ten miles, and even the guests from other restaurants, especially those from Wang's restaurant, came to Ruan's house.
Wang Baogen was standing on the second floor. He was already feeling uncomfortable because of the aroma. Now he couldn't help it and slapped the waiter in the face.
"Is this what you want me to see?"
You are making me look good!
"Hurry up and send a letter to the capital! Tell them that the Ruan family has inexplicably obtained some kind of prescription and is acting up again. Tell my cousin to find a solution quickly!"
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