Because the county-sponsored training course announced that the top five would be offered jobs, they were later told directly that they would be placed in Chunhui Restaurant, which was about to open.
Everyone wanted to see how the woman worked as a waitress.
This inadvertently served as free advertising for Chunhuilou, resulting in a surge of customers dining there on opening day.
"I'd like to see what kind of restaurant Chunhuilou is, that it dares to have a woman work as a waitress."
Once inside to order, everyone's attention eventually shifted to the dishes.
"Hey, I've eaten so many delicious things, but I've really broadened my horizons today."
"Yes, this flavor is really strong, I like it."
There were still people watching, but several well-dressed men went straight in.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like a private room."
"Alright, so it's Young Master. Please come upstairs."
When those people heard that even the young master had come to eat, they thought it was quite an achievement.
You should know that those who can be called "heir apparent" are the sons of officials with titles of the highest rank.
Everyone secretly thought that this shop must have a very important background.
Those who hadn't come in yet were eager to try it and see just how delicious it was.
The prince and his companions, who had just gone upstairs, sat in a private room themed around orchids and looked around.
The young master joked, "This does look different."
Xu Zijin smiled faintly: "This restaurant was opened by Brother Su and Brother-in-law. It is said to be very famous in Qingyang County. Even my father praised it highly when he recalled it. He said he would come to see if it still tastes the same as before."
"What would you like to eat, sir? These are all our signature dishes. If you have any favorites, just circle them on the list."
Everyone looked at the person who was speaking.
She was wearing dark shorts, her hair was neatly braided and tied with a scarf, and she had a polite smile on her face.
The group exchanged smiles and asked her to describe the special features of the dish.
She spoke eloquently and calmly about the menu, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Okay, then let's do it your way, and be quick."
"Okay, please wait a moment, sir."
After Sun Xiaohua came out, she breathed a deep sigh of relief and smiled happily.
Her efforts paid off; she ran to the kitchen window on the second floor, "The menu for Lan You Shi."
A hand reached out of the window. "Okay."
The food was served quickly, and Sun Xiaohua mustered her courage to ask, "Would you gentlemen like some drinks?"
"Bring us your best wine."
Sun Xiaohua happily went to get it and placed it on the table, leaving behind the words, "Please enjoy your meal, sir."
He went out, closed the door, and stood guard outside, wondering how many copper coins he could get that day.
Remembering what was said that day—that she would get a commission if she could sell extra wine—she became very motivated.
Guan Chang was not here earlier, but he came in with Su Yi. Upon hearing that the young master had arrived, the two exchanged a glance and said, "Bring one of each of the restaurant's signature dishes. Don't neglect them."
"Don't worry, sir, it's already been put on the plane."
Su Yi led him upstairs and knocked on the door of the private room to go inside.
"Young Master, Brother Xu..."
"Oh, Brother Su is here! Come and sit down and eat. I won't bother you anymore." Xu Zijin abandoned her usual reserve and buried herself in her food.
The young master found him somewhat amusing and looked at Guan Chang, asking, "Brother Su, who is this?"
Su Yi explained, "This is my brother-in-law, Guan Chang, who is the owner here."
After introducing everyone, Guan Chang greeted them one by one. The young master praised, "The dishes here are truly unique and delicious, very good."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. Please enjoy your meal. Today's meal is on the house as a token of our gratitude for Your Highness and all the esteemed guests."
The young master looked at Su Yi beside him and teased, "Brother Su, your brother-in-law knows how to talk."
Su Yi said in a serious tone, "I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as you."
After exchanging pleasantries, without delaying their meal, the two withdrew.
Guan Chang looked at Sun Xiaohua standing outside and instructed her, "Remember to take good care of the guests inside."
Sun Xiaohua should be the one.
She knew this man was the owner of the restaurant and Master Liu's brother-in-law. Could the man in front be Master Liu's husband? Thinking of this, her eyes lit up. They were such a perfect match.
After a brief lapse in concentration, she brought her thoughts back.
Su Yi was about to go back after making his rounds when Guan Chang handed him the packed items, saying, "Take these back to your sisters and let them try them."
As soon as Su Yi left, a dissatisfied voice rang out in the lobby: "Hey, is our new skewers ready yet?"
"There's another serving of braised pork intestines here, hurry up, we'll finish the wine soon."
Guan was often too busy to handle everything, so he personally went to urge the production of the vegetables.
On opening day, they gave away shaved ice and popcorn, and since many young men had already eaten there, people flocked to try it.
Officials who opposed women showing their faces in public disguised themselves to investigate, but instead of being attracted by the women, they were drawn to the delicious-looking and fragrant food.
I got drunk and went home before I remembered that I had forgotten about the important matter.
It was only later that everyone realized that whether a woman or a man was the waiter didn't seem to have much of an impact on their dining experience.
Other businesses that were initially hesitant also began hiring trained women, though they paid them a quarter less than men.
The women who were looking for jobs felt that something was better than nothing, and readily accepted.
As a result, more people wanted to attend the training courses organized by the county. Although registration had ended, many people still managed to get a spot through connections.
Liu Huan handed over her training process to others and focused on doing other things.
For a time, there was a craze for holding training classes everywhere, so the Queen decided to go even further.
A girls' academy was opened at the Imperial Academy, exclusively for girls aged six and above.
They didn't study strategies or the Four Books and Five Classics, but rather music, chess, calligraphy, painting, embroidery, and horseback riding—all skills-based.
The tuition isn't expensive; it's the cost of the paper used for the books that's the problem for many families.
When the Empress's family learned of this, the Emperor's brother-in-law donated tens of thousands of taels of silver to provide strong support, and many families signed up to send their children there.
The capital city was bustling with activity for a time.
"I didn't expect this book to be so expensive. A copy of the Thousand Character Classic is more than ten times more expensive than Huangshi Town."
Su Wan sighed as she held the book in her hand, "Who in a poor family could afford this?"
Su Yi explained, "This paper is produced in small quantities to begin with, and the words on it are all handwritten. If even one word is wrong, the entire page is unusable. Scarcity makes it valuable, so it's normal for it to be more expensive."
"You can only copy a few words a day by copying books. If only we could use something to transfer the characters onto the paper, how much faster that would be!"
Liu Huan, who was reading a book nearby, suddenly realized that it was movable type printing.
If it can really be made, it's not impossible for it to benefit the local people.
She originally wanted to persuade the princess to open a girls' school, but now the empress had beaten her to it, and she couldn't very well steal the empress's business.
Then we can only offer training courses for adults. Training courses are being imitated everywhere these days, and the market will soon become saturated.
According to Shi Tou, the family has so much money that they can't spend it all because of buying chili peppers and Chunhuilou restaurant.
Money kept flowing in, and Su Yi was promoted to an official position.
So making money is no longer her only goal.
If we could recall how movable type printing was used, it wouldn't be impossible to benefit the people.
ah!
I am such a kind-hearted, beautiful, and generous person!
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