The next morning, Tian An and Daniu caught the ox cart, loaded it with more than 300 kilograms of bamboo shoots, and set off.
After entering the city, the two went to the restaurant where Da Niu often sold his game.
The guy who opened the door thought that Da Niu was here to sell game, but he didn't see him carrying any.
When he learned that it was spring bamboo shoots instead of game, he said directly, "Little brother, our restaurant only accepts game. Besides, everyone knows that bamboo shoots are bitter and unpalatable. Only those who are too poor to afford food would dig them up and eat them. The people who come to the restaurant are all nobles who would not eat that kind of thing."
Tian An said hurriedly, "Our spring bamboo shoots are all processed before use, so the bitterness is removed. When stir-fried, they are crispy, tender and refreshing. If stir-fried with meat, the tender bamboo shoots will absorb the aroma of the meat and the taste is simply amazing."
Seeing that the waiter was still hesitating, Tian An grabbed five copper coins and quietly put them in Da Niu's hand and winked at him.
Da Niu understood what he meant and put the copper coin into the waiter's hand.
Tian An took the opportunity to say, "Could you please ask the owner? If he doesn't believe it, he can try the food right away. If it's not as good as we say, we'll take it away without further ado."
The waiter squeezed the copper coins in his hand and said, "Our boss is not here right now, but I can ask our chef. He can make the decision. I am not responsible for whether it can be done or not!"
Tian An nodded repeatedly and said, "Thank you, brother."
After a while, a cook with an apron draped over his shoulders and a big belly came out. He looked down at Daniu and Tian An and said, "You are the ones who sell bamboo shoots without the astringency."
Tian An immediately smiled and said, "Master Chef, our bamboo shoots are all processed and have no bitterness at all. We tried it at home yesterday and found that they are delicious just by stir-frying them. Master, you are a good cook, so the ones you make will definitely be delicious. I guarantee that your restaurant will have a long line of people waiting."
The chef was delighted to be praised: "My cooking skills are undoubtedly excellent, but the bamboo shoots may not be as good as you say."
Da Niu grabbed a handful of bamboo shoots from the ox cart and handed them to the cook.
Tian An said with a smile: "Please try the food, Master Chef. You have the final say on whether it is good or not."
The chef said, "Wait," and closed the door.
Another quarter of an hour later, Tian An seemed to smell the aroma of stir-fried spring bamboo shoots and meat.
There wouldn't be any customers in the restaurant at this hour, so the chef must be tasting the food. Tian An felt like he was holding silver in his hands as he smelled the aroma of the food.
Sure enough, after a while, there was a sound of footsteps inside the door. When I opened the door, I saw the chef and two waiters coming out.
"How much is one pound of your bamboo shoots?"
Tian An immediately stepped forward and said, "Master Chef, spring bamboo shoots are six coins a pound!"
The chef frowned and said, "Six coins a pound is too expensive!"
Tian An pointed his finger and said, "Master Chef, it's not expensive, but these bamboo shoots are so hard to dig. You have to peel them and process them, which takes a lot of firewood and effort. And after that, you're not even halfway there! And this is a one-of-a-kind item; no other restaurant in town has it! We came to your place first."
The chef that Tian An mentioned also knew this, and it was because he knew it was the first order that he patiently talked to the two of them here.
"Okay, yours is all wet! It weighs quite a few pounds, five cents a pound. Okay, let's weigh it."
Tian An: "Then how much does Chef want?"
The chef looked at Tian An with a critical eye: "How many do you have?"
Tian An stretched out his hand and gestured: "About 300 pounds."
The chef retorted, "Didn't you say it was hard to dig?"
Tian An blinked his eyes and said, "It was very difficult to dig! More than a dozen of us dug for a whole day, until midnight, and we were able to pull it out this morning."
The chef waved his hand: "Alright, alright, all weighed."
Tian An said happily: "Brother Daniu, let's help carry it too!"
Daniu said, "Okay," and then he carried a large basin of bamboo shoots and walked in.
The chef's two servants were still trembling as they lifted the other basin!
The chef's brows were furrowed so much that he could pinch a fly to death.
Three hundred and twenty-six catties of spring bamboo shoots were sold for one thousand six hundred and thirty coins.
Tian An was so happy. If he could dig 300 kilograms of bamboo shoots every day, wouldn't he be able to earn a stable income of more than one or two taels of silver every day before Qingming Festival?
Tian An happily took Da Niu to Qin Yalan's pharmacy.
"Oh! Sister Yalan, you are here too!" Qin Yalan was cleaning the counter with a feather duster.
Qin Yalan turned her head and said, "It's An An! Are you here to sell medicine today? You opened a shop in partnership with the Peng family, and you still go up the mountain to collect herbs!"
Tian An shook his head and said, "No, Sister Yalan, I haven't had time to go up the mountain to collect herbs recently! I came here today to buy some cinnamon, star anise, and grass fruit."
Qin Yalan took the oil paper that wrapped the medicine: "How much do you want? I'll wrap it for you."
Tian An listed several spices in a row, and then said, "Let's have half a pound of each."
Qin Yalan raised her head and looked at her: "Why are you buying all this? And you bought half a pound at a time."
Tian An said: "Make something delicious!"
When Qin Yalan heard about delicious food, her eyes widened: "These herbs can be used to make food? What can be made into food?"
Tian An looked at him amusedly: "Sister Yalan, how come you love eating more than me?"
Qin Yalan sighed as she wrapped the herbs, "Oh! There's nothing I can do. This is just my hobby. While I'm still married, I have to satisfy myself. Otherwise, I won't be so free in the future."
"Is Sister Yalan engaged?" Tian An asked.
Qin Yalan shook her head: "Not yet! But my dad sees that my face is almost healed, and he urges me to go on blind dates every day. I kind of hope that my face won't heal so quickly."
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