Chapter 33: Opening in the New Year
Winter is gone and spring is here, everything is revived. After a wave of promotion and preparation in the early stage, the "Su Nian Jin Shi" private restaurant opened grandly on April 1st of the lunar calendar.
The restaurant uses a light wood exterior decoration. In front of the door there is a large peach tree with peach blossoms in full bloom. The door plaque "素年锦时" is hidden in the shadow of the flowers, which is fresh and elegant, and makes people's eyes bright.
Officials and wealthy families in the city received invitations. The two dishes that were eaten at the Qin family banquet still stimulated everyone's taste buds. Many people came to watch the fun in the morning, and there were even a few noble ladies.
The first floor of Sunianjinshi has a waiting area for distinguished guests, where servants bring tea and cakes from time to time. A large scroll hangs on the wall next to it, making it convenient for distinguished guests to leave their calligraphy.
Many young men were very excited and showed off their skills. Occasionally, there were some good works, which were applauded by the whole audience.
As the host, Jiang Yuyan and Xiao Yuanyan were naturally present. Everyone didn't expect to see Mrs. Jiang again here. It was really worth the trip!
The graceful and beautiful woman stood there gracefully and gently introduced the dining system of Su Nian Jin Shi.
The guests were all surprised when they first heard that they had to make a reservation to dine, and only twelve tables were served every day, and there was no menu!
The waiter presented twelve reservation cards with the time and the name of the private room written on them. First come, first served. From then on, the number would be released every day at 7:00 pm.
Everyone was so shocked that they looked at each other. Fortunately, they heard that there was an opening promotion and the lowest-end table only needed two taels of silver, so people started to get numbers one after another.
Most of the customers who made reservations chose the four-dish set meal, and only two customers chose the six-dish set meal, one of whom was the wife of County Magistrate Chen. Jiang Yuyan silently took note of it.
She had been personally watching over the kitchen since the afternoon, and she had to make sure that the guests would feel at home during the first business day. The dishes were decided last night, and she had chosen some dishes that were acceptable to most people according to Otsuki's taste, but they were also guaranteed to be dishes that they had never eaten before.
The seasonings of the Great Moon Kingdom are still available, even chili peppers, but no one knew how to use them before. Some seasonings can also be purchased from Chinese medicine shops. In short, it is enough to make ordinary delicacies.
As night fell, dignitaries arrived one after another.
Today's four-course set meal is "Eight Treasures Roast Duck, Pickled Fish, Golden Jade Marriage, and First-Class Tofu" with a free dessert of red bean paste. The six-course set meal adds "Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, and Water Chestnuts in Soup."
This table is considered luxurious in Dayue Country, with good color, aroma and taste, and the cooking method is completely different from that in Dayue Country.
Jiang Yuyan personally led the waiters to serve the dishes to each private room in turn and introduced the dishes one by one. Just hearing the sound made the young men present blush, their eyes flickered and they dared not look any further.
County Magistrate Chen also came to dine with his wife and young son today. He had heard a lot about Jiang Yuyan's deeds, but he didn't expect that the bandit suppression that day even alarmed the Qingzhou garrison, so he knew that she was not an ordinary person. The short-lived beauty at Mr. Qin's birthday banquet was also unforgettable.
No wonder Xiao Yuanyan was willing to spend 200 taels of silver as a bribe to get the household registration! This woman must be extraordinary!
Today, I happened to hear that Mrs. Jiang appeared in this newly opened restaurant, so I came here to make friends with her.
Jiang Yuyan naturally found out where the distinguished guests came from. She knocked on the "Mei" private room where County Magistrate Chen was. After hearing that he agreed, she bowed and asked the servant to present a bunch of dishes.
"Master Chen, is your wife safe? I have long admired your great name. I have heard that you are fair and just, and love the people like your own children. You are the first to be credited with the fact that the people of Lin County can live and work in peace and contentment. As a citizen of Lin County, I am very grateful. And when I was trapped in the Tianlang Stronghold, I heard that you also sent people to rescue me, and I am very grateful. This meal today is just my reward to you and your wife."
Jiang Yuyan smiled slightly and presented another pot of good wine. With her bare hands, she gracefully filled the glasses for County Magistrate Chen and his wife. County Magistrate Chen was flattered.
Seeing that Jiang Yuyan was polite and good at speaking, County Magistrate Chen was very impressed by her and was very kind to her.
"Are you the owner here?"
Jiang Yuyan thought of the incident at the Qin family's birthday banquet, and was afraid that people would have some bad associations. So she said vaguely, "It's just that there is some cooperation with the Qin family..."
As for who he was working with, there was no need to be so clear. It was possible that it was the "grandson's wife" that Mr. Qin mentioned. Jiang Yuyan sighed silently.
The wife of County Magistrate Chen was surnamed Kong. She looked at Jiang Yuyan closely and was also very impressed. It was rare for a beautiful woman to not stay at home and enjoy herself, but run around to make a living like a man, and have such a good temperament. She immediately thought about which nephew from her mother's family to introduce to her.
"If you have any trouble in your restaurant in the future, you can come to the county government office to find me or my husband." Mrs. Kong said kindly.
Jiang Yuyan naturally agreed, this is to hold the thigh of the county magistrate! In a happy mood, she gave Mrs. Kong a box of lip balm, and praised Mrs. Kong for her good complexion and blessing, saying that she would be more beautiful than flowers after using lip balm, which made Mrs. Kong smile, and both the host and the guest were happy.
Within a few days, Su Nian Jinshi's name spread out. Not only in Lin County, but also people from other counties in Yunzhou often came, just for this meal.
Even the storytellers in the teahouse were talking about this strange thing. They said that the dishes in this restaurant were different every day, comparable to the imperial banquets in the palace. They also said that it was difficult to get a number in this restaurant, and every day at dawn, many servants from noble families would line up to wait for their number. Moreover, they said that all the dishes in this restaurant were cooked by Madam Jiang herself, and sometimes Madam Jiang would even personally entertain guests.
It caused quite a stir in the surrounding area. Many people who had seen Jiang Yuyan praised Madam Jiang for her beauty, gentle temperament, and kindness to her husband, and said she was a role model for women. Of course, there were also some who mocked her, saying that as a woman, she was willing to do the work of a cook.
Someone who is at the center of the storm doesn't care at all, sleeps until he wakes up naturally every day, and tries to be lazy whenever possible. He never accepts ordinary posts unless it is necessary.
Work is something that happens on the side. When I have inspiration, I draw a few designs and hand them over to the owner of Jinxiufang. In the afternoon, I discuss the daily dishes with Uncle Bo. Occasionally, if I feel like it, I cook a few dishes myself or take a walk around the store.
Sunianjinshi has a short business hour and few meals. Fortunately, it is a high-end restaurant with high prices. It still makes a profit.
In order to generate income, Jiang Yuyan also launched fruit wine and peach blossom wine, which were sold out almost every day after they were produced.
Later, the business hours were relaxed in the evening, and several servants were asked to take turns on night duty, providing tea, cakes, or wine for scholars and writers to chat and meet friends.
At the end of the month, Jiang Yuyan and Xiao Yuanyan calculated that after deducting the costs, Su Nian Jinshi had earned more than nine hundred taels of silver in one month!
Jiang Yuyan was overjoyed and gave money whenever she was happy. She gave each servant an extra two hundred yuan that month. Everyone covered their mouths with their hands and laughed, and kowtowed to thank her.
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