Chapter 39 (Second Update): Open for Business!
Chapter 39: The sign is up, business is in session!
Wang Sumo has always had the habit of waking up early.
Before she met the old master, she was busy running around in the Bazhenlou restaurant by herself, and she would naturally wake up at that time.
The book "The Tale of Delicacies" records dozens, even hundreds, of spices, and her journey was also long.
She used to have a bird named "Bluebird," which always chirped and kept her company.
Then one day, "Bluebird" flew away. She stayed in the suburbs for a whole month. Finally, she roughly determined that "Bluebird" would not be able to return. So she left behind Bluebird's house and the things it liked, and set off again in her carriage.
It was from that moment that she suddenly understood a principle.
— The Eight Treasures Restaurant won't always be just her alone, but it also won't always have someone to accompany her and her partner. Everyone's life journey is actually like the Eight Treasures Restaurant; people will join, and people will leave.
Whether it's Hanatao or Lu Wenqu, they are people who have traveled together. Regardless of whether they will meet again in the future, she will not forget the experience of traveling together.
During her visit to Qingyun Manor, after hearing the stories of Master He and Lao Qu, she suddenly wondered why there couldn't be more people in the Bazhenlou Restaurant.
A journey for a group of people is still a journey. In any case, most of them will not stay at Bazhenlou. Just treat Bazhenlou as a lively place where everyone can gather.
With more people, the process of searching for spices and setting up a business sign becomes much more interesting.
Compared to the chaotic situation when she and Lao Qu were alone, last night Lao Qu and Master He tidied the carriage and prepared the things they would need for the journey, while she and Xiao Bai prepared the ingredients they would need for today. It was much more organized than before, when it was just her and the old man, and everything would be in chaos as soon as they opened for business.
She got up early this morning and planned to go to the market again to carry back some of the pork, beef, mutton, and vegetables that she hadn't bought last night to the cart.
The vegetables at the morning market are the freshest. Just call Xiaobai, hop on your wheelbarrow, and you're good to go.
After a quick wash, she opened the door and saw Bai Cen playing with "Weiwu" in the yard. Hearing the door open, both the dog and the person turned to look at her. Bai Cen, being perceptive, greeted her: "Good morning, Master!"
"Quick, call the boss!" He didn't forget to teach "威武" at the same time.
"威武" also made a few "嘤嘤嘤" sounds in response.
This small puppy can only make two soft "whimpering" sounds.
Wang Sumo stepped forward and squatted down like him. The dark-skinned "Weiwu" curiously rubbed against her and then sniffed, probably trying to get familiar with her scent.
She brought "Weiwu" home yesterday, and carried him all the way, so she remembers him to some extent.
"What did you feed it?" Wang Sumo asked.
"It's rice porridge with a little bit of shredded meat added," Bai Cen said softly. "It still wants to eat it, but I don't dare to give it any. Its stomach is so small, I'm afraid it will get sick if it eats too much."
"Where did the shredded meat come from?" Wang Sumo asked curiously.
Bai Cen took out something that looked like dried beef from his pocket, tore off a small strip, and gave it to Wang Sumo. "I stocked up on this before. Just tear off some to eat when you're hungry. It's convenient!"
Wang Sumo is a chef, and he can tell the difference between good and bad with just one bite. "Your dried beef is no ordinary beef. Is it from the northern frontier?"
Bai Cen was surprised, "You can tell the difference by taste?"
"What do I do!" Wang Sumo clapped his hands, then reached out and patted "Weiwu's" head. "Alright, Weiwu, do you want to go to the morning market to buy groceries together?"
Bai Cen reminded him, "Didn't we agree that we'd only start guarding the gate after all our teeth have grown in?"
Wang Sumo had already picked up the puppy. "Now it's time to fulfill my duty of accompanying my employer to buy groceries. Let's go, it's the first day of work, let's get used to the business of Bazhenlou."
After saying that, he began to properly get used to the means of transportation, saying, "This is a wheelbarrow. We'll use this kind of cart to go grocery shopping from now on. If you understand, just nod."
Then she reached out and gently tapped the majestic, dark head with two fingers. "Yes, I understand."
Wei Wu looked up at her, bewildered.
Wang Sumo: "Very good~"
Bai Cen lowered his head and smiled.
On the unicycle, Wang Sumo sighed, "Xiaobai, don't you think that 'Weiwu's' eyes are black, and its fur is black too? Looking at it for a long time seems to make people sleepy."
After saying that, he couldn't help but yawn.
It really felt like I was being targeted by a sleepy bug.
Bai Cen said tactfully, "Things that are completely black are easy to fall asleep to. Nighttime is also dark, and people tend to fall asleep more easily in a dark environment."
Wang Sumo turned to look at him, her face filled with shock, "That makes so much sense!"
Bai Cen couldn't help but laugh.
Along the way, Bai Cen also realized something: "Weiwu" not only guards the door in the future, but also accompanies the boss to buy groceries now, and can also accompany the boss to watch the excitement. It can watch the excitement from anywhere, and the two of them, one human and one dog, are very harmonious.
On the way back in the wheelbarrow, little "Weiwu" was very restless because there was fresh pork and mutton on the wheelbarrow, and Weiwu kept trying to smell the raw meat.
Although pork and mutton were available, beef was still scarce in various places.
Most cattle are used for plowing fields and are important tools for farming; there are very few places that raise beef cattle.
Even if there are cattle for sale at the market, they are sold as a whole head.
Moreover, most of them were sold to wealthy farmers.
Even if they did buy a cow at the market to eat as beef, it wouldn't be easy to slaughter it.
If a cow is not slaughtered properly and the blood is not drained correctly, it will have a fishy smell.
Therefore, beef stalls at the market are hard to come by.
Pushing a cart full of fresh meat and vegetables back, he ran into Lao Qu looking for Bai Cen. "You brat, come and help me fill the water container."
Whether Bazhenlou is open for business or not, it still needs water every day.
You won't be lucky enough to find a stream or spring on every road. People need to drink when they're thirsty, and horses need to drink when they travel long distances. We also need water to wash our hands, vegetables, or clothes in everyday life.
If you're in business, you need water for cooking, making soup, washing dishes, and wiping tables, so you have to have water on hand wherever you go.
For a product like Bazhenlou, the amount of water required cannot be solved by just one small water bag per person, so storing water in wooden buckets is essential.
Especially when not traveling on official roads, there are no dedicated inns along the way to replenish clean water. If you're lucky, you might find a herbal tea shop, but if you're unlucky, you might even have trouble getting water.
Having stayed at Bazhenlou for so long, Lao Qu's daily concern upon waking up is the water supply for Bazhenlou.
After leaving the lake town, the carriage probably won't go too fast. We need to make sure that there's enough water at Bazhenlou for all the people and horses before we reach the next place where we can refill our water supply.
Σ(⊙▽⊙"a, Bai Cen has learned something!
When a horse-drawn carriage sets off, water must come first!
Bai Cen and the old man took a bucket to prepare water, while Master He checked whether the other essential supplies on the carriage were complete, such as commonly used medicinal herbs, ropes for safety, candles for lighting, tinderboxes, and firewood, etc.
Wang Sumo watched as the busy Old Qu, Old Master He, and Bai Cen worked together. The tasks that she and the old man used to have to rush to finish were now being done quickly and efficiently by the group of people working together.
Wang Sumo suddenly felt that the journey ahead would be very interesting.
Bai Cen went to the morning market earlier, but didn't find a dog cage he liked, or rather, the craftsmen selling dog cages don't open their shops that early.
Weiwu is currently being raised in a free-range manner.
The little puppy was very curious. He not only followed Wang Sumo to check the ingredients from last night, but also stared at the two large bamboo baskets of fish in the yard.
One bamboo basket contained the perch and mandarin fish I bought at the market last night; the other bamboo basket contained the six crucian carp that have now become ornamental fish, having already transitioned from being common fish to ornamental fish.
Weiwu called out "Yingyingying" to the fish in the bamboo basket.
Old Qu sighed, "Alright, you can watch fish now!"
As Bai Cen filled a water container, he said, "When I went to the market earlier, it was too early, and there were no dog cages for sale. I asked the owner of the workshop next door to sell me a small wooden box. I put a sheet and a mattress inside and made a simple bed for Weiwu so he would have a place to stay. When I'm done with work around noon and have some time, I'll find some sturdy wood and a saw and make a dog cage for Weiwu myself."
Bai Cen spoke casually, as if he wasn't mentioning it intentionally for others to hear; he was just mentioning it casually since the topic had come up, and then smiled at Old Master Qu.
Old Qu gave a slight sneer, but when the other party lowered his head to continue filling the water container, the corners of Old Qu's mouth curled up slightly.
"Can you make dog cages?" Old Qu asked tentatively.
Bai Cen finished filling the bucket, placed it steadily on the ground, patted the bucket, and laughed heartily, "I'll get it in no time."
It's both funny and annoying.
Bai Cen had already learned how to do it, and stood up first, "Grandpa, please wait here, I'll go get the next bucket."
Bai Cen didn't want him to travel too much.
Old Qu watched Bai Cen's retreating figure, a smile on his face, but still scoffed lightly, "Where did this sycophant come from?"
Soon, Bai Cen had stored up several buckets of water.
Old He hadn't finished dealing with things yet, so Old Qu was using a tree branch to draw a diagram on the ground for Bai Cen, showing him where the water should be placed after the Eight Treasures Pavilion was built.
Unlike other carriages, Bazhenlou uses fire extensively; using fire carries the risk of fire, so the biggest safety guarantee for Bazhenlou is water.
As Old Master Qu drew on the ground, Bai Cen listened attentively. He would nod when he understood, and interrupt Old Master Qu to ask directly if he didn't understand or had any questions.
Old Qu didn't need to bother confirming whether he understood.
This made Lao Qu very satisfied.
He's a sycophant, but he's also genuinely serious.
Over time, Lao Qu gradually began to trust Bai Cen.
Similarly, to start a fire in Bazhenlou, firewood and a stove are needed. As I saw yesterday, the stove is also inserted into Bazhenlou in a wheelbarrow-like manner. The stove is not only made of wood, but also of earth, iron, and mud tiles, in order to prevent water from flowing out as much as possible.
A strong fire is necessary for cooking in the Bazhenlou restaurant, so the stove also needs to have a blower.
Bai Cen nodded. He could think of that, but he wasn't sure how to do it.
Lao Qu continued with the demonstration without any physical props, explaining, "Under normal circumstances, you can just use a palm leaf fan to fan the flames; but when you need a strong fire or the firewood isn't enough, you have to use a blower. Blowing the flames requires manpower, such as pulling ropes by hand or stepping on a mechanism by foot."
Even without the actual object, the old man's demonstration was so lifelike that Bai Cen was clever enough to visualize the entire sequence of movements in his mind while the old man was demonstrating, and then apply it to Wang Sumo.
Then, after Lao Qu finished speaking, Bai Cen sighed, "When there aren't enough people, won't the boss be very busy?"
Lao Qu's eyes lit up; this guy was indeed clever.
Although I took him to see the kitchen of Bazhenlou yesterday, he never actually lit a fire there; he relied entirely on his imagination.
Such a person can imagine and reconstruct a coherent scene in their mind with the help of information provided by others, and should also have a deep understanding of martial arts!
Many martial arts classics have been passed down for many years, and a large portion of them have been lost. Most of what remains are unique or incomplete copies.
If one is lucky enough to obtain these rare and incomplete copies, it also depends on one's teacher and one's own talent and skill to comprehend and surpass them.
This guy can grasp the essence of martial arts simply by looking at static images and appearances, plus his explanations—he's a promising talent for martial arts!
Old Qu frowned.
Bai Cen didn't know what he had said that displeased the old man again, so he quickly muttered to himself, "Then he must be very busy. I'll have to go and help him when I have time."
"Grandpa, I'm going to check on Grandpa He." Bai Cen stood up tactfully, but the old man called out to him, "You brat, stop right there."
Bai Cen understood; it meant to squat back down. The two of them had been squatting on the ground, gesturing and talking with a tree branch. Now that he had stood up, the old man was still squatting, and telling him to stand up meant he had to squat down again.
Don't argue with the old man!
This kind of stubbornness is pointless; if you're unlucky, you might even get slapped!
Bai Cen squatted down with a grin, "What are your orders, sir?"
Lao Qu suddenly struck Bai Cen on the shoulder with the tree branch in his hand. Although Bai Cen had almost lost all his internal strength, a person's first reaction does not lie!
The instant the old man struck him on the shoulder with a branch, he instinctively tried to dodge it by turning his shoulder.
But when the old man quickly swung his weapon in the direction he had dodged, he could have dodged it if he had enough internal energy. However, he didn't have enough internal energy to support such a dodge, and with a thud, he didn't squat down and fell to the ground.
Lao Qu's heart has become pure.
Bai Cen knew that the old man was testing him, but he was genuinely in pain from the fall.
Master He and Wang Sumo looked over upon hearing the sound.
Old Qu had already thrown away the branch he was holding and reached out to help him up.
It's alright, he can get up. Bai Cen also knows that the old man didn't really intend to ambush him. If the old man had, he probably would have been paralyzed by half from that tree branch.
"Who did you offend?" The old man frowned seriously.
As Bai Cen stood up, he brushed the dust off his sleeves and said helplessly, "My skills are not good enough; I've made the old man laugh at me."
The old man knew he was full of lies, so he didn't bother with him and turned to leave.
Bai Cen then rubbed his hip, realizing he had really hurt himself in the fall.
However, he almost let the old man discover his secret, but luckily he was quick-witted and nimble-fisted.
Old Master He looked at Master Qu and asked, "What, are you testing the young people again?"
"I didn't test his background, but rather his talent. This guy's martial arts skills are astonishing. I only used a move called 'Star Shift and Object Change,' which he didn't know what it was, but he quickly figured out how to dodge it in the opposite direction. If he hadn't lost all his internal energy, he would have dodged that move." Old Qu's tone wasn't indignant, but rather calm, with a hint of joy in it.
Master He was most familiar with Old Master Qu, so the fact that Old Master Qu could say this meant that he saw a pleasant surprise in Bai Cen.
At this age, the thing I know best is that when I travel the martial arts world, I don't see many promising talents with exceptional skills.
If you encounter this, you'll instinctively defend your own and pay attention to it.
Nobody wants to see this little flame go out.
Lao Qu should be the one.
However, Bai Cen's background was unknown, and he was also afflicted with some kind of evil poison, causing his internal energy to drain away much faster than others.
Old Qu must have felt regretful.
"Old He, this guy knows he has exceptional talent, yet he's lost all his inner strength. Instead of being gloomy all day, he's happily coming here to do odd jobs and raise dogs. Can you see through his thoughts?" Old Qu suddenly asked.
Master He stroked his beard and said gently, "How high is martial arts skill? How much internal energy is sufficient? Perhaps he just doesn't want to wallow in self-pity and waste this precious time. The martial world is vast; it can be a place of soaring dragons and leaping tigers, or it can be a place of still, deep waters. You are not a fish, how can you know the fish's joy?"
Old Qu looked at him angrily, "He hasn't changed his bad habits at all!"
Old Qu turned and left.
Old Master He stroked his beard again and laughed. The person who hadn't changed at all was clearly the other party!
Or perhaps, in their eyes, they each have their own experiences and know how they changed in their youth; but the other person will always be the same as they remember in their youth.
"Where's the firewood, Lao He? Have you checked it?" Lao Qu was already checking it from the front.
We're about to hit the road, so we need to check everything thoroughly.
"I've checked, it's not damp. Put it in the first carriage. If you're still worried, go check it again." Old Master He also followed local customs and shouted like the old man.
As expected, Lao Qu immediately jumped onto the carriage to go and see.
Lao Qu was genuinely worried about Bazhenlou, so he paid attention to every little detail.
While Bai Cen was dealing with trivial matters, Wang Sumo was writing the menu.
Bazhenlou has no signature dishes, nor does it specify what guests want to eat when they come in.
However, Bazhenlou will list all the ingredients available that day on the menu.
When guests order, they can see what ingredients are available at Bazhenlou that day. They can then order directly based on those ingredients, or they can select their ingredients and tell the chefs what they prefer, what their tastes are like, or what they require, and the chefs at Bazhenlou will prepare the rest.
The same applies to the other side dishes. Customers at Bazhenlou can order directly based on the ingredients, or they can ask Bazhenlou to prepare a combination based on the dishes ordered previously.
Moreover, without exception, every guest dining at Bazhenlou can enjoy a dessert after the meal.
Yes, today's special dessert is candied hawthorn berries—pure grape version.
Many people enjoy candied hawthorn berries, but few have tried the pure grape version. Wang Sumo happened to come across it and was simply craving it. Since Bai Cen also said he liked them, Wang Sumo bought them all.
Let Lao Qu and Master He have a taste of something new.
Once Wang Sumo finished writing today's menu (actually an ingredient list), the old man and the others were almost ready as well.
The carriage, pulled by eight horses, slowly left the lake town.
After about a mile, we reached a slightly wider main road.
Although there are few carriages and horses traveling on the main road, the Bazhen Tower cannot be built here, because its width would obstruct the passage of merchants and traffic.
About half an hour later, the main road split into two forks, each leading in a different direction.
The crossroads was a wide, flat area with no obstructions or slopes. Although there were no streams or rivers, they had a waterway, making it a suitable place for the Eight Treasures Pavilion to be built. It was flat and visible to passing merchants and travelers.
"This is fine, sir." Wang Sumo lowered the curtain.
Bai Cen helped the old man stop the carriage, then stuck an iron stake into the ground. The reins of the horses were fixed to nearby trees and in this iron stake.
Wang Sumo turned the mechanism, and the Eight Treasures Pavilion slowly rose with a clattering sound.
Wang Sumo and the old man were already used to it, and when the clattering sound rang out, they went to do other things.
But Bai Cen and Grandpa He still stood shoulder to shoulder, watching intently. Perhaps because they hadn't seen it many times before, they still felt their hearts surge with emotion every time they saw it.
"It was such a stroke of genius to start the project." Old Master He couldn't help but exclaim.
Bai Cen also crossed his arms and sighed softly, "I heard that the head of Xuanji Sect has been in seclusion in Xuanji Sect for many years. How could the Eight Treasures Tower he built be so practical? It looks like it was designed and built by someone who is familiar with kitchens."
Of all these people, it seems only Bai Cen hit the nail on the head.
Grandpa He let out a soft breath, then turned to look at him with a probing gaze.
Bai Cen is really smart; he's got a good head.
So many people have climbed or seen the Bazhen Tower before, and most of them marvel at its ingenious design, but they have never thought about this issue in detail.
Grandpa He and Bai Cen looked at each other and both felt that they had reached a dead end.
Once the Eight Treasures Pavilion was fully raised, the old man took the opportunity to press the safety mechanism, thus locking the pavilion in place and preventing it from suddenly retracting due to accidental activation.
Once the Eight Treasures Pavilion was fully erected, Wang Sumo stepped onto the steps of the small courtyard and ordered, "Hang up the sign and open for business!"
Grandpa He and Bai Cen both turned to look at Lao Qu, who was pulling a rope at the pillar next to the kitchen and the garden. The sign that read "Bazhenlou Open Today" was raised high, like a flag, at the top of the second-floor attic.
Why do I feel inexplicably excited and exhilarated?
"What are you standing there for? Come on!" Old Qu called out as he descended the steps.
Grandpa He and Bai Cen followed.
Wang Sumo has already entered the kitchen to prepare.
Bazhenlou never lacks customers; the only difference is whether they arrive early or late.
Lifting the kitchen curtain reveals a view right outside the window.
Take the old man and Master He, Bai Cen together, there are chickens, ducks and fish.
The old man looked at Bai Cen and the old man He, "Which do you know: killing a chicken, killing a duck, or killing a fish on the spot?"
Bai Cen/Grandpa He: Σ(⊙▽⊙"a
Seeing Bai Cen and Grandpa He's stunned expressions from afar, Wang Sumo couldn't help but lower her head and laugh.
Let Lao Qu help Master He and Bai Cen get acquainted first.
Wang Sumo washed her hands, put on her armbands and waist towel. Killing chickens, ducks, and fish would take time, so she could take this opportunity to make candied hawthorns first.
Candied hawthorn berries are also called honey-fried hawthorn berries.
The tart hawthorn kernel is encased in a shiny and sweet, crunchy shell, making it a treat for all ages!
The moment you taste the hawthorn inside the sugar crisp, your mouth will water just thinking about it.
Today, replacing hawthorn with grapes will give it an extra touch of icy sweetness.
[Author's Note]
My darlings, my family member has been at the hospital these past few days, running back and forth, so the update schedule has been irregular. However, I'll try to update daily, so please bear with me. Sorry!
I'd like to recommend a story written by a friend; it's really, really good!
"The Execution of the Entire Family Twenty-One Times", ISBN: 8485574, Author: Ten-Tailed Rabbit
Ye Xiren was an ordinary young lady from a respectable family, with a peaceful and happy home.
My grandmother was a highly respected noblewoman;
His father was the renowned Minister of Revenue;
My mother was an exceptionally intelligent and capable matriarch.
My elder brother is a virtuous and talented young man from Kyoto...
Of the whole family, she was the only one who was the most favored and was quite ordinary, with no outstanding qualities.
—At least that's what she thought.
Until later:
The Ye family was sentenced to execution for the crime of cheating on an exam when the elder brother, who was both virtuous and talented, was accused of cheating.
The grandmother, who was granted an imperial title, was accused of "concealing evidence of treason," and the entire Ye family was sentenced to be executed.
The Minister's father was accused of "embezzling military funds," and his mother was accused of "knowing about it but failing to report it." The entire Ye family was sentenced to be executed.
This home is anything but peaceful and tranquil.
As for why she knows these things?
—Oh, because this "ordinary" and "unremarkable" woman has already been slashed twenty times in a row while trying to save her family :)
Ye Xiren: This round is over, let's start over!
-
The renowned young general Yan Danqing was imprisoned in a dungeon, awaiting execution in three days.
The man who imprisoned him had a ferocious look on his face and swore confidently, "You will surely die in three days."
later--
He lived through three days, three days, three days, and three days again.
He wasn't dead yet, and he was back to day one.
He looked up and saw his captor pointing a knife at him, his face contorted with rage, vowing, "You will surely die in three days."
Yan Danqing: ?
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