Chapter 82 Eating Hot Pot: Yu Cai Asks for Advice
Ye Li strolled over to the county school gate; there was still some time before school ended.
But there were several other people waiting at the door like him.
There were also more than ten oxen, mules, donkeys, and even horse-drawn carts.
Compared to private schools, there were quite a few students from well-off families in the county school.
He stood beside the stone lion on the right side of the entrance, resting while waiting for someone.
In the past, when he came to the county town to go shopping, he always took a car.
This is the first time I've walked this far, and I must say, I'm quite tired.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the bell rang to signal the end of get out of class.
Before long, a group of scholars of varying ages, some carrying book boxes and others with books tucked under their arms, walked out of the gate in twos and threes.
He straightened up and waited for Jiang Ji to come out.
A moment later, Jiang Ji appeared at the gate carrying a basket on his back.
Before anyone even stepped out the door, their eyes were already searching through the crowd at the entrance.
When the person he missed came into view, a bright smile instantly bloomed on his previously expressionless handsome face.
He then took three steps at a time and arrived in front of Ye Li in a few short moments.
"I thought you weren't coming."
"I'm just afraid you'll be disappointed."
Ye Li said with a smile.
The person was turning his head to look for him just now, wasn't he hoping that he would come?
Hearing this, and seeing his smile, Jiang Ji's smile widened instantly, and he felt a sweet warmth in his heart: "Then hurry back, there are many things to do at home."
"Everything's fine now, things are back on track."
"Let's go eat hot pot. I just bought a pound of mung bean cakes, you can have some to tide you over."
As Ye Li spoke, she handed him the oil paper package she was carrying.
He reached out with his other hand to take the basket from his back.
"...Let's go eat hot pot?"
Jiang Ji was taken aback.
"Yes, it's Banxianju. Manager Yu is very generous. Today, when we go over for hot pot, he'll give each table half a pound of tofu puffs and half a pound of mutton."
Ye Li explained.
When he came to see Jiang Ji last time, he mentioned that Yu Cai had ordered 100 jin of goods in one go.
"Then we have to go."
Jiang Ji laughed, put the basket on his back, and reached out to take the oil paper package from Ye Li's hand.
He was indeed hungry.
"Have you eaten this snack?" he asked Ye Li.
Ye Li nodded: "I've already eaten. This is for you. Eat it quickly."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ji still brought the oil paper package to his mouth: "Have another piece."
Ye Li then picked up a piece.
Jiang Ji was finally satisfied and took a piece to eat.
The two quickly left the alley where the county school was located and arrived at the end of the street north of the Third Heng Street in the east of the city.
Ye Li's gaze swept across the street.
The thought of having to walk back to Banxianju made his legs ache.
He wanted to hire a car to take him and Jiang Ji there.
However, there were no buses at this time, and porters who carried people usually waited at the north and south gates of the city.
Therefore, after searching around, he and Jiang Ji eventually returned to Banxianju on foot.
This walk took more than half an hour, and lunchtime had already passed.
But the first floor of Banxianju was still full of people.
The waiter led the two of them to the second floor.
The second floor has the same layout as the first floor, with ordinary tables.
The private rooms are on the third floor.
There were fewer customers on the second floor, so the two found an empty table and sat down. Then the waiter took out a menu, a charcoal pencil, and paper and let them order.
Jiang Ji took the menu and looked at it carefully with Ye Li.
Although fresh vegetables are scarce in winter, the menu is still full of them.
The first dishes are vegetarian, such as mushrooms, wood ear fungus, potatoes, lotus root slices, kelp, cabbage, radish, tofu, dried tofu, bean sprouts, tofu skin, fried tofu puffs, and various dried vegetables.
The bottom half is meat dishes.
It includes various parts of sheep, pig, and chicken, as well as crispy pork meatballs, sausages, cured meat, duck blood, and pig blood.
Ye Li looked up and down, and couldn't help but be secretly surprised.
There were no wholesale markets in this era, so the fact that Manager Yu could prepare so much meat shows that he was not only financially strong but also very confident in his business.
What do you want to eat?
Jiang Ji looked around and then looked up at Ye Li.
"Eat meat." Ye Li pointed to the bottom half of the menu: "We've been walking for so long, we're hungry, let's eat more meat."
After saying that, he took out a palm-sized purse from his pocket.
When opened, it contained a dozen or so copper coins and a five-string silver note.
He said, "I'll try everything. There's only half a pound of each anyway. If I can't finish it, I'll take it home and have a hot pot at home tonight."
“We didn’t bring Xiaomai and Ya Ge’er today. If they find out, they’ll definitely pout and look aggrieved.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ji couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, then let's order more."
Just then, he had been studying hard all morning and had just walked for so long, and the little bit of mung bean cake he ate made him even hungrier.
point!
So, he and Ye Li ordered almost every type of meat on the menu: lamb leg, pork belly, tenderloin, lamb chops, pork chops, chicken legs, and crispy pork.
As for vegetarian dishes, the two only ordered lotus root slices and cabbage.
The vegetarian dishes were all home-style dishes, which the two of them were used to eating. They ordered them simply to cut through the richness of the food.
The restaurant offers a wide variety of dipping sauces, allowing diners to create their own.
Ye Li definitely needs sesame paste.
Jiang Ji and he chose a flavor together.
The waiter noted down everything the two had ordered, and then asked, "Gentlemen, we also have preserved egg and lean pork congee, goat milk drink, and jasmine honey tea. Would you like some of those?"
"Goat milk drink?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow.
The waiter quickly explained, "Yes, this goat milk drink is called Soy Milk Rice Mochi, it's made with..."
"Okay, bring two bowls later."
Ye Li was pleased and interrupted him, "Two more bowls of porridge, please."
He and Jiang Ji were both hungry and needed to eat some porridge to fill their stomachs first.
The waiter agreed and hurried downstairs with the menu in his arms.
Ye Li then looked at Jiang Ji: "Manager Yu actually served soy milk rice mochi. Bao Beiyuan is going to be very busy from now on."
"He can't handle it all by himself, so let him hire someone."
Jiang Jidao.
Ye Li nodded: "Let me think about it."
This time, the recruitment isn't like Aunt Zhou's, where people don't participate in the production process.
Therefore, this choice of person must be made with great care.
Soon, the broth, various ingredients, and porridge were brought over.
This includes half a pound of mutton and half a pound of tofu puffs, which are given away by the store.
The two ordered too much food, and one table wasn't enough, so the waiter brought over a small table specifically for them to put the ingredients.
The pot in this semi-idle room is a shallow iron pot, and there is a stove under the table, which burns coal.
The overall design is similar to the hot pot Ye Li ate in her previous life.
This type of pot boils quickly and is large enough to hold a lot of ingredients at once.
After Ye Li and Jiang Ji finished their porridge, the broth in the pot boiled.
The fragrant and spicy aroma wafted into their noses with the steam. Ye Li took a deep breath, picked up a ladle, and used his chopsticks to scoop out a full spoonful of mutton.
He placed the spoonful of mutton into the small bowl in front of Jiang Ji: "Eat quickly."
Seeing this, Jiang Ji picked up another ladle and scooped up a full ladle of mutton for him as well.
Ye Li chuckled, "Alright, alright, eat by yourself."
Jiang Ji also laughed.
Just as the two were about to enjoy their meal, a voice came from the stairwell not far away: "Ye Fulang, the way you two are so affectionate is truly enviable."
Um?
Ye Li and Jiang Ji put down their chopsticks at the same time and looked towards the stairwell.
They saw Yu Cai walking towards them, supported by her old woman.
Ye Li was surprised and stood up to walk towards Yu Cai: "Oh my, Manager Yu, what brings you here? It's so lively here, I didn't even notice you came up."
Jiang Ji also stood up.
On the way here, Ye Li said that Manager Yu is the youngest son of County Magistrate Yu, and has an older brother who is also studying at the county school.
He really hadn't expected this big customer to be so important.
At this moment, Ye Li came to Yu Cai's side and took over from the old woman in supporting Yu Cai.
Yu Cai smiled and said, "It's good that no one noticed me; it just means my hot pot smells good."
Ye Li laughed too: "You're absolutely right, the aroma is making my mouth water."
"Then sit down and eat. I came here to hear Ye Fulang's opinion and see if there's anything that needs improvement."
Yu Cai pointed to the table.
Ye Li was surprised by these words: "My opinion?"
"That's right, you're quite the businessman."
Yu Cai looked on with admiration.
"...You flatter me. Please sit down and talk. This is my husband, Jiang Ji."
Ye Li helped Yu Cai to the table and introduced him to Jiang Ji.
Yu Cai looked at Jiang Ji seriously, and when Jiang Ji cupped his hands in greeting, he smiled and said, "He is indeed a handsome man, and a perfect match for Mr. Ye."
On this issue, Ye Li was anything but modest: "Thank you for your praise, Manager Yu. Let's take a seat."
Yu Cai nodded and sat down next to him.
Jiang Ji sat down on the other side.
Yu Cai looked at the ingredients on the table and explained, "I was just resting in the backyard when the shopkeeper told me that you two had come, so I came uninvited. Please eat first, it will get cold soon."
"It's alright, everything here has broadened our horizons."
"It's perfect in every way, I can't find a single flaw in it."
Ye Lidao.
What he said is true.
This semi-leisurely place is similar to the hot pot restaurant he visited in his previous life.
Every process is well-organized.
The ingredients are plentiful, and the staff can write and remember.
From the moment he entered the store until now, he really felt like he was eating hot pot again.
Upon hearing this, Yu Cai smiled gently and said, "I was in a hurry. You two should eat first, and we can talk while we eat."
"Shall I get you another pair of chopsticks?" Ye Li asked.
Yu Cai gently shook her head: "No need, I've already eaten."
Seeing this, Ye Li stopped being polite.
He and Jiang Ji picked up their chopsticks, dipped a piece of mutton in the sesame sauce, and then put it in their mouths.
The mutton was sliced very thinly, with a very mild gamey smell. It was tender and juicy, and when paired with the flavorful sesame sauce, Ye Li couldn't help but give Yu Cai a thumbs up: "Delicious."
"No wonder the first floor is still full."
Yu Cai laughed and said, "Actually, it was my maternal grandfather who spoke to the people from the escort agency, asking them to bring their families to support us."
"Including my father, my brother and their relatives and friends, there were quite a lot of people."
Of course, there were also some people who wanted to curry favor with County Magistrate Yu, so they came early in the morning.
But he didn't want to mention it.
So, despite the large number of guests today, he was actually quite uncertain about the situation.
After being cooped up at home for so many years, this was the first time he had come out to seriously do something, but given his status, he couldn't discern how much of the praise he received today was genuine.
He didn't want to be like Zuixianju, relying on County Magistrate Yu to become the largest restaurant in the county.
He wanted to run the semi-idle residence on his own.
He knew that he was actually connected with County Magistrate Yu, but he still pretended not to want to benefit from County Magistrate Yu's influence.
Therefore, when he learned that Ye Li had arrived while he was resting in the backyard, he wanted to come over and ask for Ye Li's opinion.
Ye Li started from scratch and built such a large business in just over half a year, which shows his real ability.
Moreover, Ye Li has business dealings with him, so Ye Li definitely doesn't want his restaurant to go out of business.
If he asks sincerely, Ye Li will definitely tell the truth.
Ye Li was taken aback by Yu Cai's revelation. He then said, "With such an outstanding flavor, these people will definitely become repeat customers."
"Really?" Yu Cai was overjoyed and quickly confirmed.
"Of course it's true. Jiang Ji and I will come here often in the future."
Ye Li nodded.
Yu Cai was genuinely happy.
He asked with a smile, "So you really have no suggestions? If the business of semi-leisure is doing well, it will also benefit you."
Um?
These words made Ye Li sit up straight, her mind racing: "Hmm... Personally speaking, today's experience can be described as perfect."
"The only thing I'm not entirely satisfied with is that it took too long to get the soup base to boil."
"Jiang Ji and I came from the county school. We were already hungry, and then we waited for a while on empty stomachs."
"Although there is porridge to fill my stomach, and this porridge is extremely delicious, drinking bland porridge while facing a pot of meat in front of me will only make me hungrier."
"Well... that's how it is with hot pot. How about I prepare some extra snacks or other light meals?"
Yu Caifan is not without fault.
"Sure. However, I suggest you prepare some specialty hot pots such as fish hot pot or rabbit hot pot."
"Prepare these ingredients in advance so that guests can start eating as soon as they arrive. After they finish eating, add other vegetables and meats."
This was the only suggestion Ye Li could think of.
His suggestion was very practical, and Yu Cai's eyes lit up immediately: "Ye Fulang, that's a great idea!"
"We'll do as you say!"
"In this way, living a semi-retired life in the county town is truly unique."
There are more than ten hot pot restaurants of all sizes in Beiyang County, as well as shops like Zuixianju that offer hot pot.
Every restaurant operates on the same model as Banxianju. Guests order first, then wait for their food. It takes about 15 minutes from entering the door to starting to eat!
If you encounter someone impatient or starving, the wait can be unbearable.
If Banxianju offers ready-made specialty hot pots, it will definitely attract more people just by focusing on this detail and innovation.
Yevron's idea is excellent!
It was worth it for him to come up to the second floor to humbly seek guidance.
The more he thought about it, the happier he became. He said, "Mr. Ye, this meal is on me. From now on, when you two come to eat at this restaurant, you'll get a 50% discount."
Ye Li was delighted to hear this.
This is a 50% discount.
This is such a great deal!
In terms of restaurant profits, Yu Cai is basically just breaking even.
He wanted to say a few polite words, but before he could open his mouth, Yu Cai cut him off: "Brother Ye, it's settled then. You two must come often in the future."
Yu Cai stood up and said, "You two continue, I won't bother you any longer."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
The old woman standing nearby quickly went to help him.
Ye Li had no choice but to get up as well, and together with Jiang Ji, they escorted him to the stairwell.
He has difficulty walking, and whether going up or down the stairs, he has to hold onto the railing and pause every time he goes down a step.
After he slowly made his way down to the first floor, Ye Lijiangji sat back down and continued eating.
Jiang Jixian gave Ye Li a thumbs up: "You're really capable."
Ye Li smiled smugly: "So-so."
After saying that, seeing Jiang Ji laugh, he also laughed.
After that, the two stopped talking and started eating.
After they had eaten most of their fill, they slowed down. It was half an hour later when they left Banxianju.
Jiang Ji's basket was filled to the brim with packaged ingredients.
Ye Li was also carrying several oil paper packages.
Let's go back to the village!
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