Chapter 8,
It is said that Bianjing was prosperous, with bustling traffic, and four rivers running through the city, so both water and land transportation were excellent.
Walk along the bluestone alley to the end, then turn and pass through the north-south alleys. After several twists and turns, you will reach Ma Xing Street. This is the most prosperous place in the whole Bianjing. From a distance, Su Guoer saw carriages several people tall shuttling through the street. Occasionally, the voices of servants ordering horses to stop were heard. The carriage stopped, the curtain was lifted, and a hand stretched out from the carriage. A vendor on the side of the road hurriedly handed over a paper bag of packaged fruits and the like. After taking the silver and money, he bowed and watched the carriage leave.
This situation is very common. On Ma Xing Street, there are not only horse-drawn carriages passing by, but also people walking. People in cloth clothes gather in groups of three or four at the stalls on both sides of the street. Some sit down to eat a bowl of noodle soup, some choose jewelry in front of the stalls, and some gather together to watch acrobatics.
The streets were lined with teahouses, taverns, pawnshops, workshops, and other shops. Even on the ground, people spread out sackcloth, selling rare trinkets. The dazzling array of goods and the constant cries of hawkers were a dizzying sight.
Full of fireworks...
Su Guoer walked over and stopped in front of a bowl of wontons.
I could smell the aroma of the wontons from far away, and now that I'm standing in front of the stall, the fragrance is even stronger.
"Please give me a bowl." Su Guoer was not hungry, but the wontons had a unique aroma, so she wanted to try them.
"Okay! Please sit down first!" The vendor threw ten wontons in very neatly, took them out after boiling water, and put them into the prepared soup. He grabbed a handful of chopped green onions and sprinkled them on top. Immediately, the aroma overflowed.
"There are cloves in the wonton filling?" Su Guoer took a sip.
"Wow, sir, you have a really good taste! These clove wontons are a homemade dish we've created. We've only been selling them for less than a month. It's not mealtime right now. If it were, I'm afraid there wouldn't be enough seats at the stall! Some customers are willing to stand and eat just to get a taste!"
The boss's face lit up when he talked about his wontons.
"It tastes really good!" Su Guoer is also picky about food, but she has to say that these clove wontons are really good. The wonton skin is smooth and thin, and it goes down in one slurp. The filling is also unique, and because of the addition of cloves, it has a spicy aroma. This aroma makes people who don't like cloves avoid it, while those who like cloves will enjoy it more and more.
In addition, because it was a homemade dish, Su Guoer guessed that the owner of this wonton stall must have sold a lot of it.
Nowadays, the restaurant is almost full at mealtimes... But on second thought, the clove wontons are selling well. Does this mean that if you want to open a store in this rich city of Bianjing, you have to come up with something different?
Su Guoer looked around and saw that the streets were mostly filled with dried fruits, dried meats, tea and other things. There were even three wonton stalls and tea and noodle stalls.
The things sold are pretty much the same.
There are only a few kinds of food, such as steamed buns, rice, drinks, pickled plums, meat jerky, and fresh food (stir-fried vegetables). As for the taste...
It’s hard to explain, it’s not her fault.
She also bought some dried fruits, meat jerky and braised duck on the street. After tasting them, she realized that the wonton shop owner had not lied and his wontons must be very popular.
But in Su Guoer's opinion.
The recipe for wontons can be improved. For example, the taste of cloves can be made lighter, or in the hot summer, it can be paired with clear duck soup to dilute the heat of cloves. This way, the taste of wontons can be retained and the overly stimulating medicinal properties of cloves can be neutralized, making it more comfortable to eat.
The taste of the braised duck and jerky in my hand also needs to be improved. It would be better if it was not so difficult to tear.
Finally she felt again.
The food at the small stalls really couldn't compare to what was in the big restaurants. She had been to Chunxianglou with Cuiping before, and the specialty eight-treasure duck there was delicious, and the ordinary dishes couldn't compare to what was available at this small stall. Perhaps she could hire a waiter to set up a stall selling fresh food in the future? But that would have to wait until she decided on the house.
Su Guoer turned and walked into a drugstore on the street. She planned to sell some high-quality medicinal herbs left to her by her father, and exchange them for capital so that she could have money to open a restaurant.
After entering Huichun Hall, an apprentice wearing a turban and hat came up to greet him: "What can I do for you, distinguished guest? Do you need a doctor? Unfortunately, my doctor Feng has just gone out to check your pulse."
Su Guoer: "Is the manager here? I have some high-quality medicinal herbs and would like to ask the manager to give me an estimate of their price."
Young apprentice: "Then may I ask what medicinal herbs you have? If... you dug them yourself..." If they are worthless herbs, those in charge would not bother to look at them.
Su Guoer: "Bezoar, deer antler, hundreds of years old ginseng, etc...."
Upon hearing this, the apprentice's eyes lit up. He quickly asked Su Guoer to sit down and went to the inner room to ask the manager to come and take a look. Su Guoer had already opened the package she was carrying and handed the medicinal herbs wrapped in white cloth to the manager to look at.
The person in charge was a middle-aged man with a fair complexion. He was shocked when he saw the medicinal herbs in Su Guoer's hand.
After going through the herbs, he looked up at Su Guoer and said, "Excuse me, young lady, is there anyone practicing medicine in your family?"
Su Guoer also knew what he meant. The rare medicinal herbs in the capital were controlled by the royal family, and they also needed to identify the origins of the herbs when they collected them.
"My father was once a traveling doctor, but he was killed by bandits. This herb was left to me by him. The old lady of the Peiguo Mansion can testify for me."
He would not really go to the old lady to testify. Besides, her identity would be known with a little inquiry. In this city of Bianjing where every inch of land is valuable, it is very fast to convey any news or find out who the person is. It would be better for Su Guoer to tell the truth.
Besides, the medicinal herbs she has... are indeed very expensive.
The manager was relieved now. No one dared to approach the old lady who had an imperial decree in the Duke's Mansion directly, unless that person didn't want to live anymore.
"Then... I'll make an offer."
"Both wild ginsengs are 300 years old, but the quality is average. I will pay 50 taels of gold."
"Besides, deer antlers are not a rare commodity. I can offer 10 taels of gold for them."
"This bezoar is quite good, dark in color and large in size. I offer it for 120 taels of gold. What do you think, young lady?"
The total amount is 180 taels of gold, which is equivalent to 1,800 taels of silver.
One tael of silver is equivalent to the monthly expenses of a civilian family of five. From this perspective, 1,800 taels of silver is already a lot.
But...
180 taels of gold and 1,800 taels of silver could only buy a small house where one could live, without even a yard, in the land-scarce city of Bianjing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
