After Xu Ji Restaurant opened, it became even busier. They were all residents of Yuanbao Town. Even though the breakfast was not cheap, they still wanted to buy some to take home for their families to try.
During the first few days, breakfast was almost sold until noon. In the end, Cheng Geer told the diners that it was no longer possible. His chef was the only one in the kitchen, and he was already very busy and too tired to continue serving breakfast. Only then did the diners leave.
Fortunately, there were a few young ones to help. Xu Qinyu went to wash up, rested for an hour, and then prepared dinner.
There were more guests for the evening meal than usual, so it was postponed for an hour. When they returned home in the evening, Xu Qinyu was so tired that she could hardly lift her hands. Seeing this, Wen Shi felt distressed and asked her daughter-in-law to wash up and lie down on the bed.
Xu Qinyu smiled and said, "What are you doing, mother?"
Wen smiled gently, as if recalling something. "The late emperor was also very busy. He felt uncomfortable after reviewing memorials every day. I used to massage his shoulders, neck, and back like this, and it helped him feel much better."
Xu Qinyu said hurriedly, "Mom, this can't happen. I'll just take a nap and be fine."
How could she feel comfortable asking Wen to give her a massage?
But Mrs. Wen insisted that Yu Niang lie down properly.
Xu Qinyu had no choice but to lie down obediently. Wen sat on the edge of the bed and massaged her shoulders and neck, then her back and waist. Wen's strength was not strong, but it was very relaxing and comfortable.
Wen didn't say anything either, probably because she was thinking of the late emperor and her eldest son.
Xu Qinyu fell asleep unconsciously. After she fell asleep, Wen left and told Pei Jianing, "Sister Ning, when you go back to the room to rest, please be careful and don't wake up your sister-in-law."
Ning Jieer smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. I won't have to worry about it."
She also felt sorry for her fourth sister-in-law. Every time she went back to the room to sleep, her fourth sister-in-law was already asleep. She would move very carefully for fear of disturbing her.
When Xu Qinyu woke up the next day, she felt that her body was indeed much more comfortable than the previous few days. She was too busy in the previous few days, and even if she fell asleep as soon as she got home, her body would still be sore the next day. Today, it didn't hurt as much.
In the next few days, Xu Ji was also very busy. There were still many diners, and many old diners from Donglai Ju came to Xu Ji for breakfast and dinner.
Originally, although these diners had heard that Xu Ji's food was delicious, they didn't like to go to West Street. They thought that even though Xu Ji's food tasted good, the place was too small, and they had to queue up. It was a bit cramped to get a seat inside. It was not as bright as Donglai Ju, which was not crowded and had partitions. But because Xu Ji was helping the victims, everyone wanted to come and take a look at Xu Ji, even if they had to queue up.
So I went to Xu Ji and tried it, and I kept thinking about it. I even told my friends and family, "Everyone who has eaten at Xu Ji says it's delicious. I thought, how much better can it be? Donglaiju is already very good. Food is always just like that. But I was wrong. The food at Xu Ji is so delicious, morning and evening. I can't forget it. But it's always crowded."
"I've told Master before that Xu's food is delicious. The milk tea is rich and mellow, and the sour plum soup is refreshing and thirst-quenching, but Master didn't believe me. I go there often with the other ladies, but we have to wait and line up. Xu's will give us a sign, and we go in according to the number on the sign. The rest of the time, we go by ourselves and just pay attention to the time."
These women have already mastered the art of queuing. Every time they get a small wooden sign, they go shopping on West Street first to buy some rouge, powder and jewelry. About half an hour later, it is their turn.
As the number of customers at Xu Ji increased, the number of customers at Donglai Ju decreased a lot, but the owner and boss of Donglai Ju didn't say anything.
In addition to the decrease in the number of customers at Donglai Ju, Wen Yunling's restaurant on East Street finally opened. Her restaurant was called Xiangrui Restaurant, but there were very few diners. It was completely different from the grand occasion with guests that Wen Yunling had imagined. She was a little hit, but she also felt that it was because Xu Qinyu was very scheming and gained fame by helping the victims. She also made Xu Ji very popular in Yuanbao Town, so all the diners went to Xu Ji, and her restaurant naturally had no business.
It was Yue who advised her daughter, "Don't worry, Lingjie'er. Xuji's good business is only temporary. After a while, when her relief efforts are over, who would want to eat breakfast and dinner and queue up all day? Everyone is just trying something new for a while. After a while, people won't flock to Xuji, and our restaurant's business will improve. Business can't be rushed."
Wen Yunling could only suppress her emotions and wait patiently.
…
In the past few days, in addition to being busy with Xu Ji, Xu Qinyu also asked Gong Ge'er to take Xu Feng and others to the mountains to pick a lot of wild grapes to continue making wine.
She didn't have to worry about chores like washing, picking, and drying grapes, or washing and scalding wine jars. She didn't even have to make the wine herself. She just had to divide the grapes and rock sugar, and Cheng Ge'er and the others would help fill the jars and seal them.
In just a few days, we brewed nearly seventy jars of wine, and will continue to brew more in the future.
The wine jar used for fermentation is an ordinary large wine jar, which costs a few cents each. However, after the wine is fermented, it needs to be poured out and packaged separately, and this is done in better small wine bottles.
It was specially customized by Xu Qinyu.
A small white porcelain wine bottle with the five big words "Xu Ji Wine" engraved on it.
Such white porcelain carved wine bottles are not cheap, fifty cents each, but she wanted a large quantity, so she ordered one thousand such wine bottles first, for fifty taels of silver, and they gave her a discount of two taels of silver.
The first batch of wine brewed can almost smell like the fragrant fruit wine. When Xu Qinyu felt that the smell was almost the same over the past two days, she asked Cheng Ge'er and others to pour the fermented wine into an exquisite white porcelain bottle to continue the second fermentation. The weather was hot, and the second fermentation would take about half a month. After half a month, when the second fermentation was completed, it could be drunk without having to keep changing the container. This white porcelain bottle was just right.
This small white porcelain wine bottle can only hold about one kilogram of wine. This kind of fruit wine is exquisite and will not be sold too cheaply. Of course, it will not be sold at a sky-high price. At least the wealthy businessmen and officials in Raozhou City can afford it.
The large jar of wine she brewed could be filled into about seven small bottles, each of which was priced at one or two taels of silver.
There was a thin silk ribbon tied around the thin neck of the small wine bottle. It was the leftover silk that she and her sister-in-law from the Xia family bought. She asked Sister Ning to help cut it and even gave her wages. However, Sister Ning didn't want to take it at all. She said that apart from making bags, she had no other work to do all day. All the housework had to be done by others, so it was her duty to help her sister-in-law with some work.
Xu Qinyu didn't force it. The bags made by Ning Jie'er were handmade and were made with great care. Each bag was completely different. Even bags of the same type would have slightly different patterns.
Xu Qinyu saw many girls at the market carrying or slung bags made by Ning Jie'er.
The bags made by Ning Jie'er are not the more modern ones. They are more compatible with the ruqun and changge that these rich young ladies wear on a daily basis. They are small and exquisite and can be carried in the hand or across the body. They are said to be used to carry things, but in fact they are just accessories to match clothes, hair styles and jewelry.
After all, bags are indeed more like decorations for women.
Ning Jie'er can make about four or five bags every month. The bags she makes now are all ordered in advance by the daughters of wealthy families. Each bag is priced between two and five taels of silver. The fabrics used are no longer scraps, but whole pieces of gauze and satin.
In fact, there are imitations of these bags in the market, but none of them are as exquisite as those made by Ning Jie'er. The patterns are exactly the same as those made by Ning Jie'er, and they are sold cheaply. However, this does not affect Ning Jie'er's business at all. The daughters of wealthy merchants naturally want the best and will not be tempted by such bargains.
In this way, Xu Qinyu's first batch of wine was packaged into 140 bottles, all of which were stored in the utility room, waiting for the second fermentation.
Everyone in Xu's Restaurant was busy. After seven or eight days, the victims outside Yuanbao Town were still living outside. The victims also wanted to stay in Yuanbao Town, but when they learned that the settlement fee was five taels of silver per person, they naturally could not afford so much money, so they could only go to villages that did not require settlement fees.
But they still cannot leave for the time being. As for the reason, the county magistrate told them that they should discuss their whereabouts with their superiors.
But these words can only fool these ordinary disaster victims, and cannot fool the Wen family.
Wen was the queen and she saw the problem.
She knew that three other villages under Raozhou City had victims who had contracted diarrhea. They had sealed off the villages and sent people there for protection and treatment, but the victims outside the town hadn't been released yet. Clearly, they didn't dare let them go. Why? Without further orders from above, even the governor of Raozhou City couldn't make a decision on something as serious as diarrhea. A secret memorial would surely be sent to the capital. Given the temperament of the two men in the capital, they might wipe out the entire area, even assuming that Yuanbao Town was implicated by the disaster and slaughtering its inhabitants as well.
In fact, Wen knew in her heart that Empress Dowager Fu originally wanted to kill all of her descendants.
But the court officials were making such a fuss that Empress Dowager Fu did not dare to take action and exiled them.
Because she was worried that the two people in the palace would order the massacre of towns and villages, Wen had been absent-minded in settling accounts these days. When she returned home in the evening and said she was helping Yu Niang massage her muscles and bones, Xu Qinyu couldn't help but ask about it. She had noticed that her mother-in-law had been restless these days.
Wen thought about it and told Yu Niang about her concerns without hiding it from her.
After hearing this, Xu Qinyu's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that her previous guess was correct. The new emperor and Empress Dowager Fu in the palace were definitely not good people. They might really massacre the town and the village.
Wen added, "Don't worry, Yu Niang. The court officials won't let them do whatever they want. Besides, diarrhea can be prevented and cured nowadays, so it shouldn't lead to a massacre."
As Wen spoke, her eyes could not help but fall on Yu Niang.
Yu Niang was lying on the bed, her head slightly tilted, half of her snow-white cheek exposed, and the other half of her brows were tightly furrowed, still worried about what she said.
In fact, diarrhea in Yuanbao Town was preventable before. Wen Shi didn't think that it was County Magistrate Yang who came up with the preventive method. It was Yu Niang who went to the yamen in person that day, and this preventive method was proposed. I'm afraid it was Yu Niang who came up with it. This method has never been recorded in any books, rare copies, miscellaneous notes or travel notes. Otherwise, even if there was a chance, it would have been discovered by the world and found out to try to prevent the plague.
Fortunately, Yu Niang knew clearly that her family could not take credit for such things, otherwise if the two people in the palace knew about it, they would think that Yu Niang and the Pei family were a threat and would not let them go.
But Wen was thinking about something else at the moment. Yu Niang really knew a lot...
Wen couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
Never mind, no matter what, Yu Niang is just Yu Niang, a Yu Niang who is devoted to her family and treats them all very well.
Wen reached out and tucked the hair that was sticking to Yu Niang's cheek behind her ears, and then helped her lift her shoulders and arms.
Because Wen mentioned the two people in the palace, Xu Qinyu was worried for several days.
Fortunately, the two did not worry for too long. After a few days, officers and soldiers from Raozhou City came to post notices, which simply said that the emperor was gracious and had thought of the prevention and cure of diarrhea, and had sent people to various places to provide disaster relief, provide protection, and treat diarrhea patients.
After the notice was posted, the disaster victims outside the town packed up and left Yuanbao Town, settling in villages where there was no settlement fee.
The town finally returned to its former tranquility.
It is already midsummer and many crops have begun to be harvested. Xu Qinyu bought a lot of tender peanuts and planned to make salty dried peanuts with five spices. This kind of salty dried peanuts are in shells and the taste is best when made with new peanuts. After making them, they can be stored for a long time and there is no problem keeping them after the New Year.
The method is also simple. Wash the dirt off the fresh peanuts, pour them into the prepared brine, cook them and leave them for two hours until they are fully flavored, then spread them out in the sun to dry.
You can also eat fresh peanuts that have been braised and boiled directly. This type of peanuts is braised salt-boiled peanuts with shells. They are very tasty and full of five-spice juice. The peanuts are also salty, fragrant and powdery. They are the best dish to go with wine. Now that the weather is hot, guests who usually eat dinner are taking some wine with them, so this braised peanuts has also been added to the menu.
A plate costs twenty cents and is a must-order for almost every table.
Half of the braised peanuts are sold on the same day, and the remaining half are spread out on clean stone slabs in the yard to dry. However, they are not crispy enough after drying, so they must be dried again. She has a kiln, and she puts them in it and dries them slowly over a low fire. These are salted dried peanuts, which taste particularly crispy. The children prefer to eat these salted dried peanuts. The braised salted peanuts are powdery and more suitable for drinking.
Xu Qinyu's first batch of wine had completed its second fermentation and was ready to drink. She tasted it herself and found it to have a rich fruity aroma with a hint of alcohol and sweetness. It was called wine, but it was actually drinkable, with a sour and sweet taste. Her first fermentation was successful, so after the second fermentation, the wine would be fine for a year or two, though the wine would have a stronger alcoholic flavor later on, not as rich and fruity as it was at the beginning.
Xu Qinyu also sent some of the first batch of brewed wine to the Xia, Xu, and Yang families, and sold the rest in Xu's restaurant. Knowing that it cost one or two taels of silver per bottle, it really didn't sell much except for a few wealthy customers.
Because even if you eat a few good dishes in a restaurant, it will only cost one or two taels of silver. This small bottle of fruit wine costs one or two taels of silver. Naturally, not many people buy it. Most of them are rich businessmen who buy some to take home and drink.
The second batch of wine has also been bottled for secondary fermentation.
The third and fourth batches of wine are still fermenting in large jars.
Throughout the summer, Xu Qinyu made salted dried peanuts in addition to brewing wine.
But in fact, she didn't worry much. The wine and salted peanuts were prepared by Cheng Ge'er and his friends.
It is almost autumn, and Xu Ji's business is a little slower than when there were disaster victims in the summer, but there are still many customers and it is very busy every day.
Fortunately, there are two days of rest every month, so Xu Qinyu can take a breath.
She wanted to take advantage of the day off in late summer to go to Raozhou City. Her wine had been fermented and ready for drinking, so she had to find a market. There were indeed people who bought it in the town, but it sold too slowly, so she still needed to open up sales channels in Raozhou City.
On the day when Xu Ji was resting, Xu Qinyu got up early, hired a carriage, and prepared to go to the city. Wen asked Cheng Ge'er to go with her as she was definitely worried about Yu Niang going alone.
Since Cheng Ge'er can drive a carriage, there is no need to hire a driver.
Xu Feng must go with them.
Xu Feng injured one of his eyes when he was a child. When he was a little beggar, the damaged eye looked particularly scary. After being adopted by Xu Qinyu, she specially made an eye patch for him to cover it. The customers in the restaurant got used to it and didn't think it was scary at all.
After more than two months of recuperation, the children not only gained weight but also grew taller.
Xu Feng is taller than Gong Ge'er. Xu Qinyu suspects that he is actually more than ten years old, and may be about the same age as Cheng Ge'er. However, he has been a beggar since he was a child, and he doesn't know his specific birth date. He didn't have enough to eat when he was a child and was often hungry. He must have not grown taller. Now that his nutrition is improved, it is normal for him to grow a little taller.
Xu Feng wanted to go with them, and Xu Qinyu didn't refuse and let him go. The other kids looked at them eagerly, so Xu Qinyu told them to keep an eye on the restaurant, and the kids nodded.
In fact, the family has already bought a donkey cart, but it is only used for buying vegetables and transporting goods on weekdays, and picking fruits and mushrooms in the mountains. If we want to go to Raozhou City, the donkey cart is too slow, so we must use a horse carriage.
Early in the morning, Cheng Ge'er drove Xu Qinyu and Xu Feng to Raozhou City.
It was almost cooler in the southwest by the end of summer, and the road wasn't hot either. It was in the countryside, so there wasn't much to worry about. Xu Qinyu lifted the car window curtain and looked at the scenery outside.
The roads are full of busy farming scenes. This year, the weather in the southwest has been good and the crops are growing well.
But even if the crops grew well, after paying the taxes, the remaining food would only be enough for food, and at most there would be some surplus that could be sold for one or two taels of silver.
If there is a slight natural disaster, if God sends more rain or if there is a few more days of drought, the crop harvest will be affected. Even if you pay taxes, it will be difficult to have enough to eat.
Firstly, the tax is a bit heavy, and secondly, the yield of crops is just average. If the weather is bad and the harvest is poor, the yield will be even lower.
It seems that since the new emperor ascended the throne, the land tax has increased a bit, and the merchant tax has also increased a bit, but it is all within an affordable range.
After watching the people harvesting crops along the way, the three of them arrived at Raozhou City an hour and a half later.
When I first left Yuanbao Town from Raozhou City, it was cold and I had to pay attention to the road, so I didn't run very fast. Now the weather is good and I can run fast on the road. I can reach Raozhou City in an hour and a half.
After paying the fee and entering the city, Raozhou City has not changed much from before, except that it is more lively. Last year it was early winter and there were not as many people as now.
Xu Qinyu directly asked Cheng Ge'er to drive the carriage to the inn where they had stayed before.
The inn was called Bafang Inn. The owner's surname was Zhou. His son worked as a cook in the inn. Because Xu Qinyu borrowed the inn's kitchen, his son learned cooking from Xu Qinyu for a few days.
Xu Qinyu still remembers that Manager Zhou’s son was named Zhou Daqing, a very honest man.
After getting off the carriage, Xu Qinyu entered the inn carrying a few bottles of wine.
The waiter was still the same boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was stunned when he looked at Xu Qinyu. He felt that the young lady in front of him looked a little familiar, but he couldn't remember who she was for a while. He thought that she might be someone who had stayed at the inn before.
Xu Qinyu smiled and said, "Tie Niu, do you still recognize me?"
She also remembered the waiter's name, Tie Niu.
Tie Niu's eyes widened. "You, you are Miss Xu who stayed at the inn last winter!"
At that time, Miss Xu was thin, small and skinny, with frostbite all over her face. What made him remember her was her cooking skills.
Miss Xu borrowed the kitchen, and not only Shopkeeper Zhou and Chef Zhou benefited from it, but he also benefited from it. After eating the food made by Miss Xu, he was surprised how delicious it was. Even after almost a year, he still remembered the taste.
Not only was he thinking about it, the shopkeeper and Chef Zhou would occasionally smack their lips and wonder when they could have another chance to taste Miss Xu's cooking.
Even Captain Liang in the military camp was thinking about Miss Xu's craftsmanship. When Captain Liang learned that Miss Xu had left suddenly, he was dumbfounded. He kept saying that he regretted it and should have asked Miss Xu where she lived and what her plans were for the future, such as whether she wanted to open a restaurant or a shop. In short, when Captain Liang learned that Miss Xu had left the inn, he was so distraught.
Tie Niu also remembered that although Miss Xu was skinny and had frostbite on her face, her facial features were bright and beautiful. Now Miss Xu has indeed become more beautiful. She has gained some weight and is no longer skinny. She wears a plain dress, her face is white and tender, and her eyes seem to be able to smile. When she looks at people, her whole body is smiling, and she looks even brighter and more beautiful.
He was a little afraid to look directly at Miss Xu.
Xu Qinyu smiled and said, "Tie Niu, Shopkeeper Zhou is here. I have something to ask him."
Tie Niu said hurriedly, "Yes, yes, Miss Xu, please wait a moment. I will go to the backyard to find Manager Zhou."
Manager Zhou was indeed talking to his son in the kitchen.
When Miss Xu left, although Zhou Daqing, the son of Manager Zhou, learned cooking skills from Miss Xu for a few days and knew the recipes of raw fish porridge, fish head tofu stew, braised fish, wontons and pickled fish that Miss Xu had made those days, Zhou Daqing did not use these dishes privately to attract business for the inn after Miss Xu left.
In his heart, he regarded Miss Xu as his master. Without his master's permission, it was impossible for him to steal her skills and use them to make money.
Therefore, the business of the inn is still average now. The guests all stay in the inn, and for food, most of them go to restaurants outside.
Privately, Zhou Daqing often cooked these dishes for his family, and the taste improved. He knew in his heart that they were still not as good as what Miss Xu cooked. But after cooking them so many times, they became his specialties, and the taste was still quite good. With just these few dishes, he could be a chef in a restaurant.
In addition, Captain Liang would always ask him to make these dishes to satisfy his cravings.
He just collected money for the ingredients and seasonings.
Shopkeeper Zhou was discussing with his son the need to renovate the stables in the backyard. They had to start work tomorrow, otherwise it would be difficult to repair when the weather got cold, and the guests' horses would easily get frozen.
As the two were talking, Tie Niu rushed in and shouted excitedly, "Boss, Miss Xu is here!"
"What?" Shopkeeper Zhou didn't react for a moment, "Which Miss Xu?" He didn't even dare to think about Miss Xu.
He had just finished speaking when he suddenly realized something. He quickly stood up and asked with wide eyes, "But, but what about that Miss Xu from last year?"
Tie Niu nodded vigorously, "It's that Miss Xu."
Shopkeeper Zhou hurried to the front living room. Zhou Daqing could no longer sit still and followed his father to the front living room.
The three of them came to the living room and found Miss Xu sitting on a bench under a window.
Miss Xu no longer looks the same as she did in early winter last year. Her face is now snow-white and she looks pretty.
In addition to Miss Xu, there were several small white porcelain wine bottles on the square table in front of her. The small wine bottles were tied with silk ribbons and were particularly exquisite.
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