On this day, Meng Zhao came to inspect the newly renovated restaurant. First, he noticed the side of the restaurant. Considering that there would be many merchants coming and going when the new city gate opened, he specially set aside an open space for parking carriages. For this purpose, he also specially asked craftsmen to build a sunshade for summer and shelter from the rain. He also prepared clean water and fodder so that the horses that were temporarily parked could be taken care of.
The lobby on the first floor mainly caters to ordinary people and those seeking quick meals. In addition to the common elm wood square tables, there are two open stalls for merchants, soldiers, and porters to take away food, maximizing the service for passing travelers.
Ascending the stairs to the second floor, the layout suddenly becomes unique. The design is in the shape of a square, with elegant seats separated by bamboo curtains. On ordinary days, the bamboo curtains can be lowered to create a private space. A small stage is set up in the courtyard, and the curtains can be raised during festivals for storytelling, opera, and various performances.
The third floor features private rooms with cotton and linen walls, making conversations inside difficult to hear from the outside. A dedicated staircase leads directly to the third floor, completely separating it from the downstairs customers. The view from the third floor is naturally the best. If you are new to Beijing, enjoying a cup of tea here while taking in the sights of the capital is the most comfortable thing you could do.
Now that the restaurant was almost finished, it was time for the staff to come in. Meng Zhao thought that Xu Renyi had been very diligent in looking after the shop during this period, so he entrusted this task to him. "The waiters need to be recruited locally. They not only need to be eloquent, but also familiar with the local customs and culture of the capital. If customers ask about nearby inns, carriage shops, or famous sights in the capital, they must be able to answer fluently."
"We hire honest women from the neighborhood for dishwasher jobs. Most of them live nearby, so we don't need to arrange accommodation for them. This saves us money and also provides some income for the neighbors." Although dishwashing isn't a technically demanding job, it's extremely hard work. Thinking of the women who work to supplement their income, her tone softened. "The pay can be 10% higher than the market rate, but they must be clean and hardworking."
As for skilled jobs like chefs and accountants, Meng Zhao chose to first write to Wei Jinglan to recruit them from the Hundred Crafts Academy, and then recruit apprentices and laborers locally to build a talent pool.
At this time, the previous group of trainees who came to Beijing from Quyang to work had already returned home once. After returning to Quyang, they spread the word everywhere.
"You haven't seen it! Eight carriages can drive side-by-side on the streets of the capital!" a young student gestured to the others. "And working for Master Meng earns three taels of silver a month! If you do extra work one day, you get extra pay, and you even get chicken legs for dinner!"
Another chimed in, "Absolutely! And during the Lantern Festival, the shopkeeper even had someone take us to see the lantern festival; my eyes were practically dazzled by it!"
With their promotion, those who had been worried before felt at ease and signed up to participate. Wei Jinglan carefully selected the best group and sent them to Meng Zhao.
Once everyone was gathered, the intensive training began. Meng Zhao stayed in the restaurant almost every day until Gu Lanying sent someone to call her, at which point she remembered that tomorrow was the eighth day of the lunar new year.
Meng Zhao called Huang Cui over and handed her a booklet. "Tomorrow, check the contents of this booklet among the staff and give them a score. Those who answer well will be given priority to work in the main hall, and those who answer poorly will be assigned to tasks such as serving food and running errands."
Although they are all waiters, serving customers in the dining room mainly involves using your mouth. If you say auspicious words to please the customers, you can get some tips. But serving food and running errands requires running up and down the stairs. When the kitchen is busy, you also have to go to the kitchen to help out. It's not as comfortable as serving in the dining room.
Huang Cui took the booklet and nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, shopkeeper, I will definitely check it carefully."
When they moved to the kitchen, Meng Zhao clapped his hands and said to the busy chefs, "Everyone worked hard at today's tasting event. I have already explained to you the areas where each dish needs improvement. I have some personal matters to attend to tomorrow, so you can take this opportunity to think about them carefully."
After saying that, he took out a menu from his sleeve. “There are eighteen signature dishes on this menu. I don’t expect you to know every single one, but each of you should be able to master at least eight of them. You can discuss and divide the work among yourselves and see which dishes you are best suited for. When I come back the day after tomorrow, I hope to taste even better dishes than today.”
When she left the restaurant, the sun had already set. She bent down and climbed into the carriage that had been prepared in advance. The carriage was filled with a soothing fragrance. Meng Zhao finally let go of her previous capable demeanor, stretched, and curled up in the soft place she had arranged. With the soft cushions supporting her tired back, she could finally relax a little. However, thinking about meeting many people and talking a lot tomorrow, she was already starting to feel tired.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Meng residence. Aunt Li immediately came out to greet them. Xiao Chuan handed her the food box from the carriage. Aunt Li smiled and said, "These past few days, Madam Meng has been bringing back meals every day, which has made me so bored."
"The restaurant has been tasting dishes these past few days, and even if the staff eat as much as they want, they can't finish all of this. We can't just throw it away, so I might as well bring it back and save myself the trouble of making dinner."
These dishes were samples that had been taken and kept; no one had touched them, and they were very clean. Meng Zhao felt at ease letting his family eat them, and at the same time, he listened to Xu Yunrong and Meng Dashan's suggestions to see if there was anything that needed improvement.
On the eighth day of the month, the weather was perfect, with clear blue skies. Gu Lanying, now a regular at banquets in the capital, had long since shed her initial reserve and was helping Meng Zhao choose jewelry to wear that day.
She picked up a white jade hairpin and pinned it to Meng Zhao's temple. "This hairpin is beautiful, round and elegant, making her look even more dignified."
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