"Mu'er," Qin Qiong called out loudly.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"
"Father! Why are you here!" He turned around from the crowd and said.
"This is the imperial chef. His Majesty heard that there are delicious dishes in the mansion, so he specially arranged for me to come and learn," Qin Qiong said, pointing to a plump middle-aged man behind him.
"Greetings, Young Master!" The imperial chef forced a smile and bowed impolitely to Qin Mu.
"Hmm. Since you're here, you might as well learn from me." As expected of a chef who starved to death, Qin Mu looked at the fat imperial chef and nodded.
"I'm leaving the person to you." Qin Qiong said, turning to leave. Recently, there had been over a hundred young women in the manor, and Aunt Zheng was keeping a close eye on him. Whenever he came home, she would practically stay by his side. Especially at night, she almost drained Qin Qiong dry.
Unable to understand why his wife, who had no fighting skills, was so energetic at night, Qin Qiong couldn't help but shudder and quickened his pace.
Qin Mu was currently teaching how to cook, with a chef in training and curious onlookers nearby. Since their training was also very demanding, Qin Mu let them watch, figuring they would need to understand the characteristics of the dishes later anyway, so he could explain it to them.
When it comes to delicious food, there is actually no shortage of it in this world. Even simple braised dishes are very unique, with various secret seasonings that make them taste quite good. This is what Qin Mu has concluded after trying the food in Chang'an over the past few days.
However, what he made was different; it was a dish with its own unique characteristics, a delicacy from another world. Two older women, around thirty years old, were kneading dough, while goat milk was simmering in a pot nearby, and a large jar of golden honey emitted an enticingly sweet aroma.
Qin Mu then learned that there were already beekeepers, but they were few in number and bees were extremely expensive. Although beekeeping was a closely guarded secret, Qin Mu knew a little about it and had already arranged for people to go and find wild bees to domesticate.
The pot in front of Qin Mu was a wok, but he didn't use it himself; instead, he let a man wearing a scarf and mask do it. As the oil was poured into the wok, it sizzled loudly, and chunks of semi-fat and semi-lean meat were added, making the noise even louder. A spatula was constantly stirring, and then, at Qin Mu's instruction, various seasonings were poured into the pot.
As the meat turned reddish-yellow, a rich aroma wafted through the air, causing onlookers to swallow hard. The chubby chef was also stunned; he hadn't expected to cook like this, especially since the aroma was far more intense than with other methods.
The aroma of stewed dishes can only be described as rich, but that of stir-fried dishes is intense. Although the two flavors may not seem very different, their stimulation of the appetite is completely different.
"Hmm! Not bad!" After the dish was cooked, Qin Mu glanced at it, smelled it, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece, and put it in his mouth. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qin Mu swallowed it and nodded in satisfaction.
"You should try some too!" Qin Mu said, pointing to the braised pork on the plate.
The apprentice chefs, who had been waiting impatiently, hurriedly picked up their chopsticks, but they still knew to let the fat imperial chef go first.
"Thank you!" the plump chef said, carefully picking up a piece and putting it in his mouth. As soon as he put it in, his eyes lit up, and he began to move his mouth faster.
"Excellent! It's truly delicious, oily yet not greasy, and melts in your mouth. It's really tasty. Young Master, may I ask what dish this is?" The plump imperial chef put down his chopsticks and asked expectantly.
"This is called braised pork! This kind of pot is called a wok, so the dish is called stir-fried. It's cooked with animal or vegetable oil. Watch carefully!" Qin Mu explained. Of course, he was happy that someone liked his cooking, so he didn't hold back and made shredded pork with greens and twice-cooked pork. After that, he let the imperial chefs cook for him.
The portly imperial chef lived up to his title; his skills were undeniable. After watching just three dishes, he was just as good as Qin Mu. Next came the pastries. Traditionally, pastries were steamed, but Qin Mu's method, while also steaming, was more like baking, which broadened the imperial chef's horizons. The hot pot, too, drew rave reviews from him.
Of course, it would be a waste not to make use of the imperial chef's talents, so Qin Mu had him teach his subordinates a few of his signature dishes before letting him leave. The imperial chef, of course, had no complaints about Qin Mu's request. After all, having learned several new things, he could already imagine that his status would surely rise upon returning to the palace.
The imperial chefs, who had returned to the palace in high spirits, were eager to show off their skills, so Li Shimin was able to enjoy stir-fried dishes that evening.
………
With the help of skilled craftsmen arranged by Yan Lide, the construction of the restaurant progressed very smoothly. In addition, Qin Mu spent a lot of money on construction, so the construction progressed very quickly.
"Brother, we're in trouble." Cheng Huaimo approached Qin Mu with a serious expression.
"What's going on?" Qin Mu asked curiously, which made Cheng Huaimo feel troubled; the problem must be serious.
“Our restaurant has made too much noise, which has already caused dissatisfaction among others. Several restaurants in the East Market and nearby areas have already clashed a few times. I estimate that they will take drastic measures to suppress us,” Cheng Huaimo said.
That's it?
“Of course, it’s not just that. I heard they’ve hired the head chef from Deyuelou to teach them the dishes. Deyuelou has a great reputation, but it’s not cheap either. If they can get these smaller restaurants to lower their prices, it will definitely attract a lot of customers. If they are suppressed during the opening period and their reputation doesn’t grow, it will be difficult for them in the future,” Cheng Huaimo said with a somewhat grim expression.
"Brother Cheng, don't worry. Even if you're not confident about the food, surely you have some fine wine?" Qin Mu reassured him with a smile. He was very pleased that Cheng Huaimo had thought of so much; at least he was a good business partner.
“That’s true!” Cheng Huaimo thought for a moment, then said with a relieved expression.
"Yes, Brother Cheng, you're under too much pressure. Don't overthink it. As long as we do our job well, we'll be invincible," Qin Mu said with a confident smile. Competition exists everywhere, but with his own restaurant, no one dared to play dirty tricks. Qin Mu didn't believe he couldn't compete fairly.
"Oh right, we don't have much money left," Cheng Huaimo said, patting his forehead.
"You don't even have 280,000 strings of cash anymore?" Qin Mu asked in surprise.
"The plan was supposed to be enough, but we needed too many materials and in too much of a hurry, so those guys took the opportunity to raise prices," Cheng Huaimo said through gritted teeth. The merchants who could supply materials to Chang'an all had connections. Although they didn't dare openly offend Cheng Huaimo, there was nothing he could do about their price gouging. They could say they didn't have enough stock, take it or leave it; if he needed it, they'd have to work overtime, which would increase costs. They had all sorts of excuses, but they all sounded perfectly legitimate. This infuriated Cheng Huaimo.
"It's alright. Once the restaurant is up and running, make a note of those who took the opportunity to raise prices. We'll build workshops later and go against them." After listening to Cheng Huaimo's explanation, Qin Mu was also furious. No one in business was simple-minded; they could even raise prices in a way that left you speechless.
"Ah! Brother, although I'm angry too, it's not worth spending money to fight them. We don't have that much capital," Cheng Huaimo advised.
"Don't worry, just write it down. I'll find a way to make a better product than theirs," Qin Mu sneered. He wasn't confident in a fight, but when it came to knowledge of ordinary objects, no one could compare to him.
"Alright, but what if we don't have enough money now?" Seeing that Qin Mu was very confident, Cheng Huaimo didn't try to persuade him.
How big is the gap now?
“I estimate we’ll need another 50,000 strings of cash,” Cheng Huaimo replied immediately, clearly having already done the calculations.
"The distillery must have a lot of wine stockpiled, right?"
"Yes, we've stockpiled tens of thousands of kilograms. Brother, do you want to sell them now?" Cheng Huaimo asked.
"good."
"Didn't you say you'd sell it after the restaurant opened?"
“Selling after opening does have its advantages, as it keeps wine lovers coming back to the restaurant. But selling in advance also has its benefits, as it helps build a reputation.”
“That’s true. Quite a few people have asked me, but I’ve refused them all, saying it’s still being brewed,” Cheng Huaimo nodded.
"Well, let's start by offering a lower alcohol content and tell customers that the restaurant also has an even better one. That will be more effective," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Haha, brother, you're really smart. That solves all the problems at once," Cheng Huaimo laughed happily.
"Brother Cheng, why don't you have someone send some to the homes of your acquaintances and invite them to try them?" Qin Mu suggested.
"Okay, I understand."
"Since someone is trying to target us, these kinds of things will become even more inevitable as business improves. How's the security detail you've assembled coming along?"
"The team has been assembled, consisting of twenty people, all of whom are quite intelligent. They can both help the restaurant with its tasks and protect it."
"That's good. We're not afraid of those with connections, but we're worried about those small fry causing trouble. We can't do anything about them when it comes to minor things, but if we don't do anything, it will affect our business. That's what we need to be careful about."
"Hmph! I'll break any dog legs that dare to cause trouble!" Cheng Huaimo said with wide eyes. The restaurant had not only spent a lot of money, but more importantly, he had been busy and devoted a lot of energy since the beginning of the preparations, so he absolutely did not want the dish to fail.
"People die for money, birds die for food. As long as you're willing to spend money, there will always be people who aren't afraid of death, let alone getting hurt. We're in business, and reputation is the most important thing," Qin Mu said, shaking his head.
“Brother, you’re right. I’ll have someone think of that,” Cheng Huaimo nodded seriously.
"There's no need to worry too much about this. As long as we do our job well, we won't have to fear anyone else's actions," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Okay, I'll go prepare for selling the wine first."
"Brother Cheng, wait a moment!" Qin Mu called out to Cheng Huaimo, who was about to leave.
"Is there anything else?"
"When selling wine, be careful that other restaurants don't buy in large quantities, so limit the quantity," Qin Mu reminded.
"If they buy in bulk, won't they come to us to negotiate prices?"
"Of course they will, but we won't sell. So what will they do? They'll have to accept our pricing. Our production is already limited, and if they hoard large quantities, it will affect us. After all, the taste is similar, and everyone drinks it," Qin Mu explained.
"That's true, I'll be careful."
“Selling in limited quantities has another advantage: scarcity increases value, so even if we charge a higher price, no one will complain.”
"Hehe, great idea, brother!" Cheng Huaimo's eyes widened and he laughed happily upon hearing this.
"Don't set the price too high, just double the price of the best available," Qin Mu advised. The advantages of strong liquor are undeniable, especially among liquor enthusiasts; even at double the price, there would be no shortage of buyers. However, this wouldn't be conducive to large-scale sales. Qin Mu had already planned that from now on, he would stockpile raw liquor each year and use it for aging to increase the price.
"I understand!" With a way to make money, Cheng Huaimo's steps became much lighter, and he couldn't resist the urge to sell alcohol. He had wanted to show off to others for a long time, but the time hadn't come yet, so he had to hold back. Now that he could finally do it, it would be a good opportunity to let those people see what it was all about.
"Brother!" Not long after Cheng Huaimo left, Yuchi Baolin's loud voice rang out downstairs, so Qin Mu had no choice but to go downstairs again.
Seeing the things that Yuchi Baolin and his men carried in, Qin Mu couldn't help but smile.
"The thing's finished. What do you think we should do with it?" Yu Chi Baolin asked curiously. He didn't understand much about the things Qin Mu had asked him to make, or what they were for.
"I'll explain, you assemble!" Qin Mu said, tapping the parts.
What Yuchi Baolin brought were the rickshaws and tricycles he had been asked to make. Nowadays, horse-drawn carriages are all made of wood, but the ones he had made were all metal at the bottom and wood at the top, no wonder Yuchi Baolin couldn't understand them.
The rickshaw was the simplest type, mainly consisting of wheels made of refined iron. Although it lacked rubber, it had wire and iron plates for shock absorption, so the vibrations shouldn't be too great. The seat was made of wood, which meant it wasn't particularly heavy.
Human-powered tricycles are much more troublesome, mainly due to the gears and chains. Qin Mu didn't know if he could withstand the pulling force.
Another type is a human-powered tricycle for hauling goods. Unlike the ones used by people, the tricycle used for hauling goods has a wooden cargo bed in the back.
With the help of a group of blacksmiths, all three types were quickly completed. The rickshaw was the simplest; Qin Mu sat on it and Qin Yong pulled it around the yard.
"Not bad, not bad!" After sitting around for a while, Qin Mu asked Qin Yong to stop and nodded. Although there was no rubber, the seat cushions used the same steel leaf spring method as in vehicles for shock absorption, so although the vibrations were significant, it was very comfortable. If the seat cushions were upholstered in leather, the effect would probably be even better.
As for the pedicabs, Qin Mu simply had two people sit on them, and he personally pedaled them.
It's heavy! That's Qin Mu's feeling. Of course, this is the result of him controlling his strength. After all, if he really used his full strength, this weight wouldn't be much. The gears are also somewhat inferior to those made by machines, and there's a stiff feeling when pedaling.
Fortunately, the craftsmanship of the Yuchi family was truly exceptional. With his strength, he managed to withstand the strain even with forceful pedaling. This proved that his idea was sound, and a human-powered tricycle was entirely feasible.
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