Chapter 59: After the contract is signed, it is Guizhi'er's turn to take advantage of the situation.
"Is Miss Gui at home?" The broker arrived as promised.
He first looked around the store, and then, like a hen herding her chicks, he pushed all the young men who were looking for jobs behind him to the front.
Among them were both young girls and young boys with tied hair.
Most of them were farmers from the suburbs of Beijing. They had simple looks and wore coarse cloth clothes that were washed white and covered with patches.
Guizhier offered a high price, so the broker carefully selected many talented and intelligent children.
"Sit down." Guizhier casually handed the dentist a handful of sunflower seeds. "Don't worry, everyone. I'll just do three small tests."
When you smell it, you will find that different spices have different smells. Guizhier first gives a brief instruction, then mixes the spices into a sachet and lets the apprentices smell it and answer.
"Like ginger? I can't really tell, it's a bit irritating to the nose." The respondent's cheeks flushed and his eyes avoided.
"The spicy one, it's choking. I forgot what it was called when the young lady was teaching me just now." A girl with a ponytail said gracefully.
Most of the children just made up an answer or kept their heads down and kept silent, exuding an air of restraint and shyness.
If they were asked to collect firewood or fetch water, they could immediately pick up the physical work, but learning about spices was a bit difficult.
"A mixture of Sichuan peppercorns and peppercorns, with a small amount of cinnamon and cloves." A young man with a clear voice attracted Guizhier's attention.
He had bruises on his face and hands, and was as thin as a bean sprout. Only his big eyes were twinkling, which showed his spirit.
"You're right." Guizhier smiled encouragingly and asked the next difficult question.
The second taste: the saltiness of the salt water varies. Guizhier precisely controls the salt content and lets the apprentices taste and distinguish.
"Is this saltier?" A child bent his index finger and approached the cup with a hint of caution and uncertainty.
There were patterns engraved on the porcelain cups used to hold water, and they were afraid of having to pay compensation if they broke them.
Guizhier did not comment.
The third touch is to blindfold yourself and touch food in different states, including fresh meat and withered vegetables, to test your tactile perception ability.
After several rounds of screening, the results are very clear.
The girl with a ponytail had quite sharp senses, and what was rare was that she was nimble and confident and not shy.
And the big-eyed bean sprout boy surprised Guizhi even more.
"Good boy, have you ever learned cooking?" Gui Zhier removed the black cloth covering his eyes and asked inquiringly.
"I used to be an apprentice. It's only because the master chef passed away that I have to find another job." The toothcutter leaned forward slightly and answered eagerly.
This was followed by a densely packed recommendation, as if fearing that the boy would say something he shouldn't.
Guizhier ignored him and just lowered her head to look at the boy.
The boy stood there quietly. His face looked a little childish, and the bruises all over it were particularly shocking.
The finger joints were red and swollen, with scratches crisscrossing the area.
Meeting Gui Zhier's gaze, he said stubbornly, "I learned cooking from the master chef at Cuiyuanlou before."
When Guizhier heard the words "Cuiyuan Tower", she was stunned.
She remembered that she had once asked Prince Yue, who was pretending to be the prefect, "You are from the capital, do you know which is the best restaurant in Jiangnan?"
"It has to be Cuiyuan Tower." The other party's voice was soft through the inner window.
However, the hawker raised his eyebrows, widened his eyes, and harshly stopped the boy from speaking.
This young lady is very generous. If we can sign the contract, even if it falls through, we can still make some money from the breach of contract.
No one would rush to expose his own weaknesses.
Anyone from the capital who runs a restaurant or inn now knows that Cuiyuanlou has issued a death order, and accepting this young apprentice is tantamount to challenging the inn.
I just hope to fool the country bumpkins from outside.
The boy looked down at his toes. As he was growing, the uppers of his shoes were worn out, exposing his toes.
I had to use rough needle and thread to sew it randomly, and the stitches were crooked.
I can’t find the host, so I’ll have to go hungry again today.
"He has experience and is a good candidate." Guizhier's voice sounded in his ears.
The gentle praise was like a breeze in spring, full of endless love and care, which made the boy raise his head suddenly.
He stared blankly at Gui Zhi'er, his eyes wide open, as she said, "As long as he doesn't commit crimes, I don't mind."
"No, no, the child is very honest." Seeing the turn of events, the broker hurried to explain.
It turned out that the head chef of Cuiyuanlou, the best restaurant in Hangzhou, died of an acute illness a few months ago.
It is rumored that before the master chef died, he did not reveal the whereabouts of the secret recipe. The situation in the restaurant is changing rapidly, with cliques forming, fights breaking out, and people trying to exclude dissidents...
Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes.
Although the bean sprout-like boy was new to cooking, he was quite appreciated by the master chef, who often gave him special treatment.
When he left, his reputation was forgotten. The chefs were jealous of his talent, so they found excuses to find fault with him and simply sent him away.
Now it was Guizhi's turn to pick up the spoils.
"Then there are two people on the note." Guizhi nodded. One was undoubtedly the young man, and the other was a girl.
"Me?" The girl with the ponytail was puzzled, but she quickly realized what was happening and smiled broadly, "Thank you, young lady."
His simple face is like a red apple and his voice is crisp.
It looks festive.
After putting their fingerprints on the contract, it was signed. The apprentice in the shop was provided with food and accommodation, and received two strings of copper coins every month, which was considered the best treatment.
With full staff, Guiji Braised Food Shop is preparing for trial operation.
The main dish is braised food with fruit tea. The braised chicken feet have soft and chewy skin, the braised duck neck has firm meat, and the braised dried tofu has rich juice...
Fruit tea is made with carefully selected fresh seasonal fruits, paired with a fragrant tea base, making each cup colorful.
The next day, the sky was azure with wisps of white clouds floating in the air. The spring sun was not scorching, but rather warm.
The small courtyard with white walls and black tiles is covered with a thin layer of golden gauze, and the wisteria flowers are shining brightly.
"Little girl, help me prepare the marinade, and kid, go to the West Market to pick a few pounds of plums." Guizhier assigned the tasks.
It is much easier to prepare food with a skilled apprentice who has received basic training.
"Okay, young lady." The young boy, like a bean sprout, cherished this hard-earned short-term job opportunity very much and was very active.
He took the copper coins and ran out the door quickly.
Choose green plums that are plump and have smooth skin. If they are only 50% or 60% ripe and have a bitter taste, they are suitable for pickling. If they are 80% or 90% ripe and have yellow skin, the fruity aroma will be more obvious.
He was thinking about how to ask Guizhier for the technique of making plum tea.
As I turned the corner, I heard bursts of groaning coming from a hidden corner.
"Ouch, stop, stop, it hurts so much!"
"How dare you! My father is the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple. If you don't repent, you will be punished!"
Caught off guard, the bean sprout boy came across the scene of a fight.
They were a group of scholars wearing kerchiefs and tied their hair in knots, but they didn't look the least bit refined. In broad daylight, they actually used sacks to wrap up the victim, and their raised fists made a "bang bang" sound with the wind.
The person being beaten twisted in pain in the sack, but was pinned down so tightly that he couldn't escape the attack that was following him like a shadow.
When they heard the title of “Dali Temple Chief”, the rain of fists stopped.
Several scholars raised their heads and looked at one person. If Gui Zhier were there, she would definitely recognize him. That person was Li Mi, the Yang'an student.
He shook his head and waved his hands, lip-syncing to everyone.
"It's alright, officer."
Suddenly, several punches came like a storm, without mercy.
The bean sprout boy was so scared that his heart beat faster. He vaguely felt the red and swollen parts of his face and wrists starting to hurt again, so he ran away.
Unexpectedly, Li Mi, who was following him, had sharp eyes and saw his back at once.
"You little brat, stop right there!" He had to pinch his nose and shout for fear of being recognized.
The tone of his voice was as sharp as a bird's song, and it had a funny quality to it.
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