Chapter 61: The fame is growing and the small treasury is becoming more and more full.
Spring rain is a frequent visitor to the south of the Yangtze River. The raindrops are as thin as needles and cow hairs, falling densely on the bluestone road and on the white walls and black tiles of the small shops.
"Guiji Braised Food?" Several scholars, sheltering from the rain, clutched their newly acquired books tightly, wondering, "Isn't this the shop that my friends from the North wrote poems about?"
If you ask who spreads news the fastest these days, it must be the candidates.
The number of days until the Spring Examination could be counted on one's fingers. The hotels, chapels, and even the temples and Taoist temples in Hangzhou were packed with scholars.
They may be secretive when studying for test questions, but they spare no effort in sharing food, clothing, housing and transportation.
After having a hearty meal at Guiji Braised Food, students from the northern region praised the restaurant to everyone they met.
"Have you ever tried braised chicken rack? It's a local specialty." The scholar gave a thumbs-up. "Add soy sauce and rock sugar. There's not much meat, but it's incredibly chewy."
Chicken spine and sternum are relatively cheap and easy to obtain meat in the northern region where supplies are scarce.
"Tsk, country bumpkin." The candidates from wealthy areas looked down on him.
They have never tasted the delicious chicken sashimi, dragon liver and ginseng shark's fin, but they have a special liking for cheap chicken racks. They definitely look down on it.
But not all scholars come from wealthy families.
"I'm a little hungry, let's go in and take a look." Several scholars who were hiding from the rain walked into the store.
The wooden tables and chairs that came into view were polished to a bright shine. In the center of each pinewood table, a few peach, apricot, and pear blossoms were placed in a porcelain vase.
The colorful seasonal flowers add a touch of elegance to the shop.
Along the wall, a row of shelves held glass bowls with narrow necks and deep bellies, adorned with round frosted patterns. The glass was so thin and transparent that it might fetch several ounces of silver in an antique shop.
Here, it is only used to hold braised food samples.
"Gulp." The scholars swallowed and took a deep breath. "Excuse me, is anyone in the store?"
"I'm coming." A clear and cheerful voice came from the backyard. The girl with a ponytail lifted the curtain and ran over with a sweet smile on her face.
"Dear guests, please take a seat. You need to pay at least one or two taels of silver to dine in our restaurant." Guizhi'er's newly hired clerk introduced the restaurant diligently.
The dishes are random, the portions are random, and the charges are determined by you.
What you eat depends entirely on the boss's mood.
"What's going on?" Some scholars could not accept it. One tael of silver was not cheap. If they were frugal, it would be enough to buy food for half a month.
"Yes, there is no menu and no clear prices." Someone actually dared to open a black shop in Changxingfang.
The girl with the ponytail was a little flustered, but she still followed Guizhi'er's instructions and politely brought out the porcelain plate and bamboo toothpicks.
"We have free tastings," she said sincerely, "everyone can try it."
With a half-believing and half-doubting attitude, the scholars took turns tasting it, then looked at each other and tacitly took out copper coins from their sleeves.
You are consistent, I am consistent, and at least we have accumulated the minimum fee.
"I originally wanted to save some money to buy another copy of 'Yunlin Shipu', but this braised food is really delicious." The scholar blushed.
"Have a good meal before the exam to avoid being hungry after being locked up." Someone joked.
The four examinations lasted for nine days, so one could only bring some dry and tasteless rice and flour cakes.
While we were chatting, the cold dishes were already served.
First, there is a small dish of fresh beef, which is cut into thin slices along the grain, soaked in good wine, and mixed with meat sauce and balsamic vinegar.
It is paired with a small pot of hot rice wine, which is made from the winery on the right side of the shop.
"This crystal sashimi is beautifully made." A female scholar liked another dish more and picked up a piece with joy.
The fish jelly formed by cooling the carp soup has a smooth and refreshing taste.
"Sir, please enjoy your meal." There was also a thin young man serving the dishes.
The young man turned and went into the kitchen in the backyard, continuing to take care of the chicken noodle soup in the pot.
He chose tender chicken thighs, which had been stewed for a long time until they were tender and boneless.
Appropriate amounts of ginger slices, green onion segments, wolfberries, red dates and other seasonings are added to the pot, which not only removes the fishy smell and enhances the fragrance, but also makes the soup more rich and nourishing.
"Okay." Guizhier scooped out a little soup with a long spoon, put it into the bowl and took a sip. She nodded and said concisely: "Next."
Experienced apprentices can be trained quickly.
Guizhier turned around and taught the little girl how to make fruit tea, starting with simple drinks.
Generally, talented people who become teachers are often not very good at teaching because they cannot understand how ordinary people can be so stupid.
Fortunately, Guizhier has experienced a lot and is calm.
Be it a talented apprentice or a diligent and obedient child, she teaches according to the student's aptitude and accepts everyone.
"Chicken noodle soup is here!" With a shout, the main course came out.
The golden chicken soup is served in a white porcelain bowl, and the yolk of the soft-boiled egg is in a semi-fluid state, like golden amber illuminated by the sun, trembling slightly.
The scholars began to salivate at the smell.
Take a sip of the rich chicken soup, eat a few strands of chewy noodles, and then take a bite of tender chicken. The warmth spreads from the tip of your tongue to your stomach and throughout your body.
As the delicious dishes were served on the table one after another, the scholars exclaimed that the silver was well spent!
Guizhier sat in a rocking chair under the eaves in the backyard, leisurely flipping through the account book.
"Counting the money I made from Chu Huai, my small treasury is becoming more and more substantial." She was satisfied and felt that she had done her best for her investor, General Luan.
Different from the affordable stores that opened every five or ten days in the north, she would never do anything to gain publicity at a loss in the capital.
The more expensive the price, the more people will flock to it.
Soon, the news that a new magical shop had opened in Changxingfang - "the boss has a bad temper and she has the final say on what to eat" and "the minimum meal fee is one or two taels of silver, with no upper limit" - spread throughout Hangzhou and Beijing.
The entrance of Guiji Braised Food Shop went from being deserted with only two or three passers-by to being bustling with traffic and many dignitaries.
His reputation was completely established.
Ma Lu, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, is still a regular customer of Guiji Braised Food Shop.
After the court session, he changed into his casual clothes and ran here. He was wearing a pair of black official boots, which made a "thump thump" sound, and his face was flushed.
Whenever some colleagues walked into the store, he would excitedly chase Guizhier and ask questions.
"That one, Lord Zuo Zongzheng from the Ministry of Clan Affairs, is..." Minister Ma's eyes were burning with excitement, but his voice was very low.
A sneaky look.
Minister Ma believed that Gui Zhi'er was a spy planted by the former Crown Prince Liang Yue in Hangzhou. Therefore, it was only natural for Guiji Braised Food Shop, as a stronghold, to entertain "one of their own."
Guizhier was too lazy to pay attention to him and was carefully carving Wensi tofu.
This dish is extremely challenging for knife skills, which requires steady hands and quick knife skills to cut the tender tofu into thin strips, ensuring that they can be separated when placed in water without sticking.
"You are not wearing kitchen clothes, so you cannot come in." She drove Ma Lu away with just one sentence.
What Zuo Zongzheng and You Zongzheng? There are indeed many dignitaries among the diners in the restaurant. As for the relationship with the former Crown Prince, it is purely Minister Ma’s own imagination.
Guizhier neither expressed her opinion nor denied it.
"So, how do you get the latest news about Zhenbei in such a timely manner?" Ma Lu smiled mysteriously through the screen.
As if to say, "I understand, I understand everything." "The prefect sends letters from time to time." Guizhi'er didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Okay, okay, this is really hard to clear.
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