Contrary to what Si Tang thought, Si Li was not so boring as to target her.
It was just that the servant came at an unfortunate time yesterday, as the last batch of French fries had just been sold out. Si Li and Meng Taotao were preparing the sauce pancakes in the back kitchen, and they didn't know if they would be successful. Wang Ting and Xiao Que were indeed selling as if they were going to close the stall.
However, after failing three or four times, they finally came up with a finished product that could be put on the shelf. Si Li brought the food to the front hall and heard Xiao Que's story. She did not regret refusing.
The production of the soy sauce pancake was as difficult as the system suggested. Even though the system gave a shortened version of the recipe, Si Li had to pay a heavy price of burning out coke continuously, which almost caused her achievement points to return to zero. This was a blow to Si Li, who was full of confidence after upgrading her cooking skills, and her original plan to directly put the candied sweet potato on the shelf was thus shattered.
Fortunately, Meng Taotao's cooking skills are very reliable. With her skillful technique of making pancakes, she made up for Si Li's weak basics and serious imbalance in her studies, making the kitchen almost become her own stage.
"Making tofu, steaming cakes, making pancakes..." Si Li was very curious, "What on earth is it that you can't do?"
Meng Taotao lifted the slightly puffed pancake from the bottom of the pan and motioned Si Li to brush the sauce on it. She spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if she was not talking about her own business, "I have been around a lot, so naturally I know a little bit about how to cook."
As it was about the past that Meng Taotao had concealed, Si Li stopped asking.
As soon as Si Li finished brushing the sauce, Meng Taotao threw a piece of dough into the iron pot beside her and pushed her, "Miss, watch the fire."
On the semi-transparent panel that others could not see, the countdown produced by the system was rapidly rushing to a very dangerous value. Si Li still remembered the various burnt smells rising from the pot before, and sweat broke out on her back instantly, "I can't do it! Turn it over quickly!"
This was the experience gained from several failures. Si Li could see the progress bar and knew when to flip the pancakes, but she had failed many times in this action. Every time the pan was burnt, at least ten cents wasted, not to mention the achievement points that were mercilessly deducted by the system.
I’m poor and can’t afford to fail!
After trying it yesterday afternoon, the two had already reached a consensus that one of them would make the pancakes while the other would apply the sauce. Who knew Meng Taotao would find something else for her to do?!
Seeing Si Li poking the edge of the pancake several times with shaking hands but failing to turn it over, Meng Taotao reached out to help before a suspicious smell appeared in the air, in front of her boss's eyes that looked like he was about to cry, and said helplessly, "How do you know it won't work without more practice?"
Si Li simply stuffed the sauce pot in her arms into her hands and slipped out of the kitchen, "I'm going to talk to Old Tang about supplying tea!"
After walking out of the kitchen, Si Li patted his chest: I'm so nervous. I'm going to be deducted points again.
So, why did Tao Tao force her to learn these things? Isn't it enough if someone else can do it? Si Li found it very difficult to understand, but she didn't know that she was just as mysterious in Meng Tao Tao's eyes. It was rare for someone to know how to make it, how to make sauces and other seasonings, but not the basic pancake making skills.
The mismatch between Si Li's recipe and her ability is not a new problem. But just like her knife skills before, in her opinion, with Si Li's talent, pancake making will be improved through repeated practice like knife skills. Therefore, Si Li's pursuit is to promote new ways to make money and attract customers as soon as possible, but she hopes that Si Li will stop and make up for her shortcomings.
However, with a mission and a time limit behind you, it's hard not to make good use of your time.
Si Li walked into the dessert shop which had quickly kept pace with Wanglaiju's intensive business hours in just two days. The shopkeeper Tang was holding a porcelain jar and wiping the non-existent dust off its surface with a loving look, not noticing her coming in at all.
"Why can't I see the bamboo tube?" Si Li stopped near the door, looked around but didn't see the wonderful take-out container found by the carpenters. For a moment, she didn't understand whether Shopkeeper Tang was being lazy or thinking about life.
Shopkeeper Tang put down the porcelain jar and said, "You won't be able to use it." Si Li poked her head in to take a look and confirmed that it was freshly brewed condensed milk. Judging from the sweet smell floating in the air, Shopkeeper Tang had invested a lot of money in it.
"That's right, I want to discuss future cooperation."
After hearing this, Tang, the shopkeeper, immediately became alert. This little girl had quite a few prescriptions in her hands. Judging from the attitudes of the waiters, she was obviously from a wealthy family. Any prescriptions from such a person would be enough for her to live on.
Si Li smiled sincerely, "It's winter now. Drinking water in a bamboo tube will get cold after a long time, and the taste will be bad. I think the taste will change if I change the water bag, so can I put a wooden tube on the bamboo tube and try it? I don't know many carpenters in the city who are good. Uncle Tang, let's talk to them someday. In addition, bamboo is not suitable for carving, but wooden tubes can be painted and carved. After a period of time, a style will be produced, which is beautiful and famous. If someone brings their own bamboo tube or wooden tube back to buy sugar water, it will also reduce your cost. It's not much to save two or three cents."
Professionals can definitely find a way to insulate thermos bottles, but they are too expensive to be consumables. Her focus is actually on the marketing behind them.
Shopkeeper Tang thought about it and nodded continuously, then he heard Si Li say, "Since our two families are neighbors and we want to work together to make money, and I came up with the recipe, it's not too much to write my name on the cup, right?"
"What... is it?!" Shopkeeper Tang responded, "How can that be possible!"
His eyes revealed his suspicion of Si Li stealing his business. Si Li sighed, "Alas, the store is too busy. I just wanted to talk to you about other milk tea and tea. Since Uncle Tang doesn't believe me, forget it."
Shopkeeper Tang didn't have any doubts on his face. He pulled out a bench next to him and wiped it, then smiled and said, "Xiao Si, how can we cooperate? Tell me. It's easier to work with acquaintances than to find someone else, right?"
"I want 30% of the profits, plus the cups and signatures on all the places. In addition to your family's name, my family's name should also be on the property."
Si Li didn't beat around the bush. After all, she wasn't good at this. She directly stated her purpose and said frankly, "I'm the only one who has this recipe. I've also asked people about it. This is the normal price for a secret recipe. Don't accuse me of cheating you."
The second half of the sentence stopped all of Tang's bargaining. He pressed the table and said, "Let me think about it. I need to think about it."
After mentioning the future cooperation, Si Li estimated that Meng Taotao must be tired of baking pancakes, so she stood up and said goodbye. Shopkeeper Tang saw her out, and after Si Li stepped out of the door of the dessert shop, he hesitantly asked, "Aren't you going to do it yourself in the future?"
Si Li shook her head. Looking at the expression on Shopkeeper Tang's face, it was clear that she didn't quite believe it, but she didn't explain much.
After all, the recipes given out are different from the system products, and you won't earn any achievement points if you keep them in your hands. So as long as you get the money, what people will remember in the future is the name of Wanglaiju. It can be a sub-brand production line for everyone to make money together, so why bother to monopolize the market and work hard?
I just don’t know when Shopkeeper Tang will realize that his dessert shop has been renamed “Wanglaiju Milk Tea Shop” which is more appropriate.
Turning the corner, Si Li smelled the familiar aroma of sauce and fried food. Apparently Meng Taotao had already put out the food for sale in the afternoon. This was the joy of being the manager of the shop after teaching an assistant who also knew how to cook.
Meng Taotao had already caught a glimpse of her, and glanced over from a distance, somewhat dissatisfied with her laziness. Si Li was about to pass by with a smile, when she suddenly saw a group of strong young men in blue clothes coming from the south wall, and they blocked the door of Wanglaiju in an instant, "Who among you is the shopkeeper? Come out!"
His tone was unfriendly and his expression was arrogant, and the word "looking for trouble" was just written on his face.
Meng Taotao's face changed slightly, and she subconsciously looked at Si Li. Si Li saw their clothes, frowned, stepped back, and shook her head gently at Meng Taotao. Meng Taotao was not familiar with the clothes of the young men, but she was familiar with them. These people were clearly servants of the Si Mansion.
Almost instantly, Si Li thought of the fact that she had unexpectedly rejected Si Tang's purchase request yesterday. But... she was somewhat familiar with Si Tang's personality. Even if he was angry, he should have sent someone else to cause trouble. Why would he send someone directly to her?
Are you afraid that others don't know that the most beautiful woman in the capital is not weak and innocent at all?
However, Si Li did not want to have a direct confrontation with the Si Mansion when Wanglaiju was not powerful enough. The Ning Dynasty was ruled by scholars and officials, and filial piety was the most important thing. She did not want to be locked up by her stepmother in the backyard before she could stir up any trouble. If she was discovered so early, she might as well not leave the manor.
Meng Taotao understood what Si Li meant, cleared her throat, and stood up. "The shopkeeper is busy. If you have anything to say, just tell me directly."
"Who do you think you are?" The leading servant sneered, "Tell your shopkeeper to come out. I want to ask you why you don't sell food to our family?!"
"Just for this?"
Meng Taotao tried not to laugh, and said in a calm voice with a hint of disdain, "The shopkeeper told us not to sell to you, why is there so much?"
"You! How dare he not sell it?"
The servant was irritated by her words, and slammed the table, ready to push it open and rush in. Xiao Que, who had been standing nearby and looked insignificant, raised her hand to hold his shoulder and pushed him out, "What are you doing?"
"Aiya!" The servant was pushed back repeatedly and fell to the ground. He didn't stand up for a long time, his face flushed, "How dare you hit me!"
Si Li was just wondering where Wang Ting had gone when someone patted her shoulder from behind. She turned around and saw Wang Xiaochong's grinning face, "Pretty sister!"
Seeing her eyes move to him, Wang Ting said righteously, "Why are you hiding? That's why I'm hiding too. I still rely on the government to pay my monthly salary."
All right. Si Li thought about his loyalty and his hard-working attitude since they came out together, and gave up discussing this issue.
In front of Wanglaiju, Meng Taotao seemed to have heard a joke, "This is my shop, so I sell to whoever I want to sell to, and I won't sell to anyone I don't want to sell to. If you want to be worshipped, go to your own business, why come here?"
Xiao Que looked at the servant still sitting on the ground and thought for a moment before adding, "I didn't even bother trying. The shopkeeper said that what you're doing is called scamming!"
Good guys, she doesn't even need to show up, these two have already said everything she wanted to say. Si Li secretly applauded them, Xiao Que usually looks confused, but she is always accurate in her stabbing.
How can this fat girl be so strong? It's weird!
The servants looked at each other. They didn't know what scamming meant, but they could tell that the girl was making fun of them. They were so angry that their faces turned red and they waved their fists in threats, "We know very well that there is no one protecting your family! Get out of our way if you know what's best for you. Otherwise, hmph!"
Meng Taotao said slowly, "According to Daning law, anyone who commits a crime in the street will be punished with ten strokes of the cane. If you are a slave, the master can redeem you and you will also be held responsible for the master's responsibility. I wonder if you have signed the contract?"
"What are you talking about!"
Not everyone knows the law by heart, which gives people confidence to do some cross-border behaviors when they don't fully understand it. It's like these servants who only know the family rules but not the country's laws. When they hear the cute girl talking about the law, their first reaction is to disbelieve it, which makes the scene even more noisy.
Si Li couldn't bear it any longer. "There are too many people. They can't handle it."
Wang Ting quickly grabbed her and pulled her back, saying, "Xiao Que has that strange power, so she will be fine. Miss, don't make trouble! If the lady finds you here, you will suffer, and neither will I! Don't take me with you if you want to die!"
The short time they spent together was enough for Wang Ting to figure out that besides Si Li's status as a poor little girl, she also had a huge difference in interests with the mistress of the house. When this young lady was weak before, she still had a place to stay, but when she showed her sharp edges, blood relationship and the status of the eldest son became issues that could not be avoided between them.
Si Li took a step back and said, "Let Old Tang take a look."
"Xiao Chong, help me watch my sister." Wang Ting weighed the pros and cons and agreed to Si Li's proposal, and put Wang Xiao Chong on the ground. Wang Xiao Chong obediently hugged Si Li's trouser legs, "Sister, don't go, it's dangerous."
Just as Wang Ting turned around, something unexpected happened in front of the door.
"What are you?"
The young man spoke in a gentle tone, but there was no smile on his face. What was even more frightening was that it was broad daylight in front of everyone, but no one noticed how he suddenly appeared.
But the shock only lasted for a moment, and Si Li soon saw who the person was. It was Jiang Lang, the prince of Yue. Considering that the Qiyun Tower next door was his family's business, it was not surprising that he was here.
Across the crowd, "Jiang Lang" glanced at the corner where Si Li was hiding and nodded slightly. Si Li felt strangely embarrassed, as if Jiang Lang's look contained a hint of mockery.
That's right. Instead of going to the magnificent Qiyun Building next door, he started some petty quarrels and even let the troublemakers do whatever they wanted, causing disturbances to the neighbors. In the end, the neighbors had to clean up the mess. Anyone would have laughed at him.
Si Li thought about it and gave up on saving her image. Let it be whatever it is.
Because she was not in a disguise and could not show up, Zhong Liuru, who was standing on the second floor of Qiyun Building, happened to see Si Li's changes from anxiety to surprise and then to expressionless. But no matter what her expression was, this lady did not even want to move forward, obviously avoiding meeting her. This kind of thing, I think it has been a long time since the Di Luo people in the northwest who were killed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince were terrified.
There were many women who were ignored by His Highness at banquets before. Those ladies didn't know what a cold and bloody sea was. They just blushed and their hearts beat fast for the handsomeness of the young man. If His Highness didn't participate in all the palace banquets attended by His Majesty, his reputation in the capital would be even higher.
Who knew that at this point, it wasn't His Highness who ignored others, but others who ignored him.
Since the Ma Family Shop next door changed its owner, His Highness's frequency of coming to Qiyunlou has increased significantly, but he did not do anything else, just changed the affairs handled in the palace to another place, and today was the same. After His Highness looked at the wooden box left by the Empress for countless times, the noise downstairs came up. Thinking of His Highness the Crown Prince, whose face changed several times after hearing the noise downstairs, Zhong Liuru touched his chin and clicked his tongue twice.
With the intention of fulfilling his duty as an official by watching the excitement, he soon heard the reason why Miss Si avoided him.
"We are the current cabinet elders and retainers of the Prime Minister, who are you?!"
Oh, Si family.
Zhong Liuru gave them a last sympathetic look. "It's useful for Sir Si to keep it, but you don't have it."
Jiang Hengyun closed his eyes and said calmly, "I didn't know that the Prime Minister is so famous that even the Daning Law is inferior to him."
"That's it!" The servant didn't realize the hidden meaning of the words. He responded and turned around, only to see the very familiar face behind him.
As a servant of a high-ranking family, the basic skill is to recognize the faces of the nobles in the capital and know which ones can be offended and which cannot. The prince of Yue, Jiang Lang, is the only remaining son of a brother and the only brother recognized by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He is right on their list of the ones they cannot offend the most.
The servant who just spoke was sweating profusely. He didn't care about the restaurant behind him. He took two steps forward and knelt down at the feet of Jiang Hengyun, who had the face of Jiang Lang. "Prince, I pay my respects to you! Please don't take my nonsense to heart!"
"Do you admit your guilt?" Jiang Hengyun looked down at him with cold eyes.
The servants who had not spoken before knelt down one after another. Although they did not understand what had happened, it was too easy for the Prince of Yue to punish them given his status. They all knelt down and admitted their mistakes.
The scene of tyranny quickly became funny under the power. Si Li did not look at this "flexible" servant, but fixed her eyes on Jiang Lang, feeling something was wrong. Unlike the last time he was indifferent and gentle, this time Jiang Lang was full of cold anger, like a sword before and after being unsheathed. At this time, Jiang Lang's childish face looked particularly discordant.
"Take them away." Jiang Hengyun waved his hand wearily. The guards dressed in royal palace clothes lifted up the servants who were kneeling on the ground. "Send them to Lord Si and ask him which is more important, the law of Daning or the law of Da Ning."
Si Li hissed softly. Isn't the Prince of Yue a little too arrogant? I heard that the old emperor hasn't attended court for several years. How dare he, a member of the side branch of the royal family, speak like this? He is not planning to rebel, is he?
Fortunately, she has no interest in royal entanglements - except for the story of traveling back in time to the previous empress.
Seeing that the trouble caused by the visitors from Si Mansion was over, Si Li walked up to him and bowed, "Thank you for your help, Your Highness. It is really wrong for an outsider to disturb your peace by making trouble. Our shop has just opened, would you like to come in and have a seat?"
Si Li's thanks and invitation were sincere, but she had predicted that the prince who owned such a big restaurant would not come to their small restaurant. This was purely a polite remark. If the prince really wanted to be pure, he should not have come to Qiyunlou in the East Market.
Just thinking it was just a formality, Si Li's attitude was particularly good, almost caring. However, she looked at "Jiang Lang" with disdain as he nodded and walked into Wanglaiju. What was even more outrageous was that Si Li always felt that when she greeted him with a smile, Jiang Lang's depression was obviously lowered.
No? There really is something wrong with this prince!
Seeing that the shopkeeper had invited a great Buddha, Meng Taotao still maintained a high level of hospitality and smiled, "What do you want to eat? French fries, wolf-tooth potatoes and sauce pancakes are the best sellers these two days..."
Without saying anything, Jiang Hengyun stood in the middle of the front hall and said with his thin lips, "One serving of sweet potato shreds."
Si Li: ...I think you are making things difficult for Fat Tiger.
As luck would have it, I had just asked Meng Taotao to write the menu during my free time at noon, and the only dish that I couldn't make in the afternoon was accurately ordered after avoiding the restaurant for two days.
"That one takes a little longer to make. Your time is precious. Why don't you try something else? We have four flavors of fries. We also have milk tea for takeout. They are all very popular." Si Li tried to change the customer's opinion. Then, in the face of Jiang Lang's inexplicably cold eyes, her voice became lower and lower. She resigned herself to her fate and said, "I'll make it right away. Please wait. Wang Ting, ask Old Tang for a bowl of milk tea!"
"By the way, do you want something sweeter?" Si Li asked herself, "You probably don't like sweet food, so I'll put less sugar in it..."
"Just put it in normally."
"?" Si Li suppressed her question mark and hurriedly dragged Meng Taotao into the kitchen.
In contrast to her sad face, Meng Taotao was very calm, even a little surprised, "It's just a dish, it's just a little troublesome, it's not like you can't cook it, there's nothing to be afraid of."
Si Li still had a bitter face. Meng Taotao suddenly realized what her expression meant and asked hesitantly, "Could this be the first time?"
Si Li nodded sadly.
She had seen the recipe for candied sweet potato, which was a little more difficult than the one-star recipe. She could understand the first method of boiling sugar and coating with sugar juice, but she couldn't even understand the second method of oil-bottom sedimentation! The system clearly marked that the candied sweet potato made by the oil-bottom sedimentation method tasted better than the sugar-coating method, and it was very likely to produce a superior product.
Before trying the jam pancake, Si Li still felt a little lucky that she could rely on the system plug-in to pass the level and even touch the finished three-star dish. But now, as long as she doesn't fail to the point where the system deducts too many points, she can still remain calm.
But I said it myself, and they did help me, so I obviously can't not make this dish. Si Li pressed her eyebrows, "Tao Tao, I remember you are good at frying?"
Meng Taotao smiled bitterly, "If the shopkeeper can't do it, I can't do it either. How about you do it once and then I'll do it?"
"Can you make oily sludge?"
Meng Taotao was confused for the first time. "What is that? My mother made candied apples before, but she said it was too difficult and she didn't have time to teach me."
A person who seems to come from a family of chefs can't do it, so how can she, who is a latecomer and learns through online courses, succeed? Si Li sighed and felt that life was very difficult. "Let's do it together. I'll tell you, whoever succeeds will be the one to go."
Through the failure of the soy pancake, Si Li has figured out the system's deduction rules, which is the same as the rule that the higher the level of the dish, the more achievement points are added. The higher the level of the dish, the more achievement points are deducted after the failure. Because she made mistakes again and again, the production of the soy pancake did not reward her with any achievement points for the whole day. Si Li, who was deducted to only three achievement points for the fries, felt particularly miserable.
Jiang Lang came at a very bad time. Even if he came after the afternoon business, she would have lost extra achievement points.
The gloom in the kitchen did not affect the quietness in the front hall. Wang Ting took a bamboo tube of milk tea from next door, wiped the tables and chairs twice with a clean rag, and took a small portion of French fries of several flavors and placed them on the table closest to the Prince of Yue. "Enjoy your meal."
Xiao Que opened her mouth wide behind him, and when he stepped aside, she poked him, "Why don't I usually see you being so, so..." to the shopkeeper? She thought for a long time before she came up with a suitable description, "Such a lackey!"
Wang Ting felt the cold aura of the royal child sitting in the middle of the hall, and wanted to cover her mouth, "Go and see how it's going."
"I won't!" Xiao Que said righteously, "You just ran away by yourself, I want to help the shopkeeper keep an eye on you!"
At this moment, Wang Ting's mood was subtly synchronized with Si Li in the kitchen: I have it so hard.
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The author has something to say:
Oil-bottom sedimentation: One of the traditional methods of making candied vegetables, also called oil-bottom sedimentation, is very difficult. You can search for videos online, and it looks pretty good. I haven't found a conclusion on which of the two methods tastes better. It is certain that oil-bottom sedimentation is more difficult and seems to be more of a show of skill, but there is a reason for its existence. Here, I assume that the oil-bottom sedimentation method tastes better.
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Lili (Risking her life to cook)
Prince: Why doesn't she use the system? Angry! What kind of messed up subordinates are these? Angry!
Lili: Is this person sick? I'd better avoid him.
Prince (still angry)