Chapter 33: Gaining Knowledge
The two followed one of the servants to the stairs on the side.
But after the servant sent them here, another servant came forward to pick them up and took them to the self-service small bowl area.
As soon as you enter, there is an empty area with a wide table leading to the kitchen where you can order food.
Pu Qiongzhi saw many small bowls placed on the inside of the table, each containing a dish... The entire table should be heated to ensure that the dishes were still hot.
The three meat dishes all looked very good, stewed chicken, meatballs, and this one I didn't recognize was probably twice-cooked pork. The three vegetarian dishes were stir-fried bamboo shoots, stewed winter melon, and pickled mustard sprouts. Finally, there was a mushroom soup and rice. The price was really worth it.
After the guests have chosen their portions, the chef will place them on a small tray on the side for the guests to carry away.
"Madam, this portion looks just right! It's enough for one person to eat, not too much, not too little." Yan'er sighed, "It looks very exquisite."
What is even more peculiar is the arrangement of this scene: a narrow long table with chairs on both sides. Each two tables are separated by a simple screen, which just blocks the view of each other.
Looking around, the guests were sitting neatly, which saved a lot of space.
"Waiter, I saw a sign on your door saying today's recommendation is cake. Where is the cake?" Pu Qiongzhi turned her head to ask.
After hearing her question, the waiter smiled and said, "This cake is a snack. Look, it's sold over there."
The waiter pointed to the other end of the shop.
There was a very small stall there, and a pretty girl was standing inside, busy making cakes.
Gongsun Ying had already brought two meat dishes to the table. Seeing her buying a cake, he asked her to buy one for him as well.
Pu Qiongzhi was somewhat helpless. Naturally, she had to have her share. "Give me a few more."
She took them one by one and handed them to Yan'er and Chunjing beside her, so that they could also taste the snacks.
"Do you have any food boxes in your store? I want to take them away." Pu Qiongzhi wanted to bring some back for her family to try, so that she could give an explanation to her uncle.
"We can deliver from our store. If you need it, you can leave your address and the servants here will deliver it to your home later." The girl explained with a smile.
She has a cheerful tone, a pair of clear and bright eyes, and speaks in a cheerful and lively tone, which makes people feel good about her.
Pu Qiongzhi looked at her expression as she spoke, and had a vague guess in her heart, "Thank you."
Chunjing and Yan'er didn't expect that they would be so meticulous.
Usually restaurants only deliver banquets to your door, but I didn’t expect they would also deliver a few snacks!
Over there, Gongsun Ying had already finished two bowls of rice with relish.
Pu Qiongzhi took two pieces of cake and gave one to her.
The two of them savored it carefully.
This pastry is soft and sweet, and the inside is porous like a honeycomb. It is really good.
However, the two of them had eaten better pastries before, so this pastry was not something they would leave them with a lingering aftertaste.
Pu Qiongzhi looked at the dishes, but in the end she didn't pick up her chopsticks and followed Gongsun Ying to the side room.
The menu in the wing room is varied and the dishes available are also rich and colorful.
Pu Qiongzhi saw many new dishes that she had never seen or tasted before.
"Your Highness, can you still eat?" Pu Qiongzhi asked.
Gongsun Ying glanced at her and guessed what she was planning. "No problem, just ship them all out."
"Okay." Pu Qiongzhi looked at the servant and prepared to order food.
The waiter took out a menu and a delicate little brush and said, "Just tick the box on this picture."
"That's a clever idea!" Gongsun Ying exclaimed as he saw the pattern of ordering the dishes. "Your shop has really put this printing technique to good use, and your menu is so unique!"
The servant smiled proudly and said in an almost worshipful tone, "This was all thought up by our boss, Miss Fang!"
"Even His Royal Highness the Ninth Prince praised Miss Fang as a business genius rarely seen in a century!"
Hearing this, Pu Qiongzhi was slightly moved.
The girl selling cakes just now was probably Miss Fang, the owner of the Yuelai Inn. However, judging by what the servant said, it seems the Ninth Prince has a close relationship with this shop...
She ordered dozens of dishes on the menu that she had never seen before, determined to try them all.
Gongsun Ying was not a person who followed rules, so he invited Yan'er and Chunjing to sit down and eat together.
The two looked at Pu Qiongzhi and saw that she agreed, so they sat down together.
Soon, dishes of all sizes were brought in one by one, filling the entire table.
The waiter was very considerate and brought a food box directly. Inside were small square wooden boxes, each of which could hold a dish, and the size was just right to fit in the food box.
Chunjing took out a booklet from somewhere and started writing and drawing on it while eating.
The handwriting in her book was illegible and the pictures were extremely simple. If others saw it, they probably wouldn't know what she had recorded.
This was her habit. If she couldn't remember everything, she would just give a rough summary. Later, when she had time, she would carefully compile a booklet for Pu Qiongzhi to read. She was Pu Qiongzhi's brain trust!
When the dishes were almost served and the waiter had left, the few of them started discussing.
"I think it tastes okay, but most of it is pork... There are quite a few guests here, but I'm afraid most of them just want to try something new." Yan'er got straight to the point.
Gongsun Ying took a sip of tea and looked at the dishes with a dull look. "Most common people in this dynasty prefer mutton, and since mutton is more expensive, it's highly prized among the dignitaries. This group, led by the Imperial Concubine, in particular, considers cheap pork to be inferior food."
"I thought Your Highness liked these dishes because I saw you finished them all just now." Pu Qiongzhi put down her chopsticks after tasting them one by one.
Gongsun Ying shook his head and sighed, "I don't like extravagance and waste. Every meal is hard-earned, how can I squander it?"
"As for the fresh milk soup and the like, compared to the Wang's cherry cheese I've had, there's nothing special about it."
"Most of the dishes are unusual and indeed not very palatable. However, just for the novelty it's not bad." Pu Qiongzhi's evaluation was quite fair. "It's just that this Yuelai Inn has many admirable aspects."
Gongsun Ying heard her say this, and seeing her calm demeanor despite facing a crisis, asked, "She's a once-in-a-century business genius. What about you?"
"I am just an ordinary merchant. The Pu family has been engaged in business for generations. I have learned a few tricks and learned the basics after years of study. As for the details, once our restaurant opens, Your Highness will see it with his own eyes and you will know the truth!"
Although she spoke modestly, her smile did not diminish at all, which made Gongsun Ying always feel that she had a trick up her sleeve.
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