The Tian family arrived at the restaurant in the county town three days in advance. Except for Tian Da and Tian Er, who couldn't leave, Lian Lanjuan brought her younger brother to help.
Fortunately, the old doctor did not lie to Tian Sangui. Her brother slowly woke up from his coma seven days later.
Lanjuan excitedly thanked Heaven and Earth, Zhang and Tian Sangui, and then told her younger brother the whole story.
The younger brother, Lansheng, immediately knelt down and kowtowed, thanking Tian Sangui and her daughter for saving his life.
After that, she worked for the Tian family alongside her older sister.
On the first day of June, Tian Sangui and his family got up early. Lanjuan and her siblings heard the commotion and also got up to help.
Those who were supposed to make soup were making soup, and those who were supposed to wash vegetables were washing vegetables. Tian Lao Si and Xiao Si and Xiao Wu were in charge of cleaning the front hall.
Tian Sangui inspected the final preparations for the event to ensure everything went smoothly.
As the morning sun shone on the earth, a burst of firecrackers and the sound of gongs and drums filled the air. Amidst the cheers and celebrations of the crowd, Tian Sangui and his family pulled down the red cloth, revealing a brand-new wooden plaque with black characters to the people.
Hefang Restaurant officially opened.
"Gentlemen!"
"Dong!" The sound of gongs and drums rang out.
"Ladies!"
"Thump!"
"Today, Hefang Restaurant is grandly opening. We are holding a special event where every customer who enters the restaurant will receive a complimentary appetizer."
The hired drum and gong masters, with their professional shouts, made the people eager to crowd inside.
Before the chef could finish speaking, he naturally wouldn't let any diners in.
"Furthermore, anyone who spends one tael of silver here will receive a bowl of chilled agar jelly and an activity card. Collect fifteen cards to redeem a signature dish for free."
"Thump!"
"You won't regret buying this! Don't miss out! This promotion only lasts three days, so hurry up and don't regret it!"
"Thump!"
As the last gong and drum sounded, the people rushed in, grabbing tables as soon as they saw them.
Just for that bamboo skewer, and with so many gifts to be won, I have to seize the opportunity.
The desire to snag bargains is an innate skill in people's bones; adhering to the principle of "why not take advantage of freebies," everyone flocks to it.
Within minutes, the entire building, both upstairs and downstairs, was packed with diners.
Some diners arrive late, only to find there are no seats available, yet they are reluctant to leave.
Seeing this, Tian Sangui asked Lanjuan and her brother to set up a few more tables in the hall.
As for what happened later, Tian Sangui said he was powerless to do anything about it.
In no time, Zhang kept sending menus to the kitchen.
Tian Sangui tied on his apron, rolled up his sleeves, and started heating the oil in the wok.
After Tian Sangui's actions, the businesses of the restaurants across the street suddenly lost their festive atmosphere from the previous day.
Among them, the owner of the restaurant where Tian Sangui's family had eaten, a man in his forties, dressed in a black and red long robe, stood at the door, his eyes fixed on the packed diners across the street.
The waiter ran over with a cup of tea and said solicitously, "Manager Feng, it seems we won't have any business for the next few days. You'd better make a decision quickly!"
Manager Feng certainly wanted to make a decision, but he simply didn't know what to do.
"You...have a good idea?"
Since the waiter said that, he must have found a target. Wasn't this how it always was, helping him lose business at many restaurants before and after him?
Upon hearing this, the waiter immediately beamed with joy; it seemed his chance to earn merit had come again.
He whispered in Manager Feng's ear, "We could do this..."
After saying something, the previously distressed Manager Feng gradually showed a relaxed and happy expression on his face.
"Haha, okay, we'll do it your way!"
Manager Feng laughed loudly and turned to go into the backyard, leaving behind a gloomy-faced waiter who stared at Hefang Restaurant with hostile eyes.
Tian Sangui was extremely busy in the kitchen, and after tasting her cooking, customers kept ordering more and more dishes.
Lanjuan and her brother also constantly assisted Tian Sangui.
Zhang delivered the menus, running up and down the stairs until her legs were about to break.
Tian Laosi was strong and could carry several tables of dishes by himself to serve the guests.
The fourth and fifth children acted as doormen, smiling and welcoming guests at the entrance.
"Three precious bowls of chilled agar-agar!"
"Three delicacies, appetizers, the chives are almost gone!"
"San Gui, all five jars of loquat wine are gone!"
Zhang was like a butterfly, flitting about, and every time she came, she brought something that shocked Tian Sangui.
Considering the potential shortage of alcohol at the start of the business, we prepared five extra jars, but they were all gone before noon was even over.
It's no surprise that there were an absurd number of customers outside.
"Mom, bring out the peach wine!"
"Okay!"
Peaches were supposed to be the main attraction tomorrow, but loquats couldn't hold up, so they had to be served early.
"Dad, open the little spicy cloves in the backyard and put them on top of the chives!"
"Alright!"
"Little Latin" is made from pickled shredded white radish. When served, it is diced to become "Little Spicy Cubes," making it easier for guests to remember them.
I prepared three days' worth of supplies, and I spent a day and a half of it this afternoon. What am I going to do next?
We need to get Tian Laosi back to prepare the goods overnight, otherwise we'll definitely run out of stock tomorrow.
Having just made a name for ourselves, we absolutely cannot afford to falter at a crucial moment.
What Tian Sangui didn't expect was that after the customers tasted the good food at noon, they went back and spread the word, and the Hefang Restaurant was packed with customers in the evening.
Tian Sangui had no choice but to open five more guest rooms and add fifteen tables at the inn behind the building to accommodate the diners who came from far and wide.
The agar jelly was completely empty by noon, so we had to bring out watermelon juice to tide us over.
In order to prevent the restaurant's business from collapsing, they partnered with Fei Wangwang and paid a high price upfront for the watermelon juice for Fei Wangwang.
Tian Sangui was furious, but dared not hit or scold her, fearing that Fei Wangwang might get angry and cancel the supply, which would truly plunge her into despair.
A moment of patience will lead to a brighter future; we'll deal with that unruly dog properly another day.
Unlike townships, the county doesn't shut down its lights and markets early at night. Instead, the night market starts and doesn't end until around 10 p.m.
The family, exhausted but sustained by sheer willpower, saw off the last guest.
"Phew~"
"Finally, I can rest!"
Exhausted, Tian Sangui collapsed onto the table, his legs too weak to move.
For the first time, Zhang and Tian Laosi felt extremely tired. They closed the restaurant door and sat down side by side on chairs.
"Sister San Gui, go and rest in the backyard for a while. My brother and I will cook dinner, and I'll come and call you when it's ready!"
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Sister Lanjuan!"
Tian Sangui didn't stand on ceremony with her. He got up and walked to the backyard. All he wanted to do now was lie in bed and sleep soundly until dawn.
I'm so exhausted.
After dinner, Tian Sangui put eight square tables together and poured the silver from the cabinet onto them.
"Splash!"
The piles of silver coins formed a small mountain, and at that moment, everyone wore a worthwhile smile.
The family sat down, each counting their coins. Then they added up their sums to get their profit for the day.
"The gross profit is 930 taels, and after deducting the cost of 500 taels, today's profit is... 430 taels plus 200 cash!"
Wow~
"Her dad, I never dreamed our family would make so much money!"
Zhang excitedly patted Tian Laosi's chest, unsure how to express her excitement and joy.
Old Tian smiled indulgently: "You said the same thing in town!"
"Ugh, how annoying!"
"Hahaha!"
Tian Sangui watched them joking around, shook his head with a smile, and noted the rare good relationship between the couple, which was truly precious.
Wishing you a prosperous opening today and continued success in the future!
But the next day...
"Come and take a look around! Our shop's signature dish is free to sample today!"
"We'll also throw in a jug of pure brewed spirits!"
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