Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Jiang Sijie (copywriter) Jin...
The child's heart was full of sincerity. Tangyuan thought about it for the whole afternoon but still couldn't decide what to give Xu Yuanheng.
My usual stuff is old, so giving it away wouldn't be a good idea. After all, who gives old things as gifts? But it's something I don't use often, and I can't imagine how it relates to me. If I give Uncle Xu something that has no connection to me, how can he think of him when he sees it?
Tangyuan also knew that there is a saying that goes, "A small gift may be of great value, but the sentiment is great." However, Uncle Xu always gave him such expensive gifts. If he gave him a small clay figurine or a windmill, although it would be convenient to carry, it would be totally inappropriate.
He had to give something valuable, original, and presentable, and then package it well and send it with sincerity.
Tang Yuan couldn't think of a gift, and since Lin Qiuran wasn't home, he turned to Xiao Xun for help. "Dad, could you give me some advice?"
Xiao Xun knew that he had little time to spend with Tangyuan. When he was away, Xu Yuanheng often came to their house and took care of Tangyuan a lot. It was normal for Tangyuan and Xu Yuanheng to be close, but even knowing this, he couldn't help feeling jealous.
Tang Yuan is very close to Xu Yuanheng. Perhaps when he is not around, Xu Yuanheng is Tang Yuan's father at certain times.
Xiao Xun couldn't help but wonder if anyone had ever mocked Tangyuan for being a fatherless child, and it was Xu Yuanheng who stood up and said that he was Tangyuan's father.
Xiao Xun felt mixed emotions, and while he was stunned, Tang Yuan called out to him in confusion, "Dad?"
Xiao Xun came back to his senses and said to Tang Yuan with a smile: "Let's go to the warehouse first. If it doesn't work, Dad can help you think of another way."
Xiao Xun felt that he was being a bit mean-spirited. Tang Yuan was close to Xu Yuanheng because Xu Yuanheng was good to him, and he should be grateful. Otherwise, Tang Yuan hadn't had such an elder around him for the past three years. With Xu Yuanheng around, he should be content and grateful.
A gentleman judges by deeds rather than by heart, and he should be like this.
Finally, Tang Yuan selected a piece of jade from the warehouse and asked Xiao to find a craftsman to carve it into a puppy. He added a ring to the top, as Tang Yuan was born in the Year of the Dog. He hoped that Xu Yuanheng would remember him when he saw the pendant.
The jade was a gift from the emperor and is very valuable. It also reflects Tangyuan’s own thoughts, so the gift will definitely be a presentable one.
It was already late today, so Xiao Xun would go find a craftsman tomorrow after finishing his job. Tang Yuan also instructed him, "Dad, don't forget, I'll pay for the craftsman."
Xiao Xun nodded, "Don't worry, I won't forget."
He is a man of his word. If he doesn't want to help, then he won't help. But since he has promised, he will not let Tangyuan down and will not let the goods not be prepared when the deadline is approaching.
After he finished speaking, he glanced at the Moon Cave Gate. Lin Qiuran had not returned yet.
Lin Qiuran was still in Jinding Tower. After lunch, she asked the servant to send Sun and Tangyuan back to Bo's Mansion. In the afternoon, she changed the menu on the second floor according to the guests' dietary preferences.
Several tables were filled with stews and stir-fries, which are also common dishes at Yu'an Jindinglou. However, the ingredients vary from place to place, and the processing methods are also different in some places.
These businessmen travel far and wide and know many people. If they are satisfied with the meal today, they will come often in the future.
There were still some dishes to be served, so Lin Qiuran went to the kitchen. This kitchen was bigger than Yu An's, and it was also modified according to the original layout. After she came in, she looked around everywhere.
"This table doesn't like spicy food, so the spicy diced rabbit should be replaced with Kung Pao chicken. Don't make the mistake."
Lin Qiuran looked around. Lin Chunlin Ying was trustworthy in her work, and her apprentice was also very methodical. However, the new helper's knife skills were not good. There were few people today, and he cut the potatoes in a hurry, so some of the shredded potatoes were thick and some were thin.
Lin Qiuran said, "Re-cut this plate of shredded potatoes."
The size and thickness are uneven, so the chef cannot control the heat when frying. If the cooking time is too short, the thick ones will not be cooked, and if the cooking time is too long, the taste of the thin ones will be worse.
This dish is already very simple, and the simpler the dish, the more it reflects the chef's culinary skills. There are many restaurants in Beijing, and they all win by being simple and novel.
The helper blushed and quickly put the plate aside.
Lin Qiuran said, "You can be slow, but don't rush. If you do this again next time, the damaged parts will be included in your wages."
After reading this, Lin Qiuran looked at Lin Chun, who was making the dumplings. The filling was right, and the dumplings were the right size and shape. She nodded and said, "Well done."
The steamed dumplings were fine, so she went to check on the stew. After opening the lid, Lin Qiuran sniffed it and asked, "But there's no white pepper?"
The apprentice was stunned, "Master, I forgot."
Lin Qiuran put it on and closed the lid. "You guys haven't cooked for guests for a few months, so it's inevitable that you're not familiar with the dishes. I won't be here watching over you every day. If you're worried about making mistakes, think about it a few more times and ask someone else to help check. If you made a mistake and you can remember it yourself, ask the waiter to change it. If the guests don't like the food, don't be stubborn and change the dish."
Several people nodded, "Don't worry, Madam."
Lin Qiuran nodded. There were two tables upstairs today. Xu Yuanheng would be entertaining guests on the second floor in the next few days.
She noticed that business was not very good at noon, with only a few tables of customers, but it seemed better in the evening.
There were twelve tables downstairs, and judging from the guests' expressions from afar, they seemed satisfied with the food.
Shopkeeper Zhu gave away free drinks at each table. "We've been giving away free drinks for the past three days, and we're offering discounts to save money. We have a banquet service on the second floor of our shop, and we have different dishes to suit different tastes. You can also order dishes according to your preferences."
Shopkeeper Zhu said this to every table, never getting tired of it.
When starting a business, you definitely need to be more careful. Shopkeeper Zhu is from the capital and knows a thing or two about business here. The capital has many wealthy people, many traveling merchants, and many powerful people. If you do well, you will definitely make money.
He had decided to work here before the New Year, but he also felt that with so many shops in the capital, it would be easy to lose money if he opened a restaurant and sold food.
The restaurant was closed a few days ago and was busy for two days. He came here every day and tried the dishes made by Miss Lin Chun and the others. They were indeed delicious. Many of the dishes were not available in Beijing and were novel.
Take it slow. As long as nothing goes wrong, business will definitely get better and better.
It’s not busy today, so Lin Qiuran stayed here for a while, and when he saw that there was nothing to do, he went back.
Before leaving, she told Shopkeeper Zhu, "Just put the money on the second floor into my account."
It was convenient to record Lin Qiuran's account. Otherwise, if he didn't pay, he wouldn't be able to settle the accounts at the beginning of the month. Shopkeeper Zhu nodded, "Don't worry, Madam. I'll take care of it."
Before leaving, Lin Qiuran brought some steamed dumplings. The ones made in winter were filled with radish and dried beans, and the meat was stewed meat. They had eaten them at noon and brought them back for Xiao Xun to try.
She went out from the back door. Besides the carriage from the mansion, Lin Qiuran also saw Xiao Xun at the door. He was standing at the door, watching Tangyuan squatting on the ground playing.
Lin Qiuran took two quick steps and asked, "Why are you here?"
Just as Xiao Xun was about to speak, Tang Yuan quickly stood up and said, "Dad asked to come. He said Mom was busy out today. We have nothing to do, so we came to pick her up. Mom, are you tired today?"
He also caught a glimpse of the food box in Lin Xia's hand, "Mom, why is there still food?"
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "These are the steamed dumplings with shredded radish and dried cowpea that you had at noon. Your father didn't eat them. Bring them back and let him try them."
Xiao Xun has a big appetite, and even after dinner, he can still eat two more dumplings.
If not, you can heat it up and eat it tomorrow.
Tang Yuan's eyes rolled around, "Mom, this is unfair. Didn't you say that we can't eat except at mealtimes? How come Dad can do it but I can't?"
Lin Qiuran said righteously, "You forgot, your father is taking medicine now, and when you were taking medicine, didn't you also eat many meals every day?"
Lin Qiuran was still capable of coaxing a child. She was still so young, and no matter what she said, she was always right.
She doesn't let Tangyuan do this or that because she wants him to develop good habits. When he grows up, Lin Qiuran won't control everything for him.
Xiao Xun smiled and stopped Tang Yuan from asking any more questions. "Let's go home."
Lin Qiuran nodded and followed the father and son into the carriage. She was a little tired today, but also happy.
"Master Xu brought some guests here. Maybe they are repeat customers of the Jinding Tower."
She was worried at first, but now she is not worried anymore. She even thinks that opening a restaurant in the capital is profitable. There are too many people coming and going on the streets.
Xiao Xun paused and asked, "Then can I bring people over for dinner?"
Lin Qiuran said, "Forget it. If you have a favor, you should use it in the right place. I'll take my time with the business. I also believe in my craftsmanship."
Tang Yuan interrupted, "Yes, the dishes that mom cooks are delicious. I love them. Sister Lin Chun and the others learned how to cook from mom, and they cook delicious dishes too."
Lin Qiuran rubbed Tangyuan's head and said to Xiao Xun, "I also saw the old marquis. He came over to have a meal alone and said the food tasted good."
She had heard Qin complain that the old marquis wasn't in good health and didn't care about his food. Seeing that he'd eaten a lot of the braised pork and ginger duck he'd ordered, she told Shopkeeper Zhu not to let the old marquis eat anything too greasy the next time he came.
Xiao Xun: "That's good."
Lin Qiuran agreed. Things were pretty good now. Jin Tian had also taken the profits from Thirteen Spices, so the family wasn't short of money. She could keep the money for herself. With over four thousand taels, she could think about investing in some other business.
Whether you're buying a house or a shop, you can't just focus on the restaurant. Otherwise, the money will just sit there and be of no use.
Lin Qiuran felt light-hearted. The axle of the carriage turned slowly, and the family had finally arrived home.
For the next two days, Xu Yuanheng brought customers here. Business on the first floor was also getting better and better. On the first day, there were a few tables occupied at noon, but on the third day, the restaurant was almost half full, and passers-by often stopped at the door to watch.
It was a newly opened shop, and I didn't know the prices or the taste. I was curious about whether the food in this restaurant was good. I could only observe from the outside to see if there were many customers inside. Some people were brave enough to stop someone who just came out and said, "Hey, brother, how is the food here? Is it delicious? What kind of dishes do they sell?"
The older brother burped, touched his stomach and said, "It tastes good. You can try the stir-fried shredded potatoes. It's cheap and tastes good. The braised pork is also excellent. I haven't tried the other dishes yet. I'll try them next time I come."
"By the way, the rice wine is delicious too. I won't give it away tomorrow, but it's not expensive."
The man nodded and walked into the restaurant.
Brother Chen smiled as he saw the people come in. He was a foodie and had eaten at all the restaurants in Beijing, big and small. Some he would go to several times in a row, while others he would never go back to after just one visit.
This shop is good. The two dishes he ordered were delicious, one was braised pork and the other was shredded potatoes. He even ate three bowls of rice.
There are also fermented rice wine buns, steamed dumplings and other things here, but he came alone and didn't order anything. He will try it next time he comes.
There are so many dishes on the menu that I don’t have to think about where to eat these days.
Lin Qiuran came to Jinding Tower every day and heard Manager Zhu’s congratulations every day.
In the past, restaurants and hotels would have good business in the first three days because of discounts and gifts, which encouraged customers to come. After that, business would gradually slow down, and when it was windy or rainy, business would be the worst. But it is different in Beijing.
There are many people on the streets even when it's cold.
On the first day, there were six tables at noon and eight tables at night. There were no other guests on the second floor except Xu Yuanheng and his group. On the second and third days, there were more than ten tables at noon. In the following days, there were only four or five empty tables at noon. Sometimes the first floor was full in the evening, and a few tables were also occupied on the second floor. They were all familiar faces, including guests brought by Xu Yuanheng before.
Business is visibly improving.
Shopkeeper Zhu smiled and said, "I was saying that the food in the restaurant is delicious. After a while, there will definitely be customers willing to come."
Shopkeeper Zhu originally wanted to wait for one or two months, but it was so soon. But then he thought about it, as Mr. Xu had brought people to the restaurant for dinner for several days in a row. If he thought the food was delicious, he might just mention it casually, and others might come. That would definitely be better than not bringing anyone.
Passersby see that there are many people on the first floor, so even if they have never eaten there, they will come in to try it.
Business has been good these days, with daily turnover reaching 40 to 50 taels. Profit accounts for 40%, and if this continues, the profit can reach 400 to 500 taels a month.
I believe that it won’t be long before we can occupy a place in the Beijing restaurant.
Lin Qiuran was not just happy, he also asked Manager Zhu to pay attention to the dishes ordered by the guests, including which ones were more or less, and even the softness or hardness of the rice.
Shopkeeper Zhu felt that Lin Qiuran was serious about his work, so if he didn't make money, who else could?
As he was thinking this, someone stopped at the door again. It was a woman, looking up at the plaque of Jinding Tower. Shopkeeper Zhu straightened his clothes and took two steps forward, ready to greet any guest who wanted to come in.
Jiang Sijie didn't see the sign at first, he just thought that this restaurant had a lot of customers. Just as he was about to go in, he looked up and saw the words "Jindinglou" written on it.
She didn't recognize all the words, but she had seen this sign before.
She walked in involuntarily, and someone came out to greet her, "Madam, are you alone? If so, you can go to the private room upstairs."
This was very familiar, Jiang Sijie nodded slightly, "Yeah."
After entering, Jiang Sijie was completely sure that she was not mistaken. This was not the shop with the same name, but the one owned by Yu An. Come to think of it, with Xiao Xun safely back and Lin Qiuran also in Beijing, the shop must have moved here.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Thank you for your support! [花][让康][猫头]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
