Chapter 10: A contract is drawn up as proof, and another generous gift is given...
Xu You was clearly attracted by Zhang Ting's promises. She had studied hard for many years without achieving anything, so it would be great if she could make a name for herself through business.
She excitedly covered Zhang Ting's hand: "That's wonderful, wonderful!"
Seeing her regain her spirits, Zhang Ting smiled and said, "The restaurant still needs a few signature dishes. You should find some women with superb culinary skills and whose specialties are not well-known. Only in this way can the restaurant establish its reputation. Otherwise, how will it be different from other restaurants? And how can it attract diners?"
Xu You frowned, thought for a moment, and said dejectedly, "That's true, but it's easy to find a cook with superb culinary skills, but it's hard to find someone whose signature dish is little known!"
Seeing her worried expression, Zhang Ting pretended to hesitate and wanted to say something but held back.
Seeing this, Xu You quickly asked her, "What brilliant idea do you have, wise lady? Speak quickly."
Zhang Ting sighed, her face showing utter helplessness.
"To be honest, Your Majesty, I have come across some rare books and know a few lost recipes for food."
A recipe for food from a rare book? Xu You hesitated. Who would dare to use something that hadn't been verified as a selling point?
“Sir…is this recipe a fabrication by our predecessors, or is it truly exceptionally delicious?”
Zhang Ting smiled confidently: "Of course, it leaves a lingering fragrance and an unforgettable aftertaste."
Xu You was tempted yet hesitant, cautiously probing, "Would you be so kind as to allow me to taste this delicacy?"
Zhang Ting looked troubled: "But this recipe shouldn't be shared, and I'm not skilled in this area..."
Xu You was also afraid that the recipe she was about to obtain would be stolen by outsiders. She paced around and thought of a clever idea: "My cook is quite good at cooking. Could you ask her to give it a try?"
He then embraced Zhang Ting and promised her, "If it is truly delicious, I will repay you handsomely."
Zhang Ting wouldn't act until he saw the rabbit; Xu You promised a generous reward, but who knew how much that reward would actually be?
But she also knew that Xu You couldn't have just walked in without tasting the food, so she pried Xu You's hand away and said, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but I originally intended to use this recipe to open a restaurant in this county."
Xu You was just one step away from victory, how could he give up?
In a moment of impulsiveness, he said, "If it's delicious, how about I allocate half of the money I've spent on property to you, sir?" He immediately regretted it and wanted to slap himself.
How much are a few recipes worth?
Fortunately, Zhang Ting wasn't greedy for money. He took the initiative to suggest, "Your Majesty has been very kind to me, and it is only right that I entertain you. It would be too vulgar to mention money. How about... we find a middleman and draw up a contract as proof? I will instruct Your Majesty's cook to prepare a banquet, but Your Majesty cannot prepare these dishes without my permission. What do you think?"
Xu You heard that there was nothing wrong with it and even thought the method was wonderful. He had tried it himself and found it bad, so he didn't have to pay any price. Looking at Zhang Ting, he couldn't help but admire her integrity.
Little did he know that the bargaining chips he offered were completely unsuccessful in swaying Zhang Ting.
The two found the manager of Qingfenglou to be their witness and signed a written agreement.
Xu You summoned his maid and asked her to return to the mansion and bring two cooks over.
Zhang Ting discussed with the shopkeeper about borrowing the kitchen, offering to pay one tael of silver as a reward afterward, to which the shopkeeper readily agreed.
Soon the cook arrived, greeted Xu You, and then followed Zhang Ting to the kitchen to get busy.
Zhang Ting was in charge of directing two cooks to prepare the dishes. The cooks were experienced, and the dishes they made were exactly as Zhang Ting remembered them.
Zhang Ting prepared a total of ten dishes: Peking duck, Mapo tofu, West Lake vinegar fish, Flying dragon soup, Wuwei smoked duck, Dongpo pork, steamed assorted preserved meats, spicy chicken, Dong'an chicken, and steamed Wuchang fish.
These ten dishes were known as the "Top Ten Famous Dishes of China" in her previous life.
The two cooks stared in astonishment at the table full of dishes. The layman just watched the spectacle, while the expert saw the intricacies. They wondered to themselves: How did this young lady know so many delicious dishes? Could she have been a famous chef in her ancestry?
Then, together with the waiter, they brought the dishes up and arranged them one by one.
Xu You looked at the exquisitely presented and delicious dishes in front of him, and his mouth watered.
I tried the spicy chicken first. It was spicy, refreshing, tender and juicy, and I couldn't stop eating it. I quickly ate a few more bites before trying other dishes. From then on, I was hooked on the delicious food and couldn't stop.
While she was eating, Zhang Ting made up the stories behind each dish and told them to her. Like a storyteller, the stories were full of twists and turns, captivating and suspenseful, including unwavering love, a loyal general, and resilient and loving siblings...
Everyone present was deeply moved by the touching parts.
After finishing the meal, Xu You's eyes were red and swollen, and his stomach was bloated and full.
She had made up her mind to get Zhang Ting's prescription at all costs. "Sir, I sincerely want the prescription. I hope you will part with it."
No wonder my aunt said there's a wealth of knowledge in books; she realized it too late.
Zhang Ting shook his head to stop her, his expression firm: "Your Majesty, please do not mention money again. I am not such a vulgar person."
Xu You was so anxious that he paced back and forth, but then he suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.
“Isn’t the wise man planning to open a shop? Why not join me? You can contribute the recipe as investment, and I will provide the capital. After the business is successful, we can split the profits fifty-fifty.”
Zhang Ting thought it was brilliant; Xu You was practically a mind reader!
She looked troubled and hesitated, saying, "This..."
Xu You took her hand and said, "Since we have hit it off today, I will grant your request."
Zhang Ting looked at Xu You, lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and said, "Since Your Majesty sincerely invites me, I will not refuse. Although Your Majesty values the 50% interest I promised, how can friendship be measured by money? I am not a vulgar person, and I will only collect the interest for three years."
Why three years? Naturally, she would have to take the imperial examinations after three years, so how could she possibly be associated with merchants then?
Xu You was deeply moved. He had come to find a guide, but he never expected to make such a noble and virtuous friend.
Moved, she said, "Why go to such lengths? Sister Zhang, with you as my friend, what is this little bit of money?"
Zhang Ting insisted on putting it in writing, signing and affixing her seal.
Xu You couldn't dissuade her, so he had no choice but to do as she said, but Duo Deli was actually very happy.
Both of them received a contract and were extremely satisfied.
Xu You was so excited that he wanted to take her back to his residence, planning to have a long talk with her that evening.
Zhang Ting couldn't possibly agree to that. He politely declined, saying that he preferred living in a quiet, simple farmhouse and disliked luxurious courtyards.
Upon hearing her words and looking at the layout of the third floor, Xu You, fearing that Zhang Ting might find him vulgar, immediately stopped trying to persuade her.
Xu You suddenly remembered something and said to Zhang Ting, "Sister Zhang, my aunt has been urging me to return to the capital lately, and I may have to go back in a couple of days. But I'm really not very good at business. Could you come with me to the capital to make some plans? Don't worry, sister, I'll take care of all the expenses for our trip." After saying that, he wanted to slap himself. Why did he keep bringing up money with Zhang Ting? It made him seem like a really materialistic person.
Zhang Ting was also hesitant to entrust the matter to her. Xu You seemed unreliable, but since Xu You came from a wealthy family, she was sure that the family would have no worries about food and clothing, and there were no concerns about going to the capital. So Zhang Ting agreed.
Xu You and Zhang Ting agreed that she would send a maid to inform Zhang Ting the day before she decided to leave, and then send someone to pick her up the next morning.
She then personally handed over the generous gifts she had brought that day. Zhang Ting pretended to refuse a few times, saying, "Sigh, my sister has already received so much from her older sister, how can I accept these things as well?"
Xu You thought she was kind, but the gift had been prepared long ago, and there was no reason to take it back. He insisted that she accept it, saying, "My sister has planned for me for a long time, and this is my way of thanking you. If you don't accept it, you will be looking down on me."
Zhang Ting had no choice but to accept it.
Both of them were satisfied and returned home with a full load of goods.
......
Xu You returned home excitedly and told her mother about it, praising Zhang Ting as a man of exceptional talent and virtue, with the demeanor of a great man.
Xu's mother felt that her silly daughter had been fooled, but after hearing that Zhang Ting only took three years' worth of profits, she couldn't help but reflect: Could it be that my mind is clouded, and that's why I see others doing the same thing?
He then sent a maid to inquire about this person. The maid returned and reported: Although Zhang Ting comes from a humble background, she is exceptionally beautiful and has a dignified demeanor. She is also the junior sister of Magistrate Niu and is highly regarded by him. She is twenty-one years old this year and has already become a scholar. She is talented and promising at a young age. Among her friends, she is very close to the young ladies of the Zou and Li families and is adept at interpersonal relationships. Among her neighbors, everyone praises her for respecting her teacher, her outstanding virtue, and her gentle and polite manners.
Upon hearing this, Xu's mother felt that Zhang Ting, apart from her poor background, seemed like a perfect person. Unable to find any fault with her, she did not stop her daughter from associating with her.
However, since her daughter had come to the capital, Xu's mother was still worried about leaving a stranger by her side, so she instructed Xu You to invite Zhang Ting to the mansion for a casual meal the next day.
Xu You scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed: "Mother, Sister Zhang loves the rural life and despises extravagance and waste. How can I invite her over? Wouldn't that make her dislike me?"
Madam Xu said, "Since we invited her to be a guest, we should do things according to her preferences. We will instruct the maids to rearrange the room later."
Xu You clasped his hands together and praised, "Absolutely right, absolutely right, Mother is wise."
Upon seeing this, Xu's mother shook her head and sighed: How could I have given birth to such a foolish daughter...
That night, Xu's mother went to her husband's room to rest and talked to him about the matter.
"Neither of us are stupid, so how did we end up with such a child...?" He's both stupid and clever, yet easily fooled.
Seeing that she disliked the child, Mr. Xu was so angry that he brought up old grievances with her: "It must have been you who took a maid into the house, which made me angry and resulted in my youngest son being born like this. Now you have the nerve to dislike our youngest son?!"
Madam Xu felt that he was being unreasonable and snorted coldly, "You are such an unreasonable man!" After saying that, she got up, turned around and left, returning to her servant's room to rest.
After returning home, Zhang Ting first heated up the leftovers to treat himself before opening the generous gift Xu You had given him.
Inside the sandalwood box carved with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums were ten silver ingots, a can of tea, and a Duan inkstone.
It was indeed a generous gift, and with his own savings, Zhang Ting now had 126 taels of silver.
The Duan inkstone is for personal use, while the tea can be saved to entertain guests later.
Just as a Buddha needs gold plating and a horse needs a saddle, she also needs to purchase some more luxurious clothes and other items for this trip to Beijing, in case of unforeseen circumstances.
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