Chapter 102
The store suddenly had such good business that Jiang Yanyi did not dare to slack off. She personally watched the kitchen prepare dishes, fearing that something might go wrong. She also asked Chef Yao to add a few birthday dishes.
The lobby on the first floor also had to be redecorated, with red silk hung and a gold-plated plaque with the word "longevity" on the wall, which instantly showed the joy of celebrating the birthday. The flower cakes used for the birthday banquet were also printed with patterns of good fortune, wealth, longevity and happiness.
Men and women had to sit separately, and the tables in the lobby had to be placed on both sides, with the twelve-leaf mahogany landscape screen that Yang Xiu bought in the middle just right.
"After 9:00, the guests of the An Mansion's birthday celebration will have to come here to eat. Yang Xiu, go and invite a troupe of actors." Jiang Yanyi said to Yang Xiu as he inspected the lobby and looked at the empty stage.
Birthday celebrations require a lively atmosphere, and although inviting a troupe to perform would cost a few more dollars, it would at least save face.
Yang Xiu hesitated: "Boss, we just need to be in charge of the meeting. If we invite a troupe, we will have to pay for it."
Jiang Yanyi said: "Just do as I say."
The old lady of the An Mansion is celebrating her birthday. This is a big event. From who to invite to what dishes to serve at the birthday banquet, everything should be planned in advance. However, the servants of the An Mansion suddenly came to them. It was obvious that something went wrong in the mansion and they could not entertain these guests.
If this birthday banquet was held well, it would not only help the An family regain their face, but also take this opportunity to make friends with the An family. Moreover, it would also promote the reputation of Ruyi Tower.
The people who dine here are all dignitaries. If they want to host a banquet in the future and find it troublesome to host it at home, they can contract it to Ruyilou. It will be another big business. So today's banquet must be done beautifully even if it doesn't make money.
Yang Xiu has been with Jiang Yanyi for so long and knows that Jiang Yanyi has his own reasons for everything. Every time they think Jiang Yanyi is doing a loss, but later he makes a lot of money. This time he also chose to listen to Jiang Yanyi.
When the guests of the An family came, the waiters on the first floor invited them to sit down.
The guests who came to eat more or less wanted to see the meaning of the jokes in the An Mansion, but as soon as they entered the door, a waiter immediately came up to take the cloaks or coats they took off, saying that they were taken to dry. It was more thoughtful than visiting someone else's house to celebrate a birthday, and the guests couldn't help but feel fresh. When they
were led to the table and sat down, they found that the lobby was decorated festively. Not only did the waiter brew a cup of steaming hot tea, but also brought a charcoal basin for heating. The guests immediately felt good about it.
Familiar people sat at the same table, chatting about family matters or talking about the current war in the Great Xuan Dynasty. The stage was filled with the sound of gongs and drums, and the songs sung were celebrating the birthday. It was a lively scene.
Some people don't like to eat antique soup, and have never eaten it before. This time they just brought it here to celebrate the birthday of An Mansion. They heard that there are authentic works of King Liaoning here, as well as poetry collections written by talented scholars who come to the store to eat. They are curious and will inevitably ask to take a look. There are also many people who are interested in writing poems.
Jiang Yanyi has set up a place on the third floor to sell four treasures of the study. The smarter waiters will trick guests to go to the third floor to take a look, and use their eloquence to persuade them to buy some pens, ink, paper and inkstone. No wonder they are active, mainly because Jiang Yanyi has said in advance that as long as they persuade guests to buy the things they sell, they can count as commissions.
Opposite the room selling the four treasures of the study is the room that sells rouge. From time to time, female guests followed Chu Shubao up from downstairs, or bought rouge and left the room. The young men persuaded by the waiter were shy and afraid of being laughed at by the girls if they didn't buy anything, so most of them would buy some paper and pens.
Jiang Yanyi saw that most of the guests in the lobby were seated, so he ordered the kitchen to bring the pot quickly.
When hosting such a large banquet, the tastes of most people must be taken into consideration. Lamb is the most popular meat for entertaining guests. It was not common for ancient people to eat spicy food. There were also old people and children at the banquet, so the birthday banquet was always prepared with a clear soup lamb pot.
Side dishes such as lotus root, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and tofu were served in various plates in beautiful shapes. A few plum blossoms were placed in the middle or on the edge of the plates, which made the ordinary ingredients seem to have a more artistic conception.
The guests praised the dishes endlessly, and their original intention to laugh at the jokes disappeared.
Old Mrs. An was supported by her daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law into the restaurant. Jiang Yanyi went forward to greet her and was surprised to find that this old lady An was the old lady who gave her and Feng Shuohong a red seal at the Han Mansion.
"May you live a long and healthy life, old lady." Jiang Yanyi greeted her with a smile on his face.
Old Mrs. An was hard of hearing and could not hear what Jiang Yanyi said, but she seemed to recognize Jiang Yanyi and nodded and smiled at her, looking kind.
"Mother, the guests are still waiting, let's go over there." The noble lady in her forties who was supporting Old Madam An said, her eyes were raised, her lips were too thin, and her expression was very arrogant, perhaps she only regarded Jiang Yanyi as an ordinary business woman.
Jiang Yanyi guessed that the woman was probably Old Madam An's daughter-in-law. Since
everyone else had spoken, she was too embarrassed to say anything more, so she asked a waiter to lead them to the lobby.
Old Madam An's granddaughter-in-law nodded to Jiang Yanyi in thanks. Although her face was painted with powder, her eyes were still red, and it was obvious that she had just cried.
Jiang Yanyi also nodded to Madam An. Madam An's eyes gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
The guests all went to eat, and Chu Shubao and Chu Huibao also had to take a break.
Chu Shubao rested her elbows on the counter, held her chin with one hand and muttered to Jiang Yanyi: "The young lady of the An family must have been scolded and cried by her mother-in-law. Look at her mother-in-law's mean face."
Jiang Yanyi glanced towards the lobby. After Mrs. An finished talking to a few old ladies, they had already taken a seat at the table.
She made a silence gesture to Chu Shubao: "Say less, it will be bad if someone hears."
Jiang Yanyi didn't know what the An family was like yet, but Chu Shubao had gotten a general idea of the situation when she was chatting about makeup with a few young girls just now. She moved closer to Jiang Yanyi and whispered: "It is said that Madam An doesn't like her daughter-in-law, but she married Madam An to repay her gratitude because she saved General An when he was injured..."
This familiar and yet bloody plot...
Jiang Yanyi was startled and interrupted Chu Shubao, "Is this General An called An Yongyuan?"
Chu Shubao asked in surprise: "How do you know?"
Jiang Yanyi thought to himself, how could he not know? An Yongyuan was the villain in the Xizhou copy in the original book!
In the book, his first wife was tortured to death by her mother, so when he met the heroine, he found that the heroine had the same eyes as his first wife, so he imprisoned the heroine, but was soon beheaded by the emperor.
No wonder she felt that Madam An's eyes were a little familiar when she saw her just now.
The reason why Jiang Yanyi remembered the villain An Yongyuan was because the emperor mistakenly thought that he had touched the heroine, and the heroine refused to explain, and then the two of them unfolded a series of heart-wrenching plots.
There are many flashpoints in the old romance novels, but the scale is definitely large, and the meat is stewed fragrantly, unlike the later novels, which are bland and tasteless.
Jiang Yanyi sorted out the plot and found that the current timeline is no longer consistent with the original book. The plot of An Yongyuan imprisoning the heroine is after the heroine was angry with Lu Linyuan and ran away from home, and before the Turkic prince kidnapped the heroine.
At present, the Turkic prince and Jiang Yanxi are still imprisoned in the big prison, and An Yongyuan’s first wife is not dead, so the plot of him imprisoning the heroine should not happen again.
Thinking about it, Jiang Yanyi still had some worries in her heart. Facing Chu Shubao's doubts, she evaded: "The restaurant is going to hold a banquet for the An family today. How could I not even know the name of the host?"
Chu Shubao thought about it and it seemed to be true. She patted her head and said, "I am stupid."
Jiang Yanyi left the counter on the pretext of going to the back kitchen to take a look, but in fact she went to the ladies' room.
Although she and Mrs. An only met twice, the old lady left a good impression on her. She still didn't want any mistakes to happen in today's birthday banquet. Moreover, An Yongyuan was considered a capable general under Feng Shuo. The death of Mrs. An in the original book was a huge blow to him, and he was almost devastated.
Now Feng Shuo is in need of people, and she also hopes that Mrs. An will always be well, so that An Yongyuan will not end up like the original book.
Jiang Yanyi glanced around and found that Madam An Shao was sitting next to Madam An. Madam An would pick up food for her from time to time. The two of them were very harmonious, but Madam An's dissatisfaction with her daughter-in-law was almost written on her face.
There was a table of women at the side, eating and talking about the An family.
"Today, the An family has to blame Ruyi Tower for their grievances, otherwise they would be so embarrassed!"
"I wonder what happened at the An family? They agreed to hold the birthday party at home, why did they change the location at the last minute?" "
Tsk, it's all because of the granddaughter-in-law of the An family. She comes from a poor family and doesn't know how to manage a household. The mother-in-law gave her the responsibility to host the birthday party for old lady An, but she messed it up?"
"You should marry a virtuous woman. Even something as important as a birthday party for an old lady can go wrong. It shows that she has little filial piety."
"That's nothing. I heard that the young daughter-in-law is not content with her life!"
"Is there more? She is so lucky to be able to marry into the An family, and she is still not satisfied?"
The voice was deliberately lowered, and the women at the table all leaned forward unconsciously. Jiang Yanyi happened to be standing at a low place where teapots were placed against the wall, and she heard it clearly. She pretended to make tea and deliberately delayed time.
The woman who said that Madam An was restless whispered: "This scandal has been suppressed. It is said that she had an affair with a minor official named Lu in the government office. The two of them had an affair and fell into the lake. She was rescued by Lu. General An went to pick her up at that time, his face was ashen."
"No wonder General An didn't come back from the barracks on Mrs. An's birthday today..."
These words are not like knives, but they are better than knives.
Jiang Yanyi said nothing. Maybe she was just being overly sensitive. But when the ladies mentioned the man with the surname Lu in the government office, she immediately thought of Lu Linyuan.
However, in the original book, Lu Linyuan had no connection with Mrs. An, so it shouldn't be Lu Linyuan.
Seeing the waiter carrying a tray to serve the dishes, Jiang Yanyi stopped thinking, went over and personally picked up two plates of birthday dishes and put them on Mrs. An's table: "This is a birthday dish sent by our store. I wish you a long life and happiness as vast as the East Sea!"
"Longevity as Great as the Southern Mountains" is a turtle soup served in a pumpkin carved with exquisite patterns. The slaughtered turtle is added with white fungus, mushrooms, and ham, and stewed in a casserole two hours in advance until soft.
The pumpkin carved with the patterns of fortune, wealth and longevity is steamed in a steamer until it is 70% cooked and then taken out. At this time, the pumpkin is cooked but not rotten, and it will not be deformed or crushed after pouring the turtle soup. Covering the pumpkin lid, the shape is very unique, and the turtle soup is not only delicious, but also has a hint of sweetness.
"Fortune as the East Sea" is a steamed fish dish. The whole fish is cut and fried in oil until both sides are golden brown, and the shredded mushrooms and ham are stewed in a fragrant bone soup. The fish body is then decorated with mushrooms and ham, and the soup is poured into the fish belly to season it, and then it is steamed in a steamer. The skin of the steamed fish is golden brown, and the meat inside is delicate, tender and fragrant.
Old Madam An's hearing was not very good, but she still smiled when she saw Jiang Yanyi serving the dishes and said something. She nodded to Jiang Yanyi to express her gratitude.
Madam An also spoke for once: "I thank the store on behalf of my mother."
She looked Jiang Yanyi up and down, and perhaps because she thought Jiang Yanyi was too beautiful, her eyes showed a bit of contempt.
Jiang Yanyi was unmoved and still smiled and said: "Madam, you are too polite."
After that, she left.
The meanings of the two dishes are very good, especially the pumpkin carvings of "blessings as vast as the East Sea", which attracted the guests to sigh in admiration.
This is Chef Yao's signature dish. It not only tests the knife skills, but also requires delicate work. If the force of the knife is a little heavier, the pumpkin will be ruined.
After Jiang Yanyi left, Madam An covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, as if she smelled something that made her uncomfortable: "The owner of this restaurant looks unfamiliar, I wonder where he came from? He is wearing cosmetics in the dining area, and those who don't know would think this is someplace else!"
The woman sitting next to Madam An whispered: "Madam An, you are secretly worshipping Buddha, but you don't know that this owner is extraordinary. She is the second daughter of the Chu family. The King of Liaoning went to the Chu family to propose marriage a few days ago, and the betrothal gifts alone are shocking."
Madam An said with a hint of meaning: "She is beautiful."
This statement was obviously praising Jiang Yanyi's appearance, but in fact it meant that she was just a beauty.
The Chu family got such a good marriage, and many families were jealous, but they didn't dare to say it in front of her.
After hearing what Mrs. An said, the woman also looked at Jiang Yanyi's back and smiled: "Several girls of the Chu family have started this business that is exposed to the public. People who don't know would think that the Chu family is out of business."
Mrs. An, who was usually hard of hearing, suddenly said: "Su Niang, I'm tired."
Mrs. An had to stop talking and said to the officials who were still eating at the table: "Eat slowly, mother is not in good health, I will take mother downstairs to rest first."
The officials said some compliments, and Mrs. An stood up, and Mrs. An had to follow and help her.
Jiang Yanyi was looking at the account book at the counter, while clacking on the abacus, and roughly calculated that Ruyi Tower had earned more than two hundred taels of silver in less than half a day since it opened today.
This number successfully soothed Jiang Yanyi's heart, which had been hurt by spending money like water these days.
She happily asked Chu Shubao beside her: "How much did you earn from selling rouge?"
Chu Huibao, who was in charge of the accounts, immediately replied crisply: "Thirty-seven taels."
It was a good start. Jiang Yanyi was in a very good mood. Looking at the busy lobby, she was thinking about making something delicious to reward her employees. A waiter came over in a panic and said to Jiang Yanyi, "Boss, Madam An fell down!"
Jiang Yanyi was startled and thought it was old Madam An who fell down. She hurried outside the counter and asked, "Where did she fall?"
The waiter said, "Old Madam An was tired. After Madam An sent her to the carriage, she got off the carriage and somehow twisted her ankle. She fell directly from the wheel and broke one of her front teeth."
There was a street in front of Ruyi Tower, which was paved with blue bricks. It was possible that her front teeth hit the ground and were broken.
When Jiang Yanyi walked out of the store, he saw a crowd of people gathered in front of the An family's carriage. Madam An was surrounded by several maids and servants, with her handkerchief covering her mouth, but the handkerchief was already stained with blood.
On the contrary, Madam An was squeezed aside at a loss.
Obviously, the quarrel was in front of the An family's carriage, but Jiang Yanyi seemed to have sensed something. He looked across the street and saw a carriage parked on the side of the road. The curtain was half lifted, and the person inside was Feng Shuo.
Why is he here?