Chapter 61 His Birthday

After hearing what Jiang Yanyi said, Chef Yao was silent for a moment and refused, saying, "I appreciate the kindness of Manager Jiang. Although I am not happy with my boss, if I leave Lai Fu Restaurant just because of this, then I, Old Yao, will be unkind."

Jiang Yanyi smiled and said, "Master Yao, you are a man of friendship."

She took the small stove, paid the bill, said hello to Chef Yao and left.

She wanted to tell the blacksmith that this stove was her original creation and she couldn't make such a stove for others. But then she thought, the blacksmith had to fumble for a long time before this thing was made, but since there was already a model, it would be much easier to copy it. Even if this blacksmith refused to help the person who came to him, other blacksmiths would not refuse to make money.

She couldn't buy off all the blacksmiths in the world.

The only way to resist this kind of trend is probably to make people of this era aware of copyright, but this is definitely a long and arduous journey.

Jiang Yanyi took the pot and left the blacksmith shop first. After Chef Yao negotiated the price of repairing the kitchen knife with the blacksmith, he also left the blacksmith shop and returned to Lai Fu Restaurant.

Chef Yao was here today because his ancestral kitchen knife was broken by someone, and the owner of Lai Fu Restaurant openly favored the new chef. He felt very aggrieved, so he just dropped the job and ran out to repair the kitchen knife.

Now that his temper has subsided, he feels that he has indeed failed in his duty by ignoring the banquet he was going to prepare today.

Little did he know that the fact that he and Jiang Yanyi left the blacksmith shop one after the other was soon spread to the ears of the owner of Lai Fu Restaurant by someone with ulterior motives.

When Chef Yao returned to the restaurant, he found that everything was still in order without any chaos. He was relieved, but also a little puzzled. He was in charge of the kitchen, but now there was no one to take over. Could it be that the dishes had been changed?

He called a waiter and asked, "The main dish of the banquet ordered by Mr. Ma's family today has been changed?"

Chef Yao was the head chef of the back kitchen, and everyone in the building respected him. The waiter said, "It was Master Jin who suggested changing to a hot pot, and Mr. Ma was satisfied with the changed main dish and gave him a reward."

Chef Jin was the new chef of Lai Fu Restaurant.

Nowadays, hot pots are popular in the circles of the rich and powerful in Xizhou City. If you entertain guests, eating a hot pot meal is much more expensive than ordering a banquet. Naturally, Mr. Ma was not dissatisfied with the restaurant's behavior of not attending the banquet and using a hot pot to compensate.

When Chef Yao thought about how the man surnamed Jin had helped him block the trap today, he felt guilty for his impulsive behavior, but also felt more aggrieved.

He was about to go back to the kitchen when the waiter beside the boss came down from the upper floor, "Master Yao, the shopkeeper wants to see you."

Chef Yao knew that the boss must be looking for him because he had quit today, so he was prepared to be scolded and followed the waiter upstairs.

The boss of Lai Fu Restaurant was waiting in a private room. After the waiter led Chef Yao there, he left.

"Boss, you wanted to see me." Chef Yao had worked in the restaurant for more than ten years, so he naturally didn't use the polite words that others did.

The owner of Laifu Restaurant is named Xu, a middle-aged man with a thin body. He looks elegant at first glance, but if you look closely, you can see the shrewdness hidden between his brows, like a weasel.

"Old Yao, Laifu Restaurant is what it is today, and it's all thanks to you over the years." Manager Xu said while calculating his abacus.

Chef Yao was not good at saying these things. After his anger passed, he felt even more guilty after hearing these words: "What are you talking about, boss?"

Shopkeeper Xu said: "I know you have been in the restaurant for a long time, and you are respected. The people below also respect you, and you always have the final say in the kitchen. When Master Jin came, because his ancestors were chefs and he is very arrogant, he had many conflicts with you..."

Chef Yao finally understood. Shopkeeper Xu felt that he was the king of the kitchen and targeted Chef Jin only because Chef Jin had his own pride and did not respect him like others.

Chef Yao interrupted him and said, "Boss, I swear to God, it was that guy surnamed Jin who looked down on our small place of Xizhou and kept talking about the capital. I couldn't stand him eating with a bowl in hand and cursing his mother when he put it down, so I occasionally said a few words to him. But he turned around and used my ancestral kitchen knife to chop bones. I really couldn't stand this tone! I don't regret beating him this morning! But I am really guilty of abandoning the feast. I will compensate you for all the losses."

Shopkeeper Xu said, "Let's not talk about the issue of compensation for now. . You always criticize Master Jin, but today you beat Master Jin and you just walked away. Master Jin didn't even bother to go to the clinic. The first thing he thought about was how to prepare today's feast. "Chef Yao was

filled with resentment and said, "Boss, what you said really makes me sad. I have never had any problems in Lai Fu Restaurant for so many years. Just because of this first time today, you think that only the man named Jin is wholeheartedly doing good for the restaurant, and all my efforts over the past ten years have been in vain?"

Xu Zhang The waiter said, "When Lai Fu's antique soup was opened, whose eyes were offended? I think you know it. It is said that the shopkeeper Jiang is the apprentice of Chef Li of Xizhou Camp, and you and Chef Li are in the same boat. You met last time at the banquet in Han Mansion. Today, you left the restaurant and ran into the shopkeeper Jiang in the blacksmith shop. Isn't it too coincidental?"

Chef Yao said angrily, "In the whole Xizhou City, the blacksmith Feng has the best blacksmithing skills. My knife was destroyed into such a state by the man surnamed Jin..."

Manager Xu interrupted him impatiently: "Don't always talk about your kitchen knife. How many knives do you want? I'll find someone to make you as many as you want. Can I compensate you for your kitchen knife? You are an old man in my restaurant. The people below treat you as half a manager, but... Old Yao, I am the owner of this restaurant."

He is a businessman, and businessmen are bound to be more careful than others. Today, Chef Yao abandoned the banquet and happened to meet Jiang Yanyi at the blacksmith shop. It was too coincidental.

Usually, Chef Yao relied on his seniority and often interfered with the management of the restaurant. Manager Xu had long been dissatisfied with him.

After Shopkeeper Xu said that, Chef Yao was silent for a long time. After a while, he said, "So, boss, you called me here today, not to blame me for not finishing today's banquet, but because you think I have some collusion with Shopkeeper Jiang? In recent years, the waiters in the restaurant have been cheating, and I scolded them when I saw them. Do you think I am too lenient?"

If Chef Yao still felt guilty about him before, now he was only disappointed. He smiled bitterly and said, "Today in the blacksmith shop, Shopkeeper Jiang heard that my ancestral kitchen knife was chopped by someone to chop bones, and she felt sorry for me, and wanted to invite me to work in her shop."

When Shopkeeper Xu heard this, his face changed instantly.

Chef Yao continued, "But I thought of the fifteen years of friendship we had with Lai Fu Restaurant, so I declined! You will know who I met when I came back this time. I think the boss has been worried about me for a long time and sent someone to follow me."

Shopkeeper Xu wanted to get some information out of Chef Yao, so he just said, "That's not the case. Someone just happened to see it. Since you said you didn't ask the boss Jiang, let me ask you, what did she do with those iron boxes made by the blacksmith?"

Chef Yao was feeling sorry for his knife at that time and had no idea what Jiang Yanyi was using it for. He shook his head and said in extreme disappointment, "I didn't ask Manager Jiang, so I don't know what it was used for."

Manager Xu's expression showed obvious disbelief.

Chef Yao did not want to say anything more. He took off a bunch of keys from his waist and put them on Manager Xu's desk: "This is the key to the warehouse. Boss, you were very kind to me in the past. No matter how difficult the situation of the restaurant was, I never thought of leaving. I have worked in the restaurant for fifteen years, and I have repaid you for your kindness."

Although Manager Xu had long intended to train a newcomer to replace Chef Yao, his action still made him panic. He shouted, "Old Yao, what are you doing?"

Without Chef Yao, who would take over the banquet business of his restaurant in the short term?

But when Chef Yao left, he didn't even turn his head back: "I quit, boss, please hire someone better."

Shopkeeper Xu was so angry that he slammed the table: "You said you didn't collude with that yellow-haired girl from Jiang's, but you two obviously colluded!"

Jiang Yanyi didn't know when Chef Yao left Lai Fu Wine House. She was still worried about the old scholar's rejection, so she felt a little depressed when she went to deliver the medicinal food to Feng Shuo the next day.

Feng Shuo asked her the reason, and learned that it was because he had encountered a setback when he invited the old scholar to tell stories yesterday. After thinking for a while, he said: "Why don't you send someone to see what he has been doing recently?"

Jiang Yanyi was enlightened by Feng Shuo's words.

If the old scholar really didn't want to tell stories anymore, then his life would definitely be the same as before, and there would be no need for her to worry, and she could just set her sights on the next target. But if he was a little hesitant, he might read some storybooks and practice his storytelling skills, which means there is still room for persuasion.

After Jiang Yanyi returned, he asked Bing Shao to go to the old scholar again. Bing Shao didn't come back until the afternoon and almost missed dinner.

Jiang Yanyi asked, "How is it?"

Bing Shao said, "The old scholar tells stories to a group of children in the yard with the door closed. His skills are really good

." He squatted outside the door in the cold wind and eavesdropped for an entire afternoon, and he was reluctant to leave. The stories told by the old scholar were really exciting.

When Jiang Yanyi heard this, he thought it was interesting! So he asked Bing Shao to bring some cakes and liquor to the old scholar every day.

But Bing Shao was a man of few words, and he could not say nice things. He always listened to the old scholar telling stories through the courtyard gate in the cold wind. Although it was a bit cold, the stories told by the old scholar were fascinating, and he felt it was quite enjoyable. After

the old scholar finished speaking, he put the cakes and liquor at the door of the old scholar and left.

This went on for several days, and Bing Shao, a loyal listener, finally moved the old scholar.

This day, when he was squatting at the door of someone's house with liquor again and was ready to eavesdrop, the old scholar opened the door directly.

Bing Shao thought he was going to chase him away, so he put down the liquor and prepared to leave on his own. But the old scholar stopped him and said, "Come on, take me to see your boss."

Bing Shao then noticed that the old scholar had changed into a set of patched but clean clothes today, which looked like he wore them to meet guests.

Bing Shao always had a paralyzed face, but the old scholar did not see any contempt or sympathy on his face. The self-esteem hidden behind the patched clothes was preserved, and his skinny back straightened a little. Jiang

Yanyi was very surprised that the old scholar was willing to come out of retirement. After negotiating with the old scholar about sitting in the court, he talked about the "book" he wanted to talk about.

As the host, he has the right to decide what stories the storytellers tell.

No matter what era, people are more interested in sad and beautiful love stories. Jiang Yanyi told the old scholar the stories of the first few chapters of "Dream of Red Mansions". The old scholar asked for paper and pen, and listened and wrote. When Jiang Yanyi finished, he had memorized the general idea.

"The host's story is good. Although I don't tell stories anymore, I still know what stories are told in Xizhou City. I have never heard anyone tell the story you told." The old scholar was amazed.

Jiang Yanyi said, "This story was written by an old man named Cao. Although I have read his book, my knowledge is still shallow and I can't describe the deep meaning between his words."

The old scholar hurriedly asked, "I don't know what book it is. I will read it when I have the chance."

Jiang Yanyi just shook his head and said, "Now I can't find his book."

The old scholar automatically understood that it was written by someone in the previous dynasty, and later it was listed as a banned book and burned by the court, so he just followed the regret.

He said, "Master, listen to me tell the story once and see if there is anything I missed."

Jiang Yanyi nodded.

The old scholar hit the wake-up stick and the whole person instantly entered the state. Even though Jiang Yanyi had seen it on TV countless times before, he was still attracted by what the old scholar said.

He was eloquent and emotionally mobilized, and it was very satisfying to listen to him.

Just for this skill, Jiang Yanyi offered him a generous salary, but the old scholar was only willing to take half.

He said, "After my deceased mother passed away, I had no intention of telling stories again in my life, but at this age, I only have three inches of my rotten tongue left to use. When my deceased mother was buried, the surrounding neighbors helped to complete the funeral. If the little old man passes away one day, I am afraid I will have to trouble them. Now I just want to earn a few dollars." The money for the coffin should not cause trouble to the neighbors in the future. I am old and my storytelling is not as good as before. My boss is a kind-hearted person. I think of my boss, so this half of the money is enough."

The old scholar was also stubborn, but Jiang Yanyi couldn't persuade him, so he asked Mrs. Chen from the clothing store next door to make three clothes for the old scholar to wear when he was telling stories.

The day before Jiang Yanyi's shop resumed business, the Xizhou government office issued a verdict. The previous dead cat in front of Jiang Yanyi's shop, as well as the rumors about the dishonest food in her shop and the three brothers who scammed her, were all the work of the Hu family.

The notice was posted on the bulletin board in front of the government office for a whole day, not only clearing all the stigma, but also giving Jiang Yanyi's hot pot restaurant free publicity.

But Lai Fu Gu Gu Soup also made a big move to suppress Jiang Yanyi's shop.

When Jiang Yanyi went to Ma the butcher to sell mutton, Ma the butcher said that all the sheep had been bought by Lai Fu Winery.

Without mutton, how can the soup pot be sold tomorrow?

Jiang Yanyi hurriedly asked Yang Xiu and Bing Shao to go to other butcher shops in the city, and the answer they got was that the mutton was bought by Lai Fu Restaurant.

Mutton is only affordable for the rich, and the major butcher shops also stock up meat according to market demand, so they basically stock less mutton. Lai Fu Restaurant is now the largest antique soup shop in Xizhou. The rich, who want the chef's signboard in the other shop, don't buy mutton and take it back to their own house to let the chef cook it. So Lai Fu Restaurant is able to sell all the mutton within two days.

Jiang Yanyi took note of this tone in his heart, and asked Yang Xiu and Bing Shao to go out of the city. Finally, they bought two sheep from a farmer outside the city.

I thought that Lai Fu Restaurant bought all the mutton in the city, which was already a big deal. Unexpectedly, on the opening day, Lai Fu Gudongtang even more arrogantly performed a show of what it means to be rich and generous, and to kill you at any cost - their hot pot today is sold at half price.

After Jiang Yanyi's store resumed business, even loyal customers who wanted to eat in Jiang Yanyi's store were attracted by the other party's operation. As a result, Jiang Yanyi's store was still deserted at noon. Compared with the bustle in front of Lai Fu Gudongtang, it was really deserted.

Who doesn't know how to be a malicious person.

Jiang Yanyi directly asked Yang Xiu to go to Lai Fu Gudong Soup to order a hot pot, and then ordered the mutton of four whole sheep, saying that he would take it away.

The waiter could not stand it, and quickly called out the owner of Lai Fu Restaurant.

Yang Xiu looked fierce and had a bandit-like air, and the other party did not say that he would not give money. It was Lai Fu Gudong Soup himself who said that no matter how much you eat, it will be half price.

But he ordered the mutton of four sheep, but only paid for two sheep. When the quantity was small, he did not feel the pain of halving it, but when the quantity was large, he felt uncomfortable! The owner of Lai Fu Restaurant saw that Yang Xiu was obviously looking for trouble, and tried to let the thugs of the restaurant "persuade" Yang Xiu, but in the end they were all "persuaded" to go.

Yang Xiu was a quick talker. After knocking the man down, he started to sell the goods badly. He shouted loudly: "Why do you go back on your word at Lai Fu Restaurant? You said you would sell it at half price, why don't you sell it to me when I buy four sheep?"

Although it was obvious that buying so much mutton at once was not something a normal person could do, the diners who had heard the news were a little hesitant because of Yang Xiu's shouting. Even the diners who were eating in the store changed their faces and asked Manager Xu: "Are the hot pots in your store half price?"

Manager Xu was so anxious that he had to appease the diners first: "It's half price, it's half price, all half price."

Yang Xiu hurriedly said: " Why don't you sell the mutton I want?"

Shopkeeper Xu said tactfully, "It's only half price if you eat

it in the store." Yang Xiu looked fierce, "Hey, you're adding conditions at the last minute? Let's be fair, he said that the hotpot in the store is half price today, and now he says that it's only half price if you eat it in the store. Will he say later that you have to eat it in the store at noon to get half price?"

Yang Xiu's words hit the nail on the head for many diners who were waiting and watching. Many people shook their heads and left. There were also people who originally wanted to order a hotpot, but when they heard that the take-away was not half price, and saw that they had to wait so long for Lai Fu's antique soup, they went straight to Jiang Yanyi's store.

Shopkeeper Xu spent a lot of money today just to suppress Jiang Yanyi's shop without any chance to fight back. Seeing the current situation, he was afraid that Yang Xiu would continue to make trouble and drive away the diners in his shop, so he had to reluctantly sell four sheep to him at the price of two sheep.

Yang Xiu also borrowed a cart from them to transport the mutton as a matter of course, and asked two waiters from Lai Fu Gudong Soup to help deliver it.

When Shopkeeper Xu saw that Yang Xiu was transporting the mutton to Jiang Yanyi's shop, he was so angry that his face turned green, and he ran to Jiang Yanyi's shop impulsively to scold him.

However, before he could say anything, Jiang Yanyi smiled and said, "Oh, I have to thank you, Shopkeeper Xu, today. I went to various butcher shops yesterday and they all said that you had bought all the mutton in the shops. Who knew that you bought the meat just to do such a good deed today? I bought four sheep from you with the money for two sheep. I feel really bad." Shopkeeper

Xu has lived to such an old age and has finally experienced what it means to be heartbroken with every word!

Jiang Yanyi's actions were indeed not very kind, but from the perspective of the Daxuan Law, there was nothing wrong with it.

It was just like he blatantly copied the furnishings in other people's shops.

Shopkeeper Xu knew that he would not gain anything by arguing in public, but would only make the onlookers laugh at him, so he had to leave in disgrace.

But after Yang Xiu's incident, people who went to Lai Fu Antique Soup Shop to eat followed suit, and many asked for half a sheep or a whole sheep.

The one who made Jiang Yanyi laugh and cry was probably He Xingniang. He Xingniang didn't know that her family's dividends did not include Lai Fu Antique Soup Shop. Now she saw Jiang Yanyi bought four sheep with the money for two sheep, and after closing the shop, she ran to Shizi and asked for two sheep. After all,

if they couldn't finish the sheep, they could make smoked mutton. When entertaining guests during the New Year, it would be very face-saving to put a plate of mutton on the table!

Only a fool would not take advantage of such a bargain.

Lai Fu Antique Soup had reaped the fruits of its own action. So many people bought mutton, and the mutton they had in stock was not enough. Later, they had to announce that the food would not be sold at half price today, and those who did not get the chance to take advantage of it could not

help but complain. Even the diners who were originally eating hot pot in the store felt uncomfortable. Although they could afford the money for the hot pot, you originally said it would be half price, and then after people finished eating,

you stopped selling it at half price. Are you kidding me? Moreover, it would be fine if those lions did not implement the half price, but some diners only ate a normal amount, and they came for the half price discount. If you suddenly canceled the discount, you would have to negotiate with

them. Without the malicious consumption pressure from Lai Fu Gudonggeng, Jiang Yanyi's business went much more smoothly.

Lai Fu Gudonggeng learned everything from her and put a grill at the door of the store to roast meat.

But Jiang Yanyi not only put a barbecue grill for grilling meat, but also put a ready-made dry pot at the door. The vegetables were placed under the pot, and the meat was placed on the upper layer. At a glance, it was all meat, which had a huge visual impact, and the spicy aroma also drifted far away with the north wind. There was

also a small stove under the pot to keep it warm, so it would not get cold no matter how long you eat it.

People passing by had never seen such a novel pot. As long as they had money in their pockets, nine out of ten would want to go into the store to try it.

Once a customer ordered a dry pot, Jiang Yanyi could only go into the kitchen to work, and Yang Xiu was in charge of the door.

After entering the restaurant, the diners found a long table inside the restaurant with a wake-up stick on the chopping board. They were somewhat curious, thinking that this palm-sized restaurant had invited a storyteller.

When most of the customers were seated in the restaurant, the old scholar stroked the wake-up stick and started to sing, and the restaurant became quiet unconsciously. The old scholar's voice was very penetrating, and many people gathered outside the back door to listen to the story.

Thanks to the old scholar's storytelling, the diners were all focused on listening to the story, and they ate slowly. The table could not be vacated, and Jiang Yanyi did not have to bury her head in the back kitchen to stir-fry the dry pot.

She rubbed her sore neck and went to the front of the restaurant to take a look. She found that the diners were eating very quietly, for fear that the old scholar's voice would be covered.

Jiang Yanyi was contented and moved a small stool to sit in the corner, ready to rest for a while, but in the blink of an eye, he found that Feng Shuo had come into the store without knowing when. He seemed to prefer soup pots, and the copper pot was boiling. There was a plate of sliced ​​mutton on the table.

In the public, Jiang Yanyi did not dare to go over openly, so he used his eyes to ask him why he came to the store.

Feng Shuo also gave Jiang Yanyi a look, but Jiang Yanyi looked at him for a long time and still didn't understand what he wanted to express, and his eyebrows were tangled. When there were more customers in the store at the back, Jiang Yanyi went into the kitchen to busy himself.

The advantage of mutton soup pot compared to dry hot pot is that no matter how long it takes, you can keep eating it.

Jiang Yanyi found that Feng Shuo sat there from noon until the evening and didn't leave. Not to mention Yang Xiu and Bing Shao, even Qiu Kui secretly looked at Feng Shuo several times, wondering why he was not full yet.

The popularity of the dry hot pot was far beyond Jiang Yanyi's imagination, and many people asked to take it home.

Except for a break at noon, she spent the rest of her time in the kitchen. She swung the spatula to the back, and her hands were so sore that she had no strength left. Yang Xiu and Bing Shao helped her collect the bills. After

this day, Jiang Yanyi was so tired that her back and waist ached. She felt more and more that she must find a chef to be responsible for making dry hot pot.

Fortunately, on the first day after the resumption of business, the business was still booming. The new dry hot pot in the store was a big hit, and the old scholar's story of "Dream of the Red Chamber" was also spread by diners. The gimmick was fully created, and Jiang Yanyi was very satisfied.

Feng Shuo sat in the shop all afternoon, as if he wanted to say something to her, but Jiang Yanyi was too busy to pay attention to him, so after dinner in the evening, Jiang Yanyi went to Feng Mansion again.

She now walks in and out of his room very casually. The first thing she said when she entered the door was: "Why did you come to the store to sit all afternoon today?"

Feng Shuo was sitting on an armchair, and the aura around him was a little gloomy. Only when he heard Jiang Yanyi's voice did the gloom dissipate.

His delicate eyebrows were raised slightly, and he wore a brocade feather and satin cloak on his shoulders. The gold and silver embroidered patterns on the dark robe twisted with gold and silver threads shone with a faint light, giving a feeling of smoke coming out of the clear moon. He looked at Jiang Yanyi for a long time before saying, "I want to see you."

Jiang Yanyi's heart skipped a beat inexplicably.

She suppressed her shyness and muttered, "Don't we see each other every day?"

The room was already a little dark, and Feng Shuo's expression became less clear in the twilight. Jiang Yanyi could not see the expression in his eyes clearly.

She walked towards him and asked, "Where is the tinder? Why don't you light the lamp?"

When she was looking for the tinder on the table, Feng Shuo turned his head and stared at her profile, his expression was focused and a little obsessed. He seemed to have something to say, but in the end, it was all stuck in his throat.

At the moment when Jiang Yanyi found the tinder and was about to light the candle, he suddenly held her hand.

Perhaps due to the medicinal diet and baths these days, Feng Shuo's hands were no longer as cool as before, but Jiang Yanyi was still startled and turned to look at him: "What's wrong?"

Feng Shuo said: "Can you stay tonight?"

Jiang Yanyi was so scared that her hair almost stood up, and she suspected that she had heard it wrongly: "What...what?"

Her hands trembled and she almost didn't take out the fire starter. Fortunately, Feng Shuo caught it in time.

The moment the candle was lit, the surroundings suddenly lit up.

It was also at this time that Jiang Yanyi saw that there was a scratch on Feng Shuo's forehead, as if it was cut by something bursting. Even if he used the broken hair to cover it, it was still very obvious, and the bloodstain was also fresh.

Feng Shuo obviously didn't care about the injury on his forehead. He just said absentmindedly: "I want to spend the last few hours of my birthday with you."

Jiang Yanyi was stunned.

Today... is his birthday? ! !