Chapter 90 Holding a Banquet
Mingyuelou's business became increasingly prosperous.
Four vegetarian dishes and one meat dish are served daily, and they sell out in less than half an hour.
Those who couldn't get a table complained, "Mingyue Restaurant only orders this much food every day, who are we going to eat? There are so many people at the dock."
"Yes, if I run slowly, I'll only have enough leftovers to eat."
"At least you have leftovers to eat. When I came, there wasn't even any soup left."
"If you ask me, everyone's practically throwing money at you, why aren't you making a profit?"
The chef was initially at a loss when he saw everyone complaining about not being able to get food, but after hearing it so many times, he became numb to it and just said perfunctorily, "I will go and report this to our manager."
Zhu Mingyue slept in late, then stopped at a shop in town for a bowl of dumplings. She strolled leisurely to the county, and as soon as she sat down at the restaurant and yawned, she was given a resentful look by the chef, which gave her goosebumps.
Zhu Mingyue: "What's up?"
The chef scurried over, beaming, "Boss, the customers outside are all saying we don't have enough food to sell."
Zhu Mingyue sat up straight: "Didn't we already increase the amount of food once before?"
The chef's face scrunched up: "It's still not enough, not nearly enough to sell. We set out the dishes at the end of the day, and they're all sold out by noon. People keep coming in to ask, and if they can't get any, they complain to us. But we can't make that decision, so we can only ask the manager."
Zhu Mingyue tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Then let's add it."
The chef beamed, "So, how much would you like to add?"
Zhu Mingyue: "Is doubling the amount enough?"
The chef counted on his fingers, seemingly lost in thought, before finally hesitatingly saying, "That should be enough. Let's try it first."
The chef was about to say something more when he was suddenly interrupted by a sound from outside the door.
Is anyone there?
The chef and waiter came forward to greet you: "We're out of dishes for today! Are you here for a quick bite, sir?"
The visitor was dressed neatly and respectably, as if he came from a wealthy family.
The man wore a smiling face and spoke in a friendly manner: "I am an official from the Sun family of Shangyang County. I have something to discuss with your manager. May I ask if your manager is here?"
Zhu Mingyue: ...He's sitting right there in the hall, can't he see me?
"This is our manager," the chef explained, standing behind Zhu Mingyue.
A hint of surprise flashed in the steward's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He did not judge a book by its cover, but instead stepped forward respectfully and said, "I was blind to your greatness."
Zhu Mingyue stood up: "No, no, may I ask what brings you to Mingyue Tower?"
The steward got down to business: "Our master has heard that Mingyue Tower is quite famous in Shangyang County. It just so happens that his youngest son will be marrying a Shang family daughter in half a month, and he is worried about where to hold the banquet."
"The restaurants in Shangyang County are all pretty unoriginal these days, but your Mingyue Restaurant is quite nice. However, when I asked my servants to inquire, they came back saying that you only sell casual dishes and meals. The servants are ignorant, so I thought I'd come and ask today if Mingyue Restaurant also serves banquets?"
Zhu Mingyue was just worried about the lack of business on the second floor, and now, just when she was feeling sleepy, someone brought her a pillow.
His eyes lit up: "Yes, we've got a whole second floor dedicated to banquet services. Why don't you come up and see if it suits your needs?"
The housekeeper was pleased to hear this, and Zhu Mingyue led him upstairs.
Zhu Mingyue spared no expense in decorating the restaurant, adopting a style that was not typical of modern restaurants, with eighteen large round tables at a glance.
The butler watched with great interest, finding it increasingly fascinating.
He pointed to the end: "What's that wooden platform?"
Zhu Mingyue patiently explained: "If they wish, the couple can perform the wedding ceremony on stage. After the ceremony, relatives and friends can start the banquet. At that time, these eighteen tables can also be divided into two halves, one side for the bride's relatives and friends and the other side for the groom's relatives and friends, without interfering with each other."
The butler smiled and shook his head: "The respectable restaurants in Shangyang County don't do it like that; the newlyweds worship heaven and earth at home."
Zhu Mingyue's heart skipped a beat: "Our idea is more innovative. We can do whatever the host is willing to do, even if it's just a banquet."
The butler seemed unperturbed. “In that case, I will report the situation to the master as it is. If the master is satisfied, I will come to see you again.”
Zhu Mingyue knew that, judging from the housekeeper's attitude, there was at least a 60% chance that the matter would succeed.
Having spent so much time with Wang Zongxiu, he had learned a thing or two about how things worked. He pursed his lips, took out a tael of silver from his sleeve, feeling a pang of heartache, but smiled broadly: "Thank you for your trouble in conveying this message. Rest assured, we guarantee you'll be satisfied with the dishes at our restaurant, and the prices won't be higher than other restaurants."
The butler put away the silver, his attitude becoming even more amiable. "I think it's quite good. It's a good thing to have something new. I'll go back and tell the master. Just wait for my news!"
With the percentage increasing from 60% to 90%, Zhu Mingyue felt more at ease. He wasn't relying on this business to make money; he already earned quite a bit just from selling food.
He did this simply because he valued the influence of the Sun family in Shangyang County.
If a banquet could be held at Mingyue Tower, the relatives and friends who would attend would surely be wealthy and satisfied with the food, naturally choosing Mingyue Tower again next time. Gradually, Mingyue Tower would become a well-known establishment in the county.
The steward took the money and acted swiftly. He spoke with Master Sun about something, and arrived the next day.
Zhu Mingyue came to the restaurant today to wait, only to see the butler smiling and congratulating him: "My master has agreed, but with the wedding approaching, the dishes..."
Zhu Mingyue immediately said, "I will make a list of several menus, and I will have them delivered to your residence for you to finalize."
The steward hadn't held out much hope before arriving, assuming that Mingyue Tower was just catering to the common people and that its novelty was nothing special. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be just as good as other restaurants.
The two then said their goodbyes.
Zhu Mingyue didn't sit idle; she started typing out the menu.
The standard wedding banquet in various dynasties consisted of sixteen dishes, eight meat and eight vegetable, which was the standard for wealthy families.
Classic main dishes are indispensable, such as a platter of eel and shrimp, symbolizing "auspicious dragon and phoenix," a pair of roasted birds, symbolizing "flying wing to wing," and a lily and lotus seed soup, symbolizing "a harmonious marriage for a hundred years." Since lilies are no longer available, ginkgo nuts are used as a substitute. The ingredients themselves are not important; what matters is the auspicious symbolism and the host's satisfaction.
The remaining ordinary dishes are mainly based on flavor. Considering different tastes, there are half light and half strong flavors, and a total of more than twenty dishes plus staple food are listed.
Zhu Mingyue said that He An wrote it, and it took a long time to get He An to deliver it to the Sun family.
The Sun family was extremely satisfied. The youngest son of the Sun family personally selected sixteen dishes, and before leaving, he generously asked He An for one tael of silver, instructing them to prepare well.
He An accepted the silver but dared not keep it for himself, so he returned it to Zhu Mingyue.
Zhu Mingyue declined, saying, "Just keep it. You're running errands for the Sun family, so naturally you should get some extra money."
He An was pleased with his subordinates. He earned a good wage now, but his mother's illness required her medication. Before, when he had less money, he had ways to buy medicine. Now that he was a little wealthier, he had more ways to buy medicine. But even so, the money was still not enough to live on, so he was happy to have some extra income.
He chuckled, "Shopkeeper, remember to call me again next time you need this kind of work."
Zhu Mingyue knew he was teasing her, so she smiled and glared at him, saying, "Go do your work properly."
Nearly half a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and the chefs at Mingyue Tower are all on high alert.
The Sun family had many guests, and the entire second floor was packed.
At first, no one paid much attention, thinking that the dishes were similar to those in other restaurants. But as the dishes were served one after another, everyone became more and more confused.
"What kind of dish is this? I've never seen it before!"
The waiter was quick-witted, and upon hearing this, he immediately introduced, "This is one of the dishes in our restaurant, called Taro with Braised Pork Belly, which means 'a house full of gold and jade'."
The waiter didn't know what the connection was between steaming cheap taro and pork together and "golden abundance," but since that's what the chefs called it, he said so too.
Sure enough, the man nodded in satisfaction and immediately tasted a piece.
The taste was indeed delicious. The meat was not greasy at all and almost melted in his mouth. Even the taro, which he used to look down on, had a sweet aroma. The two were a perfect match.
"I don't know how these meatballs are made, they're so smooth and tender, even better than what my cook makes."
"This meat is the best! It's bright red and trembling, with a perfect balance of saltiness and flavor. I wonder if the dishes from Mingyue Tower can be taken away."
"What? We're still eating! If you want to eat here again in the future, we can come here again for a get-together."
The man said with difficulty, "You don't know, my mother is getting old and can't walk anymore. The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and she can't even eat rice, let alone meat. Today, I finally found some meat that even people with bad teeth can eat, so I wanted to take it back for her to try. If she is willing to eat it, that would be a great thing."
Every family has elders, and his troubles are naturally the troubles of others as well. This made others take notice as well.
"This meat soup is quite sweet and delicious. I wonder if the elders in the family like to drink it."
...
After the banquet ended, Zhu Mingyue saw off a large group of guests, but was left with a stack of orders and didn't know what to do with them.
Zhu Mingyue accepted all sorts of invitations, including the Zhang family grandmother's 70th birthday banquet, the Li family's precious son's 7th birthday banquet, and some other miscellaneous ones.
He An was overjoyed: "Manager, our Mingyue Pavilion has certainly made a name for itself now, hasn't it?"
Zhu Mingyue smiled but remained silent, inwardly overjoyed. Wang Zongxiu was right; restaurants were indeed more profitable than shops. The Sun family had contributed over 120 taels of silver to today's banquet.
After deducting costs, Zhu Mingyue received nearly sixty taels of silver, which could be considered the shop's revenue for the past ten days.
When Zhu Mingyue returned home in the evening, she had a smile on her face. Li Zhengyang bumped into her face and teased her about it.
"Mingyue, what happy event happened today? You're smiling like that. Did you meet someone you love?"
Zhu Mingyue immediately blushed and denied it: "Auntie, please don't tease me. It's nothing. It's just that the revenue was good today."
Li Zhengyang's mother now gets along well with Zhu Mingyue, and often teases him in private.
Zhu Mingyue is now a widow, but Li Zhengyang's mother thinks he is better than others in every way. She thinks it doesn't matter that he is a widow, and she even encourages him not to think about being a widow for Xie Hong for the rest of his life. She says that it is fine for him to marry someone he likes, and there is no reason for him to stay in the Xie family for the rest of his life.
Zhu Mingyue genuinely didn't have anyone he liked. His business was thriving, and he was too busy to think about such things. Besides, he had promised Xie Pei that if he ever found someone he liked and wanted to get married, he would wait for him to return.
He had no ideas, but others did.
A group of people stood on the edge of the field, heads bowed, seemingly discussing something, occasionally glancing up at Zhu Mingyue.
Zhu Mingyue was already used to it and acted as if she hadn't heard anything. She said a few words to Li Zhengyang's mother and then went home.
Ever since they learned that Zhu Mingyue was highly skilled and that her shop in town earned a hundred taels of silver a month.
More and more people feel that the saying "jinx" is probably a bit problematic.
"What jinx? Have you ever seen a jinx living such a good life? Putting aside everything else, what was the Xie family like before she married into the Xie family, and what is it like now? They've even built a house."
"Pah, we were fooled by that old man back then. It's probably because Xie Hong couldn't control his good fortune. He even said he was a jinx to his husband."
A young woman's voice rang out: "What did I tell you? Zhu Mingyue isn't a jinx."
"When did you say that? I seem to remember you telling me that the village chief's family was possessed by an evil spirit, insisting that Zhu Mingyue was a lucky star. You even spread this around and laughed at them for being fools!"
The woman was furious: "When did I laugh at them? They're just talking nonsense!"
This woman was the one who had deliberately passed by the village chief's house on her way to buy meat in town before the Lunar New Year. She had a falling out with his family at the time and made fun of it for months afterward.
Now that he sees Zhu Mingyue living a prosperous life and has built a magnificent house, and Xie Pei has become an official in the army, he immediately shut up. Now, he pretends that everyone has forgotten what he said, and speaks without blushing or skipping a beat.
"Have you heard? Li Zhengyang has now become an official."
"I've heard about it for a long time. His mother is so angry she'd practically set off firecrackers at the door. Who in the village doesn't know that her son has become a centurion?"
"Back then, Li Zhengyang and Zhu Mingyue were very close."
"That's right, he wasn't affected at all, and I heard he's doing very well in the military."
At this point, the regret on everyone's faces was impossible to hide.
Suddenly someone said in a deep voice, "Xie Hong has been gone for more than a year, and now Xie Pei has also gone to the army. Who knows if he will be able to come back in the future? I think this Xie family mansion is now lacking a master to manage it."
His words stirred up a huge wave of discussion.
Nobody expected this. Since he's such a lucky man, why can't we marry him and enjoy this blessing all to ourselves?
Those who think Xie Hong died young because he was too weak to handle good fortune don't think their own family members are incapable of doing so.
Everyone had their own thoughts at the moment.
"Hey, stop talking about this."
"It's getting late, I'll head back now. You two can continue your conversation."
Who wanted to chat anymore? They immediately dispersed.
No one wants a rooster that doesn't lay eggs, but a rooster that lays golden eggs is something that everyone would want.
Moreover, Zhu Mingyue was good-looking, unlike other men who were smelly and burly. He had beautiful features and a great figure, which was unmatched by many women, let alone men.
If it were to marry another man, I would need to think about it, but if it were Zhu Mingyue, it doesn't seem so hard to accept.
Wang Laicai's house.
The elderly couple looked at their two sons and asked, "Laijin, Laiyin, do you think Zhu Mingyue is a suitable wife?"
A handsome figure flashed through Lai Yin's mind, and he unconsciously revealed his cunning: "I should marry him, but he is a lucky star after all. If I can't control him, I'm afraid I'll end up like Xie Hong. My brother has been weak since childhood, so I might as well make the sacrifice and marry him."
Wang Laijin was immediately furious. He knew perfectly well what his brother was thinking.
It's already a favor if I don't throw bad things at him, how can I take all the blame on myself?
He remained calm and thought for a while before speaking: "As the eldest son in the family, I should naturally be the first to take on dangerous tasks."
Mr. and Mrs. Wang were deeply moved upon hearing this. For many years, such a scene of brotherly affection and respect had never occurred in their home.
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