Because she and Shushu couldn't stay in the capital often, they had to buy the things needed for the hot pot themselves. However, there were many things they couldn't buy, so they could only wait until they returned to the village to bring extra supplies.
The same goes for the pastry shops. They buy what they can, and keep some of what they can't. The storerooms behind the shops are filled with things, except for the sleeping quarters. Their houses are also filled with things.
"Huahua, the hot pot restaurant is so crowded. Why don't we buy the shops next door too? Maybe that will make the business even better."
Xia Hua shook her head, "No, even if the two shops next door didn't sell it, we still can't buy it. Business is so good right now, we should be content."
They are powerless and vulnerable now. Although the steward of the Duke of Huguo's mansion has come, there are some who are not afraid of the Duke of Huguo. If they are framed again, it will be very troublesome.
It seems I need to talk to Manager Xu about the importance of hygiene in the hot pot restaurant. If anyone tries to cause trouble, I should report it to the authorities directly and send a letter to Xiao Zili to handle the situation.
They're partners now; they can't help him while he does nothing.
As it got dark and the crowd thinned out, the two entered the hot pot restaurant. Manager Xu was collecting money when he saw them. Just as he was about to ask a question, Xia Hua spoke first, "Manager, there are tables too. We've come to eat."
For so long since the hot pot restaurant opened, no one knew they were the owners, and they had instructed Manager Xu and the staff not to reveal their identities.
Those account books only need to be shown to them once a month. As for the interest, it can be moved back to the mansion. There is a room next to the main courtyard that is empty, so the money can be put there.
"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. Xiaohe, please take them to the private room upstairs." He had assumed the two ladies were there to look at the accounts, since they hadn't looked at them since the hot pot restaurant started operating. He hadn't expected them to be there to eat.
"Yes, innkeeper, please come upstairs, gentlemen." Anhe said from the side.
An Shuyi and Xia Hua followed him upstairs. After they sat down, they asked him to bring them the spiciest hot pot base and one serving of each kind of side dish.
Anhe nodded, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen, I will make the arrangements immediately."
Not long after, Anhe followed Anlin and brought out the pot base, then placed it on the table. The tables in the hot pot restaurant were all custom-made, with the middle hollowed out and an iron box containing charcoal placed inside.
Charcoal is only placed inside the pot when you're eating, and then the pot is placed on top. The broth in hot pot restaurants is made by simmering bones, chicken, and other ingredients.
They offer hot pot with two broths, and the spiciness is divided into mild and extra spicy. There is no medium spicy option. The side dishes also vary each day, depending on what is available.
"Gentlemen, your dishes are all served. Please enjoy your meal. Just let me know if you need anything," Anhe said.
Xia Hua nodded, "Go and get busy. We'll let you know if anything comes up."
After watching them leave, the two of them started eating. The hot pot base was kept in the pot, and the soup was poured into it after they got to the room to avoid spilling it on the way.
The iron pot was placed on the table and heated up quickly. The hot pot broth inside was also well-integrated, and the two of them started adding meat. Today, the hot pot restaurant had chicken, duck, and goose meat, all of which were cooked, as well as pork, ribs, river fish, chicken, duck, and goose intestines, and the rest were vegetables.
As for beef, mutton, and tripe, forget about it. Mutton can be sold occasionally, but beef is out of the question. No, for the two of them, they can have whatever they want.
An Shuyi stood up and took the box containing the meat out of the warehouse, while Xia Hua took out the cutting board and knife, cut some beef, mutton, venison, and tiger meat, and put them into the pot in turn.
They put the things they had taken out into the warehouse, and were just waiting for the meat to cook so they could eat. As for the wine that Anhe had brought, the two of them didn't drink it. Xia Hua took out a bottle of strong liquor and two cups directly from the warehouse.
"Is it delicious?" Xia Hua asked, watching An Shuyi start eating.
An Shuyi nodded, "Of course it's delicious. When we get back, we'll bring some hot pot base back so the people in our tribe can try it too. Hot pot is only truly enjoyable when there are many people around."
After putting a piece of meat in her bowl, Xia Hua said, "We can just teach them how to make these hot pot bases when we get back. It's too much trouble to take them back. Tomorrow we'll go ask the broker if we can buy a manor."
"These vegetables are still too few. Potatoes can be planted on a large scale next year, but we have to grow the other vegetables ourselves so that the hot pot restaurant can have more side dishes."
"When we have time, we'll teach Tao and the others how to make tofu. Tofu is also good for hot pot. But there aren't enough people in the village. Otherwise, we could make tofu, dried tofu, tofu skin, stinky tofu, whatever we want, that would be great too."
“A tofu workshop won’t work,” An Shuyi shook her head. “It doesn’t earn much money, and it’s troublesome. Although many people buy it, it’s all hard-earned money. It’s not as profitable as other things.”
“If there were more people in the village, I would set up a glass workshop and a cement workshop. The money I would earn from those would be dozens of times more than from a tofu workshop.”
Xia Hua nodded, "You're right, but our village doesn't have enough people. When we get back, we'll have the young men of marriageable age in the village find wives as soon as possible, so that we can at least increase the number of people in the village."
With her, Shushu, and those old guys like Chief Lin, they could surely find a girl of good character. There are many people in the village who need to find wives, but they've been delayed because of the famine.
Although it was a bit early for men to find wives at seventeen or eighteen in ancient times, it was still the norm. Some men in their village were already nineteen or twenty and still not married, so it was time to make arrangements.
An Shuyi stopped. "So soon?" Is it really appropriate to force people to get married so early just to increase the village's population?
"Yes, they are in a hurry. After all, there are many young men of suitable age in the village. Who doesn't want a wife and children and a warm bed? It would be great to get married as soon as possible. Maybe they are even more anxious, but they just haven't met the right person yet."
She didn't believe that the mothers of the children in the village weren't anxious. Before they fled the famine, some of them were already looking for husbands when they were seventeen or eighteen, but now they were nineteen or twenty and still not married.
"Then we'll arrange it when we get back. There are quite a few villages around our Peach Blossom Village. Although they're a bit far, we can go and see if there are any suitable ones." It sounded like they were buying someone.
"Okay, let's eat."
After the two finished their meal, they went downstairs, paid the money, and returned to their residence. After all, they were no longer the owners, and they had to pay for their meals.
When they returned, Tao opened the door, and the two of them told her that they would teach them how to make tofu the next morning, and that they could go to the brokerage at noon.
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