The shop is large, with five rooms on the third floor. Aunt Guan, Lan Yamei, and Qiu Zeyu each have one room, and the remaining two rooms are temporarily used as guest rooms.
Here, on the same street as Hua Manlou, Lan Yamei was worried that Aunt Guan would not be comfortable, but to her surprise, Aunt Guan did not care at all, saying, "It's fate! I, Meilin Guan, have not done anything wrong, why should I be afraid of her? Besides, fortunes change, and maybe I and Hua Manlou will still be destined to meet."
With beds available, no more sleeping on straw mats, Aunt Guan happily went out to buy bedding rolls for everyone. Butterfly and Er Gou's family were tidying up the things they had moved from their hometown.
Due to a shortage of manpower, Grandpa Ouyang was called in to help. Since he has a house in Longyang Town, he doesn't live in the shop. Starting today, the two establishments are officially combined, and he is currently being housed in the kitchen.
Looking at the cheerful crowd, Qiu Zeyu was somewhat moved. This was different from the days of fighting and killing; it was slow and simple.
When the new neighbors moved in, many people came over to ask what kind of shop they opened.
Lan Yamei said with a smile, "Our barbecue restaurant is opening tonight. Everyone is welcome to come and support us. There are many discounts available."
A barbecue restaurant? It's an unappealing barbecue place, yet they dare to open such a large shop. It's obviously a joke. Several neighbors covered their mouths and laughed as they walked away.
Because it's the main street, there are restaurants, tea shops, pawnshops, theaters, cloth shops, money exchanges, and even the famous Hua Man Lou is at the end of this street. There isn't a single barbecue restaurant that specializes in this area.
In this day and age, barbecue is a low-class business run by small vendors, with a social status similar to that of a street peddler; people of status wouldn't eat it. Lan Ya Mei knew this, but she was determined to use the power of food to make those high-class people acknowledge the wisdom of ordinary people.
But before even opening, the neighbors were already looking down on them, so Lan Ya Mei decided that the place had to be packed tonight. She turned around and went to the candy shop to buy all sorts of candies, saying to the children who came to join in the fun, "Kids, do you want some candy? I'll treat you to some candy."
There was free candy, and the kids clapped their hands with joy. Lan Ya Mei then taught the kids to go around the streets and promote the business, saying that the number one barbecue in the world was opening tonight! Free snacks and drinks!
The children, their two bags full of candy, skipped and hopped off to sell them.
Lan Yamei said to Qiu Zeyu, "Handsome, we need to change the signboard! What name do you think we should come up with?"
"You used to do business in the ghost market, and your surname is Lan, so you were called Lan Ghost Barbecue!" Qiu Zeyu said in a serious tone, spouting nonsense.
"You little rascal!" Lan Yamei punched Qiu Zeyu in the chest in protest, "You call it family-style barbecue?"
"No way, that's not creative." Qiu Zeyu rejected it mercilessly, then thought for a moment and said, "Didn't you just say that the number one barbecue in the world is opening tonight? Then let's call it the number one barbecue in the world!"
"Wouldn't the name be too big?" Lan Yamei was tempted, but also a little unsure.
"That's the name! You have to make it happen. I've invested tens of thousands of taels. If I lose it, my father will need a concubine." Qiu Zeyu said mischievously, for some reason wanting to tease this silly girl.
"Fine! A concubine it is!!" She had no experience in opening a shop, but she had eaten at countless popular restaurants. She knew that making a small shop thrive in this era shouldn't be difficult.
Without further ado, at six o'clock in the evening, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, drums and gongs resounding, and a thunderous roar, the first barbecue stall in Longyang Town opened for business!
Early foodies from both inside and outside the city arrived as scheduled. Tonight, there was roasted pork belly, roasted pig's trotters, roasted ribs, fried lotus root cakes, and eggplant with split legs. Although the dishes were a bit limited, each table was given a plate of peanuts and edamame, as well as a pot of fine white wine. Soon, the dozen or so tables upstairs and downstairs were filled with diners.
Everyone was relaxed, speaking freely, dressed casually, playing drinking games, and having a great time.
There were still a dozen or so people waiting for tables in the hall. Lan Yamei brought out two plates of fried peanuts from the kitchen and invited everyone to have a snack. This was unprecedented in ancient times, and the customers said somewhat embarrassedly, "This isn't about eating for free."
Lan Yamei said generously, "I'm just afraid you won't come to eat. As long as you're willing to wait, fried peanuts are nothing! Tomorrow I'll make some small rice crackers for everyone! Small rice crackers are also our shop's secret recipe, and I'll reveal it tomorrow night. Thank you everyone." After saying that, she cupped her hands in a gesture of respect.
The dozen or so customers waiting in line were all convinced; this owner knows how to do business! Before they even got to eat the skewers, their hearts were already won over.
Barbecue is simple and easy to learn; the key lies in the seasonings. So, with a little training, Er Gou and his wife became the backbone of the kitchen. Grandpa Ouyang's wontons were also selling like hotcakes; customers with children would order a bowl for their little ones. Lan Yamei came over and said, "Grandpa Ouyang, the dried shrimp is delicious. Put more on the kids; let's win everyone over with our stomachs first."
Qiu Zeyu was at the counter collecting money and keeping accounts, while Aunt Guan and Er Gou's mother were busy attending to customers. Butterfly, due to her special status, did not come down from the third floor.
Just when the neighbors were wondering how a low-class barbecue stall could be so popular, a burly man, accompanied by a group of his men, arrived carrying a slaughtered, fat pig.
A few gossipy people whispered in a distant corner, "See? They're all bandits. How can they run a legitimate business? They're bound to fight soon."
"I don't eat smoked or smoky food, it's tasteless."
In short, not a single neighbor came to offer their congratulations.
As soon as he entered, Tie Tou clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Qiu Zeyu at the counter to congratulate him. "Brother Qiu, congratulations! I heard you're opening today. I've prepared a fat pig for you, whether you roast or stew it, it might come in handy. I wish you a prosperous opening and abundant wealth." As he spoke, he called his brothers to take the fat pig to the kitchen.
Qiu Zeyu ignored him, only raising his hand to indicate that he understood.
On this joyous day, Lan Ya Mei didn't want to hold a grudge! She quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Thank you, Brother Tie Tou, and thank you everyone. We became friends through a fight, so let's forget about the past. You are all truly honored guests to be here today. Once there are seats, please eat and drink well. Today, Brother Qiu is treating."
"Thank you, Brother Qiu! Thank you, Brother Qiu!" Led by Tie Tou, a group of brothers thanked Qiu Zeyu in unison.
"Come, come, there are stools here, sit down first." Lan Yamei was about to offer the group some peanuts and edamame snacks.
Tie Tou said with a fawning smile, "Sister, you're so busy, don't treat us like customers. We brothers know Brother Qiu must be short-handed today, so we wanted to come and help out and ease the burden." After saying that, he called his brothers, and the shop got busy.
The group of people were all perceptive and managed to keep the customers upstairs and downstairs happy, causing them to spend more money without even realizing it.
Lan Yamei grabbed Qiu Zeyu's ear and said angrily, "He came to help, and he even brought such a big fat pig with him. Why are you making such a face?" In Lan Yamei's mind, Qiu Zeyu would be hers sooner or later, so she had already started to bully him.
Tie Tou witnessed this scene and felt a chill run down his spine. Who said a murderous fiend was heartless?! He was as docile as a cat in front of Manager Lan! He must never offend this woman again; she must have a powerful background!
The bustling scene of guests filling every seat gave Lan Yamei a sense of accomplishment. She had finally established herself, and everyone has their own unique talents!
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