After several days of continuous spring rain, the sky and the earth were filled with green.
After the rain, some muddy roads did not block people from coming and going. A carriage sped past, splashing muddy water and attracting a lot of curses.
The man on the horse, wearing a brown silk jacket with hidden flowers, also hid in a hurry, but his feet were still splashed with mud.
He cursed in a low voice, urged his horse out of the road, and looked at the restaurant standing not far away.
The colorful flags on the tall flagpole fluttered in the wind, and the three characters Taipingju embroidered in gold were faintly visible.
It was noon at this time, and there were several carriages and horses parked in front of the restaurant. Through the rolled-up bamboo curtain, four or five people could be seen inside.
This is hardly a prosperous business.
However, the seats in the hall were not full, but there were still many people standing outside the hall door.
The man approached and looked at the bricks laid in front of the door, benches, and several tables with tea, dried fruits.
He frowned slightly, what is this for?
When the man dismounted, a man in charge of carriages and horses took over.
"Sir, please come inside..." He raised his hand enthusiastically and said.
Before the man could answer, a burst of laughter broke out from the people in front of the door.
"...Brother Siwei said it wonderfully, said it wonderfully..."
Then someone called the store owner.
A shop assistant standing in the hall came over.
"Let me tell you shopkeepers, please move this word to the hall. It's really distressing to be exposed to the wind and the sun." A scribe said, pointing at the plaque.
The man looked at it and saw the word Taiping on the plaque.
Is this the word of some famous word that spreads throughout the city?
What's so good about this?
The man frowned and walked into the hall without paying any attention.
There were three waiters, and an old man was behind the counter looking listless. The waiter who ordered dishes was a bit older. Although he spoke clearly, he didn't have the tact that one should expect from customers.
The food was served very quickly, but that didn't matter because there were few customers.
Does it taste...
There are so many famous dishes in Jingzhong Restaurant. If you eat too much, it will be just like that.
The man ate slowly. From the moment he came in to the time when the guests sitting in the hall dispersed, no one came in again. Although the crazy scribes outside the door were still there, no one came in to eat. Instead, they just brought their own bags outside the door.
The cooking utensils allowed for the joyful and comfortable cooking that is now known to everyone.
Taipingju didn't make any money from these scribes, but instead bought tea.
As I have said before, these sour scholars are the most stingy and arrogant. It is impossible to expect them to bow down to you just for a word. Maybe you have already started to complain in your heart. This good word has been polluted in such a vulgar way, and you feel resentful in your heart.
Go to this restaurant.
"Check out," the man said.
The dozing shopkeeper immediately became alert.
"Eight dollars." He said with narrowed eyes.
The man paid the bills and walked out. The waiter here had already brought the horses over.
Unlike other guys who lead horses, this guy in his twenties lowered his hands and didn't hold the horse's reins, nor did he drive or shout. He just walked beside the horse and led the horse.
This guy has some tricks up his sleeve.
Thoughts flashed through the man's mind, but they were just flashes. After all, this was a restaurant, not a racecourse.
After getting on his horse and riding away, the man looked back again on the road.
In the spring breeze, this restaurant seemed a little lonely.
He shook his head and looked away. A carriage passed him and turned towards Taiping Residence.
The man reined in his horse again and watched as the carriage stopped in front of the door and a monk got out.
Monk?
The man frowned slightly. Could it be that the money spent on the Zen tea party that day was not enough and the monk came to collect the debt?
Lao Minghai, a Zen master, came forward, but Wan Guan could not move him.
A smile appeared on the corner of the man's mouth. Those old monks were all sophisticated and greedy. How could they be easily contaminated?
With this in mind, he urged his horse forward, and would not look back until he was far away.
The horse galloped all the way and entered the city an hour later, stopping in front of the Immortal Residence.
Although noon has passed, the store is still full of people.
When they saw the man coming, the shop assistant had already taken him over attentively.
"Shopkeeper, you're back." They all said one after another.
The man ignored him and went straight in. Through the back corridor, a group of guests were walking down the stairs, looking unhappy.
"...I didn't eat anything, and I charged such a high price..."
One of them muttered.
Do these poor people think that everyone here can afford it? If you can’t afford it, don’t come here!
The man also passed by with a face on his face and walked straight into a room.
"How about it?"
Dou Qi, who was sitting on the floor, straightened his body and asked with some urgency.
"It's not that great." The shopkeeper sat down and said, and told the story in detail, "After all, the common people didn't see much that day. I ordered tofu and tasted it. It was indeed good, but those nobles couldn't do it just for this.
Just to make offerings, go so far outside the city. Those nobles all have good cooks in their homes, and coming to the restaurant to eat is just for leisure. Although the Taiping residence is cleanly decorated, to say that it can attract the eyes of the nobles, it is still..."
He shook his head and said no more.
Dou Qi breathed a sigh of relief.
"I told you those two cowards couldn't come up with any good ideas." He said, "Return to the Buddha and make offerings before it! Do you know who the parents are?"
He said this with a bit of disgust.
"It's so shameless. Zui Feng Tower doesn't want them anymore. It's changed to Tai Ping Residence, and they still run back." He said.
"Yes, this Taipingju is opened by a few outsiders. It's normal for us to be stupid enough to steal all the money and to be coaxed by Old Man Wu and Li Dashao with a few words." The shopkeeper said with a smile.
Dou Qi snorted.
"However, I didn't expect these foreigners to have secret skills in making tofu, and Li Dashao was such a good carver. I didn't notice it before," he said.
"My boss, the carving is just for display, it's just a flower stand, it's not a big deal," the shopkeeper said hurriedly.
"However, this time, we finally made him famous." Dou Qi said, pondering for a moment, "Well, let's invite him back."
The shopkeeper was startled.
"Invite him?" he asked.
"In other restaurants, the flower shelves are useless, but for us passing gods, the flower shelves are of some use." Dou Qi said, reaching out and scanning in front of his eyes, "The display is pleasing to the eye, and the same dishes can be more expensive."
The shopkeeper nodded.
"Then, what if he refuses?" he asked.
"Just give him a few more wages, it's not a big deal." Dou Qi said nonchalantly.
That's true, who can refuse money?
The shopkeeper's response was to get up and leave, and then thought of something else.
"By the way, boss, when I came back, I saw that it seemed that the monk from Puxiu Temple had gone to Taiping Residence. I didn't know what to do." He said.
"The monk won't go anywhere after drinking flower wine, so don't pay attention to him." Dou Qi said, waving his hands carelessly and frowning, "Speaking of the monk, the offerings in Puxiu Temple are becoming more and more boring. After spending so much time,
Even though we have a lot of money, we haven’t seen much increase in popularity.”
The popularity has increased a lot, but it’s a pity that people who come to eat at this time are not just freebies on the day of the offering. Half of them were scared away after asking the price, and another half were heartbroken after eating and dare not come back. In the end, those are the ones that are left in the end.
Regular customers.
"When Li Dashao is called, we can add a few new dishes," he said.
These words made Dou Qi feel very uncomfortable. When did he need that coward to make him more popular?
"Go down, go down." He waved his hand and said.
Cheng Jiaoniang came to the store this time to take the girl away, but the girl was a little reluctant to leave her.
"Mr. Zhang is a kind-hearted person." Cheng Jiaoniang said, "Meeting a kind-hearted person is a blessing from God, Banqin, one must know blessings."
The girl looked at her and nodded.
"It's not that I don't want you." Cheng Jiaoniang paused for a moment and then said, "You are very good, and so is she."
She turned to look at the maid.
The maid giggled, seemingly calm, but a trace of joy flashed in her eyes.
"Everyone is fine." Cheng Jiaoniang continued, "It's just that it would be a waste to stay here with me. Everyone should know their blessings and cherish them."
The girl nodded and smiled.
"Madam, I know that you don't abandon me, you want me to live a better life." She said, "Madam, don't worry, I will definitely live a very good life."
The masters and servants were about to get up, and Xu Maoxiu came in.
"Sister, please stay a moment," he said. "The people from Puxiu Temple want to discuss a business deal."
Someone comes from Puxiu Temple and wants to discuss business?
The maid and the girl were a little surprised and confused, and turned to look at Cheng Jiaoniang.
Cheng Jiaoniang smiled slightly.
"It came pretty quickly," she said.
The maid on the side cried out in surprise.
"Madam, are they just after the tofu?" she said.
"It is for the tofu that Puxiu Temple wants to order our tofu." Xu Maoxiu nodded and said, extending his hand, "The monthly payment is three hundred kilograms."
The maid and the girl stared wide-eyed.
Three hundred kilograms! Monthly payment! Taipingju only used this for half a year. It was indeed a big deal for a big temple.
"I don't have to go see him. Brother, you and the shopkeeper can make the decision." Cheng Jiaoniang said.
"I think the price that Shopkeeper Wu has negotiated is pretty good." Xu Maoxiu said, extending his hand to compare the prices.
The maid and the girl were lost in thought again and covered their mouths with their hands.
"Pushuji Temple is indeed the largest temple in Kyoto." The maid murmured, "Odd legends say that there is a Golden Temple and a Silver Buddha."
Cheng Jiaoniang smiled, turned around and walked a few steps from the window, her skirt mopping the floor making a rustling sound.
"Pushuji Temple is the largest temple in Kyoto. It has a huge crowd. It is insulting to have such a vulgar thing that everyone can use." She said, looking at Xu Mao, "The price will increase by another 20%. Our Taiping Tofu is exclusively for Puxiu Temple."
Build a temple."
Cutting off other sales channels, giving up other money, and making it exclusive to Puxiu Temple, the price must indeed be higher.
Xu Maoxiu nodded and said hello.
"I'm going to talk to them right now." He said, turned around and walked to the door, then stopped and looked back, "Sister, you mean, this tofu is called Taiping Tofu?"
The tofu in Taiping Juli is naturally called Taiping Tofu. The maid thought for a moment and didn't care, but the girl on the other side looked at Cheng Jiaoniang and nodded, but couldn't help but laugh.
