Chapter 2059 The bustling restaurant in Taiping, the destination of the swordsman and others
It is located in the bustling East Street of Daming Mansion in a place called Changle Building. It has three buildings in total. Several rows of buildings are intertwined with eaves and corners. They are topped by carved beams and painted beams. They are magnificent. The people who eat and drink on the first floor are mostly common peddlers in Daming Mansion.
, and the two corridors of the patio on the second and third floors are mostly square pavilions, which are places where wealthy businessmen, as well as the children of officials and officials, gather for drinks and gatherings.
Changle Tower can receive more than 2,000 drinkers every day, and business is very prosperous, and it is still like this today. However, I saw many waiters skillfully carrying wine and food to shuttle between the seats, and eating on the first floor.
The wine guests were feasting, pushing cups and cups, and the sound of chatter and laughter intertwined with the clinking of cups and cups could be heard for a while.
However, in the courtyard at the back alley of Changle Tower, Cao Zheng, who is now under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and is in charge of the emperor and the palace's meals and banquets, personally carried the handle and polished it to a shiny finish. Although it was heavy, it could be used by him.
The butcher's knife, which was so light, cut lightly, and was held down by several companions. The pitiful screams of the struggling pig stopped abruptly. Cao Zheng only slashed with the knife, and the pig did not seem to feel any pain at all.
He was dead, and the smelly blood did not spray out.
Cao Zheng took the knife to decompose the pig again. As the sharp knife passed through the gaps between the joints, and the pieces of raw meat were neatly cut off, Cao Zheng said to the butcher and cook next to him: "Where the hands are.
Touch, what the shoulders lean on, what the feet walk on, what the knees touch... Haha, some people say that Fan Kuai and Zhang Fei can be considered the ancestors of our trade, but when it comes to the craftsmanship of butchers, they are still the ancestors of cooks and Dings.
It makes sense. The two masters Yang and Zhang who were in charge of slaughtering livestock returned to their hometown and went to Jinfeng Yulu Tower in Bianliang to take care of it. From now on, Changle Tower here will also have to be handled by you. Now I have carefully looked at it, but I am also anxious.
No, after all, this is a craft where practice makes perfect..."
After speaking in a long voice, Cao Zheng took off the coarse cloth that was tied to the front of his clothes and was almost not stained with the blood of the pig. Immediately, a boy came forward with a water ladle. After Cao Zheng washed his hands, he smiled again.
After giving some instructions to the young butchers around him, he walked towards Changle Building. Seeing that the restaurant was still bustling with people as before, Cao Zheng nodded with satisfaction.
It's just that Changle Lou Nuo Da's business is not the catering and wine business opened by Xiao Tang's franchised Cao Zheng in a private capacity in addition to his own duties. It can also be regarded as a state-owned hotel opened by the Qi Dynasty.
In the Song Dynasty, there were a large number of government-run wineries, which could earn extremely generous profits from the wine industry. Restaurants were also opened under wine warehouses. In the official history of the Southern Song Dynasty, there were many restaurants under wine warehouses, such as Hangzhou Taihe, one of the leaders.
The restaurant can receive more than 3,000 guests every day. Cao Zheng is in charge of the restaurant business, and it is as if he is receiving dividends. The profits are huge, but after all, the restaurant is not his personal private property.
However, Cao Zheng is already satisfied, and he is also very self-aware. He knows very well that if he wants to take full control of the business, he will not be able to do it...
After all, Cao Zheng originally worked as a butcher in Bianliang, and became his disciple Lin Chong, the instructor of the Forbidden Army who was still in charge of the palace but was not persecuted by Gao Qiu. He originally had no worries about food and clothing, but he lost money because he went to Jingdong Road to do business for a wealthy man.
He lost all his money and could not return to his hometown, so he had no choice but to marry into a farmer's family and become his son-in-law. He only opened a simple hotel in the countryside to make a living.
Although a penny stumps a heroic man, Cao Zheng also knows that he has really failed the wealthy man in Bianliang who entrusted him to do business. Although he and his wife can be considered harmonious, after all, he has a bad reputation and has learned a painful lesson. Cao Zheng knew very well that he was not a businessman. Since his family first joined Erlong Mountain, he had only focused on managing his own business. From being the leader of the ministry of killing pigs and sheep in the village to arranging banquets, to managing military supplies along the way. From being a general in the logistics department to supplying supplies, he now serves as an imperial official in charge of the palace in the Internal Affairs Office of the Qi Dynasty...Cao Zheng is now content with the status quo, satisfied and no longer has any excessive expectations.
At any rate, he returned to Bianliang as a quartermaster who controlled the army's logistics. Although the wealthy man who had asked him to do business on Jingdong Road had died, Cao Zheng found his widow and children and paid off the money with interest. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is now in charge of the entrance and exit of palace food ingredients, and is also in charge of the internal operations of Changle Building. Although I am busy all day long, I feel very fulfilled.
While Cao Zheng was looking around, he suddenly saw two tall figures entering the restaurant. He looked at the appearance of the newcomers and immediately stepped forward to greet them. He said with a smile: "Brother Du Qian, brother Song Wan, I heard that you have been working hard in the transportation department all these days, but I don’t know how long you can stay in Daming Mansion? Today I finally have time to have a drink."
Du Qian and Song Wan also hurriedly paid tribute to Cao Zheng. Du Qian first sighed and said: "It's embarrassing to say that the two of us were just wandering around in the green forest. After all, we were not official subordinates. Now we are just patrolling the salt and iron envoys." The subordinates are already overwhelmed with all the matters of field work, supervision, inspection, and water transportation, and I am afraid that there will be some oversights. Brother Yang Lin is the one who has a heavy responsibility. Now that he has finally conquered the Song Dynasty, the official affairs are even more complicated, and he has to hand over all the matters. Road and Cao Company affairs, inspecting the Qianqian Valley, warehouse cashiers, reporting to various road supervision and taxation offices, and also reporting to each place whether the water and land transportation terrain is smooth...
Although we two brothers were born tall, our martial arts were only average, and we were incompetent to serve as officials. Seeing that all the brothers followed Your Majesty to create a great cause, the officials worked hard, and the generals worked hard without fear of death. And we all have a sense of loyalty. , now that I am enjoying fame and fame, I still have limited help in national affairs, and I am very ashamed..."
"The two brothers are too modest. A foot is shorter than an inch is longer. It is said that I am just a butcher. Although I have learned some martial arts from my master, I am still not as good as the brothers who are fighting bravely in the battle. Your Majesty thinks of us. The brotherhood of righteousness brings us rewards and titles, and teaches us how to fulfill our destiny. We don't care about our abilities, we just focus on doing our best..."
Cao Zheng comforted Du Qian, Song Wan said a few words, and then personally invited them to sit down in the elegant pavilion on the second floor, and called the waiter to tell the cook to prepare all kinds of delicacies of grilled meat, fish and clams. After a while, there were The bartender came and laid down the fine wine, fruits, and wine. The three of them chatted for a while, and Song Wan sighed and said: "Thank you for your majesty's great kindness, brother, you are in charge of the palace meals in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and you are also in charge of the restaurant business." Duan's popularity is all due to you, brother, being able to put your skills to good use. It's ridiculous that brother Du Qian and I were subordinates to the scholar in white, who had low ability and even narrow-mindedness. However, although your majesty is fortunate to have Thanks to my support, I can now enjoy official status and honors. In fact, at the beginning, we looked down on officials who were harmful to the people, but now it seems that we really don’t know the difficulties of being an official if we don’t do it..."
After Du Qian and Song Wan finished speaking, Cao Zheng seemed to hear the meaning of their words, and immediately asked: "Since the two brothers said so... Now the subordinate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who is in charge of General Manager Yan,
The various supervisory departments, including the palace's money and food cashier, civil engineering repairs, middle palace errands, supervisory publications, imperial meals and tea drinks, serving horses and weapons, weapons and equipment, and the gardens and gardens, etc., also form their own system, and are closely related to those in the outer court.
Officials do not interfere with each other. There are only more than two thousand officials and subordinates in the palace. Of course, the responsibilities are important, and they must not be neglected. However, compared with the local bureaus, the criminal bureaus have more complicated official duties and involve important matters of people's livelihood.
, you only need to serve the inner city palace... If the two brothers are willing to accept it, I will pass it on to General Manager Yan and then report it to Your Majesty. In view of the friendship and friendship at the beginning, Your Majesty will definitely be willing to transfer you two.
I am working as an errand in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but I don’t know what you think?”