Chapter 131

Chapter 131

"Come and try," Yu Tongtong greeted the customers.

"Come and try," Xiao Yuanping learned and repeated.

"We have refreshing rice wine and chilled osmanthus and bean curd sweet soup!" Yu Tongtong announced.

"20% off!" Xiao Yuanping added.

Refreshing!

Chilled!

Eighty percent off!

These three items are particularly tempting in the summer.

Seeing some passersby wavering, Xiao Yu approached them with a smile, "Dear customers, it's hot out. Come in and try our dishes, everything is 20% off. Even if you don't want to eat, you can come in to cool off."

"Right, right, right," Ming He and the others nodded in agreement.

Some passersby, seeing the cleanliness and liveliness of the children and the gentle, handsome appearance of the adults, couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness.

So they thought... why not give it a try.

One by one, the passersby entered, first feeling the cool breeze from the backyard, which significantly reduced the heat on their bodies and lifted their spirits. Then, they were surprised to see the lifelike menu posted in the store.

Xiao Yu said, "This is the restaurant's signature dish."

"It's beautifully drawn," said one passerby.

Another chimed in, "Even if you can't read, you can understand the dish."

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "We have seats upstairs and downstairs. Where would you like to sit?"

"Let's sit downstairs," replied one passerby.

"Alright, what would you like to eat?" Xiao Yu personally attended to them.

The passerby said, "What was that dish the kids were talking about just now—"

"Rice wine and sweet osmanthus tofu pudding," Xiao Yu filled in.

"That's the one, we'll have that," said the passerby.

The other passerby also said, "We'll have the same here."

"Please wait a moment, I'll go prepare it right now," Xiao Yu headed to the kitchen.

Chef Yu and the other cooks were waiting. Seeing Xiao Yu enter, they asked together, "Do we have customers?"

"Yes," Xiao Yu nodded.

Chef Yu was delighted, "What dishes have they ordered? I'll cook them."

"They ordered rice wine and sweet fermented rice," Xiao Yu said.

"Just these two items?" The cooks were somewhat disappointed.

Xiao Yu smiled, "Don't be disheartened, where there's one order, there'll be more."

Inspired by their boss's confidence, the cooks eagerly helped to serve the rice wine and prepare the osmanthus bean curd sweet soup.

The rice wine was directly transferred from the large jar to a smaller one.

For the osmanthus bean curd sweet soup, they first scooped out half a bowl of bean curd, then added the fermented rice from the large jar, and finally sprinkled some dried osmanthus flowers on top.

After everything was placed on a tray, Chef Yu said, "I'll take it out."

"This is the first order for Riverside Restaurant No. 2, I'll do it," Xiao Yu said, carrying the tray into the dining area. Before he even reached the table, the breeze from the backyard carried the fragrances of rice wine, osmanthus, and bean curd.

"It smells so good," one passerby commented.

"Just smelling it makes you feel cooler," another passerby added.

"This is the fragrance of rice wine and osmanthus bean curd sweet soup," Xiao Yu first served the rice wine and sweet soup to the first table of passersby, then to the second. Smiling, he advised, "The rice wine is sweet and suitable for all ages, but the elderly and children should not drink too much to avoid getting drunk. Enjoy your meal."

Passersby A and B, having been in the sun for a while and feeling thirsty, eagerly drank a bowl of rice wine. They immediately felt the cooling effect of the wine, its soft taste, natural sweetness, and gentle blend, refreshing and invigorating them.

Passerby A couldn't help but smack his lips, "This rice wine tastes really good!"

"The balance between the wine and rice flavors is just right!" Passerby B from the next table chimed in.

Realizing their mutual appreciation, they found the rice wine exceptional. They then tried the Osmanthus Bean Curd and Fermented Rice, where golden osmanthus petals sprinkled over the white bean curd and fermented rice made an elegant presentation. The fragrance of osmanthus hit them first, followed by the smooth, tender bean curd and the aromatic fermented rice all coming together in their mouths.

Having heard the children mention that the dish was chilled, they indeed experienced a slight icy texture, cool and sweet, clearing away any residual heat from their bodies, allowing them to settle down and savor the exquisitely tasty Osmanthus Bean Curd and Fermented Rice.

Soon they finished their servings and, still craving more, they discussed the delicious rice wine and Osmanthus Bean Curd and Fermented Rice. Believing the restaurant's other dishes must be just as delicious, they involuntarily looked at the menu on the wall, ready to order without needing Xiao Yu's guidance.

Although Xiao Yu was at the door attracting customers with Minghe, he was paying attention to the situation inside. He stopped the waiter and personally went over to serve, smiling, "Would you like some cold dishes, braised carp, mouth-watering chicken, or stir-fried three ingredients?"

"Yes!" said Passerby A.

Xiao Yu then asked Passerby B for his order.

Passerby B, looking at the menu, listed a few dishes.

After memorizing the orders, Xiao Yu went to the kitchen to prepare the dishes, taking charge of making the mouth-watering chicken.

"The chicken should be ready," said Chef Yu.

To avoid keeping the customers waiting, Xiao Yu and his team had prepared some meat dishes in advance. The chicken was currently boiling in the pot. He lifted the lid, took the whole chicken out, and immersed it in cold water to tighten the skin and flesh, making the texture firmer.

He then took out a mortar and pestle, put chili, garlic cloves, and ginger pieces in it, and crushed them into a paste to fully blend their flavors. The spiciness would be more pronounced. He then added a suitable amount of soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, and chicken broth, mixed it well, and finally poured over a brightly colored sesame chili oil to complete the seasoning mix.

"At this time, the chicken had been soaking long enough. He took it out, removed the head, neck, feet, legs, and wings, split the body in half, then skillfully chopped them all into evenly sized pieces, arranged them on a plate, poured over some sauce, and sprinkled with green onions."

"Is it ready?" Chef Yu asked.

Xiao Yu nodded, "Yes. Is your braised fish ready too?"

"It's ready." Chef Yu placed the braised fish on a tray.

Xiao Yu picked up the tray, "Then I'll take it up."

"Okay."

Xiao Yu had just served the food when more guests arrived.

"I remember back in Shuiqing Alley, Minghe and Danzi would rush into the shop after pulling in customers, but now they've learned manners in the palace, both children behaving elegantly."

However, Xiao Yuanping couldn't contain his excitement and rushed over, saying, "Xiao Ziqing, look, my brother, Minghe, my sister and I brought in more customers."

"Fantastic!" Xiao Yu praised.

Xiao Yuanping continued, "They smelled the delicious aroma from the restaurant, and once we talked to them, they came."

The little guy's way of saying 'delicious, delicious' was too cute. Xiao Yu laughed and asked, "Really that delicious?"

"Yes," Xiao Yuanping, patting his belly, said, "I'm even getting hungry from the smell."

"I'll get you something to eat in a bit, okay?"

"Yes, please."

"You've worked hard." Xiao Yu patted Xiao Yuanping's head, then called out to the staff to attend to the guests.

Minghe and Danzi continued to attract customers.

Xiao Yu personally cooked the meals.

Until the mealtime passed, and the guests gradually left.

Pei Yanli arrived.

Xiao Yu smiled, "You've worked hard too."

When Pei Yanli wasn't smiling, he emanated an aura of inapproachability, not suited for staying in the restaurant. Thus, he would automatically go to the tea house opposite to drink tea, keeping an eye on the situation here, to ensure Xiao Yu and the children didn't encounter any trouble. Now that most guests had left, he returned and said, "It's not hard."

"I've prepared something delicious for you," Xiao Yu said.

Pei Yanli looked at Xiao Yu affectionately and softly replied, "Good."

Seeing this, Xiao Yuanping asked, "Uncle Yan, are you going to kiss again?"

Xiao Yu laughed out loud.

Pei Yanli turned his head to look at Xiao Yuanping.

Xiao Yuanping quickly covered his mouth and shook his head vigorously, indicating he wouldn't speak anymore.

"Don't scare him. Come in and sit," Xiao Yu said.

Yu Tongtong entered and asked, "Uncle, can we eat now too?"

"Wait a moment, it'll be ready soon." Xiao Yu went into the kitchen and together with Chef Yu and others, used the remaining vegetables and meat from the morning to prepare several dishes, which they then served in the restaurant.

A table was set for the waiters and helpers.

Xiao Yu, Pei Yanli, Chef Yu, Manager Sun, and several other chefs sat at another table.

The children had their own table.

Xiao Yu looked towards Chef Yu: "Has the food been delivered to the old lady?" Since Cong Ge'er had fallen asleep, Grandma Yu couldn't come over to eat.

"It has been delivered," Chef Yu replied.

Before starting to eat, Xiao Yu briefed everyone on the morning's opening, which went better than expected, so he encouraged everyone to keep up the good work in the evening.

"Certainly!" Xiao Yuanping agreed enthusiastically.

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "Let's eat then."

Everyone was hungry and ate without speaking. After finishing their meal, Xiao Yu played with the children for a while, then everyone went to rest in the back yard's rest room.

They would prepare the kitchen after waking up.

Xiao Yu discussed with Chef Yu and Manager Sun about receiving guests in the evening.

Manager Sun said, "The mouth-watering chicken received high praise at noon."

"That was made by Xiao Yu," Chef Yu added.

Manager Sun, a steward under the Great Princess, already knew about Xiao Yu's relationship with his own young master. After spending a few days together, he was impressed by Xiao Yu's gentleness, politeness, wisdom, and kindness. Xiao Yu's ability to make the usually reserved young master smile and talk amused him greatly.

Today, seeing Xiao Yu hosting the guests graciously and personally cooking the mouth-watering chicken, earning everyone's praise, Manager Sun felt even more that Xiao Yu was a perfect match for his young master. He sincerely commented, "Master Xiao's culinary skills are truly extraordinary."

Xiao Yu said, "The rice wine, sweet osmanthus tofu pudding with fermented rice, sour cabbage fish, and other dishes also received much praise. Everyone's skills are commendable."

"The business should still be good tonight," Chef Yu said.

Xiao Yu nodded.

Manager Sun suggested, "We should prepare more mouthwatering chicken, perhaps sell it in half portions, so more people can try it."

"That's a great idea," Xiao Yu immediately agreed.

After further discussion, they got busy. As Chef Yu predicted, the evening business was indeed better than the morning, and the following days saw a steady increase in customers.

Even after returning to regular prices, the business remained strong.

Many in Dongnan Fang knew about the delicious food at Xiaohezi No. 2 Restaurant, but Xiao Yu felt this customer flow wasn't enough. He wanted to attract outsiders to benefit the locals, just like in Shuiqing Alley, so he thought of flyers.

Despite the high cost of paper, he didn't skimp on advertising. He designed the flyers in the Eastern Palace, had Pei Yanli, Empress Zheng, and Pei Yiyang draw a few copies, then went out with the children, sticking them at intersections, on walls and trees in residential areas, mimicking other shops.

"Simple and clear, instantly recognizable as a restaurant," Pei Yanli commented.

Yu Tongtong said, "And ours are colorful, eye-catching!"

"We even have drawings," Minghe added.

"Right, 'Xiaohezi No. 2 Restaurant' is written so simply, even those barely literate can recognize it," Xiao Yu said.

"Exactly, once they recognize it, they'll come to eat with us," Danzi added.

Their advertising efforts indeed attracted more customers, energizing Chef Yu who remarked, "I didn't expect people in the capital to accept southern cuisine."

Xiao Yu laughed, "Many from the south come to the capital for government positions or business. Over time, the blending of north and south affects the culinary tastes."

"That's true," Chef Yu agreed.

Xiao Yu asked, "Chef Yu, are you finding life in the capital agreeable?"

"It's good."

"No plans to return anytime soon, then?" Xiao Yu inquired.

Chef Yu laughed, "There's actually a girls' academy nearby, and we're planning to send Tongtong there next year."

Xiao Yu smiled and turned to look at the courtyard.

Yu Tongtong, Danzi, Minghe, Xiao Yuanping, and Pei Yiyang were playing with Cong'er in the backyard, looking quite amusing.

Just then, a ruckus erupted in the restaurant.

Yu Tongtong and the others immediately stopped and looked towards the restaurant.

Chef Yu asked, "What's happening?"

"Let's go check," Xiao Yu quickly went out to see.

A few men in luxurious clothes were causing a scene at the counter, one of them pointing at Manager Sun and shouting, "Go and ask around, when have I ever paid for meals in Dongnan Fang? How dare you southerners ask me for money?"