Chapter 81

Chapter 81

The success of a restaurant hinges on its dishes.

If the food is delicious, repeat customers will be plentiful, so the menu is crucial. After returning home, Lu Yao began to draft the menu.

Lu Yao knew how to cook a vast array of dishes, from Southern to Northern cuisines. While he wasn't an expert in all eight major styles, he had some knowledge of most.

However, many ingredients were unavailable, such as Sichuan cuisine, which couldn't be made because Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers hadn't been introduced to Central China yet. Many vegetables were also out of season; it was mid-March, and only green onions and leeks were available. Other vegetables would take at least a month to grow. This naturally narrowed down the range of dishes.

In the end, Lu Yao prepared six signature dishes: Braised Carp, Braised Lion's Head, Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Braised Pork Belly, Minced Pork with Tofu, and Hotchpotch (a soup made by frying radish balls, tofu puffs, and crispy meat wrapped in dough).

These six dishes were all hearty and priced slightly higher. The Braised Carp was sold by weight at eighteen coins per pound, with a three-pound carp costing around fifty coins.

The Braised Lion's Head used more meat and was priced at fifty-five coins per serving. The Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs were forty-eight coins, the Braised Pork Belly forty coins, the Minced Pork with Tofu thirty coins, and the Hotchpotch twenty coins per bowl. Overall, the prices were not too high, considering the cost of meat, and setting them this low was already quite challenging.

Fourteen regular dishes were also planned, including Cold Bitter Melon Salad for twelve coins, Green Onion and Tofu Salad for twelve coins, Fried Peanuts for fifteen coins, Cold Cucumber Salad for fifteen coins (in season), Eggs Stir-fried with Black Fungus for fifteen coins, Eggs Stir-fried with Leeks for fifteen coins (in season), Beijing-Style Shredded Pork for thirty coins, Honey Glazed Radish for thirty-five coins, Stir-fried Kidney for thirty-five coins, Quick-Fried Intestines for thirty-five coins, Garlic Ribs for fifty coins, Half a Roast Chicken for forty coins, a whole chicken for seventy-five coins, Stir-fried Lamb with Scallions for fifty coins, and Egg Soup for twenty coins.

For main courses, there was Millet Rice for five coins per bowl, Meat Gravy Noodles for eight coins per bowl, and Sugar Pancakes for twenty coins for four pieces. The overall pricing was quite affordable, allowing ordinary people to enjoy a good meal for less than a hundred coins.

Lu Yao decided not to make dumplings for now due to the lack of manpower and the complexity involved.

Of these twenty dishes, only a few cold dishes could be found in the city; the rest were new recipes brought from his future. Compared to traditional cooking methods like stewing and steaming, stir-frying alone gave him an advantage.

Lu Yao showed the completed menu to the three of them, and they listened with mouths watering.

Zhao Beichuan waved his hand, "Let's tidy up the shop and pick a good day to open."

Xiaonian asked excitedly, "Sister-in-law, can my brother and I help at the shop?"

"Of course, but Xiaodou mustn't neglect his studies."

Xiaodou immediately promised, "I'll bring my books and paper, and I'll just read!"

"Tomorrow, go buy a wok and a stone mill," Lu Yao drew a picture of a modern stir-fry spoon, "buy one according to this design, or have a blacksmith make one if you can't find it." This type of spoon was more convenient for stir-frying, preventing the food from burning easily in a large pot.

"I have an important task for you, Xiaonian. Sew a sign for Sister-in-law."

Suddenly entrusted with a significant responsibility, Xiaonian nodded solemnly, "I'll definitely sew it beautifully!"

The sign remained white with black letters, bordered in red, and had blue waves at the bottom. He sketched the design, and Xiaonian sewed it meticulously, her stitches finer and neater than his.

The Zhao family began their new round of preparations.

*

"Kid, where's your boss?"

Zhao Beidou was writing at the counter and looked up, shouting, "Sister-in-law, we have a customer!"

Lu Yao wiped his hands and walked over from the back yard, seeing a middle-aged man in his forties looking around the room.

"The shop isn't fully set up yet; we'll officially open on March 18th."

"New management?"

"Yes."

"Why did Old Tao and the others leave?"

"The previous boss's husband injured his waist and can no longer cook, so he sold the shop to us."

"Alright, I'll come back when you open." The man left, strolling away with his hands behind his back.

Several curious customers had already visited, confirming that the previous owner had indeed told the truth about the loyal customer base.

After the guest left, Lu Yao asked Xiaodou to continue watching the front while he cleaned the courtyard, with Xiaonian sewing the sign beside him.

The stove, having been used for years, was covered in grease. Lu Yao carefully scraped it clean with a small shovel. The cutting board was also moldy and needed to be scrubbed and dried in the sun. The two cleavers left by the previous owners were dull and needed sharpening when Zhao Beichuan returned.

Meanwhile, Zhao Beichuan drove the donkey cart to the city's blacksmith shop.

"Do you have a wok like this?" He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and showed it to the blacksmith.

"No, but I can forge one for you."

"How long will it take?"

The blacksmith stroked his chin thoughtfully, "How big do you want it?"

"Nine inches wide."

"It should take about ten days."

"That's too long."

The blacksmith replied, "I have many urgent jobs, and I can't just focus on your wok."

"I'll give you an extra hundred coins as a rush fee. Can you expedite it?"

The blacksmith agreed readily, "Alright, I'll have it ready in three days!"

Money talks, and Zhao Beichuan handed over the deposit, promising to pay the remainder when he collected the wok. For the other pots and steamers, earthenware would suffice, and the family's iron pots could also be used.

Next to the blacksmith's shop was a stonecutter's, where various stone mills were displayed. Zhao Beichuan estimated the size of the backyard and bought a medium-sized mill for over two strings of cash.

The stonecutter offered to help load it onto the cart, but Zhao Beichuan declined, lifting it effortlessly to the donkey cart, much to the stonecutter's amazement.

With the major items purchased, only minor items remained. Before leaving, Lu Yao had instructed him to buy two pounds of salt, two pounds of sugar, two jars of oil, and one jar of vinegar.

It took half a day to gather everything, and he finally returned to the shop with all the items.

The house was thoroughly cleaned from inside out, with new paper pasted on the windows, making it bright and cheerful as soon as one stepped in.

Zhao Beichuan moved everything from the cart to the backyard, arranging them properly, then handed the remaining silver coins to Lu Yao, "It will take three days to forge the pot, and it cost an extra hundred coins."

"Not too expensive, and it won't delay our opening. Later, you can sharpen the knives and set up the earthen pot. I'll go to the city to buy some meat and vegetables. Xiaonian, do you want to come with me?"

"Sure!" The little girl nodded eagerly, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at grains. She loved going shopping with her sister-in-law. She quickly put away her needlework into the basket and followed Lu Yao onto the street with great enthusiasm.

*

The rent on Changxing Street was high, so naturally, the prices were also higher. For buying groceries, they had to go to West Market.

West Market had no shops; most people sat on the ground on straw mats, setting up stalls that only cost three coins per day. People from nearby villages often came here to sell their goods.

There were fresh wild vegetables dug from the mountains, young green onions that had just sprouted in spring, and chickens and eggs raised at home. People haggled over prices as if they were in a battle, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere.

Xiaonian felt familiar in such places, as if she had returned to Xiasanli. She held Lu Yao's hand and said, "Sister-in-law, this is just like where we used to live."

Lu Yao smiled, "No matter how big the city, there's always a place for ordinary people to live."

As they walked and looked around, they occasionally asked about prices and bought a bit when they found something reasonable. When they reached a fish vendor, Lu Yao stopped.

"Uncle, how much are these fish in your basin?"

The man, in his forties or fifties, tanned dark from the sun, showed his yellow teeth and said, "Ten coins per pound, and I can give you a better price if you buy more."

Lu Yao squatted down to look. They were all live grass carp, quite large, each weighing four or five pounds.

"Did you catch these fish in the river?"

"All by myself."

"How many of these large fish can you catch each day?"

"It varies. Sometimes four or five, sometimes none."

Lu Yao looked up, "Your accent isn't local. Are you from the south?"

"Ah, my hometown is Huzhou. A few years ago, during a disaster, I moved north with my clan. I still have the skills to fish, but unfortunately, people here don't eat much fish."

Lu Yao nodded with a smile. In the north, except for coastal areas, not many people enjoyed fish. Living off the land and water, unlike southerners who grew up fishing and eating fish, they were accustomed to the taste of fish.

"If I buy all your fish every day, what's the lowest price you can offer?"

The old man was taken aback, "All... all of them?"

"Yes."

"The lowest I can offer is eight coins... no, seven coins!" It would take him two or three days to sell the fish in the basin, and sometimes dead fish wouldn't be worth much, becoming smelly and having to be thrown away after half a day.

If he could sell all the fish he caught directly every day, it would be much more convenient, and he would have time to do other things!

Lu Yao said, "I'll give you an address. Deliver the live fish to my shop early tomorrow morning. I only want live fish. If the fish aren't good, I'll buy from someone else."

Hearing this, the man immediately patted his chest and promised, "Sir, rest assured, I won't deliver any fish that's even a bit weak!"

Lu Yao gave him the address of her shop. For the opening the next day, she planned to buy a few fish to keep in the tank at the back, which would be convenient to use later.

They passed by a pork stall and asked about the prices. Pork in Qiushui Town was fifty coins per pound, forty-five coins in the county town, and only forty coins in Prefecture City.

Xiaonian asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, why is pork cheaper in larger places?"

"Because more people buy pork, so more people sell it. Who would buy the more expensive one when there are cheaper options? Over time, the price will naturally drop."

Lu Yao paused, "Of course, they make less profit per sale, but they sell more because Qiushui Town has fewer people than Prefecture City."

Xiaonian suddenly understood, "I see, this is what you call 'selling at a low profit but in large quantities'!"

Lu Yao patted her head, this little girl had a knack for business.

She inquired about the prices of offal from the butcher. Pig intestines, hearts, and livers were all the same price, fifteen coins per pound, regardless of processing. If you wanted to buy them, you had to reserve them a day in advance, or they might be sold out.

Continuing forward, they saw a stall selling dried mushrooms and black fungus. Lu Yao asked Xiaonian to inquire about the prices and see if she could get a discount for three pounds of black fungus.

Despite being only nine years old, Xiaonian spoke clearly and confidently, showing no fear when talking to adults.

Originally priced at sixty coins per pound, she managed to buy three pounds for one hundred and fifty coins.

Xiaonian's cheeks were rosy, and she ran back excitedly with the cloth bag, "Sister-in-law, look! We saved thirty coins!"

"Great job, our Xiaonian is really amazing!"

Finally, they bought a basket of eggs and some long-lasting seasonings: two pounds of dried ginger, three braids of purple-skinned garlic, and half a pound of dried Sichuan pepper. On their way back, Lu Yao stopped by a pharmacy to buy some cardamom, cinnamon, and mugwort, which would be used to make fragrant oil for cooking.

As they walked back to Changxing Street, they suddenly heard someone calling out.

"Sister-in-law! Zhao family's sister-in-law!"

Lu Yao paused, looking around and spotting a carriage parked by the roadside.

Lin Zijian was waving excitedly from the carriage, "Stop the carriage, stop the carriage!"

"Whoa—" The driver pulled the reins, and Lin Zijian jumped off the carriage and ran over to Lu Yao, "I thought I saw wrong at first. Greetings, Sister-in-law, greetings, Year Sister."

After months of not seeing each other, the boy had become even more charming. Lu Yao smiled and returned a half-bow, "I didn't expect to run into you here. Did your parents and grandfather come too?"

"Only Grandfather and I came. We arrived in Ping Prefecture the day before yesterday and are staying at the Ping Prefecture Inn. I was just thinking of coming out to look for you, and here we meet!"

"Did Beidou come? Did he pass the exam?"

"Yes, he passed and is now studying at home."

Lin Zijian couldn't help but hop in place with joy; after all, he was only seven, the age when boys are most mischievous.

"Where are you staying now, Sister-in-law? I'll come visit tomorrow!"

Since they spent their days at the shop and no one was home, Lu Yao told him the location of the food stall.

Upon hearing that the Zhao family would be opening a restaurant in Prefecture City, Zijian clapped his hands in approval, "Grandfather has been longing for your cooking! We'll definitely come to support when it opens!"

"Great, we'll be looking forward to your visit, Sister-in-law."