Chapter 114

Chapter 114

The next day, Lu Yao went to the blacksmith's shop to have a super-large barbecue grill custom-made. He also bought some charcoal and prepared to start his barbecue business.

When the workers had free time, they all started sharpening bamboo skewers, splitting the bamboo into thin strips with pointed ends.

There were plenty of things that could be grilled: pig trotters, pork fat, pork belly, mutton, lamb tendons, lamb kidneys, chicken gizzards, chicken wings, and various vegetables. Any leftover meat or vegetables from the day could be grilled!

Lu Yao also specially prepared several types of sauces, which made the grilled vegetables taste even better when brushed on.

The grill was quickly welded together, and that evening, Lu Yao grilled some skewers for everyone.

The same meat, when grilled instead of stir-fried, tasted completely different. Sprinkled with the magical exotic spices—ground cumin—the flavor was irresistible.

The first skewer of lamb came off the grill, and Lu Yao tried it. It was full of charred aroma, and the taste was almost identical to the barbecues from his previous life, except for the lack of chili powder!

In the scorching summer, drinking chilled plum juice and eating a few skewers was simply perfect!

"Come, come, everyone, try it!"

Zhao Beichuan picked up a lamb skewer and took a bite, then froze. "Delicious!" It was entirely different from roasted whole lamb; the small pieces of grilled meat were more flavorful, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, bursting with juice in every bite.

He ate ten skewers in one go and still wasn't satisfied. Seeing the eager faces of the people around him, Zhao Beichuan handed out a few skewers to each of them.

"Is this the flavor from the anise you bought?"

"Yes, isn't it fragrant?"

"Really fragrant, this spice goes perfectly with lamb."

Everyone else also praised the taste, saying it was so delicious that they almost swallowed their tongues!

With the experiment successful, Lu Yao began setting prices. One pound of meat could make about twenty skewers. Pork belly was priced at five coins per skewer, pork fat at five coins, lamb at seven coins, lamb tendons at seven coins, and lamb kidneys at thirty coins...

As they were eating, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Mr. Lu, what delicious food are you making? Are you selling it?" The person knocking was the innkeeper from the neighboring post station. The two backyards were separated by a wall, and the smell of the barbecue had wafted over, making the guests staying at the inn very curious.

Lu Yao opened the door. "Come in quickly, we're grilling meat. We'll start selling tomorrow, but you can try it now."

The innkeeper walked in and looked at the long grill with a row of skewers. "Oh, you really know how to enjoy yourself. How did you come up with this method of grilling meat?"

Lu Yao smiled. "Large pieces of meat don't cook easily, but this way, they're ready in no time."

All the skewers from the first batch had been eaten, so this was the second round. Lu Yao fanned the fire with a fan, and Zhao Beichuan followed his example, flipping the skewers and sprinkling cumin and salt.

Soon, the aroma of the meat filled the air, and the sizzling sound of dripping oil hitting the charcoal created small flames. Lu Yao quickly fanned the flames out, as grilling should not use open flames, or the meat would burn.

The innkeeper swallowed hard. "So fragrant, what did you put in the grilled meat?"

"Home-ground spices, specifically for grilling."

In less than a quarter of an hour, the meat was cooked. Grilling in this way was indeed much faster than roasting whole pieces. Lu Yao handed half of the skewers to the innkeeper. "Take them and eat."

"That won't do. How much should I pay? This isn't for me, but for the guests staying at our inn who insist on having it."

Lu Yao had a sudden idea. "We will start grilling in the afternoon and continue until dusk. If your guests want to buy, they can come here. For every hundred coins earned, I'll give you ten coins as a commission."

The innkeeper's eyes lit up. Who wouldn't want free money? He immediately agreed. "Deal! If any guests want to eat, I'll send them over!" The innkeeper paid and hurriedly returned with the skewers.

Eighty skewers seemed like a lot, but they were quickly devoured, leaving everyone craving more.

Soon, more people came to buy skewers, and some even bought wine to take home. In just an hour, over three hundred skewers were sold, and the guests still hadn't had enough. They would have to wait until the next day.

It was getting late, so Lu Yao told everyone to rest. Zhao Beichuan extinguished the charcoal, and the two of them counted the money in the bag. In just a short while, they had earned over seven taels of silver. Grilling meat was truly a profitable business!

The next afternoon, Lu Yao started grilling in the backyard.

The smell of the barbecue was so enticing that customers didn't need to be persuaded; they asked about the source of the aroma on their own.

Since the skewers were reasonably priced, everyone bought a few to try. Once they tasted them, they couldn't stop. The five hundred skewers prepared for the day were sold out in less than an hour, and many guests still hadn't had their fill.

With the increased sales, Lu Yao outsourced the task of sharpening bamboo skewers to the neighbors in the alley. They had nothing better to do, so he gave them some work. Ten coins for a hundred skewers, and the quick ones could make five to six hundred skewers a day.

Lu Yao hired two more workers to handle the grilling. Barbecue wasn't difficult, but it was important to control the heat and seasonings. After a few days of training, they were ready to start. They grilled from noon until around dusk, earning seven hundred coins a month.

The barbecue business was even more popular in the evenings.

In the neighboring restaurant, a few merchants from Shang Jing were preparing to rest when a delicious aroma wafted in through the window.

"Third Brother, what's that smell?"

"I don't know, but it smells so good, it's making me hungry."

"Go ask if someone is cooking something."

"Alright." Chen Third Brother, wearing his undergarments, stepped out and saw other guests also coming out, asking the staff about the source of the smell.

"The Lu family restaurant next door is grilling meat. If you want to eat, go quickly, or they might close soon."

"Grilled meat? They're still selling this late?"

"They're the only ones selling it."

Hearing this, everyone quickly dressed and headed to the neighboring restaurant. When they arrived, the courtyard was already crowded with people buying skewers.

A few people gathered in small groups, chatting. "Mr. Li, you're still awake?"

"Yeah, my daughter smelled the meat and insisted I come out to buy some."

"Hahaha, what a coincidence! My naughty son wants to eat too. I’ll buy some to take back and let him taste it."

Beside the barbecue grill, the atmosphere was lively. Two helpers were frequently flipping the skewers, sprinkling cumin powder on them as soon as they started sizzling with oil, making the aroma instantly waft through the air.

"Ah, this smell can only come from the Lu Family Inn!"

Seeing that it was about time, Lu Yao began asking how many they wanted, distributing the skewers accordingly.

"Ten lamb skewers, ten lamb tendon skewers!"

"A hundred and forty coins, please." This stuff was easy to carry; you could just hold the bamboo sticks and take them away.

After waiting for half an hour, it was finally Chen Lao San’s turn. Seeing that there weren’t many left, he bought them all at once, spending only a bit over two hundred coins.

Holding the skewers, he hurried back to the inn. The brothers gathered around to eat, and in no time, dozens of skewers were gone. Everyone was still hungry and wanted to buy more, but when they went back, the stall had already closed.

Chen Lao San lay on the bed, regretfully smacking his lips. Unfortunately, they were leaving tomorrow, and he didn’t know if he would ever have the chance to taste such delicious skewers again.

After returning, these merchants mentioned the Lu Family Inn’s skewers in Ping Prefecture more than once to others. They didn’t realize they were inadvertently helping to build its reputation!

Indeed, there were even wealthy young men from Shang Jing who traveled thousands of miles to Ping Prefecture just to taste the grilled meat, and the Lu Family Inn became famous along with it.

*

But that’s another story. For now, Lu Yao was planning to buy a house.

Since March, Lu Yao had been asking people to help him look for a suitable one, but he hadn’t found anything appropriate yet.

Although the courtyard behind the inn was spacious, it was often used by customers to park their carriages and sedan chairs. The drivers and bearers would sometimes wander around the courtyard while waiting.

Lu Yao had encountered people peeping through doors and windows more than once, and he had to lock the doors every morning.

Moreover, Xiaonian was growing up, and he needed to be more careful with her.

Lu Yao wanted to buy a large house with at least two courtyards, as his family was big and it would be more convenient for everyone to live together.

There were quite a few large courtyards for sale in West Market, but the location wasn’t good, and most of the houses were dilapidated. It would cost a lot to renovate them, so it would be better to build a new one.

Most of the houses on Changshui Street were small, with only one courtyard, and very few had two or more.

Lu Yao had his eye on a house on Changrong Street. The environment there was good, and the place was spacious, but no one was selling, so he had to wait until June.

As summer set in, the weather got hotter day by day. Even with ice buckets in the main hall, it was still unbearably hot. Lu Yao kept fanning himself with a folding fan, and as soon as he stopped, sweat would trickle down his temples.

There were only four tables occupied at noon, and he had a rare moment of leisure, dozing off in his chair.

"Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu?"

"Ah." Lu Yao opened his eyes and saw Zhang Wanbao, a regular customer.

"Brother Zhang, you’re here."

"Didn’t you ask me to help you find a house? I have some news."

Lu Yao quickly got up and asked a helper to bring two bowls of chilled plum juice.

Zhang Wanbao didn’t hesitate, drinking the bowl in one go. "The He family on Changrong Street is selling their house these days. It’s a proper three-courtyard mansion. I’ve been there once, and it’s very well-built."

"The He family?" Lu Yao wasn’t familiar with them.

"He is the Deputy Magistrate of Ping Prefecture, transferred to Shaoyang in February. He has settled his family there and plans to sell this house."

Hearing that it was an official’s residence, Lu Yao felt a bit uneasy. "I wonder how much it costs. If it’s too expensive, I might not be able to afford it."

"I heard yesterday that they want six thousand taels, but since they are selling in a hurry, it might be cheaper. Your brother-in-law lives nearby, why don’t you ask him to help inquire?"

Six thousand taels was not cheap. A one-courtyard house cost only three hundred taels, and a two-courtyard house was around seven to eight hundred taels. Selling a three-courtyard mansion for six thousand was indeed quite expensive.

"Alright, thank you, Brother Zhang! I’ll treat you to a good drink if it works out."

Zhang Wanbao waved his hand. "It’s just a small favor, Mr. Lu, no need to be so formal."

In the afternoon, when Ge Changbao came to pick up Lu Miao, Lu Yao told him about it. "Go back and help me find out the lowest price for the He family’s house. If it’s reasonable, I plan to buy it."

"Sure."

Ge Changbao wasn’t very familiar with the He family, but Lady Liang was friends with Lady He. He went directly to the Liang family and asked his sister-in-law for help.

The next day, when he brought Lu Miao to the inn, he told Lu Yao, "The house is being sold for a minimum of five thousand taels. The reason it’s so expensive is that all the furniture and items inside are included in the sale, and they are definitely worth the money."

Lu Yao was immediately interested. "Why isn’t the He family taking the things with them?"

"It’s said that the journey from Ping Prefecture to Shaoyang is over three thousand miles, involving both land and water routes. It’s easier to buy new things than to transport so much stuff."

Lu Yao thought it made sense. These pieces of furniture weren’t trivial; buying new ones would cost a lot. If calculated this way, it wasn’t too expensive. "I’ll go and see it this afternoon. If it’s suitable, I’ll buy it!"

After the guests left the inn in the afternoon, Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan went to the He family’s residence.

The location of the He family’s house was excellent, situated on the north side of Changrong Street. Only the wealthy and powerful lived in this area, and it was only a short walk to the Ge family’s residence.

Standing at the gate, the two of them paused to observe. White walls, black tiles, and a red door with a plaque reading "He Family Residence."

Zhao Beichuan knocked on the door, and a servant boy soon opened it to ask, "Who are you looking for?"

"We are here to inquire about the house."

The servant said, "Please wait, I’ll inform Madam."

Shortly after, the door was opened, and the two were invited in. Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan followed the servant through the gate, where they saw the first courtyard, typically used by the servants. Through a side door, there was a small reception hall and the master’s study.

At the front was a screen wall and a second gate. Beyond this was the second courtyard. There was a saying, "One does not step out of the main gate or the second gate," referring to these two gates.

"Please wait here for a moment, our lady will be right over."

"Very well, thank you."

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a woman with a pleasant face walked out from inside. This was Lady He.

Lu Yao hurried forward to greet her, "Good day, my lady."

"You must be the ones who inquired about the house price yesterday?"

"That's right."

"Please come in and take a look."

Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan followed her inside. As they passed through the second gate, they saw an elegant rockery in front of them, with two large vases on either side, each containing lotus flowers and goldfish.

Lady He introduced as they walked, "I didn't plan to sell it, but we're going to Shaoyang for a six-year term, and the whole family will be moving. It would be a waste to leave this house unoccupied, so we decided to sell it and buy a new one there."

Lu Yao nodded in agreement, "That's true, such a fine house would deteriorate if left unused for years."

"Feel free to look around. I'll be taking the items in the master bedroom, but the furniture in the other rooms will all stay. If you decide to buy, please finalize the contract soon; I'll be leaving in a few days."

"Alright, we'll have a look first."

It was a standard three-courtyard house. The second courtyard had three main rooms and two side rooms, making five in total, with three rooms on each side of the east and west wings, and kitchens on both sides.

Passing through the hall, they entered the third courtyard, which had a row of back rooms, typically used for servants or storage.

The house was built with high-quality materials, and the windows and door frames were painted with lacquer, ensuring they wouldn't rot for decades.

"What do you think?"

Zhao Beichuan nodded, very satisfied. Such a large house could accommodate three generations comfortably.

They didn't enter the main room but took a quick look at the east and west wings. These rooms were likely where the He family's children had lived. They contained bedsteads, tables, chairs, dressing tables, and display cabinets, all made of fine materials. Just the furniture alone would save them thousands of taels of silver!

Lu Yao grew more and more pleased and decided to discuss the price with Lady He.

"I mentioned to Zhang Yu yesterday that the lowest price is five thousand taels of silver. I should let you know, no one else would get this price." Zhang Yu was Lady Liang's name.

Lu Yao said, "This price is indeed a good deal for me. When can we finalize the contract?"

"Finalizing the contract is simple. Come to the government office around the ninth hour tomorrow with your household registration."

"Thank you, my lady."

"Since you are friends with Zhang Yu, I trust you."

Leaving the He residence, Lu Yao exclaimed excitedly, "I never expected the house to be so good! Five thousand taels is really worth it!"

Zhao Beichuan smiled and nodded, "I thought it would be an old courtyard, but everything inside looks new."

"Indeed, the lacquer on the bedstead is still shiny, clearly not used much."

Both were extremely satisfied. They went home and told their two children, Xiaonian and Xiaochun, who were equally excited.

"When are we moving in, Auntie?"

"We need to wait a few more days. We'll finalize the contract at the government office tomorrow, then the He family will pack up and leave. After that, we can move in after some preparations."

Xiaonian jumped up, "Great! We finally have our own house!"

Reflecting on the past years, they had been renting houses ever since they left Willow Village, without owning a single property. Now, their wish was finally fulfilled.

Back in the house, Lu Yao took out the ledger to check the silver. They had thirteen thousand taels in total, part from the wine shop and part from the restaurant.

Last winter, the restaurant earned over five thousand taels, and the barbecue business this year netted nearly three thousand taels.

There wasn't much cash at home, as most of it was used for daily expenses, and the majority was stored in the money shop. They planned to withdraw five thousand taels the next day to give to Lady He.

Zhao Beichuan came in after washing up, bare-chested and still damp.

"Do we have enough silver?"

Lu Yao looked up at him, "Enough to buy two houses."

"We have that much silver?" He leaned over to look at the ledger behind Lu Yao. He had learned to read quite a bit during the winter from Xiaodou and could now understand the numbers in the ledger.

"You don't usually handle the accounts. Aren't you worried I might hide some silver for myself?"

Zhao Beichuan rubbed his head against Lu Yao's, "If you want to hide it, go ahead. Everything in this house is yours, anyway. Besides, I'm yours, so why would I care about that?"

His words pleased Lu Yao, who turned around and wrapped his arms around his husband's neck, giving him a peck on the chin.

"In the future, we'll not only buy a house. When we have more money, we'll buy the shops and a few estates, and we can visit them during our leisure time."

"Sounds good." Zhao Beichuan smiled and kissed him, the kiss deepening as their lips intertwined. When they parted, a thin thread of saliva connected them, and both were breathing heavily.

*

The next morning, Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan arrived early at the government office. Lady He came just before the ninth hour.

Having agreed on the terms beforehand, the process was smooth. With Lady He holding an official position, the clerk in charge of household registration respectfully reviewed and reissued the deed, and both parties signed and stamped it.

After leaving the government office, Lu Yao took Lady He to the money shop and withdrew the five thousand taels, which several servants helped load onto a cart.

Lady He said, "We will set off the day after tomorrow. After we leave, someone will deliver the keys to your restaurant."

"Thank you, my lady. May your journey be smooth."

Lady He nodded slightly and got into the carriage.

After the others had walked far enough away, Lu Yao took out the deed and examined it repeatedly, unable to hide the smile in his eyes.

*

Three days later, a servant from the He family delivered the key, and the house finally belonged to Lu Yao.

The two of them couldn't wait to visit the house again that day, this time exploring the main rooms.

The three main rooms were spacious and bright. The main hall was used for receiving distinguished guests, with all the necessary furniture, made of rosewood, smooth to the touch.

In the master bedroom, all the luggage had been moved out, leaving only one set of furniture. This room was even more exquisite, using sandalwood, which alone would cost no less than a thousand taels of silver!

Lu Yao sat on the bed, "This is really good stuff! Five thousand taels of silver was well spent!"

Zhao Beichuan asked, "When are we moving in?"

"Not in a hurry. Let's see what else is missing in each room and add them gradually. We also need to hire a few more servants. We can't always keep the front door locked when we're not at home."

"Alright."

The two of them were busy preparing the new house, so these days, the purchasing for the tavern was left to Xiaochun, Lu Qing, and Lu Ming.

As usual, the three of them went to West Market today, buying ten pounds of fresh cucumbers. Seeing that the flat beans were good, Xiaochun bought another three pounds. The bitter herbs were already old, so they decided to use the dried ones instead.

It was the season for persimmons, which were golden and soft. Xiaochun remembered that there used to be a persimmon tree at home, but he had never tasted them because his parents didn't allow it; they only gave them to his older brothers.

Back then, as a young child, he would suck his thumb and gaze up at the tall persimmon tree, thinking that when he grew up, he would definitely taste the persimmons to find out what they tasted like.

"How much are the persimmons?"

"Two coins per pound!"

"Give me ten pounds." Xiaochun took out his pocket money, intending to buy half a basket to share with everyone.

After paying, Lu Qing reached out to help carry the bag. Zhao Fengchun, seeing that they had bought enough, prepared to head back with the three of them.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "Fenqiu?"

Zhao Fengchun paused, his face instantly changing. He quickly urged the others to walk faster.