Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The visitor was a middle-aged man, dressed in a silk robe and a straight jacket, with a gold silk jade pendant tied around his waist, giving off the air of a middle-class family.

Behind him followed a lady. He entered and bowed, saying, “Pardon the intrusion. My wife and I were at Daxiangguo Temple, where we had meals prepared by Second Sister Ye. We found the dishes quite to our taste. My elderly matriarch is planning to hold a vegetarian banquet soon. Would you be able to take on the job?”

Ye Zhan nodded.

The man was overjoyed, “There will be an advance payment of one guan of money, and after the ceremony, an additional reward of four guan of money.”

Ye Zhan naturally agreed. A reward of five taels of silver (a significant amount of money) to cater a banquet was considered high pay among middle-class families.

The man then laid out the requirements. The elderly matriarch was turning seventy and required a fully vegetarian menu. The dishes needed to be soft for easy chewing by the elderly and also presentable.

The banquet would be for close relatives, with about twenty tables. It was also essential to ensure timely service on that day.

Ye Zhan understood. No wonder they were offering five taels of silver.

A fully vegetarian banquet was quite a test of a chef’s skills. Chefs who could meet such requirements were either employed as private cooks by wealthy families or worked as head chefs in large restaurants.

Private cooks wouldn’t take the risk of taking side jobs for fear of being dismissed, as serving their masters well could earn them tips amounting to five taels over a few meals.

Hosting a banquet at a large restaurant would cost much more than that. Besides the chef’s fee, the restaurant would also take a cut, costing at least fifteen taels.

Although five taels of silver was considered a high expenditure for middle-class families, there weren’t many who could meet the requirements. Moreover, the service speed needed to be guaranteed, which only professional banquet chefs would be willing to do, but their fees wouldn’t be this low.

In short, these five taels of silver weren’t easy to earn. Ye Zhan nodded, “Tomorrow, I’ll come to your residence to prepare a few sample dishes for you to try. If you’re satisfied, we’ll sign a contract through a middleman. If you’re not satisfied, you can consider the one guan of money as payment for our trouble, does that sound reasonable?”

The man nodded repeatedly, “Yes, your approach is excellent.” It was systematic, showing she was an expert.

The man’s wife looked hesitant: her husband was trying to save money by hiring an unknown kitchen maid this time, and she hoped it wouldn’t backfire. Although she also found the vegetarian dishes prepared by Second Sister Ye quite delicious, it was a birthday banquet. What if something went wrong…?

Just as she was thinking, a fragrant aroma wafted over, “What’s that smell?”

Ye Zhan smiled, “We’re about to have a meal. Since you’re a guest, would you like to join us?”

The lady glanced at the narrow alley and modest home, waving her hands, “No, no, that won’t be necessary.”

Ye Zhan smiled and didn’t insist. She simply wrapped some five-spice braised soybeans and dried tofu in clean oiled paper, “Please take this to taste on your way. I’ll visit your residence the day after tomorrow.”

The braised soybeans were a deep green, with a layer of soft fuzz clearly visible, exuding a rich braised fragrance that tempted the eater.

The lady involuntarily swallowed and suddenly wished to hurry home. Odd, she had already eaten at the Daxiangguo Temple, hadn’t she?

After the guests left, the whole family gathered around, “Congratulations, Second Sister.”

Ye Zhan calculated the money in her hand. After setting up food stalls everywhere for a month, she had earned six guan of money. With the five taels from this guest, it totaled eleven taels of silver.

The monthly rent for a fixed food stall in the city was about five taels of silver. With these eleven taels, she was one step closer to leasing a permanent stall.

Mi Fengniang didn’t quite understand, “Running a stall doesn’t involve rental fees. Having a stall would mean losing a significant amount of profit, wouldn’t it?”

“Currently, I can only operate the stall during the day, and a lot of time is wasted on the road. Moreover, I have to trouble my two brothers to help with the transportation morning and night. A shop would bring us regular customers and make it easier to build a reputation and attract more diners,” Ye Zhan explained her plan.

Right now, the food stall only attracted a small number of diners passing by the State Bridge Night Market. With a fixed shop, people from all over Bianjing would visit.

No more rushing around at night, and I can extend my business hours a bit. Also, renting out the stall in the morning is another source of income.

Since her daughter had made up her mind, Mi Fengniang didn’t try to stop her, only saying, "If you need money, I can lend you the silver I received today."

Before Ye Zhan could finish speaking, Mi Fengniang immediately added, "Three percent interest, which is one percent cheaper than the pawnshop. After all, you are my own daughter."

Ye Zhan: ......

What a deep bond between mother and daughter.

Ye Dafu chuckled beside them, "Your mother is afraid that favoring one child will cause the others to complain. It's better to be fair to everyone."

Jin Ge'er immediately said, "Then Mother, just give each of us siblings one tael of silver. That’s fairness too."

His reply was met with a light tap from Mi Fengniang.

After the family’s playful banter, they finally began to eat dinner.

Tonight's dinner looked sumptuous: amber-colored marinated duck offal, golden fried small fish, oily salted beans and pork, and deep green five-spice marinated soybeans and tofu.

Jade Sister clapped her hands in delight, "It feels like we're celebrating the New Year every day!" It’s great to have my younger sister at home! She adds meat dishes from time to time, and we get to taste leftover ingredients and new trial dishes every now and then.

Ye Dafu first served his wife a chopstick, "Today, you brought in a lot of money and are the hero of the family."

"Today, the copper coins we collected will be divided per person," Mi Fengniang announced.

The Ye family cheered and found the dishes even more flavorful.

The marinated duck offal had a rich wine aroma, cool and refreshing in the mouth—perfect for whetting your appetite on a hot summer day.

The fried small fish were crispy, the batter crunchy, and the fish inside tender, even the bones fried crisp, making it very satisfying to bite into.

The accompanying salt and pepper seasoning added a unique flavor, leaving a lingering taste when paired with the fried fish.

It was only now that Ye Zhan realized that tofu was quite valuable in ancient times; poor people could only afford to eat tofu once a year after saving up.

No wonder the Grand Xiangguo Temple used tofu as a token of appreciation for her cooking.

After soaking and braising in the marinade, the tofu softened but kept its chewiness, making it satisfying to eat.

Mi Fengniang especially enjoyed the deep green five-spice marinated edamame. Using chopsticks to hold a corner of the bean, she bit into it, and the tender green beans and thick marinade flooded her mouth, filling it with a rich marinade fragrance, perfect for accompanying drinks.

Ye Li's favorite was the salted beans and pork. The crispy, golden-brown skin of the pork revealed three layers of glistening fat beneath. When picked up with chopsticks, the meat was soft and floppy.

In the mouth, the fat melted instantly, filling the mouth with a meaty aroma.

The lean meat needed to be savored slowly. The first braise infused the meat with flavor, frying made the skin crisp, and the second braise made the skin moist and soft, absorbing the salted and dried flavors of the preserved beans.

After several processes, this pork was nearly perfect.

The preserved beans were equally delicious. Once plain pickles, they now absorbed the rich pork fat during braising, creating a perfect balance of pickled flavor and richness—worth their weight in gold.

Each dish had its own unique qualities, offering a mix of meat and vegetarian options, along with spicy and sour flavors—ideal for pairing with drinks.

The family ate with satisfaction, and Jade Sister patted her waist, "Sister Zhan's meals are so good, I’m afraid I’ll gain a circle around my waist."

She had high praise for today's dishes, "These dishes are all great with alcohol. Since I sell small dishes daily, I should consider selling Sister Zhan's recipes too."

She is the shop's female salesperson who sells snacks to pair with drinks. This profession involves carrying a small basket filled with assorted snacks and selling them door-to-door at various shops.

Some taverns only sell drinks and don’t bother making food, so she can make extra cash by selling snacks there.

Ye Zhan considered, "Why don't we go tonight? I can prepare a few more snacks."

She hasn’t visited Jade Sister's workplace since she arrived here. It might be worth checking out.

If it’s not ideal, it’ll be easier to convince Jade Sister to move on from this street-selling phase and help out at the restaurant.