Early the next morning, Su Muqing rose before dawn. Truly, when good fortune smiles upon a person, their spirits soar. She felt particularly invigorated today.
Not long after, Wan Yan'er also got out of bed. They had planned to explore Rongcheng thoroughly today. Considering the high outdoor temperature, Su Muqing had already sent Black Bear and Little Milk Bun to the Empress's quarters early on. This way, they would be protected from the sun while also having Black Bear to play with.
After finishing breakfast, the two left the palace with Fei La. Eagle followed their carriage, preparing to fly to the Regent's Estate. Unexpectedly, as their carriage reached the palace gates, they saw Lu Yuzhi and the other three waiting on horseback.
Upon seeing this, Su Muqing and Wan Yan'er alighted from the luxurious palace carriage. Fei La trotted over to Lu Yuzhi, circling them incessantly. The horses, seeing this furry monster larger than themselves suddenly approach, snorted nervously and shifted uneasily.
Wan Yan'er ran forward, took the reins of the only remaining horse, and then leaped onto its back.
"Fei La, come here." Su Muqing beckoned to Fei La, then directly sat on its back.
Lu Yuzhi had intended to share a horse with her, but Su Muqing considered Fei La's unusual size and appearance, as well as its spirited nature. If she didn't keep it tethered, she feared it might frighten the other citizens. The others found this reasoning sound, and Lu Yuzhi didn't press the matter further.
The group rode their horses away from the palace gates, with Eagle still circling above them. After crossing the moat, they finally reached Rongcheng's East Main Street, which was the furthest and most bustling street from the palace.
There were many streets here, arranged in a complex labyrinth. Besides a few main avenues, there were smaller alleys and lanes, all interconnected, allowing one to reach another side with a turn, making transportation quite convenient.
This area was mostly filled with shops, some built adjacent to each other, others standing alone. The shops were primarily two stories, with some larger inns and establishments reaching three stories.
The group left their horses at a livery and began their stroll from the street's beginning. Fei La, naturally, was not stabled and attracted considerable attention from onlookers throughout their walk due to its peculiar appearance.
Ke Bena first led them to the Regent's Estate's property – the number one establishment under heaven. This restaurant stood three stories tall, with three courtyard houses built side-by-side. Besides its considerable size, it occupied the best location on the entire street.
It was only a little past nine in the morning, not yet lunchtime. As they entered, the waiters were sweeping the floors. The shopkeeper, upon seeing Ke Bena, quickly put down his abacus and came forward to bow.
"Greetings, Young Master. Will you be having lunch here, sir? Your humble servant will arrange it immediately." After bowing, the shopkeeper stood aside, awaiting his instructions.
"Show our distinguished guests around the restaurant. No need to prepare anything yet; we haven't decided if we'll be eating lunch here," Ke Bena said, stepping aside to allow the others to proceed to the upstairs private rooms.
Su Muqing took a brief look at the restaurant's layout and decor. The main hall appeared quite spacious. Directly opposite the main entrance was the shopkeeper's counter, with curved staircases on either side. The staircases were flanked by small private rooms separated by beaded curtains, and other tables and chairs in the hall were also partitioned by screens.
The restaurant's decor largely followed a lavish ancient style. Everywhere one looked, there were red sandalwood tables and chairs, large frosted colored glass ornaments, and other precious items. Even the beads on the small archway's curtains were interspersed with pearls and jade beads.
The word "lavish" could barely describe it!
The group ascended the stairs to the second floor, which was entirely composed of private rooms. One side had traditional sliding doors, while the other side featured doorways designed as circles, also adorned with beaded curtains.
Each private room was quite spacious, with not only tables for dining but also areas for sitting, drinking tea, and chatting. The walls were hung with paintings and calligraphy, but Su Muqing could understand very little of it.
The third floor had only a few rooms, and the decor here was even more opulent. Not only were there areas for tea and conversation, but also small, exquisite couches where guests could rest if they became intoxicated.
After touring this section, the group proceeded to the kitchens. The kitchens were located in the innermost courtyard, and this area was even larger. The parking lot for horses was situated at a distance, while the other side housed the kitchens and an adjoining preparation room.
As they entered, the kitchen staff were also busy cleaning the ingredients for the day. Su Muqing found the food here difficult to adapt to; the vegetables were undercooked and lacked flavor. There were few ways to prepare meat, mostly boiled and then dipped in various local specialty sauces.
Due to limited land, the variety of vegetables available was also scarce. They had none of the easily cultivated and high-yield grains like potatoes and sweet potatoes. However, items like tomatoes and carrots were already present.
After visiting the number one establishment under heaven, the group continued to explore other shops. Besides restaurants, inns, and teahouses, there were primarily fabric shops, grain stores, and general merchandise stores. Following these were silversmiths, pawnshops, and blacksmiths.
They spent the entire day strolling along Rongcheng's streets, even having a casual meal by the roadside for lunch. It wasn't until after five in the afternoon that they reconvened at the number one establishment under heaven.
It was now dinnertime, and the restaurant was quite full, indicating its good business. Judging by the patrons' attire and demeanor, most appeared to be from affluent families.
It made sense, though. Even if one ate nothing at a restaurant, those concerned with appearances would still tip more than ten copper coins. To have a proper meal, one would need at least ten silver coins to dare enter the restaurant's doors.
She had inquired earlier; Rongcheng had scarce land and a large population. The common folk in the outer city primarily made a living by fishing.
A fisherman's income could range from over a hundred coins to as little as a dozen, barely enough to survive. Therefore, they rarely patronized places like restaurants and inns.
After a preliminary understanding of the patrons, Su Muqing decided to get something to eat. She went directly to the kitchen, found a small stove and a medium-sized bronze pot, and asked the kitchen staff to wash and slice the meat and vegetable dishes, then plate them and bring them to a private room.
In the kitchen, she took out two packets of hot pot base, stir-fried them briefly to release the aroma, then added water and boiled them before transferring the mixture to the bronze pot.
The patrons in the main hall, smelling the fragrant and unusual aroma, began questioning the shopkeeper, asking what the scent was. Had the restaurant introduced a new dish? Why hadn't the waiters informed them?
The shopkeeper was flustered by the patrons' inquiries. How could he know what it was? After they returned, they had gone straight to the kitchen, and the Young Master had specifically told him not to hover around. So, the shopkeeper had returned to the counter to manage the accounts.
When Su Muqing emerged after preparing the hot pot base, she saw the shopkeeper being chased around by customers. She instructed a waiter to take the base to a more secluded private room on the first floor.
With so many people seeking this aroma, if they were to walk past them brazenly, they might not be able to enjoy their hot pot tonight. In fact, this hot pot meal was quite rudimentary; the dipping sauces were incomplete, and the pots and stoves were temporary, appearing rather rustic.
It was all because Su Muqing genuinely couldn't stand the bland, overcooked food anymore. A sudden idea struck her: to make a simple hot pot herself.
In life, one must not skimp on good food, no matter what. Especially for someone like her who was destined to live many lives, the stomach needed proper appeasement.
Ke Bena and Wan Yan'er were seeing this way of eating for the first time. Why were they bringing stoves to the table? And the table full of food – it all looked raw. The vegetables were somewhat tolerable, but how were they supposed to eat the meat?
Once the dishes were arranged, Su Muqing took out a bottle of chili sauce, a small bottle of sesame oil, and a small bottle of sesame paste from her all-purpose satchel…
Ke Bena and Wan Yan'er watched as she pulled out one strange item after another from her bag. When she finally stopped, her seating area was already filled with bottles and jars.
Wan Yan'er's mouth hung open in astonishment, once again wondering if Su Muqing's small satchel possessed some form of magic. How could she always produce treasures they had never even seen before?
Su Muqing opened the dipping sauces, scooped a little of each into her own bowl, and mixed them together. Lu Yuzhi, sitting beside her, saw her do this and then took the remaining ingredients to add to his own bowl.
After they had both prepared their dipping sauces, Ke Bena and Wan Yan'er followed suit, taking a little of each into their bowls before passing them to Leng Ren and Leng Feng, who were seated below.
The charcoal fire in the stove burned brightly, and the base in the pot had just been brought to a boil on the stove. Su Muqing picked up a thin slice of fish and placed it into the boiling red oil broth.
After about two or three minutes, she fished out a piece of perfectly cooked white fish and dipped it into her sauce. Once she finished, the others also began to pick up their chopsticks, take food, and dip it lightly in the sauce before eating.
The moment the fish entered their mouths, Ke Bena and Wan Yan'er's first sensation was… burning hot!
As the heat gradually subsided, they felt a strong spicy and numbing sensation!
The two quickly turned red, and the fine sweat on their foreheads turned into dense beads of perspiration. Wan Yan'er, being a girl, coughed a few times from the initial shock of the spice.
However, once the stinging sensation in her throat disappeared, her mouth couldn't help but start salivating. Then came the second bite, the third bite, and finally, they couldn't stop eating, becoming increasingly addicted to it!
As the two adapted to the flavor, they began to share their experiences from the day's shopping. They primarily listened to Su Muqing's opinions, as she was the most knowledgeable.
Ke Bena mentioned that after they returned to the palace last night, he had discussed it with the Regent. He offered the number one establishment under heaven in Rongcheng to Su Muqing if she was interested, as a coming-of-age gift from her cousin.
Su Muqing laughed so hard her mouth couldn't close. Although she wasn't short of money, she had to admit that befriending a wealthy person was wonderful. They either gave money, houses, or land…
Or they would casually say, "If you're good, I'll buy you a street!" This kind of overbearing, yet charming, gift-giving was utterly irresistible!
However, Su Muqing wasn't that greedy. After some thought, she decided to co-own a comprehensive and multi-tiered food city with Ke Bena.
The purpose of this food city would be to satisfy the quality demands of the wealthy while also creating delicious food that ordinary people could afford.
Their first venture together would be with the number one establishment under heaven. The next step would be a major renovation of the restaurant. In addition, they would need to design and manufacture specialized stoves for hot pot and barbecue, along with other necessary utensils.
Ke Bena told Su Muqing to just provide him with the designs, and he would find the best craftsmen in the city to ensure satisfactory results.
Actually, Su Muqing had all these items in her spatial mall. If she only needed one or two, she could have taken them out and claimed they were brought from Huaxia City. After all, to avoid suspicion, they had loaded the rented ship with plenty of supplies and luggage.
However, now that they planned to open a large establishment, it wasn't just about a few pots. If she took everything out, it would be too conspicuous. No matter how much luggage they had, no one would carry hundreds of large pots and several barbecue grills around.
Therefore, Su Muqing didn't refuse when Ke Bena offered to handle it. It was their jointly owned venture, after all, and he needed some involvement to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride when they made money in the future.
The group ate and chatted, spending over two hours. They not only ordered additional dishes several times but also changed the charcoal multiple times before everyone was finally full.
Besides discussing matters, time had flown by. The main reason was that they had walked so much that day, everyone felt hungry and tired.
When the shopkeeper finally managed to placate the inquisitive customers and came to the private room, he saw that Ke Bena and Wan Yan'er's lips were swollen, and their eyes were teary and red.
What was going on?
Suddenly, the shopkeeper seemed to realize something! He looked them over with a knowing smile. If only the Young Master had looked like this, he would have assumed his master had been beaten. But now, both of them had red, swollen mouths, and they were a man and a woman…
Something was definitely up…
Seeing his meaningful gaze, Ke Bena, with his pouty, "sausage" lips, asked the shopkeeper, "What's with that look of yours?"
The shopkeeper quickly withdrew his gaze and bowed respectfully. "Your humble servant merely wished to ask the Young Master about the dish you ate just now. You instructed me to tell everyone it was a new product being introduced, and many of our regular customers have already placed orders, saying they want to try it tomorrow. But…"
When Ke Bena heard about this, he turned to Su Muqing. It was his first time tasting such a delicacy. She had also told him to instruct the shopkeeper to answer this way.
"Shopkeeper Yuan, I forgot to mention, this lady is also a co-owner of the restaurant from now on. Her words are as important as mine. For future arrangements and decor of the restaurant, you will listen to her," Ke Bena introduced Su Muqing's status to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper was taken aback. What new co-owner? Wasn't this the Regent's property? Realizing this belatedly, he bowed to Su Muqing. "Greetings, new co-owner!"
Su Muqing smiled and nodded. "Greetings, Shopkeeper. Please, have a seat and speak."
Seeing that Su Muqing was approachable, the shopkeeper felt a bit more at ease. "Thank you, Co-owner! I shall speak plainly. Can the dish that the Young Master and Co-owner ate tonight be sold tomorrow?"
Su Muqing pondered for a moment before replying, "This delicacy is called hot pot! I have a lot of the base sauce, but I cannot release too much at once. How about this! Starting tomorrow, the restaurant will supply 20 portions daily, first-come, first-served! However, it will only be available for three days. After these three days, the restaurant will undergo a major renovation and closure. You will need to post a notice at the entrance in advance to prevent customers from coming in vain."
"Renovation? Will the shop be closed? Then the staff…" Upon hearing about the renovation, the shopkeeper felt somewhat troubled.
He knew that most of the waiters, chefs, and laborers in the restaurant relied on their monthly wages for their families. Based on his past experience, a major renovation of a restaurant would take at least several months, meaning everyone would go without pay for months.
Su Muqing noticed the troubled expression on his face. "Shopkeeper, please don't worry! I will make other arrangements for the restaurant's waiters and chefs. During the renovation period, they will continue to receive their monthly wages, but they will need to learn some new skills. By the way! How many workers does the restaurant currently have?"
Upon hearing that their wages would continue, the shopkeeper was delighted. "Reporting to the Co-owner, the restaurant has a total of twenty-two workers, including head chefs, laborers, and waiters. The inn in the middle has seventeen workers, and the teahouse on the other side has thirteen workers."
Su Muqing considered it carefully. It seemed she would have to work overtime tonight. Whether to renovate the restaurant all at once or proceed step by step needed to be arranged. Also, this teahouse occupied a significant area, and with so many people, were they truly idle every day, spending their time in the teahouse?
After thinking for a while, Su Muqing decided to proceed with the plan they had initially set. "Let's leave it at that for now! Once I have thought things through these next two days, I will inform you of what needs to be done after three days."
Biting off more than one can chew was not ideal; proceeding step by step was better.
After finishing dinner and chatting with the shopkeeper for a while longer, the group prepared to return. Lu Yuzhi and the others escorted Su Muqing and Wan Yan'er to the palace gates before returning to the Regent's Estate.
Su Muqing and Wan Yan'er first went to see the Emperor and Empress. They found the two of them sitting in the courtyard of Fengyi Palace, enjoying the night view with Little Milk Bun and Black Bear.
Little Milk Bun, having not seen his older sister all day, excitedly ran to her legs and started climbing onto her. Su Muqing bent down to pick him up. Black Bear also trotted over and lowered itself to embrace them both in its arms.
Wan Yan'er was already quite full from dinner. Black Bear's sudden squeeze almost made her regurgitate the hot pot that was still in her throat. She patted Black Bear's sturdy arm. "Relax a little, you're going to make me throw up."
After some playful teasing, the three of them, along with the bear, bid goodnight to the Emperor and Empress and returned to Huaxia Hall together.
After Su Muqing finished her washing routine, Little Milk Bun had already fallen asleep. This was one of the child's good points; aside from crying twice inexplicably on the journey, he had been quiet most of the time.
Even someone like her, with very average patience, couldn't help but exclaim that Little Milk Bun was so easy to take care of! He was practically an angel sent to repay kindness.
Su Muqing entered her space and searched for ancient-style restaurant renovation blueprints. The decor style she wanted to present was not only simple and grand overall but also paid attention to detail. It should be understated yet noble, and noble without being gaudy.
After browsing the screen for several hours, Su Muqing felt her eyes were about to turn into crossed eyes. Finally, she selected over a dozen renovation blueprints that she was quite satisfied with.
Then, she substituted items that were not yet present in this era or region with locally available alternatives and clearly marked them on the blueprints.
After finishing these tasks, it was past midnight outside her space. Su Muqing slept a nap within her space and then got up to continue writing her business plan.
Around seven in the morning, she went to Fengyi Palace to pay her respects. She also had breakfast with the Emperor and Empress and then informed them that due to being busy with shop affairs, she would be moving to the Regent's Estate for a short stay.
Although the Emperor and Empress were somewhat reluctant, they finally agreed. The Emperor asked if she could leave Black Bear in the palace.
Su Muqing thought about it, then shook her head with a hint of difficulty. "Daughter, that's probably not feasible! If it were for a short period, it might be alright, but if I don't return to the palace for several days, having a lone bear here would surely cause trouble. If Father misses us, he can come out to the Regent's Estate."
"It's also not appropriate for you to always stay at the Regent's Estate when you go out. Why doesn't Father arrange a princess's mansion for you? Since you've come of age, and you even have a fiancé, you can build your own residence outside. " The Emperor suddenly realized why not arrange a princess's mansion near the palace for her? This way, it would be much more convenient for him to visit his daughter and Black Bear whenever he missed them!
As soon as he thought of it, the Emperor went to court after breakfast and instructed Wang Defu to notify the Ministry of Works. He ordered them to organize all suitable large courtyards near the palace and assess which one would be most appropriate for building a princess's mansion.
Su Muqing, along with Wan Yan'er and Little Milk Bun, and the three of them, moved from the palace to the Regent's Estate. When they left the palace, Lu Yuzhi and the others were punctually waiting at the palace gates.
After sending their belongings to the Regent's Estate, everyone immediately continued their discussion about the food city.