A few people discussed for a while at the Regent's mansion. The main reason for their visit was for Su Muqing to prepare the base ingredients. She went to where Lu Yuzhi and the others had stored their luggage and secretly added several boxes filled with hot pot base.
After placing them, she called Leng Ren to retrieve sixty portions, which would be sent to the restaurant together. The remaining base ingredients would continue to be stored there. With the items secured, the group set off for the Number One Restaurant under the Heavens.
Around eight in the morning, they arrived at the restaurant to place the base ingredients. Afterward, the group visited several general stores, purchasing twenty suitable stoves and twenty bronze pots.
Upon returning to the restaurant, Su Muqing instructed the kitchen staff to clean the vegetables and meat thoroughly, specifying how each dish should be plated and how the meat should be sliced and arranged.
Then they went upstairs to a private room. Su Muqing took out a large bundle from behind her, containing a large piece of light blue thick silk cloth. Underneath the cloth were twenty pieces of fabric the size of A4 paper, along with a bottle of glue in a glass jar, preparing to rush out some menus.
Su Muqing had Wan Yan'er cut the cloth into equally sized small pieces. Then, she evenly spread glue on a wooden board. After waiting for a moment, she carefully adhered the cut cloth pieces to the wooden board, smoothed them with her hand, and set them aside to dry.
Once the wooden boards were almost dry, she called for Lu Yuzhi. Su Muqing took out a piece of paper from her怀 and asked him to transcribe the content onto the cloth. This silk cloth was specially chosen by her, as it was opaque and clear for writing.
Lu Yuzhi looked at them somewhat confused, not knowing what these items were for. "This? What is this, and what is it for?"
Su Muqing handed him the paper and then divided the silk cloth into sections. "This is called a menu. This is what I've drafted. We only have one type of soup base for now, so just write 'Spicy Red Oil Pot Base'. Leave appropriate space here, and when we develop new varieties in the future, you can fill them in here."
Lu Yuzhi took the paper and nodded, thinking it was a good idea to let guests order for themselves, saving the waiters from having to recite the dishes.
As he began writing the first character, Su Muqing suddenly interrupted. "Hey... Brother Lu, don't write the menu vertically. It's inconvenient to read. Just write it horizontally like this, so it's clear at a glance and the silk surface looks neater. Remember to leave a space after writing 'Spicy Red Oil Pot Base'..."
"Got it!" Lu Yuzhi wrote the name of the soup base, left a small space, started a new line, and then proceeded to write the names of various meat dishes, followed by vegetable categories.
Seeing that he understood her intentions, Su Muqing went to help Wan Yan'er with gluing the wooden boards. Ke Binà brought two more dried wooden boards, and following Lu Yuzhi's written template, they worked together, making the process faster.
Watching Ke Binà meticulously write, Su Muqing and Wan Yan'er exchanged glances. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover!
They really hadn't expected that the usually lively and carefree young marquis, whose conversations often revolved around food, drink, and fun, would have such excellent calligraphy. Even Wan Yan'er, who often argued with him, was full of admiration after seeing his handwriting.
Leng Ren and Leng Feng were responsible for drying the wooden boards glued by Su Muqing and Wan Yan'er, and then sending them to Lu Yuzhi and the others to write. As the saying goes, pairing men and women makes work less tiring. They finished twenty menus in less than an hour.
Although it was a temporary use, they put their hearts into making the menus as refined as possible. After finishing here, Leng Ren and the others left the menus to dry, and the group went back to the kitchen.
By this time, the ingredients in the kitchen were mostly cleaned. Su Muqing rolled up her sleeves and began teaching the master chefs how to stir-fry the hot pot base, while other helpers and waiters continued to plate and arrange the dishes.
In reality, these base ingredients were already prepared, making them simple to stir-fry. For now, they would use these finished products as temporary substitutes, so only a simple stir-fry was needed.
Su Muqing thought that once the restaurant underwent major renovations, it would be a long-term business, and they would definitely need to prepare their own base ingredients.
Therefore, during the renovation period, she would continue to develop other flavors and then have Ke Binà find a few trustworthy individuals to teach them the recipes, ensuring that the base ingredients would not run out even when she wasn't there.
As Su Muqing made plans in her mind, her hands were also busy. With the high-temperature stir-frying, the aroma of the base ingredients slowly wafted out. The waiters and master chefs standing around involuntarily swallowed. The strange yet distinct fragrance tickled their noses, making their throats itch and their hearts flutter.
What was most unbearable was that after smelling this aroma, their mouths began to water uncontrollably. Some even covered their mouths with their hands, worried about losing face in front of their new employer if they drooled.
While the soup base was boiling, Leng Ren and the others brought down the dried menus. Su Muqing called everyone except the master chefs over and distributed the twenty menus to the shopkeepers and waiters.
Holding the menus, which looked very precious, they looked at each other, perplexed. What did the new owner want them to do with these? What was all the densely written text? They couldn't even read!
Perhaps sensing their obvious confusion, Su Muqing smiled and said, "This is called a menu. We made these temporarily. When a customer asks for hot pot later, you will hand them this menu and let them order themselves. However, you must also memorize the dishes. If you encounter illiterate customers, you can recommend set meals based on the number of people."
Hearing Su Muqing's words, the waiters couldn't help but wipe the sweat from their foreheads, feeling relieved. Fortunately, it was only about memorizing dish names. They had thought it was a test from the new owner, and if they couldn't read, they wouldn't be able to continue working.
At this moment, the first batch of soup base had boiled. Su Muqing personally demonstrated, reminding them to be careful when carrying the pots and stoves and to use thick cloths for insulation to avoid burning their hands.
Placing the soup base onto a roaring stove, Su Muqing picked up a pair of long chopsticks, scanned the people present, and picked up a few slices of fish, dropping them into the bronze pot.
The thin slices of fish were quickly cooked in the boiling spicy red oil base. Soon, they turned from transparent to a tender pink, then to milky white. The fish must not be overcooked, as it would lose its tender and smooth texture.
Su Muqing gently scooped out the cooked fish with a wooden slotted spoon, placing it on a nearby plate, and invited them over to taste.
The waiters looked at each other. Had they heard correctly? Was the owner asking them to eat?
"Wh... What?"
"I... Little ones..."
A rather straightforward master chef couldn't help but ask, "Does the owner mean for us to eat?"
"Yes! Taste it first!" Su Muqing nodded and continued to cook other meats.
Hearing that the owner indeed wanted them to eat, everyone still felt a bit hesitant. The straightforward master chef, his heart itching from the peculiar aroma, was the first to step forward. He picked up a chopstick, grabbed a piece of fish, and put it in his mouth, taking a gentle bite. Instantly, his eyes widened.
The fish in his mouth was tender, smooth, and springy, with an indescribably fresh and delicious texture. The flavor was also peculiar, savory with a hint of numbing spice, and some indescribable fragrance.
Delicious! It was so delicious!
The master chef swallowed the fish and eagerly reached for another piece, but the shopkeeper suddenly put his hand on his chopsticks. "Master Zhou, how is it?"
"Good! It's simply heavenly..." The master chef gave a thumbs-up, then removed the shopkeeper's hand, grabbed a large piece of fish, and put it in his mouth.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper also hastily grabbed a piece and tasted it. The others, seeing the master chef and the shopkeeper eat, couldn't resist reaching out with their chopsticks. Soon, the entire plate of fish slices was finished.
"Hiss... This flavor!"
"Delicious..."
"It's so good..."
"Both numbing and spicy..."
"Why is it all gone?"
Su Muqing saw them continuously sucking the remaining flavor from their chopsticks and said, "Time is tight, so just taste it for now. After these three days of trial sales, before the restaurant undergoes major renovations, we will have a proper hot pot feast for ourselves. Here are some thinly sliced pork belly, please try them. I'll cook some other things..."
"Yes, yes! Thank you, owner."
"Thank you, owner..."
"Thank you, owner..."
The shopkeeper and the master chefs, along with the waiters, thanked her as they reached for the rolled slices of pork belly.
"After these slices of meat are cooked, you will be the ones to cook them. You'll also have to teach the customers how to eat hot pot. Remember, don't overcook the beef, and don't overcook the vegetables, as it will greatly affect the texture..." Su Muqing instructed them as she cooked.
Chewing on the cooked meat, they all nodded in acknowledgment. After several rounds of tasting, Su Muqing stepped aside, and the waiters gathered around the pots, trying to cook the dishes themselves.
By the time everyone had personally tried it a few times, those who learned quickly went out with the menus to greet guests. It was already past eleven o'clock, and mealtime was approaching. Those who had made reservations the previous day began to arrive.
Su Muqing changed into men's clothing and slightly altered her face to appear much plainer. However, with many people around, this ordinary appearance was perfect.
Lu Yuzhi and Su Muqing sat on chairs in the main hall, while the shopkeeper personally greeted guests at the entrance. They observed the waiters attending to the guests, ready to step in and smooth things over if anything was amiss.
The first table of guests arrived. Their servant had been there the earliest to secure a spot. The group consisted of six people. The waiters led the guests to their table.
After the guests were seated, the waiter surveyed the people at the table and, following Su Muqing's instructions, handed the menu with both hands to one of the guests. "Please order, honored guest."
The man, around forty years old, carried an air of authority. Judging by his attire and accessories, he was undoubtedly from a wealthy or noble family. He took the item handed by the waiter with some curiosity.
"What does this mean? A menu... Your new invention is quite interesting!" The gentleman, dressed impeccably, praised a few words after reading the menu.
The waiter, with a slightly fawning smile, said flatteringly, "Today is the first day of our hot pot trial sale, and all items are new. This is called a menu, and the dishes are new hot pot creations. You are the first esteemed guests for our trial sale. Our owner has decreed that the first three tables of guests will receive a twenty percent discount on all dishes."
The man's interest was piqued by the new terms the waiter mentioned. "Oh? What does a twenty percent discount mean?"
As the waiter poured tea for everyone at the table, he replied to the guest, "Replying to you, honored guest, our owner says that a twenty percent discount means that for every one hundred coins of food, you will only pay eighty coins at checkout, and so on."
The people at the table nodded, appearing quite interested. Seeing this, the man handed the menu back to the waiter. "Very well! Then please bring us one of everything on your... menu! Yesterday, the aroma we smelled was truly unforgettable, and we wonder what it will taste like."
"Yes, yes! Certainly! Please rest assured, the taste of our hot pot will make guests want to return! Esteemed guests, please have some tea to cleanse your palate. I will go prepare the dishes for you." Upon receiving such a large order right away, the waiter excitedly ran to the kitchen to relay the order.
The hot pot base was already pre-heated. The waiter placed a small stove that was roaring in the center of the table, and another waiter placed a medium-sized bronze pot on top. Then, other waiters successively brought out the prepared dishes and placed them on the table.
Seeing a table full of raw ingredients, the guests' expressions were not very pleased. The waiter stepped forward, picked up long chopsticks, and first picked up some meat and dropped it into the pot to cook. Su Muqing, in another room, brought several large bowls of the seasonings from yesterday to the kitchen. Then she portioned some into small bowls.
She brought a whole platter of small bowls and dishes and placed them down. "Esteemed guests, these are dipping sauces of different flavors. You can taste which one suits your palate, or you can mix them to your liking."
"How should these dipping sauces be mixed?" The man looked at the various plates and bowls on the table, thinking that eating this new dish seemed too troublesome. He wondered if its taste would be worth the complicated steps!
Su Muqing prepared three different dipping sauces: one with sesame paste, one with rattan pepper oil, and one with sesame oil and mushroom sauce, then placed the three prepared bowls aside.
"Guests can first taste the flavors of these dipping sauces to see which one you prefer," Su Muqing said, giving a signal to the waiter.
Receiving her instruction, the waiter picked up the cooked fish and meat slices from the pot with a wooden slotted spoon and placed two slices into each guest's bowl.
Several guests first dipped a bit of the sesame paste sauce into their mouths, and their eyes immediately lit up, nodding at each other. Then they tried the other two sauces. Hmm, the flavors were indeed different, and all were delicious.
At this moment, the cooked dishes were also placed in their bowls. The guests each picked up their favorite dipping sauces and put them into their bowls, then picked up the food and ate.
The guests couldn't help but exclaim in their hearts! Wow, what a divine flavor! How could there be such a strange yet indescribably delicious taste in the world!
They ate a few more bites, and the waiters were so fast with cooking and serving that their movements were like blurs. The guests found the waiters' actions too slow and couldn't resist picking up the dishes and cooking them themselves. Seeing that they were hooked, the waiters stepped back and watched, quickly refilling anyone's teacup with water.
Seeing that they were thoroughly enjoying the meal, Su Muqing quietly withdrew. More guests arrived at the restaurant, and people continued to come in one after another, quickly making the restaurant bustling.
In just over half an hour, all twenty portions of hot pot were booked. The restaurant was instantly packed, and over twenty waiters were busy, sweating profusely.
The entire space was filled with the rich aroma of hot pot, along with the sounds of constantly fetching dishes and replacing charcoal. Everyone was rushing back and forth between the kitchen and the dining area, and even Lu Yuzhi and Leng Ren personally joined in.
For each table of guests, Su Muqing had them present the pre-portioned dipping sauces and explain that the dipping sauces were free for these three days. After the restaurant's major renovations, there would be a charge for using them.
The shopkeeper took the time to post a written notice on the signboard at the entrance. When he encountered familiar guests, he would also bow and greet them, and inform them personally.
Those who arrived late, seeing the bustling scene, repeatedly asked the shopkeeper to add more tables. However, Su Muqing had repeatedly instructed that for the first three days, they would only serve twenty tables of guests at lunch and dinner.
Although he didn't want to turn away guests, the shopkeeper dared not disobey the owner. He could only beg for forgiveness and ask the guests to come earlier in the afternoon or to reserve their seats for the evening immediately.
Upon hearing this, eleven tables were immediately booked. The shopkeeper repeatedly reminded everyone that reservations were only valid until the hour of You (around 5-7 PM), so they must arrive before then, otherwise, their seats would be given to the next guests.
It wasn't until two-thirty that all the guests in the restaurant finished their meals and left. After washing the tableware and cleaning the restaurant, everyone was so tired they didn't want to move.
The lunch business was too popular, and that was with a limit of twenty tables. It was easy to imagine that if the owner hadn't limited the tables, everyone's legs would have been worn out today!
However, the new owner had said that as long as they did their jobs well, they would receive generous bonuses in addition to their monthly wages. The more money the restaurant earned, the more rewards they would receive.
By this time, everyone hadn't had a proper lunch yet. Su Muqing sent someone to buy some meat buns and steamed buns, poured out a few bottles of Lao Gan Ma, and stir-fried some ham and eggs as a working meal.
The wages earned by these waiters were basically for their families, and they had never eaten such delicious food, nor had they ever seen such things before.
The last table of buns, steamed buns, and dishes were all eaten clean. Although everyone felt their stomachs were full, they still felt unsatisfied.
After eating, only two people were left in the front hall to rest and keep watch. The others returned to the backyard to rest, needing to catch up on sleep as they had another big battle in the afternoon!
Ke Binà and the others were also very tired today. The group went to a nearby inn for a short rest. However, while others could still sleep for a while, Su Muqing couldn't. She patted her slightly dizzy head, feeling that there were still many things left undone...
By four-thirty in the afternoon, the restaurant adjacent to the inn was exceptionally bustling. The private rooms were filled with people. Some of the patrons who came to dine this time didn't even send their servants to queue, but instead came early to wait in the private rooms, drinking tea and chatting.
With the experience from lunch and the personal guidance from Su Muqing and her group at noon, the twenty-odd waiters had basically mastered the process. This made them more proficient in handling the evening guests.
Although the hot pot was a trial sale, it was considered a resounding success.
Even though the guests arrived early in the evening, they pushed back their closing time slightly, which was enough to show the popularity of the business.
After work, Su Muqing gave each waiter a small red envelope containing thirty copper coins. The waiters, holding their red envelopes, beamed with joy.
The envelope contained thirty copper coins, while their monthly wage was only four hundred and fifty coins. This was equivalent to two days' wages. Moreover, Owner Su had said that since they worked so hard these days, as long as they did a good job, they would receive red envelopes every day for three days.
The day's work at the restaurant finally concluded successfully. The group returned to the Regent's mansion. Su Muqing asked Ke Binà to find her a map of land distribution near Rongcheng.
Now that the restaurant's affairs were being handled independently by others, tomorrow they would visit some land estates nearby to find a suitable place to plant some agricultural crops that were not available in this region.
After returning, they quickly washed up. Tonight, the little one would sleep with Lu Yuzhi. Su Muqing tidied herself up and then dived into her space. She first took a luxurious bath and then went to sleep.
After resting, she got up again to continue writing plans. Su Muqing marked the tasks she needed to do according to their urgency. She first wrote a general outline and then detailed each item, trying to make all aspects of the work as perfect as possible.
Eight hours passed outside, but almost two days passed in her space. The environment in the space was undisturbed, and Su Muqing slept when she was tired, and continued to brainstorm plans after waking up.
Early the next morning, at six o'clock, Su Muqing woke up early. The mansion's kitchen had prepared a table of breakfast. A while later, others also gradually came out of their rooms.
Today, the Regent's Consort was going to the palace to pay her respects. After breakfast, Su Muqing said that they would be out and about all day today, so she suggested that the Consort take the little one and Fei La with her to the palace, to avoid them having to travel with them.
After finishing breakfast, the Consort took the little one and Fei La in the carriage to the palace. The six of them rode horses towards the suburban estates.