Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 81

Chapter 81

 

The success of a restaurant depends on its dishes.

 

Delicious food attracts returning customers, so the menu is crucial. When Lu Yao returned home, he began drafting the menu.

 

Lu Yao knew how to cook a wide variety of dishes, both southern and northern. While he wasn’t a master of all eight major Chinese cuisines, he had a fair grasp of many dishes.

 

However, some ingredients were unavailable. For instance, Sichuan dishes couldn’t be made because Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers hadn’t been introduced to central China yet. Additionally, many vegetables were out of season. It was mid-March, and while green onions and chives were edible, most other vegetables wouldn’t be ready for at least a month. This naturally limited the scope of the menu.

 

In the end, Lu Yao settled on six signature dishes: braised carp, braised lion’s head meatballs, sweet and sour pork, braised pork belly, minced pork with tofu, and a mixed stew (the stew was made by frying radish into balls, frying tofu into puffs, coating meat in batter and frying it until crispy, then cooking everything together in a soup).

 

These six dishes were all hearty main courses with slightly higher prices. Braised carp would be sold by weight at 18 wen per jin. A carp weighing about three jin would cost around 50 wen. Braised lion’s head meatballs, which required a lot of meat, were priced at 55 wen per serving. Sweet and sour pork was 48 wen, braised pork belly was 40 wen, minced pork with tofu was 30 wen, and the mixed stew was 20 wen per bowl. Overall, the prices were not steep, especially considering the cost of meat. It was already challenging to price them this affordably.

 

As for regular dishes, he temporarily set a menu of 14 items: cold mixed dandelion (12 wen), green onion with tofu (12 wen), fried peanuts (15 wen), cold cucumber salad (15 wen, seasonal), scrambled eggs with wood ear mushrooms (15 wen), scrambled eggs with chives (15 wen, seasonal), Beijing-style shredded pork (30 wen), candied radish (35 wen), stir-fried pork kidney (35 wen), stir-fried pork intestines (35 wen), garlic-flavored ribs (50 wen), stewed chicken (40 wen for half, 75 wen for a whole chicken), stir-fried lamb with green onions (50 wen), and egg soup (20 wen).

 

For staple foods, they offered millet rice (5 wen per bowl), meat stew with flatbread (8 wen per bowl), and sugar pancakes (20 wen for four pieces). The overall pricing was relatively affordable, allowing even ordinary people to enjoy a hearty meal for a little over 100 wen.

 

Lu Yao didn’t plan to make dumplings for now due to the labor-intensive process and limited manpower.

 

Among these 20 dishes, except for a few cold dishes available elsewhere in the city, most were unique recipes brought by Lu Yao from the modern era. Compared to other restaurants’ traditional methods of stewing, boiling, and steaming, his stir-fried dishes already had a competitive edge.

 

Lu Yao showed the finalized menu to the three siblings, who salivated as they listened.

 

Zhao Beichuan waved his hand decisively, “Let’s tidy up the shop properly and pick a good day to open for business.”

 

Xiaonian excitedly asked, “Sister-in-law, can my little brother and I help out in the shop?”

 

“Of course, but Douzi mustn’t neglect his studies.”

 

Douzi immediately promised, “I’ll bring my books and writing materials and only study without doing anything else!”

 

“Tomorrow, you’ll buy a wok and a millstone,” Lu Yao said, drawing a sketch of a modern stir-fry wok. “Get one that looks like this. If you can’t find one, ask a blacksmith to make it.” This type of wok was more convenient for stir-frying, as using a large cauldron risked burning the food with slightly higher heat.

 

“Xiaonian, I have an important task for you: sew a shop banner for me.”

 

Caught off guard by the responsibility, Xiaonian nodded seriously with a solemn face. “I’ll make it as beautiful as possible!”

 

The banner design featured a white base with black characters, red trim around the edges, and blue wavy fringes at the bottom. After Lu Yao finished the design, Xiaonian followed it precisely, sewing with meticulous stitches that surpassed his own work.

 

The Zhao family entered a new phase of busy preparations.

 

—

 

“Hey, kid, where’s your shopkeeper?”

 

Zhao Beidou was sitting at the counter practicing his writing when he looked up at the sound of a voice and called out, “Sister-in-law, there’s a customer!”

 

Lu Yao wiped his hands and came in from the backyard, seeing a man in his forties standing at the entrance, looking around the shop.

 

“The shop isn’t ready yet. We’ll officially open on March 18.”

 

“Got a new shopkeeper?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What happened to LAo Tao and his crew?”

 

“The previous shopkeeper’s husband injured his back and can’t cook anymore, so they sold the shop to us.”

 

“Alright, I’ll come back when you open,” the man said, strolling away with his hands behind his back.

 

Over the past few days, many curious customers had come by to inquire. It seemed the former shopkeeper hadn’t lied about the number of regular patrons the place had.

 

After the customer left, Lu Yao told Douzi to continue watching the front while he returned to cleaning the courtyard. Xiaonian sat nearby sewing the banner.

 

The stove had accumulated years of use, leaving a layer of grease and grime that Lu Yao painstakingly scraped off with a small spatula. The cutting board was covered in green mold, so he scrubbed it clean with a bucket of water and left it to dry in the courtyard. The two kitchen knives left by the previous owner were dull, so he planned to have Zhao Beichuan sharpen them when he returned.

 

Meanwhile, Zhao Beichuan drove a mule cart into town, asking for directions until he reached the blacksmith’s shop.

 

“Excuse me, do you have a wok like this?” He handed the blacksmith a drawing.

 

“We don’t, but we can make one to order.”

 

“How long will it take?”

 

The blacksmith stroked his chin and thought for a moment. “What size do you need?”

 

“A nine-inch diameter.”

 

“It’ll take about ten days.”

 

“That’s too long.”

 

The blacksmith replied, “I’ve got a lot of urgent orders. I can’t just work on your wok alone.”

 

“I’ll pay you an extra 100 wen for priority. How about it?”

 

The blacksmith agreed readily. “Alright, I’ll have it ready in three days!”

 

True to the saying, money makes the world go round. Zhao Beichuan handed over a deposit, promising to pay the rest when the wok was ready. As for other pots for stewing and steaming, ceramic ones would suffice, and their household iron pot could also be used.

 

Next to the blacksmith’s shop was a stonemason’s workshop, where many ready-made millstones were displayed. Zhao Beichuan estimated the size of their backyard and bought a medium-sized millstone for over two strings of cash.

 

The stonemason offered to call someone to help lift it onto the cart, but Zhao Beichuan waved them off and easily carried it himself, leaving the workers dumbfounded.

 

(we love a big strong reliable man i wish he could lift my heavy ass too)

 

With the large items purchased, only smaller necessities remained. Before leaving, Lu Yao had instructed him to buy two jin of salt, two jin(1kg) of sugar, two jars of oil, and one jar of vinegar.

 

1jin = 0.5kg

 

He spent half a day gathering everything before hauling it back to the shop.

 

By the time he returned, the shop had been thoroughly cleaned, with new window paper making the place bright and cheerful. Just stepping inside lifted everyone’s spirits.

 

Zhao Beichuan unloaded the goods in the backyard and handed the remaining silver to Lu Yao. “The wok will take three days to finish. It cost an extra 100 wen.”

 

“That’s not bad. It won’t delay our opening. Later, sharpen the knives and set up the ceramic pots. I’ll head to the market for meat and vegetables. Xiaonian, want to come along?”

 

“Yes, yes!” The little girl nodded eagerly, like a pecking chick. She quickly put away her needlework and cheerfully followed Lu Yao to the streets.

 

—

 

The rent on Changxing Street was high, so naturally, prices there were steep. For fresh produce, one had to head to the western market.

 

There were no storefronts in the West Market; most people sat on the ground with straw mats, setting up stalls that cost only three wen a day. Villagers from nearby often came to sell their goods.

 

There were fresh wild vegetables dug from the mountains, spring onions newly sprouted in spring, as well as home-raised chickens and eggs. The haggling sounded like a battlefield, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

 

As soon as Xiaonian arrived in such a place, she felt familiar, as if she had returned to Xiaosanli. Holding Lu Yao’s hand, she said, “Sister-in-law, this place is no different from where we used to live.”

 

Lu Yao laughed. “No matter how big the city, there’s always a corner like this for ordinary people to live their lives.”

 

The two strolled around, occasionally inquiring about prices and buying a bit of what they found reasonable. When they stopped at a fish seller’s stall, Lu Yao paused.

 

“Uncle, how much for the fish in your basin?”

 

The man, around his forties or fifties with a tanned complexion and yellowing teeth, said, “Ten wen a jin. If you buy more, I can give you a discount.”

 

Lu Yao squatted to examine the fish, which were all live grass carp, each weighing about four to five jin.

 

“Are these fish caught from the river?”

 

“They’re all freshly caught by me.”

 

“How many of these can you catch daily?”

 

“It’s hard to say. On good days, four or five. On bad days, none.”

 

Lu Yao looked up. “Judging by your accent, you’re not a local. Are you from the South?”

 

“Indeed, I’m from Huzhou. Years ago, there was a famine, and my clan migrated north. I haven’t forgotten the skills of fishing, but unfortunately, people here don’t enjoy fish much.”

 

Lu Yao nodded with a smile. In the North, except in coastal areas, people generally didn’t favor fish. It was unlike in the South, where fishing and eating fish were ingrained habits.

 

“If I buy all your fish daily, what’s the lowest price you can offer?”

 

The man was stunned. “All… all of them?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Lowest I can do is eight… no, seven wen!”

 

The man thought about how the fish in his basin sometimes took two or three days to sell, with some dying and losing their value. After half a day, they could spoil and had to be thrown away. If someone bought his fish daily, it would be a great convenience, freeing up time for other work.

 

Lu Yao said, “I’ll give you an address. Tomorrow morning, bring live fish to my shop. Only live fish, and if they’re not good, I’ll buy elsewhere.”

 

The man immediately beat his chest and promised, “Rest assured, if the fish are even slightly off, I won’t deliver them to you!”

 

After providing the shop’s address, Lu Yao planned to start by purchasing a few fish to keep in the backwater tank for convenience when cooking.

 

Passing a pork stall, he asked about prices. Pork in the town was fifty wen a jin, forty-five wen in the county town, and had dropped to forty wen a jin in the prefecture city.

 

Xiaonian curiously asked, “Sister-in-law, why is pork cheaper in larger cities?”

 

“Because more people buy pork, and naturally more sell it. Who would buy expensive meat when cheaper options are available? Over time, prices get driven down.”

 

Lu Yao paused. “Of course, sellers still make good profits. How many people live in Qiushui Town compared to this prefecture city?”

 

Xiaonian suddenly understood. “I get it now! This is what you call making small profits but selling in large quantities!”

 

Lu Yao patted her head with a smile. This little girl indeed had a knack for business.

 

From the butcher, Lu Yao learned that pig offal—intestines, hearts, and livers—was priced the same at fifteen wen a jin, regardless of whether they were cleaned. These needed to be ordered in advance, as they often sold out.

 

Further down the road, he found a stall selling dried black fungus and mushrooms. Lu Yao sent Xiaonian over to negotiate, buying three jin of black fungus to see if they could get a discount.

 

Xiaonian, full of enthusiasm, approached the stall owner and began chatting. Despite being only nine years old, she spoke clearly and confidently, showing no fear when dealing with adults.

 

The dried black fungus, originally priced at sixty wen a jin, was eventually bought for just 150 wen for three jin.

 

Xiaonian’s cheeks flushed red as she carried the cloth bag back, excitedly saying, “Sister-in-law, look! I saved thirty wen!”

 

“Well done! Our Xiaonian is amazing!”

 

Finally, they bought a basket of eggs and some long-lasting seasonings: two jin of dried ginger, three braids of purple-skinned garlic, and half a jin of dried Sichuan pepper. Passing by the pharmacy on the way back, Lu Yao also purchased some cardamom, cinnamon, and mugwort. These would be used to make flavored oil, which would enhance the dishes’ aroma.

 

Carrying their goods, the two returned to the Changxing Street entrance when someone suddenly called out to them.

 

“Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law Zhao!”

 

Lu Yao paused, looking around until she saw a carriage parked nearby.

 

Lin Zijian was waving excitedly from the carriage. “Stop the carriage! Quick, stop the carriage!”

 

“Whoa—” The coachman reined in the horses as Lin Zijian jumped off, running toward Lu Yao with excitement. “I thought I was seeing things just now! Greetings, sister-in-law. Greetings, Sister Nian.”

 

It had been months since they last met, and the boy had grown even more articulate. Lu Yao returned the greeting with a smile. “What a surprise to run into you here. Did your parents and grandfather come too?”

 

“It’s just me and my grandfather. We arrived in Pingzhou two days ago and are staying at the official guesthouse. I was just thinking of finding you, and here you are!”

 

Official guesthouses were accommodations for visiting officials, located near the prefectural yamen.

 

“Is Beidou here? Did he pass the exams?”

 

“Yes, he passed and is now studying at home.”

 

Unable to contain his excitement, Lin Zijian jumped in place. At seven years old, he was still very much a lively child.

 

“Sister-in-law, where are you staying now? I’ll visit you tomorrow!”

 

Since they would be at the shop during the day, Lu Yao gave him the address of the food shop.

 

Hearing about the opening of Zhao’s eatery in the prefecture city, Lin Zijian clapped his hands in delight. “Grandfather has been craving your cooking for ages! When the shop opens, we’ll definitely come to support you!”

 

“Great, I’ll be waiting for you all.”