National Tide 1980.

Chapter 1345 Willing to Pay

The death of his wife was a big blow to Fu Jie, who was already in his eighties.

After the funeral, he fell ill. After he recovered, he seemed to have lost his energy and even went to the "Palace Culture Research Association" less frequently.

However, for the "Palace Culture Research Association", some tangible achievements were made at this time.

It has the meaning of thriving and becoming famous, which makes all members of the association very happy.

It turns out that the first book compiled under the name of "Palace Culture Research Association", "The Taste of the Forbidden City - Palace Food Illustrated Book", has finally been officially published.

Once it was launched, it caused quite a stir in the relevant cultural research field and among major restaurants in Beijing.

This book was published by Wenjin Publishing House, which was established in early June this year.

It is a coincidence that it was published at this time.

Originally, because of the issue of book numbers, even with Ning Weimin's help, the publication of this book would have to be scheduled for the beginning of next year at the earliest.

Unexpectedly, in early June this year, the Beijing Propaganda Department established this publishing house specializing in self-funded publishing business.

Its purpose is to get things done for money and pay for the expenses by oneself.

Its characteristics are that the author is responsible for the content and owns the copyright.

As soon as Liu Weijing, who was in charge of the association's general affairs, learned the news, he immediately tried to contact and negotiate in the name of the "Palace Culture Research Association."

Unexpectedly, the other party's feedback was very positive, which actually solved the problem of having to wait in line for publication.

In this way, Liu Weijing finally solved this major issue with only 25,000 yuan, published the book six months in advance, and printed 2,000 copies.

I have to say, this is also a kind of luck.

But most importantly, this book is by no means a meaningless publication, but has practical significance.

There are three points that make it different from others.

The first is that it is rich in pictures and texts, the information is detailed, and the printing quality is quite good.

The food in the Forbidden City has always been talked about by the general public. There are already several books on the market focusing on the court food of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

But the books published in the past were either just pure text content.

Either the photos are not clear or there is very little photo information.

But with the summary and compilation of this book, "The Taste of the Forbidden City - Illustrated Catalog of Palace Food", by Mr. and Mrs. Fu Jie and many experts, as well as the oral materials and practical exercises provided by Zhang Dashao as an insider, these problems are no longer problems.

Almost every delicacy in the book is accompanied by a photo of the real thing.

Even the utensils have become quite sophisticated with the support of Tan Gong Restaurant, and are extremely consistent with the actual situation at that time.

The printing is done using the best paper and the best technology.

Apart from anything else, just looking at the pure production cost, it is as high as ten yuan per copy.

This was a astronomical price in an era when a novel in mainland China only cost one or two yuan.

With more than 500 pages and printed in two volumes on coated paper, it not only elevates the quality of the book, but is also a rare luxurious production among domestic publications.

Can you imagine what the quality is like?

The second point is that this book is rich in content and very practical.

There are other similar books on the market now. Some of them introduce seasonal delicacies according to palace regulations and time sequence.

Some of them tell the stories of palace cuisine by category according to the ingredients.

Some start with the establishment of the imperial kitchen in the palace and talk about the establishment and operation mode of the imperial meals in the palace.

Even before her death,嵯娥浩 once published a book called "Eating in the Palace" based on her personal experience, in which she roughly described the dietary conditions of the last imperial court as she knew them.

However, before the publication of "The Taste of the Forbidden City - Illustrated Catalog of Palace Food", there had not been a book that discussed palace cuisine from a chef's perspective, let alone a book that could teach people how to cook palace dishes.

So this book is particularly rare, and this is what makes it special.

With the help of Zhang Dashao and some of his old friends in the culinary industry, his professionalism is absolutely top-notch.

Not only are the ingredients and cooking methods of almost every dish listed, but also an excerpt from the Qing Dynasty menu is attached under each category to show readers the authentic palace cuisine.

It also systematically introduces the preparatory work of different departments in the imperial kitchen, explains the difference between court cooking and folk cooking, reveals the reasons for the extravagance of court dishes, and even includes some cooking tips that even professional chefs may not know.

In addition, the editorial team, which is mainly composed of experts, also used a large amount of new historical materials and embedded a large number of cultural anecdotes in the food.

It provides a clearer introduction to the evolution and traditions of court cuisine.

It can be said that this book is both readable and practical.

It is not only suitable for food lovers, cooking enthusiasts and palace history enthusiasts, but it is also of great help to professional chefs in their actual work.

The third point is that this book breaks the convention by introducing the personal information of some imperial chefs in the Qing Dynasty court and their signature dishes.

It has to be said that this is the first time that the contributions and achievements of these hard-working chefs to the development of food have been acknowledged in an officially published book, which is equivalent to erecting a monument for these people.

At the same time, this book also clarifies the inheritance of court culinary skills and gives a relatively objective introduction to the general situation of the expansion of imperial chefs after liberation.

To a certain extent, this has also played a role in "fighting counterfeiting" and getting to the bottom of the problem. At least it can curb some "fake imperial chefs" who are just filling in the gaps in the mainland catering industry from bragging and cheating to ruin the reputation of court cuisine.

What made Zhang Dashao particularly happy was that he himself was not listed in this book.

But his grandfather and father were both written into this book as famous chefs.

This was enough to satisfy him.

In fact, compared to personal fame, this is what he is more happy to see.

In short, after the publication of this book "The Taste of the Forbidden City - Illustrated Catalog of Palace Food".

Although the price is too high, priced at 30 yuan per set, the sales volume is not very high.

I'm afraid only some professional units and a small number of individuals will spend money to buy it.

But it must be said that this book has received a great response from catering companies in various districts. It has been strongly recommended by the Hotel Association to famous restaurants outside the area and has been highly praised by many chefs.

In particular, those famous restaurants in the capital that serve palace cuisine are vying to buy it and organizing their key employees to learn from it.

Relevant newspapers and periodicals such as "China Food News", "Tourism News" and "Hong Kong City Guide" also published articles to introduce and promote this book.

Judging from the widespread positive response from the industry, there is no doubt that the publication of this book cannot be underestimated in promoting and popularizing Chinese catering culture and Beijing court cuisine. It is indeed a great thing that will benefit future generations.

That’s not all. There are also some audio-visual materials related to the content of this book, including audio-visual materials of cooking demonstrations by Zhang Dashao and the contemporary chefs hired by Tan Gong Restaurant, as well as their oral histories of Jingcheng Qinxing, which are also being compiled.

Eventually, a special documentary titled "Diligence in the Capital" will be produced based on these audio and video materials.

Moreover, since the people who filmed the documentary were hired by Beijing Television, through their connections, they have reached an agreement with Beijing Television to broadcast this documentary on TV screens.

In addition, the "Beijing Arts and Crafts Industry Heritage Cultural Materials Compilation Department" has also been busy. Based on the information and personal support provided by many veteran craftsmen in the arts and crafts industry, they have completed the collection of audio-visual materials of some industries.

Now it is entirely predictable that by the second half of this year, the two cultural associations funded by Ning Weimin will have more work results to produce to promote the recovery and development of these industries.

It will also certainly play a positive role in preserving and promoting national arts and traditional skills.

So as to the current operation status of the two associations.

The old craftsmen who provided the materials were very pleased and satisfied.

They have completely believed in Ning Weimin's original promise, and are full of expectations and hopes that these traditional industries will be able to get rid of their current state of disrepair and stagnation as soon as possible, regain their youth, and embark on a prosperous future.

Even Ning Weimin himself felt a sense of accomplishment, thinking that he had done something meaningful and that the money he invested was not wasted.

Don’t mention it, it’s only been a year and he has already seen some results.

To be honest, even though he invested his money in the two associations, it was a business that was doomed to lose money, and in the long run, it might turn out to be a bottomless pit.

But based on what others had taken out, he really felt that the compensation was not enough and not cruel enough.

So without saying anything, considering the work efficiency of the two associations, he arranged another 800,000 yuan for Liu Weijing and let her allocate it as she pleased.

There's nothing else to say, spending money on this is much more worthwhile than supporting the national football team.

Although both involve losing money, one brings honor to the Chinese people while the other is purely embarrassing, so the meanings are really different.

Of course, having said that, if you have somewhere to spend money, you have to have somewhere to make money. It won’t work if you only spend without earning, or if you earn more than you spend.

So the old craftsmen were happy, and Ning Weimin allocated the funds.

But he also has to make some appropriate arrangements when it comes to making money.

In particular, Ning Weimin also knew that his wedding had cost his relatives and friends a lot of money.

Therefore, he must also give some chess pieces to his good friends and partners to help them recover some blood, otherwise he would feel embarrassed facing these people.

Needless to say, Zhang Shihui, Gu Sier, Sun Wufu, Yin Yue, Luo Guangliang, Xiao Tao and others are naturally the people Ning Weimin is closest to and trusts the most in the country.

Ning Weimin had no choice but to personally give them instructions.

The first one is Zhang Shihui. This guy is making a lot of money now.

As the earliest partner who started business with Ning Weimin, it has to be said that Ning Weimin offered him the best deal to start a business with him.

Today, Huimin Tobacco and Liquor Store is very prosperous.

With the help of Sister Tan, the business of recycling old cigarettes and alcohol has been fully launched.

The monthly transaction volume ranges from 30,000 to 40,000 yuan, and as much as 50,000 to 60,000 yuan, with profits at least doubled.

In addition, Zhang Shihui's own tobacco and alcohol wholesale business is even more prosperous.

With Tangong Restaurant, Maxim's Restaurant and Temple of Heaven Park as sales channels, his monthly shipments are around 130,000 to 140,000 yuan, with a profit of 50,000 to 60,000 yuan, all of which is money he can earn without doing anything.

Even those cheap cigarettes and alcohol that were destined to lose money were not difficult to sell. They could be sent to the handicraft factory, the Polar Bear Factory, and the Huimin Reading Club.

With such a low price, it is easy for workers and members of the reading club to snap up the books.

I only lose about five or six thousand yuan every month on this.

All in all, he could easily earn 80,000 to 90,000 yuan a month from running a tobacco and alcohol shop.

Of course, the money was divided equally between him and Ning Weimin, but that was not bad either.

  These days, how many people can arrange deliveries every month without worrying or being anxious and make 40,000 or 50,000 yuan for nothing?

What's more, with the growth of Pierre Catton and the expansion of Ning Weimin's network, the business volume of the tobacco and alcohol shop is bound to increase simultaneously.

At least we can clearly foresee in advance that when the Pierre Cardon Hotel opens, the wholesale business of Huimin Tobacco Hotel will probably increase by 50%, and the profits will naturally increase significantly.

It's only natural that good things should be kept in the family.

To be honest, even Zhang Shihui himself was very content.

Back then, his biggest dream was to earn 50,000 yuan and achieve a lifetime of happiness.

And now, he can earn a "lifetime of happiness" in just one month, what else can he be dissatisfied with?

What's more, he is now the boss of Tan Palace Restaurant. He eats and drinks lavishly all day long and drives a small pickup truck under the name of the restaurant. He has almost no place to spend money.

It is precisely because of this that he is grateful and willing to spend money to support the public welfare cause of Ning Weimin Huimin Reading Club.

That's why he asked others to "build" a "banknote fleet" worth hundreds of thousands of yuan for Ning Weimin's wedding.

In addition to wanting to be in the spotlight, he also felt that only in this way could he be true to his conscience and be worthy of his buddy Ning Weimin.

Therefore, his efforts and kindness earned him a greater opportunity to make money from Ning Weimin.

After meeting him, Ning Weimin personally instructed him to spare no effort to stockpile Moutai and Wuliangye from now on.

Except for the funds necessary for operation, all the money in the tobacco and alcohol shop's account was used to buy these two kinds of liquor.

If the Sugar, Tobacco and Wine Company cannot get it, then we will follow the old method and exchange it for foreign exchange coupons and buy it from the Friendship Store with the foreign exchange coupons.

Given that they have been hoarding Moutai and Wuliangye for a long time, especially the tobacco and alcohol recycling business of tobacco and alcohol stores are also hoarding.

Therefore, Ning Weimin also specifically instructed that if there is not enough space in the tobacco and alcohol shop, do not stop stockpiling.

You can go to Pierre Catton Company first and ask Zou Guodong in his name to borrow a few basements of Pierre Catton Hotel for use first, and you can also store some of it in Yunyuan.

This can also disperse the risk of stockpiling, after all, they are all flammable.

In short, you should first turn the money you have into goods.

On the other hand, tobacco and alcohol shops need to save money on their daily external supplies.

Moutai and Wuliangye will not be released to the public except for the necessary supply to Yunyuan, Tangong Restaurant and Maxim's Restaurant.

(End of this chapter)