Film and Television: Starting from the Journey to Guandong

Chapter 68 Menu; Scare and scare (first order requested)
"San'er, are you busy?"

Outside Zhu Chuanren's room, Zhu Chuanwu knocked on the door and asked.

"Not busy, come in."

Creak~ The door opened and Chuanwu walked in. The temperature in the room was so high that even a single piece of clothing would make him sweat.

Zhu Chuanren was lying on the kang, with his legs crossed and a plate of beads in his hand, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong?" Zhu Chuanren asked with narrowed eyes without getting up when he heard footsteps approaching.

"I heard that Xiu'er's father came over today?"

"Hmm~"

"How was the chat?"

"Barely, I'm not running away anymore. I'm just waiting to get married~"

"Is there really no other choice?"

"What? Want to go back on it?"

"No, no, I just..."

"Go and enjoy yourself. Others want to marry two wives, so don't be dissatisfied."

"I'm not dissatisfied, forget it, that's it."

"Well, just wait for a good day to get married."

"I know, um...Old Tan said you assigned him a task?"

"Yes~"

Speaking of this, Zhu Chuanren turned over and sat up:

"I asked him to take a few brothers to Shanghai first to pave the way for us."

"Lao Tan has a stable temperament and good abilities. I think he will work."

"This matter needs to be kept secret. Let the brothers below keep their mouths shut. Don't pry around if it's nothing."

"Hey! I know, I've already told you."

"That's good. Old Tan has a heavy task here. You have to help take care of his family, as well as the families of those brothers. Don't let them have any worries."

Zhu Chuanwu nodded without thinking:
"Don't worry, I will treat them like my father and mother."

Zhu Chuanren looked like he hated iron for not being able to become steel. This Chuanwu was still a bit unsatisfactory.

Some words must be explained clearly to him, otherwise they will not be understood.

"What I mean is that you have to keep a close eye on these brothers' families and don't let them sneak away."

Zhu Chuanwu was dumbfounded:
"Ah? Why?"

"You are stupid. These brothers are going to Shanghai. The sky is high and the emperor is far away. If they make a lot of money, they will inevitably have second thoughts. We must have some means to control them."

Zhu Chuanwu suddenly realized:
"You told me earlier, I thought..."

"You still need training." Zhu Chuanren shook his head helplessly, turned over and lay back down.

"I'm a bit stupid. If you have anything to say, just say it directly." Zhu Chuanwu was also a little dissatisfied. He felt that Zhu Chuanren's words were too convoluted and burned up his brain cells.

"Okay, okay, don't be angry with me. Just do what you have to do."

...

In a blink of an eye, the Spring Festival has passed, and people have to rush for a year's life again, going to the fields and going up the mountains.

Fangniugou, Lao Zhu's large land is also full of farm workers.

Under the leadership of Chief Zhang, they checked the soil condition and started working as soon as the freeze started.

Relying on the fertile black soil in the Northeast, the harvests of Lao Zhu's family have been very good in recent years. Relying on these grains, not to mention how much money they make, it is not a big problem to feed No. [-] people.

A few years ago, when Zhu Chuanren and the escort were away, Zhu Kaishan deliberately saved a lot of food, and the barn was full, just to avoid being hungry when they came back.

But he was obviously overly worried. The dozens of carts of gold bars Zhu Chuanren brought back were enough to support these people for two lifetimes.

Of course, regardless of whether you have money or not, the land must be planted. It would be a pity not to use such fertile land.

Zhu Chuanren didn't understand the work in the fields, and he didn't bother to get involved.

When I got up that day, I took the escort brothers for morning exercises, and then rode to Yuanbao Town.

Xia Yuanzhang found the storefront and made simple decorations, and was waiting for Zhu Chuanren's acceptance to open it at any time.

"Thank you for your hard work, Shopkeeper Xia!"

Turning over and dismounting gracefully, Zhu Chuanren cupped his fists and handed over his hands.

"Why are you so polite? Come in and see if you like it. The guy happens to be there too. If you don't like it, bring it up and I'll ask them to change it."

Before entering, I was stunned by Shopkeeper Xia's handwriting. This is a three-story building with a zigzag structure. Each floor has elegant rooms with different styles.

According to Shopkeeper Xia, if someone rents the place, 80-100 high-end banquet tables can be arranged at one time, all with sandalwood dining tables, ivory chopsticks, silver wine sets, copper hot pots and other high-end tableware.

There are also some elegant and quiet single rooms on each floor of the building, which can accommodate a few customers to have a drink;
There are also 4 small auditoriums and luxurious rooms at the back of the building, specially designed for customers' weddings and newlyweds.

After a tour led by Xia Yuanzhang, Zhu Chuanren was extremely satisfied:

"Isn't this building cheap to buy?"

"Hey~ I'm thinking that I either don't want to do it, or I want to go bigger. Once this restaurant opens, it will definitely become a landmark in Sanjiang Town and Suihe County. All the dignitaries who want to be the owner will be the first thing in their mind. The name that pops up must be our restaurant."

Zhu Chuanren smiled:
"Then listen to Shopkeeper Xia. By the way, if Chun Hesheng gets any good ingredients in the future, he has to think about the restaurant first."

"That's for sure. If there is something good, we must use it first. By the way, have you thought of the name?"

Xia Yuanzhang looked at him expectantly.

"I didn't have any idea at first, but looking at this building, I might as well call it Louwailou."

Xia Yuanzhang's eyes lit up:
"What a good name, Qingshan Tower Outside the Mountain. It has a good meaning, so that's it. I'll have someone make a sign later, and then I'll find a famous person to inscribe it on."

"Okay, then thank you, Shopkeeper Xia."

"I told you not to be polite. As for my family, I heard from Chuanjie that your second brother is getting married?"

"Yes, with Xiu'er, the daughter of the old Han family in Fangniugou."

Xia Yuanzhang nodded slightly:
"I know that the old Han family is also a big landowner in Fangniugou."

"Yes, that girl Xiu'er is nice and handsome. She is worthy of my second brother."

"Haha, I haven't seen Chuanwu for a while. I still remember that he came to Chunhesheng as an apprentice with your brother, but he ran away after only two days of working. I didn't expect that he would be trained under your hands."

Zhu Chuanren looked helpless:
"You also know that my second brother has a stubborn brain and is not easy to train."

"Haha, I'm still young, I just need to practice more."

After chatting for a while, Xia Yuanzhang brought the topic back:
"Have you thought of the restaurant's signature dishes? I have to have someone prepare the menu."

He really didn't talk to Zhu Kaishan about this matter, so he quickly said:

"I'll discuss it with them when I get back tonight and have Chuanjie bring the menu tomorrow morning."

"Good~"

...

After returning to Fangniugou from Yuanbao Town, Zhu Kaishan was still in the field discussing with Zhang Boutou about farming after spring. My mother was there, but she couldn't make up her mind on this matter.

There was no other way but to wait until Zhu Kaishan came back.

During this period, Xian'er came to play with Zhu Chuanren with her child in her arms. This eldest niece liked to pester him, and she didn't know what was going on, so she kissed her third uncle.

Xian'er was also helpless:
"You kid, it's as if your father doesn't kiss you."

Zhu Chuanren also liked his eldest niece very much. He hugged her and gave her a sip, making the little girl giggle.

"By the way, Xian'er, when our restaurant opens, you can help too. It's enough to have a boss in charge of the family affairs."

Xian'er is not very confident:

"Ah? I don't understand anything. Can you do it?"

"What's wrong with that? Let Chuanjie talk to you about the things on the cabinet later. You'll be able to figure it out as soon as you hear it. You're also smart. Find an opportunity to learn abacus and take care of the bookkeeping work."

Xian'er shook her head repeatedly:

"No, no, no, I can't do it. It makes me nervous when I hear it."

"Don't be in a hurry to back down. If I say it's okay, it will be okay. You're right to listen to me."

Xian'er is happy to go out and help, but she is not confident in what she doesn't know.

"Is it possible? If this calculation is wrong, then something big will happen?"

"If something big happens, just keep it in your heart!"

"Okay~"

Xian'er began to imagine working in a restaurant. She was more excited to go out and see the world than to nurse her baby at home.

"Practice hard. When we go to Shanghai, we will have a bigger task for you."

Zhu Chuanren started to draw the big picture, but he was not messing around. Judging from the original plot, Xian'er is indeed a woman who can stand alone and has a sharp mind. Anyway, she is smarter than Chuanwu.

The two were chatting in the main room. Near noon, Zhu Kaishan and Zhu Chuanren came back with a chill, and they kept warming their hands on the stove.Zhu Chuanren held a piece of roasted sweet potato and blew the hot air into his mouth.

"San'er, look at how comfortable you are. If nothing happens, why don't you go and help in the fields?"

When Zhu Chuanwen saw the third child eating hot roasted sweet potatoes and chatting animatedly with his wife, he felt a little bit appetized.

Before Zhu Chuanren could speak, Zhu Kaishan glared:
"San'er has his own things to be busy with. You think everyone is just like you, thinking about your wife and children. You should first figure out what's going on in the fields before talking to others."

Well, Zhu Chuanwen lost his temper immediately and just complained. If he really wanted to do something, he didn't have the courage. He knew that Zhu Chuanren would not recognize his relatives when he got angry.

"San'er, don't be like your elder brother. Did you go to town today?"

"Yes, the floor has been completed and everything is ready, just waiting for the opening."

Zhu Kaishan forced a smile:
"Okay, I didn't expect our old Zhu family to have our own restaurant. Have you thought of a name?"

"I've thought about it, I'll call it Louwailou. You can come with me to the town tomorrow to see how old-fashioned that building is."

Zhu Kaishan laughed:
"Okay, I'll take your mother to see it sometime. Louwailou is a good name. It sounds elegant yet domineering, and the meaning is also good."

Zhu Chuanren nodded:
"You have to come up with the menu quickly. If we want to be the best restaurant, the menu must be perfect."

Zhu Kaishan naturally understood this truth and said:

"When I was fighting the Boxer Rebellion in my early years, I also saw a lot of the world. I have eaten a lot of famous dishes in the capital. As long as I have the ingredients, I can make them."

Of course Zhu Chuanren believed in Zhu Kaishan's craftsmanship, otherwise he would not have the intention to open a restaurant:
"Then tell me. I'll make a note of it and have Chuanjie bring it to Shopkeeper Xia tomorrow so that I can customize the menu~"

After Zhu Kaishan heard this, he thought for a moment and then said:

"Let's start with four signature dishes - raw tendons in milk soup, mushrooms without yolk eggs, live squirrel mandarin fish, and fire-flavored winter bamboo shoot tips."

Zhu Chuanren picked up a pen and paper and started recording. Xian'er listened carefully and tried to remember these dishes in her mind.

"Shark's fins, abalones, etc. all have to be prepared. Milk soup shark's fin, money shark's fin, chicken minced shark's fin, crab roe shark's fin, all of these can be made!"

Zhu Chuanren took advantage of the situation and said:

"Then let's get a separate sign for the shark fin banquet. Isn't it expensive to charge 40 silver dollars per table?"

Zhu Chuanwen clicked his tongue:
"40 silver dollars per table? Isn't that expensive?"

"It's not expensive! Don't underestimate the ability of rich people to spend money. 40 silver dollars is nothing." Zhu Kaishan said.

Zhu Chuanren nodded:

"Where's the abalone?"

“Red braised local abalone, dried shredded mushrooms and dry steamed fruit rice.”

Zhu Chuanren's writing is like a dragon. His handwriting is not very beautiful, but it is self-contained and very domineering. In Xia Yuanzhang's words, Zhu Chuanren's handwriting exudes a bloody domineering air!
"Dad, let's think about some dishes that are of good quality and relatively cheap. We can't completely shut out the common people. If we save a month's money to go to a restaurant and have a good meal, we also welcome them."

Zhu Kaishan recognized his idea:
"I know, let me think about it, you must have pork head meat, bacon, pig ears, etc., and then add roasted sea cucumbers with green onions, squid and bamboo shoots, Sanyuan chicken, breaded duck, pork belly, etc. For cold dishes, just cut chicken, Sausages, braised tongue, and cold dishes should be kept at 3-5 silver dollars per table.

Zhu Chuanren quickly finished recording and said:

“Plus a few seasonal specials.”

"It's easy to say, make lamb soup in winter, prepare frogs in autumn, prepare turtle meat in spring and summer, and have special stewed vegetables at the ready. This is enough, no more can be done."

Zhu Chuanren nodded slightly, dried the ink, and read it over. After making sure there was no problem, he put it in an envelope and handed it to Chuanjie in the evening, and asked him to bring it to Shopkeeper Xia tomorrow.

...

A few days later, Han Laohai came to the door again with gifts. It seemed that he had temporarily recovered from the shock he had received from Zhu Chuanren.

"Brother Lao Zhu, haha, let's talk about the marriage of our two children today?"

"Okay, Brother Lao Hai, I looked at the almanac and found that the sixth day of next month is a good day to get married."

"Eh? We brothers have thought of it together. I also think the sixth day of next month will be good, so is it settled?"

"It's settled! Brother Hai, if you have any requests then, just tell us and we will do our best to meet them."

"You also know that I am just a daughter, so I naturally don't want to wrong her."

"I understand, I understand, Brother Lao Hai, don't worry, the troupe and the drinks will be of the best quality."

"That's good, then I can rest assured."

Han Laohai turned around and looked around:
"Chuanren isn't here."

"He took his brothers to the mountains."

Han Laohai was stunned:

"Going to the mountains?"

"Well, Chun Hesheng's caravan was detained by bandits. Chuanren will take some people to solve it. It's a small matter."

Zhu Kaishan sounded relaxed, but it didn't sound that way to Han Laohai.

He asked inexplicably and guiltily:
"If Chuanren goes to suppress the bandits, there won't be any danger, right?"

"That won't happen. Those brothers under him are not just for a living, so nothing will happen to them."

"Really? That's good, that's good~"

Seeing that he began to sweat, Zhu Kaishan expressed concern:

"Brother Hai, are you okay? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"

"No, I'm not uncomfortable. Brother Lao Zhu, I have something else to do, so I'll leave first. The marriage is settled like this. If you have any problems, let me go to see you."

After saying that, regardless of Zhu Kaishan's plea to stay, he ran out with his short legs and disappeared in a flash.

As soon as he left, Zhu Chuanren came out of the inner room and said with suppressed laughter:

"Dad, you didn't blink even when you were in a panic."

"Fuck you, I'm just trying to scare him. This Han Laohai is like a human spirit. If you don't let him be frightened, he has too many crooked ideas."

Zhu Chuanren chuckled and said:

"Then I'd better take my brother for a walk in the mountains."

"Well, you should go there, but I've heard about those gangsters in Erlong Mountain. The leader is a soldier who fled from the pass in the early years. He has a gun in his hand. Be careful."

Zhu Chuanren nodded:
"I understand dad, don't worry."

With the current strength of the escort, it is not a big problem to deal with a group of gangsters. As long as they do not encounter an established regular army, the escort can go through anything.

Called Chuangwu, he took 40 people and headed towards Erlong Mountain on the white snow.

It's about 100 miles from Fangniugou to Erlong Mountain. It's all a mountain road, and there's snow under our feet. The road is really difficult to walk.

Originally, it would have been possible to arrive there in one day if we had marched hastily, but because the snowy road was difficult, we had to walk for two days to reach the vicinity of Erlong Mountain.

After Zhu Chuanren ordered the camp to be set up, he called Kong Laoer:

"Go explore the road and check out all the sentinel points."

"Yes, Third Young Master."

Kong Laoer took the order and left, and Zhu Chuanwu came over:
"San'er, why are you suddenly attacking Erlongshan?"

He had been holding it in for a long time, and he had wanted to ask it for a long time, but he had been holding it in until now.

"Scare your future father-in-law." Zhu Chuanren was wiping his Bodan rifle.

"what?"

"That father-in-law of yours has too many thoughts. If you don't scare him, you may not be able to do anything in the future. Besides, the gangsters in Erlongshan usually do evil and bad things. We can also be regarded as citizens. Get rid of the harm.”

Zhu Chuanwu nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask any more questions.

Half a day later, Kong Laoer came back, his face red from the cold.

"Third Young Master, we have figured it all out. We came at the wrong time. There are not many people on the mountain, only a dozen or so. All the troops have gone down the mountain."

Zhu Chuanren immediately laughed and said:
"It's not the right time. I think it's the right time. Brothers, let's set off."

Upon hearing Zhu Chuanren's greeting, the 40 brothers quickly stood up and got ready to go.

After the team was organized, Zhu Chuanren separated the teams. One team was led by himself, and the other team was handed over to Zhu Chuanwu to attack the Erlongshan village from two directions.

Perhaps because the boss was gone, the remaining mustaches lost their vigilance. So when Zhu Chuanren and the others rushed into the stronghold, they were surrounded before they even had time to raise their guns.

Zhu Chuanren came out of the crowd, looked at the group of mustaches with playful eyes, and said nothing, with a half-smiling look that made people feel chilled.

It took me a long time to say the next sentence:
"It's all tied up~"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly shouted:

"and many more!"

Zhu Chuanren pointed his gun at one of the middle-aged men wearing a fur cloak and a goatee and asked:

"You are the head of the family, right?"

"I'm not I'm not!"

Zhu Chuanren pulled the bolt and put his finger on the trigger:
"Let me ask you again, are you the head of the family?"

Beads of sweat appeared on the man's forehead. He didn't dare to blink his eyelids and said in a deep voice:
"Brother, if you have anything to say, I'm really not the boss."

Zhu Chuanren sneered:
"You still want to play word games with me, right? Not the first boss? Then the second boss? The third boss?"

(End of this chapter)