Compete for the Song Dynasty

There is always an endless stream of people who come to the coal yard to buy coal. Even in this hot summer, they can't stop people's enthusiasm for cooking with coal from Jinxiang Mansion.At the gate of the coal yard in Jinxiang Mansion, there are often carriages of nobles and officials, ox carts from hotels, and donkeys hired by common people parked at the gate of the coal yard.

But today, there is a rare leisure in front of Jinxiang Mansion. It started raining in Bianjing city in the morning, and it still didn't seem to stop at noon.He Libo ordered people to prepare food and wine to entertain the people who had been working hard for the past few days.

These people set up the table, set up the food and drink, and greeted He Libo, "Brother He, let's have a drink together."

He Libo said while putting on his coir raincoat: "I think it will rain until night, you all drink slowly, I will go back to the mansion to find the young master." After speaking, he rode out of the coal yard.

Jinxiangfu Coal Yard is in the northwest corner of Bianjing City, and Meyer Mansion is in the southeast of Bianjing City. He Libo has to pass through the city every time.Passing by Yunxuan, which is about to open next to Wang, the outside of Yunxuan is still covered with cloth.He Libo got off his horse and went in to have a look. The workers inside said that Guanshi Lu didn't come today. "Where did you go, kid?" He thought to himself and continued heading south. [

Not far away is the Jinxiu Tower. Cui Fu, the shopkeeper, saw He Libo approaching on a horse, so he stood in the door and greeted him.He Libo looked inside, and Cui Fu held an umbrella and walked to the platform outside the restaurant: "Mr. He, is this going back to Mayer's Mansion?"

He Libo pointed inside and asked with a smile: "You still have a good business, and the seats are full on rainy days."

Cui Fu was so happy when he heard that, he puffed his chest and said triumphantly: "Naturally, my son is here at the wedding banquet, and even the emperor gave the signboard of the Jinxiu Building, who wouldn't want to come to get a taste of the emperor's prestige and joy ” He said loudly, as if he could hear everyone in the store.

Then he walked up to He Libo and said in a low voice: "This business is not good. Now we are imitating my young master and setting up tables in restaurants. Our menu is unique in the capital. Everyone is tired of the old stewed dishes." Now I have a special liking for this hype. Our seats and boxes are all reserved until August [-]th."

He Libo exclaimed: "Only the dozen or so dishes of the young master are really good."

Cui Fu curled his lips, more than a dozen words, he got closer to He Libo, and whispered: "You don't know, the young master calls the chef who is in charge of the cooking stove, and he is the master chef. These people are happy, and whoever invents new dishes If it sells well, there will be a reward. Look over there."

He kept pointing at the wall where the menu cards were hung, He Libo looked, and there were dozens of menu cards hanging on it, almost covering the entire wall.I heard Cui Fu say again: "Every chef here has a special skill. Let me tell you, don't worry too much. Mr. He, you order one dish every day, and you can eat it differently for a season without repeating it. Can our business Is it popular? What's more, there is Jinxiu Jiangshan, this is the signature dish bestowed by the emperor, everyone must order it."

Horibo stood at the door of the hotel and looked inside.There were few pedestrians outside the hotel in the rain, but the Jinxiu Building was full of people and guests.It can be seen that what Cui Fu said was the truth, and he couldn't help but admire Wang Pang's ingenuity.He looked inside and remembered that he was looking for the young master, so he asked the young master if he was in the restaurant.

Cui Fu hoped that Wang Pang would be there, this young master was really at ease with him, and he would do all the work on the cabinet. Seeing that the business is so hot, if the young master is here, he will definitely be happy.Thinking this way in his heart, he said with a naive smile on his face: "Even if the son is here, I'm afraid there is no seat for him. It's good if the old man doesn't come, otherwise the little one doesn't know how to arrange it."

He Libo laughed loudly: "It's like the sun rises in the east and rains in the west. In short, you can make money, and the coal for your back kitchen is ready for you. When the rain stops, someone will bring it."

Cui Fu was about to ask about the delivery of coal. Fortunately, Wang Pang asked Jinxiulou to have at least three or five days of spare coal, so he was not in a hurry to deliver it in this rainy day, so he said: "That's great, hurry up and deliver it when the rain stops. Don't delay our hot business." Another thing came to mind: "Mr. He, do you know that the teahouse that Mr. Wang owns has been covered all the time? Is there anything new about it? This guest asks me every day, and I can only I really don't know the answer."

He Libo shook his head: "This young master usually does things on his own ideas, and we don't know what he thinks in his heart."

Shopkeeper Cui laughed and said, "That's right, my son has a rule that no nonsense is allowed? What's more, he said it's a businessman's secret."

He Libo laughed loudly: "The treasurer Cui is deaf. You can't run a restaurant without ducks and chickens. My son said that is a commercial secret."

Manager Cui laughed and said, "Yes, look at me as an idiot, business secrets, business secrets." He deliberately repeated, laughing at himself for being an idiot.

He Libo and Cui Fu were talking here, and saw that there were still customers coming in to eat and greeted the shopkeeper Cui Fu, Cui Fu responded with an apologetic expression: "Look at the rainy day, and you still have to wait for a seat to eat."

He Libo got on his horse and said: "You have to eat even in rainy days, haha, since the young master is not here, shopkeeper Cui is busy with you, I will go back to Mayer's mansion first." After bidding farewell to Cui Fu, he rode his horse back to his mansion.

There are few visitors on rainy days, and the Meyer Mansion is not as crowded as usual today. He Libo came to the garden and saw Wang Pang and Lu Shenyan in the gazebo in the lotus pond. The four of them were enjoying the lotus and watching the rain, drinking and chatting. It was very pleasant .

Lu Shenyan was the first to see He Libo coming back, so he waved to He Libo: "It's a rare rainy day today, so it's just right to come back."

It is rare for Wang Pang to be at leisure today. The air is refreshing on this rainy day, and the lotus in the pond is in bud. Sitting on the pavilion in the lotus pond, he can occasionally hear the sound of Cai Jing and Tong Xiao reading next door.

He Libo took off his coir raincoat and bamboo hat, walked to the stone bench beside the stone table and sat down, Yan Zhihu asked the woman waiting on the porch to add a pair of bowls, chopsticks and wine cups.The three of them couldn't sit alone and eat together some days, He Libo laughed and recounted the conversation with Cui Fu in front of Jinxiu Tower.

Yuexia listened to He Libo's narration, and even looked at her husband with admiration. After listening, the king shook his fan and laughed, everything was as expected.

Yan Zhihu refilled their wine cups, then said: "I'll tell you a funny thing, it's also related to Jinxiu Building."

"The book boy in our house is the new Cai Jing. He can tell the first words about the new dishes in the Jinxiu Building. When he encounters delicious food, he can eat delicious food until his stomach bulges. Once he ate so much that his stomach swelled." For two days, we look at his stomach every day to know whether the chef is doing well today."

Everyone present laughed when they heard this, and Lu Shenyan said, "No wonder I heard that this kid was a foodie when I was in Jianzhou, but now I have seen it." Everyone was laughing, and Wang Pang saw that He Libo was not smiling, as if he was not listening They say nothing, but are distracted.

For a long time recently, Wang Pang has been busy with business affairs and his own marriage. For He Libo and Lu Shenyan, who have been following him all the time, they rarely sit together to drink and chat like today.Thinking of this, he picked up his wine glass and said to He Libo Lu Shenyan: "Little brother has never been free, and now the business is getting bigger and bigger. Thanks to the help of the two of you, it is rare to be free today. The three of us can sit together. I toast One cup for two."

Lu Shenyan raised his wine glass, He Libo was staring at the lotus leaf in a daze.Lu Shenyan raised his voice and said: "Boss, my lord is toasting you." Only then did He Libo come back to his senses, and the three of them drank the wine in one gulp.

Yan Zhihu patted Lu Shen and said, "It's so unruly, if Brother He gets married in the future, you will always call him big, that's not good."

Lu Shenyan said with a playful smile: "Young lady taught me a lesson, but Brother He is happy not to talk about things, when can we get married?"

He Libo blushed, he hesitated as if he had something to say, Yan Zhihu couldn't understand his coercion, and said anxiously: "Didn't Big Brother discuss with Xiao Lu these two days how to let Miss Li enter the mansion?"

Seeing his wife talking fast, Lu Shenyan smiled: "Don't blame me, brother, my wife asked me what you've been talking to me these past two days. I just have to say it straight."

After speaking, several people looked at Wang Pang together, Wang Pang certainly understood that they were talking about Li Enxi, as for how He Libo found Miss Li, it is inconvenient to ask further.She smiled and said: "Miss Li can do mental calculations very quickly, it would be great to come and help Yuexia manage the accounts."

He Libo was a little worried that this excuse was not good, and said, "This, this is not very good, after all, it is a girl's house."

Yan Zhihu snickered, Lu Shenyan asked: "What are you laughing at, lady?" Yue Xia seemed to understand, and whispered in Wang Bang's ear: "Brother He is so pedantic, can you understand?"

Such a smart person as Wang Pang, after listening to He Libo's general description, and then Yue Xia dialed him, he understood that Miss Li Enxi was waiting for He Libo to speak.But He Libo didn't understand, so how could Miss Li live in the house.No one can decide this matter except myself, so he said: "Congratulations, Brother He"

He Libo was a little confused, and Wang Pang said: "I will decide this matter, Mr. Lu, Mrs. Lu, please spare a courtyard in Meyer's Mansion for Brother He as soon as possible. Also go to the toothmaid to propose marriage to the girl. As for the betrothal gift All other matters will be handled by the younger brother."

When He Libo heard it, he was surprised and happy, and didn't know what to say for a while, Wang Pang looked at him who was usually a very smart and smart person, at this moment he smiled foolishly, and sighed in his heart: If He Libo just settled down here, it may not be possible. is bad.

Xiao Lu gritted his teeth and said, "Jinxiulou has no reservations for the banquet after listening to Brother He just now."

He Libo hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Miss Li and I don't have so many relatives and friends here, so we don't need to hold such a banquet. I think I can decide this matter. Just us brothers, let's set up a table at the house."

Hearing what he said, Wang Pang didn't object, so that's fine.Then I heard Lu Shenyan ask: "My lord, this Yunxuan will open in a few days. My lord, this opening is not open to the public, so what are your plans?"

Wang Pang smiled slightly: "Just do as I said. When Yunxuan is in order and Brother He's marriage is over, it's time for the imperial examination in autumn. I will set off for Xixia after autumn. I entrust you two to worry about it." [

Seeing what he said, He Libo and Lu Shenyan didn't ask any more questions, but Wang Pang said so, could it be that he has to take part in the scientific examination?Of course, Wang Pang didn't want to take part in the scientific examination.The coal yard, the tea farm, and the Jinxiu Tower are in the business of making money, and this Yunxuan is in the business of earning fame, not to mention that Wang Pang wants to use this scientific expedition to make his "Yunxuan" famous.

It's a rare half-day leisure, watching the rain by the lotus pond, brothers chatting about the splendor, strategizing in their hearts