Chapter 70

The family gathered around a steaming hot pot placed on a square wooden table with dishes of ingredients surrounding it. There were slices of white lamb tail fat, paper-thin slices of fresh lamb, finger-thick hand-cut lamb leg, equally thin hand-cut lamb shoulder, lamb tripe, and various vegetables.

The lamb was freshly cut by Cheng Ge’er, who had been learning from Xu Qinyu for almost a year. He had become very skilled at preparing ingredients and had excellent knife skills, able to cut fish and meat into paper-thin slices. He also took over making fish balls, braised fish, and fish head tofu stew at the restaurant, and the taste was quite good.

Xu Qinyu believed that Cheng Ge’er would be able to take charge of the kitchen for another two years.

The others were also learning diligently. Luo Daniu had a natural talent for making dough and could already help Xu Qinyu make buns and steamed bread. Xu Qinyu paid her 800 wen a month.

Xu Feng wasn’t particularly talented in cooking but was very diligent, practicing more than anyone else. He believed that hard work could make up for a lack of talent. He also spent his extra time training his body in the restaurant’s backyard.

Xu Tiao, who had a limp, had a keen sense of taste, and Xu Qinyu was nurturing his talent in this area.

Xu Yu, Xu Shun, and Er Niu were still too young. Besides washing and preparing vegetables, they helped with miscellaneous tasks.

While Xu Qinyu was still at the restaurant, everyone else was at the Old Madam Zhu’s place.

The old lady couldn’t get out of bed, so she sat in a wicker chair with thick blankets and soft pillows, leaning against the pillows.

Mrs. Zhu fed the old lady slices of lamb dipped in sesame paste, one bite at a time.

Prefect Zhu and Madam Zhu were amazed by the lamb hot pot. It was incredibly fragrant. They had thought that Miss Xu’s red sugar yin rice porridge, Xian Du Xian, and Shang Tang Bai Cai were already impressive, but today’s hot pot was even more aromatic.

Lamb hot pot had a fragrance similar to that of a spicy hot pot, which was almost irresistible.

Mrs. Zhu fed the old lady quite a bit.

After finishing the lamb and vegetables, they cooked some noodles.

The noodles were handmade wide noodles by Xu Qinyu, cooked in the copper pot for a little while. Once cooked, they were served in bowls and mixed with sesame paste sauce. Even though everyone thought they were full, they each had a bowl of noodles.

The whole family was quite full.

Prefect Zhu and Madam Zhu wondered where this young lady had learned such amazing culinary skills.

After eating, Mrs. Zhu stayed to accompany the old lady for the night.

When Xu Qinyu returned to Osmanthus Alley, the old lady was already asleep.

After washing up in the evening, Xu Qinyu took out the wild ginseng that Fourth Brother had dug up in the mountains. This ginseng was of excellent quality, already processed, and had complete roots. Although there were many mountains in the southwest, wild ginseng was rare. It was fortunate that Fourth Brother had found it, as it seemed to have grown for hundreds of years and could be a life-saving remedy.

Xu Qinyu planned to give this ginseng to Old Madam Zhu. Her health was already at a critical stage, and this wild ginseng might help. Wild ginseng is a powerful tonic, and if it could extend the elderly lady’s life, allowing her to enjoy more time with her family, it would be wonderful.

Madam Wen had almost forgotten about the wild ginseng. When her son initially dug it up, they planned to sell it to fund Yuniang’s restaurant. However, Yuianng insisted on keeping it, saying it was too precious to sell and might save a life in the future. She was right.

Madam Wen was very grateful and thanked Yuniang.

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, “Mother, there’s no need to thank me. Fourth Brother found it, and it’s only right that his great-grandmother benefits from it. I’m glad we didn’t sell it.”

Such high-quality wild ginseng would be impossible to buy if sold.

The next morning, Xu Qinyu went to check on the old lady.

She was still asleep, and Madam Wen accompanied Xu Qinyu, giving the wild ginseng to Prefect Zhu. She explained that Xuan Ge’er had found it in the mountains last year, and they had kept it at home after processing it. Since the old lady needed it, they were giving it to her to help with her health.

Prefect Zhu didn’t refuse and thanked them. The doctor had mentioned that if they could afford top-quality wild ginseng, it might extend the elderly lady’s life. He hadn’t expected such an opportunity to arise in Yuanbao Town. Since becoming an official, he has remained honest and uncorrupted, never taking a penny from the people. However, he couldn’t afford such high-quality ginseng. He had even searched for good-quality wild ginseng in pharmacies across various counties but hadn’t found any. The previous night, before falling asleep, his mother had mentioned wanting to see her great-grandson Xuan Ge’er. His sister had said that Xuan Ge’er had gone on a trading expedition with a caravan and hadn’t returned for almost a year.

Prefect Zhu hoped Xuan Ge’er would return safely.

While the old lady slept, Xu Qinyu and Madam Wen checked on her before heading to the restaurant to work.

Xu Qinyu was quite busy. She asked Cheng Ge’er to help her find out if there were any courtyards for sale in Osmanthus Alley or nearby. She planned to cure more hams this year, but there was no space at home, and they didn’t have a workshop. Buying a small house would be a solution, and having a workshop would be even better. She also told Cheng Ge’er that he should let her know if there was a workshop for sale. If the price was reasonable, she might buy it. It would be useful for curing hams, making pickles, and processing other ingredients. She planned to cure at least a hundred hams each year. If they sold well, she could cure even more in the future.

Cheng Ge’er had been running errands for the past couple of days and managed to find a workshop.

The workshop was located on North Street and was previously a distillery. The owner was moving to Raozhou City and had cleared out all the wine jars, leaving an empty workshop. It was about the size of a three-entry courtyard house, but unlike a house with winding corridors and front and back courtyards, the workshop had rooms on all four sides and a large central area that could be used for work or drying items, making it very convenient.

The location on North Street was close to the docks, which meant it was a bit chaotic and crowded, but because of this, the workshop was quite cheap, selling for only 200 taels of silver.

When Cheng Ge’er told Xu Qinyu about it, she took some time to go and see it. She liked the place, as it was already clean and didn’t need much added. She planned to install hooks for hanging hams to ventilate and ferment, as well as large tables and some wooden boards.

Xu Qinyu immediately paid for the workshop. After buying the workshop, she started buying pig hind legs.

The best hams are made from Wujin pigs, but since they weren’t available and she didn’t have the means to raise them, she opted for black-haired pigs raised in the mountains, which were also good. Xu Qinyu asked Butcher Tian about it, as he sometimes sold meat from these black-haired pigs. Xu Qinyu could tell the difference between this meat and the meat from pigs fed with bran and pigweed, which were usually fatter.

Hams are made from hind legs, and the best time to cure hams is from the first frost to before the spring equinox. It had already frosted a few days ago, so it was time to start curing.

Butcher Tian knew Xu Qinyu wanted to buy a hundred pig hind legs, so he told her about a large pig farmer nearby where he sometimes bought meat.

Xu Qinyu asked Butcher Tian to help her order a hundred pig hind legs and deliver them to the North Street workshop.

She continued her collaboration with Butcher Tian’s family for their pork intestines, having them delivered daily after being braised.

The hundred pig hind legs cost about seventy taels of silver, with each leg weighing around twenty to twenty-five pounds.

The long tables, hooks, and wooden boards Xu Qinyu ordered arrived in two or three days. These wooden boards were used to shape the hams and press out the moisture after curing.

For the next half month, Xu Qinyu went to the workshop every evening after returning home and spent her rest days there, busy curing hams. Cheng Ge’er and Xu Feng also helped her.

Curing hams required salting twice, rubbing salt thoroughly on the first day, and repeating the process the next day.

The ratio of salt to ham had to be appropriate. Xu Qinyu inspected the hams cured by Cheng Ge’er and Xu Feng, and once they met her standards, she trimmed the fat edges to make the hams look better. The trimmed hams were then pressed between wooden boards to remove moisture before fermentation.

The cured hams were hung from the high beams in the room, with the windows open for ventilation. They didn’t need any further attention, as they would take at least a year to be ready for consumption. If they were to be eaten raw, they would need to be cured for two to three years, and the curing and fermentation conditions would have to be optimal.

The workshop had high walls, so people outside couldn’t see what was being done inside.

Xu Qinyu, Cheng Ge’er, and Xu Feng spent half a month curing and hanging the hundred hams for fermentation.

Besides the seventy taels of silver spent on the hams, the only other expense was for salt. Including the cost of salt, the total expense for curing the hams was around one hundred taels of silver.

With the hams cured, Xu Qinyu felt a great sense of relief.

The remaining ham from the Xian Du Xian dish she made for Old Madam Zhu was still hanging at the Pei family home. Xu Qinyu planned to add Xian Du Xian and other ham dishes to the restaurant’s menu in the spring. There wouldn’t be many servings, just two or three a day, to give the hams some exposure. By next winter, there would be a large supply of hams ready to eat.

The hundred hams were hung in four or five rooms, leaving several rooms empty.

Xu Qinyu also bought many jars and containers for pickling vegetables.

Having the workshop made things much more convenient for Xu Qinyu. She moved all the pickling jars from home to the workshop.

…

At Old Madam Zhu’s place, Prefect Zhu started giving her the wild ginseng Xu Qinyu had provided, incorporating it into her daily medicine.

Prefect Zhu only told the old lady that they had found good ginseng and that she should take care of her health. He said that if she got better, she could spend more time talking to Shuniang and wait for Xuan Ge’er to return. He didn’t mention the ginseng’s price, fearing it would worry her.

The old lady was very obedient and drank the medicine whenever it was given to her. When it was time for breakfast and dinner, she obediently ate her meals. The food prepared by Xu Qinyu was delicious, and both breakfast and dinner were brought over from the Xu’s Food Mansion.

Three or four days passed like this. The old lady was awake more often each day, looking better than before, but she still couldn’t get out of bed and had to lie down most of the time.

After another half month, although the old lady’s complexion didn’t improve, she wasn’t as emaciated and had gained some weight. However, her condition didn’t show significant improvement, and she still spent most of her time lying down.

Xu Qinyu came up with the idea of a wheelchair, drew it out, and had the carpenter and blacksmith make it as quickly as possible.

The wheelchair’s wheels needed to be made of iron for easier movement.

In about ten days, the wheelchair was ready, with a soft blanket on it. Occasionally, Mrs. Zhu would push the old lady out for a walk.

The old lady didn’t like going out much; she just wanted to spend more time with her daughter.

In fact, the old lady’s body was already at its limit, and her internal organs were failing. Using wild ginseng was just a way to prolong her life, and it was estimated that she could live for another six months at most. However, the old lady didn’t feel regretful and instead cherished this remaining time.

Prefect Zhu couldn’t stay in Yuanbao Town all the time. After the old lady had been in Yuanbao Town for three or four days, he returned to Raozhou City to handle official duties, leaving Madam Zhu to take care of things.

Madam Zhu stayed for more than half a month, worried about the master and the children in the mansion. The old lady noticed that her daughter-in-law was still thinking about the mansion and told her to return to Raozhou City. “Zhenniang, you should go back and take care of Wenying. I have Shuniang here, and Yanniang and Yuniang come over regularly. We don’t need so many people here. I feel a bit better now and should be able to live a bit longer. You’ve been worried about me for these days and must be tired. Go back and rest. It’s almost New Year, and you can come back then. We’ll celebrate the New Year here this year.”

The old lady indeed felt a bit stronger. After taking medicine for more than half a month and eating well every day, she had more energy to speak.

Madam Zhu, whose name was Zhen, listened to the old lady and returned to Raozhou City the next day.

Prefect Zhu was relieved to know that his mother could speak a bit now. As the New Year approached, he was busy and could only take a break on the 29th of the lunar month. After the seventh day of the new year, he would be busy again.

Xu Qinyu’s restaurant was also busy.

Before the New Year, it snowed heavily for three or four days, reaching up to the calves. Every household was busy shoveling snow.

Because of the heavy snow, the restaurant’s business improved significantly. Many people came to eat hotpot every day. Some who didn’t want to wait in line would reserve in advance and have their servants pick up the hotpot during dinner time. The hotpot was easy to pack, with the copper pot prepared, and the clear soup and ingredients packed in food boxes. The next day, the servants would return the used copper pots and dishes to the restaurant.

In the last half month of the year, Xu’s Food Mansion revenue increased significantly compared to the previous half month. During this half month, Xu Qinyu earned an extra hundred taels of silver, enough to cover the cost of the ham.

On the evening of the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the restaurant closed early and did not serve dinner guests. Cheng Ge’er cooked a table full of New Year’s Eve dinner. The restaurant staff had an early New Year’s Eve dinner and could rest well, as the restaurant would reopen on the fourth day of the new year.

Running a business is different from being an ordinary citizen or an official. They couldn’t rest until the seventh or eighth day of the new year. Restaurants usually reopened on the third or fourth day of the new year.

Xu Qinyu decided to reopen on the fourth day, giving everyone an extra day of rest.

After closing the restaurant’s main door, the windows were left open. The round table was filled with dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat.

Cheng Ge’er was the chef, and everyone sat around the table. Xu Qinyu, Madam Wen, the three waitresses, Da Niu, Er Niu, Cheng Ge’er, Gong Ge’er, and Feng Tiao Yu Shun, the four brothers, all sat together. It was a bit crowded, but no one minded, and everyone had a smile on their face.

Xu Qinyu poured a glass of wine for everyone. This was the last bit of wine left from before, which she had saved for the New Year. There were only about twenty bottles, and they opened five bottles that day, leaving fifteen bottles for the family dinner.

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, “This year’s business has been great, thanks to everyone’s help. Without your help, I couldn’t have managed the restaurant alone. Let’s not say too much; just eat and drink well, rest for a few days, and I’ll give everyone red envelopes later. I hope everyone continues to work hard next year.”

After saying this, she raised her glass, and everyone followed suit.

This year, Xu Qinyu’s restaurant earned about five thousand taels of silver, plus over a thousand taels from the wine. She had about six thousand taels of silver in total. Because there were many things to buy daily, including kitchen utensils and replacing old ones, plus household expenses, she spent quite a bit each month, leaving about six thousand taels of silver, which was already very good.

Xu Qinyu gave the three waitresses, Cheng Ge’er, Gong Ge’er, Da Niu, Xu Feng, and Xu Tiao, ten taels of silver each in their red envelopes.

The remaining three, Er Niu, Xu Yu, and Xu Shun, received three taels of silver each.

For Madam Wen, Xu Qinyu prepared a hundred-tael silver note to give her later. Madam Wen helped manage the restaurant and didn’t even want to take a salary. Xu Qinyu was worried she wouldn’t accept the hundred-tael silver note.

Madam Lin, Madam Yuan, and Madam Chen didn’t expect that when they first started working, Xu Qinyu said she would give red envelopes for the New Year. They thought it might be a few hundred wen, which would have made them happy. Who would have thought it would be ten taels of silver?

The three of them held the small ingots, not knowing what to do. “Boss, isn’t this too much?”

It was equivalent to their annual salary. With the ten taels of silver in the red envelope, they earned about twenty taels of silver a year. Even working at a big restaurant, earning ten taels of silver a year was good, and big restaurants didn’t even want women like them. Xu Qinyu’s restaurant gave them twenty taels of silver a year.

The three of them were very excited.

Xu Qinyu indeed gave quite a lot, but that was because everyone was diligent and wholeheartedly dedicated to the restaurant without any ulterior motives. Every time she finished dinner service, she could go home first, and they cleaned up the rest. She never had to worry about anything, and they always competed to do the work. Where could she find such good employees?

Moreover, she earned so much in a year that giving more red envelopes was only fair.

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, “That’s what you deserve, aunties. The daily cleaning of the restaurant is all thanks to you.”

The three women were all clean-loving people. They not only kept the front hall, where guests were received, spotless, making the diners happy but also cleaned the kitchen daily, leaving no grease stains.

Xu Qinyu added, “Next year, the wages for the three of you will be raised to one tael of silver. As long as everyone works hard, the wages will continue to rise.”

She should be considered a good boss, eating meat herself and giving her employees plenty of broth.

Madam Lin and the other two were so excited that their faces turned red, and they thanked Xu Qinyu with tears in their eyes. They secretly vowed to be even more diligent in the future and never do anything like what Madam Sun did in the past, selling out the restaurant. Boss Xu treated them well, and they had to repay her kindness.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone prepared to go home, and the remaining food was packed for them to take home.

Xu Qinyu looked at the cleaned-up restaurant, locked it up, and went home with Madam Wen, Cheng Ge’er, and Gong Ge’er.

Xu Feng and the other three still lived at the restaurant. There were many kitchen utensils and other items in the restaurant, so they stayed there to watch over it.

When the New Year came, Xu Qinyu would call the children over to her home for the New Year’s dinner.

As for the workshop, Xu Qinyu didn’t let the children guard it. The workshop was not suitable for living, with three or four windows in each room for ventilation, so it was only used for storage. The shoe workshop was locked, and Bai Yu and Mo Yu took turns guarding it at night.

Xu Feng and the others were still children. It was safer and more intimidating for Bai Yu and Mo Yu to guard the workshop. People who hadn’t seen Mo Yu before would be scared the first time they saw him.

Mo Yu was now taller than Xu Qinyu’s knee, with a well-built body, strong limbs, and sturdy bones. His black fur was shiny and smooth, like fine silk, showing that he was well taken care of. Even though Mo Yu had grown up, its personality hadn’t changed much. It still liked to carry things around and play with Bai Yu.

Bai Yu didn’t like to pay attention to it and usually found a place to curl up and sleep. Bai Yu had also grown a lot, now as thick as Xu Qinyu’s calf and about two meters long, looking quite intimidating.

Having raised Bai Yu for almost two years, Xu Qinyu wasn’t afraid of it at all. But if she encountered other snakes, she would definitely still be scared. The ones she raised herself were different, and Bai Yu was indeed different from other snakes, being very close to her. No one else had seen Bai Yu except for the family, and it didn’t like to come out.

However, Mo Yu was well-known among the neighbors in Osmanthus Alley and the nearby alleys. They had watched it grow up, so even though Mo Yu was now a formidable-looking black leopard, the neighbors weren’t afraid of it. They knew it wouldn’t bite people and had never seen it bite anyone. Sometimes, when they saw it, they would even pet its head, and it would let them, though it only nuzzled its own family members, behaving a bit like a dog.

So Xu Qinyu had them take turns guarding.

During the day, there was no need to guard, as the workshop was in a busy area with people coming and going. It was only at night that they needed to guard, fearing that thieves might come and steal the ham.

Ham wasn’t cheap. Even a fresh pig’s hind leg cost several hundred wen, and the finished ham was even more valuable. However, since the reputation hadn’t spread, thieves would only see it as ordinary cured meat.

Mo Yu and Bai Yu divided their work well. If Xu Qinyu saw Mo Yu tonight, she wouldn’t see it tomorrow night, as Bai Yu would be at home. Their division of labor was very clear and fair.

After returning home with Madam Wen, Xu Qinyu gave Madam Wen the prepared hundred-tael silver note.

Upon seeing the silver note, Madam Wen wanted to refuse, saying, “Why give me the silver note, Yuniang? You should save it for yourself. You might need it if you want to open a restaurant in Raozhou in the future.”

She knew Yuniang’s plan. Once Cheng Ge’er became the head chef, she wanted to leave the restaurant to him and open a bigger Xu’s Food Mansion in Raozhou City.

Actually, going to Raozhou City was quite good, as everything was more convenient there. But Yuniang said moving would take another year or two, as there was still much to teach Cheng Ge’er and the other apprentices. Moreover, she didn’t spend money daily, as food and lodging were provided. Even her clothes were sent by the Xia family at Yuniang’s request, and the cosmetics and soap she used were all prepared by Yuniang. She really had no need to spend money.

Xu Qinyu insisted that Madam Wen keep the hundred-tael silver note, saying she could buy things she liked and not worry about opening a restaurant in Raozhou City.

In the end, Madam Wen had no choice but to accept the hundred-tael silver note, but she kept it in her own box, thinking she would give it back to her if she needed it in the future.