The guard looked at the name card given by Tang Shen and respectfully welcomed the brother and sister through the door.
Tang Shen and Tang Huang waited in the hall for a while, before a tall, thin and slender old man wearing a gray cloth tunic walked inside. He first looked at Tang Shen and then at Tang Huang. Then he stepped forward, returned the name card to Tang Shen, and said: “This young gongzi, don’t know what your surname is? I am the steward of the Liang Manor. It is really unlucky today, daren went to Jinling, and I am afraid it will be eight days to ten days before coming back.” (TN: gongzi = respectful term for a young man, usually from a wealthy or noble family. daren = respectful term for an official, equivalent to ‘lord’ and ‘his excellency’)
You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )
Liang daru went to Jinling?
Tang Shen didn’t expect that of the two people he planned to visit today, one didn’t want to see him, and the other couldn’t see him at all. He said: “My surname is Tang, and I met Liang daren once in Zhao Family Village, Wu County.”
The steward said: “Daren did go to Zhao Family Village two months ago. Tang Gongzi, are you looking for daren for something urgent?”
Tang Shen shook his head: “No, I just moved to Gusu City. I remember that daren once said that I can find him in the future, so I came here to pay a visit.”
Steward: “If there is no emergency, I will send someone to inform gongzi after daren comes back from Jinling. Can gongzi leave your address?”
Tang Shen told the steward his address, and the steward saw him out personally and returned the name card to him.
On the way home, Tang Huang whispered: “Brother, you actually know such a powerful person. Is Liang daren the governor of Gusu Prefecture? There are guards guarding the door.”
“You know quite a lot.”
“Of course, I don’t know who the magistrate of Wu County is, but who in our Gusu Prefecture doesn’t know Liang daru.”
Tang Shen wanted to say very much: Your brother I didn’t know about him two months ago. By the way, I don’t know who the county magistrate is either.
Tang Huang continued: “When Liang daru took over as the governor of Gusu, dad was very happy and told us it several times. Who among the scholars in the world does not admire the four great darus, but dad seems to have said that Liang daru was relegated to Gusu? Brother, what does relegation mean?”
Tang Shen frowned. He didn’t know anything about these official affairs. The original owner didn’t pay attention to these things, so his memory in this regard was also very vague. Besides, Tang xiucai was just an ordinary poor scholar. He didn’t know much, so he couldn’t say much about it either.
Tang Shen said: “How do you remember all these things? Dad also said this? I can’t even remember it.”
Tang Huang made a serious face: “Because dad said that even if Liang daru was relegated, he could still live a life of wealth and comfort like a god. He was quite envious of it. Brother, I also want to live a life like a god.”
Tang Shen: “…”
What’s going on with this father and daughter!
Back home, Tang Shen smelled something burning as soon as he entered the door. He quickly walked into the kitchen and saw Aunt Yao cooking something. The big iron pot was pitch black, and the smell of burnt food filled the entire courtyard. Aunt Yao coughed twice. Yao San happened to come home at this as well and hurriedly poured out all the pot of black paste.
Yao San: “Mom, what are you doing? It’s burnt.”
Aunt Yao’s cooking skills were pretty good. Ever since mother and son came to the Tang family, Aunt Yao had always done the cooking. This was the first time she had burned something.
Aunt Yao said: “When I came back and saw that you all hadn’t come back yet, I remembered what the little boss said about using flour to make sauce. So, I just wanted to try it with some flour we still had at home. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this. ”
Yao San was also very surprised: “Little boss, I have never heard that flour can be used to make sauce.”
Tang Shen didn’t expect that Aunt Yao’s first time burning food was from making sweet bean sauce!
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Aunt Yao, why are you in such a hurry and not wait for me to come back. Let me try it, and you can watch from the side first. I have only seen others make this sweet bean sauce, and I have never made it myself. I may need to try several times.”
“Okay!”
Aunt Yao cleaned up the kitchen and heated up a few steamed buns. After the family was full, they all came to the kitchen and watched Tang Shen making sweet bean sauce.
Tang Shen put on a coarse hemp tunic and rolled up his sleeves. He looked at the big dark iron pot, took a deep breath, looked away, and began to mix the flour paste.
Compared with other seasonings, white fine flour was quite expensive in this era. As he was experimenting at first, Tang Shen was not sure that he could actually make sweet bean sauce, so he only scooped out three spoonfuls of flour. He put the flour into the bowl, added water and stirred well, then added a little soy sauce and four tablespoons of sugar.
He then stirred everything evenly, heated the pan with a small amount of rapeseed oil, and poured a bowl of batter into it.
Not long after the pot was filled, Tang Shen could no longer turn the pot. The batter was burnt black and mushy, and the familiar smell of burnt batter soon filled the entire kitchen.
The four of them coughed and left the kitchen. Tang Huang said: “Brother, what you did is not even as good as Aunt Yao, you burnt it faster than her!”
Tang Shen said with annoyance, “Shut up!”
Tang Shen washed the pot and tried again. Tang Shen failed twice more.
Tang Shen seldom cooked in his previous life, but when he was a graduate student, his roommate was a “master chef” who loved to cook. Sweet bean sauce, peanut butter, green onion rolls, steamed buns and fried dough sticks were just some of the regulars. The night before, when someone said “I really want pizza”, the next morning his roommate would bring a plate of pizza out of the kitchen——all handmade, no takeout.
Tang Shen watched his roommate make sweet bean sauce, but it was a bit difficult to make it himself.
Looking at the batter in the bowl, Tang Shen’s eyes stopped on the dark brown rapeseed oil. Suddenly, he had an idea and poured the batter into the pan again. The three of them all thought that Tang Shen was going to burn it again this time. Unexpectedly, he began stirring the batter while holding an oil bottle and pouring oil down the edge of the pot.
The sizzling sound of oil popping sounded in the kitchen, the batter was being stir-fried into a sauce-brown color, and a strange aroma wafted out.
Inhaling the scent, Tang Huang licked her lips: “Brother, what does this smell like? It smells so good.”
But Aunt Yao said: “Little boss, don’t put so much oil. You asked me to try the street food today and I found that people in Gusu City have very bland tastes and don’t like oily food. If you put so much oil in, they can’t eat it.”
Tang Shen tasted the sauce and added a few spoonfuls of sugar. The sweet and soy aroma filled the small kitchen, and both Tang Huang and Yao San craned their necks, wanting to have a taste. Tang Shen put the sauce into a bowl, and the little girl rushed over eagerly.
“Let me try it!”
Tang Huang dipped some of it with his chopsticks. The brown sauce was thick and sticky and stuck to the tip of his chopsticks. The little girl licked it clean. “It’s so sweet and fragrant! It’s much better than the fragrant sauce that the village head’s family often makes.” As she said this, the little girl wanted to take another bite.
Tang Shen asked Yao San and Aunt Yao to taste it as well.
Yao San: “It’s delicious!”
Aunt Yao frowned and said: “It tastes good, but little boss, I can’t really get used to it. You put too much oil in it, it’s a bit greasy. Most people in Gusu City eat light food. Although they also like sweetness, they don’t like such heavy sweetness.”
Tang Shen said: “Aunt Yao, you said people in Gusu City don’t like too much oil?”
“That’s right, I ate at several stalls today, and they all put very little oil.”
Tang Shen: “Maybe it’s not that they don’t like eating oily food, but it’s because they haven’t found food that is ‘oily without being greasy’.”
“Ah?”
Tang Shen: “Have you noticed that the more oily something is, the more delicious it is?”
This question immediately stunned Aunt Yao. She pondered: “The deep-fried meatballs are indeed delicious, but you can’t eat them too much or it will be too greasy.”
Tang Huang raised his hand: “I like to eat fried dough sticks the most. Yesterday, Aunt Yao took me to eat at the breakfast stall in Gusu City. Gusu people also like to eat fried dough sticks.”
Tang Shen nodded: “Yes, people like to eat high-calorie foods. The higher the calories, the more delicious it is.”
“What does high calorie mean?”
Tang Shen: “It’s easier for you to gain weight.”
Tang Huang was shocked: “Then I can’t eat more fried dough sticks!”
Aunt Yao said in confusion: “I don’t understand what the little boss said, but do people in Gusu City really like to eat this food?”
Tang Shen smiled slightly: “Aunt Yao, you don’t like to eat it because you are older and your tastes are mild. Why don’t we open a stall in a few days and try it directly?”
At the same time, Tang Shen did not know that when he left Liang Manor, a figure following him quickly ran back to Tang juren‘s manor.
“You mean, the person Tang Shen went to visit is probably Liang daren?”
The maid nodded and said, “I watched carefully. Liang daren just left Gusu City this morning. Laoye mentioned this matter. That Tang Shen took out his name card and was welcomed into Liang Manor by the guards. Within a moment, the steward of Liang Manor personally sent him out. I thought this was not a simple matter, so I came back to report to the madam and did not give them the twenty taels of silver.”
Madam Tang was preparing and getting ready to rest. After hearing this, she put down her comb and started thinking.
This maid was her dowry maid. She had been with her since she was very young. She was young, but she was very good at her tasks, so she was sent to do this. What the maid said was most likely true. The person the Tang siblings went to visit was Liang daren.
“Madam?”
Madam Tang said: “Go to the treasury and get another ten taels of silver. Go to Linglong Embroidery Villa, pick out some clothes suitable for boys and girls, and give them to them. Then buy some household necessities, pens, ink, paper, inkstones, and some books. There is no need to give the money, just items. You don’t have to choose something too expensive, but it must be good quality and complete.”
The maid nodded: “Yes. Madam, just send some things? Do you want me to bring a word as well?”
“No need. They are relatives. We cannot be too close just because they may know Liang daren. Our family needn’t be so ingratiating.”
“Okay.” After saying that, the maid turned around and made to leave.
Madam Tang said: “Wait. Remember, they are still the young master and young lady of the Tang family no matter what.”
The maid thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
On this side, Yao San was still making thin pancakes when suddenly someone knocked on the door.
Tang Huang: “I’ll get it.”
When she opened the door, she saw a young woman in her twenties. Tang Huang was confused. Before she could speak, she heard the woman bow her head and say, “Young Lady.”
“Ah, I’m not a lady. Brother, someone is at the door, but I don’t know them. Could this be a mistake?”
Tang Shen came over and the maid said again: “Young Master.”
Tang Shen was confused for a moment, and subconsciously thought that the other had recognized the wrong person.
The maid said: “I am Madam Tang’s personal maid. You left in a hurry, and laoye couldn’t entertain you because he had something to do. Madam also didn’t know about it until you left. Madam specially sent me to send you some summer clothes and autumn clothes, as well as some books, paper and inkstones. She was afraid you didn’t prepare many things, having just arrived in Gusu City.” As she said that, several moving men carried two boxes into the yard.
Tang Shen looked at the boxes quietly and said, “Much thanks to Madam Tang’s kindness, but we have already bought everything we need. I’m afraid we have to trouble this sister to take it back.”
“Young Master, this is impossible. If I can’t complete my errand, I will be scolded by Madam.”
Tang Shen wanted to refuse, but the maid was very stubborn.
Finally, the maid left. Tang Shen looked at the two boxes in the yard and smiled helplessly.
Tang Huang and Aunt Yao opened the boxes and saw that it was really just some daily necessities, including clothes, pens, ink, paper and inkstones. There were no valuables, and the clothes were only prepared for Tang Shen and Tang Huang to wear. They were not silk and satin, but the style was generous and attractive. It was obvious that they had been carefully selected.
Aunt Yao said: “Little boss, your relatives are really nice. They didn’t just spend money on these things. They are all prepared with sincerity.”
Tang Shen said, “It’s only been a day and they already know where we live.”
Tang Huang: “Huh?”
Tang Shen checked the contents of the box, thought about it again, and said, “But Madam Tang doesn’t seem to have any ill intentions.”
They could only take one step at a time.
In the next few days, Tang Shen thought a lot, and even thought about whether Madam Tang guessed that they wanted to separate their families, so she went out of her way to smooth the relationship in advance. But he rejected this idea.
Tang xiucai was the son of a concubine. According to the laws of this dynasty, the money he would get after the separation of the family was not much. Tang juren’s family would not deliberately plot against two children for this small amount of money. Moreover, what Tang Shen really wanted was to separate the two families, not dividing the money.
“Did they know that I went to visit Liang daru and wanted to get close to me?”
But after waiting for a few days, Tang juren, Madam Tang, and not even the maid appeared again.
Tang Shen: “Could it be that I think too much?”
Putting this matter behind him, his attention moved to Yao San who came home that afternoon with the stall certificate approved by the market.
Yao San: “Now we can finally open business.”
Yao San had built a breakfast cart these days. It was not as fancy as the breakfast carts of later generations. It was just a small push wooden cart. They bought a stove and coal, made a bucket of grain batter, and waited to set up a stall the day after tomorrow.
Ah Huang and the Yao mother and son were very excited, but Tang Shen thought a lot. He went out to visit Suijin Street again in the afternoon. In the evening he found Yao San: “Brother Yao, tomorrow you go out to the outside of the city and hire dozens of people, preferably men and women, old and young. Only hire them for an hour, and you can negotiate the price.”
“This is easy to do. There are many people in Gusu City and there are many idle people looking for work. But little boss, why are you hiring these people?”
“Are our flat pancakes delicious?”
Yao San swallowed his saliva and recalled the taste: “It’s delicious! Little boss, I really didn’t expect that the flat pancakes would be so delicious after being smeared with sweet bean sauce. But what relation is there between the two?”
Tang Shen said: “We don’t have much money and can’t wait to be discovered naturally. I have to make money quickly. It’s no use knowing that it tastes good. We must let more people know that it tastes good.”
“What does that have to do with hiring people?”
Tang Shen looked calm. He didn’t even take a breath when he spoke, and said very confidently: “Hire people, to be our customers!”
In the early morning of this day, many breakfast stall owners on Suijin Street noticed a new face coming.
The person pushing the cart was a middle-aged strong man, the person collecting the money was an old woman, and the person making the breakfast was actually a boy of thirteen or fourteen years old!
At first, there was no one in front of this stall. However, at some point, seven or eight people suddenly appeared. Without looking at the other stalls, they walked straight to the young man’s stall and formed a long queue.
“I heard the flat pancakes at this stall are delicious.”
“Right, I ate one last night and thought about it all night.”
Other stall owners: “…”
You are talking nonsense! This stall was obviously just erected this morning, which took less than an hour in total!
However, passers-by didn’t know that this stall just opened today.
Seeing so many people lining up and hearing people say how delicious the food was, many pedestrians stopped and joined the queue.
One person asked: “Brother, what are these multigrain pancakes? I have never heard of them in Gusu City before.”
Without waiting for anyone to reply, a middle-aged man in front of the queue said very enthusiastically: “Multigrain pancakes are very tasty. I bought one for my wife two days ago, and she thought about it for two days. But this boss only makes 100 pancakes a day. Once it’s done, there won’t be anymore sold. I couldn’t buy one until today.”
“What? Just make a hundred?”
“That’s right! Brother, I have already bought one. You can wait in line slowly, don’t be anxious.”
“Okay, thank you, brother. I will definitely buy one to try.”
Tang Shen finished making another multi-grain pancake, and Yao San’s loud voice traveled through half of Suijin Street: “Next one!”
Aunt Yao counted the money until her hands were sore, and Tang Huang looked on, dumbfounded.
“Aunt… Aunt Yao, please pinch me. Didn’t we just open the stall today, and it has only been two hours? Why are so many people queuing up to buy our multigrain pancakes? Am I dreaming…”
Tang Shen was immersed in making pancakes. After hearing this, he laughed disdainfully and thought to himself: Is this enough to be called “a lot of people”?
You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )
He used both hunger marketing and queuing marketing, such methods were successful a thousand years in the future. So wasn’t attracting more than a dozen customers easy as pie?
Other stall owners on the side: “…”
How shameless!!!
AN: Hired customer: This multigrain pancake is delicious, I eat it every day!
Tang Shen: I get customers based on ability.
Stall owners: How shameless!!!!
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