There are rules at the table.
Everyone eats in moderation. After Li Shimin puts down his chopsticks, they dare to pick up their chopsticks. Li Shimin takes a bite and they take half a bite.
Even if it is spicy, they endure it and dare not make too obvious slurping sounds.
The meal was finished in such a boring way.
Li Shimin sighed.
"What's wrong? Is your majesty not satisfied with the meal?" After the maids cleaned up the table and the concubines and children dispersed, Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Shimin, who was a little unhappy, and asked. Li Shimin shook his head: "The food is very good."
"But it's not as lively as Zhijie said."
This morning, when Cheng Yaojin sent the hot pot base, he described the hot pot he had last night very well. In terms of taste, it was much better than Cheng Yaojin's poor words.
But... there was no atmosphere at all.
Lively and happy?
Li Shimin didn't feel it at all.
"After all, I'm dining with His Majesty." Empress Changsun said this concisely.
She didn't explain anything, but she said everything.
The palace has its own rules.
Those concubines are different from Empress Changsun. Although they don't have to worry about being sent away by their masters after being played with by their masters, like concubines in the folk.
But... in essence, they are no different from concubines.
Eating with Li Shimin? That was something they had never thought about.
They were terrified. It was good enough to finish the meal without making any mistakes. Why would they make it lively? They didn't want to be scolded for being disrespectful in front of the emperor.
Li Shimin nodded and exhaled.
He also knew this and only complained slightly.
He decided that when he had a day off the day after tomorrow, he would dress casually and go to the Datang Supermarket to get a taste of the excitement.
At Li Jing's house.
Zhang Chuchen was pulling his daughter Li Yingzi to discuss Manjianghong.
"Is this thing really as useful as mother said?" Li Yingzi took this small piece and unfolded it. The snow-white color was attractive.
Rather than saying that this was something for women's menstruation, she would rather believe that it was a paper raft.
"Of course." Zhang Chuchen nodded and coughed twice. "You, go to the Datang Supermarket tomorrow and buy some back. When the day comes, you won't have to rush around."
At this point, Zhang Chuchen paused.
He continued casually: "My master has been hanging out with that ugly guy all day these days. You should go and see him too. Don't let your father be led astray by that ugly guy."
Li Yingzi nodded and replied, "Yes."
The next day.
Li Yingzi went out early in the morning and arrived at the Datang Supermarket.
Looking at the tightly closed door, she was a little silent.
It was already past noon, and they were still closed? Or was it because she came at an unlucky time today, and the store was actually closed today?
After thinking it over,
she decided to wait a little longer.
Until...she couldn't wait any longer and was about to leave on horseback, when she saw a good-looking man walking slowly with a maid and opening the door.
Li Yingzi looked up at the sky, and it was almost noon.
It seemed...
she didn't get up too early.
She tied up her horse again and prepared to walk into the supermarket.
To her surprise, she was not the only one waiting for the supermarket to open.
Many people were waiting at the door, waiting for the supermarket to open. They swarmed in. Yesterday, Xu Mo was too lazy to stock up, and the result was that many people wanted to buy hot pot base but didn't get it.
They didn't want to come here early in the morning to grab it like yesterday.
Haven't you heard?
This stuff is in short supply now. Yesterday, there was even a person who broke his head in a fight to grab the hot pot base - it was a real fight to break his head, so serious that he asked a doctor on the spot.
The crowd stopped Li Yingzi.
She didn't want to squeeze with a group of stinky men. After most of the people in the supermarket had dispersed, she stepped in.
There was someone else in the restaurant. Li Yingzi knew this person. He was the shopkeeper of Chunjianglou, a man with a mustache.
"Mr. Xu, just sell it to me at a lower price." The shopkeeper of Chunjianglou begged, humbly, "You are not in the restaurant business, why are you guarding this thing?"
Xu Mo waved his hand and said, "I said I won't sell it."
The shopkeeper of Chunjianglou wanted to make a deal with Xu Mo, hoping to buy the recipe of the hot pot base from Xu Mo. Even if he couldn't buy it, he hoped that Xu Mo would only sell the hot pot base to Chunjianglou.
Forty-five coins per portion, Chunjianglou would take it to its own restaurant and sell it for fifty coins per portion.
In this way.
All those who want to eat hot pot can only eat hot pot at Chunjianglou.
He thought that this was not a loss for Xu Mo.
After all...
a channel with a stable demand for goods is very important.
If Xu Mo was really just a craftsman who could make hot pot base, he would probably agree to the proposal of the shopkeeper of Chunjianglou, after all, things have a shelf life.
If the goods are damaged or not sold during this time period, it will be a complete loss, not only the cost but also the selling price.
If there is a stable channel,
there is no need to worry about the problem of not being able to sell, and the income can be stable.
But he is not like that. He has a system and does not have to worry about the shelf life.
And his biggest goal is not to make money, but to enjoy life.
What does it mean to enjoy life?
Working for others is definitely not one of the elements.
"Shopkeeper Xu, our Chunjianglou is the largest restaurant in the East City. It is frequented by dignitaries. We will definitely not treat you badly."
The shopkeeper of Chunjianglou did not give up, and still emphasized the pronunciation of the six words "frequented by dignitaries".
"Are you threatening me?" Xu Mo tilted his head and glanced at him.
The shopkeeper of Chunjianglou shook his head quickly: "I dare not, just reminding Shopkeeper Xu that we in Chunjianglou will only let you sell more of this base."
"Although this food is novel, the chefs of my Chunjianglou are as skilled as the imperial chefs. It doesn't take much effort to crack your recipe."
"By then... you won't be pleasing either. It's better to sell it to us now, so you can make a profit and we can save our worries."
This is a threat.
Xu Mo sneered, raised his finger, and poked the chest of the shopkeeper of Chunjianglou: "I tell you, I am a very petty person."
"If you want to crack it, you can crack it if you have the ability?"
Spices such as peppers and cumin are not available in this land.
If they really have the ability to make hot pot base, Xu Mo is happy to serve them on his table.
But...
the reality is that there is no possibility.
"I'm telling you, from now on, I have no control over where customers want to take their hot pot, but you Chunjianglou people, don't even think about buying hot pot base from me."
"Pfft, what the hell!"