– Grand Opening

The dining hall of the academy sold meat and vegetable dishes but the taste was very ordinary. Huo Sirui, Qu Zongwen, and Bu Qingyun could not get used to certain food. However, the dishes sent by Qin Mian were all full of flavors and much better than those from the academy’s dining hall with just a look. Zhao Tianhe and Wang Shangwen were from a family with an average financial situation; they could buy three to four good dishes a month. Hence, it led to the present scene. The monthly expense that Lei Daqiang and Du Shi gave to Lei Xiangzhi was not small, but he was a diligent and thrifty man, and seldom bought meat dishes.

“The new wine house must have been very busy. How can Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law have the time to come and see me?” Lei Xiangzhi asked. It had been two months since he entered the academy and this was the first time that Qin Mian and Lei Tie came to see him.

Qin Mian said, “Besides visiting you, we’re here today to ask for your help regarding the wine house. I’ll talk about it later.”

Just as they chatted a few words, Qu Zongwen and the others came quickly with bowls of rice. The students passing by looked at them curiously.

Qin Mian and Lei Tie stood up to give their seats but Qu Zongwen and the others quickly refused.

“How could that be proper?”

Qin Mian unconcernedly chuckled, “It’s more than proper for you all to sit and eat. A-Tie and I have one more thing to trouble you all with.’’

“What’s it? You two are Xiangzhi’s eldest brother and sister-in-law. Therefore, you two are also our eldest brother and sister-in-law. ” This was said by a new face.

Lei Xiangzhi said, “Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law, this is my new friend, Huo Sirui. He’s the first top scorer of this year’s prefectural examination.”

Huo Sirui and Lei Xiangzhi were the same age. He had the temperament of a gongzi from an influential family, yet not at all haughty but refined and courteous, “Greetings, Eldest Brother Lei. Eldest Sister-in-law Lei.”

Qin Mian nodded, “Nice to meet you, Huo-gongzi. You all eat first, and we’ll talk after that.”

Everybody looked at each other, “This… Won’t you two have to wait a long time?”

Before Lei Xiangzhi opened his mouth, the few others no longer refused and sit down to eat.

“There’s a cherry jam in it. It can’t be kept for a long time.” Qin Mian handed the bamboo tube to Lei Xiangzhi.

While they ate, Qin Mian and Lei Tie wandered around not too far away. After a while, the two came back when Lei Xiangzhi and the others had finished the meal. The plates were also properly put in the food box.

Lei Xiangzhi and Bu Qingyun rose to their feet to give up their seats to Qin Mian and Lei Tie.

Qin Mian took out a folded piece of paper from his sleeve pocket. “It’s about this matter. Our new wine house, Double Xiang House, will be opened on the 30th. It happens that the 30th and the 31st are days off for Qingyun Academy. We’re going to take this opportunity to hold small talent competitions in Double Xiang House such as poetry, painting, and calligraphy. In each competition, the top three places will be awarded 12 taels, 5 taels, and 2 taels respectively. Firstly, it’s to publicize our wine house; secondly, it’s to create an opportunity for self-reliance for some talented but poor students. The excellent poetry, calligraphy, and painting will also be hung in the wine house to help make a name for them.”

Huo Sirui clapped his hands and praised, “It’s a good idea. Maybe I can persuade my father to be a judge.”

Qin Mian asked, “May I know who your father is?”

Bu Qingyun said, “Sirui’s father is the dean of our academy.”

Qin Mian was noncommittal, “It would be a great honor to invite Dean Huo. However, the original intention of this competition is to attract customers; more or less mixed up with philistinism. I’m afraid it’ll be hard to attract your father’s favor.”

Huo Sirui shook his head and said with a smile, “Eldest Sister-in-law Lei must have thought that my father should be a scholarly, superior, even… Hehe, pedantic and outmoded person. He’s actually not. I’m sure my father will be interested in it.”

Qin Mian said joyfully, “If you can indeed invite your father, we’ll send you 20 Jin of every kind of fruit in our orchard this year.”

Lei Xiangzhi smiled at Huo Sirui as he said, “You’ve tasted the cherry just now. Isn’t it good? The fruits in my eldest brother’s orchard are excellent, plump, and sweet.”

“Alright, it’s a deal,” Huo Sirui confidently said.

Qin Mian continued, “Also, all the students participating in the competition can have a free meal in this wine house.”

Wang Shangwen said in shock, “Like this, your wine house will inevitably lose a lot.”

Qin Mian smiled faintly, “I haven’t finished yet. To avoid people coming to eat and drink freely, or even pretending to be a student, only the intellectual who can make a poem on the spot can participate in the competition and have the opportunity to eat and drink for free.”Lei Xiangzhi and Qu Zongwen both nodded slightly.

Huo Sirui looked at Qin Mian and Lei Tie with admiration. He didn’t know who came up with such a method.

“The details are in this flyer.” Qin Mian handed the leaflet to Lei Xiangzhi. “What we want to trouble Fifth Brother and everyone to do is to help us publicize this in the academy. If interested, can also come to participate. If I remember correctly, the college examination is in the 10th lunar month. This will be good a warm-up for you all, right?”

Lei Xiangzhi nodded, “Yes. You can count on us now, Eldest Sister-in-law.”

Qin Mian took out another piece of paper. “This is our menu. You are welcome to bring your relatives and friends to dine in. 30% discount will be given on the first three days of opening.”

When Qu Zongwen and the others saw that there were many dishes on the menu that they had never heard of, they secretly drooled and decided to take their relatives and friends to dine.

Qin Mian stood up. “Your next class is very soon, right? We won’t delay your study. A-Tie and I have to go to other places to distribute leaflets. We’ll take our leave.”

“Please.”

Qin Mian and Lei Tie left Qingyun Academy with White Spot. Instead of handing out leaflets in person, Qin Mian and Lei Tie found four 12-year-old children who were playing at the entrance of an alley. They distributed 200 leaflets to the four of them and asked them to give it to the owners or shop assistants on the roadside stalls. They paid the children a deposit of 10 Wen and gave another 40 Wen each after all the leaflets were distributed.

The people who got the leaflet looked at it curiously. In addition to the introduction of Double Xiang House’s wine house and inn, special dishes, preferential activities, talent competitions, and other contents, there was a striking line of reminder at the foot of the leaflet: Double Xiang House and Eating Savory Restaurant belong to the same family. In such a sentence, people who knew of Eating Savory Restaurant could draw a strong conclusion that the food of Double Xiang House would not be bad.

When they returned from the county and passed through Running Water Town, Qin Mian bought six large vats and asked people to transport them back.

Back at home, he and Lei Tie hired four flexible young men and four quick-witted women to work in the orchard. The men climbed up the herringbone ladder to pick cherries, while the women washed and removed the stems and pits of the cherries. Removing the pits was easy with a stab of the chopstick.

Out of the six cherry trees, three were picked for the time being. When settling the wages for the villagers, Qin Mian gave each of them half a Jin of cherries.

Qin Mian and Lei Tie steeped three vats of cherry wine and squeezed half a vat of cherry juice with the picked cherries. The cherries had yet been completely used up. Qin Mian made cherry jam and filled it into two basins for Double Xiang House’s opening.

After dark, Qin Mian transferred the few large vats to the space to keep fresh.

On the 30th of the 5th lunar month; the opening day.

As soon as the auspicious time arrived, firecrackers crackled continuously. Qin Mian and Lei Tie uncovered the red cloth on the plaque together, revealing the three elegant and confident gold [word] characters of “Double Xiang House”.

Guests that had heard the news flocked to the entrance. Some people in the scholar’s robes but didn’t have the scholar’s temperament cried out, “I want to compete!”

Lei Xiangzhi blocked at the entrance and smilingly said, “You may. However, please compose a poem with the “spring” theme. The qualified one will get a little red flower to be eligible for the competitions and enjoy free food and drink. I’m not a talented person, only the second top scorer in the current prefectural examination.”

As soon as the last word came out, some people who wanted to sneak in to eat and drink freely under the name of competition immediately gave up their plans and mixed into the crowd with shame and disappeared. The second top scorer in the prefectural examination was not easy to fool. Those who were unwilling could only pay out of their own pockets even if they went in. The real scholars lined up to compose poems.

The waiters dressed up in uniform were busy leading other guests in.

“Dear guest, do you want to eat or stay?”

“Eat.”

“Alright, please come in.” The waiter had a warm and befitted smile on his face, “Do you want to sit in the boisterous lobby or the elegant private room on the second floor, or the comfortable honored guest lounge on the third floor?”

“Just sit in the lobby. It’s boisterous.”

“Yes, this way, please. Dear guest, this is our menu. The price is clearly stated. What would you like to eat? Sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. There is always something to your taste. If you don’t want to read the menu, I can give you the name of the dishes. If you eat in our wine house on the first three days of opening, not only you can get a 30% discount, but you’ll also be given a plate of cherry jam dessert.”

“Your wine house has a lot of dishes. Well, I’ve no dietary restriction. Please give me three meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and one soup dish.”

“Alright, I’ll serve you right away. You’ll have tea and try our cherry jam dessert. This is unique in the whole county.”

……

“Dear guest, would you like to eat or stay?”“Stay.”

“Alright, please follow me. There are three kinds of guest rooms in our Rugui Building. Ordinary affordable rooms are divided into a single room and double room; they are clean and tidy, with complete furniture and exclusive private space. A luxury elegant room has an independent washroom. An honored guest suite is spacious and comfortable and has a variety of interesting entertainment facilities, which most suitable for staying with relatives and friends. Here is the price list. 30% off on the first three days of opening. If you can’t make up your mind, I can show you around the rooms first.”

……

There were more and more guests in the lobby.

The entrance of Double Xiang House was the liveliest place. The gate was nearly two zhang1 wide. On the left, Lei Xiangzhi tested the students who came to participate in the competition. On the right, Qin Mian and Lei Tie welcomed the guests who came to dine and stay.

A horse carriage came to a stop. Qu Zongwen jumped out of the carriage and walked quickly to Lei Xiangzhi, “I’ll help you.”

“Thanks for the trouble, Brother Qu,” Lei Xiangzhi gratefully said.

With the help of Qu Zongwen, the scholars were divided into two teams and progress became much faster.

A scholar fluently recited, “The plants all know that spring will soon return, all kinds of red and purple contend in beauty. The poplar blossom and elm seeds are not beautiful, they can only fill the sky with flight like snow2.”

“Good poetry!” Lei Xiangzhi praised as he nodded and handed him a red flower, “Brother, please come in.”

There was a lot of excitement here. Over there, Qin Mian welcomed the guests in with a smile while Lei Tie stood a few steps away with four guards to guard against pickpockets making trouble when there were too many people.

Suddenly, a man called out, “Boss Nie of Drunk Immortal House in Zhaoyang County presents a congratulatory gift—eight earthen jars of excellent old wine to wish a thriving business and long-standing!”

Qin Mian looked up and saw that the man who got off the luxury carriage opposite was Nie Heng, dressed in green robes with graceful bearing. He came over slowly, “Boss Lei and Boss Qin, congratulations. May great prosperity attend the opening of the business!”

They all did the catering business. When Nie Heng came back, Qin Mian was not surprised. He just didn’t expect that he would send a congratulatory gift.

“Many thanks, Boss Nie. It’s an honor to receive you as our guest. I hope Boss Nie can enjoy yourself to the fullest. A-Tie, you accompany Boss Nie to go in.” Qin Mian didn’t trust to hand over the reception to Lei Tie alone.

Lei Tie nodded to Nie Heng, “Boss Nie, this way please.”

Over there, there was a staff to take care of the carriage.

The waiter respectfully asked, “Dare to ask Boss Nie comes to eat or stay?”

Nie Heng smilingly said, “I’ll stay for one night.”

Light flashed past in Lei Tie’s eyes.

“May I know if Boss Nie wants a luxury room on the second floor or an honored guest suite on the third floor?”

Nie Heng said without hesitation, “Honored guest room.”

“Alright. I’ll check you in.”

Outside, Qin Mian continued to greet the guests while smiling until his face ached slightly.

Note:

Footnotes2 zhang is 6.6 mLate Spring by Han Yu