Chapter 29

Xia Hongsheng stood in the doorway of the restaurant, took a deep breath, and firmly held the secret letter his mother had given him.

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

Xia Hongsheng was well aware of the abundance of ingredients in Yixiangju, and he was not at all worried about not being able to prepare a full table of dishes. However, the spices for seasoning were somewhat lacking. Still, many of the seasonings used in later times could be found in herb shops and spice stores. Xia Hongsheng specially went home to fetch the spices he used at home, which were already ground into powder.

People in any dynasty have a curiosity to see what's going on. The diners on the second floor did not leave. They were already surprised that a young scholar could write such good poems, and when they heard that Xia Hongsheng had given up a month of free meals in exchange for making a table of dishes himself, they were even more astonished. It was indeed very novel; they had never heard of anyone giving up a month of free meals at Yixiangju to make a table of dishes themselves. Could he really make a table of dishes that would match a month of meals at Yixiangju?

These diners were curious and wanted to see what dishes he could make.

Xia Hongsheng had come today with a purpose, intending to sell the recipes for these dishes to Yixiangju. However, what he wanted was not money, but protection for his sister-in-law from Yixiangju. Although Master Yan was famous, he was far away and could not help immediately. Yixiangju, being so large, must have a background. His sister-in-law lived right across from the restaurant, just a few steps away. If anything happened at the snack stand, Yixiangju could intervene immediately.

Since he intended to sell something, he naturally had to raise the price. The best way to do this was to make the dishes as mysterious as possible, emphasizing the rarity of the ingredients and methods.

It was already afternoon, and apart from a few people drinking and ordering some small dishes, there were not many others in Yixiangju. The diners on the second floor had become spectators, and the kitchen was idle. The manager led Xia Hongsheng into the kitchen, but Xia Hongsheng did not start cooking or speak. He just smiled at the manager. The manager, being a clever and smooth-talking person, immediately understood and turned to the chefs and shouted, "Yixiangju has always treated guests with honesty. Today, this young Master Xia wrote two poems, and everyone praised them. According to our rules, we should treat Master Xia as a guest for a month without charge. Since Master Xia has proposed to make a table of dishes himself, we should also comply. I fear that Master Xia's dishes are unique, so let's all go out!"

The manager was very good at speaking, not only clearing the room but also promoting the restaurant. The manager led the chefs and the curious diners out, then turned to Xia Hongsheng, bowed, and closed the kitchen door.

Making a table of dishes was not difficult for Xia Hongsheng. In the future, he was a food lover, eating until he was fat and round, unable to find a partner, but unable to control his mouth. He not only loved to eat but also loved to learn how to cook. Whenever he ate something delicious, he wanted to learn how to make it. So, no matter what job he had in the future, he was always a chef. Whenever he went out to play, he was always the one who cooked. However, this good cooking skill did not win the heart of any girl; instead, it only made his stomach bigger, and he could not shrink it back. He could not make a full Manchu-Han banquet, but making ten or eight dishes was no problem at all. Xia Hongsheng looked at the ingredients in the kitchen, and dozens of dishes immediately came to mind. Luozhou County was part of Luoyang City, and the Luoyang Water Banquet was one of the famous banquets in the future. Oh, right, it was said that the Luoyang Water Banquet originated in the Tang Dynasty, during the time of Empress Wu Zetian. Should he make it earlier?

There were so many ingredients, more than any time in the future. Xia Hongsheng's interest was piqued, and he quickly rolled up his sleeves, spread out the package he brought, and laid out the spices he had prepared.

He could not make famous dishes without the right ingredients or the skill, but making a table of creative home-style dishes was very easy. Sweet and sour ribs, fish-flavored pork, Kung Pao chicken, boiled meat slices, Mapo tofu, spicy chicken, sour and spicy cabbage, chopped pepper fish head, braised pork, twice-cooked pork, Dongpo pork, stewed lotus root, cucumber salad, boiled peanuts, mountain vegetables, and sliced tripe... Xia Hongsheng hummed a tune, and the names of various dishes flowed out of his mouth non-stop, as if he were back in his own time, cooking in his rented apartment, causing his friends and colleagues who came to eat and drink for free to exclaim in surprise.

There was a hot steamer in the kitchen to keep the dishes warm. The people outside waited from the afternoon until the sun was setting, and finally, they heard no more sounds from inside. The kitchen door opened, and Xia Hongsheng came out, wiping his hands. "Waiter, serve the dishes!"

Saying this, he went up to the second floor and chose a seat by the window with a view of Laojun Mountain.

The waiter and the manager entered one after another, placing the dishes on the table in front of Xia Hongsheng. Many of the dishes were ones they had never seen before, and the few they had seen had a different flavor.

Xia Hongsheng's table was soon filled with dishes, and the curious diners who had waited for several hours gathered around. They were all people who had eaten all kinds of delicacies, but they were surprised to see so many dishes they did not recognize.

"Thank you all for waiting so long to see my antics. Please, take a seat, and try these dishes." Xia Hongsheng sat there, waving his arm generously. The diners did not hesitate, thanked him, and sat down. Xia Hongsheng then said, "Manager, please, take a seat!"

The manager was taken aback and quickly bowed and waved his hands. "I dare not! I dare not! I am a crude person and do not dare to disturb your enjoyment."

Xia Hongsheng laughed. "This table of dishes is made by me, and I can invite whomever I want. Please, sit down!"

The manager hesitated, moved to the lowest seat, and before sitting down, he secretly gave a signal to a waiter, who hurriedly ran down the stairs. Xia Hongsheng saw this but just smiled and pretended not to notice.

"Everyone, please, start eating. Don't waste this table of delicious dishes." Xia Hongsheng picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of a dish, and said. Seeing him start, the others picked up their chopsticks and bowls, picked up the dishes in front of them, and put them in their small bowls, eating them elegantly. After the first bite, all the diners opened their eyes wide, showing surprise and shock.

The diners began to praise the dishes, and Xia Hongsheng responded with "I dare not" and "You flatter me," occasionally adding a few pieces to his plate, while his eyes kept glancing at the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Hey, Manager, why are you just picking but not eating?" Suddenly, a diner asked, drawing everyone's attention. They saw that the manager had picked a piece from each dish but had not eaten any.

"The Manager is afraid that the owner will come late, and by then, the guests will have finished the dishes, so he is leaving a taste for the owner." Xia Hongsheng laughed, explaining for the embarrassed manager. Hearing this, the manager became even more embarrassed, neither sitting nor standing, but still managed to smile and bow to everyone.

Just as the situation was getting awkward, a voice came from behind the curtain on the stairs. "I heard there is a great chef here, so I specially prepared a table of dishes. I have no other love but food, so I came to taste the delicious dishes. Ha ha ha, please don't laugh at me, honored guests!"

With these words, a person lifted the curtain and walked over. The manager quickly stood up to make way, and the person did not hesitate, sat down, picked up the chopsticks, and ate the dishes in front of him clean.

The diners then realized something was wrong and stopped eating, looking at the owner and then at Xia Hongsheng, who smiled calmly.

"These dishes are truly delicious! I have been running Yixiangju in Luozhou City for many years, and I have not seen many of these dishes. I did not expect such a young chef to have such high skills." The owner tasted each dish on the table and then put down the chopsticks. "Well, may I ask who you are and what you want from Yixiangju? Perhaps we can have a talk."

The owner saw that Xia Hongsheng had not ordered any dishes, had given up the month of free meals, and had insisted on making a table of dishes himself. The dishes he made were mostly new to the owner, and even the familiar ones had a unique flavor. Such high culinary skills and making a table of dishes in his restaurant clearly indicated a challenge, so he thought it might be a challenge from a new restaurant.

However, Xia Hongsheng just smiled and shook his head. "Owner, you are mistaken. I am not here to challenge but to do business."

"Really?" The owner was surprised and looked at Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng pointed to the table of dishes and asked, "What do you think of this table of dishes?"

"Truly a fine table of dishes. To be honest, I can name less than thirty percent of the dishes on this table. The ingredients are the same, but the methods and styles are completely different. Even the ones I can name have a unique flavor." The owner spoke honestly, without deliberately belittling them.

"Can this table of dishes meet the standards of your restaurant?" Xia Hongsheng smiled again.

The owner's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Are you planning to sell the recipes for these dishes to our restaurant?!"

"Yes, I can give all the recipes for these dishes to Yixiangju." Xia Hongsheng sat up straight and said.