Infrastructure masters in the red building

Copper hot pot has existed since ancient times. The earliest hot pot was called "Bindou", which had already appeared in the Han Dynasty; people used copper pots in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, copper hot pots in the Tang Dynasty, and "Puxia Gong" appeared in the Song Dynasty.In the time and space that Jia Fang lives in now, there are already such dishes as "raw lamb" and "cooked lamb" - except that there is no charcoal-fired copper pot that is used in later generations to "cook meat in copper pot".

Jia Fang explained the design of the whole copper hot pot to the old boy, and the coppersmith praised him, saying: "As expected of the third master, he can come up with so many tricks in eating. I don't want us rough people who only know how to eat big pieces." Meat, drink heavily, in one word, cool!"

But Jia Fang said: "When these copper pots come out, I will order the first batch, and I will definitely give you a copper pot. I guarantee that after you try it, as long as the autumn wind blows, you will want to return to the pot."

To tell you the truth, he is really thinking about it now. Cook meat in a charcoal-fired copper pot, and a portion of beef and sheep brains. It is also very delicious to cook directly in clear soup. Then there is a plate of prepared sesame sauce, dripping with sesame oil, fermented bean curd and leek flowers. , and finally with a crispy biscuit to the slag-perfect!

Therefore, even if it was not for Jia Amnesty, but for himself, Jia Fang wanted to toss out the copper hot pot.

Of course, there is a better market for copper pot shabu shabu in winter, and in summer, the business goal has to be changed——Jia Fang thought again, it would be better to change it to a barbecue restaurant in summer.After all, as the saying goes: if there is love, the sky will grow old, it is better to have a small barbecue.

In this way, even though the restaurant is located opposite to Wan Qing Lou, it may be able to form a complementary and win-win situation with Wan Qing Lou because it focuses on a completely different business model from Wan Qing Lou. Take your business to the next level.

After bidding farewell to the old boy, Jia thought about it: My brother opened a shop opposite Wanqing Building, and he put on the posture of fighting in the ring; he also asked the craftsmen in his workshop to help him make copper hot pot, and he should go to say hello both emotionally and rationally.

So Jia Fang left Baigongfang, turned a corner and went to Beijing Palace.In front of the palace was a familiar concierge. Jia Fang vaguely remembered that the last time he and Lin Ruhai came together, it was this concierge who asked them to go directly into the garden to find Shui Xian.

This time, the concierge went straight up to say hello to Jia Fang: "Master Jia, how have you been?"

Jia Fang: "I'm fine, is your prince in the mansion?"

"Yes, I will lead you to the second gate, and you can enter the garden by yourself."

The concierge led him to the hanging flower gate as usual, sent Jia Fang into the garden respectfully, and did not forget to remind him: "Third Lord, go straight after entering the gate, and when you see a corridor through the mountain, go along the corridor, pass a pavilion and a bridge, and see you soon." When you arrive at 'Wuzhu Youju', don't enter the pavilion, walk straight ahead to the water's edge, cross a bridge with vermilion railings, and in front of you is 'Sitting with someone', where I should be today."

Jia Fang immediately had a good impression of the concierge: It's not easy to speak so clearly.

He thanked him, but saw the other party smiled and said: "Master Jia must have a good fortune today. You will know when you enter the garden."

Jia Fang: Good food?

He knew that Shui Xian would occasionally try dishes for Wan Qing Lou himself, but he didn't expect to try them in his own garden.I didn't expect that such a delicate and elegant garden would be so smoky?

He followed what the concierge said, and entered the back garden of the palace. After passing by "Wuzhu Secluded Residence", Jia Fang kept chanting the name "Sit with someone in the pavilion", and an idea came to his mind: this name is very unique, and it is very different from the name. Who sits with, with whom...?

After walking through the Banqiao, I came to a pavilion near the water.Jia Fang happened to see Shui Xian sitting in the pavilion with a stone table in front of him and a stone bench opposite the stone table.Beside him was an attendant dressed as a Taoist boy, and a cook wearing an apron.

Seeing Jia Fang, Shui Xian nodded slightly in greeting, but Jia Fang greeted loudly, then bypassed the gable wall in front of the "Xuan with whom to sit with" and strode into the pavilion.

Only when you walk into this courtyard, you can feel the difference.

This small pavilion is built along the water in a fan shape—not only the location of the pavilion is fan-shaped, but also its roof, pavilion door, window openings, stone tables, stone benches, roof, plaques on the wall, and water-facing walls. Gooseneck chairs... all of them are in the shape of a fan.The whole courtyard is small and elegant, and it is unforgettable to be in it.

On the wall in the pavilion, below the plaque is a stele post. Su Shi’s handwritten "Dian Jiang Lips Leisurely Leaning on the Hu Bed" is written in a flamboyant manner. Jia Fang only had time to read a sentence: "Who are you sitting with? The moon is bright and the breeze is me." The title of this post is "Heaven's Life", needless to say, it's what the person in front of me wrote.

Presumably, the name of "sit with whom" comes from Po Lao's poem - bright moon and clear breeze, coupled with the small fan-shaped courtyard everywhere, it really makes people feel comfortable in the secular world. Find a true me.

Seeing Jia Fang, Shui Xian raised the corners of his lips slightly, and nodded his chin lightly, motioning Jia Fang to sit down.

"Today you are lucky." Shui Xian said.

Jia Fang couldn't help but glanced at the cook, and saw a wooden barrel with a lid in the cook's hand.In addition to the wooden barrel, there are also various seasonings on the table.

Jia Fang immediately smiled and said, "I really didn't expect you to try dishes here."

Shui Xian nodded: "Because it takes a while for this dessert to be ready for serving, so I thought, why not use it in the garden?"

Shui Xian turned his head and nodded at the cook, and then he reached out to lift the lid of the wooden barrel, and a familiar scent wafted out.

Jia Fang sniffled and said, "Tofu...bean curd! It's bean curd!"

The cook turned her wonderful eyes on Jia Fang's face, and said with a smile: "This young man has a good nose..." I dare say that Jia Fang has already guessed that it is before seeing the things in the wooden barrel. What a treat.

Jia Fang was very happy: In this time and space, people have known how to use gypsum to order tofu for a long time, but they are willing to taste fresh and tender tofu with a strong bean fragrance, which seems to have never been seen before.

The cook immediately held a wooden spoon, first filled a bowl of bean curd, put it by Jia Fang's hand, and filled another bowl, and put it by Shui Xian's hand.Immediately afterwards, she bowed slightly and asked, "What kind of seasoning do you two want to use?"

Jia Fang immediately said: "The guest does as he pleases!"

Shui Xian also smiled and said, "According to your usual practice, it's better if it's lighter."

Jia felt relieved: In fact, this bean curd is already fresh enough, as long as a little seasoning is added, it will be delicious.From the perspective of seasoning, there is really no need to add too much seasoning.

But when he saw the cook carefully holding up the bowl in Shui Xian's hand, his heart suddenly hung up - he suddenly remembered a very important question: this guy in front of him can't be a sweetie, right?

The dispute between sweet and salty has been around for a long time. Jia Fang is both worried about the two things of rice dumplings and glutinous rice balls. They can be sweet or salty, but he is a firm believer in salty bean curd, and he will never accept sweet bean curd.

Fortunately, the cook obviously scooped a spoonful of soy sauce into Shuixian's bowl, then a spoonful of sesame oil, and finally sprinkled a small handful of sesame seeds, and then gently placed it by Shuixian's hand.

Thankfully, it's finally a salty party.

Jia Fang suddenly looked relieved.

The cook did the same thing, added these three ingredients to Jia Fang's bowl, and then stared at Jia Fang with a pair of wonderful eyes, as if asking him what else he wanted to add.

Jia Fang was forced to speak - he might really not be able to accept only these three types of tofu flower.

"Give me a little more balsamic vinegar, or no balsamic vinegar. Is there any coriander? And shallots? Both? That's great. Chop them all up and add a handful. Garlic Well...the garlic should not be added yet. Let me think about what else?"

"Do you have southern milk? Do you have shrimp skin? Do you have crushed peanuts? Do you have chive flowers?"

Jia Fang asked that the cook's face was red, and she said in a trembling voice: "Young master, please speak slowly, and I will remember it bit by bit."

After a lot of tossing, the cook finally understood that Nanru is a kind of fermented bean curd with red yeast rice added, and the chive flower that Jia Fang refers to refers to the marinated chive flower sauce.

"These two...will they taste good?" the cook asked hesitantly.

Jia Fang smiled heartily and said, "It's okay if you don't have these two..."

But the cook said: "There is no southern milk, but there is some white fermented bean curd. There is no leek flower sauce, but there are some pickled leeks... It's just that they are all side dishes that our servants use to serve rice and porridge. I don't know..."

The cook obviously felt that there was a difference between noble and poor, and the porridge and side dishes they usually ate seemed unable to be included in the elegant hall.

But Shui Xian made the decision on Jia Fang's behalf: "It's okay... Just bring it. This king wants to try it too."

Jia Fang:?

He quickly explained: "I'm sorry, I just have a strong taste, and I can't compare with Ziheng's light taste."

Shui Xian looked away: "I don't believe it, maybe you are better at eating."

Jia Fang: ...

When I was young, the cook really brought all the condiments mentioned by Jia Fang, let Jia Fang smell and taste the fermented bean curd and chive sauce.In the end, Jia Fang gave up fermented bean curd and chose chive sauce, shrimp skin, shallots, coriander (that is, coriander), crushed peanuts and sesame seeds, together with vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil, and asked the cook to make a bowl of incomparably restored him. Tofu curd in previous taste.

Shui Xian moved his chin lightly, and the cook made another bowl exactly the same and handed it to Shui Xian.Jia Fang watched helplessly as he mixed all kinds of condiments together, took a spoonful, and put it in his mouth.

Then Shuixian's expression was very exciting, Jia Fang thought he must be stimulated by this taste.I saw him closing his eyes abruptly, blushing slightly, and pursing his lips tightly.Jia Fang was very worried that this guy would spit it out in the next second.

He also tasted his bean curd, among which the leek sauce was really strong and very spicy.But Jia thought at ease: It’s just that the chive sauce is like this, so if he tastes chili in the future, then this one will not go to heaven?

But at this moment, Jia Fang could only ask the cook anxiously, "Is there any tea?"

The cook panicked immediately, and Daotong, who had been silent by the side, finally took out the teacup calmly, brought it to Shui Xian, and gently lifted the lid.

But Shui Xian slowed down just in time, and Cong Daotong shook his hand, and smiled freely: "Zi Fang's taste is really a bit heavy-but after careful taste, it feels wonderful. Except for the soft and smooth bean curd , you can also taste other textures, the seasoning is very brilliant, but it does not conceal the aroma of the bean curd, which is considered to complement each other."

"Zifang, I guessed right, you are a person who knows how to eat and can eat."

Jia Fang was very ashamed, and said: "It's not a golden taste, but I'm used to these tastes."

This may be the taste of working people.

"No, no, how can there be a distinction between high and low tastes? Taste only depends on whether it is suitable for the ingredients, seasons, weather... people's mood." Shui Xian's words are very suitable for Jia Fang's appetite.

Shui Xian glanced at Jia Fang: "For example, I'm in a good mood right now. Seeing that autumn and winter are approaching, Wan Qing Building will be able to offer a warm-up breakfast or snacks."

Shuixian's Wanqing Building business suffered a lot because of the "gold and silver rice" incident earlier.Although he himself said that he never lost money, but in the period after that, the number of officials and wealthy businessmen who went to Wanqing Building was indeed much less, and it was impossible that the business would not be affected.

But Shui Xian found another way and started a business for common people.In his "Wanqing Fifth Floor", he has opened a special room for selling breakfast. Anyone who comes in the morning can eat hot buns, steamed buns, porridge, and once popular The "champion fan" of wealthy families.

The common people now know that Wan Qinglou and Lin Ruhai's "Jiangnan wealthy businessmen" are actually babysitters who want to help them hoard all the grain hoarded in several major grain stores.In order to commemorate this, the common people will come to Wanqing Building for breakfast if they have two dollars in their pockets. If they have less money, they will have a bowl of porridge. If they have more money, they will order rice rolls wrapped in char siu. of.

Gradually, the breakfast business in Wanqing Building improved a lot, so that Shuixian opened up another building to run the "morning tea" business. In addition to the daily breakfast, he also made small portions of steamed vegetables and deep-fried snacks for serving It's zero for one person, and with a pot of tea, you can eat and drink very satisfyingly.

The so-called mulberry elm harvested in the east, the business that Shui Xian lost in those exquisite banquets, gradually made up for in the morning tea.It won't be long before he can add another item to his breakfast menu - bean curd.

Shui Xian's words finally reminded Jia Fang of his reason for coming.He hurriedly told Jia Shen that Jia She had mistakenly bought the restaurant opposite Wanqing Building, and that his brother planned to open a restaurant to start a catering business.

He also swore that he would never do the same business with Shui Xian, and the two promised not to confront each other head-on.

Shui Xian listened carefully while sipping tea, and when Jia Fang finished speaking, he put down the tea bowl in his hand and said, "Since you are so frank, I naturally welcome you."

"If the owner of the restaurant opposite earlier was willing to come to see me, I would definitely say the same thing to him."

"Whether the Wanqinglou family's business is good or not, we need everyone's business to improve and drive each other. Let everyone in the city know that every family here has excellent food, so they come here from time to time."

"It's like Dongmen City. The whole city knows that there are all kinds of delicious food and good food in the night market there, and there are all kinds of customs. That's why these people go to Dongmen to have fun."

"But the restaurant on the opposite side has been imitating me in every way since I came in. The chef poachs corners from me, and the layout of the building is imitating that of Wanqinglou. They think that if they learn the same as me, they can make the same money as me. Put it, I'm not surprised that the other party sold the building to your family."

Jia Fang listened and vaguely felt that Shui Xian was explaining the difference between benign competition and vicious competition.Shui Xian must have figured out these business experiences a long time ago.

"You are willing to come and talk to me today, and I feel at ease." Shui Xian said these words before sending Jia Fang off, "However, since you are ordering my craftsmen to make things, please don't forget , leave me a set after finishing, let me see and see."

"That's natural!" Jia Fang bid farewell to Shui Xian with fists in his arms, and walked along the veranda familiarly, leaving the Beijing Palace.

Shui Xian stood in the "sitting with someone" and looked at Jia Fang's leaving back, letting the cook and Taoist behind him put away all kinds of utensils, making a slight tinkling sound.

Suddenly, Shui Xian let out a hearty long laugh, and began to chant: "Do you still know, since the addition of a child, the wind and the moon are divided equally."①"

Jia Fang heard it from a distance, turned around and waved to Shui Xian from a distance, then turned and left again.

No matter how hard Shui Xian could hold back his full smile, he turned his head and looked at Tingxuan's own handwriting, the joy in his heart was unspeakable: "Sit in the podium with someone, sit with someone, sit with someone..."

Jia Fang was also in a good mood. He went back to the Rong Mansion alone and asked, saying that Uncle She had already returned to the mansion, and the courtyard was quiet. Obviously, Jia She had comforted Mrs. Zhang and told her that it was true. It is a "prosperous shop".

Jia Fang was thinking about the project in the garden, and hurried back to the Grand View Garden.According to the schedule, the main building of the Hengwu Garden in the Grand View Garden should have already taken shape.However, for the specific construction of the garden, the workers in the garden are more reliable, and with Shuangwen watching over there, there shouldn't be any trouble.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he returned to the garden, he heard a howling sound from a distance.Jia Fang listened carefully and knew it was Fuya.

"What's wrong? Could it be an engineering accident?" The longer Jia Fang spends with this little girl, the more Jia Fang regards this little girl as a little sister and never treats her as a maid.Hearing the crying at this time, Jia Fang regretted for a while: Fuya should not be put in the garden that is still being repaired, she is too young, and she is too easy to bump into.

Jia Fang was in a hurry, and immediately followed the sound to find the past, and soon found Fuya, who was already in tears, and Shuangwen was coaxing her.

"Third Master, Fuya doesn't know what kind of fruit she ate near Hengwuyuan. After eating, she complained of pain. No matter how much she tried to persuade her, she couldn't persuade her. She cried like this..." Shuangwen explained from the side.

But Jia Fang saw the clue: "Fuya, don't move, don't cover your mouth, let me see, why is your mouth swollen?"

Jia Fang has watched "Sausage Mouth" in the film and television drama. Fu Ya is not so exaggerated now, but it can be seen that her small cherry mouth is swollen.

Jia Fang hurriedly asked: "What did you eat, and how much did you eat? Do you have any more? Take it out quickly..."

Weeping, Fu Ya took out a bunch of brightly colored red fruits from her arms and stuffed them into Jia Fang's hands.

Jia Fang lifted it up to look at the light, then moved closer to his nose to smell it.He had a sudden inspiration.

"Third Master, don't—" Shuangwen hurriedly advised.She thought that if it was some kind of poisonous fruit, the one on the other side would not be persuaded by crying, so the other one would be poisoned again.

Jia Fang put the thing to his mouth, chewed it lightly, and then laughed uncontrollably.

Shuangwen was immediately dumbfounded: Why did one cry after eating the same fruit, and the other laugh after eating it!

But only Jia Fang laughed and said: "There is nowhere to find it if you break through the iron shoes. It's easy to get here. This is chili pepper, chili pepper!"