Chapter Thirty-One: Opening the Restaurant, Naming It “Bianyifang”

The winery was working against a tight deadline, and neither Ye Xiu nor Zhao Yide could be of much help. The two had bought some dried goods at a grocery store and were currently grinding them into powder.

Since ancient times, diners have always pursued the essence of "freshness." Because there was no MSG or chicken bouillon in ancient times, chefs would rack their brains, employing various methods to make their dishes as fresh as possible. Usually, this meant using bone broth, chicken stock, aged soy sauce, fermented black beans, shrimp oil, and various spices. This gave rise to the saying: "A performer's voice is their craft; a cook's soul is their broth."

In the Great Qian Dynasty, the most popular seasonings were the spice pellets and various sauces used by the Imperial Kitchen. These were made by grinding spices—such as wuyi kernel, galangal, long pepper, red bean, amomum, Sichuan peppercorn, dried ginger, cassia bark, dill, fennel, orange peel, and almond—into powder, mixing them with water and steamed dough, and forming them into balls. When needed, these pellets were ground back into powder, serving as a flavor enhancer similar to modern chicken bouillon.

Having lived two lifetimes, Ye Xiu knew exactly what could make dishes more fragrant. Grinding dried fish, dried shrimp, dried scallops, and dried conpoy into powder and adding a spoonful during cooking created an incredible aroma. However, since seafood was too expensive at the grocery store, Ye Xiu settled for a combination of dried shrimp, dried shiitake mushrooms, and dried conpoy. After grinding them into a powder, he stir-fried a few dishes and made a soup, which acted as a perfect substitute for MSG.

But this was still not enough. Master Ye then thought of white sugar.

"Let's go. We'll head to the skybridge first, then to Heshengyuan."

Ye Xiu packed a small pouch of the flavor-enhancing powder, and Zhao Yide carefully placed the dishes into a food box. The two arrived at the North Gate Bridge. When Zhao Youyou saw them, a smile immediately bloomed on her face. Old Chief Jia, Ye Xiren, and a middle-aged man were sitting together, chatting over tea. Before long, Zhao Youyou had cooked three bowls of wontons and placed them before the three men.

Ye Xiu took out the flavor-enhancing powder, acting mysterious. "Uncle Sun, try this!"

"This is..." Old Chief Jia looked puzzled.

"Just taste it and you'll see." Ye Xiu poured the powder into the bowls and stirred them with chopsticks. "Everyone, try it and see if you notice anything different from usual."

Although Old Chief Jia was elderly and his sense of taste had somewhat dulled, the moment the broth touched his throat, his expression shifted in shock. An incredibly enjoyable and distinct aroma hit him, making him feel as if he had suddenly shed decades of age.

"Eh? Hiss!"

All three men gasped in unison; they had never tasted such a fresh broth. Immediately after, they devoured the wontons with lightning speed, finishing every last drop. As they finished the final sip and looked at the empty bowls, they were left wanting more.

"Brother You'an, what is that?" Zhao Youyou leaned over, her eyes full of curiosity.

Ye Xiu ladled a bowl of broth and added a dash of the powder. "Auntie, you should try some too."

Madame Zhao and Zhao Youyou took a sip and their eyes widened instantly. They looked at Ye Xiu in disbelief—how could this broth be so fresh?

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man sitting with Old Chief Jia and Ye Xiren had reddened eyes and was actually shedding tears. Ye Xiu was stunned; this acting felt a bit over-the-top.

The middle-aged man realized he had lost his composure and quickly laughed. "Master Ye, I just suddenly recalled some past events and couldn't control myself."

"Oh?" Now it was Ye Xiu's turn to be curious. "May I ask what you did before, Uncle?"

"This is my nephew, Qi Santai," Ye Xiren said, stroking his beard slowly. "He was once quite successful on the banks of the Qinhuai River. It is a pity, however, that he was squeezed out by schemes and eventually lost his business."

"Master Ye, don't tease me," Ye Xiu shook his head immediately. "With you there, how could he lose his business?"

"The one who snatched his business was your own head steward at the Ye estate," Ye Xiren glanced at Ye Xiu. "By the time I found out, my nephew had already been thrown into prison. Had I not intervened, he would have been exiled to Lingnan by now..."

"..." Ye Xiu was speechless. "So, in our house, only my father and I are good people, and everyone else is a villain?"

"Even a minor official at the gate of a prime minister can be a menace," Ye Xiren continued unhurriedly. "There are plenty who use their master's banner to commit evil."

"So..." Ye Xiu suddenly understood what Ye Xiren was getting at. "Were you waiting to have a 'chance encounter' with me?"

Ye Xiren stroked his beard, looking perfectly innocent. "I was just here to eat wontons."

Ye Xiu felt a mix of sighing and disdain in his heart, but he smiled. "Uncle Qi, isn't the opportunity right in front of you now?"

"Ah?" Qi Santai looked at Ye Xiu in disbelief until Old Chief Jia nudged him with his foot. Only then did Qi Santai wake up as if from a dream. "Thank you, Master Ye, for your great kindness!"

Having run a large restaurant, he naturally knew the power of this flavor-enhancing powder. With such a lethal weapon, they wouldn't just be ahead of the pack—they would easily rank in the top three in Jinling City.

"Then let's set some rules," Old Chief Jia cleared his throat. "Opening a restaurant is indeed a good choice."

"Coincidentally," Ye Xiren glanced at Ye Xiu, "I own a three-story storefront here at Beixin Bridge. The location is excellent, right in the center of the commercial street west of the Confucian Temple. It is perfect for a restaurant."

"..." Ye Xiu looked at Ye Xiren with a complex expression. "Master Ye, weren't you exiled to Jinling? How do you still have property?"

"I was exiled, not stripped of my assets!" Ye Xiren glared at Ye Xiu. "You two set the terms; it will also fulfill a wish of mine."

"Since we have the location and the management, let's just do it properly," Ye Xiu pondered for a moment. "Master Ye gets forty percent, and Uncle Qi and I will take thirty percent each. What do you think?"

"Twenty percent is enough for me. You and Santai can take forty percent each," Ye Xiren, fearing Ye Xiu might change his mind, immediately had Zhao Youyou borrow the Four Treasures of the Study to write up a contract.

"What should we name the restaurant?" Everyone looked at Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu pondered briefly. "How about calling it 'Bianyi Fang' (The Affordable House)?"

"Bianyi Fang?" Ye Xiren's eyes lit up. "Worthy of being the grandson of the old Minister—this is absolutely brilliant!"

Ye Xiu spread out the rice paper and ground the ink himself. "Master Ye, would you mind writing the plaque for us?"

"Would that be appropriate?" Ye Xiren was quite moved, but due to his current status, he hesitated. "I am currently an exiled man; wouldn't that be a bad omen?"

"Master Ye, you are a top scholar of this dynasty and a protégé of the Emperor. To have your personal calligraphy is the restaurant's honor." Ye Xiu pressed the brush into Ye Xiren's hand. "My grandfather sending you to Jinling was, in fact, a form of protection in disguise."

Old Chief Jia and Qi Santai exchanged glances. "Master (Uncle), you really should write it."

"When I first met your grandfather, I thought my luck was at its worst," Ye Xiren looked at Ye Xiu with a complex expression. "But ever since I met you, I feel as if my fortunes have turned."

Ye Xiren no longer refused. With a powerful, resonant stroke, he wrote the three characters: "Bianyi Fang."