Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Old Stories

Chapter 21

The weather is getting warmer and warmer. Jiang Yu has been busy changing the menu these days. When she first started running Jiang Ji, she was just thinking about finding a job. In fact, Li Ji let her manage the shop, and the annual business was enough for their family to eat and use.

But when she arrived in the capital and took a look, she underestimated the prosperity of the capital. Every inch of land is worth a lot of money. Their little money was only enough to buy a thatched cottage in the suburbs, so they had no place to stay.

In addition, Du Haoyu was busy in the Hanlin Academy, and she had nothing to do during the day. Seeing that everyone in the capital was rich and liked to eat banquets, she thought about it and took back Li Ji's shop and opened a restaurant by herself.

At the beginning, the business was also tepid, mainly because Jiang Yu herself didn't know how to do it, so she could only slowly explore. However, hard work pays off. As Jiang Ji's reputation spread, the business became more and more prosperous.

Jiang Yu didn't like fixed menus, just like in Wangfu, the menu changed according to the season. Now March was more than half over, and it was almost April, when everything was revived and wild vegetables were growing.

Jiang Yu liked to eat fresh food, and said, "After enduring a whole winter, I always want to eat something fresh. Write these dishes into the menu, and if the customer orders mutton, give a plate of shepherd's purse. This combination of meat and vegetables is very refreshing to eat."

"The cucumbers in the greenhouse can also be eaten, but they are too expensive, so just give one to regular customers."

Shopkeeper Wang listened carefully, but he was thinking in his heart that these scholars really did business differently. If it were others, they would just want to scrape a layer of fat off the customers, but Jiang Yu was not like that. She always said that she had a way to make money, and she always set a lower price than others, and would also give away many things.

At first, Shopkeeper Wang thought that Jiang Yu had never done business before, didn't know how to be frugal, and was used to extravagance. However, with the same ingredients, he could make so many different dishes, which were very delicate, and gave away a lot of things. He often gave a small dish with a dish, which must be lost. He also advised him several times, but as time went by, he found that Jiang Ji not only did not lose money, but also had a good reputation. Who are the people who come to Jiang Ji for dinner now?

The university scholars in the court, the fourth-rank officials, and the wealthy businessmen, even became a gathering place for many clean people. Several private rooms on the second floor are full all year round, and have been booked for a month later.

Shopkeeper Wang was not a talkative person. He was originally the shopkeeper of Li Ji, and it was Li Ji's boss who called him to help. Their family made a living in Li Ji, and he didn't dare to refuse and came here.

At that time, I didn't think too much, just thought that I would live one day at a time. Who knew that Jiang Ji would rise like this? Now he goes back, who of the shopkeepers in Li Ji is not jealous of him?

Shopkeeper Wang had already agreed with Jiang Yu, so he naturally followed her advice.

Jiang Yu re-drafted the menu, crossed out a few winter dishes, added a lot of wild vegetables, and seasonal pastries such as peach blossom pastries, and instructed Shopkeeper Wang on some things before coming out of the store. It was raining outside, and Cuiping was about to open an umbrella when she saw a man standing at the intersection waiting for them. It was Du Haoyu, "Second Miss, it's the son-in-law."

Jiang Yu looked and saw that it was really Du Haoyu. He seemed to have just returned from the Hanlin Academy. He was still wearing an official robe and holding an oil umbrella with a green bamboo pattern. He was tall and slender, and his posture was free and easy

. He was walking towards her slowly. Du Haoyu was different from Lin Bozhi. Lin Bozhi had a kind of calmness like a mountain. That kind of pressure often made people breathless, especially when he didn't speak, which always made people feel uneasy. But Du Haoyu was different. He was like a spring breeze, free and easy. Although he often made people confront each other, making people angry, most of the time he was casual and soothing.

He looked at Jiang Yu with a smile and said, "Your Majesty's birthday is coming up in a few days. Everyone is busy with this matter. I really don't want to get involved, so I'll come back first."

On the emperor's birthday, there are naturally many people who flatter him, but Du Haoyu is the most disdainful of these. He has his own pride.

Jiang Yu also knew Du Haoyu's temperament, so she was not surprised. However, she knew that the general public would not rest even on the day of the emperor's birthday, so she asked jokingly, "Will the general public let my cousin come back?"

Du Haoyu gently tilted the umbrella towards Jiang Yu, quietly helping her block the rain. The two walked forward together, obviously preparing to walk for a distance, and Cuiping asked the driver to follow behind.

The spring rain is not heavy, but it always falls gently and continuously.

Du Haoyu said in a rogue tone, "Guangdaren is alone, so he doesn't need to worry about these things, but I have a wife and children. Don't I need to go home? And I promised Qing'er yesterday that I would go back early."

Jiang Yu remembered that Guangdaren's wife died of illness, and his only son was working in another place, and he didn't remarry, so he was really alone in Beijing. It's not an exaggeration to say that he was alone, but Du Haoyu's tone was too straightforward.

Although many people are henpecked, such words will not be brought to the table.

Jiang Yu glanced at Du Haoyu, but saw that he looked calm, as if it was normal, and couldn't help laughing in his heart. Du Haoyu is just like this. He never cares what others say, just does what he thinks is right.

There are clusters of forsythia on the roadside. The tender yellow flowers are fresh and natural in the rain, very beautiful.

Du Haoyu saw Jiang Yu looking at the forsythia, and his arms were slender. He didn't even need to bend down, and he stretched out his hand to pick a branch of forsythia.

"Why break it?" Jiang Yu felt a little regretful, but then he heard Du Haoyu say, "Give it to Ayu Daihua."

Jiang Yu's face turned red all of a sudden.

The

eunuch Xu Bao was very busy. After all, the emperor's birthday could not go wrong. The gift prepared by the prince was a pair of red corals half a person's height. He put the things in the warehouse, and was afraid of any mistakes. He personally took the key of the warehouse and never left it. You know, this red coral is rare. The prince started preparing it before the New Year and found it after more than half a year.

I'm afraid there is only one such thing in the whole Jin Dynasty with this quality and height.

But perhaps because he was too busy, he overlooked one thing. The person he sent to investigate Jiang Yu's life experience had not responded for a long time. It was not until today that he remembered and hurried to ask.

That person was Xu Bao's godson Feng Zhi, who worked in the Jinyiwei. Although his official position was not high, he was very useful. He could help with anything in normal times, and he was more useful than other people in the palace.

Xu Bao liked to ask him to do things.

Feng Zhi had been back for several days, but Xu Bao had not come to see him. In addition, he was very busy because of the emperor's birthday and had no time to take care of him.

They finally found time to meet one day. The two of them met in a famous restaurant in the capital and chose a secret private room. Feng Zhi ordered a table of Jiangnan dishes that Xu Bao loved to eat for him.

Some eunuchs love money, some eunuchs love power, but Xu Bao, the eunuch, loves food. He would not be happy if others gave him a night pearl as big as a bowl, but he would be happy for a long time if he was given a rare roasted bear paw.

Feng Zhi also knew his hobby, so he specially booked this table in advance.

Xu Bao didn't know what was going on. The duck tongue and eight-treasure sauce duck that he loved to eat in the past didn't taste the same as before. He put down his chopsticks after eating a few bites.

Feng Zhi couldn't help asking, "Godfather, but these dishes don't suit your taste?" As he said that, he couldn't help but take a bite to taste it. He felt that it was fresh, crispy and tender, and it still tasted the same.

Xu Bao smacked his lips, took a sip of tea and said, "I just feel that the taste has remained the same for more than ten years, it's boring."

"You are rich now, unlike me, who was poor when I was young and only thought that I could eat rice in my lifetime. Look at me, I still eat rice every day and never get enough." Feng Zhi said.

"How can I compare with you?"

Xu Bao scolded Feng Zhi, and Feng Zhi also smiled and accepted it. He just wanted Xu Bao to vent, and said with a smile, "If you feel uncomfortable, just scold me. Aren't sons there to be beaten and scolded by their fathers?"

Xu Bao was completely out of temper. Although he was often shameless, he was a eunuch without roots. Feng Zhi was not? But maybe it was this kind of flexibility that made him comfortable to serve.

"You should try Jiang Ji's dishes, they are really varied."

Xu Bao took a sip of tea and remembered that day in Jiang Ji, the waiter broke the tea, using a small pink porcelain bowl to brew peach blossom tea. There was a beautiful peach blossom floating on the tea, which was pleasing to the eye. Then look at this place, it's still the same as it was a few years ago. It's not that it's not delicious, but it's just boring.

No wonder Jiang Ji is so popular?

"How was the investigation going?"

Feng Zhi was waiting to ask Xu Bao, but he immediately put down his chopsticks after hearing this and said, "That Madam Du has been married before. Can you guess who her previous husband was?"

Xu Bao was not eating well, and naturally felt uncomfortable. He hit Feng Zhi on the head with his chopsticks and said, "Don't keep us in suspense. Tell me quickly. I have to go back to serve His Highness in a while."

Feng Zhi then said honestly, "It is the current Crown Prince, and that Madam Du is the former Crown Prince's consort."

"What?"

Xu Bao's eyes widened in shock, his mind turned quickly, and he said, "So that's how it is. No wonder I always felt that His Highness looked at this Madam Du differently."

"Four years ago, His Highness the Crown Prince was summoned to the capital by the current emperor, and Madam Du felt ashamed of herself and took the initiative to ask to return home. But I think it's not necessarily because she doesn't want this huge wealth, but because she is still a little smart and knows her own weight. When Princess Jialan marries, where will there be a place for her? I'm afraid it will be even worse by then."

"Sure enough, she is not someone who can keep her promise. Soon she married her cousin, Du Haoyu, the top scholar two years ago."

Xu Bao suddenly thought of something and asked, "What about the child?"

Feng Zhi continued, "I also think this is too coincidental, so I went to investigate."

"How?" Xu Bao didn't think about it at first, but it was mainly because the time was too close. Just now, I thought that Du Qing's eyes seemed to be somewhat similar to His Highness's?

Feng Zhi shook his head and said, "Nothing unusual."

Xu Bao knew Feng Zhi's ability. If he said there was nothing unusual, then naturally there was nothing unusual. Feng Zhi continued to say, "Do you think that if you had His Highness's child, would you still remarry? Moreover, you have been married for three years without a child, but you have one right after returning home? It doesn't make sense."

Xu Bao thought it was right. If Jiang really had His Highness's child, it would be for His Highness the Crown Prince to have more children, and she would have made contributions. She would not be afraid of Princess Jialan, so she would not need to ask to return home.

Waiting for the crown prince to be canonized in the future, wouldn't she also share a status?

But no matter what, this incident still surprised Xu Bao. He went straight to the palace gate after coming out of the restaurant, and just waited for Lin Bozhi to come out of the palace. He looked very tired, and he had been silent since he got on the carriage.

Xu Bao didn't dare to say much, but he still made tea for him attentively, and then carefully checked his face.

Originally, the carriage was going directly back to the palace, but when it reached the intersection, Lin Bozhi suddenly said, "Stop." Xu Bao hurriedly asked the coachman to stop.

Lin Bozhi lifted the curtain and got off the carriage. He didn't say where he was going, and just walked forward. Xu Bao didn't dare to be careless, and hurriedly followed him, of course, with the prince's guards.

This year's spring rain seems to be particularly frequent. It was fine just now, but now it started to rain. Xu Bao hurriedly held an umbrella, and he stood on the side. Half of his shoulder was wet, but he just pretended not to see it.

Lin Bozhi walked slowly, almost to the end of the street. Xu Bao had been secretly wondering what was going on, but suddenly he remembered the conversation with Feng Zhi just now... Suddenly, an idea came to him and he said, "Your Highness, it's damp and cold now. How can you bear the wind blowing all the time? Why don't you find a place to sit down?"

As expected, Xu Bao saw Lin Bozhi stop, and he immediately said, "I dare to say that the Jiangji restaurant we went to last time was not bad. The taste of that pot still makes me drool when I think about it."

Lin Bozhi continued to walk forward. Xu Bao was in a state of anxiety, thinking that he had guessed wrong. Did he flatter the horse but hit the horse's hoof? As a result, he saw Lin Bozhi respond softly, and he finally put down his heart.

It seems that Your Highness really has some differences in that Jiang?

When they arrived at Jiangji, Shopkeeper Wang was surprised to see Lin Bozhi, and he naturally guessed his identity. At this time, the private rooms were full, so he arranged for Lin Bozhi to sit in the backyard. After that, Lin Bozhi often patronized

Jiang's. The wing room in the backyard seemed to have become his exclusive property, and Manager Wang did not dare to give it to others easily.