Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 65 Opening Day

Man proposes, God disposes. Tan Huaike did not expect that on the day the restaurant opened, the person who had agreed to take over the signature silk cloth with her would suddenly be absent.

The story begins after Tan Anfu's quarrel. Upon returning to the mansion that day, Shen Tu Zhuo was informed that the prefect wanted to see him. He didn't dare delay and rushed over immediately. After discussing the matter, he hurried back and had Ah Hui drive him to Lude County in a carriage. He presumably thought there was a problem with the canal diversion plan that required on-site negotiation and resolution.

This trip took three days, and they didn't return until the eve of the opening. Only Ah Hui, who went with them, returned home to deliver a message -

The explanation given to Madam Shentu was that the Second Young Master had gone to the Yuefu in the neighboring county to listen to music and watch dances, and would return with great pleasure. The report sent to Tan Huaike was the true story: the Second Young Master had been forced to stay by the county magistrate and the county magistrate because several canals needed to be realigned, and there were many problems to be solved by the county and the villagers, so he was really busy.

"The Second Young Master also said," Ah Hui repeated Shen Tu Zhuo's words verbatim, "that he might not be able to make it for tomorrow's unveiling, but as long as they can reach a temporary agreement over there, he will still try to come back and congratulate the Madam."

"If he really can't get away, there's no need to force him..." said Tan Huaike.

Although she'd always thought she could handle it, she still felt a little uneasy when the day finally arrived. This was the first shop she'd opened and managed from start to finish, and because she valued it so much, she was inevitably a little anxious. She'd assumed this person would definitely stay with her, but who could have imagined something unexpected would happen.

Ah Hui was not good at speaking, and he could see that the lady was a little disappointed, but he didn't know how to comfort her, so he left after delivering the message.

Pei'er saw his master go into the house, take out a jar of wine, and drink a few cups by himself facing the moon.

Not only did she secretly criticize him, but she also thought that the Second Young Master was truly extraordinary. He was usually so elusive, but why did he disappear at the critical moment, causing the Madam to be so worried...
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The next day, the restaurant officially opened.

There was a lively atmosphere of beating drums and gongs in front of the door. When the auspicious time came, Shen Tu Zhuo failed to arrive. Tan Huaike did not delay and hung up the plaque by himself. He took down the silk cloth amid the cheers of the crowd.

How do you know?

Three powerful and vigorous characters were clearly written on it.

After a round of crackling firecrackers, the restaurant officially opened its doors to welcome customers.

Xiangling Street was already bustling, and by now, quite a few people had gathered at the entrance to join in the fun. Tan Huaike took the opportunity to unfold the crimson silk cloth he had prepared in advance. On it were embroidered in gold thread by the weaving workshop's embroiderers, featuring the shop's signature dishes, the times of the singing and dancing performances, and various special offers for the new store's opening.

For example, buy a bottle of Western wine and get a free bottle, a meal costing over 100 coins can get a 10-coin discount, and during singing and dancing performances, brocade bags are thrown out, which contain gift silk from the host. It may say "thank you for your patronage", or it may say "drink as much as you want", or it may say "receive a free drink of wine", or it may say "receive a discount on the entire meal"... There are so many options to whet the appetite of diners.

In a short while, the house was packed with guests, and the waiters were busy as they kept their feet off the ground. The kitchen was also bustling with activity. As far as the kitchen, one could hear Uncle Zhali's energetic shouts: "Are the dishes ready yet?" "Hurry up! If you can't, I'll cut them!" "What are you hesitating about, waiter? Can't you see that the table is full?"

Tan Huaike didn't want to disturb them. Calculating the time for his dance performance, he quickly put aside the tasks at hand, changed his clothes, and went on stage.

The restaurant was packed, and Tan Huaike was very nervous in front of so many people, always worried that she would make a mistake. But when she actually got on stage, she felt better.

The audience was buzzing with voices, and she vaguely heard someone say, "Hey? Isn't that the owner of Yan Zhi Si? The owner is dancing on stage himself?"

"Isn't it? Don't you recognize her? She is the eldest lady of the Shentu Mansion."

"Ah, it's the widow..."

"Yes, that's her. I thought she was a miserable person, but I didn't expect that she would open a restaurant now."

"This... is so reckless. Why doesn't the Shentu family rein it in? They're a wealthy family after all, right? A woman from an official family doing business, aren't they afraid of gossip?" "I heard they split up. As a widow, she has to find a way to support herself."

"You haven't split up yet? Aren't you still living in the side courtyard of the Shentu Mansion?"

"Such a pretty widow, still showing up in public, tsk tsk, there must be a lot of people paying attention to her, right?"

"They're doing business honestly, so why are you, a damned bastard, taking advantage of me?"

The music gradually became louder and Tan Huaike could no longer hear the sounds.

Ever since she married into the Shentu Mansion, these rumors had never ceased, and now they were even more intense. But she didn't want to be dragged down by these material possessions. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she would seize it firmly.

She was unwilling to live under someone else's identity; she never forgot the hatred of her father and brother; and she still wanted to realize her vision of doing business in Daxuan and the Western Territory. No matter how difficult it was, since she had not died in that valley, she would use all means and strength to walk out of her own life.

Five dancers, including Tan Huaike, performed the Kupsu-Niro dance on the stage.

The musicians played the Mohe folk herding song "Muye". Shanyi had polished the score for Tan Huaike, making it more delicate and layered than the original. Sometimes it was as passionate as a galloping horse under the sun, and sometimes it was as soft as moonlight shining on the lake.

They performed a dance choreographed by Tan Huaike himself, the movements much simpler than those rehearsed by the Yuefu. The other four dancers were hired through Shentu Zhuo's intermediary. Including practice and regular performances, the cost was only half of what it would have cost to hire musicians and dancers from the Lanying Pavilion. It was a quintessential example of thriftiness. While their dancing technique wasn't as good as others, their performance was fresh and energetic, and the accompaniment of the tossing of colorful silk sachets greatly intrigued the diners.

The clothes and accessories worn by the dancers were all custom-made by their own Zhiyun Cloth Workshop. They have a very Western style without being too fancy. They are not as grand as the year-end sacrifices of Yuefu, but they fit in with the casual and friendly atmosphere of the restaurant.

After the dance, Tan Huaike took a deep breath and went to redeem the gifts for the diners who had grabbed the lucky bags with a smile.

Some diners got nothing and shook their heads regretfully, some diners drank the wine, laughed and raised their glasses to toast, and one diner got a voucher that exempted him from paying for the entire meal, so he immediately ordered three more dishes, which made others envious.

Someone asked, "Boss, how many times a day does this dance take place? Will everyone get to eat for free this time?"

Tan Huaike replied with a smile: "Two times. Whether you can eat white rice depends on your luck."

The man then asked, "Master, do you always go on stage in person?"

Tan Huaike shook his head: "That's probably difficult. You can see how busy the store is. I'm afraid I don't have that much free time. But my dancers are better than me. I'm just making up the numbers."

"Oh, the treasure bag in the boss's hand must be the most valuable. I was thinking of stealing the one in your hand in the future."

"So that's your plan. I can only tell you that we just picked up the lucky bags randomly. The diner who just snatched it from my hand didn't get any gifts."

After chatting and laughing for a while, Tan Huaike was most concerned about whether the diners were satisfied with the dishes. So when serving and seeing off the guests, he observed which dishes were more popular and which dishes were likely to be left over.

At this time, a nobleman in fine clothes approached her and said, "Excuse me, sir, what is the meaning of the name of this shop, Yanzhisi?"
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　Next chapter: May I ask if this restaurant has any relationship with the second son of the Shentu family?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)