Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Xiaoyu was busy directing things in the lobby. She was light and graceful, her steps were quick, her black hair was neatly combed behind her head, and a few strands of hair hung on her cheeks, adding a touch of gentleness.

Her eyes were bright and full of energy, revealing shrewdness and competence. She kept saying, "Acai, wipe that table over there again, make sure it's spotless. Afu, wash the dishes carefully!"

Acai was a maid with nimble hands and feet. She wore simple clothes and a clean apron around her waist.

Hearing Xiaoyu's instructions, she nodded vigorously and wiped the table quickly with the rag in her hand, not leaving out any corner.

Her round face flushed slightly from the effort, her eyes fixed intently on the tabletop as she muttered, "I'll make sure to clean it thoroughly so the diners can enjoy their meal."

Ah Fu was washing and chopping vegetables in the small courtyard next to the kitchen. He was a tall, thin young man with nimble hands.

He rinsed the vegetables repeatedly in water, and he didn't care when the water droplets splashed on his face.

While washing, she hummed a little tune and chatted with Chef Mi in the kitchen from time to time: "Chef Mi, your salt-baked chicken today must be another masterpiece. I can smell the fragrance!"

Chef Mi is the signature of Zuixianlou. His magical body is busy and free in the kitchen.

He is a systematic chef with unique cooking skills.

Chef Mi always had a kind smile on his face, his eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at the meatballs stewing on the stove and the salt-baked chicken being roasted, his face full of pride: "Huh, this new dish of ours was carefully developed by me. I guarantee that our guests will not be able to stop eating it."

Yu Yu, with two cute little braids, was skipping around in the lobby helping to set the table.

Her eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement, and her little mouth chattered non-stop: "Mom, there will definitely be a lot of diners today. Our new dishes are so delicious."

Xiaoyu smiled and patted Yuyu's head: "Then you have to help well and don't run around."

Li Hao was greeting guests at the door. He was tall and his voice was loud: "Dear guests, please come in. We have new dishes at Zuixianlou today!"

Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaidao stood on both sides of Zuixian Tower, like two door gods, wearing gorgeous brocade robes, swords on their waists, and looking majestic.

Cheng Chumo had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a stern expression, and glanced around vigilantly.

Qin Huaidao was relatively gentle. He greeted regular customers with a smile, but he also kept an eye on the movements around him.

As time went by, more and more diners came to Zuixianlou.

The lobby was full of people, and the sounds of laughter and shouting were intertwined, making it very lively.

"Waiter, I heard you have new dishes. Bring us one portion quickly." A big man with a beard shouted.

Ah Cai quickly responded with a smile, "Okay, sir, would you like meatball soup or salt-baked chicken? We have pork and beef meatballs, which are tender and juicy. You can also add them to soup noodles, which taste amazing! The salt-baked chicken is also very fragrant."

"Then let's have a serving of meatball soup and a serving of salt-baked chicken first." The big man said, slapping the table.

After a while, the steaming meatball soup and golden salt-baked chicken were served on the table.

The meatballs roll in the soup, plump and round, the soup is rich and exudes an attractive aroma.

The salt-baked chicken has a crispy skin with an attractive sheen, and the chicken is tender, juicy, and fragrant.

The guests around smelled the fragrance and looked sideways.

An old man looked at the meatball soup and exclaimed, "This is a delicacy! The meatballs are very chewy and the soup is delicious."

The young man next to him also agreed: "This salt-baked chicken is even better. The salty aroma of the skin and the fresh aroma of the chicken are perfectly combined. It's really delicious."

Yu Yu watched the guests enjoying their meal with a proud smile on her face.

She ran to the kitchen and said to Chef Mi, "Chef Mi, the guests all praised our new dishes for being delicious!"

Chef Mi laughed heartily: "That's right, don't you even look at who made it?"

Xiaoyu walked around the lobby, looking at the satisfied expressions of the guests, feeling very pleased.

She walked up to a regular customer and asked with a smile, "Master Zhang, what do you think of today's new dishes?"

Master Zhang gave a thumbs-up and said, "Xiaoyu, your Zuixianlou is getting better and better. I want to eat this new dish again."

Yu Yu sat in the corner, holding a salt-baked chicken leg in her hand, chewing it with her little mouth, her eyes shining with satisfaction.

The skin of the chicken leg is golden and crispy, with a slight "crunch" sound with each bite, and the salty and fragrant taste spreads in the mouth.

At this time, a diner looked at Yuyu's cute appearance and said to Xiaoyu with a smile: "Shopkeeper, your little girl is eating with such relish. Looking at her like this, you know that this salt-baked chicken is really delicious."

Xiaoyu smiled and replied, "Excuse me, sir, this kid loves this."

The diner put down his chopsticks and continued with interest, "Shopkeeper, your tavern has such delicious food, you can't just do business around here."

Xiaoyu came over and poured a cup of tea for the diner. "What do you think, sir?"

The diner took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. "Look, there are many people in the capital and news spreads quickly. You can invite some famous people to come and taste it."

"When these people go back, they'll naturally tell others about it. Won't the reputation spread?"

Xiaoyu nodded slightly, thinking: "Sir, this is a good idea, but we don't know many of these prestigious people."

The diner laughed. "How difficult is that? You can find some scholars and writers. They love this kind of novel food. Just give them some benefits, like writing a few poems or articles for your tavern."

After finishing his chicken leg, Yuyu came over and interjected, "Will the poems and articles they write attract more people to our tavern?"

The diner patted Yuyu's head and said, "Of course, little girl. These writers are very good at writing. What they write will be circulated in the capital. Everyone will be curious about the food in Zuixianlou after seeing it."

Li Hao, listening from the side, also thought it made sense. "Mom, you're right. We can give it a try. This will help spread our reputation."

Xiaoyu smiled and said, "Well, that's a good idea, but we still need to think about it in the long run. We need to plan it carefully and talk about it later."

Ah Cai and Ah Fu also came over, and Ah Fu said excitedly: "If this really works, our Zuixianlou will be even more lively."

Ah Cai also nodded and said, "Yes, I'm definitely too busy."

Xiaoyu looked at everyone, a glint of hope in her eyes: "Then let's work hard in this direction and make our Zuixianlou famous in the capital."

Yuyu shook her head: "Mom, no, no, no, our Zuixianlou should be famous throughout the Tang Dynasty."