In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

"Shopkeeper, you should hire a hanger-on."

"Alas, it was a miscalculation on the first day of business. Please forgive me! I have no relatives or friends in Yingtian Prefecture. Where can I find someone to help me?"

"We can help you."

"Forget it, I can't afford it. Besides, you all still need to study for the autumn exams. I can't afford to delay you."

"I mean, I'll help you find someone to hang around."

"That would be great."

Just after Zhu Zhishan and Tang Bohu's party left, several scholars who were watching the signboard at the door jumped up.

"Shopkeeper! Why is this mushroom and chicken noodle soup only seven coins now? Why did you charge us ten coins yesterday?"

Song Xiaoyi had anticipated this, and sure enough, the accusations and demands for retribution came.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am truly sorry, the price was not officially set yesterday. So, for each of you ordering noodles today, we will give you a side dish and a chicken as a bonus."

"That's more like it." The guest's dissatisfaction finally subsided.

It wasn't until after 9:30 that Song Xiaoyi finally had some free time, so she quickly went upstairs and drank a can of Wanglaoji herbal tea to cool down.

After a quick inventory check, all 10 baskets of steamed buns were sold out, and an additional 12 baskets were added, which also sold out. As for instant noodles, apart from the Suzhou-style crab roe noodles which were sold out, the other non-spicy flavors were also running low on stock, while the spicy flavors remained untouched.

At this rate, if I were to work alone, I wouldn't be able to handle selling steamed buns and instant noodles, let alone launch Song's Cuisine online.

It seems I really need to hire a few helpers in the Ming Dynasty. However, I don't understand the local customs and rules of the Ming Dynasty. I might cause trouble by hiring people and end up in the Zhenfu Division.

Song Xiaoyi carried the money box to the kitchen, looked back at the first-floor hall, took down the "Divine Bird and Phoenix Painting" from the first floor, and hung it on the wall of the entrance hall at the second-floor stairwell. He also took away the No. 2 "Divine Bird and Phoenix Painting" that was spread out on the cash register and sent it up to the attic to continue drying.

After going downstairs and locking the door, I went to Zhu'er's supermarket on the second floor and bought a few packs of non-spicy noodles, as well as ham sausages and eggs.

Next, we need to deal with the lunch of the Ming Dynasty. According to online information, the people of the Ming Dynasty also followed the habits of the previous dynasty, eating only two meals a day. The afternoon meal was considered the main meal and had to be taken seriously.

Song Xiaoyi was confident that Zhu Zhishan and Tang Bohu would come for lunch, specifically for the "private brew."

Song Xiaoyi decided to treat them to ice-cold beer—"Brave the World!"

I'm going to take you guys on an adventure to the ends of the earth, haha!

It's not nice to have wine but no food, but there wasn't enough time to cook on the spot. Song Xiaoyi wasn't a superhuman, and he couldn't manage it all by himself, so he specially got peanuts, preserved plums, and braised chicken feet from Zhu'er's supermarket to go with the wine.

Song Xiaoyi locked the second-floor door from the inside, took out the beer mugs and large liquor jugs he had bought wholesale yesterday, washed them in the kitchen, and then opened the bottles of ice-cold beer one by one, slowly pouring them into the large liquor jug.

Pouring the wine takes time, so to avoid being flustered at noon, Song Xiaoyi filled six large wine jugs in advance, covered them, and put them back in the freezer.

Just after noon, Tang Bohu led Zhu Zhishan and the others through the gate. Sure enough, this time Tang Bohu took the lead, shouting "Bring us some homemade wine!" as soon as he entered.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen." Since they were already somewhat acquainted, Song Xiaoyi tried to address them as "brothers" to shorten the distance between them.

Carrying four beer glasses and a pitcher of beer on a tray to the table, Song Xiaoyi first demonstrated to the four men, pouring a glass for each of them. "Gentlemen," he said, "this is a secret brew from my shop, called Flower Foam Malt Wine, also known as Brave the World. Come, try it and see how it tastes."

"Wow, Brother Xiao Yi, your restaurant may be small, but you actually serve your guests this high-end, solid-colored glass for your flower-foam malt liquor?"

"Mmm! It really does have a rich malty aroma!"

"Venturing to the ends of the earth! What a great name!"

"Wow, it's even chilled!"

The four reacted differently: one stared at the crystal glass, one praised the malty aroma, one murmured the name "Brave the World," and the other exclaimed that the wine was ice-cold. Song Xiaoyi remained silent, watching everyone take a big gulp, "Wow! Refreshing!"

Seeing that they didn't object to the beer, Song Xiaoyi was relieved. "How can we have beer without food? The four gentlemen are waiting!"

Back in the kitchen, Xiao Yi took out peanuts, braised chicken feet, and preserved plums, poured them into plates, and saw that one pot probably wouldn't be enough, so he rushed upstairs and added another pot of Brave the World, then took it out.

Although the four had slightly different personalities, the atmosphere quickly became lively with the help of food and drinks.

The beer was priced at 20 coins per pitcher to test the market response.

Song Xiaoyi wasn't sure if beer was a first-time import to the Ming Dynasty, but when he first tasted it, he found it tasted like pig swill and was difficult to swallow. Therefore, he wanted to test the Ming Dynasty people's acceptance of beer.

Just like in the morning, there was a clear demonstration and herd mentality effect. Zhu Zhishan and Tang Bohu were celebrities at the Jiangnan Examination Hall, and more and more scholars were attracted to them. Those who could drink would order a pot of tea in twos and threes, while those who couldn't would order a cup of Song's secret herbal tea or fruit juice. With the drinks and snacks, they would participate in the poetry recitation and composing of verses in the surrounding area.

The diners ate and played games, having a great time.

Song's Restaurant also serves instant noodles in the afternoon. The scholars who hadn't been able to get the "Suzhou Crab Roe Noodles" in the morning noticed that the words "Sold Out" had been erased from the back of the menu. They quickly confirmed with Song Xiaoyi and, after receiving a positive response, immediately ordered three servings.

In the afternoon, without the interference of steamed bun delivery, Song Xiaoyi finally experienced "effortless" management for the first time. Apart from a few tables where drunks were playing drinking games, the other tables mainly served various kinds of instant noodles. With tables constantly being turned over and rotated, he was able to handle it with ease.

Zhu Zhishan, Tang Bohu, and the other three drank low-alcohol wine in the Ming Dynasty. This "Brave the World" wine was no less potent than the low-alcohol rice wine of the Ming Dynasty. The iced wine had a strong aftereffect, and they drank it in big gulps each time. The four of them had more wine added three more times. In the end, Zhu Zhishan and Tang Bohu, who had a low alcohol tolerance, finally got drunk.

When it came time to pay, Song Xiaoyi still had expectations. The other tables charged a fixed price in copper coins, but this table was not charged according to the usual method.

"Shopkeeper, we are truly grateful for your hospitality with these 'Brave the World' wines and pure white glass cups. We feel bad about the cost..."

"Could it be that none of you brought any paintings this time? Not even your manuscripts?"

"We do have paintings, but they're not exactly presentable," said Zhu Zhishan, half-drunk, as he pulled a sketch from his sleeve. Song Xiaoyi took the sketch, unfolded it, and exclaimed, "Good heavens! It's 'The Divine Bird and Phoenix' again! Have you guys captured the essence of this painting?"

Looking closer, this one has an extra hen, leading five chicks to peck at the rice! This creativity... is truly amazing!

"This old hen... surely it's not still a phoenix in its juvenile stage, is it?"

Seeing Song Xiaoyi's tearful expression, the "upright and handsome guy" who had drunk less across from Zhu Zhishan felt a little embarrassed. "How about I write a sign for the restaurant?"

The signboard! Song Xiaoyi was stunned, as if struck by lightning!