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

"Mr. Song, with so much porcelain, can your small shop handle it all?" the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation whispered in Song Xiaoyi's ear. "Besides, I think this batch of porcelain is a bit outdated."

"It's alright. If my little shop can't use it, I can entrust it to the family's ship to be transported back to the Western Regions overseas."

"Since Shopkeeper Song already had plans, I won't say anything more."

"Rest assured, Vice Envoy, all taxes due will be paid in full."

Huang Dewang had his attendant bring out a stack of receipts. "Young friend Song, these are the kiln release receipts for the batch of porcelain in the backyard. The porcelain in the left wing of the backyard is blue and white porcelain from Raozhou Prefecture, and the porcelain in the right wing is celadon from Chuzhou Prefecture. These are the receipts for ship material tax."

"Young friend, you are a straightforward person, not a businessman. You said you wanted to make friends, and I am willing to make friends with you. I am willing to transfer this batch of porcelain to you for the purchase price of 300 taels."

"Since we're already friends, let's address him as Brother Dewang. Let's not stand on ceremony. The porcelain and the house together will be worth 1000 taels."

"Your Excellency, is it alright to tax the house at 600 taels and the porcelain at 400 taels?"

"That's certainly no problem. This is the first time I've ever seen business done this way, with the seller actively trying to lower the price and the buyer actively trying to raise it."

"Your Excellency, once is never enough. I, Song Xiaoyi, enjoy making friends. As Brother Wang just said, I am not a businessman, at least not a proper one. I am also willing to make friends with someone like Your Excellency."

"Hahaha~, that's true, you're quite the character."

The property purchase tax in the Ming Dynasty was 3%. Although this batch of porcelain included both blue and white porcelain and celadon, they were all common bowls, plates and dishes used by ordinary people. They were taxed according to the tax rate for everyday items, which was 1/20, or 5%.

The tax was 38 taels, and the broker's commission for the house transaction was 2%, which, together with the payment for the goods, totaled 1050 taels. Song Xiaoyi needed to take out twenty-one 50-tael silver coins. He had only exchanged forty before, so this was more than half of what he had. Silver really doesn't last long!

Each 50-tael silver coin weighs a little over 4 catties, so 21 of them would weigh 84 catties! Moving them wouldn't be easy. After the friendly transaction was completed, Huang Dewang handed over the keys, and Song Xiaoyi locked the door. He then led everyone back to Song's Restaurant. Song Xiaoyi asked everyone to wait a moment, went upstairs, and took out the silver coins in batches. He then used a tray to deliver the silver coins to the first-floor hall in two separate transactions.

After the deputy tax commissioner and the broker left happily, Song Xiaoyi pulled Huang Dewang aside and said, "Brother Dewang, our family in the Western Regions overseas is interested in Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain, but even more interested in doucai porcelain. If you can get your hands on some, I won't let you suffer any losses."

"At least it's safer to transport it to Taoye Ferry than to Southeast Asia," Song Xiaoyi said, delivering a timely blow to Huang Dewang.

"So, this is the extra request Brother Xiao Yi had in mind. But this is also a good thing for me. I understand!"

"Haha~, it seems Brother Dewang is quite a remarkable person."

"Does Brother Wang know any merchants who sell wine jars?"

"Wine jars? How big do you need, Brother Xiao Yi? My family has a batch of them, as well as porcelain jars that are about the same size as this wine pot. If the size is not suitable, my family's kiln can also make them specially for you, Brother Xiao Yi."

Huang Dewang reaffirmed that Song Xiaoyi was indeed not a proper businessman—who would ask a porcelain merchant for information about other merchants? But it was precisely because of Song Xiaoyi's quick payment and unpredictable actions that Huang Dewang wanted to hold on to him tightly, as he might be the key to the resurgence of Huangjia Kiln.

Song Xiaoyi was completely ignorant of the porcelain and kiln market in the Ming Dynasty. A wine jar was essentially a raw porcelain piece, simpler to fire than porcelain. Crucially, Song Xiaoyi didn't have strict requirements regarding the size of the wine jar; a larger one simply meant more filling, a smaller one less. He had really asked the right person.

After negotiating the price and delivery time for the wine jars and porcelain pots with Huang Dewang, Song Xiaoyi's plan took another step forward.

Back in the house, Song Xiaoyi went to the backyard first and put the celadon and blue-and-white porcelain into her spatial storage.

Song Xiaoyi sat by the back door, watching the boats coming and going on the Qinhuai River, and once again refined the plan in his mind to rely on this newly purchased Ming Dynasty mansion.

Now that I have a nice house in the Ming Dynasty, and it's not far from the kitchen where I can travel between the two worlds, I can use the space to transport many modern supplies here for storage.

The first choice is liquor. The wine jars were ordered earlier for this purpose. Once the wine jars and wine jugs arrive, we will go back to the modern shop to have custom-made rubber seals made to fit the wine jars and wine jugs. Only then will we choose the liquor.

With so many types of alcohol available today, Song Xiaoyi decided to prioritize baijiu (Chinese white liquor). According to the classification of aroma types, the sauce aroma type originated from the "returning sand process" in the Han Dynasty and was gradually finalized in Maotai Village under the jurisdiction of Bozhou Xuanwei Division during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty.

It's hard to say whether there was Moutai during the Hongzhi era, but even if there was, it should only be the prototype of sauce-flavored Moutai, which could be stored in batches.

For light-aroma baijiu, Fenjiu and Dukang are the best value for money and must-try choices. The brewing techniques in Xinghua Village were already quite sophisticated during the Ming Dynasty.

It would be better to let Zhu'er order a batch of Huang Gai Fenjiu and Dukang wine directly from a supplier in the name of her family's small supermarket.

For strong-aroma baijiu, Yanghe series from northern Jiangsu is the top choice. You can go directly to Yanghe Town to find suitable Feitian Yanghe Daqu and Haizhilan. If you don't have time, you can also have Zhuer order it directly. Jinling is the main base of Yanghe Group, so there are reliable distributors there.

For dry red and dry white wines, you can buy whole barrels, find a house with a cellar in Daming to store them, and then take them out to open and bottle them when you need them.

This method can be applied to other types of alcohol.

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The second step of the plan was accomplished. The next step in this Ming Dynasty plan was to find a site, recruit people, and build a fast food production line.

The mansion in Taoye Ferry eventually needs to be cleaned, and then we need to find an opportunity to persuade Zhu Zhishan and Tang Bohu's group from next door to come over. Only when there are some people around can we move in. Otherwise, living here alone is not only lonely, but more importantly, I can't keep cleaning by myself every day.

That evening, back in the modern world, Song Xiaoyi went to Fatty Cao's house and, after a short conversation, convinced Fatty to close the struggling costume shop. He could then select some Ming Dynasty costumes, modify them, and give them to people from the Ming Dynasty, like Tang Bohu, who always wore green—it was irritating to look at. He could change them! The rest could be easily sold off at low prices.

The fat man first assisted the old man in setting up the food factory. Later, once the fast food production line was built, the fat man was in charge of promoting the fast food in the market area, since his family's breakfast shop hadn't been sold yet.

At Fatty's house, Song Xiaoyi called his comrade-in-arms Pan Zi, and the two chatted about their recent situations. Pan Zi's real name was Pan Shuixiu, a name that sounds delicate but he was a man. He had transferred back to his hometown after his military service and become a college graduate village official. When Song Xiaoyi mentioned that he needed to buy some hillside to grow native japonica rice, Pan Zi was naturally very welcoming, as he was just worried about how to get things started in the village.

Song Xiaoyi immediately changed his plan, transferred 500 million to Fatty, created a group chat for the three of them, and arranged for Fatty to go to Guizhou to find Pan Zi and take charge of the matter.

"Don't be afraid to spend money, be sure to grow more japonica rice, I have a great use for it. If you don't have enough money and can't find me, go to Uncle Cao to withdraw the money."

"You're a big spender, whatever you say goes."

Even a hero needs three helpers; if you rely entirely on yourself, you'll work yourself to death and still not have enough.