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

Chapter 124 This is where we will receive the Emperor.

Steamed buns, tea eggs, instant noodles, and duck blood vermicelli soup, along with the pancakes from before, are all the most common foods among the people. Song Xiaoyi never thought of monopolizing the business. Perhaps he could take this opportunity to hand them over to the old Song clan patriarch.

After dinner, Song Xiaoyi went to the old clan chief's house to share his thoughts with him.

But the current problem is that we don't have enough manpower.

Every household in the clan has been fully mobilized, even women and children who are not in school have been put to use.

"The clan's coal stove and coal briquette business has been divided among neighboring villages and relatives. The village's fields are also being managed by refugees from the Central Plains. Half the clan has gone to the city to sell pancakes." The old clan chief couldn't suppress a smile. "If I hadn't forcefully restrained them, many of the remaining villagers would have gone to the city. Pancakes are very profitable!"

"That is indeed a problem." Song Xiaoyi unconsciously tapped the table lightly with his right hand. "Elder Clan Chief, have you considered contacting the Huating branch of the family?"

"I have that idea, but I've been too busy lately and haven't had the time."

"Elder Clan Chief, let me tell you the truth. I have found my grandfather and parents. They are all in the capital. My grandfather is now the Grand Steward of the Imperial Kitchen, and my father is a fifth-rank Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. I have also gained the Emperor's favor and am now the Junior Chamberlain of the Crown Prince's Palace."

"What!" The old patriarch sat up in shock upon hearing the first sentence. "Our Song family has produced a high-ranking official?! A fifth-rank junior minister? Xiao Yi, you're already a favorite of the Crown Prince?"

"Clan leader, you are mistaken. Xiao Yi is the Crown Prince's teacher, not just someone close to him."

"Crown Prince Tutor—Crown Prince Tutor—" He paced back and forth in the living room, leaning on his cane, muttering to himself, "Great—great—our ancestral graves are emitting smoke—we, the third branch of the family—we can finally hold our heads high!"

Song Xiaoyi was speechless. So you didn't want to go to Huating because you were afraid of losing face.

"Elder Chief, these are all things for later. In reality, our Song Family Village is now protected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so we don't need to worry about being bullied by the government."

"However," Song Xiaoyi stood up, gently pressed the old clan chief back to his seat, and whispered in his ear, "our village still needs to be more discreet. The bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow. After all, we are far from the emperor in the capital, and Yingtian Prefecture is ultimately the territory of Prince Ning and the gentry—"

"Hmm, Xiao Yi makes a good point—"

"Xiao Yi's plan this time is to take his three cousins, Song Hao, Song Chen, and Song Xuan, to the capital to cook for the Emperor's royal kitchen."

"The Royal Dining Hall! How could such a good job fall to those three brothers? They're not going to be castrated to enter the palace, are they?! I refuse!"

"What nonsense are you thinking! The Royal Restaurant is located outside the palace, just like my Song Family Restaurant in Peach Leaf Ferry. It's just that the Royal Restaurant is much bigger than the restaurant in Peach Leaf Ferry... a thousand times bigger."

"And also, Elder Clan Chief, those three are quite capable. They've already mastered seventy percent of the Song family's traditional cuisine. Once they get to the capital, they'll hone their skills under Grandpa's guidance, and they'll all be able to stand on their own."

"As long as they aren't castrated before being sent to the palace, I naturally have no objection. But since all three brothers are being taken away, how will you manage your Peach Leaf Ferry restaurant?"

"This is what Xiao Yi is about to say. Half of the people in our Songjia Village make money by selling pancakes outside. Don't you think that the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows? Xiao Yi suggests withdrawing some of them and setting rules for each family: each household is allowed to have at most one person selling pancakes in Nanjing!"

'

A little scare is necessary. Different people have different tastes. When those clansmen make money, all sorts of spoiled brats or arrogant people will inevitably emerge, attracting troublemakers. I might have to deal with them myself. It's better to be upfront: if you don't listen and cause unpredictable consequences, I won't help you solve them.

Of course, if you want to find me, you'll have to be able to make it all the way to the capital.

Song Xiaoyi continued to persuade the old clan chief, "Bring back the remaining clan members, reason with them, and select the young ones to go to Taoye Ferry to learn from the three brothers as soon as possible."

"After we left, the businesses of instant noodles, duck blood vermicelli soup, tea eggs, and steamed buns in Yingtianfu were all handed over to the clan."

"You're handing over the entire business to us? Including the formula?!"

"We have recipes for duck blood vermicelli soup and tea eggs, but not for instant noodles and steamed buns. You should have heard some information about those too, right? They are all supplied by the Celestial Realm, but only the three brothers can go there to pick them up."

"6

,

"It's alright, Elder Clan Chief. Since Xiao Yi has decided to hand over the reins, then it should be done completely. After the three brothers leave, you can select three reliable members from the other clansmen. Xiao Yi can then apply for permission from the Immortal Realm."

"Can steamed buns and instant noodles also be transported back to the village?"

"Transportation is fine now, but the buns will spoil when it gets hot in the summer."

"That's not a big problem. The village is building an ice cellar, so the steamed buns can be stored even in the summer."

It turns out the old fox had planned this all along.

But Song Xiaoyi didn't think too much about it, after all, this really was his family's place.

"Elder Chief, now that you have instant noodles and steamed buns, as well as duck blood vermicelli soup, it would be too conspicuous to keep the pancake business in your own hands. You could share some of it with other villages, just like you would with the coal stove and coal base."

Although making pancakes is a quick way to earn money, it's ultimately hard-earned money. Working from dawn till dusk, constantly making them, is quite tiring. The Song family should continue to focus on the Song family's traditional cuisine as their main business.

"As long as you have the recipe for the secret sauce, just buy the ingredients according to the method I gave you, in the correct proportions, so that no one can deduce the recipe from the amount of ingredients."

"Of course, I also bought a lot of other materials ——————"

They've really become wise with age; I don't need to remind them much.

"I'll be taking Brother Zhishan and the others, along with Xiao Shifu, back to the city tomorrow. But you'd better keep a close watch on my old house, because Xiao Yi might come back at any time."

"It's even possible that in the near future, this place will be hosting His Majesty's entourage," Song Xiaoyi suddenly said in a low voice, tapping the table lightly.

The old clan chief stared wide-eyed, speechless with astonishment.

This village? It's fit to receive the emperor!

Thick smoke is billowing from the ancestral graves!

Despite being an old fox, Song Xiaoyi, as a modern person, could easily manipulate the old patriarch.

He didn't want to be gone for too long, lest the old fox take over his large, renovated house and let someone else live there. If someone were to seize Song Xiaoyi's ancestral home through the old clan chief, given Song Xiaoyi's temperament, he wouldn't have the heart to retaliate so easily.

That's how you get things under control.

After discussing the important matters, Song Xiaoyi helped the old clan chief make a long-term plan for the village. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter, all four seasons, but the coal briquette business can only last one winter. Although it can be used for cooking and boiling water in other seasons, it will eventually reach saturation in the short term.

Therefore, Song Xiaoyi suggested that the old clan chief communicate with the surrounding villages, sell coal stoves, and continue to expand the business scope. The surrounding villages gradually integrated with Songjia Village, and the land could be used to grow vegetables in different categories to supply the Jinyiwei, thus forming a deep bond with the Jinyiwei.