Divine Tang Era

Chapter 161 Hot Pot Restaurant

"My dear sisters, my hot pot restaurant will be opening in a few days. I would like to invite you both to come and try the dishes tomorrow at noon and taste them. If there is anything lacking, I will make improvements in time. Please do me the honor of coming!" As he was leaving, Xu Dan seemed to suddenly remember something extremely important, slapped his forehead, and quickly said.

"Don't worry! We'll definitely come. You'd better cook well, or you'll get a spanking, hehehe..."

For some unknown reason, Ya Zhu laughed happily.

That smile was like the most beautiful flower in spring, blooming freely and so radiant that it was impossible to look away.

"My hot pot is unbeatable!" Xu Dan said arrogantly, then turned around and strode away, his clothes fluttering, exuding a somewhat unruly air.

"Why does this little guy seem shorter?"

Zhu Yuxian watched his departing figure, her delicate brows furrowed, and said with a puzzled expression.

"It would be strange if he didn't shrink after shedding his skin. I just hope he's alright and nothing goes wrong." Ya Zhu sighed softly, her words full of worry.

"Didn't you say earlier that there was nothing wrong with the cultivation technique he was practicing?" Zhu Yuxian turned his head and asked Shanzhu.

"Cultivation techniques like these, which are born from the will of heaven and earth, are not easy to master. Look at those cultivators who obtained such techniques in the past. Every step of their journey was fraught with difficulties and tribulations. There was never a smooth and easy path for them," Shanzhu said solemnly.

"I only hope that the little one is blessed with good fortune and will not suffer so many misfortunes," Zhu Yuxian prayed.

"Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise. Nothing in this world is certain." Shanzhu said softly, her deep gaze looking into the distance, as if piercing through the ancient river of life and witnessing the most mysterious secrets of the world.

Xu Dan returned to the inn and went straight into the kitchen to carefully check all the items prepared for opening the hot pot restaurant.

Hot pot, a delicacy, has existed since ancient times. Artifacts unearthed from the tomb of the Marquis of Haihun in the Western Han Dynasty include actual hot pots. According to the *Book of Wei*, people during the Three Kingdoms period had already begun using hot pots to cook various meats such as pork, beef, mutton, chicken, and fish, though it wasn't yet widespread. As time passed and cooking techniques developed, all sorts of hot pots emerged.

By the Northern Song Dynasty, hot pot had become a very common way to eat food.

According to relevant records, hot pot was served in taverns in Bianjing (Kaifeng) during the winter.

The Song Dynasty inherited the Tang Dynasty's social customs perfectly. Logically, hot pot should have existed within the territory of the Tang Dynasty, but strangely, Xu Dan searched all over Jingning City and found no trace of hot pot.

But regardless of whether he has it or not, he's going to open a hot pot restaurant anyway.

He put a lot of effort into opening the shop. He specially commissioned skilled craftsmen to create several types of cookware, including an all-in-one pot, a dual-compartment pot that could satisfy two different tastes, and a uniquely divided nine-compartment pot. Not only that, he also purchased a large amount of charcoal and had brand-new furniture made.

Although there are folding stools and chairs available nowadays, they are really uncomfortable to sit on. Especially when eating, it always feels like all the food is stuck in your stomach.

So, following the design from before his time travel, Xu Dan instructed the craftsmen to make a high table and high chairs.

Now, everything is ready, and we're just waiting for the food tasting tomorrow before officially opening for business.

"Excuse me, are you here to invite someone?" a voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.

Upon hearing this, Xu Dan turned around and saw a woman dressed in coarse cloth standing quietly outside the shop. The woman had a slightly sallow complexion and looked somewhat haggard, but she stood tall and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Yes, please come in."

Xu Dan smiled and welcomed the woman in, then called Yun Niang out to keep her company. He had posted the invitation for help several days ago, but no one had come. He had already prepared himself to manage the shop with Yun Niang, but unexpectedly, someone came to their door.

I asked the woman's name, and it was "Rui Wu Ni".

According to her, she was originally from Taiyuan and came here with her husband to do business. However, an accident occurred along the way, her husband tragically passed away, and she was left penniless. After finally arriving in Jingning, she had no choice but to pawn her clothes and work as a cleaner in other people's shops to make a living. A few days ago, she heard that Xu Dan's shop was hiring, and thinking that her family was also in the food business and she knew a thing or two about it, she decided to give it a try.

Looking at Rui Wuni, Xu Dan had some doubts: Although she didn't look like a bad person, he still had to be careful since it involved the shop.

So, he quietly activated his double pupils, and the purple-gold pupils and black pupils in his eyes merged to form an invisible ray of light that shot towards Rui Wu Ni's head.

In an instant, a vast and boundless purple-gold ocean appeared before his eyes. The magnificent sight left Xu Dan dumbfounded, and he sighed inwardly: This must be the accumulated virtue of his ancestors for generations, to have such abundant fortune. Amazing.

Seeing his appearance, Yunniang asked with concern, "Young master, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

Xu Dan quickly looked away, composed himself, and said to Rui Wuni, "Since you have no relatives or friends here, why don't you move into the shop and stay here? It'll save you the trouble of walking around all the time."

Rui Wuni agreed without hesitation.

Ever since she sensed Jiu Niang's aura on Xu Dan that day, she had been secretly following him, trying to find clues about Jiu Niang from him, but unfortunately, she failed. Strangely, however, Jiu Niang's aura on Xu Dan not only did not dissipate, but instead became even stronger.

Rui Wuni didn't know what was going on, but she wanted to find an opportunity to get closer and find out.

I heard the news a few days ago that Xu Dan's shop was hiring, and I've been secretly preparing for the past few days. I even tried to stop many people who came to apply, otherwise the job would have been taken by someone else long ago.

Xu Dan's hot pot restaurant is not large, so he doesn't need to hire too many people.

After Rui Wuni arrived, she took care of all the chores, including washing vegetables, serving dishes, and sweeping the floor. Now, all we need to do is find another helper to chop and prepare the vegetables.

His hot pot restaurant mainly sells two types of pots: one is a raw meat pot, and the other is a cooked meat pot. The main ingredients are mostly highland long-haired beef. The cooked meat pot is made by first blanching the ingredients slightly, then putting them into a rich broth carefully simmered with animal bones, and then layering a layer of cooked meat on top. It can be eaten after boiling for a short while.

Raw pot, on the other hand, is a common way to eat hot pot, where guests can cook and eat at the same time.

The shop is small and doesn't sell much, so it doesn't need many staff. With his and his mother's help, two people are enough. Once he hires one more person, he can completely step back and enjoy the joys of being a boss.

"Excuse me, do you hire anyone here?"

Just as I finished arranging things for Rui Wuni, another voice came from outside.

Upon going outside, Xu Dan recognized the man; it was Chi Lei'er. He'd heard that Chi Lei'er had been struck by lightning as a child, leaving him with some mental issues—not stupid, just a bit slow-witted. He made a living by scavenging and selling things in the wilderness. Now that the weather was cold and the wilderness was covered in thick snow, he probably couldn't find anything to scavenge and had come here for a job.

Despite his slightly dim-witted nature, Chi Lei'er is incredibly strong and powerful.

His father died early, leaving behind an elderly mother. Unfortunately, she was frail and sickly, bedridden year-round, and relied entirely on Chi Lei'er's scavenging and odd jobs for a living. Everyone in the neighborhood knew him as a kind and honest man, and he was especially filial to his mother; all who knew him praised him highly.

Seeing that Xu Dan was staring at her for a long time without saying a word, Chi Lei'er assumed he was not a good person and turned to leave without saying anything more.

"Hey, where are you going?" Xu Dan called out as soon as he saw this.

"Didn't you say you didn't want anyone anymore?" Chi Lei'er said in a muffled voice.

"No, you've been hired. When can you start work?" Xu Dan asked.

"Right now," Chi Lei'er replied decisively.

"Then come over tomorrow morning," Xu Dan said.

"Oh, then I'll be going." Chi Lei'er replied and turned to leave.

"Take care." After Chi Lei'er walked away, Xu Dan slapped his forehead, regretting that he should have asked him to stay and help finish the pot of broth before leaving. Now, he had no choice but to do it himself.

Previously, Xu Dan had ordered a large number of animal bones from the butcher, so that Yun Niang could soak them in water to remove the blood.

This soaking lasts all day and is now usable.

He went to the place where the animal bones were soaking, took them out one by one, put them in cold water and boiled them to remove the blood and impurities. After washing them clean, he put them into a specially made large iron pot to simmer. After simmering overnight, the delicious hot pot broth would be ready.