Dingsheng Building, a two-storey wooden building, is located at the wharf of Hekou Town.

Merchants can choose a private room on the second floor. While eating, drinking, and chatting, you can enjoy the river view and observe the condition of your merchant ships.

If you want to be more elegant, you will invite musicians to listen to the music and accompany the wine with the sound of silk and bamboo.

There is also a way to appreciate both elegance and vulgarity, a stage is set up on the first floor, and the opera troupe sings regularly - Jiangxi is an opera nest, but where there is a large restaurant and a teahouse, it is not qualified if there is no theater team.

Early in the morning, the sky was not yet light.

The Dingsheng Building has not yet opened, and before even the door panel is removed, someone came to slam the door frantically.

"Who? It's coming, it's coming, stop knocking! The guy who was looking at the shop had just woken up, he took off a piece of the door, saw seven or eight people standing outside, yawned and said, "The cook hasn't come yet, you're in a hurry." ”

"It's not early, check the accounts!"

Fei Xi (the big shopkeeper) gave an order, and the servants around him immediately restrained the shopkeepers.

Zhao Han, Fei Ze (Jian Guts) and Fei De (Jiu Lu), with a few slaves, quickly broke into the store.

"What are you going to do?"

"Help, robbers are robbing!"

“……”

There were a total of four shopkeepers, and in a blink of an eye, they were all detained, and the entire restaurant was taken over.

As soon as the account book was turned out, several more restaurant employees came to the restaurant, all of whom were detained in the private room on the second floor, and their information was interrogated separately.

At the back door of the restaurant, some food deliverers came one after another, and they were also invited into the store to talk.

One of the fish deliverers wanted to run, but was quickly caught by Fei Ze (sword gall). After some inquiry, it turned out that this person was the niece and son-in-law of the shopkeeper, who was responsible for receiving the goods from the fishermen and then transporting them to the restaurant in a unified manner.

The situation of the other food delivery is not far behind, and it has more or less to do with the management.

Mr. Zhao Han brought the bookkeeper who was in full swing to check the accounts.

Fei Xi (the big shopkeeper) said to Zhao Han: "There is a problem with the purchase price of ingredients, at least 50% higher than the ordinary market price. ”

Zhao Han said: "After a separate trial and exposing each other, those ordinary guys are just petty thieves. A few of the best cooks deliberately killed the fresh fish, or the meat was spoiled, and took it home at the end of the night, and then sold it to the neighbors at a low price. Spices are also stealing, especially pepper. By the way, a guy confessed that the second shopkeeper in charge of the opera troupe and the music troupe had a grudge with those who sang opera and songs. ”

"Brother, the big shopkeeper is here!" Faizer ran over to report.

"Catch!"

The shopkeeper of the restaurant is called Fei Zhong, and as soon as he stepped into the store, he was arrested in a daze, and he was immediately frightened and shouted: "A good man spares his life, a good man spares his life!" ”

A total of three shopkeepers were arrested one after another.

Zhao Han said: "Uncle Xi, you are the big shopkeeper sent by your wife, and of course you are in charge of the operation of the restaurant." As for these three men, they must be escorted to the officials, and the other shopkeepers can just hold the handles. ”

"It's Brother Yihan's." Fei Xi said with a smile.

Zhao Han called all the cooks again, a chef, three apprentices, and a group of helpers.

The chef's name is Peng Zhengxiang, he is a hired worker, and he is already a handful of years. Unless there are VIP high rollers, he usually doesn't do it himself, and only lets three apprentices take care of the cooking.

Zhao Han grabbed a handful of dried chili peppers and said with a smile: "This pepper is used quickly, are there many guests who like spicy food?" ”

"The lord spares his life, the lord spares his life!" Peng Zhengxiang hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.

Zhao Han didn't mention the crime, but only asked: "Is there a local pepper planted in Lead Mountain?" ”

Peng Zhengxiang replied: "Most of the peppers are shipped from Zhejiang, and they have been planted locally in recent years, but not very much. ”

A simple written record of chili peppers first appeared in the 19th year of Wanli.

And the detailed textual description of chili peppers, including what color flowers to bloom, first appeared in the first year of the apocalypse.

In other words, at least more than 30 years ago, chili peppers have been introduced to the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, the real time of introduction must have been much earlier, and it was first recorded by the literati thirty years ago.

There were two early transmission routes of chili peppers, one from Zhejiang and the other from eastern Liaodong.

Leadshan County is close to Zhejiang, far earlier than Huguang, Sichuan, and Guizhou.

"Take out all the spices." Zhao Han said.

"Huh?" Peng Zhengxiang didn't understand.

Zhao Han asked, "Are you discussing how much money you make, or do you want to learn from me about cooking?" ”

Peng Zhengxiang immediately shouted: "Bring all the spices!" ”

The kitchen suddenly jumped with chickens and dogs, all scared and curious.

Zhao Han grabbed a fragrant leaf and sniffed it, and said with a smile: "This thing is native to the Mediterranean, and Daming actually has it, is the price very expensive?" ”

Peng Zhengxiang replied cautiously: "It used to be very expensive, but it has not been so expensive in recent years, and cinnamon trees have been planted in many places." ”

Zhao Han pointed to a cup of dried chili peppers and ordered, "Crush!" ”

Peng Zhengxiang hurriedly instructed his apprentice: "Crush." ”

Zhao Han glared at him: "If you don't want to learn, you can go out." ”

Peng Zhengxiang was stunned, he was in his fifties, he really didn't think about learning cooking again, and he didn't believe that Zhao Han had any cooking skills. But if you are caught, you can't learn it, so you can only do it yourself.

Zhao Han asked people to prepare other spices.

When everything was ready, he commanded: "Boil vegetable oil." ”

A chef, three chefs, and a group of assistant chefs forgot to be afraid at the moment and stepped forward to watch.

I saw Zhao Han spread his hands to test the oil temperature, and suddenly poured hot oil into the pot.

"Z!"

Two consecutive handfuls of oil were poured down, and as Zhao Han stirred with chopsticks, a strong aroma came to his nose.

Peng Zhengxiang took a deep breath, his expression was intoxicated, and he couldn't help but want to taste it.

Swallowing his saliva, Peng Zhengxiang asked, "This is ......"

"Spicy oil," Zhao Han smiled, "It's a pity that it takes time to brew bean paste, and I don't know if the air colonies in Lead Mountain are suitable." Well, the main thing is that I don't know the specific process. ”

There are many varieties of Jiangxi cuisine, especially lead mountain vegetables, which are relatively heavy, and because of the prosperity of commerce, they have absorbed the characteristics of a large number of other cuisines.

It shows that the lead mountain vegetables at the end, the upper class gentry and merchants, eat relatively light, but they also tend to be heavy on the whole. The pawns of the lower classes of peddlers are simply as heavy as possible, and the street food has long been varied.

Zhao Han belongs to Yeluzi and is familiar with Sichuan cuisine, which is just in line with the taste of this place.

It's a pity that the soul of Sichuan cuisine, "Pixian Douban", has not been invented at this time.

The Sichuan cuisine of the Ming Dynasty and the Sichuan cuisine of later generations are not close to each other at all.

Sichuan popular Hu spicy soup, can you believe it?

According to the literati of the Ming Dynasty, Hu spicy soup was also a Sichuan delicacy, and the general method was the same as in the north, except that rice noodles were used to thicken it.

If Zhao Han unifies China in advance, the Sichuan people do not die so much, and there is no need for Huguang to fill Sichuan, I am afraid that it will be difficult to give birth to "Sichuan cuisine" in this time and space.

"Is there any rice noodles?" Zhao Han asked.

"Yes." Peng Zhengxiang did not call his apprentices again, but brought the rice noodles himself.

Rice noodles were called "Cang" in the Sui Dynasty and "rice cables" in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the written writing was "rice cake", and the folk have been commonly known as "rice noodles".

Boil the pot under water, scoop up more than ten bowls of rice noodles, and add soy sauce, garlic paste, chopped green onion and oil and spicy seeds.

Red, green and white, full of color and fragrance.

Zhao Han said: "Without monosodium glutamate, you can make rice noodles in the future, and you can boil chicken soup or bone broth to improve freshness." ”

Peng Zhengxiang didn't know what MSG was, so he could only nod flatteringly: "Master's teachings, the apprentice remembered them." ”

Zhao Han instructed: "Take it out, let them stop checking the accounts, and fill their stomachs first." ”

Peng Zhengxiang couldn't help but ask, "Master, can I taste it?" ”

"Taste it." Zhao Han said with a smile.

Peng Zhengxiang subconsciously put mint and was stopped by Zhao Han, so that he could simply experience the charm of spicy seeds.

At this time, the provinces like to use perilla, and the lead mountain is especially fond of mint, and many dishes throw mint into it.

Peng Zhengxiang mixed the rice noodles well, took a bite, spicy and refreshing, spicy and snotty: "If it is cold in winter, eat a bowl of oil and spicy rice noodles, I am afraid it will be a hundred times more delicious." ”

"You calculate the cost, take the price to the shopkeeper, and then sell the spicy rice noodles in the morning. Well, oil and spicy noodle soup is also fine. Zhao Han said.

Peng Zhengxiang thought for a while and said, "Master, this spicy seed seems to have other uses?" ”

"You can study it yourself," Zhao Han said with a smile, "Every half month, I will teach you a new dish." Today, I will teach you to make red oil and white chopped chicken, just to make chicken soup for rice noodles. ”

Peng Zhengxiang, who was already in his fifties, suddenly knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and said, "Master is above, please accept the apprentice!" ”

Zhao Hansheng accepted a bow and did not refuse.

Before noon, diners came to the restaurant one after another.

The consumption here is high, and the people at the bottom can't afford to eat, not to mention the private room on the second floor, and the lobby on the first floor is also quite expensive.

Fortunately, Hekou Town has developed commerce and trade, and there is no shortage of customers at all.

Every time a customer comes in, the shop staff actively sells red oil and white chopped chicken and spicy rice noodles (noodles), saying that they are new dishes flowing from the imperial kitchen.

Court dishes?

Good guys, why don't you bring it up quickly!

There weren't enough chickens in the kitchen, and restaurant buyers were sent all over the world looking for chickens.

Upstairs and downstairs, you can see unlucky diners everywhere, so spicy that they sit there sticking out their tongues.

I only heard a strong man slap the table and shout: "Another plate of red oil chicken!" ”

Zhao Han sat at the counter to observe the situation, and saw that this guy was dressed ordinarily and didn't seem to be a rich man, but he ordered a table of good dishes, and he also carried sticks with him. He called the shopkeeper and asked, "What does that table do?" ”

The shopkeeper replied, "They are all leaders of the Iron Foot Society." ”

"Iron Feet?" Zhao Han hadn't heard of it.

The shopkeeper explained: "In the past few decades, all walks of life have established guilds, rice shops have rice clubs, and cloth shops have cloth clubs. The bitter ha people have learned from each other, and they have also formed clubs. The Iron Foot Society was a guild of dock coolies, and later the porters in the town also joined, and if any employer dared to default on wages, the Iron Foot Society would come to the door with hundreds or thousands of people carrying flat burdens to ask for it. ”

Good guys, this is the prototype of the trade union.

Zhao Han didn't know that the various trade unions in Lead Mountain, especially the paper industry trade union, were the most powerful.

They are all skilled workers, and the industry is densely populated, and many of them know a few big characters. The slightest mistreatment led to strikes at every turn, and the owners of private paper mills had no choice but to compromise.

As for the official paper mills, they don't treat their employees as human beings at all, and those who dare to take the lead in making trouble are directly killed and disabled - it doesn't matter if production is delayed.

In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, paper workers in Leadshan County accounted for more than 30% of the county's population (excluding children).

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was not so powerful, but the number of papermakers was just as terrifying. In Shitang Town alone, if you include cutting bamboo, burning troughs, and lifting, there are 50,000 or 60,000 papermakers in a town, and it can be said that the whole town is revolving around the paper mill!

Trade union?

Strike?

It's kind of interesting.

Zhao Han got up and walked over, arched his hand and said with a smile: "Ladies and gentlemen, the new dishes in our restaurant, can you still be satisfied?" ”

(Solemnly sacrifice a book: "Red Heart Surveying the Sky", a particularly awesome Xianxia text, with a large amount of more than 3 million words.) ）