Chapter 889: Ice Cubes and Sachets....
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The waiter at the hotpot restaurant put stools for everyone queueing at the
door so they could sit down. Of course, they also put snacks at the door for those waiting in line.
The snacks were delicious and also unique to the hotpot restaurant. Those who came to eat at the restaurant were anxious as they waited.
“Waiter, will it be our turn soon?”
“l wonder how much longer we’ll have to wait. I’m so excited to eat here.”
“Let’s take a number first.’
“Waiter, you should expand the shop. It’s always so full here.”
“That’s an excellent suggestion.”
While waiting, the eager patrons asked how much longer they had to wait before they could eat. Some even suggested expanding the restaurant to accommodate more people.
The waiter thought the restaurant was already big enough. After all, it spanned two shop lots and two floors. Still, too many people visited the restaurant daily, causing a seemingly perpetual queue to form.
Of course, the waiter was happy to see so many people eating at the restaurant. That was because the staff would get more bonuses if the business went well.
Even though many people were eager and asked many questions, the waiter patiently answered every one. He even gave them snacks to accommodate them better.
Su Binglan looked at the queue and thought she should enter through the back instead. Thus, she led Luo Jin’an to the back.
Only she and the restaurant manager knew about the back entrance. The back door would then lead directly to the private room on the second floor. Su Binglan sighed in relief when she and her husband reached the room.
“It’s nice that there’s a fan to cool us down. It’s much colder inside than it is out there,” Luo Jin’an said.
Although there was a hotpot burning at every table, the restaurant’s temperature was not high. Su Binglan explained, “I changed the structure below and added a cellar. There’s ice in there, so that’s why cold air is seeping through from below.”
Luo Jin’an became wide-eyed. “1 didn’t expect you to do that. Did you tell someone to make ice cubes?”
He felt his wife would have used countless ice cubes to cool the whole building. Moreover, it seemed anyone could obtain ice for free during summer. Even he thought it was a little strange.
Su Binglan smiled. “Yeah, I got someone to make the ice cubes so that people can get them for free.”
She had made ice cubes for transporting her goods and also for people to cool themselves down during summer. Therefore, there was a refreshing feeling inside the restaurant.
Although it was summer, the wind at night was cooling. The wind would blow through the window and bring a hint of coldness to the room, especially with the ice cubes below.
Luo Jin’an could also smell a refreshing fragrance in the private room. He then saw the plants around and said, “If I’m not mistaken, these plants can repel mosquitoes.”
Su Binglan smiled. “That’s right. Mosquitos are rampant during summer, so I added these plants. Now, the guests won’t have to worry about getting bitten. 1 also added mosquito repellent sachets around the place for the customers to use.”
The embroidery shop had made the sachets, and Su Binglan only added some medicinal herbs to them to help repel the mosquitos. People could even use the sachets in their houses so that they would not get bitten while they slept.
Su Binglan took a sachet and showed it to her husband. He looked at it and nodded, saying, “This is brilliant. The smell is faint and has a hint of medicinal fragrance. It’s pretty relaxing, too.”
Su Binglan explained, “We only give these sachets to those who eat at the hotpot restaurants. It’s also a way to attract customers.”
Luo Jin’an said, “l heard so many people saying that eating here is also a great experience besides just eating. Everyone feels relaxed when they eat here because of how polite the staff is. The waiters treat the customers equally no matter where they come from or what their status is.”
Su Binglan explained, “It’s part of their training before they can start working here. These are basic things they must remember.”
As the two spoke, the waiter brought over the food and placed the pot on the built-in stove. The couple then began eating. It had been a long time since Su Binglan ate hotpot. While eating, she thought of the first time she introduced hotpot to her family.
“I remember the first time we had this.’
Luo Jin’an smiled. “It was during the Lantern Festival, right?”
He was not around at that time because he had gone to the prefecture. Still, he had heard about it from Su Wenzhe and the others when he returned.
Su Binglan nodded, “Yeah, I also made plenty of mooncakes for the Lantern Festival. That was also the day Wenwu came home to us. Everyone was thrilled to see him. The whole family sat around the table and shared the hotpot. They thought it was the best thing they had ever eaten.”
Su Binglan did not think about much else at that time. She only wanted her family to become wealthy and live good lives. It seemed like Su Teng Village and Tenghe Town had become a paradise in the blink of an eye,
Foreign merchants who passed by would always visit Su Teng Village’s development site for a few days just to eat the delicacies there.
Su Binglan’s eyes shined when she spoke of these things. She added, “It’s just that you weren’t home at that time.”
Luo Jin’an sighed. “I was in the prefecture with Ruozhu back then.”
At that time, Su Binglan did not know her husbands true identity. She did not even have Lan Ruobings memories.
“Now that all of Chu Country can settle down, the people can live and work in peace. 1 want my parents to visit the capital.” Su Binglan wanted to build more things as soon as possible so that her parents could see a different side of the capital.
Later, the couple returned to the manor. After a good night’s sleep, Su Binglan began forming her construction team.
When everyone read the newspaper, they went to the designated location early in the morning to wait for the interview. Su Binglan left her subordinates in charge of the people while she reviewed their information.
After confirming the potential workers had no problems, she would hire them to be on her construction team. Moreover, she would pay them daily. Everyone was excited when they heard that.
Since there were many experienced construction workers in the capital, Su Binglan quickly formed her team.
“Let’s go.” Su Binglan handed the blueprints to one of the contractors. “Tear down these two mansions and clean up the area first. Then, you can start constructing the buildings according to the blueprints.”
The chief contractor was highly experienced. In the past, he was responsible for renovating the palace and building the imperial garden. Hence, he quickly understood the blueprints..