After chatting about trivial matters for a while longer, the two bid farewell. They also didn't forget to take the puppy with them.
Fang Er was quite cunning. He wouldn't let them take Wang Cai, who was a male dog. Instead, he let each of them take a female dog, essentially treating them as wives for his Wang Cai.
In the backyard, under Niu Liang's guidance, the waterwheel was being fashioned in an orderly fashion.
Three days later, Zhuque Street.
Fang Er stood gallantly in front of the restaurant.
Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde, along with their respective sons, had also arrived.
Inside the restaurant, Xiao Qing and Hua Niang, along with the kitchen staff, were busy preparing the food and wine.
Da Li, with three servants, was acting as a waiter.
Zhu Zi was serving as the shopkeeper.
"Come, come, little brother Fang, let me introduce you. This is Duke Yi, Qin Qiong, also known as Qin Shubao. Behind him is Duke Xing, Fang Xuanling, and that other gentleman is the Crown Prince's Left Household Official, Du Ruhui. What do you think? Are the esteemed guests I've invited impressive enough?"
Cheng Yaojin was introducing the guests to Fang Er in front of the restaurant.
Fang Er listened to Cheng Yaojin's words, filled with shock!
He had to admit, Cheng Yaojin was truly reliable!
Qin Shubao, one of the legendary door gods, and Yuchi Jingde, the other door god, were both present!
And then there were Fang Mou and Du Duan, these two were also here!
"This young one, Fang Er, pays his respects to General Qin, Duke Fang, and Master Du!"
Fang Er quickly bowed.
"Hahaha, little brother, there's no need for such formalities. General Cheng and Yuchi the Black told me you have good wine, so I came to join the fun. Today, we are merely guests celebrating your opening. We shall not discuss official matters, so please, little brother, don't be so reserved."
Qin Qiong put an arm on Fang Er's arm and said heartily.
"Young Master, the auspicious time has arrived."
At this moment, Zhu Zi came over and whispered to Fang Er.
"Light the firecrackers!"
Fang Er gave the order to Zhu Zi.
"Yes."
Zhu Zi scurried out of the restaurant.
In front of the restaurant, a long, bright red string of firecrackers had been laid out.
Fang Er had made these himself over the past two days.
It had taken him a day and a half just to mix the gunpowder, and he had tested over a dozen formulations before he finally managed to make the firecrackers.
Gunpowder hadn't been invented yet, so ingredients like sulfur and saltpeter were relatively easy to obtain. These items were generally used for medicinal purposes back then, and could be bought at most pharmacies.
Zhu Zi carefully lit the tinder with a fire starter and aimed it at the fuse of the firecrackers.
"Pīlī pālā! Pīlī pālā!"
A series of explosive sounds suddenly erupted from the entrance of the restaurant.
The crowd on the street was startled and scattered. They watched the ground, where sparks were constantly flying and loud noises were being made. After a while, realizing they weren't in any danger, they slowly gathered back.
The firecrackers were long, and they crackled for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Qin Qiong stared intently at the firecrackers on the ground, lost in thought.
Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde were also startled at first. They turned to see Fang Er's calm demeanor and were reassured.
When the firecrackers finally died down, Cheng Yaojin punched Fang Er on the shoulder and said, "You rascal, making such a commotion without giving us a heads-up. Were you trying to make an old brother like me look foolish?"
"Heh heh, I just wanted to liven things up. Besides, you gentlemen are all seasoned veterans, how could such a small commotion startle you!" Fang Er joked.
"Little brother, where did you get this thing?"
Qin Qiong asked Fang Er with a serious expression.
"I made it myself, of course. How else would I get it?"
Fang Er shrugged, saying nonchalantly.
"What do you call this thing? And what's its cost?"
Qin Qiong continued to ask.
"I call this thing a firecracker. As for the cost, this string that was just lit cost about one tael of silver."
Fang Er exaggerated the cost tenfold, pointing to the mess on the ground.
Qin Qiong didn't ask any further questions. He was merely calculating something in his mind.
"Today is our grand opening. Let's not dwell on this. Come, brother Fang, what's the next step?"
Yuchi Jingde, seeing that Qin Qiong had stopped asking, said to Fang Er.
"The next step, of course, is the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Zhu Zi, bring out the tools!"
Fang Er called out to Zhu Zi.
Zhu Zi quickly ran back into the shop and brought out a tray.
Fang Er, along with Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Jingde, Qin Qiong, and Fang and Du, took their positions in front of the restaurant.
He then pulled the red silk hanging from the plaque, and with a strong tug, the silk fell away, revealing the words "Zui Xian Lou" to everyone.
Zhu Zi and Fang Er cooperated to hand the red silk to the guests, with each person receiving a pair of scissors. Fang Er whispered instructions on what to do, and they all nodded.
"The auspicious time is here! From this day forth! Zui Xian Lou is officially open for business!"
With Fang Er's loud announcement, everyone simultaneously cut the red silk in their hands and handed it to Zhu Zi.
The ceremony was thus completed.
Fang Er turned and addressed the crowd gathered in front of the restaurant, watching the spectacle: "Zui Xian Lou is open today! All dishes are half-price. Each table is five taels of silver. All wines are also half-price. A jar of Jiuxian Niang is three taels of silver. We welcome everyone to come and taste! We guarantee you've never had such exquisite delicacies, nor tasted such superb wines! If the food and wine don't suit your palate, Fang is willing to offer a full refund, no questions asked! Everyone! Please!"
After bowing to the crowd, Fang Er led Cheng Yaojin and the others upstairs.
The first floor was prepared with forty tables, each laden with abundant food and wine.
Upon seeing this, Cheng Yaojin patted Fang Er on the shoulder: "Brother Fang, your generosity is truly astounding!"
"Haha, you can't catch a tiger without going into the mountains. Don't worry, Elder Brother Cheng, you know our wine. I dare say our dishes are no less impressive than the wine. You'll find out soon enough."
Fang Xuanling observed everything in the shop, mentally calculating the cost of Fang Er's grand gesture and then figuring out how much profit he could make. However, no matter how he calculated, Fang Er seemed to be losing money. He looked at Du Ruhui in confusion, only to find that Du Ruhui was also frowning.
Upon sitting down on the second floor, Fang Xuanling could no longer contain himself and asked, "Little brother Fang, I observed earlier, with your tables of food and wine priced at five taels, you probably won't make much profit, will you?"
"Duke Fang, let's not rush. Please, first, try the quality of my dishes."
Fang Er picked up a pair of chopsticks and offered them to Fang Xuanling.
Fang Xuanling took the chopsticks and picked up a piece of braised pork, placing it in his mouth.
The tender, slow-cooked chunks of meat melted in his mouth, with a hint of sweetness and a touch of savory saltiness, completely devoid of any porky odor.
He swallowed the piece of meat and then picked up a piece of fish.
The fish was incredibly fresh and smooth, with no muddy taste at all, and the flavor was equally pleasant.
Fang Xuanling stopped eating and looked at Fang Er.
"Duke Fang, what do you think of the dishes here?"
Fang Er asked with a smile.
"I've never tasted dishes like these before, but I must say, the flavor is truly extraordinary!"
Fang Xuanling wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin and said.