The Prodigal Son of Zhenguan

Shitou came back to the manor from Chang'an City, and brought a letter from the mistress of the house.

Li Fu sat in the study, looking at the letter in his hand.

"Yes, there is a place to arrange for me at home, but I still have to stay in the inn." Li Fu shook his head helplessly.

"Shitou, go to the inn and inform Shuangxi to vacate all the upper rooms in the inn in advance, and also vacate the private rooms in the restaurant next door." Li Fu said, "Madam is coming to the manor with a few friends."

"Yes." Shitou responded, and then wondered, "Why doesn't Madam bring them to live in our house? Isn't it more convenient?"

"How should I know? But since Madam said so, let's prepare according to what Madam said." Li Fu smiled, "Everything is up to them."

"I guess, maybe they are afraid of disturbing us in our house, or they feel more comfortable living in the inn. In short, we have to prepare everything. When the time comes, we will receive the guests well and not let down the face of the mistress of our Jingyang Palace."

Shitou smiled and responded repeatedly.

Shitou went to the inn and the restaurant to convey the master's intention.

After receiving the news, Shuangxi quickly asked people to clean up the rooms.

The restaurant also began to prepare things in advance.

More and more people came to the trading area in Zhuangzi, most of them came for wine and soap, but both wine and soap are in short supply now.

The workshop area has been expanding new workshops since the beginning of spring, hoping to increase production and try to meet the needs of the caravans coming to Zhuangzi.

But there are too many.

People from other places in the Tang Dynasty came to Chang'an to get goods here.

Because it is expensive to get goods from the shops in Chang'an City, they think that if they buy in large quantities from the workshops, the price can be negotiated.

It can save a little, but only a little.

After all, the shops in Chang'an City are also opened by the Jingyang Palace. The workshop supplies goods to its own shops, and the money is still in its own pocket. How can it be earned by second-hand dealers?

The price given to the caravans coming to Zhuangzi is nothing more than saving the transportation costs from the workshop to the shop.

Zhuangzishang is not far from Chang'an City, so how much can the transportation cost be?

But there is one thing. After the caravans from other places take the goods from here and take them to other places, what price can they sell them for? That is not the workshop's business.

Chang'an City itself cannot supply the goods, so how can it open up markets in other places?

Unless workshops are built in other places, the Jingyang Palace will do business in the whole Tang Dynasty.

At present, the palace can't take care of the outside world.

It is just vigorously developing in Chang'an City and its surroundings.

How long has it been since the Jingyang Palace opened these industries?

It dare not take too big a step.

Because there are not so many trustworthy people under its command, let them take the formula to other places to expand the territory.

If there is an error in the middle link and the formula is leaked, then this business will not be exclusive, and the money earned will not be as good as it is now.

At least now the pricing power is in its own hands.

Once a large number of peers appear and compete in the market, prices and profits will be infinitely suppressed.

In terms of foundation, Li Fu cannot compare with the Five Surnames and Seven Families.

So take it slow and expand slowly. When you have the confidence to compete with the Five Surnames and Seven Families in business, that is the time to expand madly to other places.

Chang'an City is the foundation of the Jingyang Palace and the largest trading market in the entire Tang Dynasty.

The booming business of the workshop on Zhuangzi has also driven the business of restaurants and inns here, and many merchants and caravans live here.

The supporting facilities here are really good for them.

There are warehouses for goods, stables for livestock, inns for people, and restaurants for food.

The only thing is that the price is also very beautiful.

It is also a matter of price and service.

Shitou came here and frowned slightly when he saw many merchants staying in the inn and restaurant.

He found Shuangxi.

"Has the business of the inn and restaurant been like this recently?" Shitou asked.

"Yes, don't you know about the workshops in our village? They are all good things. These merchants come here for these things." Shuangxi responded: "What's wrong?"

Shuangxi thought, since the husband ordered all the superior rooms to be cleaned up, it is estimated that a noble person will move in.

And the inn and restaurant now receive the most merchants from these caravans.

How can nobles and merchants live together?

Shuangxi was also curious.

"The people who are going to stay here this time are a few friends of the lady, all female relatives, I thinkWell, if there are so many merchants in the inn, it would not be appropriate to live here. "Shitou said in a low voice.

Shuangxi nodded seriously.

"I think so too. Otherwise, you go back and tell Langjun about the situation here, and let Langjun write back to Madam to explain the situation?" Shuangxi said: "It is not good to drive all the guests out of the inn here."

"As for the place to live, Langjun has moved to the new house now, isn't the old house empty? If Madam's friends feel uncomfortable living under the same roof with Langjun and Madam, then the old house is a good place to go. Moreover, the old house has everything, and some of the original servants are still there."

"If Madam's friends want to come, they must bring servants with them. They can all be arranged together, one family per yard, which is more convenient than the inn. ”

“As for food and drink, the kitchen over there is the one that Langjun used at first. The storage is even more complete than the restaurant. The restaurant can send cooks over there, and even if they want to come over for dinner, they can sit in the private rooms of the restaurant.”

“The conditions here are fine for the nobles to stay for a short time, but if they live here, it would be bad if they bump into each other.”

Shuangxi analyzed the situation attentively and told Shitou, asking Shitou to pass the message to Li Fu.

“You are so right.” Shitou clapped his hands: “Shuangxi, the shopkeeper.”

Shitou smiled and bowed to Shuangxi: “Then let’s keep the upper room here for the time being and make preparations. I will go back and tell Langjun and listen to what Langjun says. Maybe I will have to go to Chang’an again.”

“Okay, get ready. "Shuangxi said with a smile.

Shitou left the inn, got on his horse, and hurried back to the house to report.

After meeting Li Fu in the study, Shitou told Li Fu what he saw there and Shuangxi's analysis.

Li Fu smacked his lips.

"I also think it's not appropriate to live there." Li Fu said, "I forgot about the old house. I guess the lady didn't remember it either."

"Shuangxi is right, Shitou, go to Chang'an and tell the lady about the situation. I will immediately ask someone to clean up the old house. If they bring a lot of people, the servants in the old house will be withdrawn here in appropriate amounts. If they don't bring many people, they will stay in the old house to help take care of them." Li Fu said.

"Yes, my lord, I will return to Chang'an immediately." Shitou bowed in response.

Li Fu nodded.

"Go. "

After Shitou left, Li Fu called Xiaotao and told her about the situation.

"The old house has been cleaned up. I will have someone clean it again." Xiaotao responded.

Li Fu thought that since there was a letter, it would not be too far away for a group of people to come to the manor.

His wife will be back soon.

Okay.

The good day calculated by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory is half a month later.

Before that, the family can still receive a wave of guests.

Li Shao and her friends came here at this time, firstly to see the scenery, go outing, and take a breath of fresh air, and secondly, they should also come because of this matter.

It's just that they have considered everything for us.

Even if they come to congratulate the new house, they will not eat in the new house.

Why?

Because the emperor and his majesty in the palace have decided to come, and they haven't come yet, so they don't come to steal the limelight.

They are all well-educated women from big families, and they know what is important.

Good relationship , have a meal and drink some wine in private to celebrate, just as a congratulations to a friend on his new home.

Holding a housewarming banquet is a big event, and there are many people invited. Li Fu and Lao Zhao have been preparing for the past few days. The kitchen and the warehouse are already full.

Some ingredients need to be prepared in advance, but most of them can only be prepared one day in advance, otherwise they will not be fresh.

In the pond under the kitchen wall, there are river fish. Some die every day, and new ones are delivered every day.

Those that are dying are all fished out and killed on the same day to make dishes.

That's better than eating dead ones.

These two days, Li Fu has eaten enough fish.

Strolling in the kitchen yard, Li Fu came to the pond and saw some half-dead river fish. He knew that the fish would not live for two days.

"Come here. "Li Fu called out to the servants in the yard.

"Don't cook fish today. If you think the fish is not good, just kill it and send it to the canteen of the academy. Let the chef there make it as an additional dish for the gentlemen. Anyway, don't let me see fish on my table in the next two days."

"Yes, yes."The servants responded one after another.

He worked here, so he naturally knew that fish was almost always on the table of the young master in the past two days.

No matter how delicious the fish is, if you eat it for several days in a row, you will want to change it.

The people working in the yard greeted Li Fu when they saw him.

"You guys are busy." Li Fu waved his hand.

In fact, there are not many kinds of ingredients that need to be prepared so long in advance. Most of them are some dry goods, and some bacon and so on.

The main thing is that the kitchen has to make a list and go out to order in advance. When the time comes, people will take the initiative to deliver it here.

Two days later, Shitou came back from Chang'an City.

It is said that under the persuasion of the lady, they agreed to settle down in the old house.

Li Fu heard it.

"That's easy. The old house has been cleaned up. Also, tell Shuangxi that the inn can operate as usual. There is no need to reserve rooms. Instead, a private room needs to be reserved at the restaurant, just in case they want to go to the restaurant for a while." Li Fu said, "Anyway, leaving a private room will not delay the restaurant's business."

"Yes." Shitou responded.

This is considered to have settled the reception of the mistress's friends.

Li Fu mentioned it to the kitchen and asked them to send two chefs to the old house first.

There are enough ingredients at the old house, which will not affect their performance at all.

Shitou brought news that his wife and her friends will come to the farm tomorrow.

Li Fu had to deal with the things at hand in advance.

Although it was just a brief meeting with them and a meal together, the rest was arranged by his wife, who led them out, but he always had to reserve time in advance, otherwise he would need to spend a long time to receive guests, and there were still a lot of things piled up in the study.

But he couldn't slack off, and he had to take a trip to the old house to see how they were preparing.

This was the first time that his friends came to visit his home after his wife got married. Li Fu thought that he must do it to perfection, but he couldn't let his wife lose face in front of her friends in the boudoir, so that they would go back and sit with him and say what kind of family the Li family's young lady married.

The face of the wife outside is the face of the husband outside.

The status of the wife outside also reflects the status of the husband outside.

If you take good care of your wife, no matter how many years she lives, she will be beautiful, fair-skinned and pretty. If you take her out, you will be proud. Everyone will praise her. As a husband, Li Fu has done a good job.

Don't talk about marrying a virtuous wife or taking a beautiful concubine.

Which decent family would bring a concubine to the stage? Who are they looking down on?

Whenever there is an occasion, the person standing beside him must be his wife.

Take Fang Xuanling for example. Whenever there is an occasion where he needs to bring a female relative, even if Fang Xuanling's wife is blind in one eye, she is still the head of the Fang family, and she is qualified to stand beside Fang Xuanling and stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Rather than some messy beautiful concubine.

At noon, we finally don't have to eat fish.

After eating and drinking, Li Fu went straight to the study.

After dealing with things in the study, he went to the old house again.

In the evening, it was another night when his wife was away.

Lonely, lonely, empty, cold.

I went to bed early and woke up early.

Today, everyone in the house was in high spirits and prepared in advance to welcome the lady back to the manor.

Especially the old manor, which gave enough appearance.

After the people came, they must first come to the new manor to meet Li Fu, the master.

Near noon, the mighty team arrived at the intersection of the manor, and the guard came to report that they had arrived at the intersection.

At the gate of the new manor, Li Fu came out in advance.

Not long after, the carriage team stopped at the gate of the manor.

Li Shao lifted the curtain of the carriage and came out of the carriage.

Li Fu stepped forward and stretched out his hand to help Li Shao.

"Madam, you have been tired all the way." Li Fu smiled.

Don't say it, I miss you so much after not seeing you for a few days.