After being awakened by Zhang Shi and Guo Lin, Zhang Yue also reflected on it.
After the second brother won the Jinshi, he was indeed a little confused. It is said that one is self-reliant and relies on others rather than oneself. When one really finds someone holding him, one will still follow his heart - lie down.
So after some reflection, Zhang Yue decided to pick up the book again. Now that you are admitted to the county school, you should study hard. In the future, you will use various subject examinations, provincial examinations and palace examinations to make a name for yourself.
Zhang Yue looked at the enrollment records and found that in the second year of Jiayou's reign, there were also 389 people in the Jinshi Department. The total number of people in all subjects was 389 and the two subjects were even.
The status of various subjects is not high, and most of them have to be selected. It’s just a matter of keeping the election, but many are difficult to appoint officials. To be appointed, one must have a background or have a lot of money to clear the way.
Among all of you, Jiujingke is the only exception. A passing grade in the Nine Classics subjects is like being ranked fifth or lower in the first rank of a Jinshi.
The last time Zhang Yue took the county exam, he made some tricks. The most difficult part of the Nine Classics was the Three Biography of Spring and Autumn Period, and he hadn't even read the Book of Rites yet.
The Five Classics in the imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty were only the Spring and Autumn Classics, and only one of the Five Classics could be selected for the examination. However, the Nine Classics in the Song Dynasty included the three Chunqiu and their annotations, so the content of the examination was simply life-threatening.
Zhang Yueman had calculated carefully. If he memorized it roughly, for a cheater like himself, it would take at least another year.
Then consolidate the Nine Classics to prevent memorizing the front and forgetting the back. It is estimated that it will still be a bit mysterious if you take the interpretation test in the third year of Jiayou. If you pass, you can take the nine-year provincial examination in Jiayou's fourth year.
Therefore, Zhang Yue planned to study hard in Zijin County.
Before going to the county school, Zhang Yue planned to run his own shop first.
The catering industry in the Song Dynasty was mainly divided into restaurants and restaurants.
In the Song Dynasty, wine was owned by the government. Stores that were allowed to make wine, buy wine, and distribute it were called Zhengdian. For example, there are 72 Zhengdian stores in Bianjing, which buy koji from the government and make their own wine.
Those who do not make wine themselves but get wine from the main store are called foot shops. In addition, private brewing is strictly prohibited, especially bringing it into the city.
But selling wine is like eating beef.
The city is forbidden and outside the city, people make their own private wine, which is called village wine. There are many restaurants on the roadside in the village. For example, in Water Margin, "three bowls are not enough", it is definitely village brew.
The reason why three bowls are not enough is probably because village brew is easy to get addicted to.
The imperial court actually couldn't help but be open-minded about such village brewing.
The Song Dynasty had strict legislation, but there was often a lot of room for operation. Over the years, the government has mastered a certain set of measures. It wants to make money from it, but also try not to push the people into desperation.
However, the procedures for opening a restaurant in the city are too cumbersome. In recent years, the imperial court has allowed private parties to contract official wineries, but they must go out and bid, which is to put it bluntly. The most important thing is that there are few places, and many people are watching. It can be said that there are more monks and less meat.
Although the restaurant was very profitable, Zhang Yue still couldn't afford it, so he decided to start a restaurant instead.
The capital was already in place, and Peng Jingyi, who was a friend, really had nothing to say, so he sent Zhang Yue two hundred dollars the next day. Peng Jingyi wanted to get another fifty guan, but Zhang Yue thought the number was unpleasant and stopped taking it.
The address was also chosen, which was my family's shop on Chema Street. It was burned to ashes, but the land still belonged to my family.
At that time, it was not like no one asked Zhang Shi about the land he had bought, but the prices offered were too low. Now Zhang Yue and Zhang Shiyi decided to build a new restaurant in the original shop.
Although it's not the standard two-story restaurant on the street, it's still pretty good.
Zhang Shi said to Zhang Yue: "I have been here for more than ten years and I am very familiar with this street. Chema Street is bustling with traffic. Opening a restaurant here will definitely bring a prosperous business. I had long wanted to turn my family's shop into a restaurant. The store."
Zhang Yue said: "Brother, have you thought about what the restaurant will sell?"
Zhang Shi said: "Let's sell mutton soup."
Zhang Yue said: "Brother, aren't we robbing shopkeeper Xu of his business?"
"Shopkeeper Xu is not such a stingy person. Let me tell you, I have been stealing from his shop these days. I have almost learned the recipe for his bowl of mutton soup. I will definitely be able to cook another pot."
Zhang Yue said: "Brother, no matter how good the cooking is, it's still a toddler in Handan! People are used to shopkeeper Xu's mutton soup, and when they eat ours, they feel like something is missing. Besides, there are only so many people in the city who drink mutton soup. How about you?" How many can I get from Shopkeeper Xu?"
Zhang Shi said: "What do you think if we don't sell mutton and mutton bones?"
Zhang Yue thought about it and realized that mutton was definitely not good. In Pucheng, it cost more than 200 yuan per catty, sometimes three to five hundred yuan. Historically, mutton in Lin'an during the Southern Song Dynasty was even more expensive, as high as 900 yuan per catty. Therefore, if you are not in a high-end restaurant, you can skip the mutton.
There is also dog meat, but there is a saying that dog meat is not on the table, so I gave up.
I have to say beef. Beef in the Song Dynasty was the cheapest, costing only forty or fifty cents per pound, even cheaper than chicken, duck, and fish.
The reason why it is so cheap is that firstly, sick and old cows are mostly slaughtered and sold, and secondly, raising cattle is indeed more convenient than raising sheep.
But you can't sell beef just because it's cheap. The imperial court has explicitly banned it, and it's obvious that it doesn't sell well in the city. And beef is mostly lean meat. Lean meat is not popular these days. What everyone likes most is fat meat full of grease.
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "Brother, I told you that there are many coolies in Chema Street, and many of them are businessmen. You think it is easy to cross Xianxia Ridge, and your belly must be tight with hunger. You What’s the best thing to eat at this time?”
Zhang Shi said: "When you are hungry, you can eat anything. Everything tastes delicious!"
Zhang Yue said: "Brother, there are restaurants all over the street here. You have to think about what they want to eat most. What if we bring a bowl of meat with leather straps and fat and full of grease? Wouldn't that be beautiful?"
Zhang Shi nodded and said: "It makes sense! I ate steamed mutton one time and it was like this. It was so delicious that my tongue swallowed it. I will never forget the taste in my life."
As he spoke, Zhang Shi smacked his lips as if he was still thinking about it.
Zhang Yue said: "But brother, lamb is too expensive. How many times can an ordinary person eat it in a lifetime?"
Zhang Shi nodded and said: "What the third brother said makes sense, then what kind of meat do you want to use?"
"Pork belly is the best. This meat is the most tender and juicy, and when you chew it with the skin on, your mouth will be filled with oil and water."
Zhang Shi said: "Pork belly is not expensive at eighty or ninety cents per pound, but it has a strong smell. Rich people don't eat it, and poor people don't like it either. Will the merchants here eat it if they are so hungry?"
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "I will buy a pound of pork tomorrow and cook it for my brother. You can try it."
Zhang Yue plans to use Dongpo Pork cooking method as his signature dish, and then serve it with iron pot stir-fry. It must be the only one in the county.
"I've never seen you cook, Third Brother. When did you learn how to cook?"
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "I don't know much, I only know this one trick."
The two brothers talked and laughed and then looked at the shop that everyone was building.
A new restaurant was built where there was originally a piece of white land. Recovering what was lost has always been Zhang Shi's dream, and it is also Zhang Yue's dream.
After all, this is the shop that their family has inherited from generation to generation, and it is worthy of their protection.
When Zhang Shi saw his shop being rebuilt on Chema Street, tears filled his eyes.
Zhang Shi wiped away his tears and said, "Third brother, our family's life will get better and better!"
