OBS Chapter 1128 Let's ride a donkey and read the script, we'll see!
Chapter 1128 Let's ride a donkey and read the script, we'll see!
Yang Shaofeng felt increasingly confused as he looked at the document, while Zhu Biao felt extremely pleased.
Never seen it?
Isn't that strange?
Black Sesame Dumpling chuckled and turned to look at Yang Shaofeng, saying, "The market stalls in the former court started in the fifth year of Hongwu's reign, and it's been two years now—which shows just how infrequently you attend court assemblies, brother-in-law."
Yang Shaofeng snorted with a dark face, then dismounted and walked to Wu Sansi's stall, reaching out to grab a braised chicken.
Wu Sansi was shocked. He kept calling out, "Sir, please wait!" while pulling out a braised chicken wrapped in oil paper from under the stall. "Sir, please eat this. This one was deep-fried for the first time and then braised. The ones on top were deep-fried for the second or third time and then braised."
Yang Shaofeng was stunned for a moment, then asked, "What's with the first coat of oil and the second coat? What's going on?"
Wu Sansi chuckled twice and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Excellency, I heard the Fifth Prince say that oil shouldn't be used too many times, otherwise it's easy to get sick from eating it."
"From then on, the younger ones were braised separately in a pot for the first deep-frying, and the ones that were deep-fried a second and third time were also braised separately."
"The first batch of oil is rarely displayed; it is usually sent to the palace or the residence of the imperial son-in-law. Any leftovers are sold to people in Ningyang County."
"Those that have been oiled twice are usually sent to the Duke's Mansion and the Marquis's Mansion, while those that have been oiled three or four times are sold here at Wulong Bridge."
"We sell the five-oil and six-oil-oil-infused oil in the shop, while the oil fried in black oil is sent to the construction site for the young and strong men of our Great Ming Dynasty to eat."
"The leftover scraps and chicken bones are usually fried again and sent to the construction site along with the oil to give the barbarians an extra meal."
"The Fifth Prince said that those dregs and black oil won't kill people, and they're actually good stuff for the barbarians."
"..."
Wu Sansi proudly displayed his shrewd business acumen, while Yang Shaofeng was completely bewildered.
Product grading.
Treat people differently based on their status.
Waste utilization.
Where the hell did they learn all this nonsense?
They're all utterly heartless!
With a dark expression, Yang Shaofeng asked, "I don't care how many times you've deep-fried your food, I just want to know when you opened this stall and whether you've paid taxes?"
Wu Sansi replied with a bitter face, "The taxes were definitely paid. There were people from the palace who came to collect them. For example, on the Five Dragon Bridge, a stall collected ten coins a day, while the stalls on both sides of the road only collected five to eight coins a day. Basically, the further away you are, the less you are charged."
"As for this stall, the small one was set up in the fifth year of Hongwu's reign."
“Someone from the palace approached me and told me to come here and set up a stall to earn money.”
"The rule is that it cannot be held before the morning court session; it must be done after the officials have entered the palace."
“Even when the court session ends, many officials like to buy some food to take home.”
"..."
After Wu Sansi gave a thorough account, Yang Shaofeng became even more confused.
What the hell is this?
I just passed the tax problem of street vendors to Black Sesame Dumplings, and now Old Deng is already starting a street vendor economy outside the palace gates?
Just as Yang Shaofeng was pondering this, Zhu Biao slowly strolled over and even skillfully squeezed past Wu Sansi, pulling out a braised chicken wrapped in oil paper from under the stall.
Zhu Biao tore open the oil paper, took a bite, and then mumbled, "This is the former market. It's closed during major court ceremonies or celebrations, so it's normal that you haven't been here before, brother-in-law."
Yang Shaofeng snorted again, his face dark.
The Yin-Yang official doesn't attend court assemblies, right?
Zhu Lao Er, Zhu Lao San, and Zhu Lao Si, who had just gathered around, all followed Zhu Biao's example, each holding a braised chicken and gnawing on it. Zhu Lao Si even said to Wu San Si while gnawing, "Put it on my eldest brother's tab."
Wu Sansi chuckled and agreed. Zhu Biao then looked at Yang Shaofeng and said, "How about brother-in-law takes us around the former market?"
Yang Shaofeng had just agreed when Heizhima Tangyuan instructed Zhu Laosi: "Go and call Lin'an, Ningguo, Chongning, Anqing, Runing, and Huaiqing over. Tell them that your brother-in-law and second sister are taking them shopping and having fun."
After Zhu Laosi ran off while munching on braised chicken, Heizhi Tangyuan instructed Zhu Laosan: "Go to the Princess's residence and call Second Sister over. Remember to say that your brother-in-law is treating you to a meal, and have Second Sister bring the money."
"And you, Second Brother, go back to the palace. Besides Thirteenth Brother, bring Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother with you."
"Remember to ask our parents if they're coming."
Yang Shaofeng stared blankly at the black sesame dumplings, while Zhu Biao turned to the guard captain and instructed, "Go to the palace and find the Crown Princess. Tell her that your brother-in-law is hosting a banquet. Also, remember to have all the palace guards change their clothes and not crowd together like a bunch of people."
So, what does this mean?
Are you planning to team up and eat the big spender with your black sesame dumplings?
No, how much is my salary, you bastard!
Strictly speaking, ever since I cleared out the shares of those workshops in Ningyang County, the family's income has mainly relied on your two older sisters. I'm just a freeloader, you bastard!
Yang Shaofeng was furious and wanted to curse, but Heizhima Tangyuan shook his arm and said, "Brother-in-law, don't worry, I have money in my pocket. When we went to Quanzhou, a certain girl gave me fifty guan of pocket money."
"Furthermore, I also know that you should have 100 strings of cash in pocket money given to you by your eldest and second eldest sisters."
"We have a total of 150 guan between us. It's enough for just a stroll through the former imperial market."
Yang Shaofeng became even angrier.
That's just a matter of whether it's enough or not!
Besides, 150 strings of cash sounds like a lot, but shouldn't you, a black sesame dumpling, take a look at what kind of junk was sold in the market in the previous dynasty?
Just as Yang Shaofeng was casually looking around, he saw a stall selling fish tanks—the stall had more than a dozen transparent glass fish tanks on it, and in one of the tanks, three red goldfish were swimming slowly!
This is the Ming Dynasty, and it's winter! It's one thing to set up stalls on the Inner Five Dragon Bridge outside the palace and on the streets outside the palace, but the worst part is that you guys are selling glass fish tanks and goldfish!
In this freezing weather, isn't anyone speaking up for the goldfish?!
And you, black sesame glutinous rice ball.
You, Black Sesame Dumpling, have been keeping quiet about the existence of the former imperial market, haven't you?
And Lao Deng, Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen, they've all been keeping it from me, haven't they?
Row!
Let's see how things unfold!
Yang Shaofeng was secretly plotting how to deal with Lao Deng and Xiao Deng, while Zhu Biao's mood was getting better and better.
It's not easy to get a meal from a wealthy family, and it's even harder to get one from your brother-in-law's wealthy family!
It must have been quite a struggle for me, pretending all the way from Quanzhou to the capital, and several times I almost couldn't help but reveal the former dynasty's name!
……
Yang Shaofeng and Zhu Biao stood on the Five Dragons Bridge, each harboring their own secrets, pondering wildly, while Emperor Zhu stared blankly at Zhu Lao Er, who was hurrying into the palace.
"What?"
"Your older brother tricked your brother-in-law into paying for our whole family to go shopping at the former market?"