Chapter 46: The All-Meat Feast

Holding the loan note in his hands, which now felt as heavy as a mountain, Wu Jiu felt utterly drained, as if all strength had left his body. In the past, he had witnessed others borrow money and then fail to repay it, only to lose their land, their children, and suffer all manner of misfortune. Back then, he had secretly laughed at their lack of foresight and calculation. Yet now, even though he had borrowed those fifty thousand coins with full confidence and at a modest monthly interest, he had nearly been ruined beyond redemption. Still, at least he had not had to touch the family’s one hundred mu of perpetual landholdings. Otherwise, his fierce and protective mother, who would do anything for her two younger sons, might have been driven to desperate acts in her panic.

“My lord…”

Du Shiyi, seeing the complex and unreadable look on Wu Jiu’s face, merely waved his hand and said, “No need for words. In any case, from this day on, you are one of the Du household. Remember this well. Furthermore, this tavern you found—does it meet all the conditions I previously set?”

“Yes, my lord, it meets every one of your requirements. The wine sold here is unremarkable, the food inferior to neighboring establishments, and the owner is on the verge of closing down, so…”

Wu Jiu had not finished when Cui Jianxuan’s eyes widened, and he blurted out, “No wonder the food and drink just now were so mediocre! Du Nineteen, you brought me to such a place on purpose!”

“It is precisely because it is so ordinary that, when it is transformed, the surprise will be all the more striking.” Du Shiyi smiled faintly, then turned to Wu Jiu and said, “Go and call the owner up here.”

Before long, the round-faced owner, nervous and anxious, came upstairs with Wu Jiu. Seeing that the dishes on the table had barely been touched, he grew even more uneasy, until Du Shiyi asked about the cooks and waiters of the tavern.

“My lord, my tavern is small and cannot afford to hire help, so the two waiters are actually my own son and nephew. In the kitchen, it is my old wife who cooks. She is decent at making wine and preparing meals, but her repertoire is limited to a few common dishes that other taverns offer, so we can only apologize for failing to honor our guests.”

Having seen the owner bustling about earlier, and now hearing him speak so plainly, Du Shiyi understood that he was an honest man. After a brief pause, he asked, “So, are you looking to sell your tavern?”

“Ah…” The owner was taken aback, then looked utterly lost. After a long moment, he spoke with deep dejection. “To tell you the truth, my entire family depends on this little tavern for a living. The thought of selling it pains me. If it is sold, we would have no means to survive. Now, the land allocation that was promised to adults is but empty words. My family has suffered much misfortune, and the little land left from our ancestors is less than twenty mu, yet we still pay tax as if we own the full allotment. I am asking only eighty thousand coins for the tavern, but there are no takers. Even if I got the money, it would not last us more than a few years!”

Though the Du family had fallen on hard times, they remained a respectable lineage. Du Shiyi could not recall anything about the land grants in his own family history. When he glanced at Cui Jianxuan, the Eleventh Young Master of the Cui family simply spread his hands, equally ignorant. It was Wu Jiu, who had spent many years in the county office, who bent down and explained in a low voice.

“My lord, our dynasty’s land grant system began in the seventh year of Wude. At that time, every adult male received a hundred mu: twenty mu of perpetual land and eighty mu of allocation land. The perpetual land could be inherited, but the allocation land, by law, reverted to the state upon death. Over the years, the population grew, wastelands dwindled, and few returned the allocation land, so there was not enough to go around. By the eighteenth year of Zhenguan, while it was still called a hundred mu, in truth, thirty mu was the most anyone could actually receive. Yet taxes and obligations are still assessed as if each man holds a hundred mu…”

Wu Jiu did not finish, but Du Shiyi understood the underlying hardship. Seeing the owner’s bitterness, he hesitated, then smiled gently and said, “So that is the difficulty. By the way, may I ask your honorable name?”

The owner, having seen the renowned manager of the Xu family turned away earlier, and even the master of the Xu family, Xu Ji himself, forced to wait below, not to mention the valuable ox cart outside, was startled by Du Shiyi’s courtesy. “My lord, I am unworthy of your inquiry. My surname is Tang, but my parents never gave me a proper name. As the fifth son in the family, everyone calls me Tang Wu.”

Cui Jianxuan asked with interest, “If you are Tang Wu, does that mean you have four elder brothers?”

“My four elder brothers have all passed away,” Tang Wu replied with a trace of sorrow, though he forced a smile. “That is why my nephew lives with me.”

Having touched on a painful topic, Cui Jianxuan felt awkward and fell silent. Du Shiyi then spoke slowly: “Since you fear that selling the tavern will leave your family without a livelihood, I have an idea. If you are willing to hear me out, I have a method to revive your business and bring prosperity.”

Tang Wu had not expected a nobleman like Du Shiyi to concern himself with such matters. Caught in his predicament, he gritted his teeth and nodded without hesitation. “Please instruct me, my lord. I will obey in all things.”

“Your tavern’s business is poor; you wish to sell it for money, yet fear for your livelihood. In that case, let me help you. My retainer Wu Jiu, who used to serve in the county office, has now resigned. He will manage your tavern for a year. I happen to recall a collection of recipes that might be of use.”

Tang Wu’s eyes lit up, worried at first that Du Shiyi’s words were empty promises, but once he was sure, he hurried downstairs in delight. Wu Jiu, surprised by his own new assignment, glanced at the written recipes on the table, feeling a surge of excitement. When Du Shiyi inquired if he could read, Wu Jiu nodded repeatedly, explaining that he had learned to recognize characters from a scribe at the county office, though he could write only a few.

“Go downstairs and see what Tang Wu’s family decides.”

Once Tang Wu had left, Cui Jianxuan could no longer restrain himself. “Du Nineteen, you really go to such lengths for such a small business?”

“To you, it is a small matter, but after the fire at my house, our family’s fortunes were consumed. Though we still have some land, I cannot let Thirteenth Lady live in uncertainty, always depending on the whims of the weather. So, why not use what I have learned? After all, it is said, ‘Within books, there are houses of gold; within books, there are fields of grain; within books, there are beauties as fair as jade.’ If that is so, then surely within books there is also fine food!”

It was the first time Cui Jianxuan had heard someone use the classics to make such an analogy. He burst out laughing, then slapped the table and declared, “For those last words alone, I must join in! I may have little interest in other affairs, but the pleasures of the table are my greatest delight.”

Knowing Cui Jianxuan’s nature, Du Shiyi nodded. “The hundred strings given to Xu Ji earlier will be your investment. In the end, you will share in the profits. But first, we must eat. I will take the recipes downstairs and see if Tang Wu’s wife truly lacks only guidance or if her skills are wanting.”

“Good! The food here is bland and tasteless. I can’t wait to see what your secret recipes can produce!”

By midday, as Cui Jianxuan, alone upstairs and growing increasingly impatient, smelled a delicious aroma wafting from below, he inhaled deeply, then leapt to his feet. Soon, he saw Tang Wu carefully carrying a clay bowl upstairs. Placing it on the table, Cui Jianxuan saw large chunks of meat glistening with rich sauce, garnished with flecks of green. The fragrance and appearance were truly enticing. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, his eyes lighting up at the taste. Unlike the meat dishes he was accustomed to, this was deeply flavorful, tender, and fragrant—a true delight.

“Excellent!” He ate two more pieces before putting down his chopsticks and asking, “What meat is this?”

“Master Cui… is it truly to your liking?”

Seeing Cui Jianxuan nod in confusion, Tang Wu relaxed and replied with a smile, “Master Du calls this ‘sauced meat.’ There will be more dishes soon.”

One after another, five or six more dishes arrived, all meat. At first, Cui Jianxuan was intrigued, but soon he found the richness overwhelming. By the time all sixteen dishes—a parade of meats—had been served, and Du Shiyi returned upstairs, handing the towel to Wu Jiu, Cui Jianxuan frowned and asked, “Why only meat? Isn’t this too much, spoiling the appetite?”

“You may find it excessive, but for the common folk, who rarely taste meat even once in three months, it is a luxury. This collection of recipes I call the ‘Feast of All Meats,’” Du Shiyi fibbed, then turned to Tang Wu. “Your wife is quite intelligent—she learns quickly. Now, with the contract settled, the tavern will be leased to me for a year, managed by Wu Jiu. Each month I’ll pay you one string of cash; after a year, we will settle accounts, by which time your wife will be well versed. Do you know how to attract customers now?”

Tang Wu replied immediately, “Of course! I’ll hang a sign for the ‘Feast of All Meats’ right away—”

“If you do that, you are mistaken!” Du Shiyi smiled slyly. “It is the twelfth month, the busiest season in the marketplace. The small traders are all working hard, bringing hard, stone-like cakes and dry rations. In the bitter cold, dry food is edible, but cold water can kill. Thus, they endure hunger till midday, then seek hot soup to warm themselves before heading home. So the first sign you hang should say only this: ‘Fresh Hot Meat Soup, One Cash per Bowl!’”

“One cash per bowl? Won’t that be a loss…”

“One cash per bowl, with a slice or two of meat visible, and a bowl of rice included.”

“What?”

Seeing Cui Jianxuan equally surprised, Du Shiyi explained, “Other taverns buy pork from butchers. You, however, need not spend extra—Wu Jiu has been raising piglets for months, now grown fat and tender. The meat today was delivered early this morning, only ten jin in all. Unlike the rough pigs most farmers raise, these were fed on locusts, making the pork especially delicate, perfect for cooking.”

At this time, gentry seldom ate pork, preferring mutton, for pork was considered unclean—understandable, as anyone who had seen a pigsty would lose their appetite forever, and pork had a stronger odor than mutton. Yet Wu Jiu’s piglets, fed on dried locusts, were different in quality and taste. Most importantly, keeping them any longer would simply waste their potential.

Casting a glance at Wu Jiu, Du Shiyi continued, “After five days, hang another sign: ‘Three Cash for Any Meat Dish, with Rice and Soup, Served Immediately.’ Meat prices have collapsed, at thirty cash per jin. Other taverns worry about costs and cannot follow suit. Given the variety of people in the marketplace, some will try it. Every few days, add a new sign for a new dish, until finally, you offer the full ‘Feast of All Meats.’ Remember, every dish is three cash. For those with only meat shreds, be generous; for the large cuts, one piece suffices.”

After a pause, he added more firmly, “Once you hang the ‘Feast of All Meats’ sign, add another: ‘Sixteen Meat Dishes, Six Cash per Person. With Ten Guests, One Table. Meals Shared.’ For individual customers, have your nimble nephew serve them, or deliver hot meals straight to the market stalls. The tavern is small, so sell ready-seasoned meats for customers to take home and prepare themselves. When the twelfth month and the leap month of the New Year are over, count the accounts and decide the way forward. Fresh vegetables are scarce in winter, meat is cheap, and the cold calls for hearty fare—these months offer the best business. All you need is to stock up on rice, flour, and seasonings.”

Once Tang Wu understood and left, Du Shiyi turned to Wu Jiu, “You will keep the accounts, and every ten days, deliver them to Thirteenth Lady at the thatched cottage below Junji Peak. If you are diligent, you will not be shortchanged. After the New Year, you shall have your share. But one tavern alone is not enough to sell all your pigs. Once people have tasted these new meat dishes, set up a stall selling fresh pork—surely some will want to try cooking it themselves. Pork is cheap this winter, but may not be next year. Seek out the woodcutter at Xuanlian Peak, known for his skill in curing meats, so your pigs will not go unsold and wasted.”

Wu Jiu, already awed by Du Shiyi’s easy handling of Xu Ji, now felt his fate entirely in Du Shiyi’s hands. He drew a deep breath and bowed in agreement, his eyes lighting at the prospect. Du Shiyi glanced at the steaming dishes on the table, then smiled, “These would be a waste left over—see to them between you.”

After they left the tavern and boarded the ox cart, Du Shiyi turned to Cui Jianxuan and asked with a smile, “Well? Pork isn’t as unpalatable as you thought, is it?”

“You think me so ignorant? My family occasionally enjoys suckling pig for a change of taste.” Despite his words, Cui Jianxuan eyed Du Shiyi askance. “But why not simply buy out the tavern? Even if you keep Tang Wu’s family as staff, aren’t you just making another man’s fortune?”

“It would be easy to buy it outright, but such businesses are easily imitated. Better to quit while ahead. Besides, a gentleman does not take advantage of others’ misfortune. Tang Wu is an honest man—we cannot seize all the benefit. Don’t worry, in the future, we will share in greater endeavors together!”