Chapter 2223
The waiter saw that Dai Chengrong was so familiar with his restaurant, so he answered: "Master Jun seems to be a regular customer. We also have these three delicacies from the Yangtze River in our Zhoushan branch, but because transportation is not easy, the price must be higher than in Yangzhou is more expensive.”
When Dai Chengrong heard this, he said happily: "Your second branch is really good at doing business! It's more expensive, as long as it's fresh!"
The waiter said: "If the military master is not at ease, you can go to the back kitchen and have a look. They are all live fish. If anything is untrue, the military master is asking the villain!"
Dai Chengrong waved his hand and said: "That's not necessary. I often go to your head office in Yangzhou City. I'm also familiar with the two shopkeepers Wang and Wu, so I can be assured of the ingredients. By the way, your home-brewed one Bring me a pot of jade wine...I remember correctly, it should be eight taels of silver a pot, right?”
The waiter laughed and said: "Master Jun, the jade wine has to be transported from Yangzhou, so the semicolon here is slightly more expensive, costing ten taels of silver per pot."
"Ten taels is ten taels, get it done quickly!" Dai Chengrong turned over his hand and threw a small ingot of broken silver on the table: "Here, those who reward you, be smarter!"
The waiter accepted the reward, thanked Dai Chengrong and left happily. Although there are often wealthy customers on the second floor who spend dozens of taels of silver on a meal, there are not many people who are willing to give high rewards to the waiter. Dai Chengrong's move is almost half of his monthly income. Naturally very happy.
Dai Chengrong turned around and said: "The instructor is from Yangzhou, so he should have eaten the three delicacies of the Yangtze River, right?"
Chen Xiaoyu responded with a smile: "I am a fisherman, do you think I have eaten it before? But it is already out of season, and you can still eat these kinds of fish. This second branch does have some tricks!"
The three delicacies of the Yangtze River that are famous in Yangzhou refer to the three types of fish that are unique to the waters: anchovy, saury, and catfish. Chen Xiaoyu has been fishing on the Yangtze River with his family since he was a child, so he has naturally eaten them. However, most of the time, these types of fish with higher market prices are still sold to various restaurants in Yangzhou City for money - Erfenlou is one of them.
Of course, these kinds of fish are not produced near Zhoushan. They can only be caught in Yangzhou and then shipped to Zhoushan along with the river water. The cost of doing this is very high, and the quantity is very limited. Things are rare and expensive, and probably only rich people who are not short of money can enjoy these special ingredients. However, Dai Chengrong didn't even ask the price and just ordered it. This refreshing attitude also made Chen Xiaoyu feel his sincerity.
Not long after, the waiter came up with a few cold dishes and the Yuqiong wine ordered by Dai Chengrong. However, he did not come alone this time. There was also a chubby middle-aged man behind him. The waiter introduced them: "You two Master Jun, this is the manager of our restaurant, Mr. Wang.”
The shopkeeper Wang raised his hands and said in greeting: "I heard that both military masters are regular patrons of this restaurant. I came to say hello. I will give you these cold dishes to drink with you."
Dai Chengrong nodded and said: "Looking at Shopkeeper Wang's face, he looks somewhat similar to Shopkeeper Wang from Yangzhou Headquarters. I wonder what you call them?"
"That guy from Yangzhou is a villain brother... I dare to ask the military master what his name is?" Upon hearing Dai Chengrong's question, shopkeeper Wang confirmed that the other party was indeed a regular patron of the restaurant. His status should be either rich or noble, and he was even more respectful at the moment.
As for why this young nobleman from Yangzhou was wearing the uniform of the Haihan Army, he actually found it a bit strange. Moreover, the Haihan garrison on Zhoushan Island basically spent their money with banknotes issued by the country, but Dai Chengrong rewarded the waiter with broken silver, which is really unusual.
"My surname is Dai. I have just arrived here not long ago. I went out to do business today and happened to see this familiar sign outside, so I decided to come in and have some local taste."
Dai Chengrong only gave his last name, but shopkeeper Wang quickly thought of his identity and responded quickly: "It turns out to be the young master of the Dai family. I'm disrespectful... By the way, there is also a private room here. I happen to have a guest who has booked something today." Here you are, why don’t you please take a seat in the private room?”
"Okay, then you'll have some work." Dai Chengrong smiled and stood up. He actually knew that the waiter's previous statement that there were no private rooms was probably just an excuse. A place like the second floor would definitely have one or two private rooms reserved for emergencies, so he deliberately revealed his extraordinary status when ordering. Invite the shopkeeper to meet.
Every year, the seven major surnames spend as much as 8,000 yuan on banquets on the second floor, especially the Dai family, who are definitely one of the biggest patrons of the second floor. Dai Chengrong believed that after his identity was reported, as long as the shopkeeper on the second floor reacted, he would definitely give him face and make some arrangements to make up for his previous neglect.
Shopkeeper Wang was able to be sent to the Zhoushan branch to take charge of the business. He really had some sharp eyesight. After a few words, he realized Dai Chengrong's true identity and quickly improved his salary. As for the authenticity of this identity, Shopkeeper Wang has no doubts. He believes that no one will go to Zhoushan Island to pretend to be the young master of the Dai family. After all, this identity can only bring him an upgrade in treatment, but will not waive the bill at checkout.
However, this young master of the Dai family is now wearing a Haihan military uniform, and his demeanor has a military air. This is not a big news to spread back to Yangzhou. This restaurant is a gathering place for all kinds of news. Shopkeeper Wang also knows that a large salt merchant from Yangzhou has recently come to Zhoushan for activities. It is said that he wants to discuss cooperation with Haihan officials. But the children of the Dai family have actually joined the Haihan Army. It seems that the cooperation between the two parties is not limited to the field of trade.
Dai Jia, the head of the seven surnames, actually asked the younger members of the family to vote for the Haihan Army, which meant that Haihan's tentacles had officially extended into Yangzhou. Shopkeeper Wang couldn't help but secretly lament that his boss had a long-term vision and came to Zhoushan Island, 800 miles away from Yangzhou, to open a semicolon last year. This was much earlier than the seven major surnames.
Shopkeeper Wang was polite again, toasted the two of them with a glass of wine, and then exited the room, instructing the waiter to wait at the door of the private room to wait for the two people inside.
Chen Xiaoyu gave a thumbs up and praised: "Dai Chengrong, I really have you!"
Dai Chengrong said with a smile: "It made the instructor laugh! If it were on the second floor of the store in Yangzhou City, there wouldn't be so much trouble. As long as people go there, the store will take the initiative to arrange private rooms. But this shopkeeper Wang is also a smart person. , if he doesn’t show anything, then I can only ask him how much money he has to pay to sit in the private room.”
Chen Xiaoyu said: "Actually, it's just you and me eating together. We won't talk about any national affairs or military secrets. It doesn't matter if we sit outside."
Dai Chengrong shook his head and said: "Instructor, I understand what you mean, but to me, this is just a matter of course, not to show off my identity in front of you." This reflects the difference in their backgrounds. Chen Xiaoyu was a fisherman, and he probably never thought that one day he would sit in a private room on the second floor and enjoy a banquet worth dozens or hundreds of taels of silver. Even if he didn't need to pay for the money himself, he still would feel a little restrained. .
As a son of a salt merchant, Dai Chengrong has followed his uncles and elders to various high-end places since he was a child. He is used to the extravagance of his elders when they entertain officials. Naturally, his understanding of the standards for dining is similar to that of Chen Xiaoyu. Obvious difference. In his opinion, the dining conditions must be of high quality to reflect his respect for Chen Xiaoyu as an instructor, rather than just to show off his status.
Chen Xiaoyu probably knew that he couldn't argue with this well-informed apprentice, so he smiled and took the initiative to change the topic: "This second branch building is indeed somewhat famous in Yangzhou, but I have never known what the second branch of it means. You If you go in and out of this restaurant often, you must know the story behind it?”
Dai Chengrong responded: "Speaking of this, I specifically asked the shopkeeper of the restaurant for advice. The so-called two points come from the poem "Remembering Yangzhou" by Xu Ning, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. There is a cloud in the poem, the world is divided into three parts on a moonlit night, and two points The rogue is Yangzhou. This restaurant is based on the artistic conception of the poem and is divided into two parts. ”
Chen Xiaoyu's education level is extremely limited. He only began to receive literacy education after joining the Haihan Army. He only knows two to three hundred commonly used Chinese characters. He seemed to understand Dai Chengrong's explanation, but he only knew that it came from the work of a Tang Dynasty poet, but he still didn't quite understand its meaning.
But that is no longer important. Chen Xiaoyu raised this question just to change the topic. It was enough to understand its origin.
While talking, the dishes Dai Chengrong ordered were brought in one after another, and soon the table was full. Chen Xiaoyu wanted to say that this was really a waste, but seeing Dai Chengrong's expression as usual, he swallowed the words that came to his lips.
Chen Xiaoyu stopped talking, but Dai Chengrong had many topics that he wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to ask Chen Xiaoyu. In particular, he hoped to know the upcoming training content of their salt merchant children and the arrangements after the training.
After hearing his question, Chen Xiaoyu knew what he was worried about, and couldn't help but smile: "Actually, the content you are learning now is basically the same as the training program when I first joined the army, but the training intensity is different. That’s it. The most basic things will be taught to you, but how much you can learn depends on your hard work and your own understanding. However, if you want to turn these skills into your own skills, you have to practice them on the battlefield. Only after that.”
Dai Chengrong listened very carefully. After Chen Xiaoyu finished speaking, he asked again: "Then when I return to Yangzhou after completing my studies, if I don't care about the cost, can I form a private armed force with a combat power similar to that of the Haihan Army?"
Chen Xiaoyu responded: "I'm afraid this will be a bit difficult. First of all, the weapons and equipment currently installed in the Haihan Army are prohibited from being sold to foreign countries, and the military is also very strict about this. Even if you are willing to pay a high price, you probably won't be able to sell it to foreign countries. It's good to get a few guns on the market, and the tactics you are learning now are all based on the weapons our country will provide you, and they will be different from the tactics of the Haihan Army. Different.”
Chen Xiaoyu's words were relatively reserved, but after all, Dai Chengrong was well-informed and could understand the meaning behind his words. The military assistance provided by Haihan is limited. Although it will teach combat skills and provide highly lethal standard weapons, it is not the same type used by Haihan's army.
According to this statement, no matter how diligently these salt merchants' children study and train, their actual combat power after forming an army will still not reach the same level as that of the Haihan Army.
Dai Chengrong had been training in the military camp for the past few days and had seen the drills of the Haihan Army. He even went to see the live-fire target training. He was very envious of their combat capabilities. But after hearing the answer given by Chen Xiaoyu, he would definitely be lying if he said he was not disappointed. human. With his own financial resources, he wouldn't want to train an armed force like the Haihan Army in Yangzhou, but Chen Xiaoyu's answer could be said to completely deny such a possibility.
Chen Xiaoyu comforted him: "Don't worry, the military assistance our country provides you will definitely be enough for you to defeat your competitors in Yangzhou. As long as you don't start a rebellion in Yangzhou, I believe it will be difficult for anyone in the local area to compete with you in terms of force in the future." A worthy opponent.”
Dai Chengrong smiled forcefully and said: "Of course I have this confidence, but there is no limit to my ability. Of course I hope that the militia we will form in Yangzhou in the future will be even more powerful!"
Chen Xiaoyu said: "If you are really determined to join the military and want to learn the most powerful skills in the army, then you might as well consider joining the army and join our Haihan Army!"
When Dai Chengrong heard this, his hands shook slightly, and the piece of fish on his chopsticks immediately fell back into the bowl. He hesitated and responded: "Isn't this some inconvenience?"
"What do you mean by inconvenience?" Chen Xiaoyu saw his reaction in his eyes and smiled slightly: "Are you worried that your family won't allow it, or that we don't agree?"
Dai Chengrong put down his chopsticks and said with a worried look on his face: "It should be both! To be honest with the instructor, my family plans to let me take charge of their own militia in the future. As for your country...doesn't the military have scruples about recruiting people? My identity?”
"As an outsider, I can't comment much on your family affairs. But as for the Haihan Army, you don't have to worry about your identity. In fact, many of the officers in the army are from Fujian and Guangdong. It is much easier for people with family backgrounds like you to get an official position in the Haihan Army than in the Ming Dynasty.”
Dai Chengrong responded: "But I heard that people in the Haihan army are not allowed to use money to buy officials?"
"You misunderstood me." Chen Xiaoyu responded: "The advantage I'm talking about is that you have been able to practice literature and martial arts since you were young. You have good brains and have seen the world. When you enter the military, you will naturally learn more than people like me. It’s much faster, and there are more opportunities for promotion. To be honest, my performance during the recruit training period was probably far below your level.”
In terms of physical condition, education status, vision, and ability to deal with people, it is true that people with a background like Dai Chengrong will have greater advantages and can easily get more opportunities in the military. The family's financial situation and the support it can provide are only minor factors that have little influence in the Haihan Army, which pays attention to military exploits.
Although Chen Xiaoyu had only been in the army for a few years, he had heard about the promotion history of many officers through various channels in the army, so what he said to Dai Chengrong was from the bottom of his heart.
(End of chapter)