Chapter Eleven Preparations for Opening

  Sun Ximei held a brush, evenly applying ink, and hummed: "You're still writing poetry? First learn to write good characters before talking about it. I think we can just select a few of Li Taibai's poems and hang them up."

  Song Kai thought for a moment, then said: "It's good, but it doesn't have any special features. Let me think of a few more and I'll say them later. First, let me write a couplet... Ah, the couplet is... Red dust, delicious food with fragrant wine, White jade lion's mouth watering."

  "Huh?"

  "Hmph!"

  "Haha!"

  Sun Ximei, Nie Lingting and A Fu spoke out at the same time.

  Nie Ling Tong laughed with joy, "This couplet is quite good. If the stone lion opposite could really spit water, that would be even better."

  Sun Ximei also shook her head, muttering to herself: "Not decent at all, too unrefined. You're a scholar, writing this kind of poetry is an insult to the elegance of scholars. However, hmm, writing couplets is quite suitable."

  As she spoke, Sun Ximei wrote it down.

  Song Kai nodded and said, "Yes, let's have a few more elegant poems. Alright, first, let's start with a humorous poem."

  "Ridiculous poem?" Sun Ximei looked at Song Kai.

  "It's just a not-so-refined poem, don't say Suzhou has no beautiful scenery, in the tavern of red dust we'll meet again, mountains and rivers winding with no road in sight, willows dark and flowers bright another tavern. Hmm, is it written well?" Song Kai looked down at Sun Mei.

  Sun Ximei furrowed her brow, savoring the words carefully in her mouth. "Mountainous roads winding back and forth, no way out; willows dark, flowers bright, another tavern? This is indeed excellent... hmm, truly an excellent verse, with a hint of life philosophy, only... alas, only to be ruined by your first two lines, which should have been a poem with great charm, but ended up being mediocre."

  Sun Ximei muttered to herself as she wrote down four lines of poetry.

  Song Kai didn't care about Sun Xi Mei's attitude, and continued: "En en, well written, come on with another one. Last year when we met, the flower market was as bright as day. The moon was above the willow branches, people made appointments for after sunset. This year when we met, the moon and lamps were still there. But I didn't see the person from last year, beautiful wine wet my sleeves."

  Sun Xi Mei frowned as she wrote, and after finishing the last sentence, she was a little dazed. This poem was Song Kai's revised version of Ouyang Xiu's poetry, although it was not quite suitable for the occasion. However, the strong feeling of longing and separation in the poem, and the scene that seemed to have happened just yesterday, all appeared before her eyes.

  This time, even Nie Lingdang was a bit infatuated. Although Nie Lingdang didn't like reading books, she was the county princess after all, and from childhood to adulthood, she hadn't learned much about women's red embroidery, but she had studied many poems and songs. At least she could see the meaning implied in this poem.

  Song Kai didn't think it was reasonable, and whispered to the two women: "This poem is not good, it doesn't reflect the name of our Hongchen Guest House, how about changing it again, and change Huashi to Hongchen Guest House."

  "Shut up!" Sun Ximei raised her head, her eyes slightly moist. "Poetry is supposed to be a refined thing, how can you...how can you be so frivolous! However...this poem was written by you, and...you still won't change it after all. Please."

  "Go ahead," Song Kai waved his hand, "Let's have another one. This time I really won't make any changes, you write."

  Sun Ximei's body trembled as she looked at Song Kai, "Still... is there more?"

  "Of course, I've been secretly doing some of these things over the years. Ah, you write: 'When will the moon be full again? Ask the blue sky.' I don't know what year it is tonight in heaven's palace. I want to ride the wind back home, but I'm afraid of the crystal towers and jade palaces. The high places are hard to bear the cold, dancing and playing with the clear shadows - how can this be like being among people? Turning the vermilion pavilions, lowering the embroidered doors, shining without sleep. There shouldn't be any resentment, why always looking back at the time of parting. People have joys and sorrows, partings and reunions; the moon has its phases of fullness and emptiness. This is an ancient difficulty to complete, but I wish people longevity, sharing the beauty of the moon together for a thousand miles."

  Sun Ximei finished listening to this poem, her hand holding the brush trembled, and a drop of thick ink fell onto the white paper.

  "My paper!" Song Kai reminded, but when he looked up and saw Sun Ximei's expression, he knew something was wrong. This poem seemed a bit off, so he quickly smiled awkwardly and said: "If it's too long, then don't write it, let's change..."

  Sun Xi Mei suddenly lowered her head, the brush in her hand dancing swiftly, and a poem "Water Tune Song Head" was completed in an instant. She finished writing, let out a long sigh, looked at the white paper under her pen, and said repeatedly: "Good, good, people have joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, good! This matter is difficult to complete, but I wish for longevity, sharing the beauty of the moon together! Good!"

  As she spoke, Sun Ximei bowed solemnly towards Song Kai.

  Song Kai hastily waved his hand, his old face flushing red, "Forget it, forget it, just a poem, no need to be like this."

  "No, not just this word, my calligraphy has also reached a higher level. Previously, Grandfather always said that my calligraphy was only in form, but could only be considered as a craftsman's work. However, today, I have managed to infuse emotions into the brushstrokes, and it feels great! Thank you, Song Lang!" Sun Xi Mei said seriously.

  Song Kai said "oh" and said: "Um, three, almost done, oh, right, there's one more."

  "Really?" exclaimed Nie Zhong and Sun Ximei in unison.

  "It's a poem that advises people not to waste, this one is very short, Xi Mei, you continue... The sun beats down at noon, sweat drips onto the soil, who knows that the meal in the bowl, every grain is hard-earned." Song Kai sighed after finishing.

  This "Du Nong" is good, but after the impact of the previous "Shui Diao Ge Tou", both women are already numb.

  Sun Ximei put down the pen and ink in her hand, took a sneak peek at Song Kai, and then looked at the poem she had written before. In her heart, she really couldn't associate these poems with Song Kai.

  Song Kaike didn't think much of it and said, "Hmm, that's about it. Let's just put these few poems up as a display, and consider it a superficial appreciation of elegance."

  "Song Lang, this is not just a pretentious elegance, this is the real thing. On the day you open your shop, your reputation will surely spread quickly throughout Suzhou, and even reach Chang'an City in just one day," Sun Xi Mei said seriously.

  "Ah? Alright, this won't do, this really won't do," Song Kai rubbed his head, "the signature, the signature you wrote... is it someone else's handwriting?"

  "Why?" Sun Ximei looked at Song Kai with a curious expression. "If it really spreads to Chang'an City, within a year, your career will be smooth sailing."

  "The key is this, I've forgotten many things and don't like being an official. If I were really summoned by those officials in Chang'an City, I would definitely make a mess of things. Alright, alright, just write the closing..."

  "Then write about me!" Nie Lingdang walked up with a smile, "Write about me, I want to taste the flavor of being famous all over the world. Hmm, just write 'Nie Hong's work'."

  Song Kai looked at Nie Lingdang and then nodded, "Yes, write down Nie Hong as the recipient."

  Sun Ximei sighed and wrote down her signature with a hint of curiosity towards Lu Yun in her heart.

  Then Song Kai asked Ah Fu to buy some of Li Bai's poems tomorrow and hang them on the wall together.

  Sun Ximei walked to the medical clinic with a somewhat disheartened and listless expression. The few poems she had just read had a great impact on her. She had always disliked needlework, and from a young age, she liked reading books and writing words. With exceptional intelligence, she learned much better than her brothers. Later, she followed Sun Tang to learn medicine, and with good comprehension, she quickly grasped it. Although she didn't usually diagnose people's illnesses, her brothers and uncles knew that this female doctor was not inferior to them, and in a few more years, she would steadily surpass them.

  It's precisely because of this that there aren't many men who can catch Sun Ximei's eye, but recently, Song Kai's recitation of a few poems has made Sun Ximei feel wave after wave of weakness, as if she can only look up to him.

  Back at the inn, Xue Wei Hai happened to come visit Zhou Ce who was bedridden with illness. Seeing Sun Xi Mei return, Xue Wei Hai smiled and asked, "When will Song Kai's inn completely fall?"

  Sun Ximei bowed slightly to Xue Weihai, then lowered her head and said: "I'm afraid... I'm afraid it won't decline, on the day of opening the shop, it will surely make Suzhou city sensational."

  After finishing speaking, Sun Ximei went back to her own room in the backyard.

  Sun Tang and Xue Wei Hai are both puzzled, unable to understand Sun Xi Mei's meaning.

  In the Hongchen Guest House, Nie Lingdang looked at several poems and couldn't help but laugh. She raised her hand and patted Song Kai's shoulder, "Not bad, Song Kai, I really didn't expect it, you're actually a hidden genius."

  A Fu just smiled foolishly, he couldn't understand poetry, but it seemed that his little master was really amazing.

  Song Kai waved his hand, "Stop smiling, hurry up and come help with the wine steaming. In these two days, at least 50 kilograms must be made."

  Nie Ling Tong hummed and went to work.

  Without mentioning the tense preparations in the guest house, early next morning, as soon as the city gate opened, Ah Fu brought the recruitment notice to a stone pillar not far from the city gate, stepped on several stones, and posted the large white recruitment notice on the stone pillar.

  Generally speaking, only government notices are posted outside, and businesses rarely use this method to advertise. It's not that no one thought of it, but mainly because paper is too expensive these days, and there aren't many people who can read.

  However, Song Kai's recruitment notice is still attractive, mainly because each month has three taels of silver salary, which is quite good.

  Ah Fu stood on one side, protecting the recruitment notice. The people who came to watch were wave after wave, mostly just laughing a few times and then passing by. In this era, there weren't many people with culinary skills, and those who were good at cooking were mostly servants in wealthy families, such as those of local tyrants, rich merchants, or royal households, all of whom had been specially trained at great expense.

  In the Red Dust Inn, around afternoon time, a stout fellow with big ears stuck his head in at the door and looked around.

  Song Kai sat behind the counter, pointing at the fat man and asked: "What's your business?"

  That guy turned around and took a glance, then shrugging his shoulders, he trotted towards the shop entrance in small steps, "Hey, you guys, are you hiring a cook?"

  "Are you a chef?" Song Kai looked the newcomer up and down, who was over 1.7 meters tall, but extremely sturdy, with thick facial muscles, a protruding belly like he was nine months pregnant, and a round, bulging head, which didn't seem to be that of a deceitful person judging by his appearance.

  "Yes, yes, I'm a chef. I used to be the head chef at the Taishi... I've been cooking for years, and this is my family's traditional iron knife. Look, it has the words 'Zhao Family Cuisine' engraved on it, bestowed by Emperor Yang of Sui himself. There's only one like it in all of Tang Dynasty." As he spoke, he pulled out a black iron knife from his backpack, and indeed, the three characters "Zhao Family Cuisine" were carved onto it. Although I didn't know if it was really made of meteorite iron, its origins were certainly impressive.

  Song Kai nodded and said: "Let's try it out for half a month first, come on, follow me to the kitchen to prepare a few dishes. If you pass, then you're hired."

  The fat man's face broke into a smile, "Alright, but you have to cover our food and lodging."

  "That's natural."