met free Chapter 926 Preparing for a Hot Pot Restaurant
Chapter 926 Preparing for a Hot Pot Restaurant
Lin Ping was the Qin family's savior, so whatever he said went. At worst, they'd just have to eat a pot of inedible food.
After the beef and mutton are put into the pot, their bright red color quickly fades, and a strong aroma wafts out.
"What is this?" Old Man Qin was somewhat surprised. He knew that this fragrance was unusual, but perhaps he was just ignorant.
Lin Ping put sesame paste, chive blossoms, aged vinegar, and light soy sauce into several small bowls as dipping sauces.
The beef and mutton slices are very thin and can be eaten in no time.
Lin Ping picked up a slice with his chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and popped it into his mouth, feeling completely refreshed.
Following Lin Ping's example, Old Man Qin suspiciously put a slice of mutton into his mouth.
He would never forget this moment; the deliciousness on his lips quickly permeated his entire mouth, and the chewing of his teeth released succulent oils that left him with an unforgettable aftertaste.
"Not only does it not have a gamey smell, but it also has a special aroma!" Old Qin praised without reservation, "This is the most delicious food I have ever eaten in my life."
Qin Bao'er also ate a piece, and immediately stuck out her tongue, repeatedly sucking in cold air, "It's so numb, so very numb..."
Sichuan people have been eating spicy food for 300 years and numbing food for 1000 years!
In other words, people in the Sichuan and Chongqing region started eating numbing foods before they ate spicy foods.
At that time, they didn't know what spicy or numbing meant.
"It's not numbing, it's spicy," Lin Ping explained.
Old Qin also realized that none of the seasonings he had just used contained Sichuan peppercorns, so it wasn't numbing at all. Hearing Lin Ping's explanation, he suddenly understood.
"What's the unique flavor of these millet peppers?" Old Qin understood immediately.
"That's right, eating this regularly is good for your health," Lin Ping continued.
He was the one who cured Qin Bao'er's poison, and he was considered a miracle doctor by Old Man Qin. This statement was highly credible, so Old Man Qin ate the chili peppers with all his might.
After the meal, everyone was drenched in sweat and didn't feel the winter chill at all.
Moreover, Old Man Qin felt that his leg coldness, which had plagued him for many years, had improved considerably.
"Young hero, you're right. This stuff really does cure diseases, and it tastes delicious too," Old Man Qin said excitedly.
"Chili peppers can remove dampness from the body, which is perfect for counteracting the climate of Sichuan and Chongqing," Lin Ping explained.
This is one of the reasons why Sichuan people love to eat chili peppers.
"I have a favor to ask..." Old Qin's tone became respectful.
"Please speak freely, Mr. Qin." Lin Ping had already guessed what he was thinking.
"Since this dish is delicious and has medicinal properties, it should be served on the table. I wonder if my restaurant could add this dish to its menu?" Old Man Qin said in a low voice, knowing that this was a bit of a stretch.
After all, every restaurant has its own unique recipe and will never easily reveal it to others. Lin Ping could definitely make a fortune with this dish, so there's no reason for him to get something for nothing.
"I'm afraid that won't work," Lin Ping said, shaking his head.
Mr. Qin was somewhat disappointed, but he did not insist any further. He was content to have tasted such a delicacy once in his life and dared not ask for more.
Jiang Yunying glared at Lin Ping, clearly signaling for him to agree.
"The reason we can't add this dish is because we're going to make it the restaurant's whole business!" To avoid being beaten up by Jiang Yunying, Lin Ping hurriedly explained, "This is hot pot. If Boss Qin really wants to do this business, he should turn the restaurant into a hot pot restaurant and not sell any other dishes besides hot pot."
In Mr. Qin's view, the more dishes there are, the more customers will be attracted; selling only one dish is tantamount to pushing oneself into a fire pit.
"Doing one thing to the best of your ability is more effective than doing several things at the same time," Lin Ping explained.
Boss Qin suddenly realized, "How could I not have imagined that such a young man would understand this principle? It's truly admirable!"
"Besides, hot pot isn't a dish at all, but a cooking method. We can not only cook slices of beef and mutton, but also all kinds of vegetables and seafood. In short, anything edible can be added to hot pot," Lin Ping continued.
Before the hot pot went out, Mr. Qin added a handful of greens, and it tasted delicious.
"Young hero, not only are you highly skilled in martial arts and medicine, but your culinary skills are also amazing. I admire you greatly." Old Man Qin smiled broadly.
This was the first time Qin Bao'er had smiled since he fell ill.
"I can even lead troops into battle!" Lin Ping thought to himself.
As the saying goes, it's always good to have many skills.
Qin Bao'er stared at Lin Ping with an expression of admiration.
Jiang Yunying pinched Lin Ping's skin with her fingernails, clearly urging him to leave quickly and minimize his contact with Qin Bao'er.
"We'll discuss the hot pot restaurant matter in detail tomorrow." Lin Ping smiled awkwardly and hurriedly followed Jiang Yunying away.
Jiang Yunying vented all her anger on Lin Ping, and practiced cultivation three times in one night.
She wanted Lin Ping to look exhausted all the time, so that Qin Bao'er would lose interest in him.
Over the next few days, Lin Ping was busy with the arrangements for the hot pot restaurant.
Mr. Qin's restaurant can simply change its name, but the enormous amount of chili peppers used is a problem.
According to Lin Ping's calculations, the total amount of chili peppers in the entire Meizhou city wouldn't even amount to 100 jin (50 kg). If the hot pot restaurant were to be very popular, it wouldn't even last ten days.
He still spent a lot of money to buy all the chili peppers, using them as his investment capital.
Boss Qin knew that all of this was thanks to Lin Ping, and he had already planned to give Lin Ping 70% of the profits, or even more.
Three days later, the hot pot restaurant officially opened for business.
They didn't do much advertising. As long as the taste is authentic, word of mouth will definitely spread far and wide, which is better than any advertising.
Three days later, the hot pot restaurant became incredibly popular, and Mr. Qin's small restaurant was completely overwhelmed with customers.
At this time, the crisis of insufficient chili peppers began to emerge. Although Lin Ping had written to Yipinju to request the transportation of a large quantity of chili peppers, the journey was long and it would take at least a month even with the fastest horses.
It must be said that Mr. Qin is a straightforward person; he resolutely refused to reduce the amount of chili peppers he added.
Lin Ping offered a good idea: before the large quantity of chilies arrives, the hot pot restaurant should limit sales to ten tables per day, thus ensuring the chilies arrive.
Just as Lin Ping was setting up the hot pot restaurant, Tao Guang had already limped to the foot of the Poison King Sect's mountain.
"That's the situation. That kid not only killed my master, but also threatened to wipe out the entire Poison King Sect!" Tao Guang embellished the story and told a gatekeeper disciple.
"Outrageous! How dare they disregard the Poison King Sect!" the disciple exclaimed in fury.
"Don't worry, the Poison King Sect will definitely tear that brat to pieces!"
After saying this, the gatekeeper hurriedly entered the inner gate, reported the situation to his master.
"What? Tang Lie has been killed?" an old man with a white beard exclaimed angrily. "Although Tang Lie was an outer disciple, he contributed a large amount of silver to the sect every year. This matter must not be left unresolved!"