The next day, the third son of the Qin family went shopping. Speaking of which, this was his first time to go shopping since he came to the capital. He brought Qin Yi and Qin Jiang with him. Qin Yi used to be with the young master of the official family and often went out with the young master, so he was familiar with the capital. Qin Jiang used to be a beggar in the capital and often begged in different places in the capital, so he was also quite familiar with the capital.
In the capital city, the more prestigious a person is, the closer he lives to the imperial palace, and the less prestigious a person is, the farther he lives from the imperial palace. Therefore, residences are farther away from the downtown area.
When everyone came out of the Qin residence, those who were riding in carriages got off the carriages when they were almost at the downtown area, and let the carriages follow behind.
Qin Linyang held his parents' hands, and stood in the middle, looking left and right, the boy couldn't hide his pride.
Niu Dan also came out today, following his eldest brother. Speaking of which, among all the brothers and sisters of the Qin family, only Niu Dan followed Qin Fang to the capital. "Brother, the capital is so lively, even more lively than the county seat of Yunxiang County before." The county seat of Yunxiang County is the most lively place Niu Dan has ever seen.
Qin Fang said, "Of course." The place where the emperor lives is naturally the most lively and the best. If there is a place more prosperous than the capital, then the capital should be moved. Otherwise, others can enjoy the best things, but the emperor cannot, and this is a problem.
Niu Dan laughed: "My eyes are blurry from seeing so much."
Yang Haiyan said: "If you want to buy something for your uncle and aunt, go pick it yourself and your sister-in-law will pay for you."
Niu Dan said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."
What Yang Haiyan likes most about Niu Dan is that he is not polite. He has a cheerful and carefree personality. He accepts whatever Yang Haiyan gives him. He is not the kind of person who is shy and timid. People with a personality like Niu Dan are the easiest to make friends, but being shy and timid is too pedantic.
Yang Haiyan said: "Let's go look at the specialties first to see what specialties are available in the capital. Qin Yi, General Qin, do you know?"
Qin Yi said, "General, Madam, please come this way. There is a place in the capital that sells special local products. It seems that all the guests from all over the country like to go there, but people who are not native to the capital don't like to go there." Because places that sell local special products are there to make money from customers. People from other places like this, but people in the capital don't.
Qin Yi led the way in front, while Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan led Qin Linyang behind.
There are many shops selling local specialties in Beijing. After all, Beijing is so big, but this one is the largest. This shop is called the Authentic Beijing Specialty Shop.
This name is easy to understand at first glance. Only a clear name can attract customers.
The shop has two floors. After entering, you can see that each floor is very large.
After Qin Yi led the Qin family in, he could still hear people passing by the door saying, "Look, a bumpkin from nowhere has gone in again." Indeed, in the eyes of Beijing people, people who go in to buy local specialties are bumpkins from other places.
"What a country bumpkin, going there to buy Beijing specialties, it's better to buy them separately."
"Of course, it's because country bumpkins like to give money to others."
The Qin family naturally did not hear this.
Qin Fang didn't know what to pick, so he said to Qin Yi, "Pick ten of each item, go and pick." In fact, there were quite a few people in the shop. Not to mention... they were all from other places.
Yang Haiyan nodded towards Qin Yi. There were so many people that she was too lazy to choose. So she turned to look at Qin Fang and said, "Why did my husband choose ten of each?"
Qin Fang said, "There are many people in my family. We have gifts from my family and my grandmother. We are all from the same village. Don't you think that old ladies like to show off?" The specialties given were enough for the three women in the Qin family to show off. The three women were Grandma Qin, Mother Qin, and Second Aunt Qin.
Yang Haiyan didn't expect Qin Fang to act so quickly, and couldn't help laughing out loud.
Qin Fang saw her smile, and his stern expression couldn't help but show a hint of tenderness, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
Qin Linyang looked at his father, then at his mother, then shook his mother's hand and said, "Mom?"
Yang Haiyan lowered her eyes and said softly to her son, "Let's go buy gifts for great-grandfather, great-grandmother, and grandpa and grandma. Does Linyang have any gifts in mind for him?"
A two-year-old child naturally doesn't have many memories, but even if he doesn't have many memories of his great-grandfather, great-grandmother, grandfather, grandmother, parents, and people he often talks about, he can't help but have some impressions when he talks about them. Moreover, children also like to choose gifts for adults, so when he heard his mother ask this, Qin Linyang said happily: "Well, buy a gift for your brother too."
Yang Haiyan touched her son's head and said, "Okay, buy one for your brother too. What about your father and mother?"
Qin Linyang said generously: "Buy it, buy it for Daddy and Mommy too."
Qin Fang really wanted to roll his eyes at his son and say, "That sounds nice, but do you have any money?"
Yang Haiyan seemed to sense his thoughts and glanced at him again. Qin Fang raised his eyebrows when he met his wife's gaze.
Qin Linyang walked in front, and Qin Jiang followed him. Qin Jiang took whatever he said. Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan walked behind their son. Qin Linyang had a rope in his hand, and Yang Haiyan also had a rope in her hand. This rope is called a mother-child rope in modern times. If the child goes out to play, the mother can feel it if there is any noise on the child's side, so as to prevent the child from getting lost or being taken away by human traffickers.
He bought a lot, and from time to time he attracted the attention of people in the shop. A middle-aged man walked in and said, "Brother, are you going back to your hometown to do business after buying so many?" The middle-aged man was a businessman, and he also bought a lot. "If you transport things from the capital to other places and sell them, you can make a lot of money." In terms of specialties, the specialties of the capital are the most profitable. There is no way around it. Ordinary people have never come to the capital. To own something from the capital is a very proud thing for ordinary people.
No, unless they are doing big business or they are in Beijing for something, they will do business like this. Otherwise, the travel expenses from their hometown to Beijing are not enough to make money, and most merchants will not come to Beijing specifically to buy things and then resell them.
Qin Fang glanced at the other person and said, "I am not a businessman. It is rare for me to come to the capital. I want to bring things from the capital to my relatives back home."
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "You are really filial." Many businessmen are good at currying favor with others and dealing with people. Of course, this kind of dealing is also making friends with people, and it depends on the person. The middle-aged man traveled all over the country and went to many places. He made many friends, not just like today. When he saw someone he could make friends with, he would take the initiative to say hello. Anyway, saying hello would not lose a piece of meat, but who knows, it can develop into a relationship worth associating in the future.
Furthermore, the middle-aged man could see that Qin Fang's family was from a wealthy family. From their temperament and clothes, it could be seen that they were not the kind of people who became rich overnight, because they came here very calmly.
Qin Fang nodded without saying anything more.
The middle-aged man continued, "I don't know where this brother is from, but from the sound of your voice, he sounds like he's from Yongzhou?"
Qin Fang is not the type of person who actively makes friends. In the past, as a farmer's son, he knew how to recognize his own identity, so he would not deliberately make friends. Now he has also recognized his own identity, and he does not need to make friends and build good relationships with people, but only needs to do his own duty. However, he does not dislike people like the middle-aged man who deliberately makes friends but does not try to please him.
Qin Fang said: "I have been in Yongzhou for a few years, so I have picked up some of the accent there. I can't tell where your accent is from when I hear it."
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "I've been to many places, so the accents of each place are different. When they are mixed together, you can't tell which one is from which place. Isn't there a market in Yongzhou in early April every year? Merchants from all over will come here, and there are a lot of things at that time. So every year in early April, I will go to Yongzhou to see if there is any business that can make money."
Qin Fang: "I see." He didn't say much.
The middle-aged man said: "Where are you from, brother? I am from Qiuzhou, Datai County. My name is Lin Dafu. If you come to Datai County, please let me be your host."
Qin Fang said: "Thank you, I'm from the capital."
Lin Dafu was stunned, because Qin Fang really had no contact with the capital, so he didn't worry too much.
"Husband, the things have been bought." Yang Haiyan shouted from the side.
"Silver... Dad, silver..." Qin Linyang urged his father to pay.
Qin Fang left and said, "Your father has no money."
Qin Linyang's eyes suddenly widened. He rummaged in his bag, took out two cents, and handed it to Qin Fang: "Here." It was really embarrassing to have a father without money.
Qin Fang took the two cents without hesitation and picked him up: "Let's go."
Qin Linyang began to struggle: "Put me down... Put me down..."
Qin Fang put him down.
Qin Linyang pulled his hand again: "Squat down... Squat down..."
Qin Fang looked at him.
"Daddy, squat down."
Qin Fang squatted down after hearing what he said.
Qin Linyang went around behind Qin Fang and climbed onto his back, but the guy had short arms and legs and could not climb up at all.
Qin Fang: "How about I carry you?"
Qin Linyang patted his father's shoulder and said, "Sit here." Then he pointed at the two people walking on the side and said, "Do that."
Qin Fang looked over and saw a young boy sitting on a man's shoulders, the two of them talking and laughing. Even if he didn't know them, he could vaguely guess that they were probably a father and son, otherwise they wouldn't be so close.
Qin Fang pulled his son down from his back, then picked him up again and put him on his shoulders: "Hold on tight."
"Well, sit tight." Qin Linyang suddenly felt taller. He looked at the kid over there, and there was a lot of pride in his eyes.
The boy was chatting happily with his father. He felt someone was staring at him, so he turned around and saw a younger brother sitting on his father's shoulders looking at him. In the boy's eyes, the one who let him sit like this must be his father. But why was the younger brother staring at him? The boy subconsciously smiled at the younger brother.
Qin Linyang was originally comparing himself with others. His father was the tallest, and he, sitting on his father's shoulders, was also taller than the boy, so he was very proud. But when he saw the boy smiling at him, he smiled unconsciously.
Adults naturally don't know about the children's eyebrow lawsuit. After buying the specialty, Yang Haiyan was going to buy some jewelry for Grandma Qin and her family. She remembered that Du's second sister-in-law Qu had a jewelry shop, so she planned to go there. It's better to make money for people you know than for others. "Husband, let's go to Du's second sister-in-law's jewelry shop."
Qin Fang: "Yes." He supported his son with both hands to prevent him from falling.
Qin Linyang shook his legs and looked around with his head, feeling very proud.
Yang Haiyan didn't know where Qu's shop was, but she remembered the way. Qu had said so before, so she asked General Qin and asked him to lead the way.
It was Yang Haiyan’s first time to go to Qu’s shop. Naturally, the servants inside didn’t recognize her, and she didn’t reveal her identity. She just picked out a few pieces of jewelry she liked and left.
Afterwards, he asked the servants to take the things he bought today back to the house, and he and his family of three went to a famous restaurant in the capital.
"Dear guests, please come in. Would you like to dine in the hall or in the private room?" The waiter greeted them warmly.
Yang Haiyan said: "It's in the lobby, how about a seat by the window on the second floor?" There was no need to talk about privacy. In a place like this, it would be more fun to eat outside.
The waiter said, "Okay, there are seats by the window upstairs. Please come in."
The waiter brought Qin Fang's family to a window seat on the second floor. The three of them sat at one table, and the servants sat at another table next to them. The waiter took out the menu: "What would you like to eat?"
Regular customers can order dishes without looking at the menu. For Yang Haiyan, who comes for the first time, she doesn't know what dishes are available, so she naturally looks at the menu. However, this menu is different from what everyone thinks of as a menu. The menu is made of bamboo boards with dishes and prices written on them. The reason why the restaurant does this is to settle the bill when the restaurant closes every day, because the daily profit can be known by just counting the bamboo boards.
People who use this method to get along with others are quite creative.
For a modern person like Yang Haiyan, the restaurant's dishes are not many, there are only sixteen dishes. But in ancient times, most people only had two or three dishes for a meal. For him, these sixteen dishes are too many.
Qin Linyang sat on the child's chair and said, "Eat, eat, eat, eat..." The height of the child's chair was specially made high. This was for the convenience of the child. The restaurant was quite thoughtful.
Yang Haiyan asked her son: "What do you want to eat?"
Qin Linyang looked at his mother, then at the second store owner, and then asked like an adult: "What delicious food is there?"
Phew… Yang Haiyan couldn't help laughing and pushed the bamboo board with the names of the dishes in front of him: "Whatever dish you want to eat, just take out the bamboo board. Each dish is written on it. Come on, let me choose the dishes today, okay?"
Although Qin Linyang didn't quite understand what his mother meant, he was a child who liked new things and new ways of playing. In his understanding, eating was just like playing. He looked at the sixteen bamboo boards, then at his mother, pointed at himself, then at the bamboo boards: "Can I take it?"
Yang Haiyan said, "Yes, I told you to take it. Take whatever you want to eat. Go ahead." Speaking of this, Yang Haiyan thought of new toys. She would draw them when she got home, and then ask the carpenter in the Beijing workshop to make them. Like all mothers, she wanted to give her children the best, but she also knew that children could not be spoiled blindly, so she would not show mercy when she needed to teach them a lesson. Unfortunately, in these ancient times, there were limited things for children to play with, so limited that they were too poor for her. Therefore, she doted on her children even more.
Fortunately, Qin Linyang is a good child, not as naughty as other children. Unlike children of his age, although he is a bit naughty, he is also honest and cute.
Qin Linyang picked up a bamboo board curiously, then looked at his mother and slowly put the bamboo board into his mouth. Yang Haiyan hurriedly grabbed his hand: "Linyang, what are you doing?"
Qin Linyang grinned and said, "Eat."
Yang Haiyan: “…” Then she looked at Qin Fang, her meaning was very clear, this is your stupid son.
Qin Fang didn't want to say anything more, he was also innocent.
Yang Haiyan said: "This can't be eaten."
Qin Linyang blinked: "Mom said to take whatever you want to eat." What he meant was that this was all said by his mother, and he believed whatever his mother said.
Yang Haiyan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was it her fault that she didn't explain it clearly? No, she overestimated the IQ of her stupid son. No, think about it, when she was this age, she didn't seem to know anything. Anyway, she didn't remember what she did when she was this age.
Yang Haiyan explained: "Linyang, you can't eat this. Look, take out this bamboo board, and then write a word on it. I will ask the kitchen to cook according to this word, understand?"
Qin Linyang stared at his mother blankly: "Use this to cook?"
Yang Haiyan said: "Yes, here, give this bamboo board to No. 2 and let No. 2 use it to cook."
Qin Linyang handed the bamboo board to No. 2: "Here, cook."
The second one took the bamboo board: "Okay, young master, what else do you want to eat?"
Qin Linyang started taking bamboo boards again: "This, this, this..." He took six bamboo boards in a row, "Here." Then he handed it to No. 2.
The second one took the bamboo board and asked, "Are you still alive, young master?"
Yang Haiyan said, "Let's eat here first. We can order more if it's not enough." Then she added, "Serve everyone over there a bowl of egg noodles." She was pointing to the servants' table.
"Okay, ma'am, don't worry." The second one said.
Yang Haiyan said to Qin Fang again: "Sir, can you give me some wine?"
Qin Fang said, "The wine here is not as delicious as the one at home." Whether it was rice wine or fruit wine, Qin Fang drank a lot of wine in recent years, all of which were prepared for her by Yang Haiyan, so he really looked down on the wine outside.
The second said, "Master, I have something to say. Our restaurant has a special recipe for brewing wine, which is passed down from our boss's family. Therefore, the wine we brew is different from the ones sold outside, so the price is a bit higher."
Qin Fang heard it and said, "Then there must be something."
Second: "Okay."
The second one quickly left. After a while, he came up with two plates of dim sum and a plate of peanuts. "Please eat your fill first, the dishes will be served soon."
Qin Fang: "Thank you."
The dishes were indeed served very quickly. There were a lot of customers in the restaurant, and the serving speed was not slow at all.
Qin Linyang picked up the fish with chopsticks. He was already good at picking up vegetables, but he didn't pick them randomly. Yang Haiyan was not afraid of him picking up other vegetables, but she was afraid of picking up fish because he would pick up fish bones with it. "Do you want to eat fish? Mom will pick it up for you."
Qin Linyang said: "Okay, let's eat fish."
Qin Fang drank a bottle of the so-called secret recipe of his ancestors, but he stopped drinking after drinking one bottle: "This wine is not as good as the one you prepared. In terms of mellowness, fragrance, and depth, it is not as good as the wine you prepared."
Yang Haiyan thought that all the wines she prepared were bought on the trading platform. As long as she had money, she could buy any wine, no matter how mellow, fragrant or heavy.
"Oh? You are so generous, my guest. The wine here is well-known in the capital. I wonder what kind of wine is more fragrant than this?" A man in his thirties just walked by here. He stopped when he heard Qin Fang's words. He was not angry, but just curious. He looked at the family carefully. They were all strangers, and they didn't seem to be sent by the rival to cause trouble. Of course, no one would bring women and children to cause trouble.
Qin Fang listened to him and said, "Are you the owner of this restaurant?"
The man said, "This restaurant is one of my father's businesses." However, the restaurant business is good. There are many brothers in his family, so they all want to fight for the restaurant, but his father did not give it to anyone. He only said that whoever has the most promising future will be the one to manage it. And the ancestral winemaking recipe mentioned by the second brother was bought by his father. After this kind of wine was brewed, it was quite popular, so no one ever said that this wine was not as mellow as other wines.
Qin Fang said: "Young Master, please forgive me. I'm not saying that this wine is not fragrant. I just drink more fragrant wines. Compared with that one, this one is inferior."
The man said, "You are too polite, brother. I am not angry, I am just curious. I run a restaurant, so I naturally pursue better things. That is why I am interested in the more fragrant wine in your restaurant. By the way, my name is Shi Jie."
Qin Fang said: "Young Master, you are too polite. I just want to drink the mellow wine, but I don't know where the wine was obtained. I'm sorry that I can't provide you with any clues."
Shi Jie was disappointed when he heard this, but he was not angry: "I see, then can you tell me where did you get this wine? Don't worry, I won't waste your clue. I will remember this favor."
Qin Fang said, "I'm sorry." He didn't know that the wine was prepared by his wife, but he wouldn't say it out loud.
Shi Jie sighed: "In that case, I'm sorry to bother you."
After dinner, the servant went to pay the bill, but after a while, the servant came back and said, "General, the restaurant said that I disturbed your meal just now by comforting the young master, so they will treat us to this meal and exempt us from the meal fee. What do you think?"
Qin Fang said, "No need, just put down ten taels of silver, no more, no less."
Servant: "Yes."