Chapter 2223

When the waiter saw that Dai Chengrong was so familiar with his restaurant, 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.”

Dai Chengrong heard this and said happily: "Your second branch is really good at doing business! It's more expensive, just fresh!"

The waiter said: "If you are worried, Master, you can go to the kitchen and have a look. They are all live fish. If there is any untruth, Master will ask the villain!"

Dai Chengrong waved his hand and said: "That's not necessary. I often go to your head office in Yangzhou City. I am also familiar with the two shopkeepers Wang and Wu, so I can be sure 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 per pot, right?"

The waiter laughed and said: "Master Jun, the jade wine has to be transported from Yangzhou, so the semi-colon 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 high-profile guests 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 who serves the dishes. Dai Chengrong

This move was almost half of his monthly income, so he was 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? 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 it. But most of the time

These types of fish with higher market prices will be sold to various restaurants in Yangzhou City for money - the second floor is also one of them.

Of course, these kinds of fish are not produced near Zhoushan, so 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. The scarcity of things is probably the most valuable.

Only rich people who are not short of money can enjoy these special ingredients, but 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 some cold dishes and the Yuqiong wine ordered by Dai Chengrong. However, he did not come alone this time. He was followed by a chubby middle-aged man. The waiter introduced them: "You two

Master Jun, this is the shopkeeper Wang of our restaurant."

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 little human brother... I dare to ask the military master what his name is?" Upon hearing Dai Chengrong's question, shopkeeper Wang confirmed that he was indeed a regular patron of the restaurant, and 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 money with banknotes issued by the country. Dai Chengrong rewarded the waiter but

It's made of 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 reported his surname. Shopkeeper Wang had quickly thought of his identity and responded quickly: "It turns out to be the young master of the Dai family. I am disrespectful... By the way, there is also a private room here. Is the guest who has booked something busy today?"

Now that we’re here, why don’t you invite the two of you to take a seat in the private room?”

"Okay, that's good 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.

In order to meet the unexpected needs, he deliberately revealed his extraordinary status when ordering dishes and attracted the shopkeeper to meet him.

The seven major surnames spend as much as eight thousand on banquets on the second floor every year, especially the Dai family, who are definitely one of the big patrons of the second floor. Dai Chengrong believes that after his identity is revealed, the people on the second floor will

As long as the shopkeeper reacts, he will definitely give himself 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 had 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 it will not exempt him from the bill at checkout.

However, this young master of the Dai family is now wearing a Haihan military uniform, and his demeanor is somewhat military. It is not a big news to spread back to Yangzhou. This restaurant is a gathering place for all kinds of news, and Shopkeeper Wang also

I know that a big salt merchant from Yangzhou has come to Zhoushan recently, and it is said that he wants to discuss cooperation with the Haihan official. However, all 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 trade field.

Dai Jia, the head of the seven surnames, actually let the younger members of the clan vote for the Haihan Army, which meant that Haihan's tentacles had officially extended into Yangzhou. Shopkeeper Wang couldn't help but secretly lamented that his boss had a long-term vision and came to this place eight hundred years away from Yangzhou last year.

Zhoushan Island in Zhoushan Island has a semicolon, which is much earlier than the seven surnames.

Shopkeeper Wang was polite again, toasted the two of them with a glass of wine, and then left the room, instructing the waiter to wait at the door of the private room and wait for orders, so that he could serve 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 would be no need to spend so much effort. 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 having dinner, and we won't talk about any major 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 born as a fisherman. 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 the money was not enough.

There is no need for him to pay out of his own pocket, but he still feels 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 entertaining officials. Naturally, his understanding of the standards for dining is similar to that of Chen Xiaoyu.

There is an obvious difference. In his opinion, the dining conditions must be of a 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 subject: "This second branch building is indeed somewhat famous in Yangzhou, but I have never known what the second branch of it means. You

You often come in and out of this restaurant, so 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 from 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 scoundrel is Yangzhou. This restaurant is based on the artistic conception of the poem, and the restaurant sign is divided into two parts."

Chen Xiaoyu's education level is extremely limited. He only started to receive literacy education after joining the Haihan Army. He only knows two to three hundred common Chinese characters. He seemed to understand Dai Chengrong's explanation, but he only knew this

It is a work from a Tang Dynasty poet, but its meaning is still unclear.

But that is no longer important. Chen Xiaoyu originally raised this question just to change the topic. It is enough to understand its origin.

While he was 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.

Went back.

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 wanted to know about the upcoming training content of their salt merchant children and the arrangements after the training.

Hope to know sooner.

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 items I received when I joined the army, but the training intensity is different.

That’s all. The most basic things will be taught to you, but how much you can learn depends on hard work and your own understanding. But if you want to turn these skills into your own abilities, you have to practice them with real swords and guns on the battlefield.

Only after that."

Dai Chengrong listened very seriously. After Chen Xiaoyu finished speaking, he asked again: "Then when I return to Yangzhou after completing my studies, can I form a private armed force with a combat power similar to that of the Haihan Army, regardless of the cost?"

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.

If you can buy them on the market, you can at most get a few sporadic guns. And the tactics you are learning now are all based on the weapons that 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 understood the meaning behind his words. The military assistance provided by Haihan was limited, although he would teach combat skills and provide huge lethality.

standard weapon, but it is not the same type used by the Haihan 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 had even gone to see the live ammunition target training. He was very envious of their combat effectiveness. But after hearing the answer given by Chen Xiaoyu, he would definitely be lying if he said he was not disappointed.

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 and said: "Of course I have this confidence, but there is no limit to the force. 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 best 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 army have no scruples about recruiting people?

Is this my identity?"

"As an outsider, I can't comment much on your family's affairs. But with 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 a famous family in the world. For people with family backgrounds like you, it is much easier 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 someone with a background like Dai Chengrong will have greater advantages and can easily get more opportunities in the military. And his family’s financial status and ability

The support given was only a minor factor with little influence in the Haihan Army, which valued military exploits.

Although Chen Xiaoyu has only been in the army for a few years, he has heard about the promotion history of many officers through various channels in the army, and what he said to Dai Chengrong can be considered a heartfelt statement.
Chapter completed!