money player

Paris.

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and there was a slight chill in the air.

The kitchen of Han Gong Lou was bustling with activity.

The chef team from Guangzhou is ready, consisting of 15 people, led by renowned chef Qu Xun.

Du Juan didn't inquire about the treatment the Yangcheng Municipal Party Committee was giving to the chef team. Anyway, the package price she paid was $3 per year, and she also privately discussed with Qu Xun that the chef team would receive a monthly living allowance of 42 francs. She didn't ask how it would be divided.

Basically, the money should have been paid in full, and everyone in the chef team is highly motivated.

The renovation of Han Gong Lou is complete; the next step is to finalize the menu.

Cantonese cuisine has high requirements for ingredients. Not to mention crossing national borders, even crossing provincial borders, the recipes must be adapted to local conditions. You can't just decide what the chef is good at; you have to see what ingredients are available in France that are within the budget.

Adapting to local conditions requires both orthodox methods, such as selecting dishes based on French dietary habits, and unconventional methods, such as adopting what is appropriate, like the two major series of dishes established by Sin Yiu-man – Tang Sushi and Sashimi.

The earliest sushi-like food originated in Southeast Asia, a dish called pickled fish rice. Salted fish and rice are fermented together, and the lactic acid bacteria in the rice are used to extend the shelf life of the fish. After fermentation, the rice is discarded and only the fish is eaten.

It was introduced to China during the Sui Dynasty and brought back to Japan by Japanese envoys during the Tang Dynasty, where it was called "sushi" by the Japanese.

Tang Sushi, also known as Tang Sushi, is a Cantonese dish newly developed in 1951, adapted from ancient texts.

With the rise of the Japanese economy and increased international exchanges, sushi will inevitably spread to the world, due to cultural export and its low-fat, high-protein nature, which aligns with the trend of clean eating.

Sin Yiu-man wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Although it might seem a bit shameless to delve into it, there was room for argument. After all, Tang Sushi was the ancestor of sushi, and even if the descendants' genes were upgraded, they couldn't deny their ancestors.

Tang sushi is easy to make and sell at a good price, and it's also convenient to tell a story. In the future, it can be bundled with other products. In order to reduce marketing costs and increase efficiency, it is destined to enter Chinese restaurants in every corner of the world.

Sin Yiu-man has already made up six, seven, or eight hundred stories to use for spreading rumors, and he can keep making them up if that's not enough.

Some regions in southern France are influenced by Mediterranean cuisine and have a long tradition of eating raw seafood. Representative dishes include Tahitian-style raw fish and tuna sashimi. In Brittany and Normandy, seafood platters are popular, featuring oysters, raw shrimp, sea urchins, clams, etc., which are then sprinkled with lemon juice or vinegar and shallot sauce before being eaten.

Another dish in French cuisine is beef tartare, which is basically raw beef salad. Although the supply of fresh, high-quality beef was difficult in France at that time, it was still a staple dish in some traditional restaurants.

In this way, sashimi-style fish dishes will have no shortage of fans in France. Chaoshan-style raw marinated fish and Hengxian-style freshwater raw fish dishes can also be launched. Following the Michelin guidelines, the portions can be smaller, and more effort can be put into the knife skills and plating. This way, the price can be higher, and the probability of gourmets getting diarrhea in the restaurant can be reduced.

Toilet paper, flushing, cleaning—all of these have costs, so you have to be careful with them.

Liang Qiang, the chef specializing in red dishes, was slicing raw fish, while Cui Xian, the chef specializing in white dishes, was wrapping crescent-shaped steamed dumplings. Du Juan stood behind them, admiring their work, with two French literary giants accompanying her.

Du Juan had the names Matteo Ricci, Johann Adam Schall von Bell, Zhang Cheng, Lagnani, and Segalen in her mind.

The writer had with him books such as "The Complete History of the Chinese Empire", "Travels in China", "Chinese Food", "The Last Days of Beiping", and "The Art of Chinese Cuisine" which was published last year.

Some Cantonese dish names translate perfectly into French, but others sound rather vulgar. Han Gong Lou targets individuals with assets of 100 million francs or more, as well as politicians and celebrities, and has strict dress requirements. Those not dressed formally are not accepted. Non-formal customers are directed to a private "non-repeat customer" area specially set up in the lobby.

Han Gong Lou does not discriminate; everyone in formal attire is a guest. However, it also values ​​the privacy of its diners, quietly solving their worries about being "accidentally spotted." For diners who come to splurge, the food and service are not discounted. For those with ulterior motives, they can also discuss with the next table "how to live on 1000 francs for a month."

For this reason, the translation of Han Gong Lou's dishes must be faithful, expressive, and elegant, and must incorporate French culture and, as far as possible, reference famous historical figures.

Extortionate accidents cannot be fabricated out of thin air; there must be some basis for the claim.

When Du Juan's secretary, Lucy Morris, the daughter of the former French consul in Hankou who grew up in the French Concession of Shanghai, returned from relieving herself, Du Juan and Dai Wenhao began to discuss the translation of "faithful, expressive, and elegant" in a literary style.

In the hall, the French resident singer that Du Juan had invited arrived and began to sing, humming "My Name is Xiao Fang," a Chinese song adapted by Sin Yiu-man from "Je m'appelle Hélène."

A short while later, Ding Jiajia, a singer from the Ritz Garden, also arrived, humming the French song "Champs-Élysées".

Most French people work six days a week, with only a few enjoying a five-and-a-half-day work week. Sunday is the day of worship, and Han Gong Lou is closed. Saturday dinner is the last day of business for the week.

To blend in with the community and to make the most of the freshest ingredients, Saturday dinner will be more lively, with discounts, complimentary dishes, live music performances, and guests are welcome to dance.

As the sky brightened slightly, Zhou Yueyu arrived, bringing some paintings that she had commissioned from her neighbors.

The restrooms in Han Gong Lou are hidden in a corner, and you have to go through a long corridor to get there. Several oil paintings adorn the walls on both sides, adding an artistic touch to the space.

With the mindset of helping the less fortunate, Zhou Yueyu invited almost all the down-on-their-luck neighbors she knew to paint. There were so many paintings that she couldn't hang them all at once, so she selected and matched them, combining them with the season to conceive a theme for July.

There are so many paintings that they could easily support a different theme each month.

The wall had already been reserved for hanging items. After selecting the painting, hanging it didn't take much time. In just a few minutes, Zhou Yueyu finished her work and went into the kitchen.

"Dujuan, is there breakfast?"

Du Juan gestured towards the clay pot on the stove, "The braised shark fin has been simmering for three days, and it will be ready in a little while."

Zhou Yueyu glanced at it and said, "I don't want to eat anything too meaty for breakfast. Would you like some snacks?"

"We need to take pictures of the dim sum, so it won't be steamed for a while. Will you eat the boat fried rice with us?"

"Okay."

Zhou Yueyu responded and picked up a slice of sashimi as thin as a cicada's wing from the cutting board. She opened it up and held it up to the light to admire it. The sashimi slice looked like a semi-transparent umbrella with red lace, which was quite beautiful.

She placed the sashimi back on the cutting board and looked at a plate that had already been arranged. The sashimi was arranged in the shape of a rose, with the stem made of decorated fish bones, making it look very lifelike.

The roses are arranged diagonally, with the words "La Vie en Rose" written in simple cursive script below them in a sauce.

"Is this dish called La Vie en Rose?"

"Yes, it's the main dish of the sashimi series. I've already contacted Danielle and asked her to invite Edith Piaf to come and cut the ribbon for this dish."

How much would it cost to hire Piaf?

"It doesn't cost me anything, but I owe someone a favor."

"Oh, what price are you planning to charge for this dish?"

Du Juan walked up to Zhou Yueyu and said, "I'm having a headache. Selling it for 6666 francs is too expensive, and 1366 francs is too cheap."

Why must it be these two numbers?

"13 is a number associated with good luck in love that arose during the Romantic movement in the 19th century. 6 is used as a sweet code by French couples and also symbolizes the culture of roses."

"Oh, '13à table porte bonheurà l'amour', 'Mon cheri, c'est toi', are these the allusions to these two phrases?"

Du Juan nodded. "That's what Lucy said."

"Is this dish specially prepared for couples?"

This is my plan.

“It’s fine to charge a higher price. French men have always valued showing generosity in front of women.” Zhou Yueyu pointed to the plate. “I think this line of text can be removed after a while, and male customers can specify what to write or write it themselves.”

"That's a good idea."

Are you planning to do a food tasting today?

"We've been testing the food internally, and I plan to start inviting French people to taste the food from the day after tomorrow. We aim to finalize the menu within a month and have a soft opening on August 13th."

"Such a long time?"

"I want to do it more meticulously. Also, the vegetables that can be planted this season have just been planted, and it's unclear whether they will grow. The Qingyuan Ma chickens and Lion Head geese are still incubating their eggs, and it's unknown whether they will hatch."

"Did you successfully grow the scallions and bean sprouts?"

"It's a success! We've already harvested two batches of bean sprouts. After the new batch is harvested, we're planning to increase the yield for the next one," Du Juan said excitedly. "The wild scallions that were sent to Provence have sprouted, and they've also sprouted here in Paris. It seems they can be grown in France."

Zhou Yueyu's Adam's apple bobbed. "I want to eat stir-fried tofu with wild scallions."

"I want to eat some too. I'll just have to see if the wild scallions in the glass greenhouse will have a good harvest this winter."

The two chattered away, drawing sidelong glances from Qu Xun, who was studying French cooking techniques.

Du Ji Tofu Shop in Kitchen Garden has been open for some time. It controls the supply of tofu and related soy products and has no seasonality. It is also a suitable ingredient for dishes recommended by the chef of Han Gong Lou. However, Qu Xun needs to figure out a few tofu dishes that can not only meet the taste of the French, but also look expensive.

Han Gong Lou needs a few tricky dishes that even experts can't quite figure out, so they can sell them at high prices with low costs, thereby increasing the overall profit margin of the store.

At this moment, Qu Xun was pondering a private dish, Taishi Tofu. He was unsure about two ingredients. After a slight hesitation, he clasped his hands in greeting to Du Juan and said, "Master."

"Master Qu, what's the matter?" Du Juan looked at Qu Xun.

"Master, it's like this, I once ate the Taishi Tofu made by Jiang Family Chef. It's made with handmade tofu, bird's nest, crab meat and other ingredients. It's a dish made with simple ingredients but refined. I think it would be very suitable for Han Gonglou, but there are two ingredients I'm not sure about."

"Master Qu wants me to inquire about it?"

"Yes."

"Is the Jiang family the same Jiang family as the Thirteen Heroes of the South China Sea?"

"It's the family of Sima Qian."

Du Juan frowned. "The Jiang family is very prominent. It won't be that easy to get the recipes from their private chef, will it?"

"Master, the Jiang family is no longer the same Jiang family. This year, on Buddha's Birthday, the Grand Historian fell at Liurong Temple and was admitted to Liduo Hospital. He was carried back to Nanhai in a basket by farmers from Nanhai after only two days in the hospital."

Du Juan asked in surprise, "Why are you taking it back to the South China Sea?"

Qu Xun was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously looked around before hesitating for a moment and said, "The Grand Historian is a landlord snake, forcing tenant farmers to pay rent to the King of Hell, and then carrying them back to the South China Sea to settle accounts."

"The Jiang family has fallen?"

"almost."

"I see." Du Juan pondered for a moment, "What's the name of the chef who makes this dish?"

"I think her name is Ah Yin, and she's a housewife."

"Okay, I'll ask around."

After chatting with Qu Xun, Du Juan returned to Zhou Yueyu's side. "I'm going to Versailles this morning. Do you want to come along?"

"What to do?"

“I bought a small dairy farm next to the Louis XIV Hunting Grounds state-run ranch. There’s a lot to do: change the address, check the hay, and go out into the forest to see if the acorns are ripe.”

"You want to collect acorns?"

"There has always been a shortage of alfalfa seeds in France, and there is not enough hay for dairy cows to eat. They have to mix acorn meal and wheat bran. In the past, ranchers would collect swill from restaurants in Paris, but they will stop feeding the cows swill and instead mix in more acorn meal."

"Why not feed them swill? Acorn powder would be cheaper."

"No, acorn powder is more expensive. It's because the master doesn't allow it. The dairy cows on the ranch will be sold in a few days, and a new batch of Normandy dairy cows that have never been fed swill will be purchased."

"He's so meticulous?"

Du Juan nodded. "The ranch was bought with money from the master. The property rights do not belong to the kitchen garden. It is said to be the family ranch. The milk is only for family members to drink and is not sold to outsiders."

How big is the ranch?

“30 hectares, with 30 dairy cows.”

How much milk can a cow produce in a day?

"In summer, it's six or seven liters; when the weather cools down a bit, it can be around ten liters."

"At most, there are only a few family members in Paris. How could they possibly drink over 200 liters of milk a day?"

"Use this."

"Oh." Zhou Yueyu suddenly realized, "He's really particular, he even raises his own dairy cows to drink milk."

Du Juan ignored Zhou Yueyu's veiled criticism and praise, and instead asked, "Are you going or not?"

"I absolutely have to go?" Zhou Yueyu said with a grin.

"You absolutely have to go. If you don't go today, you'll have to go another day. The ranch was bought in your name, and there are a few documents that you need to sign. Also, you need to go to other ranches to order milk."

The French government stipulates that if the landowner of a ranch is not a farmer or the land is used for non-agricultural purposes, the government can forcibly purchase it at market price, and the ranch must sell milk to prove the land's agricultural use.

"Is the French government interfering in this much?"

"The regulations are so strict. The French government has also set an upper limit for the land that farmers can own. In the Paris Basin, farmers can own a maximum of 30 hectares, and veterans can own a maximum of 50 hectares. If they are found to have exceeded this limit, the excess land must be sold within one year."

How much land is in the kitchen garden?

“1200 hectares.” Before Zhou Yueyu could ask any more questions, Du Juan explained directly: “Attorney Desais exploited every legal loophole: farmer nominee ownership, 99-year lease instead of purchase, forest land, wasteland reclamation, mechanized operations. He finally managed to scrape together this small amount of land, and now there is still the risk of being investigated.”

What if I get caught?

“Attorney Desais is applying for agricultural research institute accreditation. Once accredited, there will be no area restrictions on purchasing land for the kitchen garden, and there will be no problem within 1 hectares.”

"They still have money to buy land for their kitchen garden?"

“No,” Du Juan said simply. “The master gave a total of 1 million francs. 8000 million was left in Han Gonglou’s account, and only 2000 million was left for the kitchen and garden. All of that was used for daily expenses. The money to buy the land was borrowed.”

"Bank loan?"

“No,” Du Juan whispered in Zhou Yueyu’s ear, “The Catholic Church has a church land fund. If you find two guarantors, you can borrow money from the fund for 20 years at an annual interest rate of only 6%, which is longer than the bank’s term and 4 percentage points lower.”

Zhou Yueyu also lowered her voice and said, "Is it easy to borrow?"

"Borrowing money is never easy. I borrowed 400 million francs, but only received 350 million."

"5000 million to the guarantor?"

"The guarantor collects the money, but it's unclear who gets a share."

"Someone from the church?"

"Two guarantors, a priest and an abbot."

"Are clergy so heartless?"

Zhou Yueyu held Du Juan's arm and comforted her, "Don't think about the past."

"I'm fine," Du Juan shook her head.

"Did Shuying call you? We're going to her place for dinner tomorrow night."

"beated."

River Seine.

The right bank is opposite the left bank, and the right bank is next to the left bank.

Right Bank, the name of a newly opened flower shop.

Sun Shucheng stood at the entrance of the flower shop, pruning the rose stems with scissors in her hand. Beside her stood Alice Ferrera, also holding scissors and with a cigarette dangling from her mouth.

"Temple Road is very chaotic." (End of Chapter)