The Rise and Fall of the Last Imperial Cook

37. Scramble for Take-out Dishes

Translator: Zhang Duo

Proofread by Peter Gong

Taihe Hall’s business is really booming. The hall and every private room are all full, and many other customers sit at its entrance and savour tea and melon seeds, waiting for their turn.

Meanwhile, it is even busier at the take-out window at the east of the entrance. Since some popular dishes in Taihe Hall are at 50 percent discount, residents around find it is even cheaper than they buy ingredients and cook the dish themselves. As a result, the moment Taihe Hall opens everyday, people begin to line up there no matter whether the take-out window is open or not. Many people don’t go to groceries to buy ingredients in the morning, but they buy dishes at Taihe Hall instead. Someone queues up for several people, and some hang baskets and basins outside the window to occupy positions for others. In fact, the so-called line is just a crowd of people, and the only difference lies in that some people stand inside while others outside. Once the take-out window begins to sell dishes, the big crowd immediately turns to a surging muddy pool, which is so crowded and noisy, and people jostle, push and pull each other and scold, which forms a lively and dynamic picture of daily life.

Taihe restaurant’s take-out dishes are made in intermittent rounds. Several kinds of dishes are cooked at the same time, and only a dozen orders are available for each kind. There won’t be more dishes available before the next round is ready, but no one knows the time and whether they will be cooked or not. The reason is that business in the hall is still going on. There may be no chef who has time to cook take-out dishes. Therefore, it is no wonder people crowd and scramble for dishes the moment they get ready.

Normally, there should be two chefs who are in charge of cooking take-out dishes which are so popular, and they can prepare a full bucket of each kind of dishes. If so, people wouldn’t crowd and scramble like this. However, it seems that Taihe restaurant chooses this intermittent sales model on purpose. Someone says they want to make sure every dish has the best original taste. Someone thinks they are running the business at a loss in order to earn reputation, so they cannot afford an unlimited discount long. Someone holds the view that the crowded and chaotic scene at the entrance is what Taihe needs, which may attract more people to come in and have meals.

Nevertheless, not everyone wants to see this kind of chaos. Constables on the street, for example, are glad to see a tranquil, still street. There are usually crowds and wrangles, and sometimes clashes and fights. If something happens and it is reported to Yamen, they are to blame for misconduct. So, Chen Erwei, the constable who patrols the streets, comes to Taihe and asks Boss Feng for a satisfactory solution.

After a very short conversation and a few subtle moves, this matter is successfully solved. The solution is that Taihe’s take-out business will go on, but constables will be here to keep order. Actually, though the constables are on guard, people crowd and scramble as usual. The only difference is that they can pass the buck by saying “I was keeping order there but couldn’t stop it” if something happens.

Cai Renxin and Shuixian have been in the midst of people who stand outside the take-out window very early. They seem very incongruous with the whole chaotic crowd for scrambling for take-out dishes, because these people are usually of underclass, and most of them are middle-aged and old men and women. A tall and handsome youngster like Cairenxin and a little miss like Shuixian are usually supposed to step into the hall, order dishes and have them inside. So most people focus on them as well as keep an eye on the take-out window, whispering about them.

Chen Erwei paces up and down in front of Taihe with his hands behind his back. He keeps shouting “We are all neighbors. Don’t scramble. Be generous. Stand in line. Buy in order”. In fact, in the course he doesn’t care about whether people stand in line or scramble. Never does he lift his eyes and look at the crowd at all.

Yet the guy who never lifts eyes still notices Shuixian. Probably Shuixian’s shampoo with osmanthus’ perfume is caught by his doggy nose.

“Uh-oh, aren’t you Shuixian, Miss Qian? How do you come here to scramble for take-out dishes with so many grubby ladies? I think you can ask your dad to come to the hall if you are greedy for any dish. Though he may turn you down, don’t forget I can take you in as well.” Chen Erwei walks to Shuixian, with his eyes cocked and mouth tilted.

“Oh, you are the head constable Chen. Alas, my father is too lazy to walk around while I want to have something for a change. I can’t bother cooking as well, so I come here for take-out dishes.” Shuixian replies, meanwhile, stepping back to Cai Renxin. “Even so, you don’t have to be crowded here. Let’s go. I will take you in and order dishes which are specially cooked in a small pot. Then pack up the dishes and take them back. Isn’t it all right?” Chen Erwei comes up closer to Shuixian. “It’s very considerate of you, but no. I came here quite early and I stand at the head of the queue. Besides, take-out dishes at this window are cheaper than those in the hall, which exactly explains why I don’t cook dishes myself but come here to buy them.” “Aha, these dishes are uneatable. They are all made from leftovers in hogwash to deceive the underclass. Don’t hesitate. Follow me. Step in and order dishes.” Chen Erwei gets into the crowd, reaching out to pull Shuixian. Cai Renxin beside her sees Chen Erwei is about to catch Shuixian, so he pushes Chen Erwei hard, and he is pushed out of the crowd.

“Ha? Who are you? How dare you push me! You know something? You attacked an official. You are doomed to be arrested. Hmm, you look familiar…Yeah! I remember it. No wonder you are running a restaurant but you come here to buy dishes. You do not want to have something for a change. You want to steal ‘something’ for your restaurant’s business! Go out. I will you bring you to Yamen!”

Chen Erwei says, squeezing into the crowd again. He takes hold of Cai Renxin’s collar and tries to pull him out.

Yet few people notice what Chen Erwei is doing at this time because the take-out window is opened. The whole crowd begins to move forward. Cai Renxin is in the moving crowd while Chen Erwei is thrown out of the crowd though he is holding on his collar. As a result, Chen Erwei is stumbling like a package which is hung on the crowd. To balance himself, Chen Erwei has to loose his grip on Cai Renxin’s collar. At that point Cai Renxin retreats further into the crowd.

However, Chen Erwei cannot be reconciled. As soon as he stands firm, he tries hard to push through the crowd, and keeps pulling and pushing in the crowd. He is surprised and feels embarrassed that Cai Renxin pushed him, so he is determined to save his face back. Otherwise, maybe he cannot respected by people from then on. What’s more, Chen Erwei also wants to seize the chance to please Taihe. If he catches Shengxin Restaurant’s deputy boss who comes to buy take-out dishes, Taihe’s boss Feng must reward him with some other favors.

At this moment the crowd has stopped before the take-out window. Everyone lifts bowls, basins and copper coins, hoping the window will open soon. Since the crowd has stopped, Cai Renxin is fixed by people and cannot move around anymore. It seems that Chen Erwei will catch him again.

Shuixian knows that she can’t let Chen Erwei catch Cai Renxin. Now they are still in the crowd, but once people in front of them get dishes and go away, Cai Renxin will surely fall into Chen Erwei’s gripe. Then, she hits upon a good idea at the critical moment. She puts forth his hand through the crowd, and pinches hard on the breasts of two ladies whose hands are raised high.

“Ouch!” “Ouch!” They scream.

“Which rogue is harassing me!”

“What a cheek! I tear your face!”

They put down hands and turn back. The one behind them is Shuixian, a girl who is unlikely to do that. Beside Shuixian is Chen Erwei, who is still reaching out and pushing through the crowd. So they conclude immediately that the rogue must be Chen Erwei. They pounce on him, screaming and scolding, and they beat and scratch him wildly, gnashing their teeth in anger.

Shanghai’s culture has been developing a lot since its opening. Besides, many poor women followed their family to Shanghai, who no longer mind some details of customs. But the society is still traditional and feudal after all. Women are compelled to buy foods outside, and it is harder to be in such a crowd to scramble for dishes in order to improve their family’s diet. What scares them most is that they may be harassed in the crowd. It can be even more shameful than being harassed at other place because they come here for scrambling for delicious dishes, which will be misinterpreted as both gluttony and lust.

Chen Erwei is badly misunderstood because of this kind of morality and social background. Though Chen Erwei is a constable, these two women will defend their chastity and its inviolability in the most strong way. The more resolute they are when they attack the rogue, the better they protect their image.

Chen Erwei is dizzy and flurried under the attack. He quickly gives up the idea of catching Cai Renxin and leaves the crowd. He covers his head with his hands and tries to hide himself from the inexplicable attack, but it is already late. His cap falls off and his uniform is torn in a few seconds, and a dozen of bloodstains are printed on his face.

The people before the take-out window also diverts their attention, and then surround Chen Erwei and those two women. Probably the fun of watching a constable being beaten by two women is more “delicious” than dishes on sale. After all, it is the first time people have fought not for scrambling for take-out dishes, and the constable who keeps order has been beaten. Many people cheer for these two women, so it is clear that Chen Erwei has always been hated greatly.

The window is opened, but the seller is also attracted by the fighting so he fills dishes and collects money in a careless way. Only Cai Renxin and Shuixian still focus on their own business. They hold bowls and get two dishes, and then leave the crowd at once and walk quickly to the other end of the street. Chen Erwei has recognized Cai Renxin, but hasn’t unfolded it. If the seller at Taihe also recognizes Cairen Xin, it must be hard for him to bring these two dishes back.

What they worry about happens. When Cai Renxin and Shuixian just leave the crowd, they find the seller at the take-out window comes out from the entrance and runs toward them.

Seeing that, Cai Renxin grabs Shuixian and hurries back. This street is not so long. The distance between Taihe and Shengxin Restaurant is no more than hundreds of steps. However, Shuixian’s feet are bound so she can’t run fast. It seems that the guy is going to catch them within several steps.

“Take it. You go first. He dare not do anything to me even if he catches me.” Shuixian says. She passes the bowl in her hands to Cai Renxin, and then turns back to the guy from Taihe, blocking him with her open arms.

Cai Renxin curls up his lips with two bowls in his hands. Then, he stamps his feet and stands firmly beside Shuixian rather than follow her order and run back first.

“What do you want? Why do you run after me? Don’t tell me you want to take the dishes we bought back! Do you mean I can’t buy and eat your dishes? How could you run after a girl in broad daylight. I slap your face! Don’t you see that head constable is also beaten up? Aren’t you afraid of being beaten hard??” Shuixian throws a string of abuses after she stops the guy, who is now at a loss for words and in a daze.

“No, miss, I mean…” The guy says some words when she pauses.

“Stop it! You mean you are kind, so you run after me? If so, you must have put poison in dishes and then you catch me to tell me the truth. It’s very kind of you, but it is none of your business even if I take them back to poison rats, as long as I have paid for them.” Shuixian speaks in a bold and straightforward manner.

“No…miss, you haven’t paid for dishes.” The guy finally cuts in to finish a complete sentence.