106 – Membership Card System
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Lei Tie picked up the shoes and socks, put them on the shoe rack, and went to the window. The splashing sound of water transmitted out through the door was like it fell on his heart, making it itched. He went over and knocked on the door.
“What?” Qin Mian yelled from inside.
Lei Tie opened the door and went in, “Wife, you said water should be saved.”
Sitting in the tub, Qin Mian looked back in bewilderment, “We are not so poor to this state – OH!”
……
After the snake hour (11:00), all kinds of carriages drove into Running Water Town. The people in the town withdrew their gazes after a glance and kept busy with their business, knowing that Double Xiang House launching a new delicious dish was the cause. Most shop owners were very happy because more people coming to town could boost their business.
Nie Heng also came to Double Xiang House with his younger brother, Nie Xuan, and three good friends, Zhao Yunxiang, Mu Chen, and Chu Han.
As soon as they entered the lobby, the waiter, who was familiar with Nie Heng, invited them to the private room upstairs.
Nie Heng waved his hand in refusal, “We’ll eat in the lobby today.”
“All right. Honored customers, this way, please. Today, our Double Xiang House is offering a whole vermicelli feast. Would Nie Gongzi and the honored customers be interested to try it?”
“We came today precisely for the vermicelli feast,” said Nie Heng. It was also the reason why he brought so many people here. There must be more than one course for the whole vermicelli feast. If he came alone, he couldn’t finish it. Even if he was rich, he would not waste money.
“Great. Table 3, whole vermicelli feast.”
“Some fresh fruits and drinks too.” A look at Nie Heng’s posture showed that he was a frequent customer here. So, the other four did not speak out of turn.
“Yes.”
The waiter came soon with fresh fruits and cold peach juices.
“Eldest Brother, here’s really different as you said,” said Nie Xuan as he looked around. Some time ago, he had been away from home. This was his first time to visit Double Xiang House.
“Whole vermicelli feast,” Chu Han pondered. “Waiting to see.”
They ate some peaches and talked for a while before they saw several waiters coming in line, each holding a tray in hand. They were stunned. The speed of serving was not slow.
The waiters arranged the dishes one by one and then bowed in respect.
“Please enjoy it, honored customers.”
There were nine dishes in the whole vermicelli feast. In the middle was a large serving of chicken served on an extra-large plate filled with vermicelli. The soft and moist vermicelli, the glutinous potatoes, and the strong fragrance of chicken meat complemented each other well, sprinkled with bright red chili and green coriander – not lacking in color, aroma, and flavor. The other eight dishes were Flourishing Blossoms on the Branches, Spicy Diving Fillets, Shredded Three-ingredient Salad with Dressing, Spicy and Sour Vermicelli, Spring Rolls with Sauce, Braised Diced Eggplant with Vermicelli, Emerald Vermicelli Soup, and Fried Vegetarian Balls.
The aroma pervaded and invaded one’s nose. Nie Heng picked up his chopsticks.
The other customers, who were still waiting for their meal, enviously looked at them.
“Table 9, whole vermicelli feast!”
“Private Room 1, whole vermicelli feast!”
……
The waiters’ shouts rose one after another as they ran back and forth. Although busy, their faces showed an excited smile.
Nie Heng tasted the Spicy and Sour Vermicelli nearest to him. The chopsticks in his hand were almost unstoppable. His eyes flashed with complex emotions.
Nie Xuan’s mouth did not stop chewing as his free hand comfortingly patted his eldest brother’s shoulder. He understood his eldest brother’s mood at the moment. The dishes of Double Xiang House were really good. No wonder his eldest brother was under pressure. Fortunately, Running Water Town was not close to Zhaoyang County, and not everyone could run so far to eat here every day. Therefore, Double Xiang House did not have a great impact on their wine house.
“Eldest Brother, didn’t we buy the seasoning recipe from the owner of Double Xiang House? Maybe you can buy their vermicelli too?” Nie Xuan finished his words very quickly and went to pick dishes again, afraid that he would miss them if he was a step slower.
“Talk later.” Nie Heng saw that they were all focused on eating, so he quickly put off his thoughts and wholeheartedly ate.
Soon, there was no empty seat in the lobby.
Manager Sun stood on the high platform with a happy smile and said in a loud voice, “Dear customers, I want to announce that Double Xiang House will implement a membership card system three days later. When your consumption in Double Xiang House has reached a certain amount, you will get different privileges and rewards. For more information, please pay attention to the notice board at the Double Xiang House’s entrance. I won’t delay your mealtime.”
Nie Heng and the others’ manservants sat at the next table. Nie Heng immediately made an eye signal at Chunsheng.
Chunsheng wiped his mouth and ran out. After a while, he came back with a bit of shock on his face.
“What’s the matter?”
Chunsheng replied in a clear and orderly way, “Reporting to Gongzi, the notice stated that after three days, all the customers who eat in Double Xiang House will get a numbered membership card for free, which is called ‘Ordinary Member’. When a member dines and stays in Double Xiang House, he/she has to show this card to record his/her consumption. When the consumption reaches 100 silver taels, the member will be upgraded to Silver Member and can participate in the lucky draw held by Double Xiang House once. When it reaches 1000 silver taels, the Silver Member will be upgraded to Gold Member. Gold Member can enjoy a 20% discount in Double Xiang House, can participate in the lucky draw once a month, and will be provided with an exclusive waiter for personal service. When it reaches 10000 silver taels, the Gold Member will be upgraded to Diamond Member. Diamond Member has the most benefits: enjoys a 30% discount, can draw a lottery after each consumption, will be provided with two exclusive waiters, and get an annual gift of 10 jin of seasonal fruits from Leisurely Farm Residence. If it is a male customer, he can also participate in the ‘Big Adventure of Sweeping Away the Old and Starting Afresh’ held at the end of the year. If it is a female customer, she will get a unique set of jewelry as a present. Also, if the customer is from Zhaoyang County, Double Xiang House will send someone to inform the customer in advance once a new dish will be launched.”
Light flashed in Nie Xuan’s eyes, and he asked with interest, “What’s the meaning of ‘Big Adventure of Sweeping Away the Old and Starting Afresh’?”
Chunsheng replied, “The notice doesn’t elaborate, but it stated that the ‘Big Adventure of Sweeping Away the Old and Starting Afresh’ is different every year, and can ensure that the customers have a good time.”
“Oh?” Mu Chen suddenly spoke, “One can only upgrade slowly?”
Chunsheng shook his head and said, “No, it’s stated that one can make an advance deposit. It’s called ‘recharge’ something.”
“Changjian,” the man dressed in purple called out to the manservants’ table.
A tall and thin manservant immediately ran over, “Master.”
“Three days later, I’d like to have Double Xiang House’s membership card with the number 1. Deposit 10000 silver taels for me.”
Chunsheng quickly added, “Mu Gongzi, I forgot to say that the money is not allowed to be taken out after it has been deposited.”
Mu Chen looked unperturbed, which clearly showed he had made up his mind.
“Brother Mu Chen, are you serious?” Nie Xuan looked at him in surprise, “Even if you come to Double Xiang House to eat every day, you have to eat for 200 days even if it cost 50 taels a day.”
“Interesting, isn’t it?” Mu Chen nonchalantly said.
Nie Heng motioned to Chunsheng, “I want the number 2.”
Nie Xuan, Zhao Yunxiang, and Chu Han were all speechless. There’s more money to burn, isn’t it?
Chunsheng hastily spoke, “Gongzi, there is one more thing.”
“Say it.”
Chunsheng said, “Double Xiang House has decided to make a tea room in the lounge on the first floor. It will open in two periods: from the beginning to the middle of the monkey hour (15:00 to 16:00) and from the middle to the end of the dog hour (20:00 to 21:00). Tea, fruits, and snacks will be served, and a storyteller will be invited for story-telling. By the way, there is a rule that food and drink from outside are not allowed in.”
“It’s nothing unusual, is it?” Nie Xuan disapproved, “Don’t many tea houses have storytellers?”
Zhao Yunxiang shook his head, “A-Xuan’s words are wrong. Neither of these two periods is the regular time for meals. If the story is good enough, won’t the customers, who have had lunch and dinner, stay?”
“We’ll know when we see it in three days,” said Mu Chen.
Nie Heng did not speak. He was shocked by the means of Double Xiang House’s owner. If Double Xiang House was located in Zhaoyang County, he really did not know whether he would deal with Double Xiang House with bad means.
Mu Chen said, “I’m honestly interested in meeting those two owners.”
Nie Heng said, “Those two don’t come here very often. Maybe, they will turn up in three days.”
Qin Mian and Lei Tie didn’t know that people were talking about them, but even if they did, they didn’t care. In the afternoon of the same day, they hired a carriage to Zhaoyang County and went to the brokerage to buy people.
Due to a distinction between men and women, it was hard to buy a single woman. Qin Mian bought a family of three. They were Uncle Quan and Aunt Quan, a couple in their early thirties, with their five-year-old daughter, Miao Miao.
After that, Qin Mian asked the brokerage’s owner to call out all the males aged 14 to 20, explaining that he wanted to buy two people to be storytellers.
Then he told a story and had everyone to repeat.
This move and Lei Tie’s method of selecting the armed servants then had the cleverness of different tunes played with equal skill1. Lei Tie looked at his wife with his dark eyes full of smile.
Qin Mian noticed it and raised his eyebrows to express his inquiry. Lei Tie shook his head.
The most outstanding ones were a 14-year-old Qiangzi, who spoke strongly, and a 17-year-old Ye Fengqiu. Qiangzi had lost both parents, and he was sold by his cruel uncle. He not only had a good memory but also had a loud voice. Ye Fengqiu was gentle and literate. He was good at exaggerating the atmosphere when he was telling stories, which was in line with what Qin Mian had in mind. The only regret was, he had a problem with his right leg, so he walked with a limp.
Ye Fengqiu nervously looked at Qin Mian as he tightly clenched his two fists in his sleeves. He could not find work because of his inconvenient leg and almost starved to death before he sold himself.
He had been in the brokerage for almost a month, and no one had been interested in him. If there was no one to buy him—
At this time, Qin Mian’s voice sounded in his ears. To him, it was like heavenly music.
“Boss, it’s the two of them.”
Not only Ye Fengqiu, even the brokerage’s owner was stunned and took a glance at Ye Fengqiu.
“Are you sure, gongzi? He…”
Qin Mian waved his hand and lightly glanced at Ye Fengqiu, with an expression without disdain or disgust, like he was treating normal people. “Storytelling is about speaking with a mouth, not with the legs.”
Ye Fengqiu’s heart abruptly fell to the ground. He took a long sigh of relief and looked at Qin Mian gratefully.
Since the customer had no objection, the owner naturally wouldn’t have any objection. He cheerfully asked people to get the title deeds of Qiangzi and Ye Fengqiu.
Note:
Footnotes
- (idiom) different approach but equally satisfactory outcome
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