Chapter 2741: Those Who Willing Take the Bait

The chef’s eyes lit up with a moment of surprise, then hesitated, saying hesitantly, “Does the noble want to sign a contract with me?”

“A contract is naturally necessary, you can sign a working contract. If you don’t want to work at my residence, my family also has restaurants and wine shops, you can try there. I think your white crisp pastry is very delicious.”

The chef became tense, wanting to go but also afraid.

Chang’an, it is said that place is full of gold and pearls, and the adults there wear silk and satin and eat white rice and white flour, and just by looking at this noble’s demeanor, he seems extraordinary.

If he could follow him…

The chef cautiously asked, “But my family…”

Bai Shan smiled slightly and said, “I’m not an evil person, I naturally won’t separate you from your family, you can bring your family along with you.”

He pointed to Daji and said, “If you are interested and have any doubts, you can talk to Daji. I think your skills are quite good, staying here might be underutilizing your talent. If you go to Chang’an, you might be able to show your skills and perhaps achieve something.”

The capital of Great Jin, Chang’an, is a place many people yearn for, even if the chef is far away in Goguryeo, he is still longing for it.

But leaving his hometown and the familiar place still made him a bit apprehensive, mainly because he wasn’t quite sure about the treatment of serving as a servant for this noble.

So after kneeling and kowtowing, he said, “I would like to think about it.”

Bai Shan nodded, “You may take your time to think.”

After the chef left, he went to find Daji to inquire. He curiously asked Daji, “Are you the family servant of the noble?”

Being a family servant is actually considered an honor among the servants, as they can leverage the master’s power.

Daji said, “I used to be, but now I am already of good status, just still serving closely by the young master.”

Upon hearing this, the chef’s eyes lit up, “Then you must be very capable, having done great service for the master to be awarded such honor?”

Daji just smiled, unwilling to say more at first but thought about it and said, “It’s not bad, but it’s mainly because my two sons in the family are also promising, one is about to study for the imperial examination, so the Old Madam kindly gave me the book for release.”

Being able to study for the imperial examination, the chef clutched his chest, this would be a major change in status!

The chef lowered his voice and asked, “Is the noble’s family prosperous?”

“Our young master is from the Bai Family of Longzhou.”

The chef didn’t understand but it sounded impressive.

He hesitated for a moment, but still asked, “How is the wage calculated for the servants in the family?”

This Daji knew well, the treatment in the kitchen has always been relatively good, and the chefs receive the same wages as the chief maid, a string of money each month, plus clothes for four seasons a year. There is also no worry about food and accommodation, and occasional rewards, it’s generally not bad.

The chef whispered, “How much rice can a string of money buy in Chang’an?”

“This year, it’s about eighty dou per string of money.”

The chef trembled and asked with quivering lips, “White, white rice?”

Daji nodded, “White rice.”

The chef became even more tempted.

Daji continued, “There are also restaurants, wine shops, and tea shops at home, if you don’t want to stay in the residence, you can be a head chef in these places.”

Daji paused and said, “Their wages are not low either.”

Daji was an honest person, unable to say flattering words, but the chef had also inquired with other guards and soldiers about Chang’an, and heard that Anshi City was just about the same as a small town next to the capital, and even a county there is unparalleled in prosperity and teeming with tourists.

The buildings are generally not less than three stories, the roads are wide, there are people from all nations, pearls and gemstones are everywhere on the streets…

Xue Gui walked past them without expression, he couldn’t really understand Bai Shan’s intention, going to such lengths to recruit a chef for what reason?

Surely it’s not just to bring him back to the capital to make white crisp pastry?

Then, when the chef brought his family to express their loyalty and willingness to follow Bai Shan back to Chang’an, Bai Shan smiled slightly and immediately signed a ten-year working contract with them.

He said, “After ten years, if you still want to stay in my family, then continue to stay. If not, I can settle you in Chang’an and grant you good status.”

The chef was greatly moved, kowtowing repeatedly.

Then Bai Shan gave him a bag of gold beans, smiling, “This must be kept quiet for now, the two countries are at war, it’s not good to publicize, so only you and I know about it. Take these gold beans, go buy some good ingredients tomorrow, I need to invite General Yuan Yi and several nobles for a meal.”

“Yes.” The chef bowed and received them.

Bai Shan paused before laughing, “It’s not good to invite the generals for a meal without wine, and bad wine isn’t good either. I wonder which place in this city has good wine in collection?”

The chef thought about it and then said, “Some wealthy merchants and affluent families have good wine in store, but it’s hard to buy such wines. Unfortunately, all the wine shops are closed now.”

“I know rare wine is hard to come by, but since it’s my first time entertaining guests, I must find the best,” Bai Shan smiled, “In my opinion, although good wine is rare, as long as the stakes are high enough, someone will eventually be willing to part with it. Come—”

Then soldiers and guards brought up several bolts of cloth.

These were the good items looted when they broke through Liaodong City, Baiyan City, and other cities, Bai Shan specially brought along.

He said to the chef whose eyes were wide open, “These are high-quality silk from Chang’an that I brought, maybe there are families who like them, try exchanging them, if you can get two or three bottles of good wine, that will be great.”

The chef nodded repeatedly, distractedly carrying the items out.

He dared not pocket such good items.

So in less than two hours, half of the influential families and wealthy merchants in Anshi City knew that the envoy from the Jin Kingdom across the border not only spent lavishly but lived extravagantly, eating fresh vegetables and good meat at every meal, and now also wanting good wine.

Just to entertain General Yuan Yi and a few others, he was willing to exchange four bolts of top-quality silk for good wine, such wasteful behavior.

This was the discussion among those with more informed families, most ordinary people didn’t know who Bai Shan was, nor did they know that an envoy had arrived from across the border, they only worried about not knowing how long this war would last.

But some families were thinking a lot, they could access the highest secrets and also understand the thoughts of certain people.

At a large mansion in the south of the city, a young man hurried into the house, with a servant carrying a bolt of cloth behind him, to tell his father the news he had just received, “I took the initiative to exchange a bottle of wine for the other party.”

The middle-aged man got up to look at the silk, touched it, and said, “Indeed top-quality silk.”

“I heard it’s brought from the capital.”

The middle-aged man sneered, “He’s here for the military campaign, not doing business, why bring such good silk? I guess it’s the spoils collected from other cities.”

“My son feels guilty.”

The middle-aged man casually said, “What is there to feel guilty about? It’s not fake. But this envoy is indeed clever, also quite arrogant.”

From the first day Bai Shan arrived, many people were watching him and the Council Hall. They wanted to know if they could negotiate peace or… surrender.

So they knew all about Bai Shan’s ever-changing menus over these days, regardless of whether he was a pampered noble son, he was certainly arrogant.

And the Second Prince actually tolerated his arrogance, that’s quite interesting.

The middle-aged man said, “Take out another bottle of good wine, tomorrow we’ll go out for a walk.”

“Yes.”