That means reducing the amount of rice in the set meal and also reducing the size of the steamed buns.

When students order food, ask if they would like an extra spoonful of rice or a small steamed bun.

If it's not needed, then it won't be given.

In this way, while we can't say we'll completely eliminate waste, we will alleviate the problem to some extent.

When everyone heard Li Laosan talk about the meal tickets, they were even more delighted.

Today, Zhao Yuru was in charge of collecting the money. She was so happy that she wanted to clap her hands and praised, "This is a great idea. It saves me from counting copper coins. Even now, I'm still counting one, two, three in my head!"

With the two major problems resolved, everyone felt relieved and went about their business.

Noon has passed, but we still need to prepare the ingredients for dinner, especially to make some dumplings so that the students can have a different taste.

But there's no need to prepare too much, because school ends in the late afternoon. With two hours of free time, students will definitely go out to play, and probably not many will be willing to rush back for dinner.

Unfortunately, everyone underestimated the charm of the new cafeteria. After school, students gathered there with their books, chatting and laughing while discussing their studies in the small garden, creating a lively atmosphere.

There wasn't enough room outside, so some people went into the dining hall, found a quiet corner, and read while waiting for their meal, perhaps hoping to finish eating quickly and then return to the school.

Upon seeing this, Li Laosan quickly prepared tea, but the canteen only had two tea sets.

If you have a few teapots, you can make more trips and refill them more often, but you can't share teacups.

Helpless, he could only use a clean porcelain bowl to make do.

The students were very polite and thanked them one after another.

Firstly, the tea is free; secondly, drinking tea while admiring the flowers and feeling the spring breeze makes it even more comfortable.

Jiayin was sleepy in the afternoon and took a nap in Sun Ersaozi's room. She was woken up by the noise outside, so she leaned out the window to watch the commotion.

As she looked around, a new idea popped into her head.

Previously, the best-selling items around the university were food and drinks.

In summer, they sell iced fruit drinks; in winter, they sell hot milk tea; and on weekdays, they also serve regular tea.

With so many students in the academy, even if each student only drinks one cup a day, the profit would be two coins, which would amount to more than ten taels a month.

This amount of ten or so taels may not seem like much, but it's definitely not small either.

You should know that a strong laborer who works hard for a month will only earn about one or two taels of silver.

Moreover, this is a small business that benefits from the backing of the cafeteria; the costs are low, and even if it closes down at any time, there won't be much loss.

Moreover, students are used to gathering here, sitting down, and having a drink, which helps maintain the cafeteria's popularity.

Thinking this, she hugged her grandmother and clamored to go back to the courtyard.

Grandma Li had been watching over her granddaughter since she had woken up and wasn't making a fuss, but now that she saw the kitchen was about to get busy and she couldn't help, she tidied up her granddaughter's clothes, called Shui Ling and Granny He, and left.

Wenjuan was preparing dinner with her maid Xiaoyue when she saw her grandmother and sister-in-law return. She then inquired about the canteen's business.

She was overjoyed to hear that business was booming.

Xiaoyue, being lively, clapped her hands and shouted, "Let those people on the street see this! They used to say that our family was not afraid of biting off more than we can chew, but how could we possibly steal their business as soon as the canteen opened? Now they must be green with envy!"

"It's almost dinnertime, and the academy gates are open, but not many students are coming out. The days of their crying are yet to come, my child!"

Old Mrs. Li frowned upon hearing this, glanced at her granddaughter-in-law, and said, "We can just say these things within our own family. Don't say them outside, or you'll easily attract hatred."

Wenjuan also scolded Xiaoyue, "You talk nonsense, you can't keep your mouth shut, go cook!"

Xiaoyue stuck out her tongue and ran away quickly.

Jiayin still liked Wenjuan, her sister-in-law, and not wanting her to feel awkward, she stepped forward, took her hand, and said with a grin, "Sister-in-law, I've thought of a great business idea. I'll give it to you so you can make a fortune!"

Wenjuan laughed, bent down and hugged her sister-in-law, not taking it too seriously, and replied, "Okay, when I get rich, I'll buy you a gold bracelet, a real one!"

Jiayin covered her face; everyone knew that she liked solid gold bracelets…

"Then my sister-in-law and I will work together to make something delicious tonight. I'll cook, and she'll do the cooking!"

Jiayin put her arm around her sister-in-law's neck, which made Wenjuan giggle.

Soon, Shui Ling was sent out to buy things.

Actually, what Jiayin needs isn't anything new or unusual, just a variety of things.

Granny He was worried that Shui Ling wouldn't be able to buy it all by herself, so she went along too.

Just as the two left, Tao Hongying and Jia Huan rushed back from the city.

The restaurant business was booming, but Jia Huan, being a cautious person, was afraid that someone might sabotage it behind the scenes.

Therefore, he would stay overnight when his uncle was not at the restaurant.

Even though Luo An lives so close to Xindu, he only comes back once every three to five days.

Tao Hongying was worried about her mother-in-law and daughter. After finishing her homemade dishes and helping out, she came back with Jia Huan.

Jiayin first kissed her mother, then ran over and happily called out to her second brother.

Jia Huan carried his younger sister around the yard a few times and played with her for a while before Jia Yin jumped down and took her brother's hand, walking towards Wen Juan. "Sister-in-law, I'm giving my second brother back to you."

Wenjuan blushed deeply, turned around and went into the kitchen, while Jiayin giggled nonstop, and was tickled by her equally blushing brother.

Soon, dinner was served. After the family of five finished eating, Tao Hongying and Jia Huan, thinking about the canteen, rushed over to help.

At this moment, Granny He and Shui Ling also brought back the things they had bought.

Saltpeter, brown sugar, medium-quality black tea, honey, two pounds of red beans, a small basket of wild strawberries, and a small bucket of milk.

The previous items were not difficult to buy, but this milk was something that Granny He and Shui Ling had to travel to a small village outside the town to buy.

The milk from this farm was sent to the city for nobles to use for washing their faces and bathing. Hearing that Granny He and Shuiling wanted to buy some, they squeezed out a bucketful on the spot.

The two women offered money, but the other party refused, assuming they were just having a baby at home and no milk to drink!

Jiayin hugged her grandmother's neck and gave her a difficult task, "Grandma, help me and my sister-in-law guard the door. We need to secretly work on a recipe and give you something good to drink later."

"Okay, go ahead, Grandma will sit by the door." Grandma Li patted her granddaughter, her eyes full of doting affection. "There's a saying, 'One grandma can hold off ten thousand men!'"

"Hahaha!" Jiayin was amused and laughed heartily. She hugged her grandmother and kissed her for a while before pulling her sister-in-law into the kitchen.

Summer is just around the corner, and actually, Jiayin prefers iced fruit drinks to milk tea.

If it were someone else's family, they would still have to worry, since there are ice cellars in the city, but the ice they sell is too expensive.

But the Li family wasn't afraid. You see, when it comes to Xiankelai, they bring back entire boatloads of seafood from the south, almost half of which is ice. Their extravagance always makes their competitors envious.

It's because the Li family can make their own ice!

Previously, only Li Zhensheng and a steward who had signed a life-or-death contract knew the recipe. Later, Jiayi and Liu Yang lent a hand when the steward was too busy, and he learned it.

Now, when Jiayin tells her sister-in-law Wenjuan, she doesn't think it's a big deal...