Chapter 141 (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)

Chai Xingyu's tone was anxious, and his eyes were urgent. Lin Chuntao smiled.

"How does it feel? Do you like the taste?"

Hearing Lin Chuntao's leisurely tone, Chai Xingyu breathed a sigh of relief. It was only because Lin Chuntao was cooperating with him that he didn't have to worry about her selling the sauce to other people. Otherwise, he would have been even more anxious.

"I love it! This sauce is even better than the previous spicy sauce when you dip steamed buns in it. Sis, to be honest, I'm not sure which of these two sauces will sell better in the future."

Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I think they each have their own merits and different focuses. Spicy sauce is definitely more suitable for making soup, while this is definitely the one for dipping steamed buns or mixing with rice. As long as everyone likes it, they will definitely buy it."

Chai Xingyu: "That makes sense."

Lin Chuntao said, "The name will be..."

"Let's call it Lin's Spicy Sauce. It will take at least 20 days to get it on the market," Lin Chuntao said. Chai Xingyu added, "Today is the 24th, so it won't be available until at least the 14th of the twelfth lunar month. It's good to launch it in the twelfth lunar month. It will be close to the New Year, which is when everyone will be buying sauces. After the New Year, everyone will be busy with spring plowing. I think this sauce will be perfect to buy and eat with rice."

Lin Chuntao nodded and said, "The price will be a bit higher than the spicy sauce. This oil isn't cheap either; I've tentatively set it at twenty coins per pound. What do you think?"

After thinking for a moment, Chai Xingyu said, "Let's set it at twenty-two coins."

This soybean oil isn't cheap. He noticed that the sauce was very oily, and that using it to mix with rice would eliminate the need for lard. Chai Xingyu thought that the price should be acceptable to most people.

If they could sell it for a good price, Lin Chuntao had no objections. She then asked Chai Xingyu.

"How many kilograms of the new product are you planning to order? I'll start making it as soon as I get back."

After pondering for a moment, Chai Xingyu said, "Let's make about four batches for the first time." Lin Chuntao nodded. Four batches would cost a little over a thousand, and this sauce would be easier to preserve than the previous one.

Lin Chuntao came today and settled last month's accounts, ordered the new sauces, and after the accounts were settled, the accountant took out a prepayment for the two sauces for next month.

The advance payment for the two sauces was one hundred taels, plus the monthly payment, and Lin Chuntao felt the silver box was very heavy.

She came in a mule cart, and on her way back, she redeemed two large iron pots from the system.

After returning to the village, Lin Chuntao planned to start recruiting people. The work was not difficult, but it required clean and meticulous work, and the workers needed to be able to do it long-term. A lot of sauce was needed, so they couldn't work one day and rest the next, otherwise they wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand.

Before hiring, Lin Chuntao called Aunt Guizhi and Grandma together to discuss paying wages every two weeks or once a month. She reasoned that with more people, paying wages daily would be messy and troublesome, so it would be more convenient to keep attendance records and pay wages once a month.

Lin Chuntao shared her thoughts and added, "If your family urgently needs money, you can come to Meng Yun to collect it in advance."

Upon hearing Lin Chuntao's words, Grandma and Aunt Guizhi immediately agreed.

They saved their daily wages, but instead of receiving them daily, they received them once a month. Given Lin Chuntao's personality, it was impossible for her not to pay them. Besides, if they needed money urgently, Lin Chuntao would give them money directly, not just for their work. For example, when Aunt Guizhi took Lin Shuilian to the clinic without money, Lin Chuntao would give her money directly.

They readily agreed, and Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Thank you, Madam and Aunts."

After the matter was settled, Lin Chuntao went to the drying ground after lunch.

After lunch, many people were drying corn on the threshing ground. Lin Chuntao announced the requirements for recruiting people, and many women in the village were very excited.

Seeing everyone's excited expressions, Lin Chuntao said loudly, "I'll only be looking for a few this time. If you're not chosen, don't be upset. Besides looking for people, I have some other things to tell you all today."

"The corn and beans I planted this year are both new varieties, and I feel the harvest is pretty good. If anyone is interested in planting them, you can come to my house and register with Meng Niangzi to get seeds."

"There's one more thing. I'm collecting chili peppers. If anyone wants to grow chili peppers to sell, you can come and register with Madam Meng. In a few days, I'll get the chili pepper seedlings out, and you can come and pick them up to plant. You can also grow more tomatoes, chives, and cabbage, and I can buy them."

After Lin Chuntao finished speaking, the onlookers in the drying yard were stunned. They looked at each other. Lin Chuntao only said that she was going to register to receive seeds, and did not mention money.

The villagers all thought that since she planted beans and corn so late, she would only harvest a bunch of corn stalks this year and wouldn't get any grain at all.

Who would have thought that her corn and bean sprouts would grow so well? The sprouts weren't particularly vigorous, but they produced a lot of beans. Even before she harvested them, people in the village were saying that her bean sprouts had a lot of small beans, and that they seemed different from everyone else's.

During the days of harvesting beans, she asked Lin Jiaye and the others to help with the harvest. They made many trips around the village every day, and everyone was extremely envious of the bean pods hanging on the bean seedlings.

And then there was the corn. Lin Chuntao's uncle's family came to help with the harvest. Just looking at the corn they carried back made one's mouth water. It seemed that Lin Chuntao's harvest was two or three times that of theirs, even though it was the same land.

Some families were thinking of asking Lin Chuntao to buy some seeds next year, but before they even went, Lin Chuntao spoke up first.

Soon, someone couldn't wait to ask, "Chuntao, is this seed you mentioned free?"

Lin Chuntao looked at the man who asked the question. She originally wanted to give everyone the seeds for free. This year, she planted about 40 jin of corn seeds. All of the 50 households in the village planted corn. In fact, other families did not plant this much corn. She didn't care whether she exchanged more or less from the system.

But then I thought about it, and corn and soybeans are both grains. I was afraid that people would be greedy and that human nature was evil. People would not only not cherish things that are given for free, but they might also think that she had ulterior motives.

She doesn't seek anything in return, but she absolutely doesn't want to make enemies.

So after thinking it over, I decided not to give it away for free. I'll just consider these seeds as a loan to everyone, and they can return them when the harvest is good.

She said, "Fourth Uncle, there are so many people in our village who can't afford to give them away for free. Everyone can register to receive seeds, and when the harvest comes next year, they can return the same amount of seeds to me."

"It's the same with corn and soybeans; you can get chili seedlings for free and don't have to return them."

Hearing that he had to return it, the person who asked the question was somewhat disappointed and muttered, "Judging from your tone, I thought you were giving it to everyone for free."

"What if the harvest isn't even as much as the seeds?"

This question left Lin Chuntao speechless. Lin Chuntao said, "I'm not forcing anyone to come to me for seeds to plant. I can't guarantee that your harvest will be good. I'm saying this to those who want to plant. It's a voluntary choice for everyone."

"Those of you who are worried can continue planting what you planted before, and those who want to try can come to me."

As soon as he said that, the people around him laughed and teased Lin Sihuang, who had asked the question, and Lin Sihuang blushed.

In fact, most people don't have such a critical mindset; they still feel that Lin Chuntao provided them with convenience.

Lin Jiahui has been collecting chili peppers and soybeans everywhere lately. Although he still needs to return the corn and soybean seeds, he can get chili pepper seedlings for free. Buying seedlings would cost a lot of money, so this is like a windfall.

Lin Chuntao first told Lin Cunzheng about these things, and only now is she telling the villagers.

Seeing the villagers happy and imagining that they would all have good harvests and money in the future, Lin Cun was filled with excitement.

Not long after Lin Chuntao returned home, the women from the village came one after another. After chatting for a while, Lin Chuntao kept only six of them. She prepared some vegetable seeds, and those who were chosen stayed. Those who weren't chosen were disappointed, but Lin Chuntao gave them a bag of vegetable seeds, which instantly dispelled their disappointment, and they happily went home.

Because there were more people, Lin Chuntao also set the working hours. If it was too late during busy periods, everyone would be paid. Since they were all villagers, it was good to establish rules in advance to avoid ambiguity and conflicts in the future.

Lin Chuntao was quite busy making a new sauce, so she went to her aunt's house to ask for her help with the chili seedlings.

Since it was announced that people could register to receive corn seeds, villagers have been coming to Meng Yun's door one after another to register. Lin Chuntao and Meng Yun had already discussed how many seeds to plant per acre, so when people came, they would tell Meng Yun how many acres they planned to plant, and she would calculate the weight of the seeds for them. They would register first and then come to collect their seeds after the New Year.

Lin Chuntao took some time to check on the shop's renovation and then checked the opening date after returning.

It just so happens to fall on the first day of the twelfth lunar month.

Lin Chuntao bought some paper and cut it into small pieces. Pei Ying also finished carving the seal for her. Lin Chuntao led Lin Chunxing and the others to stamp it. She didn't make any discount coupons to avoid the trouble of explaining. She just made coupons for a few coins. You can use these coupons to pay a few coins when you eat. It's simple, clear and easy to understand. Lin Chuntao also made coupons for tasting new products.

The date was on it, and Lin Chuntao also stamped it with a seal.

With these things prepared, Lin Chuntao went to the county town to make a shop signboard, and also made two price lists for the dishes. One horizontal one was placed in the shop, and the other vertical one was hung at the shop entrance.

The sign was made quickly; it was all done in two days.

Lin Chuntao took the sign to Yu Meixi and the others to hang it up. Just then, they finished cleaning up and Lin Chuntao settled the final payment.

Once all these things were settled, Lin Chuntao let Lin Chunxing and the others start distributing coupons. Lin Chunxing distributed them at the market, while Xu Sheng distributed them at Sifang Street, also to promote the opening date in advance.

Since the last time we sent out braised eggs on the Mid-Autumn Festival, many shops in the county have followed suit.

This time, Lin Chunxing and her group distributed coupons, saying that these coupons could be used to offset money. Many people who received the coupons looked at them as if they were idiots, as if to say, "This is clearly just paper, how can it be used to offset money?"

Xu Sheng explained, "This isn't money, but if you bring this to our shop to eat, we can give you a 3-cash discount on a 16-cash item. This is a special offer for our new shop just opened, and it's valid from the first to the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month. It won't be valid from the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month."

After Xu Sheng explained, those who had received the coupons were still somewhat skeptical. He smiled and said, "We are Lin's Rice Noodle Shop. We open on the first day of the twelfth lunar month. We are located on Sifang Street. You'll know when you come."

The passerby accepted the coupon, thinking to himself, "That makes sense; I'll see when I get there."

In just two days, many people received the coupon, and everyone was discussing it enthusiastically. Some believed it, and some did not. Those who believed it would mention the braised eggs they had eaten for free on the Mid-Autumn Festival and think that this was another new trick by the shopkeeper. They heard that there was also a new flavor. Even if it was only two or three coins cheaper, it was still money, so they could join in the fun and try it.

Moreover, the coupons everyone received were different. Some people got two coins, some got three coins, some got four coins, and some even got free tasting coupons for stinky tofu soup noodles or tasting coupons for Zhuangyuan soup noodles! You could just take this piece of paper and you could try it.

While everyone was curious about whether they could eat for free, they were also curious about what the stinky tofu soup noodles tasted like, and what exactly the "Scholar's Soup Noodles" were!

Could it be the soup noodles that the top scholar ate?

Because of this speculation, some people in the county town are even buying free tasting vouchers for Zhuangyuan Tangfen (a type of noodle soup) at high prices, simply because they have a son studying in their family and want to bring good luck.

Lin Chuntao didn't have many free tasting coupons; she only gave out eight of each item.

But these few sheets of paper left many food vendors speechless.

Such a small noodle shop has created such a big spectacle; some people are eager to try and learn, while others watch quietly, wanting to see what's going on.

We prepared all the utensils and ingredients in advance for the opening on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Lin Chuntao had already spoken with Aunt Guizhi and asked Uncle Dashan to make a lot of bamboo trays so that it would be convenient to serve dishes to guests, as well as small bamboo dishes for side dishes. Uncle Dashan is very skillful and makes smooth and exquisite small dishes.

On the 29th of the eleventh lunar month, Lin Chunxing went to the market to set up her stall as usual. Lin Chuntao took Lin Chunhe to the shop with some charcoal, trays, and plates. After putting the things away, she took Lin Chunhe to the general store to buy pots, pans, and bowls.

Inside the shop, the tables and chairs were already neatly arranged. The stoves had been renovated, with a row of small stoves in the front for easy cooking of soup noodles, and a large stove in the back for easy simmering and stewing. The kitchen was partitioned off with bricks and fitted with sliding bamboo panels that could also be folded, so that once the soup noodles were cooked, the server could take them directly from outside.

The backyard wall was rebuilt and a door was installed. Three rooms were left in the backyard: one for dry goods storage, and two for living or storage.

As Lin Chunhe helped tidy up, she exclaimed, "Sister, after Sister Yu and the others renovated it, the yard feels so much bigger."

Lin Chuntao smiled.

"Because they have planned out all the usable locations. For example, the backyard used to be very large, but it was all empty and unused."

The two sisters chatted as they put away all the pots, pans, and utensils.

The day for lighting the fire is tomorrow. After finishing, the two sisters locked the door and left.

Early in the morning of the 30th of the eleventh lunar month, the market had already closed. Lin Chuntao wrote a sign and put it there, and Lin Chunxing also came to the shop to prepare the ingredients for the next day.

When the time came, Lin Chuntao lit a fire in the stove and cooked a pot of sweet egg soup. Each person scooped out two and ate them. Lin Chuntao then stuck a few rice stalks above each door and hung a few golden corn cobs and chili peppers at the main gate.

After finishing their work, Lin Chunxing stayed at the shop, while Lin Chuntao took Xu Sheng and Xu Huan to the butcher shop. The pig's head and trotters had to be braised today so they could be sold when the shop opened tomorrow.

Lin Chuntao also informed the shopkeeper about the meat filling, stinky tofu, and vegetables she would need for tomorrow, asking him to deliver them since she needed a lot.

The shopkeeper had heard that they were going to open a shop, and now that the opening day was here, they were ordering more noodles. The shopkeeper repeatedly congratulated Lin Chuntao.

Lin Chuntao smiled and thanked her. She had just moved in today, and it would be important to get along well with her neighbors in the future. She bought two snacks and went back to the shop to get two jars of sauce. One jar was the spicy sauce she had made before, and the other was newly made. She took a small bamboo basket and went to greet Lin Chunxing at her door.