Chapter Seventy Opening

On the first night of the new shop's opening, Zhang Xiaoyi felt like he barely slept a wink.

The stove and pots had been tested, the tables and chairs were polished, the jars on the shelves were full of rice and beans, and the spice jars were neatly arranged.

Even the mosquito net in the third-floor attic was hung perfectly flat.

But she kept tossing and turning, her heart pounding like a little drum.

"Are you still awake?" Xiong Zixiang was awakened by the sound of her turning over and asked groggily.

"Hmm." Zhang Yi sat up and looked at the blurry outline of the room in the moonlight streaming in through the window. "I'm a little panicked. So much money has been invested, so many eyes are watching... Tomorrow, I absolutely cannot let anything go wrong."

Xiong Zixiang also sat up and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Don't think too much. Our soup is delicious, our porridge is fragrant, and we're hardworking, so we're not afraid of not having customers. Go to sleep, you have to get up early tomorrow."

That's what they said. Zhang Yili lay down, and Xiong Zixiang immediately came over, touched her head, and gently patted her shoulder and back to lull her to sleep.

I drifted off to sleep, but it wasn't a very deep sleep.

She got up as soon as the rooster crowed.

Xiong Zixiang also got up to go to the county government office to report for duty.

Zhang Liuyi quickly started a fire, cooked a large pot of thick porridge, and heated up several other things that she had specially prepared yesterday.

She had the idea of ​​making more money on her mind and started preparing a few days ago.

She made a special trip to the pig farms where her father bought pigs, picking out the freshest cuts and buying them cheaply.

When I got back, I used the old braising liquid, added a few newly bought spices, and simmered it over low heat until the head meat was thoroughly braised, with a bright red skin and a fragrant aroma.

The result was quite good; the meat jelly was filled with bright red meat shreds and bits of meat, which looked very tempting.

When Zhang got up in the morning, he carefully tapped the meat jelly out of the basin, cut it into evenly thick slices, and arranged them one by one in the rattan basket.

Then, the braised pig ears and pig tails were finely sliced ​​into thin slices and arranged separately.

These three items were placed on the counter in the partition, covered with a clean, damp cloth, which looked much more presentable than just selling soup and porridge.

Xiong Zijuan and Li Xiulan also arrived early.

The three sisters-in-law worked quickly and efficiently, ladling the cooked porridge into a large wooden bucket and covering it, while also reheating the pork belly and lung soup to a boil.

The newly bought coarse porcelain bowls and plates were washed clean and stacked on the shelf behind the partition.

Xiong Zixiang helped carry the heavy objects inside, removed the wooden planks from the doors and windows and placed them in the corner, set up benches, and wrote and drew something on a wooden board.

Everything was ready, and it was broad daylight.

Xiong Zixiang hurriedly drank two mouthfuls of porridge, gave a few instructions, and then rushed to the county government office.

Zhang Liuyi took a deep breath, walked to the shop entrance, and hung up the simple wooden signboard for the tripe and lung soup and rice porridge written by Xiong Zixiang.

The new shop officially opened today.

The first person to come in was Liu Laoshuan, a regular customer.

He walked in familiarly, looking around: "Wow, it's so bright! These tables and chairs are so comfortable!" He went straight to a table and sat down: "Madam Zhang, the usual, a big bowl of tripe and lung soup, plus an extra penny for sliced ​​lung!"

"Okay!" Zhang replied with a smile, quickly ladling out the soup.

Soon after, the familiar laborers from the docks arrived one after another.

Most of them came because of Zhang Xiaoli's promise that "the soup is still the same soup, and the porridge is still the same price."

Sure enough, a bowl of pork belly soup still cost three coins, and rice porridge was still two coins for a full bowl.

Everyone was quite happy and found seats to sit down.

The small shop quickly filled with people and became lively.

The sounds of spoons hitting the rim of bowls, slurping soup, and acquaintances greeting each other and laughing all blended together, creating a lively atmosphere.

What's even more surprising is that there are quite a few unfamiliar faces!

Some were passing merchants who came in to try the delicious aroma.

Some of them are small business owners in the neighborhood who just want something convenient.

Some were new workers at the dock who heard that a new shop had opened here, with good food and reasonable prices, so they came here as well.

Seeing the bustling crowd and hearing the clinking of coins falling into the money box, Zhang Liuyi, whose heart had been hanging in suspense since last night, finally felt much relieved.

A genuine smile appeared on his face.

"Hey shopkeeper, what's that on that plate? It looks really nice."

A well-dressed merchant pointed to the platter of braised dishes on the counter and asked.

Zhang Yili hurriedly introduced, "These are homemade braised pig's head meat jelly, pig's ear slices, and pig's tail slices. They're good with drinks or rice. Would you like to try some?"

The merchant looked at it and said, "Hmm, looks good. Slice a plate of pig's head meat jelly and bring two ounces of wine."

"Okay!" Zhang Yili replied, and quickly asked his sister-in-law to go to the West Market to get two ounces of wine. He was even happier.

These new items are actually getting ordered!

Business was even better than expected; by noon, the shop was packed with customers.

Zhang Yili, Xiong Zijuan, and Li Xiulan were extremely busy.

Serving soup, porridge, clearing dishes, and greeting guests—their feet never touch the ground.

Even the braised food platter sold out several times, but most of them were served with alcohol. I'm thinking of negotiating with the shop in Xishikou to get some alcohol at a lower price to sell.

Zhang Liuyi watched as the copper coins gradually piled up in the money box and felt that there was really hope for this shop.

Just then, another guest entered through the door. This guest was different; she was a woman in her thirties.

She wore a light green gauze shirt and a matching silk skirt, with a silver hairpin in her hair and a thin layer of powder on her face.

She frowned, gently covered her mouth and nose with the handkerchief in her hand, and carefully walked in, looking around critically.

The shop was crowded, and even with the windows open, the smell of sweat and soup mixed together, so the food didn't smell very fresh.

She finally found a seat by the window, away from the other guests.

"Shopkeeper!"

"Give me a bowl... um, that soup." She pointed to the tripe and lung soup in the bowl next to her.

"Okay, please wait a moment." Zhang Yili replied, ladling out a bowl of soup for her and bringing it over.

The woman picked up the chopsticks on the table, stirred them in the soup, and frowned even more as she looked at the sliced ​​lungs and intestines.

She took a small bite, seemed to think it tasted alright, and then started eating.

As they were eating, the shop door was pushed open again, and a laborer who had just finished work walked in.

He was covered in sweat, his clothes were stained with mud and dust, and his hair was a mess.

Having carried stones on his shoulders for half a day, the smell of sweat and dust mixed together on his body was indeed quite strong. He casually found an empty seat and sat down, not far from the woman in the thin veil.

"Sister-in-law, a bowl of soup and two steamed buns, please!" He had a loud voice.

"Okay, coming right away!" Li Xiulan replied, and went to get the soup and steamed buns.

The woman in the thin veil suddenly put down her chopsticks, covered her mouth and nose tightly with a handkerchief, and shrieked, "Oh! What's that smell? It stinks! Can't a person eat in peace?"

Her voice was quite loud, and the shop immediately fell silent.

Everyone looked at her, and then at the laborer who had just sat down.

The laborer heard it too, his expression froze, his dark face turned red, he was at a loss, and he didn't dare to look at the woman.

He was aware of his own smell, of course, but being so disgusted by a woman in front of so many people made him so embarrassed that he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Zhang Yi's heart skipped a beat.

She walked quickly over, apologetic smile on her face, and said to the woman.

"Madam, I'm so sorry. This is a laborer who works at the docks, so it's inevitable that he'll have a bit of an odor on him. How about... I move you to a seat closer to the window? It'll be more breezy there, and the smell will dissipate faster?"

"Change what?!"

The woman, however, was relentless, her eyebrows furrowed: "Will this smell ever dissipate? It's making me nauseous! How can you let just anyone into your shop? It reeks of poverty and sweat! Can't a person eat in peace?"

Her voice was shrill, and her words made no attempt to hide her contempt for manual laborers.

The laborer lowered his head even further, his hands clenched into fists on the table, his knuckles turning white.

The other laborers around also looked grim.

We all work hard to earn a living; who doesn't have a bit of sweat and dirt on them?

The smile on Zhang Liuyi's face also faded.

She glanced at the laborer who was so embarrassed he couldn't lift his head, then at the arrogant woman, and made her decision.

She walked over to the noodle shop owner and said, "Brother, please have a seat. The soup will be here soon."

Then she turned and walked to the woman's table, counted out six copper coins from the money box, and gently placed them on the table.

"Madam, I'm so sorry to have disturbed your meal. I'll refund you double the cost of this soup. How about... you go eat somewhere else?"

The woman was stunned, seemingly not expecting Zhang Yiyan to do such a thing.

She glanced at the copper coins on the table, then at the unwell-looking laborers around her, her face turning pale and then flushed.

"You...you all...humph!" She suddenly stood up, grabbed the copper coins from the table, and stormed out: "What a lousy place! I'm never coming back!"

The figure in the thin veil disappeared at the doorway. The shop was quiet for a few seconds before a low murmur of discussion broke out.

"Madam Zhang, you...you shouldn't have returned her money...it's my fault..."

"Brother, don't say that."

"Our shop is located by the dock, and we cater to manual laborers. Everyone works hard and sweats, earning clean money and deserves a hot meal. So what if they smell of sweat or have a bit of dirt on them? We'll clean them up when we get home. Our shop doesn't mind! You can eat in peace. If your soup gets cold, I'll heat it up for you."

As she spoke, she picked up the soup bowl from the workbench and turned to go to the stove to reheat it.

Inside the shop, someone shouted "Bravo!" which was followed by applause and laughter in agreement.

"Sister-in-law is right!"

"Exactly! How can you do work without a bit of 'taste'?"

"We come to this shop often!"

The laborer's eyes were a little red. He picked up the hot soup that had been brought back and drank it in big gulps.

After this minor incident, the atmosphere in the shop seemed to become more harmonious.

Everyone chatted and laughed, as if the unpleasantness from just now had never happened.

Business remains booming, with every seat filled at midday.

Zhang Yili, Xiong Zijuan, and Li Xiulan were so busy they didn't even have time to drink water.

As the sun began to set, the workers' calls to leave the dock echoed.

The number of people in the shop gradually decreased, but when it was time for dinner, another group of people poured in.

Most of the people who came this time wanted to have a drink and some snacks to go with it.

Zhang Yili's braised food platter became a hot commodity.

The refreshing and chewy texture of pig's head meat jelly, the crisp and chewy texture of pig's ear slices, and the gelatinous texture of pig's tail skin, paired with a few ounces of strong liquor, have become a favorite for many.

Inside the small shop, people were playing drinking games and creating a lively atmosphere.

Zhang noticed that they were busy until dusk, seeing off the last table of guests.

The shop finally quieted down, and the fire in the stove was extinguished, leaving only a little warmth.

Zhang Yili emptied the copper coins from the money box and counted them carefully. Although she had returned six coins in the morning, the total income for the day was still much better than she had expected.

The three women, an aunt and her sister-in-law, were exhausted and had aches and pains, but they were all quite satisfied.

I tidied up the shop a bit, put the tables and chairs back in their places, and washed the dishes.

Then, the three of them climbed up the sturdy wooden ladder to the small attic on the third floor.

Zhang lowered the mosquito net and carefully checked the corners to see if any mosquitoes had crawled in.

Xiong Zijuan filled a basin with water, and the three of them took turns washing their faces and rinsing their mouths with the water.

Li Xiulan spread out the thin towel she had brought.

"Let's make do with this tonight," Li Xiulan laughed. "This haystack is much softer than our kang (heated brick bed) at home!"

The three of them lay side by side on the small bed. Although it was a bit cramped, after a long day, their bodies felt exceptionally comfortable as soon as they touched the bed.

The window was slightly ajar, with a screen hanging in the air. The evening breeze, carrying the coolness and moisture from the riverbank, blew in, dispelling some of the summer heat.

In the distance, the faint sound of the Zhuoshui River could be heard, along with the occasional shouts from the dock.

"Today...I'm so tired," Xiong Zijuan said softly.

“Being tired is good,” Li Xiulan replied, “Being tired means business is good!”

Zhang Yi didn't speak. She closed her eyes and listened to the even breathing of her older sister and sister-in-law beside her, as well as the faint chirping of insects outside the window.

But his mind was still racing: if the braised food sells well today, he should prepare more for tomorrow.

Could you make several different flavors of that pig's head meat jelly?

And what about that woman in the thin veil... Although she asked the person to leave, shouldn't we also think of a way to deal with the problem of the mixed smells in the shop? Opening the windows for ventilation is necessary, but could we also make some herbal sachets or something to mask the smell without making it too pungent?

As I pondered these thoughts, drowsiness gradually crept in.

On the busy and eventful first day of business, the three sisters-in-law drifted off to sleep in their small attic room, where the river breeze gently caressed them.

Is this woman some kind of hidden danger?