Chapter 7 Cooperation with Chunxilou

While the family was eating, braised pork offal was cooking in the pot. Lin kept an eye on it and would occasionally stir it to prevent it from burning.

Qiao Jiaxing ate with a satisfied expression. When he returned to his room, he quietly told his older brother, "When Mother helps me find a husband, I only have one condition: she must know how to cook."

He spends his days carrying goods at the docks, but he doesn't find much enjoyment in that; all he wants now is a good meal.

Qiao Jiawang was engaged, and he couldn't help but think of Hu Qianqian. His lips involuntarily curved into a smile, and he didn't hear what his younger brother was saying.

It wasn't until Madam Lin brought in the silk flowers that he snapped out of his daze and looked at them.

Lin was a stepmother. Before she got married, her mother repeatedly told her that a stepmother should treat everyone equally, since they were not from the same womb. If she was not fair, people would resent her.

She placed a silk flower on the table. "Jiawang, take this to Qianqian tomorrow. Xiahe is going to have a marriage proposal, and when I bought it for her, I thought Qianqian would like it too."

Qiao Jiawang felt a warmth in his heart when he saw the patches on his mother's skirt. Qianqian hadn't even entered the house yet, and his mother was already thinking of her, which showed how much she cared for her brothers.

After saying that, Madam Lin left. She went to the kitchen to find her youngest daughter and explained, "Silk flowers fade and become unsightly if left out for too long. When you're ready to go on a date, I'll buy you some too. Don't say I'm being unfair now, understand?"

I've made a little more money these past two days, but it's still far from enough to buy a house. A single silk flower costs sixty coins. I originally intended to buy only one, but in the end, I gritted my teeth and bought two.

Qiao Mianmian looked down at her mother's worn-out shoes and the calluses on her hands. She hugged her mother and said, "Look at what you're saying, do you think I'm such a petty person?"

"You've grown up. If it were before, you would definitely have cried." Lin felt relieved. Even her youngest daughter was sensible now, so the family's life would definitely get better and better.

She had arranged with the matchmaker that she would take Xia He to meet the man tomorrow. He was not young, and she hoped to settle things quickly.

Qiao Mianmian and her daughter were busy in the kitchen. The Xu family lived at the alley entrance. Mrs. Xu had just taken her medicine, leaving only Xu Mingxuan in the house.

“Our family originally came to seek refuge with your second uncle, but when we arrived in Lin'an, we found out that your second uncle had moved. Your father went to look for him, and it has been a month now, but he hasn’t even sent a letter back.”

As she spoke, Madam Xu couldn't help but sigh, "My son, now that we are a widow and her son, life is not as good as before. Today's events have made me realize that even when we settle down in the city, we still need to maintain good relationships with our neighbors. They say that a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, and I have truly experienced that firsthand."

Xu Mingxuan listened and nodded.

“I’m telling you all this so that you can let go of your prejudices. Even if you’re a scholar, people like the Qiao family who earn their living through their own efforts should still respect each other. You need to be broad-minded to go far.” Seeing her son nod, Madam Xu let out a long sigh of relief. “I’m fine now, don’t worry. You haven’t passed the imperial examinations yet, I’ll take good care of myself.”

Her eldest son had passed away, leaving her with only this one son. Having witnessed the coldness and warmth of human relationships, she knew she needed to teach her son more about human nature and social etiquette. If her son was fortunate enough to become an official, and wanted to achieve something, he must first learn how to be a good person.

"My son has noted it all down. I'll go to the Qiao family's place to buy meat tomorrow." In his view, exchanging visits was considered a form of interaction.

Madam Xu nodded. "Yes, go and study. If you pass the prefectural examination next month and become a scholar, I will be at ease."

To prepare for the provincial examination, Xu Mingxuan worked hard, studying late into the night every day.

After closing the doors and windows for his mother, he went back to his room to study. He had to pass the prefectural examination this time so that his family could recover.

As dawn broke, Xu Mingxuan took his page to buy meat and saw Qiao Mianmian selling braised pork offal. He struck up a conversation with her, saying, "Wang Chuang and the others all said it was delicious. You're really amazing."

Although his words were stiff, he did his best.

"Well, I'm actually not bad." Qiao Mianmian accepted all the praise. As for being modest, there was no need for that; making herself happy was also a way to make life more comfortable.

After Xu Mingxuan finished buying the meat and left, Qiao Mancang turned to look at his daughter. "Actually, the Xu boy isn't bad. I'm starting to like him more now. He just said that the characters on my signboard weren't clear, and he'd rewrite them for me after school. Scholars are different; they speak so politely."

Unfortunately, he wasn't capable enough; none of his children had ever gone to school, and at most they knew the basics like "one, two, three..."

Qiao Mianmian lived an extra life and could understand some traditional Chinese characters, but the original owner of this body had never been to school, so even if she knew them, she could only pretend not to recognize them.

Seeing her older brother return with the delivery, she handed him a water bottle, asking, "Is the academy very far away?"

“It’s not far. I ran back, it only took me fifteen minutes.” Qiao Jiawang took a big gulp of water. “I was worried that you and Dad were too busy, so I came over to help.”

"No rush, we can manage." As she spoke, a customer arrived, and Qiao Mianmian quickly got up to serve him braised pork offal. "Today is the last day of the discount. Would you like two bowls? Can you give me a discount?"

"Then give me two bowls."

Qiao Mianmian successfully sold two bowls. Looking at the almost empty braised pork offal, she raised an eyebrow and called her older brother to pack up.

"Aren't there some left? Why aren't you selling them?" Qiao Jiawang didn't understand, but he still helped to tidy up.

Qiao Mianmian: "The foot traffic in the market is limited. Our stall is already doing quite well, but the money we earn each day is still far from enough to buy a house. I'll take you to see the pubs. If we could have more sales channels, we would earn more."

"Traffic volume? Sales?" Qiao Jiawang didn't understand what he meant.

Qiao Mianmian then realized that she had used 21st-century terminology, but she couldn't explain it clearly, so she simply pulled her older brother away, saying, "Anyway, listen to me, let's visit more restaurants, maybe we can earn more money!"

Qiao Jiawang still didn't understand, but he just did whatever his sister said.

The brother and sister carried their load on a shoulder pole. Qiao Mianmian asked for directions along the way, and when she entered a restaurant, she found the manager and offered him some of her family's braised pork offal. "Try it," she said. "If you like it, I can deliver it to you every day. The more dishes you have, the more money you can make."

The first innkeeper thought it was good, but his tavern was too small, and most customers bought alcohol, so he rarely ate in.

The second shopkeeper didn't even try it; upon hearing it was braised pork offal, he immediately told Qiao Mianmian and her brother to leave.

Upon arriving at the third restaurant, before Qiao Mianmian could even speak, the waiter came to shoo her away, saying, "Sellers, we're open for business here. You can't come in to do business."

"You've misunderstood. We're not here to sell goods to customers, but to discuss business with your restaurant." Qiao Mianmian kept smiling. As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face. She spoke to him in a friendly manner, and the waiter's tone gradually softened as he asked them what they sold.

Qiao Mianmian said she was selling braised pork offal, and as she spoke, she served steaming hot braised pork offal, saying, "Please try some."

The waiter tried it out and found it quite good, but he couldn't stay there, so he turned around and went to call the manager.

Just then, a customer entered the store, smelled the aroma of braised pork offal, and came over to ask what was being sold. "Is this a new dish at your restaurant? I'd like one!"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper quickly said no, and led Qiao Mianmian and her brother to the backyard. He tasted it and found that the pig's stomach and large intestine were delicious, and the braising sauce was rich. It was indeed better than the braised dishes in their restaurant.

"Young ladies, how much do you plan to sell it for?" The shopkeeper could tell that Qiao Mianmian was the one making the decision.

“We are sincere in our cooperation, so I will tell you the truth. We have a stall in the market, and a bowl costs fifteen coins. If you are willing to cooperate, we are willing to sell to you for eight coins first, allowing you to operate for three days as a trial. After three days, if you are still willing to cooperate, the price will be ten coins per bowl. As for your pricing, that is up to you.”

The strategy of partnering with restaurants is based on low profit margins and high volume, and the customer base for dining in restaurants is different from that for eating at street stalls. If Qiao Mianmian wants to open up the market, she must first offer discounts to attract partners with incentives.

This restaurant is called Chunxi Restaurant. It has been in Lin'an City for many years. It is not the largest, but it is not small either. It has three floors, including private rooms and a large hall, with a total of more than eighty tables, which shows how many customers it has every day.

The shopkeeper sized up Qiao Mianmian and her brother for a while. He had never seen such a clever little girl before. He immediately made up his mind, "Alright, then send over thirty bowls tomorrow. But little girl, if I cooperate with you, you can only cooperate with me and can't go to other restaurants."

"Well..." Qiao Mianmian hadn't expected any shopkeeper to say something like that, but she quickly came up with a solution. "If it's an exclusive partnership, the price will definitely be different. Why don't you try selling it for three days first? If you think it sells well, we can come back and discuss the price after three days. What do you think?"

Every restaurant has its signature dishes. If everyone sells the same things, they lose their unique characteristics and can't build a reputation. Qiao Mianmian can understand the manager's thoughts, but if she only cooperates with one restaurant, she has to raise prices to avoid affecting her profits.

"You little girl, you must have been doing business with your family since you were three years old!" the shopkeeper replied with a smile.

If it were sold in their restaurant, a bowl of braised pork offal would cost at least thirty coins. He could accept raising the price a little for Qiao Mianmian.

After making an agreement with the manager of Chunxilou, Qiao Mianmian happily took her elder brother to the shoe shop. She remembered the length of Lin's shoes and bought a pair for thirty coins. She also went to the market to buy lotus root and other vegetables.

When they passed the butcher's stall, she coaxed her father into cutting off a piece of lean meat.

"Don't tell your mother you want to eat this. Just say I saw that we couldn't sell any meat today, so I'm adding some dishes to the family." Qiao Mancang knew what kind of woman his daughter-in-law was. Yesterday she ate eggs, the day before she ate pork bones, and she hadn't seen any meat for three days in a row. If she wanted to eat meat again today, his wife would definitely be reluctant. "Your dad has thick skin. At most, your mother will punch me a couple of times."

"It's okay, Dad. I have good news to tell Mom today. She definitely won't have the heart to hit you." Qiao Mianmian walked home with a smile.

Qiao Jiawang does whatever his sister says. It was the same when they were selling meat; he always listened to his father.

When the brother and sister returned home and saw that Lin Shi and Lin Xiahe were both there, Qiao Mianmian knew that the matchmaking was over. She went over gossipily and asked, "Fourth sister, how did Officer Yuan go?"

"Oh dear, what am I supposed to say?" Lin Xiahe, usually so feisty, blushed with embarrassment. "Mother, please control Fifth Sister! I'm not talking to her anymore!"

Seeing that her fourth sister had run away, Qiao Mianmian hurriedly went to ask Lin Shi.

Ms. Lin said it was not bad. "The matchmaker told me privately that the man also thought it was good. After our family makes the arrangements, he will come to propose marriage."

"Mother, what kind of person is that Constable Yuan?" Qiao Mianmian was very curious. In this era, one could at least meet with potential spouses before marriage, but it was difficult to know their character or family circumstances. She was afraid that something might happen that would affect her fourth sister's entire life.

"Oh dear, you little girl, aren't you ashamed? It's just like that, two eyes and one nose. You'll see when people come to our house." Saying this, Lin went to look at the earthenware pot and saw there was still some braised pork offal left. She wasn't surprised; it wasn't like it would sell well every day. "How much did you earn today?"

Qiao Mianmian took out the money first, and while Lin was counting the money, she talked about the cooperation with Chunxilou. "Chunxilou wants thirty bowls tomorrow. If it sells well, they will definitely want more. I talked to my father and asked him to buy more pork offal. I also bought some green vegetables and braised them with the pork offal. We can also make money from that."

Upon hearing that it was Chunxi Restaurant, Madam Lin was shocked. "Such a big restaurant, would they really be willing to sell our braised pork offal?"

"Yes, we've already paid the deposit. Just wait and count your money. If it sells well, Chunxilou will definitely want even more. Think about it, our little stove alone can only sell for five or six hundred coins a day at most, but with the cooperation of Chunxilou, making two taels of silver every day is not a dream!" She was good at making empty promises.

Qiao Mianmian's goal is to earn more money first, to buy a new house for her family, and to set up a small food stall. When she has more money, she plans to open a restaurant like Chunxilou, where she can relax and enjoy a life of luxury.

"Two taels of silver a day, sixty taels a month! Six hundred taels in ten months!" Madam Lin became more and more excited as she spoke, until her youngest daughter pushed over a pair of new shoes with a smile, at which point she froze, "What are these?"

"These are for you. Everyone in the family got new shoes last year, except you."

Seeing that Lin opened her mouth, Qiao Mianmian immediately hugged her, "Oh, Mom, the soles of your shoes are almost worn through. Why do I work so hard? It's all so that the whole family can have a better life. Please don't scold me. The shoe seller said they don't give refunds."

"You...you little brat!" Lin wanted to say that her daughter was wasting money, but at this moment her parents-in-law came back from washing pig offal. When they learned that their youngest daughter had bought her new shoes, her mother-in-law also said that they should have bought them a long time ago.

Zhang saw all her daughter-in-law's efforts and said, "Since Mianmian bought it for you, just accept it. It's her way of showing filial piety."

“Grandma, when I earn more money, I’ll buy some for you and Grandpa too!” Qiao Mianmian said immediately.

"Good, good, good. Our Mianmian is the most thoughtful. Grandma is happy just thinking about it." Seeing her daughter-in-law's tears, Zhang went over and patted her on the shoulder. "Why are you crying? A filial child means we've raised her well. It's a good thing."

Lin's nose tingled with sadness. "I...I feel guilty. Yesterday, in order to save money on silk, I didn't buy any for Mianmian."

"Mom, I'm still young. Didn't you say you'd buy me flowers when I go on a blind date? Oh, don't cry. Our family's life will get better and better. You can buy me ten silk flowers later, and I'll wear them all over my head." Qiao Mianmian hugged her mother.

Lin burst into laughter through her tears, "What kind of mess would that be?"

After watching Lin try on her new shoes, Qiao Mianmian went to cook. She was full of energy now because she felt more and more hopeful about the future.