Cheng Tie loved horses, so he was in charge of the carriages. When making purchases, he would buy the horses together and then deliver them to the other two shops.
Granny Wang's rough fingers nervously moved the spice packet hidden in her sleeve, which Du Lian had prepared for her.
Gao Lin, despite having only one hand, was quite strong as he unloaded the meat and vegetables from the basket on his back from the carriage.
"Aunt Wang, why are you spacing out all day? Come and lend me a hand," called out a thin man who was a little younger than Granny Wang.
He got the job himself by asking Ye Erniu and Gao Lin for it.
The odd jobs were unstable, and people had to compete for work every day. When he saw the shop's sign, he decided to give it a try and offered his services.
And it actually got approved.
Wu You grew up begging naked on the streets of Shuzhou City. Only after he gained some strength could he take on odd jobs to earn some money. To this day, he still doesn't have a roof over his head to keep him dry.
This job gave him a sense of hope.
Therefore, they cherish it all the more and can be said to be the people who least want Jiu Jiu to have any problems.
As if waking from a dream, Aunt Wang quickly reached out and lifted the other side of the basket.
Gao Lin glanced over here but didn't say anything.
Wu You is only fifteen years old. He was annoyed when he was looked at, wondering why he was so weak and why he couldn't carry the basket by himself.
Aunt Wang was preoccupied with something on her mind and lost focus again, completely unaware of Gao Lin's glance.
Once the meat and vegetables were on the table, the four of them busied themselves washing and chopping the vegetables.
Gao Lin walked over, leaned against the door in a nonchalant manner, and said casually, "If Jiu Jiu Lu can operate properly for a day, we can get paid properly for a day. I've never heard of a shop that pays wages daily. We have to cherish this opportunity. Before doing anything, we should carefully consider the consequences, right?"
He was very grateful to Ye Erniu. Since losing his left arm, he had not earned any money and had relied entirely on the help of his two good brothers.
There was no other way; with one arm gone, no one would hire him to do odd jobs.
Wu You was the first to agree, "Brother Lin is right!"
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
After preparing the pork offal and meat, Gao Lin took out the spice packet and put it into the pot.
Granny Wang stared intently at the spice packet.
Wu You added water, and others added firewood.
Gao Lin sat by the pot with his legs crossed. Brother Lai had told him last night that he had to keep an eye on it.
He listened to Brother Lai.
Granny Wang frowned, feeling anxious and flustered. Why was the shopkeeper here all day of all day?
A few people sat by the fire, chatting idly.
Granny Wang listened absentmindedly.
Time passed by, and Granny Wang kept shifting on the stool, unable to sit still.
But Gao Lin didn't move an inch until today, when the braised food was prepared, placed away, and the shop was closed.
She didn't even find a chance to change the spice packet.
But I felt a sense of relief.
As soon as Du Lian saw that Jiu Jiu Lu was closed, she quickly entered the Wang family's house.
"Aunt Wang, how is it?"
Granny Wang slumped into a chair and took out the fake spice packet. "No good. The shopkeeper has been watching the pot all day. There's no way to change it while braising the food."
Du Lian frowned. Jiu Jiu Lu was keeping the spice packet too tightly under wraps.
Granny Wang looked at her pleadingly, "Sister Du, why don't we talk to the shopkeeper and give your noodle shop all that extra broth every day? That flavor will definitely attract more customers."
Du Lian shook her head without hesitation, "No way, no way, who would be so kind as to give away the braising liquid for free!"
She would absolutely not deliver. Although they were on the same street, they were both food vendors, making them true competitors.
If giving gifts makes business even better, wouldn't she have fewer customers? Tian Chi didn't need to explain this to her; she understood it perfectly.
Granny Wang said, "I think the owner is a really good person. He'll give it to us if we talk to him. The shopkeeper has lost an arm, and the owner has already treated him. So, let me try talking to the shopkeeper and see what happens?"
She couldn't refuse Du Lian, who had helped her during her most difficult time, and she hadn't forgotten that kindness.
Jiujiu Lu had already lent her a helping hand, and she didn't want to betray her employer's trust, putting her in a dilemma.
Du Lian continued to shake her head, "No, no, if you tell them, it's fine if they give it to you, but if they don't, they'll definitely be wary of you, making it even harder for you to succeed. My poor Quan'er will have to continue going hungry; you practically raised him from a baby!"
Granny Wang sighed; Du Lian's son, Tian Quan, was indeed raised in her arms.
How did things get to this point!
Three more days passed, and Gao Lin was chatting with everyone in the shop.
"I have a good eye for people. No one in our shop would do such a disloyal thing. I heard that in the shop to the east, there was a short-sighted guy who was bribed with a mere five taels of silver. My brother Tie caught him red-handed. This guy had done my brother Tie a favor, and my brother Tie even pleaded for him. But the owner just paid him two extra days' wages and kicked him out."
As he spoke, he scratched his head. "Right, the boss also said something like, 'Once a man is disloyal, he will never be trusted again!' That's a good saying!"
Wu You's eyes lit up as he listened, "That's how it should be! Five taels of silver can be earned in less than three months. Because of five taels of silver, you'll lose even more money in the future!"
Granny Wang smiled awkwardly. She had been so troubled these past two nights that she couldn't sleep, and she was watching her pockets accumulating more and more money.
It's getting more and more annoying!
Seeing that she would miss the chance again today, she felt a little relieved.
Gao Lin stood up. "I'm about to burst! That's enough, Aunt Wang, let's scoop it out and cook it."
Granny Wang agreed, scooped it up with a ladle and let it cool until it was warm enough to touch, then threw it into the stove.
With her back to Gao Lin and the others, she quickly swapped the spice packet with the one in her sleeve pocket.
My heart was pounding.
She tried to calm herself down, put the spoon down, and put the lid on.
She turned around and saw Gao Lin looking at her.
She was startled. "Shopkeeper, it's already burned."
Gao Lin nodded and walked out, muttering to himself, "Second Brother is so good. Even someone like me who has lost an arm can earn so much. People are amazing!"
Granny Wang lowered her eyes; she could finally give Du Lian an explanation.
It was as if she could finally give an account to her dead husband.
Ye Guihua was unaware that her words had spread so far; she was busy staring at the braised food.
Sun and Ye Erniu watched the shop open in the morning, but she spent all her time in the shop.
She also kept an eye on the braised food in the afternoon.
So when Uncle Lin tried to switch the spice packet, she caught him immediately.
She showed no mercy and let Uncle Lin go, no matter how much Cheng Tie pleaded for him.
She remembered her aunt saying, "Once unfaithful, always unfaithful."
Right now, the shop is short-staffed, so she's lending a hand. She'll find someone else after the shop closes.
Many people want to work at Jiujiu Lu, and she doesn't have high requirements: don't give customers a bad mood, and be loyal to the employer.
"How could this place be like this! My uncle is so old and has been kind to the shopkeeper, yet he's been kicked out!"
"Absolutely! These unscrupulous merchants! I wonder who still works in this shop? They really can't survive without it!"
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