The Zhang family didn't know that the shop had been bought back.
During the first few days of the New Year, it was not convenient to say much because of the coming and going of people in the family. In fact, everyone had made up their minds - to follow Miao Wan!
At night, when the children are asleep, the couple always have time to talk.
Zhang Dazhuang actually didn't have much of an idea. Whether the shop was open or not, the Zhang family would belong to him in the future.
His younger brothers are willing to work hard, and he is also willing to make money with them, no matter how hard it is.
But if his younger brothers don't have any ideas, he will listen to his family.
But Yu didn't think so. She was the one who looked most like Madam Zhang, and she would pull Zhang Dazhuang's ears and nag him at night.
"Whether you buy a shop or not, you still have to butcher pigs. But if we can raise pigs at home, you and Dad won't have to go out of town to collect pigs, and you won't have to apologize to other butchers."
"As for that shop, even though Third Brother is in charge, it belongs to the Zhang family. To put it bluntly, even if the family splits up, you'll get the lion's share, or at least it's split equally."
"It makes the work easier and I can get some free money. Only a fool would not want it. I must buy the shop!"
Seeing Zhang Dazhuang remained silent, Yu turned over and huddled in his arms. "Even if you don't consider yourself, you have to consider our Goudan. Can you guarantee that I won't get pregnant again?"
Huh? Zhang Dazhuang would be excited if he heard that.
Apart from taking care of his parents and doing housework, he spent all his energy on Yu.
Nowadays, people believe that having more children brings more blessings, and no matter how many sons you have, it is never too many. If you want to have more sons, you have to earn more money to support them. No one wants to be poor all his life.
Zhang Erzhuang and his wife were even more willing to buy a shop.
Zhang Erzhuang felt that no matter whether he was learning cooking from Sun Laohuo or raising pigs, at least he was no longer the ignored one at home, and he was finally useful.
Yang was a woman, and she was as thoughtful as the eldest sister-in-law. "The Zhang family will belong to my eldest brother in the future. If he buys the shop, we should get a share, right? Why are you still learning to be a cook? Just raise pigs! I can pass on the pig-raising skills to Donkey Egg, and I won't be afraid that Tiezhu and Maodan will have nothing to share with them."
Build a pig farm. Since the Zhang family belongs to the eldest brother in the future, the pig farm should also be divided among them, right? This is all family property!
Zhang Erzhuang was a little worried, "But I don't know how to raise pigs, or slaughter them..."
"If you can't raise pigs, can you raise children? I have raised three kids, I don't believe you can't raise pigs." Yang didn't believe it.
"I'll ask my parents to find out later. My sisters-in-law are all from the village and married to the town. As long as there's meat to eat in the future, they will definitely be able to find out everything."
In this way, Yang made the final decision, and Zhang Erzhuang was already happy about it. Every day, the two of them were anxiously waiting for the family to express their opinion.
Only in the third house, which did not seem to have an advantage, was Mrs. Sun not very happy.
"Aren't you doing well in Wa City? You can even get tips occasionally."
"Even though you are the owner of the shop, it belongs to your family, and all the tips go to the waiters."
"We can make money in Wa City, and you're in charge. It would be great if we could save the money for Tiedan and Ludan. Even if we split up in the future, we can use the money we save to open a small shop."
Zhang Sanzhuang said she was overthinking it. "Do you think we can just open this shop? Putting aside whether the recipe is ours or not, even if we're just doing ordinary business, running a shop is definitely different from setting up a stall in the tile market. The welcoming and seeing off of guests, the social etiquette, even getting to know wealthy gentlemen—all these things can only be experienced in a shop."
Sun thought, "Then don't you deal with traveling merchants every day in Wa City?"
Zhang Sanzhuang: "Well, are they targeting us? A former shopkeeper going out to start his own business versus someone who hasn't been a shopkeeper before, you should know which one will make more money. "
He didn't bother to explain the complicated details to Sun. "The family's money is held by my mother. Even if we pay for Gawazi's education, my second brother has many children, right? When the family is divided in the future, my eldest brother will get the lion's share, right? If I were to manage a shop, and my father-in-law was the chef, I could give the money to my eldest and second brothers. We'd get a well-established business for free. Don't you understand this?"
Sun knew what was going on, but although she didn't want to admit it, she was just like Madam Sun in her cowardice.
Everyone wants to make money, but she was afraid of the troubles that Qiao Da mentioned.
"Do we have enough money? We have earned more than five hundred taels in total. If we buy a shop, do we have to pay out the money we got?" Sun felt a little painful. She had finally held the money in her hand, and it wasn't even warm yet.
"No need, there is definitely enough money at home. Have you forgotten that we also sell toothbrushes and toothpaste?" Zhang Sanzhuang reminded.
He probably knew how much money the family had better than Mrs. Zhang, who held the money.
He knew his wife's temper and said to her, "You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your child. If anything goes wrong, the Qiao family will definitely be the first to take the blame. We are just honest and obedient. They are not afraid, so why should we be afraid? If you are afraid of this and that, then we might as well not even go to the tile market."
Sun's face turned pale and red as she told Zhang Sanzhuang what she was saying. She glared at him, "I'm not discussing this with you. When have I ever had the final say in our family? It's always you who has the final say."
If you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, you follow the dog. If you marry a firecracker, you leave with it. Can't she say a few words?
Seeing that his wife backed down so quickly, Zhang Sanzhuang knew that she was actually willing to make more money. He smiled and hugged his wife, kissed her, and said nothing more.
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Butcher Zhang took his eldest son to a Taoist temple outside the town and invited back a statue of the God of Wealth - Marshal Zhengyi Xuantan.
Miao Wan leaned on the door frame and took a closer look. This God of Wealth, Zhao, was wearing a red robe with auspicious clouds and dragons, a golden ruyi hanging from his waist, and a coin jar in his hand. Even the branches of his hat and hood were shaped like red square-holed coins.
Wow, it can be said that the golden light of the God of Wealth is displayed in all directions.
She nodded secretly, this God of Wealth looked like he could get money.
All three families attach great importance to the ceremony of welcoming the God of Wealth.
To welcome the God of Wealth, you must first burn incense to show respect to the God of Wealth, and then go out to the west to invite the God of Wealth into the house. During this period, the incense ashes and the burning gold ingot ashes cannot fall to the ground, and someone must hold the brazier.
After welcoming the God of Wealth back, burn incense and kneel down to worship him again. This is considered as inviting the God of Wealth. Just remember to burn incense every day from now on.
In the past, the Zhang family would go to the Taoist temple to worship the God of Wealth. It was only after they started doing business that they invited the God of Wealth back.
Qiao Shengwen, the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, used to pray to the God of Wealth every year. Unfortunately, the blessed statue of the God of Wealth in his home was taken away by some bastard.
He specially wrote a prayer on red paper, Old Sun folded many gold ingots, and the Zhang family bought incense, candles and a table, and specially placed a statue of the God of Wealth next to the brightest window in the main hall.
The women were not allowed to participate and had to wait in the kitchen with Madam Zhang.
When the three patriarchs and their eldest sons lit sandalwood and gold ingots and walked out of the house to worship and invite the gods, the women and children were asked to close their eyes, put their hands together and pray respectfully.
Miao Wan didn't feel anything about this kind of activity. If it wasn't to welcome the God of Wealth, she wouldn't have brought it.
I have to stay in the kitchen with a wronged attitude and feel once again the discrimination against women in this era.
Humph, sooner or later, she will take the female soldiers to pray to the God of Wealth, and then all the men will be locked up in a small dark room.
After welcoming the God of Wealth, the Zhang family sat down to talk.
It was obvious at this moment that the brothers were united. The three daughters-in-law sat below their mother-in-law. Seeing that the three brothers all agreed to buy the shop, they were calculating in their hearts that each family would have an extra property of more than 300 taels, and their hearts were filled with joy.
Mrs. Zhang and her husband would actually prefer to buy land. For these elderly craftsmen, nothing is more prestigious than owning land.
If they can get dozens of acres of fertile land in the future, they can become landlords even if they don't kill pigs anymore.
Killing pigs is a sinful business, and no one would be willing to continue doing it even if they could become a landlord.
But the old couple's intentions could not overcome their sons' ambition. After all, the shop occupied a lot of land, and they could buy more land when they made money in the future.
After the discussion, when the Zhang family arrived at the Qiao family's house, they found out that the shop's title deed had been taken back.
"Then what are we waiting for? Can we go find the human traffickers right away?" Zhang Sanzhuang was very happy and said excitedly, rubbing his hands.
From now on, he will also be the manager in charge of the waiters, and people will even call him the boss!
"I've been to see that shop. The front can be used for business, and the back can be used for living. The goods can be stored there, and there is someone to watch over the warehouse." Zhang Sanzhuang became more and more excited as he spoke.
"Ask Dad and the others to move in too, so we don't have to worry about any trouble happening among the people down below."
Miao Wan was very moved but refused. "Third brother's idea is very good, but we have a few problems to solve, so we won't open the shop yet. Let's do business in Tile City first."
She started counting on her fingers again. "First of all, we can't call our shop the Pig Slaughterer Restaurant. It sounds too ominous. We need to find someone to come up with a good name, make a new sign, and redecorate the shop. There are so many restaurants in Xining Town, we have to stand out from the crowd."
As soon as she started counting her fingers, everyone quieted down. After all, every time Miao Wan counted something, it was important.
"Secondly, we have to figure out what to sell in the shop. Just like the braised food before, there's always a chance that someone else will learn our craft, and we can't guarantee that someone capable of doing it will emerge anytime soon. At the very least, we have to make sure we can launch new products during the four seasons. We need to give Sun Ada some time to try them out."
Everyone nodded. As long as others couldn't imitate them as fast as they launched new products, they would have to follow behind and suffer the consequences.
Miao Wan added, "Also, how much do they want to buy? What can they do? Who can lead everyone in the work? All of this needs to be taken care of and taught by Third Brother. It's not like we can just open the shop as soon as we say so. We can't let customers find fault with us. We have to provide meticulous service in advance."
For a restaurant, the most important things are hygiene, food and service quality, all of which are inseparable from the people who do the work. No one is born knowing how to work, so training is essential.
Zhang Sanzhuang touched the back of his head and chuckled, "Awan, you are really thoughtful."
Madam Zhang looked at Miao Wan, who was holding her belly obediently, and rolled her eyes at her son. This son was indeed not as meticulous as her daughter.
She patted Miao Wan gently and said, "Why tell them so much? Just do what you tell them to do. If they don't listen, just beat them. If they don't listen, tell Am that there are too many fire sticks at home now."
Everyone: “…”
Miao Wan smiled and leaned against Madam Zhang, saying crisply, "I'll go check on the shop later. I'll have to trouble the Lin, Yu, and Yang families to sort it out. My brothers definitely can't do it, so you, Mom, will have to make the arrangements."
Madam Zhang smiled even brighter than Miao Wan and responded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Mom will follow your arrangements."
Older people are busy all day and work themselves to death, all for their children and grandchildren.
For her, being useful to her children and grandchildren is the most comforting thing.
"To do so many things, it is inevitable that a lot of money will be spent. After buying the shop, we will not have much money left. We will have to rely on Mom and Mom then. You have to help us spend as little money as possible!" Miao Wan said with a smile, holding her godmother with one hand and hugging Geng with the other.
Madam Zhang immediately pushed the money box to Miao Wan. "If it's not enough, just tell me and I'll go back to my parents' home to borrow money for you. They don't need to pay for their work in a hurry."
Geng was also coaxed into laughing. "Okay, aside from anything else, after managing the household for so many years, I do have a good eye for selecting people. I promise to pick out some capable ones for you."
Qiao Shengwen and Qiao Ruichen looked at each other, and smiles flashed in their eyes.
The two of them saw that Miao Wan had fooled the Zhang family with ease, and did not let them worry about the unknown dangers at all. They also took the promised silver into their arms.
Everyone was laughing so hard that their eyes were wide open. Both of them couldn't help but praise their daughter-in-law for the hundredth time in their hearts. They thought their daughter-in-law was really amazing.
Miao Wan was actually eager to see the shop.
As long as the business in Wa City does not involve new things, whether it is spicy skewers or snacks, they are all well-made and she does not need to worry too much.
Others can go and see the shop at any time, but she will be bedridden in a month. If she doesn't go and see it now, she may not know what the shop will look like when it opens, and can only imagine it based on the feng shui map.
This won't do. Since I have the money in my hand, I should keep some of it for the spring when the ground thaws and I can rebuild the house and run the shop in a better way.
Further back there is their central shop.
Qiao Ruichen wanted to return to the camp, so he escorted her there and sent her home before returning to the Gubei Army.
He had a good relationship with the centurion, so he had a few days off, but he couldn't go too far and let it get to the higher-ups. Who knows, he might be found guilty at any moment.
He directly called a mule cart. Yu and Yang were also very eager to go, so they accompanied Miao Wan to see the shop.
When she arrived, Miao Wan discovered that the shop was a little bigger than she had imagined.
The front shop is very spacious, with a layout that is wide on both sides and long in front and back.
The feng shui map indicates that it is two zhang wide, and the middle door is about two and a half zhang away. The lobby is just over fifty square meters.
Walking through the middle door and turning right is the corridor leading to the back house, and on the left is a large kitchen.
The veranda and the kitchen are very close to each other, separated by some trees, and the middle door and the kitchen are blocked by a stone wall.
There is also a Pixiu carved on the stone wall, which looks quite old. It seems that the person who opened the shop back then had some wealth, but for some reason he had to sell the shop.
Qiao Ruichen seemed to know what she was thinking and whispered, "When the Xiban people entered the town, the master was killed, leaving only his young son. Now his health is not good, so he sold the shop and went to live in the county town."
That year, not only did the head of the Wuliangha clan die, but several wealthy people also lost their lives.
Miao Wan felt something was amiss. If they could afford such a large shop, why didn't they hire servants? No secret room? Did they not know how to escape?
She glanced at Qiao Ruichen and didn't ask any further questions.
The back house was probably not the place where the owner lived permanently, so it was a bit rougher than the front one.
Only the main room is relatively bright. The side rooms and the back rooms on both sides show signs of being damaged by wind and rain. They probably need to be repaired before they can be used for living and storing things. Some of the rooms are even so dilapidated that they need to be rebuilt.
Miao Wan was thoughtful. When she got home, she drew the blueprint and showed it to her father-in-law.
"Look, Dad, since we want to keep a low profile, we don't need to make any big changes to the front. The simpler the better. Just put up a round counter in the middle.
In addition to the main hall being converted into a storehouse, I'd like to tear down and rebuild the left and right sides of the backyard, turning them into rooms with kangs, with our people living on both ends. That way, someone will guard the storehouse near the main hall, and Sun Ada and the others can live near the kitchen. What do you think?"
Just like the farmhouses in later generations, everyone ate on the kang, and if they drank too much, they could take a nap. It was also possible for passing caravans to stay overnight.
When the swordsman above my head is gone, I can just tear down the backyard and turn it into a restaurant with food and accommodation, and use the front yard as the lobby.
Qiao Shengwen looked quite curious and didn't know how Miao Wan could come up with so many tricks. "Just do as you say. Dad will listen to your arrangements."
Miao Wan happily agreed, and soon both the tile market and the shop became busy.
The workload of such changes is not too heavy, and it can be completed in at least a month.
If you can open the business on the second day of the second lunar month when the dragon raises its head, you can also enjoy the good luck.
Her due date should be around February 5th. Who knows, she might even be able to enjoy an authentic barbecue in the new shop!
So she lowered her head and touched her belly, "Baby, you must be good. Mommy will take you to watch the fun!"
The author has something to say:
Note: Please check the information on Baidu for the relevant information about the God of Wealth.
Baby: I understand, but I don’t just want to watch the fun. The barbecue is so delicious, I want to go there myself... and smell it.
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