They say that heaven rewards those who persevere.
Ever since Zheng Ruqian left after the New Year, Jiang Sheng has been painstakingly planning to bring Jiuzhenfang's pastries to the tables of the ladies of noble families. She's been so busy that her face has become a little thinner.
Fortunately, the results were good. With some overt and covert help, established families began to place orders for Jiuzhenfang pastries.
As a homeless child who grew up in hardship, Jiang Sheng had no idea of getting rich overnight. She was already very satisfied with the sales of her custom-made pastries.
End of February.
Jiuzhenfang began taking stock of the accounts. Jiang Sheng tiptoed and leaned over the table, her chubby little fingers deftly manipulating the abacus beads, making a clattering sound.
Daya and Miao Zhaoying watched from the side, occasionally showing surprise, clearly not yet used to earning money with their own hands.
Only Zhang Xianglian was used to it and tidied up the house with a smile.
First, try the roasted chestnuts. As Jiuzhenfang's signature product, they are in high demand and short supply every day, and are sold in limited quantities.
The root cause was that Hebei County was too far away. Even with the Gao brothers each having their own cart and traveling day and night, it would still take them thirty to forty days to make a single trip.
Fortunately, the horse-drawn carriages were replaced with horse-drawn carts for transporting grain. The two carts together could carry 4,000 catties. After deducting oil, sugar, labor, etc., they could earn about 100 taels, which was a break-even business.
As always, the profits from glutinous rice and jujube cakes and candied hawthorn berries remained at two to three hundred taels.
The profits from the pastries made in cooperation with Youranju are high, reaching around 500 coins per serving, but the quantity is limited. I earned 50 taels of silver this month after the New Year.
When it came to the most exciting part—the custom-made pastries—Jiang Sheng took a deep breath and began to plan even more carefully.
Custom-made pastries are expensive, costing one tael of silver for only one serving. After deducting the cost of raw materials and custom molds, the net profit per serving is around eight hundred cash. If customers place repeated orders, the cost of custom molds can be reduced, and the cost of raw materials becomes negligible, with the net profit approaching one tael of silver.
After calculating, a total of more than eighty orders of pastries were placed in the past twenty days, with a net profit of no less than seventy-seven taels of silver.
In comparison, making pastries in a conventional way earns more money, but ordinary pastry sellers have a larger sales volume and are more physically demanding.
Every day, Zhang Xianglian would prepare breakfast for the children and then arrive at Jiuzhenfang. She would wake up Miao Zhaoying and her daughter, who were sleeping on the floor, and they would start their busy work, frying sugar, steaming cakes, and frying fruit.
They worked until late morning, preparing about 300 kilograms of goods, before they could officially start business.
Afterwards, the pastries were gradually consumed. Zhang Xianglian was in charge of restocking, and Miao Zhaoying was in charge of roasting chestnuts. Only after selling out the hundred or so kilograms of sugar-roasted chestnuts could they catch their breath.
In contrast, custom-made pastries and You Ran Ju's special pastries only take half an hour a day at most, which can be described as time-saving and labor-saving.
After settling the accounts, Jiang Sheng began planning the profit sharing and wages.
Miao Zhaoying and her daughter swallowed again, their breathing becoming much more shallow.
The total net profit of Jiuzhenfang that month was 450 taels of silver. First, the monthly salary of the Gao brothers was allocated. They were given 5 taels of silver per year and an extra 2 taels per trip, which meant that 4 taels needed to be allocated.
The situation involving Miao Zhaoying and her daughter was rather complicated. Jiang Sheng thought it over and over again, then cut off a piece of silver with scissors, weighed it on a small scale, and weighed it again. Finally, under the expectant gaze of everyone, he cut off another piece.
Although Daya didn't do much work, she did put in the effort. The mother and daughter had no money to live on, so they ate and slept in Jiuzhenfang and even owed the shop five taels of wages.
They paid back three taels last month, and this month they paid back the remaining two taels, so Jiang Sheng gave them another two taels.
With the remaining 444 taels of silver, Zhang Xianglian would receive 10% of the profits based on her skills, which should have been 44 taels and 400 copper coins. Jiang Sheng generously gave her 45 taels.
After distributing their money, Zhang Xianglian remained relatively calm, while Daya jumped up and down with joy.
Two taels of silver weren't enough to rent a courtyard in Fengjing, nor was it enough to have a meal at Youranju, but it was the foundation of their survival, a gift from life after their courageous departure.
"Mother, we have money! We really have money!" she screamed with joy.
Miao Zhaoying wiped her eyes, choking back tears several times, "We must thank our employers. Without you, we wouldn't be where we are today."
Jiang Sheng rested her chin on her hand and remained silent.
Zhang Xianglian, however, said earnestly, "Our help was accidental; what's most important is that you two can make up your minds."
Outsiders can only help you live a better and smoother life.
Ultimately, the choices are in your own hands, and destiny is always in your own palm.
Only when you truly have the courage to break through, make choices, and let go can new possibilities arise in life.
For example, Zhang Xianglian, who underwent a complete transformation; Miao Zhaoying and her daughter, who were busy but fulfilled; and Zhang Qiquan and his wife, who felt completely relaxed after abandoning their filial duties.
Jiang Sheng fiddled with the nearly four hundred taels of silver left after the dividends were distributed. After Miao Zhaoying and her daughter calmed down, she said softly, "Aunt, we should hire some more people."
"In addition, Aunt Miao can't keep sleeping on the floor in Jiuzhenfang forever; she needs to rent a new courtyard."
Zhang Xianglian helped only the poor, and the most obvious characteristic of these poor people was that they were poor and had no money.
Jiuzhenfang can't directly throw money around or give out free meals, but it can provide a room and a job that's enough for the homeless to survive.
Even if the annual profits decrease as a result, seeing Zhang Xianglian and others regain their hope, and seeing Daya and others cry tears of joy, makes it all worthwhile.
"Little Jiang Sheng, you are truly the most conscientious employer I have ever met." Aunt Zhang murmured beside her, her face showing satisfaction and pride.
Really? What about conscience?
Jiang Sheng didn't think too much about it. She put down the abacus, took a few steps to the entrance of Jiuzhenfang, felt the warm and bright sunlight, and remembered the wish she made when she was on her deathbed.
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