This time, Xu Lan, out of consideration for others, sat next to Xu Dashi, with two big chairs next to each other, to listen to Xu Dashi's thoughts.
Xu Dashi was thinking that he finally didn't have to dig in the dirt for food, that he could finally become a shopkeeper, and that he could finally bring his children to the county town. Even though he was a loser and had to rely on his cousin's help, he would work hard in the future and take good care of his second uncle and his second aunt's family...
Xu Lanyin was even a little moved. She had eavesdropped on Xu Dashi's thoughts before, and she hadn't heard any selfish thoughts about plotting against the second wife. He was definitely an upright, enthusiastic, and responsible man. He was nothing like his cowardly father or calculating mother. He was a bit like Old Lady Xu, but not exactly the same. Could he be like the chivalrous Xu Qingyan?
Not only can we continue to cooperate with such a person, but we can also rest assured that he can do more important things in the future.
Xu Lanyin had calculated that renting the shop for a year, including renovations and building the stove, would cost over seventy taels of silver. Add to that the cost of ingredients, taxes, and labor costs for the past few months, and the total would be nearly a hundred taels. Considering their own skills, even if the eldest wife contributed ten strings of silver, a ten percent stake would be excessive. However, to motivate Xu Dashi and his wife and foster better cooperation between the two families, a twenty percent stake would be appropriate.
She smiled and said, "If that's the case, I'll give Big Brother 20% of the shares." She then briefly explained how much money they would invest, what they would do, and the issue of wages.
When Gu heard that their family had finally gotten a good deal, she became happy again and said, "Since we paid for the 20% share, it can't be registered in Dashi's name. It should be registered in my name, the head of the family. We still have 20%."
The head of the second branch, Xu Qingyan, has passed away, so the shop is registered under the name of the eldest son, Xu Lanzhou.
Everyone agreed that Xu Dashi and Xu Lanzhou would go to the county town to rent a shop tomorrow, while Li would go to the second house to learn how to make dim sum. Old Madam Xu and Gu were also given a special mission: to go out and spread the word that Xu Lanyin had gone to Qianjin Clinic yesterday for a checkup. The doctor said she was in very good health and that the previous diagnosis had been made by a quack.
At night, Xu Lanyin still couldn't sleep well. Thinking of the blackroot grass that only appears once every sixty years, she still wanted to try her luck at Black Peak Ridge again.
I've been busy these days, so I'll go again in a few days and look for more places before it gets cold.
She wondered if she had overlooked something before. After a long thought, she finally remembered that she had overlooked the terrain where the original owner had picked the two blackroot grasses. She slowly searched her memory again. It seemed that there was a pond not far away, in the shade, with one or two pine trees nearby, covered with rotten leaves...
The next day, she woke up with dark circles under her eyes. Xu Lanzhou laughed at her, "We're going to open a shop and become the boss. Why can't you sleep?"
Xu Lanyin smiled and said nothing.
After breakfast, Xu Lanzhou went to the county town with Xu Dashi, and Li also came to report to the second house.
Yesterday afternoon, Xu Lanzhou went to a farmer's house in Yahe Village and bought a small bowl of milk, which he placed in a ventilated place by the window.
Today I made four kinds of snacks: grape cake, pear and osmanthus cake, scallion biscuits, and milk-flavored animal biscuits. Animal biscuits are biscuits with milk added, shaped like monkeys, fish, rabbits, and other animals. The molds were custom-made by Xu Lanyin at the carpentry shop a few days ago.
Xu Lanyin and Li were busy, and Qin also came to help with the fire. Even little friend Xu Lanting could do some chores like peeling onions and getting eggs.
At the end of the Si hour, the Hong family arrived.
The people who came were not servants, but Hong Zhen's wife, Mrs. Hu, and her daughter, Fang Jie'er. The mother and daughter rode in a sedan chair, and a maid walked beside them.
Mrs. Hu was five or six months pregnant, with fair skin and delicate features. Fang Jieer inherited the best qualities of her parents and was as lovely as a white jade.
Mrs. Hu was a little embarrassed and smiled, "Sister Fang heard from her father that Miss Xu's family was making cakes today, and she couldn't wait to come and visit."
Fang Jieer admitted generously, "Gao Gao, I want to eat seven."
Seeing the pregnant Hu, Xu Lanyin finally understood why Hong Zhen was so anxious to buy snacks. Pregnant women can't help but be greedy.
Mrs. Hu looked to be about twenty years old. Xu Lan was not sure whether to call her "Auntie" or "Sister-in-law." She could only smile and say, "Please come in, Madam Hong."
Mrs. Hu smiled and said, "Ms. Xu, you're too polite. Please call me Sister Hong." She added, "The child's father looks mature and is only 22 years old. From now on, you can call him Brother Hong."
Xu Lanyin blushed slightly. Uncle Hong looked remarkably old, perhaps thirty. The original owner had always called him "Uncle," so she followed suit. She smiled and said, "Sister-in-law Hong, please." She took Fang Jie'er's hand and ushered them into the courtyard.
The sedan bearers asked, "When will Madam leave?"
Mrs. Hu turned around and said, "Wait for us for quarter of an hour."
At this time, Xu Lanting was sitting in the yard with Xu Yuan and Xu Man, eating cookies. He came over, took Fang Jie'er to sit next to him, and stuffed two cookies into her hands.
When Mrs. Hu entered the house, the little maid presented her with the gifts: a basket of apples, a basket of walnuts, a jar of honey, and two loins of pork.
Qin pulled Hu to sit down. Xu Lanyin poured tea and brought up a plate of cake and animal biscuits. She said with a smile, "We'll have to wait a while for the scallion biscuits, and the pear and osmanthus double flowers won't be ready until the afternoon. Sister Hong, please have lunch at my house."
Qin also smiled and tried to keep him.
The smell of the snacks on the table made Mrs. Hu salivate. When she heard the names of the two snacks she had never heard of, she smiled and said, "Aunt and sister, please don't laugh at me for being greedy."
Qin liked her straightforwardness. She laughed, "Mrs. Hong, you're joking. I've been pregnant with three children, so I know what it's like."
Seeing Qin's appearance and bearing, which were definitely not possessed by a country woman, Hu Shi also had a favorable impression of her. She smiled and said, "Aunt, you are too polite. Just call me Hua Niang."
Her maiden name is Hu Hua.
Fang Jie'er, Xu Yuan and Xu Man loved the animal biscuits so much that they could not stop eating them while recognizing them.
Xu Lanyin went to make snacks, and the maid Xi Que went out to tell the sedan chair bearers when to come to pick them up, then went into the kitchen to cook lunch with Li.
I made four meat dishes and two vegetable dishes for lunch.
After dinner, Fang Jie'er slept on Xu Lanyin's kang, while Xu Lanyin and Hu sat on the kang and chatted.
From what Hu had said, she learned that Hong Zhen was a battalion commander of the sixth rank, a native of the capital. Hu's family was also in the capital, but her second uncle was a businessman in Nanping County.
Military officers are different from civil officials. Although Hong Zhen is a sixth-rank official and Min Da Ren is a seventh-rank official, Min Da Ren has much more power, managing nearly 100,000 civilians, while the battalion commander has only 500 soldiers under his command.
Xu Lanyin had a very good impression of Hong Zhen's family. Hong Zhen, in particular, was kind and honest, without any airs. If they got along well, they could continue their relationship.
Mrs. Hu also said that her second uncle's family not only opened a grain store and a wine store, but also a teahouse, and also had a shop in the provincial capital. After the Xu family's dim sum shop opened, she would ask her second uncle's teahouse to buy Xu's dim sum as snacks...
Xu Lanyin expressed her gratitude with a smile as she received an order before the store even opened.
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