Chapter 345 Old Mrs. Zhao Decides to Go into Business
In the past, Dahe Village was quiet and peaceful at night.
But since the beginning of this year, the nights in Dahe Village have become lively.
These men work during the day, and the things in the fields and at home are all left to be done when they return at night. The village is filled with the sounds of people talking.
Under the moonlight, some people were busy with spring plowing, some were making adobe bricks to prepare for building houses, and some were washing clothes by the river... Many scattered things were moved to after 7 p.m., which is dusk, around 7 p.m. in modern times.
Grandma Zhao stood on the main road, holding the Zhao family's first great-granddaughter. When she heard the sound of carriage wheels, she smiled and said, "Little Zhuzhu, your mother and grandma are back..."
Aunt Wang, who was washing clothes, came over and said, "It really is them. I wonder how business is at the restaurant."
“It must be incredibly good,” Tie Zhu’s mother said. “Da Shan’s mother is the only person in our surrounding area to be personally appointed as a Lady Sui by the Emperor. Everyone wants to join in the fun when Lady Sui opens a restaurant, so the business is bound to be good.”
The carriage slowly came to a stop, and Wu Huiniang was the first to jump off. As soon as she smelled her scent, the maid in Old Madam Zhao's arms started humming softly.
"As expected, she still loves her mother the most." Old Mrs. Zhao chuckled as she handed the little girl over. "This girl drank four big bowls of goat milk all day. She has such a good appetite. I wonder how robust she will be in the future."
Wu Huiniang thanked Old Lady Zhao. She explained that she had gone to the city to work, and the child was being cared for by the old lady. The old lady had to oversee the soap workshop and take care of the child, so Wu Huiniang felt a little guilty.
She was torn between leaving her child and not wanting to give up being a chef. Sometimes, she would struggle with this dilemma and not be able to sleep all night.
Later, her mother-in-law told her that life is only once, and one should live for oneself, so she chose the kitchen, which she loved.
But a child only has one life, so she can only try to finish her work as early as possible and come back to be with her child.
Standing to the side, Cheng Wanwan couldn't help but sigh. Whether in ancient or modern times, it's always difficult for women. Work, children, and family are always hard to reconcile.
Why don't men have this problem?
The children were cared for by Grandma Zhao, while Wen helped with cooking at home. With so many children, they couldn't just starve.
Cheng Wanwan felt once again that there were still too few people in her family.
Back in the courtyard, the children were all doing their own things. Cheng Zhao, Shen Zheng, and Zhao Sidan were reading eagerly in their rooms, Afu was doing woodworking by the light of a fire, Zhao Sanniu was practicing his kung fu while chopping firewood, and Zhao Dashan was processing some rice seeds. In another half month, the rice seedlings would be ready to be planted.
Xia Hua was also there, helping Kong Xiuniang organize the embroidery thread. Kong Xiuniang had recently taken on a job to embroider a peacock feather felt. The stitching was very complicated, and after half a month, she still couldn't see the finished product.
Wen was tidying up in the kitchen.
"Second Aunt, thank you for your hard work." Cheng Wanwan said with a smile, "I'll settle the wages together after these few days are over."
“Sister-in-law, why are you being so formal? We’re family, no need for formalities.” Wen waved her hand. “The village has been so busy lately. No one has time to cook. The men are out working on roads and houses in the coal mine during the day, leaving the women to do the work in the fields. The cooking is left to the little girls who are seven or eight years old. Now, the little girls don’t even have time to go up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables. We have to send the even younger children up the mountain to dig for bamboo shoots and mushrooms.”
Grandma Zhao's heart skipped a beat: "Once spring planting is over, the work in the fields will get busier and busier. The villagers probably won't even have time to eat a quick meal. So, if we cook a proper meal, would the women and men in the village be willing to buy it?"
Wen paused for a moment without speaking. Last year, the villagers would rather eat wild vegetables than spend money to buy food from other people's homes. Wouldn't that be a waste of money?
But this year, with Coal Hill around, almost every household has made money, and more people are willing to spend money.
However, she wasn't sure whether she was willing to spend money on food.
Grandma Zhao and Madam Wen both looked in Cheng Wanwan's direction.
"I think this idea is worth a try."
Cheng Wanwan nodded directly. It's like a cafeteria; if you supply in large quantities, you can reduce costs and people will be willing to pay.
But this is ancient times, not modern times, and she herself is not sure how the market works.
“The villagers have only just started to have a little money, so naturally they are reluctant to spend it. But it is indeed troublesome to take the time to cook two meals a day. Even if the villagers are reluctant to spend money, there are still coal workers, so there is still some market.” Cheng Wanwan said, “However, we need to put more effort into pricing the meals. Three or four coins a meal won’t make much profit, and ten coins a meal probably won’t be enough for them. We need to think about it carefully.”
Grandma Zhao slapped her thigh and said, "Then let's divide it into several prices. Three coins is for porridge with pickled vegetables and wild greens, six coins is for rice, and ten coins is for eggs and meat. We'll give you a free big bone soup to anyone who comes to eat. I don't believe no one will come to our business."
Cheng Wanwan silently gave a thumbs up. The old lady had a very forward-thinking vision. Modern small canteens also use free soup to attract customers. A big bone can be stewed into a big pot of soup, or a few eggs can be cooked with pickled cabbage and tofu. The cost is only a dozen or so coins, but customers feel like they are getting a good deal. This is a typical example of understanding the psychology of consumers.
"Second daughter-in-law, let's go, let's go back and discuss it with Youyin and Youcai." Old Mrs. Zhao stood up in a hurry. "If the whole family agrees, our family can do this business."
Ms. Wen was also somewhat tempted. Although she had earned a lot of money in the past six months, it was all earned by helping her sister-in-law, not a stable income. If their family also started a business, then they would have a stable source of income in the future.
She left with Old Mrs. Zhao.
Cheng Wanwan felt that this matter could be pursued freely, as the Zhao family had so many members and deserved an independent business.
She has now separated from the family business. I can offer suggestions, but she won't get involved in business matters.
It was already quite late when she remembered there was one more thing she hadn't finished explaining. Someone had ordered preserved eggs today, and she needed to bring them over tomorrow morning. She called Ah Fu to hurry and make the trip to the Zhu family's house.
After a long and eventful day, Cheng Wanwan was exhausted. Once she had finished what she needed to do, she prepared to go to sleep, knowing that there was still a tough battle to fight tomorrow.
To her surprise, just as she finished washing up, there was a loud banging on the courtyard gate.
"Grandma Mountain, something terrible has happened!" The village head's voice was filled with anxiety. "Four or five children from the village went up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables during the day, and one of them hasn't come back yet. The family is frantic with worry. Could you please ask Xiao Dian and Xiao Hei to help go up the mountain to look for him..."
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