Chapter 382 Whether it works or not, you have to try it yourself.
After the canteen opened, it attracted many officials and clerks to come and eat.
These officials were sent by the imperial court to manage Coal Hill. They were all far from their hometowns, and their salaries were naturally not low. However, the management of Coal Hill was not yet well-established. The cooks they hired were specially hired to cook for Lord Wu. They would only cook a small pot of rice for them when they had time. The taste of the rice was, of course, indescribable. So they all came to Old Zhao's canteen to eat.
“Coal Hill is still quite a distance from the old locust tree,” Cheng Wanwan said. “Mom, have you ever thought about renting a shop in the village market?”
On her way back, she saw that the market area had taken shape, with two rows of two-story brick and tile houses facing each other, which looked magnificent under the blue sky and white clouds.
The house is now completed, and they are laying rough bricks on the ground. The entrance also needs to be paved with bricks, and two saplings have been transplanted to add some greenery. Overall, it looks quite nice.
However, she hadn't discussed the specifics of how the market would operate with the village head yet, and he was probably clueless about it too.
"Rent a shop?" Old Mrs. Zhao put down her chopsticks. "That shop is a brick and tile house. It must be very expensive to rent one. Besides, there's no need for that. It's quite convenient to set up a stall under the big locust tree."
Sun nodded, muttering to herself, "I think things are pretty good now. Sometimes I can earn an ounce of silver a day, and I can eat meat every day..."
She keeps the leftover meat and vegetables for her family. Even if there's no meat, she can still make meat soup. Recently, she's gained a lot of weight.
"We need to think long-term about some things," Cheng Wanwan said earnestly. "The location under the big locust tree is indeed good, but it's only convenient for the villagers. In fact, the main customers of the canteen are the people from Meishan. It takes them half a cup of tea to walk here, which is very inconvenient. That's one point. Secondly, everyone in the village is observant. If they see you making money selling food, won't they follow suit? At that time, a good stall is very important. Thirdly, there's the issue of hygiene. The hotter the weather, the more mosquitoes there are. If the food is placed under the big locust tree, mosquitoes will inevitably fly over and affect everyone's appetite."
Old Zhao slammed his hand on the table and declared, "My eldest daughter-in-law is right. We must rent this shop. I'll go find Li Zheng and have a proper chat with him later."
"Sister Wanwan," Lu Yingxue suddenly spoke up, "Do you think it would be feasible for me to sell alcohol in the village?"
The Lu family started out brewing and selling wine. She had been exposed to it since childhood, so naturally she knew these things, but she had never had this idea before.
After following Sister Wanwan on a trip to Huzhou and experiencing many things, she realized the importance of money even more. No matter what, she had to earn money first. Only with money could she have the confidence to better protect her son and daughter.
Cheng Wanwan pondered for a moment: "The villagers brew their own rice wine. They only buy wine for weddings and don't make much money. But those officials from other places might buy wine. I can't say for sure. We'll have to try it ourselves to see if it works."
Lu Yingxue nodded, determined to give it a try.
The meal ended amidst everyone's conversation, and the sky was already beginning to darken, but the busy work in the village was far from over.
Because everyone in the village has to work during the day, many things are left to be done at this time. Every household lights a torch in their yard, and from a distance, it looks like the village is brightly lit.
By the light of the fire at night, Cheng Wanwan and Zhao Dashan were planting trees.
Grapevines were planted in the yard, while other fruit trees were planted outside the yard to surround it. The melon seeds were sown in the nutrient field where cotton seeds had been grown before, and once the melon seedlings grew, they could be transplanted into the fields.
“Auntie Dashan, I’m moving into the Cao family’s house tonight.” Kong Xiuniang walked over and said with a smile, “Manager Sun sent over a group of female workers and they need someone to manage them. I’ll be teaching the children embroidery there from now on.”
Originally, she was going to leave Dahe Village after teaching for three months, but the young lady asked her to help train a group of female workers who raise silkworms and reel silk. She also fell in love with life in Dahe Village, so she agreed to stay. Since she was helping the young lady, she naturally moved into the mansion built by the young lady.
Cheng Wanwan remembered something. In her previous life, she had seen a news article called "Mulberry-Dike Fish Farming." As the saying goes, "When mulberry trees are lush, silkworms are strong, and fish are plump." Using silkworm excrement to fertilize ponds for fish farming is an excellent ecological cycle, and the fish will taste especially delicious.
The water level in her lotus pond has risen, and it's time to release a batch of fish fry.
She smiled and said, "Kong Xiuniang, I have a favor to ask of you. Could you please save all the silkworm excrement for me? I have a very important use for it."
Silkworm excrement is what silkworms use. It is cleaned up and thrown away every day, so it doesn't serve much purpose for silkworm farmers.
Kong Xiuniang naturally agreed and packed her things that very night to go to the Cao family's three-courtyard house.
Cheng Wanwan's house had a spare room, which was perfect for the Wei sisters. Cheng Fang also squeezed in with the two sisters, while Wei Xiaohai shared a room with Wu Xiaochui. Both of them were teenagers, so it wasn't inconvenient.
After finishing her work, Cheng Wanwan calculated the time. In just over ten days, she would be holding Er Gou's wedding. Time really flies.
Fortunately, the furniture has already been made. Once we find a time to move the new furniture in and decorate the house properly, it will be almost done.
Most importantly, we still need to send out invitations. We need to invite everyone in the village, and we need to think carefully about who to invite.
An hour before going to sleep, Cheng Wanwan kept thinking about this matter.
She was awakened early in the morning by the sound of martial arts practice outside her window. She glanced at the sky; it was still dawn, not even light yet. San Niu and Si Dan were driving tree stumps in the yard, making loud thumping noises.
Cheng Wanwan turned over and continued sleeping.
When she woke up again, it was already broad daylight, and she actually heard Cheng Zhao's voice.
She quickly tidied her hair, put on her clothes, and went outside. She saw Cheng Zhao sitting in the courtyard talking to Si Dan. The two were discussing their studies.
Upon seeing Cheng Wanwan come out, Cheng Zhao immediately stood up: "Today, the Cheng family is hosting a banquet, and I specially invited my second aunt and several cousins to go and have a drink. I just went to my teacher's place, but he caught a bit of a cold, so he won't be going."
He also invited the village head, Mrs. Zhao, and Mr. Zhao, but all three declined.
He was actually quite afraid that his second aunt would also politely decline, his voice carrying a hint of caution.
“Dashan has to stay home to take care of things in the fields, Ergou went to the restaurant, and Sanniu also has something to do, so it’s just Sidan and me going to eat.” Cheng Wanwan pulled Sidan into the house. “I bought you a new set of clothes from Huzhou and brought them back. Wear this to the Cheng family’s house. Wash your hands and face first, and I need to change my clothes too.”
Now that she is a seventh-rank lady, she cannot be too shabby when attending a banquet.
The key point is that the Cheng family members are all mean-spirited and bully the weak while fearing the strong. If she dresses too plainly, those people will inevitably come up and make sarcastic remarks.
To enjoy a peaceful banquet, she didn't mind dressing up a bit more elaborately.
Cheng Wanwan was wearing clothes she bought in Huzhou. They were made of three layers of silk, with embroidered patterns on the collar, cuffs, and hem. As she walked, the patterns rippled, giving her a very elegant appearance.
She also brought a box, which was a gift for the banquet: three catties of rice, ten eggs, and a piece of cloth—just the standard amount.
She was willing to be good to Cheng Zhao because Cheng Zhao deserved it; the Cheng family members didn't deserve her lavish gifts.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
