The village chief has a habit of taking a walk around the village every morning to make sure everything was alright before going home for breakfast.
He was like a toothless tiger; though old, he still firmly guarded his territory.
The villagers who were on patrol last night were walking home, their breath steaming in the air, and they all greeted the village chief.
The village chief asked, "Was it relatively quiet last night? Did you make a few extra trips to the pigsty?"
"At this time of year, the wild animals on the mountain are very hungry. Be careful, they might be eyeing our New Year's pig!"
"Don't worry, village chief, we went over to check every half hour, and we even went to look around at dawn, but there wasn't even a single wild animal paw print," a villager replied.
The village chief nodded, and seeing that his nose was red from the cold, he laughed and scolded, "Didn't I tell you all to wear masks? All you ever do is forget things."
"Be careful your nose doesn't freeze off, or your wife won't want you, and you'll be a bachelor forever!"
Everyone burst into laughter, prompting the villager to brush the snowflakes off his hat, saying, "I was in such a rush last night, I really forgot."
"However, the sheepskin coats issued in our village are especially warm, they protect the neck, and with the hat on, you don't feel cold at all."
"Of course," the village chief said proudly, raising his chin. "It takes two sheepskins to make one coat, plus an extra layer of cotton. It cost a full two taels of silver for one coat!"
"It's only because our village has a hot spring valley that we have income every day, and we also sell jade melons and fruits. Otherwise, we really wouldn't be willing to buy them."
"You guys got off too easy! From now on, patrol properly. The New Year is coming soon, so watch out for people who are jealous of our good life and come to cause trouble."
The villagers responded enthusiastically, and one of them asked with a grin, "Village chief, when will we receive our dividends?"
"It's almost time to buy New Year's goods. The old ladies at home are getting impatient. Yesterday, I added salt twice to the stew, and it was so salty I almost died!"
Upon hearing this, everyone held their breath and stared intently, clearly paying close attention.
The village chief slapped the man who had asked the question, laughing and scolding, "Don't use your old women at home as an excuse, you're the one who's worried! You're all worrying for nothing, do you think the village would let you down?!"
"Just wait patiently. The Earl has been quite busy lately. I'll go ask him today. I reckon it'll be like last year, when they open the scales and distribute the silver on the eve of the Lunar New Year!"
"Oh! Great! We've been waiting for a year, and finally it's time to distribute the silver!"
"I'm going home now to tell my parents."
"I'm here too, let's go together."
The villagers scattered in the blink of an eye, leaving the village chief shaking his head with a smile as he strolled home for dinner.
After the meal, he actually went to the Li family compound.
As a result, as soon as I entered, I saw Shui Ling walking out.
Shui Ling exclaimed with delight, "Grandpa Village Chief, our young lady asked me to invite you to come and talk to her, and here you are!"
"Does the princess have any instructions?" The village chief quickened his pace.
Jiayin was looking through the village's roster when she saw the village chief come in. She offered him a seat and tea, and then brought a plate of oranges to the old man.
The village chief, quick-tempered, asked without eating anything, "Princess, is there something you need the villagers for?"
"Yes, Grandpa Village Chief, nothing can be hidden from you." Jiayin flattered the old man with a smile, making him beam with joy before she told him about the pastry shop.
Finally, she added, "I'm thinking, instead of letting others open branch stores, why don't we earn the money ourselves?"
"I would like to ask Grandpa Village Chief to ask all the girls and boys over ten years old in each family if they want to learn how to bake pastries?"
"If they are, they will be sent to Baiyun to work as apprentices for half a year, and then they will open branches in other prefectures next summer. Of course, they must have some talent and be able to work away from home and endure hardship."
"If you're unwilling, that's fine too. I'll need some people to help process the medicinal herbs next year."
"In short, as long as you are willing to put in the effort, everyone can find a way out. But it is best to choose something you like, as it is easier to get started."
The village chief was delighted to hear this and repeatedly replied, "Good, good, this is great news! The boys and girls in the village have been studying for a long time now, and they can read and do math without any problems."
"If they are good at studying, their families will naturally be willing to support them to take the exams. If one of them becomes a scholar, it will bring honor to the village."
"But he's not cut out for studying. Continuing to study would be a waste of his time. It would be best for him to learn a trade so he can support his family in the future."
As he spoke, he stood up abruptly. "Wait here, I'll go to the village and ask around, and I'll give you a definite answer."
Before she could finish speaking, the old man had already left. Jiayin didn't even have time to ask him to stay for a cup of hot tea...
Grandma Li came out of the backyard with her sewing basket. When she saw the village chief's back in the distance, she asked her granddaughter, "Why did the village chief leave so soon after arriving?"
Jiayin peeled an orange, fed a segment to her grandmother, said a few words, and then took a bus into the city.
Baiyunjian became incredibly popular because the emperor personally endorsed the birthday cake during the Emperor's birthday celebration.
Every day, more than a dozen people come to order birthday cakes.
Even the other customers who didn't order cakes came in out of curiosity.
Once you come in, you can't leave empty-handed; there are all sorts of snacks, with novel and delicious flavors.
Buy a little of this, a handful of that, and so on. You can't leave the shop without throwing down a tael or two of silver!
When Jiayin entered through the back door, the courtyard was bustling with activity, and the kitchen was filled with enticing aromas.
Everyone bowed to the host.
Jiayin waved her hand, signaling them to continue their work, and then went to talk to Chen Xi and Manager Peng.
Shopkeeper Peng was overjoyed and kept announcing the good news, "Boss, business has been so good these past few days. We've been working in two shifts day and night, but we still can't keep up."
Jiayin nodded, "I saw it just now too. Everyone has worked hard. This month, everyone will receive an extra half of their wages."
"In addition, I have already started looking for people, all of them are girls and boys from the new village. You should teach them well."
"Next year, they will have learned enough and will be able to open branch stores."
Open a branch?
Manager Peng and Chen Xi's eyes lit up when they heard this. Although they didn't plan to go out, they were certainly happy if the shop could grow bigger and better.
However, when talking about the first branch, Jiayin still felt disgusted, like swallowing a fly.
She said a few words briefly, and finally instructed, "Don't overthink it, just treat this branch as a place for customers who buy in bulk."
"We've kept a close eye on the staff and the recipes in the shop; everything else is minor."
"The branch is just being prepared and will not open for at least seven or eight days. When they come to pick up the goods, I will set the rules, and you can just follow the rules from now on."
Both Manager Peng and Chen Xi looked unwell; they had poured a lot of effort into this shop.
With someone eyeing the market covetously, no one will be happy.
Moreover, the princess's master is generous and fair in his rewards and punishments, so they feel at ease and trust him.
If it were the Third Princess instead, she would probably have no merit or hard work, and would be beaten and scolded every day!
The two exchanged a glance, both determined to take good care of the shop and not let anyone take advantage of the situation!
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