Zhang Xiue didn't mind doing a little more work, but what Song Xiaoqi said was really unpleasant, and thinking about it, she got angry again.
"You only ask people to do more work, without ever thinking that as a man you should help your wife, children and elderly parents with chores. Standing here making sarcastic remarks is truly hateful."
“I…when did I say I wouldn’t help you with the work? Wasn’t it me who was supposed to change the headdress? How about we switch? You do the writing, and I’ll go buy the noodles.”
Song Xiaoyu knew, of course, that Zhang Xiue couldn't write a few neat characters. As the saying goes, a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. Among these women, only Qin Xiaoniang, who came from a merchant family, had read a few books and her handwriting was passable. Otherwise, she wouldn't have caught Song Xiaoqi's eye in the first place.
"We haven't even opened yet, and you two are already arguing non-stop. How are we going to work together like this in the future?" Qin Xiaoniang complained from the side.
Although Song Xiaoyu was of good character, he sometimes couldn't shake off his pedantic, uncouth writing style and always acted willfully, disregarding his wife's feelings.
Scholars are often a bit stubborn; once they've endured hardship for a long time, they naturally stop showing off their refinement.
Zhang Xiu'e got angry and turned around to walk straight towards the grain shop. The shop where Song He'er and Chun Di had discussed the price last time was one that Zhang Xiu'e didn't recognize. She rushed out now simply because she was angry and thought she would just pick any shop and call it a day.
Song He'er hurriedly chased after her and called out from behind, "Third Aunt, wait for me. I have a shop that can deliver goods. We don't need to carry them ourselves."
Zhang Xiue stopped and turned around to ask, "Really?"
"yes."
"Why didn't you say so sooner? You made me and your third uncle have another fight."
"I...I didn't get a chance to speak. I could see you and Uncle San were about to fight, and I couldn't get a word in edgewise."
Zhang Xiue calmed herself down and took a deep breath. "So, which way should we go now?"
"Come with me, it's just ahead."
"Um."
The shop they rented wasn't far from the rice and flour shops; they could get there by crossing the long street and passing a few more shops.
When Song He'er went there this time, she wasn't wearing a hat. Although the waiter had never seen her before, he could tell from her voice that she had been there the day before.
"Oh, young lady and lady, what would you like to buy?"
Song He'er glanced at Zhang Xiu'e, signaling her not to speak yet.
“We’ve met before. If I need a lot of noodles, you can hire a car to deliver them to us.”
The waiter chuckled, "Of course, miss. What kind of rice? What kind of noodles? How much?"
"I only need the simplest white rice and white flour, two hundred catties each."
This number startled Zhang Xiu'e. "Two hundred jin? Isn't that too much?"
"Shh, I know what I'm doing. We're in business, not eating at home. Even for a dozen or so of us, we need to eat dozens of kilograms of rice a month. Buying two hundred kilograms first is not too much at all."
Zhang Xiue nodded without saying anything.
Song He'er negotiated the purchase price with the shopkeeper, paid the money, and then had a cart deliver the rice and flour to her shop.
When they returned, Song Xiaoyu had already written all the characters on the shop sign, which read "Youjia Noodle Shop".
The black board was engraved with gold lettering. To be honest, Song Xiaoyu did have some skill; her handwriting was both beautiful and elegant.
"Third Uncle, why don't you find a job as a scholar in Nanzhao? I think your handwriting is really good."
Song Xiaoyu smiled and said, "If I could find a job as a scholar, why would I need to hide here and there?"
"Life has to go on slowly to have hope. I think my idea is good. Uncle, you don't have to pour cold water on me. Are we really going to sell steamed buns for the rest of our lives?"
While washing the dishes, Qin Xiaoniang replied with a smile, "Alright, stop making sarcastic remarks and get to work. Once we're all done today, we can officially welcome our guests tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, everyone smiled but remained silent, and went about their own tasks.
Time flies, and soon it was noon the next day when the first batch of steamed buns came out of the steamer.
There are many customers coming and going, but they eat all kinds of things. Some go across the street to eat spring pancakes, and some go next door to eat stir-fries. In short, all the customers don't gather in one store.
If things continue like this, I won't earn much money in a month.
“Mother, we have to think of something. Half a day has passed and only two or three people have come to eat noodles.”
Qin Xiaoniang sighed and replied, "The main thing is that our steamed buns are unique. The guests who come here usually eat noodles. We haven't tasted what the people of Nanzhao eat before, so what we make may not be very good."
"Spicy, the people of Nanzhao eat spicy food. Hmm, I remember that Lady Tian was born in the Central Plains, a place famous for its spicy food. Why don't we have her make a few spicy dishes tomorrow and give them to our guests to try?"
"Giving away free dishes is one thing, but the most important thing is to give away the steamed buns today. Losing a little money is nothing. The important thing is to let the guests know what our specialty is and what makes us better than others," Qin Xiaoniang said.
Song He'er glanced at the steamed bun shop across the street. Although it wasn't crowded, people were constantly coming and going.
"Mother, how about this: every customer who comes to eat noodles will receive two free steamed buns. It would be best if they could finish them in the shop, but if they can't, they can take them home to share with friends or family. Wouldn't that allow more people to try our local specialty?"
Qin Xiaoniang nodded. "The idea is definitely good, but can our steamed buns really be considered a local specialty?"
Song He'er replied confidently, "Mother, we made it according to the recipe. Besides, if you think it's delicious, I think it's delicious too. We're used to living in the General's Mansion. What delicacies haven't we eaten? If we think it's good, then it must be good. Besides, don't you trust Grandfather?"
After thinking it over, Qin Xiaoniang nodded and replied, "Alright! Let's do it that way!"
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