Chapter 96 Daily Life of Running a Duck Farm: Duck Farm, Hired Farmers, Gossip, Salt...
A painted boat sailed by under the bridge, and a courtesan sitting at the bow played a tune on her pipa. The boat's hull obscured the figure of Yao Luoge on the opposite bank.
Shen Miao turned around thoughtfully. The colorful banners of the teahouses and restaurants along the river fluttered in the twilight. Li Tiaozi carefully stopped his carriage and waited for a caravan of vassal states to slowly pass by before continuing towards the private school where Li Gou'er studied.
Aunt Li and her husband didn't even go home first; they insisted on taking a detour to the private school to wait for Gou'er to finish school.
Shen Miao went along with them, since the private school wasn't far and she didn't have anything urgent to do. Besides, she had already noticed the several large bundles bulging on the mule cart; besides clothes and luggage, it seemed that Aunt Li and her husband had brought back quite a few nice things for Gou'er from Jinling.
The private school Gou'er attended was considered the best in the Jinliangqiao "school district." The teacher was a scholar with a goatee, surnamed Qiu. He had failed the imperial examinations for twenty years and eventually gave up. Instead, he opened a private school, and luckily, two of his former students later became Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). This made him famous, making him one of the most sought-after private school teachers in Bianjing (Kaifeng), outside of the two major official schools.
When Gou'er failed the entrance exam for Biyong Academy, Aunt Li spent a considerable amount of money and sought help from the third aunt of Mr. Qiu's brother's cousin to get him admitted. However, after a year, the family was struggling to pay the enormous annual tuition fees, and Gou'er was finding it very difficult. This made Aunt Li somewhat worried; perhaps next year she would have to change careers and send Gou'er to learn accounting from the old accountant.
Mr. Qiu's home was located under an elm tree near the Daxiangguo Temple outside Jinliang Bridge, so some people called his home "Elm Tree School".
As soon as they arrived at the gate, they could hear loud recitations coming from inside, even through the wall. Elm seeds were scattered all over the ground, and the schoolboy who guarded the gate had filled his pockets with them. When he saw a mule cart stop, he rolled up his pockets and went up to ask, "Who are you looking for?"
"We're here to wait for the students to finish school," Aunt Li said with a smile.
"Then park your cars behind the stone pillars and wait there, so you don't block the gate." The boy pointed to the right, "The bell will be rung in a quarter of an hour."
"Thank you." The group drove the car over.
Sure enough, it didn't take long before the sound of bells rang out.
The students, carrying their schoolbags, surged out like a tidal wave, cheering. Aunt Li and Li Taozi had already gotten off the bus and were looking out from outside the door.
Shen Miao stood beside them, watching the children and teenagers rush down the steps like birds. She suddenly thought of Xiang Jie'er, Chen Chuan, and You Yu, whom she had entrusted to Xie's father. She wondered how Xie's father was taking care of the children. He should be doing well. Chen Chuan and You Yu were both well-behaved, and although Xiang Jie'er was a bit naughty, she wasn't too troublesome... right?
And Ah Tao and Fu Xing are there too.
After pondering for a moment, Shen Miao felt reassured, thinking that everything was accounted for.
"Why haven't we seen Gou'er?" Aunt Li stood on tiptoe, looking around anxiously. "He hasn't come out yet."
Li Tiaozi, also unable to find him, clenched his fists and worriedly speculated, "Could it be that he didn't finish his homework and the teacher made him stay behind to punish his hands?" Gou'er was at home writing the homework assigned by his teacher, often only writing a few words a day. When he brought his breakfast into the house in the morning, he saw Gou'er pick up his brush and write two words. When he checked again in the evening, Gou'er had been sitting at the table all day, and his brush was dry, but he still only had two words.
Therefore, he used to be frequently beaten with Mr. Qiu's ruler.
But Li Tiaozi knew that Gou'er wasn't deliberately being distracted or slacking off on his studies; the boy himself was anxious, but sometimes he just couldn't write anything. He and Aunt Li were illiterate and couldn't help him much.
A while ago, Xie's ninth son moved in, and Li Tiaozi often had him take his schoolwork to ask the ninth son for advice. It worked; Gou'er avoided several beatings at the private school. But the eldest sister said on the way there that the ninth son had also gone back to the academy. Would Gou'er get beaten again?
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and Li Tiaozi became even more anxious.
“There are many children in the school, so it’s understandable that some have fallen behind.” Shen Miao looked up to help search, and soon spotted Li Gou’er in the crowd. Seeing that Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi were still looking around blankly, she pointed amusedly at Li Gou’er, who had just stepped out of the threshold, and said, “Isn’t that Gou’er!”
"Which one?" Aunt Li almost jumped up, but still couldn't see her familiar, skinny son.
"That's the one in the brown clothes carrying the bamboo book box," Shen Miao pointed over.
Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi's gazes finally settled. After seeing clearly, they both slowly widened their eyes—was that thing that looked like a steamed bun really their dog? Somewhat hesitant to recognize it, they squinted and carefully examined its features. Finally, they recognized it. It seemed...it really was!
The dog's face is at least three times rounder.
"Doggy, over here!" Shen Miao called out, waving her hand. "Your mother and father are back! Come here quickly!"
Li Gou'er saw his parents and excitedly ran over, clutching the baby carrier straps: "Mom, when did you get back?"
“Your father and I just got back. Come here and let your mother take a good look at you. Oh my…” Aunt Li finally smiled and pulled him up and down to look him over again and again. She was a little incredulous. “It’s been more than a month since I last saw you. You’ve grown taller… and… and you’ve gained weight.”
“Sister Shen eats three meals a day, and often makes snacks in the afternoon.” Li Gou’er scratched his face embarrassedly. Moreover, Sister Shen’s snacks were especially delicious, and there was no way to leave any. He ate like this every day, and after eating, he would sit and practice calligraphy and do his homework. Soon, he became as fat as if he were being inflated.
Shen Miao laughed and said, "Where are you fat? Your mother is talking nonsense. Come on, get in the car, we can talk about it at home."
"It's good that you've gained weight; it makes you strong and healthy." Aunt Li had also recovered from her shock at how much her son had gained weight in just one month. She affectionately patted his head, then helped him unload his schoolbag and carried it on her own back. Holding Li Gou'er's hand, she said, "Mother brought you a lot of good things from Jinling City, things you can't even find in Bianjing!"
Li Gou'er exclaimed in surprise, "Really? What is it?"
"Didn't you want a better nine-linked ring than that Zeng boy's? This time, your mother bought you a nine-linked ring made by the Wang family's elementary school in Wuyi Lane! It even has riddles from the Wang family precepts engraved on it. It's made of bronze, so beautiful! And there's that 'Illustrated Records of the Six Dynasties.' Before you left, didn't you ask your mother what Jinling City looked like? Your mother is too clumsy to describe it. This book is full of pictures and words, which your mother can't read, but it has pictures of Egret Island and Stone City, which are extremely beautiful! Oh, and there are also Yuhua stones, which are said to be unique to Jinling..."
Aunt Li kept talking. Although she was over forty years old, she was still dressed in simple coarse cloth clothes and a headscarf. She even smelled of duck. But as Shen Miao watched her talking about the sights and sounds of Nanjing with great enthusiasm, a little bit of bitterness welled up in his heart.
A woman from the city, who had spent half her life trapped in the mundane details of daily life and scraps of cloth, finally stepped out of Bianjing (Kaifeng) for the first time. She witnessed the magnificent sunrise over the Grand Canal, heard the Wu songs of the lotus-picking girls, and walked through the moonlight reflected on the Twenty-Four Bridges... This made Aunt Li feel as if she had been cleansed by the misty rain of Jinling (Kaifeng). Her eyes, which used to look at people with disdain and be dissatisfied with everything, were now bright and spirited.
Excluding those who are inherently evil, sometimes the reason most people are narrow-minded and focused on the small things is simply because they don't know how to live a broad life. Take Aunt Li, for example; for over forty years, she has never seen the world beyond these nine city gates.
Shen Miao rested her chin on her hands, quietly watching Aunt Li, whose eyes were sparkling, exaggeratedly gesturing to Li Gou'er that the revolving lanterns hanging along the Qinhuai River could stretch for miles. She couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth.
Back in Yangliu East Lane, Shen Miao told Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi to take the dog home quickly so she could rest. She then invited them, "Uncle Li and Aunt Li, please rest well today. Come to my house for dinner tomorrow. I'll cook a feast to welcome you back."
Aunt Li waved her hand and declined, saying seriously, "Your Uncle Li and I have already agreed that he will take me back to my parents' home tomorrow. I bought two bolts of silk for my mother; she has never seen cloth from Nanjing before."
This was the first time in her life she had traveled so far and seen so many wonderful things, so of course she had to go back to her parents' home to show off! After showing off at her parents' home, she would then visit her sisters-in-law and her husband's younger sister, and finally, she would visit every house in the alley. She didn't have time to waste with her eldest sister.
"Okay, okay," Shen Miao understood immediately, and said with a forced smile, "Alright, alright, Auntie can come to our house anytime she has time."
“I’ll rest for a few days. When I get back from my parents’ home, I’ll go to the duck farm every morning to help out. Once the people you hired are familiar with the job, I’ll go every two days to prevent them from shirking their duties and keeping it from you, their employer.” Aunt Li quickly added, and fearing that Shen Miao would feel uncomfortable, she explained, “After all, Gou’er is still young, and we also have to take care of the family.”
Shen Miao had already arranged with Aunt Li to have her serve as a consultant at the duck farm, so that she could take care of her family and earn some money at the same time. Moreover, she didn't want to be a exploitative person. It would be too inappropriate to put someone on a job as soon as they returned. So she smiled and said, "No rush, no rush. Aunt Li has had a hard journey. She should rest for a few days."
Aunt Li then embraced Li Gou'er and walked into the alley with satisfaction. Li Tiaozi was a step slower in packing his luggage. He carried the larger pieces of luggage on a carrying pole and pulled out a box of pebbles from his bundle. He smiled憨厚ly and said, "I didn't know what to buy for Xiang Jie'er and the others, so I picked out a box of stones. Take them for the children to play with."
"You've gone to so much trouble, this isn't cheap, is it?" Shen Miao thanked her with a smile.
"It's nothing, it's only right. By the way, this mule cart was lent to us by Tong Caoguan, but I don't know where to find him. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Miss, to find someone to help us return it."
"I know," Shen Miao hurriedly said. "I'll have Tang Er make the trip. It's no big deal. Uncle Li, go home now."
Li quickly picked up his load and caught up with his wife and children.
Shen Miao watched them happily return home before turning around and pushing open her own courtyard gate.
The courtyard was completely silent.
People were sleeping sprawled out on the floor under the eaves.
Chen Chuan and You Yu both had their hair tied up in two high pigtails, red dots on their foreheads, and bright red rouge on their lips. They slept side by side; Xiang Jie was sleeping next to them, her messy hair adorned with flowers, and she had even rolled a mud ball and stuck it to her cheek. This…
Shen Miao bent down to examine her closely. Could she be a matchmaker in disguise? Shen Miao looked helplessly at the messy bun on her head, which was tied up in two different sizes. She wondered if the woman had tied it herself.
Beside her, Xie's father also had flowers in his hair, two patches of bright red rouge on his cheeks, and even his eyelids and lips were painted bright red. Two elegant strands of hair left at his temples were braided, and he had a red silk cloth tied around his neck. With his unsightly makeup, he slept in a very disheveled state.
Shen Miao pursed her lips, trying her best not to laugh.
She tiptoed into the kitchen, where the aroma of fish balls filled the air. Tang Er and Fu Xing were still making fish balls when they saw her return. They smiled and said, "The fish ball soup is selling exceptionally well today. All the ones you made yesterday are sold out. We'll hurry up and make some more."
Shen Miao smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
"Not at all! My lady, please don't stand on ceremony."
Atao carried in a tall stack of bowls of noodles, placed them in the sink, turned around to wipe the apron on her body, and nodded to Shen Miao, unable to suppress a laugh: "Today, Xie Langjun was dragged here by Xiang Jie'er to play all day. First, they played some kind of head-shaving game, then Xie Langjun refused to let her ruin his beard, so Xiang Jie'er made Xie Langjun play the bride, and she played the wedding attendant, the old woman who does the bride's hair and makeup. Chen Chuan and You Yu played the bed-rolling boys..."
Before she could finish speaking, A-Tao burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking.
Shen Miao laughed until her stomach hurt. Whenever Xiang Jie played house, she never wanted to play the role of the bride or the wife of a high-ranking official. The role she wanted to play was always different from the other children. She liked to be a female general, a matchmaker, a wedding attendant, and a barber the most.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and the duck farm gradually got on track. With Aunt Li's help and guidance, Hong Ba's family quickly became familiar with life on the duck farm and the habits of these Nanjing white ducks, and the ducks grew much bigger.
Currently, apart from a dozen or so that died from illness due to acclimatization issues after several rains, the rest have adapted to the weather in Bianjing and are growing at twice the speed of Muscovy ducks.
Now the yellowish tinge on the ducklings is gradually fading, and the feathers on their wings and tails have grown out. Aunt Li also brought good news: the batch of ducks that eat the most has grown to a pound, and the smallest weighs six ounces.
Moreover, based on Aunt Li's previous experience in raising ducklings, as long as they are fed with fish feed, snails mixed with millet, the ducks can grow to five to six pounds in about a month and a half, and can then be transported to the shop to be roasted.
Of course, the breeding ducks still need to be selected.
Aunt Li had previously helped Shen Miao raise a dozen or so white ducklings and a professional hen that incubated the eggs, and these ducks had also been moved to the duck farm. These ducks had been raised for half a year, and each duck could lay two eggs a day. The first batch of more than thirty eggs were all given to the hen that loved to brood, and they had been incubating for about ten days now. In another half month or so, some ducklings would hatch.
Shen Miao also gave Aunt Li a sum of money specifically to buy more brooding hens—they were incubators at the duck farm, and each hen could incubate ten to twenty eggs, and they would diligently turn the eggs with their claws.
Besides buying more hens to incubate the eggs, Hong Ba also mentioned that other duck farms use vats or wooden barrels to incubate the eggs—the barrels are lined with cotton and chaff and placed near the stove in the kitchen, using the residual heat from the stove to incubate the eggs. However, this method requires someone to watch over them continuously for twelve hours a day, and the eggs need to be turned manually two or three times a day. This method is a bit labor-intensive, but it is a necessary method when there are not enough hens during the peak egg-laying season.
As for the wheat field next to the duck farm, there were still eight acres of wheat seedlings left after the duck farm was built. Shen Miao also asked Bai Laosan to act as a go-between and rent it to a trustworthy and upright landless poor farmer in Baijia Village.
At this time, land rent was generally around 50% of the grain produced by the land. If the land was more fertile, the rent could even be 60%. But Shen Miao decided to ask for less because the poor peasant couple that Bai Laosan brought had four children, but they couldn't even afford a pair of shoes.
So she thought about it and signed a two-year contract with them, agreeing to give her 40% of the wheat produced each season. Moreover, since the rice seedlings had already been planted on Shenmiao's land before it was confiscated by the authorities, Shenmiao didn't plan to charge for that portion of the money, thus saving them the cost of planting seeds.
The family of six, knowing that Shen Miao only wanted 40% of their rent and wouldn't deduct their share of grain, immediately moved from Baijia Village to live next to the wheat field on the very day they signed the contract and pressed their fingerprints on it.
They borrowed a corner where the duck farm connected to the wheat field, used the brick and stone walls of the duck farm as load-bearing walls, and built four thatched huts with a few wooden sticks, and settled down there.
Shen Miao felt a little sad. Later, when she went to the duck farm to see the ducks, she brought them some old tables, chairs, benches, pots and pans that had been gathering dust in the warehouse. She also brought the children Xiang Jie'er, Ji Ge'er, and Chen Chuan's old clothes and shoes.
They were deeply grateful and saw Shen Miao off all the way to the post road when she was about to leave, standing there watching her car depart.
After all that fuss, she seemed to have become a small landowner herself.
But she didn't rent out the land to become a landlord; she simply didn't have the energy to manage it. The duck farm couldn't be expanded to ten acres to raise thousands or tens of thousands of ducks, and it would be a waste to leave it uncultivated, so she decided to rent it out to others.
She doesn't rely on these lands for food; instead, she gives 10% of the grain to the tenant farmers, so they can better raise their children.
As for the fast food restaurant, Ding Wushi had lost some weight from cooking large pots of food every day, but his arms had become even stronger. Now he could easily toss those heavy pots, and he was becoming more and more efficient at cooking.
The number of orders has now reached nearly two hundred.
Several shops in the outer city also specialize in catering, some even setting up stalls at the nine ferry docks outside the city to cook and sell on the spot. The docks outside the city are closer to Chenliu and Chenqiao towns, allowing them to buy a lot of cheap vegetables and fruits directly from a large number of farmers. Moreover, the catering they make is specifically for the boatmen's camp and the porters, and their operation is somewhat different from Shen Miao's.
The stalls set up outside the city were somewhat like self-service fast food restaurants in later times. Whatever vegetables the farmers supplied, the stalls would make that day, and most of them were vegetarian dishes with steamed buns. You couldn't order dishes, but the portions were large, filling, and cheap.
Moreover, they provide services all day long, supposedly because several cooks bring their families to work together, taking turns cooking, and keeping their stoves lit even late at night.
Liu Doukou even went out of her way to buy two servings to eat. The taste was not bad, and it was extremely cheap. A serving of hot rice with three vegetarian dishes cost only twelve coins. If you only wanted one dish to eat with a hot steamed bun, it could cost as little as seven coins.
I heard that this business is extremely popular, and even Du Gang, who manages the boatmen's camp, occasionally goes there.
Doukou bit hard into the steamed bun she had bought from the outer city, and said indignantly, "This was an idea that Sister Shen came up with, but they used it to make money."
Shen Miao smiled and said, "They did things differently, it's okay."
She wasn't upset at all; on the contrary, she was amazed. The innovative abilities of Song Dynasty merchants were truly remarkable; this was indeed a dynasty renowned for its commerce. In fact, competition was fierce in all walks of life in Bianjing, especially in the inner city, where the streets were lined with shops selling everything imaginable.
The reason why Shenmiao Catering was able to succeed was because it found its niche, and the same is true for those catering stalls in the outer city.
Thinking of this, she thought of Kangji again.
These past few days, when she went out to buy groceries, she would sometimes stop and look at Kangji's shop when she passed by. There was still a red "For Rent" sign pasted on the shop door, so it seemed that it hadn't been rented out yet.
Shen Miao looked up, engrossed in the sight. Although Kang Ji's shop was a bit old, it occupied a large area, bigger than both of her shops combined, and it was a two-story building. The shop was located right next to the Bian River, and there was an illegally constructed terrace on the second floor, where one could stand and look out over the river view.
Shops in such prime locations must be very expensive to rent.
If it were Shenmiao, such a large shop would never offer affordable soup noodles. In fact, Manager Kang should have invested heavily in decorating the shop more luxuriously from the beginning. If it didn't dare to compare itself to Fanlou, it should at least be comparable to the "seventy-two main restaurants" in Bianjing.
However, it could also be because Manager Kang failed to obtain the official store signboard. This is not an easy thing to get.
During the Song Dynasty, there was a wine monopoly system. Only "official shops" that purchased official yeast from the government were allowed to brew and sell wine. Wine brewed by other farmers, commoners, officials, and members of the imperial family could not be sold and could only be consumed by themselves.
For example, the Gu family's small winery has a faded "Official Store" sign hanging on it. This is the most valuable thing that has been passed down in their family—it shows that their family was originally an official winery that was permitted by the government to brew wine.
Shen Miao had previously heard Aunt Li say that the Gu family used to be the wealthiest family in the alley, owning three or four shops and a large tract of farmland on the outskirts of the city. However, the grandfather of the Gu family went mad and doted on his gambling-addicted youngest son, who was also Gu Tusu's uncle. Not only was the family fortune squandered, but Gu's uncle died from being harassed by gambling debts, and later, the grandfather himself died of anger.
When Uncle Gu took over the distillery, all that was left was this small shop, a vat of yeast, and a mountain of debt. The Gu family is still struggling to keep the shop afloat, and it's unclear whether the debt has been paid off yet.
In short, Shen Miao had previously felt that Kangji's business positioning seemed somewhat unreasonable. Did selling soup dumplings really require such a large shop? Even Kangji's later attempt to enter the group catering business seemed a bit haphazard and forced. However, now that they've closed down, any further thoughts Shen Miao might have are just hindsight.
"Hey? Isn't this Madam Shen?"
A joyful shout came from behind.
When Shen Miao turned around, she saw Yao Luoge with a large bunch of keys hanging from his waist, making a jingling sound as he walked.
He greeted her with a smile: "Would Madam Shen like to go in and take a look? I happen to have the key that the homeowner entrusted to me."
Shen Miao waved her hand dismissively: "No, no, I can't afford to rent it."
"It's only thirty strings of cash a month."
Shen Miao choked: "Only? That's way too expensive!"
Yao Luoge's smile remained unchanged: "I don't believe Madam Shen thinks it's too expensive. Madam Shen's business is booming, she should earn it back in a few days, right?"
"Wealth shouldn't be flaunted!" Shen Miao immediately pursed her lips and denied it, saying, "Nonsense, where would you find such a good thing as copper falling from the sky? Tell me quickly, and I'll immediately grab a sack and go pick it up."
"What is Lady Shen doing standing here?" Yao Luoge asked curiously.
Shen Miao took the opportunity to ask him about the reason for Kangji's closure.
Luo Ge, who knew the medicine well and was acquainted with Shen Miao, spilled the beans: "That Manager Kang, he was originally just the owner of a small shop. He hired a very skilled old cook who made excellent mutton soup noodles. Kang's business started with that old cook's mutton soup. Later, as business improved, Manager Kang took over this larger shop and hired several more cooks to sell other dishes. At first, business wasn't bad, but later..."
Yao Luoge glanced at Chen Miao, but said nothing, only smiling, "Later... business was bad. The old chef, confident in his skills but also with a bad temper, caused the other cooks in the kitchen to complain and gang up on him, creating a constant uproar. Manager Kang fired the old chef. As a result, Kang's dishes plummeted, and customers dwindled even further. Later, they tried new businesses but failed, and even half of the newly hired cooks were dismissed. In the end, they couldn't even pay their employees' monthly wages... and that's how they closed down."
It turned out to be a problem of reckless expansion without investigation and employee management issues. Shen Miao gave an "oh," but why was Luo Ge's gaze towards her so meaningful? She had no dealings with Kangji!
In detail, she simply worked hard to run her own shop and never used any underhanded means to harm anyone. If other people failed to run their businesses and went out of business, they can't blame her for doing so.
After gossiping, Shen Miao said goodbye to Yao Luoge.
Yao Luoge pressed on, "Madam Chen, do you really not want to rent it? Are you really not tempted? It's only thirty strings of cash a month, a two-story shop by the river!"
Shen Miao replied resolutely, "No!"
She ran away quickly, then turned and went to buy fresh bamboo leaves from an old woman's stall by the roadside.
As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, there are more vendors carrying loads of rice dumplings, mugwort leaves, pine nuts, and five-colored silk on the streets.
Of course, Shen Miao couldn't miss the Dragon Boat Festival either.
She came up with a new dish to suit the occasion.
In addition, both Ji Ge'er and Xie Qi will return home for the festival – a statutory holiday in the Song Dynasty, the Dragon Boat Festival is a one-day holiday.
Also, she promised to make braised pork rice dumplings for Ninth Brother.
Although most zongzi in Bianjing (Kaifeng) at this time were sweet, the method was: "Wash glutinous rice thoroughly, stuff it with dates, chestnuts, dried persimmons, ginkgo nuts, and red beans, and wrap it in reed leaves or bamboo leaves" [Note]. The famous food critic Su Shi of this dynasty once said, "Not only do I see oranges on the plate, but I also sometimes find bayberries in zongzi"—he actually loved bayberry zongzi. How niche!
But Shen Miao is a staunch advocate of savory rice dumplings.
No matter what! For Dragon Boat Festival, we have to make meat-filled rice dumplings! Meat-filled rice dumplings!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com