Chapter 104 - The Two-in-One Business Thrives
Lin Chunxing thought about it and agreed. Chai Xingyu and the others made a big fuss that day, with gongs and drums and opera performances. Given everyone's love for excitement, they probably rushed to the market, bought their things, and then went to join the fun.
She might have to take less powder that day, because she wouldn't be able to sell it all.
"Okay, then let's do it another day."
At the tasting event, Chai Xingyu paid for all the ingredients and sauces. Lin Chuntao had already picked out pork belly and tenderloin from Helan, and also bought some lamb tenderloin, shoulder meat, and two lamb legs from the butcher shop.
She wasn't sure if the officials would actually come to support her. If they didn't, she wouldn't need that much meat. If they did come, they would definitely have to eat a whole table of food. She also asked them to save two lamb legs so she could get them if needed.
Lin Chunxing went too, and brought the soup noodles with her.
Before dawn on the 22nd, Lin Chuntao and the others had already gone to the shop.
The shop has already set up the sauce jars, and the price tags and names are all posted. Next to each sauce jar hang several copper ladles for making sauce, with markings so that the customer can scoop out the exact amount they want.
Lin Chuntao looked around and found them all to be acceptable.
Because he needed to make something, Chai Xingyu prepared a stove and placed it on one side of the shop, along with several tables, chairs, and benches.
Lin Chuntao went to set up the stoves and arranged them in a row. Today she was going to make stone-grilled meat, vegetables, potatoes, eggplants, and so on.
The tasting plates were quite small, just for sampling, but once everyone entered, they could try the food from several different vendors.
Just as Lin Chuntao finished tidying up, Qin Suyun arrived with ingredients and a chef, and the various sauce shop owners also arrived one after another with their people.
Everyone got to know each other, especially the two shopkeepers of the tomato sauce and sweet bean sauce. Qin Suyun was mainly responsible for making their sauces for cooking, and she also negotiated the purchase price with them for the future.
After all, he was her own son, so Guo Jixiang, Chai Songchuan, and Chai Jiao also came to support Chai Xingyu.
No one had eaten breakfast yet. The cook Qin Suyun brought cooked several bowls of noodles for everyone. There were soup noodles cooked directly with tomato sauce, noodles with shredded pork in sweet bean sauce, and sauce noodles for Lin Chuntao and the others.
Everyone had tried the soup noodles and loved them as always. The new tomato sauce noodles and mixed noodles that were introduced today surprised them. Tomatoes are commonly used in cooking, but you need to add a lot of tomatoes to make a thick soup. However, after making this sauce, you only need a little to cook a bowl of noodles, and it still has a strong tomato flavor.
Qin Suyun said, "The locals may not like it that much, but people from the Central Plains can't handle spicy food, and bland food is tasteless. This might be something that many people will like."
After breakfast, as dawn broke, the theater staff came to set up the stage. They worked quickly, and just as the sun rose and people heading to the early market were leaving, the gongs, drums, and opera performances began, instantly drawing a large crowd.
Before 9 AM, Chai Xingyu borrowed a mask from the opera troupe, put it on, and began to hawk his wares.
"Today is the opening of the sauce market, and there will be a tasting event. Grandpas, grandmas, brothers, sisters-in-law, younger brothers and sisters who are passing by can take a number from the front. The lucky draw will start after 9:00 AM. If you win the lucky draw, you can enter for free to try the sauces!"
After he finished speaking, the onlookers were a little confused. What were they trying?
Before I could ask, I saw Lin Chuntao and Qin Suyun making noodles, cutting meat, and washing vegetables.
"What are you trying? Did they make it?"
Chai Xingyu said, "That's right."
Standing in the crowd below, Sanbao called out, "Those who are interested, I'll give you a number here. Remember your number, we'll call out when you draw your number for the lucky draw. You'll need your number to come in for the tasting, so don't lose it."
The old lady was somewhat incredulous. How could something like this fall from the sky? Free food?
Could it be that these men have suddenly become kind-hearted?
"Really free?"
Sanbao said, "It's really free."
The old woman gritted her teeth and said, "Me! Me! Give me one!"
Seeing that Sanbao didn't have many pieces of paper, the person next to him quickly grabbed them.
Sanbao was jostled by someone, so he jogged backward, making the people behind him line up to receive it.
Before the tasting even started, these people, having received their numbers, went off to do their own things. Many of them were there to buy groceries at the market. Once inside, word of the tasting event spread throughout the market, and many people who hadn't received a number rushed over.
There were so many people gathered here that many restaurants and eateries in the county town also sent people to get numbers.
Some people, upon learning that Lin Chuntao's noodle soup sauce was going on sale today, didn't care about tasting it or not and brought their families directly over.
The first thing I asked as I walked in was, "What kind of sauce is used at Lin's Rice Noodle Soup?"
Zhang Qingqing was startled when she saw the middle-aged man rushing in, thinking he was looking for trouble.
Upon hearing the question, she quickly led the person to the sauce vat. "My lord, this is Lin's Spicy Sauce." As she spoke, she lifted the lid, and the bright red sauce released a fragrant aroma.
"May I try some?"
Zhang Qingqing nodded: "Okay, please wait a moment." As she spoke, she put the lid on the soy sauce jar, then took a small jar from the shelf above, and took out a small bamboo stick, scooping a small spoonful for each of the two people.
"The bamboo strips are clean, so please feel free to try them."
The middle-aged man took a bite. The sauce was quite fragrant on its own, but it had to be salty to keep well. He pursed his lips. This tasted exactly like the sauce in the noodle soup.
He had asked Lin Chuntao before, and she said that she made little at home and would sell the more she made later. At the time, he thought Lin Chuntao was just making excuses for him. She used the sauce to make soup noodles herself. If she sold the sauce, everyone else could sell soup noodles, wouldn't that affect her business?
I never expected it to be true.
Now that this sauce is being sold, they can also start offering noodle soup in their shop.
The chef had tasted it before and said that as long as there is sauce, the taste can be almost the same.
After tasting it, he glanced at the cook behind him, who nodded vigorously, "Master, this is it!"
The middle-aged man asked, "How many do we want to buy?"
The cook said, "This jar I brought today can hold fifty catties."
After saying that, the middle-aged man asked Zhang Qingqing, "How much per pound?"
"Eighteen coins a pound." She quoted the retail price. She certainly wouldn't lower the price automatically unless the other party bargained. The man didn't even mention lowering the price and simply said, "Pack us fifty pounds."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Qingqing took the jar and was about to fill it when Lin Chuntao and Chai Xingyu came in from outside.
Chai Xingyu looked at the man and quickly said, "Good morning, Manager Wang!"
Wang Huaizhi glanced at Chai Xingyu, then at Lin Chuntao beside him, and said with a smile, "Manager Chai, Manager Lin, may your business prosper!"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Manager Wang. We will be having a tasting later. If you have time, please stay for a cup of tea."
Wang Huaizhi still needs to go back and figure out how to make soup noodles.
"No, no, let's meet another day. I can't leave the shop. I wish both of you great success in your business!"
Zhang Qingqing packed the sauce, a full fifty catties, and earned nine hundred coins.
This man surnamed Wang also gave Chai Xingyu and Lin Chuntao each a lucky red envelope containing 88 coins.
The two men held the red envelopes and looked at Wang Huaizhi and his cook, who seemed to be chased by a ghost.
Chai Xingyu said to Lin Chuntao, "Sister, isn't our sauce priced too cheaply?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "No, our sauce tastes just right. It's just that Manager Wang must be in a hurry to take the sauce back and figure out how to use it in his dishes."
Chai Xingyu said, "He probably isn't thinking about making soup noodles, is he?"
Lin Chuntao nodded. "It should be rice noodle soup."
"After this day, there will definitely be many noodle soup stalls in our county, that's normal."
After selling fifty catties of soy sauce, the vat was nearly empty. Chai Xingyu hissed and asked Lin Chuntao, "When will our next batch of soy sauce be ready?"
Lin Chuntao said, "It's been drying in the sun for a while now, and it'll be ready to go the day after tomorrow."
After steaming the beans last time, Lin Chuntao rested for a day before continuing to make them. This time, she brought over a thousand catties. Selling them for three to five days shouldn't be a problem, right?
You can't buy sauce every day. Like this 50-pound batch, it would take several days before I'd come back to buy it a second time.
Before 9 AM, Lin Chuntao and Qin Suyun had already started cooking. The aroma of soup noodles and meat and vegetables quickly filled the entire street, and the onlookers kept sniffing and inhaling the fragrance.
After the appointed time, the opera troupe began their performance, and the people arranged by Chai Xingyu started introducing the sauces available in the shop that day.
After the introduction, he said, "Today, everyone can try each kind of sauce in their dishes. If you like any of the flavors, you can go to the shop and buy a pound or two to take home so that the whole family can enjoy the deliciousness."
The event was quite interesting. The first person to be called was a young woman with her six or seven-year-old daughter. The mother and daughter were invited in together.
Lin Chuntao's stone-grilled pork and twice-cooked pork are both bright red and have an irresistible aroma!
Qin Suyun's pancakes rolled with roast duck, as well as the mixed noodles and soup noodles, looked extremely appetizing, especially the hanging roast duck, which was golden and looked incredibly fragrant.
The woman looked at Qin Suyun and Lin Chuntao, who were smiling, and asked in a low voice, "Can we try everything?"
Lin Chuntao said, "Of course."
Then Lin Chuntao and the others took small plates, put the food in them, and the woman and her daughter tasted it one by one. The portions were not large, just a bite or two.
The woman was able to remain calm after tasting it, but it was different for the child.
The child's eyes widened after eating something delicious, exclaiming how tasty it was and wanting more, but he was also a little embarrassed.
The lucky draw was still going on, and many people outside were watching the mother and daughter tasting the food. They were so tempted by their expressions and the aroma of the food that they couldn't wait to try it themselves.
There were too many people, so it was impossible for everyone to be selected. Therefore, some people gave up hope of being selected and directly approached Lin Chuntao and the others to ask, "Wife, what kind of sauce are you using?"
Lin Chuntao said, "Lin's Spicy Sauce."
"I'm going in to buy some; this sauce smells amazing."
After he finished speaking, many people who had heard the conversation hurriedly rushed into the shop.
On the first day of opening, Lin Chuntao's sauce sold exceptionally well. The tasting only made many people aware that the sauce could also be used in cooking, such as stir-frying or grilling meat. However, many people were craving a bowl of soup noodles. After buying the sauce, they would buy some noodles and be able to make it at home.
Other sauces also sell well. Many people like the chopped chili and egg fried rice. People who have moved south prefer another type of bean sauce, which is not spicy but quite fragrant and can be mixed directly into rice.
The tasting session didn't end until evening, after a busy day.
Business was good after the opening, and Chai Xingyu was all smiles. Guo Jixiang and the others initially thought it would only be a short-lived event, but they didn't expect that Lin Chuntao and Qin Suyun would prepare some dishes that were so delicious that even the officials who were not originally going to join in the fun couldn't resist coming over for a visit and then having a meal before leaving.
After the tasting, Lin Chuntao and the others went back.
Chai Xingyu took stock of the goods. They sold about 400 jin of the Guanglin Chuntao sauce today, and also sold a lot of other sauces. It was a very good start.
Almost no one entered the Chai family's soy sauce shop today. Chai Laosan also came to see what Chai Xingyu had done and felt a surge of resentment.
He came to find Chai Songchuan that evening.
Chai Songchuan said, "It's only the first day. Everyone loves to watch the excitement. In a couple of days, all the guests will be back."
Three days later, Chai Xingyu's shop became more lively, and some people did return to Chai's Sauce Shop, but it was still much quieter than before.
On the fourth day after the sauce shop opened, Chai Xingyu came to Lin Chuntao to pick up the second batch of sauce.
Several more noodle soup stalls appeared in the market, but Lin Chunxing's noodle soup stall did well. Some people who liked pickled vegetables still came, and others who liked braised eggs also frequented the stall. The situation that Lin Chunxing had predicted, where the stall's business would be squeezed out and make no money, did not happen.
She can still sell 30 to 40 kilograms of noodles every day.
Lin Chuntao became even busier. The sauce was selling quite well, so she had to keep making more sauce. People in various villages were busy with the autumn harvest, pulling beans and picking corn, working up a great deal of activity.
Lin Shuilian had recovered well after her postpartum confinement period, and Lin Chuntao asked her to come and help pick beans and remove chili stems.
On the 28th, Lin Qingqing ran away from home.
Lin Chuntao heard the news from a woman in the village, who said that Lin Qingqing had eloped with someone, and that Wang had even had a big fight with that woman.
Because of a previous disagreement, Wang and Lin Chuntao had little contact afterward.
Lin Changhua came to Lin Chuntao and the others to ask, "Chuntao, has Qingqing been playing with you lately? Have you heard where she's going? Do you know where she is?"
Lin Chuntao asked Lin Chunxing, and Lin Chunxing shook her head.
"No, we haven't played together for a long time since we split the trees last time. Why would she suddenly..."
Lin Changhua took a deep breath and said without explaining why, "Chuntao, Qingqing doesn't understand anything. If you have any news about her, you must tell me or call her home."
Lin Chuntao agreed, and thinking of Lin Qingqing, she said to Lin Chunxing, "You guys cook, I'm going to Grandma's house."
Lin Chunxing was also going, so Pei Ying was left to cook dinner.
When they arrived at Lin Chuntao's place, they learned that Lin Qingqing's aunt had somehow heard that Wang was going to marry Qingqing to Wang Quan, and had actually brought a matchmaker and gifts to propose marriage.
Wang acted on impulse, intending to frighten Lin Qingqing. After calming down, she realized she didn't really intend to marry Lin Qingqing to Wang Quan. So, she remained silent and pretended the incident had never happened.
Who would have thought that when Lin Qingqing's aunt found out, she excitedly brought a matchmaker and some gifts to propose marriage.
Lin Qingqing was so angry that she fainted. The old lady of the Lin family even told the aunt of the Wang family that there was no such thing.
The old lady was directly retorted by Wang's aunt.
"Auntie, these are my sister-in-law's own words, how could they be false?"
"Marriage is always decided by parents. Qingqing is our niece, and as her aunt, I will definitely treat her like my own daughter."
They said they would treat her like their own daughter, but when Lin Qingqing fainted, the Wang family's aunt didn't say a word.
The old lady took Lin Qingqing to get acupuncture, and she cried continuously after waking up.
When the old lady took Lin Qingqing to see the doctor, she told Wang to handle it as she saw fit. Wang accepted her sister-in-law's gift and agreed to the marriage.
After Lin Qingqing was brought back by the old lady, she cried and cried when she heard the news, saying that she would not marry.
The old lady asked Wang to send the betrothal gifts back to the Wang family, but Wang remained silent and did nothing. The next day, Lin Qingqing was nowhere to be found.
Li Honghua then came to Wang's place to show off, asking Lin Qingqing if she was going to hold a banquet.
Lin Qingqing was nowhere to be seen. Looking at Li Honghua's expression, Wang Shi realized that Li Honghua had reported the matter to her family.
Wang and Li Honghua got into a physical fight. Wang got so angry that she hit Li Honghua on the head with a stone, causing her to bleed profusely. The two families were in complete chaos.
Lin Chuntao frowned as she listened to Chen Dongniang's words.
Chen Dongniang said, "Is the master alright? But if something had happened to Qingqing, that would have been truly..."
Lin Chunxing listened from the side, her face turning deathly pale.
After leaving the village head's house, Lin Chunxing and Lin Chuntao said, "Sister, shall we go find Qingqing?"
Lin Chuntao nodded. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have asked. But if she was going to search, she needed a direction first. Which direction did Lin Qingqing go? That way, they could follow her.
"Let's go find Jia Ye and see if he knows anything."
Actually, his family had already asked him once today, but Lin Jiaye just didn't know anything.
When Lin Chuntao and the others called him out to ask questions, Lin Jiaye's eyes darted around. Lin Chuntao could tell from his expression that he probably knew something.
"Do you know where Qingqing went?"
Lin Jiaye pondered for a while before saying, "She went to the county town, saying she was looking for work."
Lin Chuntao: "...Did she say anything else to you?"
Lin Jiaye shook his head, and after a while said, "She said she would rather die than come back to get married."
Lin Chuntao hissed coldly, and Lin Jiaye asked, "Sister Chuntao, are you going to find Qingqing?"
"No, I was just asking."
Lin Chuntao felt that even if they went to look for them, it was their business, and she didn't want to get involved with this family.
After a quick dinner, Lin Chuntao borrowed Aunt Guizhi's mule cart and took Pei Yingyi to the county town.
They searched around and looked in many places, but they couldn't find Lin Qingqing. It was already very dark, so Lin Chuntao and the others had no choice but to go home.
Lin Chunxing remained silent all night, only speaking when they were almost home.
"Sister, will Qingqing be alright?"
Lin Chuntao nodded, "It'll definitely be fine."
But Lin Qingqing is such a big girl, and if she runs to the county town, she might not know the dangers of people's hearts and encounter bad people, which would be dangerous.
Besides, what would she eat if she got hungry in the county town? It would be better if she were in the countryside, where there would be food in the fields, and she could eat a few tomatoes or something to fill her stomach.
If she didn't have any money in the county town, what would she eat and where would she stay?
Lin Chuntao's heart was still in her throat.
*
At dusk today, Zhang Qingqing finished her work at the shop and returned to her rented room. It was already dark when she got there, and she bumped into Lin Qingqing at the corner.
Her shoulder was a little sore from the impact, and just as she was about to speak, Lin Qingqing collapsed in front of her.
Just then, a few children from the same courtyard were playing outside. Zhang Qingqing called them over for help, and together they carried Zhang Qingqing back inside.
Zhang Qingqing thought something had happened to Lin Qingqing.
The woman in the same courtyard said, "She fainted from hunger."
"Miss Qingqing, do you have any millet porridge? Feed her some; if she has something in her stomach, she'll feel better soon."
Zhang Qingqing nodded. She had cooked rice porridge that morning, so she lit a fire and warmed it up. She fed Lin Qingqing some first, then gave her some water, before scooping a bowl for herself to eat.
Lin Qingqing didn't wake up until more than half an hour later. She was terrified to wake up in a pitch-black room, but there was a lot of noise coming from the courtyard. She rolled off the bed, and Zhang Qingqing heard the noise and rushed into the house with a torch.
Seeing the unfamiliar face, Lin Qingqing felt a little flustered. Zhang Qingqing spoke first, "Miss, you're awake?"
"We bumped into each other at the corner just now, and you fainted. I fed you a little bit of millet porridge. How are you now?"
Lin Qingqing realized she had met a good person when she saw that Zhang Qingqing had a kind face.
"Thank you, sister!"
Zhang Qingqing asked, "Are you hungry now? I left some porridge for you."
Lin Qingqing was a little embarrassed, but she was really hungry. Zhang Qingqing noticed her predicament and quickly brought over a bowl to serve her a bowl.
Zhang Qingqing looked at Lin Qingqing drinking porridge. She was thirteen or fourteen years old. How could such a big girl faint from hunger? Something must have happened, right?
"Little sister, do you live in the county town?" Zhang Qingqing wanted to offer to take her home after she finished eating, but Lin Qingqing shook her head. She didn't say where she lived, but said that she came to the county town to find work, but she didn't bring any money with her today and hadn't found any work.
Zhang Qingqing frowned slightly and asked, "So you don't have anywhere to stay tonight?"
Lin Qingqing lowered her head and gave a soft "hmm".
Zhang Qingqing could help her, but she was also a little afraid of getting into trouble. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Little sister, why did you come to the city to find work? Are you short of money or...?"
Lin Qingqing wanted to tell the truth, but she was also a little scared. She hesitated whether to say it or not, but after thinking for a moment, she said, "My family is forcing me to get married, so I ran away."
Zhang Qingqing: "..."
"Who are you marrying?" Zhang Qingqing asked curiously. Lin Qingqing replied, "My older cousin, he's an idiot."
Looking at Lin Qingqing's clothes, Zhang Qingqing guessed that she must be from the countryside. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Why don't you stay here with me for the night? I'll see if we need any help at our shop tomorrow."
Lin Qingqing's eyes widened. She had met a kind person today who not only took her in but also offered to help her find work tomorrow.
"Sister, may I ask what kind of work you do?"
Zhang Qingqing said, "I sell sauces."
Lin Qingqing nodded slightly, "I have a cousin who makes delicious sauces too."
That night, Zhang Qingqing took Lin Qingqing in.
As dawn broke, Zhang Qingqing took Lin Qingqing to the shop and found Chai Xingyu.
Lin Qingqing was stunned the moment she saw Chai Xingyu. She had seen Chai Xingyu in the village before, when he was with Pei Ying.
But she was afraid her family would find out, so she didn't acknowledge anyone.
After asking about the situation, Chai Xingyu asked Lin Qingqing about it and then asked her to stay and do the work.
Wang and Lin Changhua have been searching for Lin Qingqing for two or three days but haven't found her yet.
Lin Chunxing didn't go home immediately after closing her stall. They also looked for Lin Qingqing in the county town, but couldn't find her anywhere. Lin Chuntao passed by Chai Xingyu's shop and went in to take a look.
There weren't many people around at the moment, and Sanbao and Zhang Qingqing were sitting and chatting as they tidied up.
Sanbao was sitting facing the door, and he saw Lin Chuntao as soon as she entered the room.
"Sister Chuntao!"
As soon as Sanbao spoke, Lin Qingqing jumped up, tripping over the chair behind her.
When she turned around and saw Lin Chunxing and Lin Chuntao entering the room, her eyes were filled with panic, as if she was afraid that there were other people behind them.
Zhang Qingqing turned around and saw Lin Chuntao, so she went over to greet her: "Sister Chuntao, what brings you here? Have you had lunch yet?"
Lin Chuntao said, "I just happened to be passing by and came in to take a look. I'll go home after I'm done. Have you eaten yet?"
Zhang Qingqing: "We ate."
After they finished speaking, Lin Qingqing, who was standing behind, slowly stepped forward. For some reason, she had a feeling that Lin Chuntao and the others had come to find her.
"Sister Chuntao, Chunxing, brother-in-law."
Lin Chuntao looked her over and saw that she seemed alright, all intact.
"Are you working here?" Lin Chuntao asked.
Lin Qingqing nodded. "I met Sister Qingqing, and she asked the shopkeeper for me, so I stayed here to work."
Zhang Qingqing was shocked when she heard their conversation.
"Sister Chuntao, you two know each other?"
Lin Qingqing said, "Sister Qingqing, this is the cousin I told you about who makes really delicious sauce."
Zhang Qingqing chuckled; fate is truly wondrous.
After learning that Lin Qingqing had been staying with Zhang Qingqing for the past few days, eating and living together, I found out that Lin Qingqing had been with Zhang Qingqing the whole time.
Zhang Qingqing didn't have much money either, and she hadn't received her wages for this month yet.
Lin Chuntao gave Lin Qingqing five hundred coins, saying, "Pay me back after you get your wages. If your parents ask about it later, just pretend you don't know anything."
Lin Qingqing nodded, her nose tingled, and tears fell.
"Thank you, Sister Chuntao."
"Why are you being so polite with me? It's too dangerous for you to just run out like this! There are many ways to not want to get married; you don't have to put yourself in danger."
"Sister, I have no choice. If I had a way, I wouldn't have run away."
Upon hearing Lin Qingqing's words, Lin Chunxing whispered a few words in Lin Qingqing's ear, and Lin Qingqing's eyes widened.
Will this work?
Lin Chunxing said, "It will definitely work. Don't your uncle and your grandmother both cherish your cousin? You have to hurry up and get it done, otherwise they will be even less willing to break off the engagement when they find out that you've made money."
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