Chapter 72 The housewarming celebration cost a total of... 5,187 yuan...
Without further ado, the family did some calculations and felt that this business could be profitable. The next morning, Chen Mian went to Ayili to order a batch of chili peppers.
Ayili was recently worried about selling her chili peppers. After hearing Chen Mian's plan and tasting her chili sauce, she praised it highly.
“With this skill, why are you still farming? Wouldn’t it be better to open a processing plant?” Aili suggested.
Chen Mian chuckled: "You think too highly of me. You have to take things one step at a time. Even if I had the guts, I don't have the funds."
"But I hope there will be an opportunity in the future, thanks to your kind words. Right now, I just hope to pay off the loan as soon as possible so that my family can live a life free from financial worries."
After leaving Ayili's farm, Chen Mian went to the cannery in the city and ordered 200 canning bottles.
To be honest, the cost of the canning jars is a bit high. One jar costs three cents, and one pound of chili peppers also costs three cents. One pound of chili peppers makes just enough chili sauce to fill one jar. With other ingredients added, the cost of one jar of chili sauce is almost one dollar.
This doesn't even include my own labor costs.
On her way home, Chen Mian kept thinking about how to reduce costs. Many families make chili sauce. Although she was confident in her mother's skills, she knew that if the price was too high, other people might not be willing to buy it.
It's already June, and the weather is getting hotter, so they need to hurry. Temperature also affects the preservation of the chili sauce.
A gentle breeze swept by, scattering Chen Mian's long hair. The lush fruit trees along the roadside were laden with the fruits of a bountiful harvest.
Chen Mian exclaimed, "That's wonderful! I hope my farm will have a good harvest next summer."
For the next month, everyone in the Chen family was so busy that they didn't even have time to think about anything else.
Since one of the new houses was already completed, they set up a small family workshop assembly line in that room. Chen Mianmian was in charge of washing the chilies, Zhijiayi and Lin Huijun were in charge of chopping the chilies, and Chen Yongliang was in charge of the final stir-frying and bottling.
Chen Mian bought several large earthenware jars specifically for storing chili sauce. Only after her mother reminded her did she realize that she had been narrow-minded. Nowadays, most families are very frugal and cherish things, so every household keeps some canned food jars or enamel mugs.
They don't actually need to prepare too many canning jars. Just like when customers bring their own bottles to buy vinegar and soy sauce, they will bring their own containers to save money.
Considering the weather, Chen Mian decided to make and sell the chili sauce in batches to minimize waste.
Chen's chili sauce was well received as soon as it was put on the market.
She had her father make two clay stoves in advance, and also brought a pot over to heat the already stir-fried chili sauce on the spot. On the other stove, soft and fluffy lotus leaf pancakes and crispy leavened bread were being heated.
For just two cents, you can enjoy a freshly made chili sauce sandwich.
On the table was a large bucket of refreshing mung bean soup with mint leaves added.
"This chili sauce smells amazing!"
"Exactly, one wasn't enough for me. Thank goodness there was mung bean soup, or I would have choked to death here."
Of course, there were also envious people who said, "You guys should just sell your chili sauce properly. This stir-frying makes the smell spread everywhere, which affects our business."
Chen Mian carried a bowl of mung bean soup and a crispy steamed bun with chili sauce, and politely handed it to the man. "I'm really sorry, it's just a small business, please understand."
"He who eats another's food is bound to do so," so the man accepted the gift and didn't say anything more.
The Chen family's chili sauce sold out one batch after another, and they even bought a batch of Hemuti to sell in the neighboring city.
Later, he spent another thousand yuan to buy the Chen family's recipe, intending to build his own factory to make chili sauce. He even hired Lin Huijun as the technical consultant for the factory.
Maihemuti: "I really didn't expect this. Not only are you a clever girl, but your mother is also incredibly insightful."
Lin Huijun, having received her consulting fee, lived up to the title, quickly launching watermelon sauce after the chili sauce sold out.
Soak soybeans overnight, stir-fry them in a pan until the skins peel off, add chopped chili peppers and continue stir-frying, then add diced watermelon and soybean paste and simmer.
Soon, the aroma of watermelon sauce filled the air. Unlike chili sauce, this watermelon sauce carried the unique sweetness of local watermelons from Umeko. A touch of white wine was added before serving to enhance the flavor and preserve its freshness.
Maihemuti gave a thumbs-up in admiration: "I have nothing more to say, it just smells amazing!"
.
By the end of June, the Chen family's chili sauce had finally sold out, and the house was repaired. They were just waiting to choose an auspicious day to move in.
Chen Mian collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted. "I've been so busy lately, I haven't even had time to sleep in."
Zhijia walked over silently. "Mian, let me give you a massage."
"You have this skill too?" Chen Mian's eyes lit up with surprise.
“My grandma used to be in poor health. Whenever it was windy or rainy, she would feel pain all over her body, so I would just massage her a little.”
Chen Mian: "Has Grandma's health improved now?"
“She passed away a few years ago,” Zhijia replied casually, glancing at Chen Mian’s apologetic look. “You don’t need to be sad for me. Grandma has gone to another world to enjoy herself, and she’s doing well.” When she can no longer find her son, she will go to heaven to be with her grandmother.
She walked to the sofa and massaged Chen Mian for a while. Chen Mian said, "Lie down and I'll massage you too."
“No need, I’m used to this kind of work, it’s fine,” Ziga said.
Chen Mian: "Okay, let's calculate how much money we made this month. Could you go and call my parents over too?"
"good."
The four of them sat down around the coffee table. Chen Mian took out a pen and paper and started writing and drawing, muttering some numbers to herself. "It cost 300 yuan to buy 1,000 jin of chili peppers, 70 yuan to buy 200 jin of peanuts, 100 yuan to buy 200 canning jars, and 100 yuan to buy oil and other tools. That's already 570 yuan. Did we really make a profit on this trip?"
Lin Huijun reminded her, "You forgot that this is only the first batch of goods we purchased. We bought two more batches later."
Chen Mian smiled bitterly. The happier she was just now, the more helpless she felt now. Her family's chili sauce was cheap, only two yuan per pound, relying on small profits and quick turnover.
Seeing that her daughter was in a bad mood, Lin Huijun quickly signaled her husband to take out the loose change from the box.
Chen Yongliang went inside and took out a locked wooden box. When he opened the box, it was full of loose change, including one- or two-yuan coins and one- or two-mao coins.
Lin Huijun: "How much money would that add up to?"
Chen Yongliang picked up the box and turned it over, and a shower of banknotes rained down, a truly shocking sight.
The people inside were stunned by the scene. After a moment, Lin Huijun reacted and pushed her husband, "Old Chen, what are you doing? The money is perfectly safe inside. What's wrong with you?"
Even the usually mild-mannered Chen Yongliang was unusually excited. "I just think we're amazing. We can earn so much money on our own."
"Besides, it's not like you're asking how much money is inside. Pouring it all out would make it easier to count."
Chen Mian tried to smooth things over, "It's alright, it's alright. I'm curious too. Let's help tidy up together."
The group divided the work, sorting the money by size and grouping them together. Chen Mian made a record on a piece of paper, "The total is..."
"Five thousand one hundred and eighty-seven yuan!"
Even though Chen Mian had already made a rough guess about the number during the sorting process, she was still shocked by it.
"Did we really earn five thousand yuan a month on our own?" she asked incredulously. "But I don't remember that much."
Lin Huijun: "Have you forgotten? There's also the money we make from selling the sauce recipe. I also get paid as a consultant for the factory."
"I haven't touched any of this money. It's all in this box. I was just thinking of counting it all together today." A blush rose on Lin Huijun's face. At her age, this was the first time she had earned so much money in such a short time using her skills.
Although there were four of them working, and each person received 1,000 yuan after the money was divided equally (the cost of the sauce recipe was separate), it was still quite shocking.
After calculating the money, Chen Mian picked out the larger denominations, counted out a thousand yuan, and handed it to Zhijiayi, saying, "Sister, this is your salary."
Zhijia didn't expect that she would also have a share of the money, and she pushed it away, unwilling to accept it. She already received her monthly salary. "I can't take this money. You are willing to give me food and pay me a salary every month. You have already been good enough to me. I can't take this money. Besides, it's too much."
Her bright eyes were filled with tears. After leaving that cannibalistic husband, her complexion had improved a lot, and she was in the prime of her life.
Chen Mian pressed the money into her hand: "This is the fruit of your labor that you deserve. Keep this money safe and it's best to deposit it in the bank. You might need it later."
“Besides, the yard is all repaired now, and you’ll have your own bedroom. Good days are ahead.” Chen Mian raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Don’t cry, your eyes will be swollen and you won’t look good.”
As Zhijia listened to Chen Mian's gentle words, her heart was filled with emotion and gratitude, and she couldn't help but sob.
Chen Mian stepped forward and hugged her frail body, gently stroking her back. Feeling the warmth emanating from Chen Mian, Zhijia finally couldn't hold back and burst into tears, "Waaah..."
"It's alright, it's alright, everything will be alright."
Tears streamed down Zhijia's face like pearls as she clutched her clothes in anguish: "On such a wonderful day, why can't my Aji have this blessing?"
"He's so young, how will he survive?"
Chen Mian looked to her mother for help, while Chen Yongliang avoided her as soon as Zhijiayi started crying.
Lin Huijun comforted him, "Don't worry too much. Good people are always blessed. You named the child Aji, and he will definitely have this good fortune."
Chen Mian: "Yes, you have to trust the police and live your life well. Maybe one day your child will be found."
As Chen Mian and her daughter comforted her, Zhijia gradually stopped sobbing, but she still insisted that she would only take five hundred yuan, saying, "This is enough, thank you."
.
"Crackling and popping..." The sound of firecrackers rang out to celebrate the Chen family's housewarming.
"Congratulations!" Yu Xiaoyue's family and Ayili came to celebrate the Chen family's housewarming. Since his divorce, Batur had been drinking at the bar every day. Ayili thought he was embarrassing because of his drunken smell, so she didn't let him come.
Dilidar knew that her former mother-in-law and ex-husband might come, and she was afraid of an awkward meeting. In addition, with her due date approaching, she had no choice but to have her parents come early to deliver the housewarming gifts. She made an appointment with Chen Mian to visit her after she gave birth.
Chen Mian led everyone inside and introduced the layout of the house. Directly opposite the entrance was a circular flower bed filled with all kinds of flowers that Lin Huijun liked. Behind the flower bed was a long corridor that would later be covered with grapevines.
There was a bamboo rattan chair and a small open space next to the corridor.
The rattan chair was made by Chen's future son-in-law in his spare time as a special gift for his future father-in-law. The open space was reserved for a swing. Ji Yu has been busy working overtime lately and hasn't had time to make it yet.
Even though the carpenter said he could do it easily, Ji Yu insisted on doing it herself.
Ji Yu: "You don't understand, this is a rare opportunity for me to show off."
The Nine-Ringed House, as the name suggests, consists of nine rooms. To the left of the main entrance are the kitchen and two bedrooms, one for Zhijia and one for Chen Muhe. The first room to the right of the main entrance is divided in two, with one half being a toilet and the other half a shower room.
The remaining two rooms were used to store miscellaneous items and grain, and Chen Mian's bedroom.
There are three rooms in the very center: the bedroom of Mr. and Mrs. Chen, the living room, and Chen Mubai's bedroom.
Of course, Chen Mian didn't forget about Da Huang's location. She specially asked the workers to build a doghouse for Da Huang at the gate of the yard.
Not far from the courtyard, several tall warehouses were built for future use.
After the tour, the group had lunch at the Chen family's house. Before leaving, Yu Xiaoyue held Chen Mian and Lin Huijun's hands, saying, "You all must remember to come to my house for dinner tomorrow night!"
"This is a rare and grand event, don't miss it."
Chen Mian smiled and replied, "Understood, Aunt Yu. We will be there on time. Don't worry, just don't mind if there are too many of us causing trouble."
"What you're saying is true, it's more lively with more people!" Yu Xiaoyue waved her hand. "I'm leaving now, see you tomorrow."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Just a heads up, tomorrow I'll be making braised tofu and braised edamame. The author is currently completely immersed in their art, planting whatever they want and cooking whatever they want to eat. [Eating popcorn emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
