Madam Gu finally noticed Gu Yaoniang's stiffness and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Gu Yaoniang simply shook her head.
Madam Gu sensed something was amiss and pulled Gu Yaoniang aside to ask, "Did you suffer any injustice outside?"
Gu Yaoniang looked at the woman in front of her. She had her usual gentleness, and even when she was anxious, it was only faint, but she could not hide her genuine anxiety.
Time has been relatively kind to her, but it's not uncommon to see its marks. A few silver strands gleam in her hair, and while she looks fine when she's not smiling, the fine lines around her eyes are undeniable when she does.
Gu Yaoniang suddenly felt somewhat relieved. Over the years, her mother had always been extremely concerned about her; it was only her occasional hesitation and the occasional restraint when reprimanding her that had made her suspicious.
But what does it matter? The woman in front of him is the mother he has called for over twenty years, and she loves him.
Then they are mother and daughter by blood. Every family has its own troubles, and this is how the mother and daughter who care about their family get along.
Gu Yaoniang suddenly felt enlightened. She smiled and said to Madam Gu, "No, I'm just a little tired."
She clung to Madam Gu's arm and swayed it, causing Madam Gu to sway along with her. Madam Gu instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Gu Yaoniang refused to let go, deliberately drawing out her words and calling out "Mother" in a sweet voice.
Madam Gu was both amused and exasperated by their persistence. She had been a little awkward at first, but now she was just amused, and the two of them burst into laughter.
-
Jin Yu Lou's inexpensive kitchen had just opened, and the people of the capital didn't quite understand it. With everyone busy and preoccupied, such a novel thing as a business meeting seemed like a luxury to ordinary people.
People had to be very careful with every penny they had, and when they went to work, they mostly looked for jobs that provided meals.
Even if some jobs don't provide meals, and it's only May, you can manage by cooking at home and carefully taking the food to your workplace.
Gu Yaoniang's plan was good; she even set the price at a loss, but it was still not as economical as eating at home.
Over the course of several days, the cheap kitchen only received a few orders, while Gu Yaoniang spent a lot of money hiring many people to run errands. Although she had prepared to lose money, she had planned to use the money to subsidize the expenses of the errands, but she did not expect that almost no one would order food from the cheap kitchen.
This is the biggest challenge Gu Yaoniang has faced since taking over Jin Yulou.
Unexpectedly, before Gu Yaoniang could come up with a good solution, the problem was easily solved.
On this day, a well-dressed woman, clearly from a wealthy family, came to Jin Yu Lou and said she wanted to order food.
When the Cheap Kitchen was first established, Gu Yaoniang said that it was to provide convenience for the poor. Therefore, Jin Yulou would arrange for people to deliver the meals, which were single-serving portions, and the prices were very cheap. The cheapness of the Cheap Kitchen meant both spending less money and convenience.
The visitor was adorned with jewels and wore clothes made of comfortable fabric. While not extremely expensive, he was clearly not an ordinary person struggling to make ends meet. He came from a wealthy and influential family.
If she were allowed to order food from the cheap kitchen, wouldn't that go against Gu Yaoniang's original intention in setting up the cheap kitchen?
But these days, business at cheap kitchens is already slow. So, even if the customers aren't starving, it's still worth making money from them.
The young waiter who was receiving her was unsure of what to do. He could only invite the visitor to sit in the Golden Jade Pavilion and then go and ask Gu Yaoniang for her opinion.
Upon receiving the news, Gu Yaoniang rushed over and exchanged greetings with the young lady. They then sat down politely and began to discuss matters.
"I am the owner of Jin Yu Lou, my surname is Gu. May I ask how you are addressed, madam?"
Gu Yaoniang sized up the woman before her. Although her clothes were understated, it was clear that the fabric was extremely comfortable. She must be a respected head housekeeper or maid in some household.
The newcomer smiled and said, "I have long admired Madam Gu's name. You may call me Xirou."
Gu Yaoniang readily agreed: "Xirou, I heard from the servants that you came today to book a meal at our cheap kitchen."
Xi Rou nodded: "Exactly."
She glanced at the young waiter, who had long since returned to the take-order counter in the cheap kitchen, out of her sight. She stopped looking and simply smiled at Gu Yaoniang, saying, "I noticed that young man seemed a bit hesitant. Is it inconvenient to order now?"
It's not a big deal if you don't have any business for a while when you're open for business. What's really important is if customers think you're not capable of serving them. That would be a devastating blow.
Gu Yaoniang quickly denied it: "It's convenient, it's convenient. What kind of meal would you like to order?"
Gu Yaoniang introduced several dishes from the cheap kitchen to Xirou. The dishes at the cheap kitchen weren't fixed; although they were all for one person, the prices varied depending on the meal. Generally, it was two dishes and a serving of rice, and the price varied depending on whether the two dishes were all vegetarian, all meat, or one meat and one vegetable dish.
After saying this, Gu Yaoniang pretended to be a little shy and said embarrassedly, "I don't mean to be rude, Madam Xirou, but when I priced the cheap kitchen, I was doing so at a loss, just to thank the poor people for their help. I never expected that a wealthy family would come to order from me. May I ask where you live, Madam?"
Xi Rou chuckled softly, "My master is a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue, and Lord Zhang Wushan is my husband. Today, we need to do some repairs at home, so we hired some people. But my courtyard is small, and my kitchen is small too. I heard that you can order meals for one person, so I came to ask about the price. If it's reasonable, our kitchen will only cook for our family members, and the meals for the temporary workers will be outsourced to a cheaper kitchen."
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