Xu Ping has been running around the county every day these days, maintaining relationships with the waiters he's been in contact with, while Gu Yun watches anxiously from the sidelines.
Upon hearing Meng Zhao's arrangement, he was so worried that he didn't know what to do. He wasn't as quick-witted as Xu Ping and couldn't think of a solution. He thought that he might as well carry a shoulder pole and go out to sell his wares directly from street to street.
Then I remembered my uncle Gu Changwu, who was always out there running a business. Although his name contained the character "Wu" (武), he was not strong at all and could not carry heavy loads for more than a few trips at the dock.
Although he wasn't very strong, he was quite good at walking. Since he was a child, he would carry a shoulder pole, go from the south village to the north village to exchange goods, and then use the money he earned to buy things in the county to sell back to the villagers, making a profit by running back and forth.
However, because the villagers have generally been poor over the years, they don't buy anything for their homes except during festivals and holidays, and mostly barter, so he has never been able to earn much money.
A few days ago, Gu Changwu met a bodyguard and they hit it off. So he collected some items from the surrounding area and went out with the bodyguard to see if there were any opportunities to save some money for his unborn child.
To his surprise, he returned empty-handed. The counties he passed through were all much more prosperous than Qing Shi County. The things he took out were readily available elsewhere and couldn't be sold. He could only barter for some food and utensils.
Gu Yun first went home to inquire about her uncle's situation, and then found Meng Zhao.
“Sister-in-law, my uncle just came back from outside recently and has met many people. Could we talk to him about selling starch and get his opinion?”
Meng Zhao looked up at Gu Yun. Although he wasn't very smart, he was hardworking and diligent. He would do the tasks assigned to him seriously and was very obedient. She told him not to tell anyone about the starch, so he didn't say anything. When he got home, he only said that he was helping her set up a stall to sell boxed lunches.
"Yes, that's fine. My uncle has traveled around and seen a lot of the world, so it's good to hear his opinion."
The next day, Gu Yun brought her uncle to Shenjia Village. Gu Shi and Gu Changwu had not seen each other for several months, so they chatted for a while.
He saw that his sister was radiant and no longer had the devastation she had shown when her brother-in-law passed away. His two nephews, Qingze and Qingyu, were also healthy and lively, and he was happy for his sister and them.
When he met Meng Zhao, he thanked her profusely, but he only became serious when Meng Zhao mentioned Chunfeng Tower.
"During my time away from home, I've heard a lot about Chunfenglou. In almost every prosperous county I've passed through, there's a Chunfenglou shop, and its business is quite well-known locally."
"Has Second Uncle heard about the new dishes at Chunfenglou?"
Gu Changwu nodded emphatically, "Yes, when I was with the escort agency and occasionally stayed in the city, I often heard people say that they wanted to go to Chunfeng Restaurant to try their new dishes."
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "However, it seems that this situation is more common in Dongyang County. Outside of Dongyang County, we hear about it less often. But we've only stopped for a short time each time along the way, so maybe I just haven't been paying attention."
Meng Zhao and Gu Yun exchanged a glance. This was pretty much what they had expected. Chunfeng Tower's business was indeed huge. In ancient times, when information was not readily available, it was still able to manage so many businesses.
At the same time, the monthly supply of 3,000 catties of starch is probably not enough to supply all their shops. It can only prioritize Dongyang County and some surrounding counties. It may not be possible to supply more distant areas yet, or the new dishes may not have been taught yet.
Gu Yun, who was standing nearby, said, "Uncle, the new dishes at Chunfeng Restaurant all rely on a new seasoning made by my cousin-in-law, called starch. I'm currently working in a starch workshop."
Gu Changwu stared at the two of them in shock until Meng Zhao nodded, at which point he finally believed it. He had always thought that Gu Yun was helping Meng Zhao with food preparation, but he never expected that they were doing something much bigger.
Meng Zhao smiled and said, "Second Uncle, we used to only supply starch to Chunfenglou, but now we want to sell starch to more places, and we may need your help."
"That's great! Such a good product will definitely sell." He returned empty-handed last time because he didn't have anything good on him. If he had starch, he was confident he could sell it.
Meng Zhao suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh dear, if we ask my second uncle to help with this, he will have to go out often, but my second aunt is probably about to give birth, so that won't work."
Throughout history, childbirth has always been seen as a life-or-death ordeal for women, and it is never good if the husband is not home during this crucial time.
Gu Changwu hesitated for a moment, but then made up his mind: "If I don't go, the children will suffer after they are born. I might as well find a way to earn more money so that they can live a better life."
Meng Zhao could only nod, "Alright, then Second Uncle will make the trip first and try to return before Aunt gives birth."
Gu Yun, who was standing nearby, also comforted him, "Uncle, don't worry about things at home. Father, Mother and Second Brother will take good care of things. Yin'er and Xue'er have grown up and will also take good care of Aunt."
Meng Zhao arranged for Gu Changwu and Gu Yun to take a trip around the surrounding area, mainly to start with Chunfenglou's competitors and to get a list of them first.
When Meng Zhao finished talking with them and returned to the starch workshop, the village head was already waiting for her.
“Meng Zhao, I’ve picked out two people from the workshop, one is Li Xing’er and the other is Shen Dazhuang. What do you think?”
The main reason for choosing these two people is that they are both from Shenjia Village. Li Xing'er was born in Shenjia Village, and when she came of age, her parents arranged for her to marry Shen Qinglai, with whom she had grown up. The whole family was basically born and raised in Shenjia Village.
Shen Dazhuang's situation was the same. He married a girl from Shenjia Village. Both of them had clean backgrounds, and according to the village head's observation, they were both very tight-lipped and never revealed anything about the starch workshop. They were also both down-to-earth and hardworking.
However, Meng Zhao was not very satisfied when he saw the names of these two people. Although being hardworking and down-to-earth is necessary in all industries, this sales position requires a quick mind, a smooth tongue, and a drive that is not content with the status quo.
Neither of these two people was a good fit, but after thinking about it, she realized that the people in the workshop couldn't seem to find anyone more suitable, so she could only use them for the time being.
“Okay, village head, please have them visit my mother more often recently to see how the starch is used. That way, it will be easier to explain when we sell the goods.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
