The Central Plains Festival is, after all, a festival. Whether the dead can enjoy it or not, Yan Qingqing doesn't know, but she knows that the living can.
Look at the lavish meal tonight! It's all thanks to Li Erniu; it's all leftovers from the offerings he made for him.
Yan Qingqing ate her meal in a good mood. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that she was in a good mood, and kept adding food to her plate. No one mentioned Li Erniu anymore.
Yan Qingqing quickly ate until she was stuffed. Seeing that everyone had finished eating, Yuan Huiniang, along with Li Xinniang and Li Yueniang, cleared away the dishes.
Everyone knew that Yan Qingqing had something to say, so they all sat down to keep her company.
Yan Qingqing only began to speak after Yuan Huiniang and the others had finished tidying up: "After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the next festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunion."
Eating mooncakes is definitely a must, so I'm thinking of taking this opportunity to make some and sell them to make some extra money. Do you have any objections?
Regardless of the dynasty, mooncakes have always been a symbol of reunion, and they are an indispensable gift among relatives and friends.
Li Xiangping, the eldest son in the family, was the first to speak up: "Mom, your idea is certainly good, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a big day. If we sell mooncakes, we can definitely make a lot of money."
However, mooncake recipes are all made with secret techniques, which we don't know.
These days, if any family has a recipe, it's a closely guarded secret passed down through generations.
Most mooncakes in Chengyang County are sold in shops, which means they are imported from other places. You might not find more than one or two shops in the whole county that know how to make mooncakes.
Yan Qingqing nodded and said, "Although you can make money, it's hard-earned money, and it's only available around the holidays. After that period, basically no one will buy it anymore."
These days, pastries aren't cheap, let alone mooncakes. Business isn't good except during holidays.
Yan Qingqing didn't plan to stay for very long; this period of time would be enough.
Seeing that Yan Qingqing did not answer Li Xiangping's question directly, Li Xiang'an smiled and said, "Big brother, since Mother has suggested selling mooncakes, she must know the recipe."
Yan Qingqing smiled and did not deny Li Xiang'an's words.
Everyone was shocked again, but this time the reaction wasn't as obvious. After all, Yan Qingqing could even make ice, so what was so special about her being able to make a mooncake?
Yan Qingqing was fairly satisfied with the children's performance; they no longer seemed so naive and unsophisticated. This meant she could now openly express any ideas or plans she had in the future.
Yan Qingqing glanced at Li Xiangjian again and asked, "Sanlang, what are your thoughts?"
When Li Xiangjian saw Yan Qingqing asking him a question, he perked up and smiled, "Mother, I don't have any particular ideas. I'll just do whatever you say."
Li Xiangjian was the least noticeable of the four boys in the family. Perhaps it was because his older and younger brothers had all found their direction in life, but he felt even more lost, even though his family's life had improved.
With so many children around, Yan Qingqing had overlooked his emotions lately, so she smiled and said, "Then this business deal will be led by you, with your older brother assisting you from the side, how about that?"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangjian quickly waved his hand and said, "Mother, I can't do it. I'm afraid I'll mess up such a big thing. I'm not as composed as my eldest brother, nor as quick-witted as my second brother, and certainly not as clever as my fourth brother..."
Li Xiangjian became increasingly insecure as he spoke, while Yan Qingqing's face grew darker and darker as she listened. She wondered why her third brother was acting this way, since she had never criticized or denied anyone.
Yan Qingqing took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and said, "Sanlang, how can you be so self-deprecating? Although you are not the eldest son, you are steady and reliable, and you are hardworking and conscientious in both farm work and business."
"Besides, you have immense strength; you just haven't found something you enjoy doing yet. I believe that if this opportunity is given to you, you will do an excellent job."
Li Xiangjian was surprised that his mother thought so highly of him, and his older brothers and sisters were also looking at him with encouraging eyes. Moved, he said, "Mother, don't worry, I will definitely do well."
Yan Qingqing nodded before continuing with the main topic: "I have the recipe for mooncakes, but I only plan to make two kinds: one is called snow skin mooncake, and the other is called mixed sugar mooncake. These two kinds are not currently available on the market, and they taste good, so they should be very popular."
After saying that, Yan Qingqing took out the blueprints from her sleeve and continued, "Making snow skin mooncakes requires mold-making tools, but it's very simple to do. I've drawn two patterns, and I'll find a craftsman to carve them later."
"Of course, to make mooncakes that are all the same size, we'll need another type of mold, which I've already drawn." After saying that, he handed the things needed to make snow skin mooncakes to Li Xiangjian.
Li Xiangjian excitedly took it and looked at it, but he was a little confused because he couldn't understand it.
Seeing this, Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "It's okay, you'll understand once it's done."
Li Xiangjian nodded upon hearing this, then asked, "Mother, didn't you say there was another kind of mooncake made with maltose syrup? How do you make that?"
The child finally took the initiative to ask, and Yan Qingqing said with relief, "The other one doesn't require a mold and is simple to make, but it does require a special thing called an oven."
This is roughly what the oven looks like; you can go to the blacksmith's shop later and have someone make one too.
Li Xiangjian carefully hid the drawings that Yan Qingqing had completed in his pocket. These were precious items, and he had to keep them safe.
Seeing this, Li Xiangkang curled his lip and said, "Third brother, you said I was stingy with my collection of writing materials, but aren't you the same?"
Li Xiangjian glanced at him disdainfully and said proudly, "How can this be the same? This is our family's secret weapon for making money."
The way the two of them bickered amused everyone.
Besides the tools needed to make mooncakes, you'll definitely need ingredients.
Yan Qingqing thought for a moment and then said, "These things need to be done as soon as possible. We'll go to the market to test the waters in a couple of days. Erlang, go back and talk to Manager Yang at Wugufang and ask him to prepare more glutinous rice for us."
Li Xiang'an nodded and said, "Mother, don't worry, I'll talk to Manager Yang tomorrow."
Let's make a list of any other materials we need, Mom. I'll go to the shops when I have time and find a few more, so people won't guess what materials we're using.
That's why Li Xiang'an has a good business sense; look how comprehensive his thinking is.
The next day, Li Xiangjian went into the city with Li Xiang'an. He followed Li Xiang'an's example and found several blacksmith shops, asking them to make the work separately so that their molds would not be leaked.
Meanwhile, in the county government office of Chengyang County, Magistrate Ling was holding a letter in his hand, at a loss for what to do.
A man who appeared to be a butler beside him asked, "Master, has the old master sent another letter?"
Magistrate Ling nodded and replied, "Yes, Father said the situation in the capital is not good right now, and he wants us to find the person we are looking for as soon as possible."
"But I've been in Chengyang County for so long and haven't heard a single word. Could it be that we went in the wrong direction from the start?"
The steward was also worried, but still comforted him, saying, "The Imperial Observatory has said that the Great Yan's 'lucky star' is in Xuancheng Prefecture, but Xuancheng Prefecture is too big and it is indeed difficult to find."
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Ling nodded and said, "Send more people to the prefectural city, and also send people to search in each county town, so as not to miss anyone."
Upon hearing this, the butler quickly nodded and went to send more people.
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