The speaker was none other than Sixth Master, the one who had asked Li Xiang'an and the other man to stay and work.
This was also the benefactor of her two sons. Yan Qingqing said politely, "So it's Sixth Master. I'm so sorry. I haven't thanked you for what happened to the two children last time."
Sixth Master waved his hand and said, "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. I just saw that they were both hardworking and honest, so I said a few nice words to the dock manager."
My real name is Chen, and I'm the sixth child in my family. If you don't mind, you can call me Chen Liu (Sixth Chen).
Yan Qingqing understood. This dock was set up by the government, and he could both talk to the dock manager and recruit people from outside. In modern times, he would be considered someone who had connections in both the legal and illegal worlds.
Yan Qingqing is just an ordinary peasant woman now, so she naturally wouldn't be ungrateful for Chen Liu's politeness.
So he changed the subject and said, "You've come at the perfect time. Take a look at the new dishes I made. Try them and give me your feedback."
After saying that, Yan Qingqing scooped up a large spoonful of meat and handed it to Chen Liu, saying, "Don't worry, this was all cleaned at home, it's absolutely clean."
For some reason, Chen Liu always felt that Yan Qingqing was not an ordinary peasant woman. Her speech, behavior, and demeanor were all extraordinary.
That's why Chen Liu said those words just now.
Looking at the delicious-looking pork offal in the bowl, Chen Liu picked up his chopsticks and took a piece to eat.
The braised pork offal was surprisingly delicious, with no fishy or foul smell at all. Chen Liu squinted his eyes in enjoyment, then picked up another piece and put it in his mouth.
More and more people gathered around, and the burly man who had just been there looked at Chen Liu cautiously and asked, "Sixth Master, how does the pig offal taste? Is it good?"
He wanted Chen Liu to tell him it was delicious so he could try it, but he also hoped Chen Liu would tell him it wasn't delicious so he wouldn't have to spend money.
Chen Liu rolled his eyes at him and said, "What do you think? I can eat things that don't taste good."
After saying that, he stuffed another chopstick into his mouth.
Without further hesitation, the man asked, "How much per serving, boss?"
Yan Qingqing replied with a smile, "Pure meat is five coins a serving, stew is three coins a serving, steamed buns are one coin each, and those who come early get free bone broth."
The man thought the price wasn't too expensive, considering it was meat.
So he said, "Give me a pure meat one, and a steamed bun too."
Although one steamed bun won't fill you up, meat will.
Li Xiang'an, who was standing nearby, served the big man a portion of meat, about two ounces, which was more than half a bowl.
The big man was so happy to see such a good deal that his mouth almost stretched to the back of his ears.
After taking the bowl, he began to wolf down his food.
People nearby, seeing how he ate, didn't even need to ask if it was delicious or not.
One of the men asked awkwardly, "Is it okay if I just don't buy your steamed buns, as long as I have meat and vegetables?"
Yan Qingqing replied with a smile, "Of course you can. If you brought your own steamed buns, you don't need to buy any more."
Another man, who looked quite shrewd, asked, "If I only buy your stew, do you give me bone broth for free?"
He had just glanced at it and saw that the stew had a layer of oil floating on top and a good amount of meat inside. This way, he could save money and still eat meat.
Since it was a business transaction, Yan Qingqing used all her patience to communicate with her customers, still smiling as she replied, "Of course it's free. Even if you only buy one steamed bun, I'll give you a free bowl of bone broth."
However, the bone broth is limited in quantity; it's first-come, first-served, and there might not be any left for later.
Seeing that Yan Qingqing was so nice and that the dishes looked really tempting, everyone took out their money and started buying.
Some who were a little better off bought pure meat, while others who were less well-off bought stew. Some who wanted to eat meat but couldn't afford it bought a steamed bun, so at least they could have a bowl of bone broth to satisfy their craving.
Yan Qingqing collected the money, while her two sons served the dishes and soup, but there were clearly not enough bowls and chopsticks.
Fortunately, these people ate very quickly, so Li Xiangjian quickly washed the used dishes and chopsticks.
Although busy, all three were happy, and they sold out of everything they brought in just half an hour.
Some people arrived late and could smell the aroma, but didn't get to taste it.
As a result, many people complained that Yan Qingqing and the others had cooked too little food and that they should cook more tomorrow.
Yan Qingqing maintained a smile as she greeted everyone, but did not mention whether the quantity would be increased tomorrow.
Chen Liu continued to stand aside and observe, increasingly feeling that Yan Qingqing was methodical in her work.
Yan Qingqing instructed her two sons to pack their things, then walked up to Chen Liu and said, "Thank you so much, Sixth Master, for standing up for us today."
Chen Liu chuckled twice and replied, "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. After all, I'm obliged to help you when you're eating. I can even smell the delicious food while I'm standing here."
People like Chen Liu are very loyal, and Yan Qingqing naturally wants to get along with him, but her current status is not suitable; she is a widow, which limits her actions.
After Li Xiang'an and the others finished packing up their stall, Yan Qingqing led the two of them away from the dock to the county town to buy things they would need for the next day.
On the way, Li Xiang'an asked, "Mother, everything we have for today is sold out. Should we prepare more?"
Yan Qingqing shook her head and replied, "I don't plan to increase the dosage."
Li Xiangjian asked, puzzled, "Our business is so good, why don't we do more?"
Yan Qingqing replied with a smile, "Making money is important, but you guys are still young. You're leaving early and coming home late every day. It's okay for a day or two, but you won't be able to stand it in the long run."
Besides, cleaning pig offal is tiring work, and it's even more unbearable for two girls like Xinniang and Yueniang.
Remember this: money is always secondary; family is the most important thing.
Li Xiang'an and Li Xiangjian listened and nodded seriously.
Yan Qingqing sighed inwardly, feeling that although these children were not her own, she now had the responsibility and obligation to instill correct values in them.
After arriving at the market, Yan Qingqing went to the butcher shop first and bought a set of pig offal and several large bones.
This delighted the butcher. Usually, it would take him several days to process all the pig offal, but he never expected that Yan Qingqing could finish it all at once.
This made him even happier than if he had sold dozens of kilograms of meat.
Then they went to Wugufang and bought black flour and white flour.
Manager Yang was naturally pleased to see that Yan Qingqing ordered a lot and was a repeat customer.
Yan Qingqing also took the opportunity to chat with Manager Yang of Wugufang.
Finally, Yan Qingqing thought for a moment and asked, "Manager Yang, do you have any rare seeds here, those that are not found or are rare in our Great Yan?"
Shopkeeper Yang shook his head and replied, "No, ordinary people can't even get enough to eat, so how can they have the leisure to buy those things?"
However, if you want it, I can keep an eye out for it for you in the future.
Yan Qingqing quickly thanked Manager Yang.
Thinking that they still needed to go home to clean the pig offal, Yan Qingqing and the others did not linger in the city.
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