Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Little Snow Day
There are two types of stalls. One type is a stall without a storefront, but unlike the usual stalls selling snacks, this type of stall has a fixed location and is not as mobile as the stalls spread out on the ground.
Chen Sanfang was selling konjac and tofu in the city. He knew that his family would have to set up a permanent stall in the future, so he asked people about the pork stall when he had free time.
There are two butcher shops in the city, one in the west and the other in the north.
The west side of the city is mostly inhabited by wealthy families, and the butcher shops there mainly sell mutton. The north side of the city is the opposite, inhabited by ordinary people, and the butcher shops mainly sell cheap pork.
I want to rent a stall in the butcher's shop. The price is not high, only 380 yuan a month.
But this butcher shop also has its own rules. If you want to sell meat in there, you can't just rent a stall and go in safely. You have to pay a visit to the owner first.
Once someone agrees, you can start doing business with confidence. If something goes wrong, the agent will protect you for small matters and speak for you for big matters.
But if the butcher doesn't like you, you will be guilty of spending the rent to enter the butcher shop, and many people will come to trouble you.
This mountain is full of people. The city has a lot of people and is much more complicated than the countryside.
Kang He was not worried about the visit. Hu Dasan used to work in a butcher's shop. Although he has retired now, the friendship between them still remains.
They wanted to work in the butcher's shop, and Hu Dasan said he would take them to meet the butcher, after all, the master didn't pay homage to them for nothing.
However, Kang He took the excuse of buying meat to walk around the butcher shop, but he didn't really want to work there.
I also mentioned this when I came to buy meat earlier. Some stall owners don't care about cleanliness. Their stalls are dirty, which attracts flies and insects that buzz around the stalls and land on the raw meat, making it look very shabby.
When it's cold and rainy, there are fewer insects. The ground is full of water and there are no tiles. There are many people coming to look at and buy meat. You step on it and he steps on it again, and the mud is two feet thick.
The stall owner was not very particular. The pickled contents of the pig intestines were spilled on the ground, mixed with mud, which really made people reluctant to go near.
There are seven or eight stalls in the meat shop, arranged in two rows on the left and right. There are many stalls and a lot of raw meat. Various smells are mixed together, and it smells fishy and unpleasant!
How can I feel comfortable staying in such a place for a long time?
But this is both the disadvantage and the advantage of the meat business.
Because it is a meat shop, there are many butchers selling meat, and people who want to buy meat often go straight here.
I wanted to buy pig brains today, but I came late and didn't tell you in advance. This store has sold it, so I can go to another store that is closer.
When doing business as a group, competition is inevitable, but there are also many opportunities.
Of course, in addition to the pork stall in the butcher shop, there are other options, that is, the shop outside.
Currently, the county government has not made any regulations, and only allows stalls to sell meat in butcher shops, but this business can also be done by renting a shop outside.
The shop outside is spacious and can shelter you from wind and rain. You can clean it yourself and it can be kept clean if you want.
There is no need to say much about the advantages of the shop, everyone knows it.
But the shortcomings are also obvious.
Looking around the county, the rent for this shop is probably no less than five hundred yuan a month, no matter how bad the rent is.
On the other hand, many people think that selling pork does not require such a spacious shop. Unless they have extra space of their own, renting a stall from a butcher shop is the most cost-effective way.
Another thing is that the shop is outside, and it is difficult to attract customers from butcher shops, so business is even more difficult.
Kang He and Fan Jing went back and met with Chen.
Chen Sanfang asked the two men, "What do you think? Are there any good stalls in the meat market?"
Kanghe didn't say anything good or bad.
After selling the remaining konjac tofu with Chen Sanfang, Fan Jing drove the cart and went home with them.
When they got home, the whole family was soaking their feet in the main hall at night. Kang He then talked about the situation of the stall today and expressed his own thoughts.
"As for the butcher's stall, at least that's what I said. Although the rent isn't high, I still prefer to rent a shop."
"I've thought about it. Besides selling meat, my mother also sells konjac, tofu, and salted duck. If the pork business gets going, we can sell all of them in one place and won't have to employ so many people.
But if I rent a stall in a butcher's shop, it's full of stench. Salted duck is fine, but putting konjac and tofu next to it is unpleasant to look at. Who would buy from it?
"In my opinion, we should just spend more money to rent a shop. After all, Yuqing won't have to worry about doing business there. Once the door is locked, we can store things there.
Outside, I set up a stall and sold pork. Inside, I set up shelves and sold some groceries.
Father Fan didn't know that Chen Sanfang often traveled around the county, and often envied the merchants who opened shops like him.
When the weather gets hot, they can move their stalls under trees to keep cool. But in winter, when it is cold, they can only stand in the street in the cold wind, which is not as warm as being in the shop.
Every now and then, the weather changes suddenly, and heavy rain comes without warning, leaving us no time to close our stalls.
Even if we packed up quickly, there was nowhere to hide because people would chase away the street vendors who were hiding from the rain.
After hearing Kang He's words, Chen Sanfang wanted to rent a shop even more. However, she had never done such a high-cost business before, so she was unsure. She said to Kang He, "I'm worried that business will be bad, and the little money I earn will all go into the rent."
Kang He said: "There is no business in the world that is profitable. If you want to be more comfortable and convenient, you will always have to spend more money."
"Besides, we deal in pork and groceries, so we don't waste the spaciousness of our shop, and the rent is good enough."
Fan Jing remained silent. Kang He had informed him in advance. Although he didn't care where to set up the stall to sell meat, he naturally hoped that it would be better for his family.
Chen Sanfang sold konjac and tofu in the city, walking around the streets hawking his wares, which was really hard work.
Especially in the last month of winter, when the price of konjac and tofu went up as the year drew to a close, she would go to the city regardless of rain or snow, and would stay there for most of the day. In such rainy and snowy days, no matter how warmly she wrapped herself, she would still feel very cold.
Father Fan then said, "If renting a shop is really bad, then all the shops out there would quit. These past few days, it's snowing and cold, and you still have to rush to the city to sell konjac and tofu, and come back coughing. If you had a shop, you wouldn't be in this situation."
Let's look for one first. If we find one with the right rent and location, we'll do it according to Kanghe's instructions."
When Chen Sanfang heard Fan Dad say this, his heart warmed and he was speechless.
The whole family trusts Kanghe in their hearts. In fact, they mostly do things according to his wishes and only run the business. When the family sits down to talk, it is always more serious and takes everyone's opinions into consideration.
So before the New Year, Kang He and Fan Jing went to the city every day to see if there were any shops where they could sleep.
After some inquiries, they found out that the monthly rent for a shop was between eight hundred and three strings of cash, and the shops they were looking at were all relatively small.
This shop, which costs at least 800 yuan, is just a single room with nothing else around it. It is located in a remote area and few people pass by.
Those who paid more than two strings of coins could get a good location, and there was a small room in the shop for people to sleep in; those who paid more, more like three strings of coins, could get a small stove where they could cook meals on weekdays, and they could eat and sleep in the shop.
Kanghe still wanted to spend as little rent as possible. A good location was the first priority, and a comfortable shop was secondary.
They didn't have much money on hand, so when they rented a shop, the easy-going ones asked them to pay half a year's rent in advance, while the difficult ones asked them to pay three years' rent at once.
If the rent is too high, I can’t afford it. I have to save some money to buy pigs, so I need to have some money to go around.
I couldn't get a wink of sleep for several days.
On this day of the Little New Year, the family made fresh pork dumplings. When Kanghe was making the filling, he pounded some dried shrimps and mixed them into the flour. The whole family said that the dumplings were fresh and the meat was firm. Kanghe brought some to Hu Dasan.
When I went over there, it was bustling with activity. Hu Dasan's son came home with his wife and children.
Hu Dalang was very enthusiastic. He asked Kang He to sit by the fire and brought out some oranges for him to eat.
"I heard from Dad that Sanlang and Dajing are planning to start a pork business. I wonder if it's going well?"
Kang He also told him that he was looking for a shop recently.
Hu Dalang was a little surprised: "Why not rent a stall at the butcher shop?"
Kang He answered him, "That's what I was thinking originally. But since my family still has a small business selling bamboo tofu, I decided to open a shop."
Ever since Fan Jing became Hu Dasan's apprentice, Chen went to the city to sell bamboo-head tofu, and sometimes she would send some back with Hu Dalang.
His wife always said that the Fan family was thoughtful. They didn't know how the salted duck and preserved eggs were made, but they had great skills and made them so delicious.
"Have you found anything good?"
Kang He said, "I haven't found the right one yet. This shop is all about fate. Even if you look for it right, you may not find the right one. When I don't think about doing business, I often come across some good ones."
"That's exactly what happened. When I started that business, I also made sure to ask someone to keep it for me."
Hu Dalang then said, "What kind of place are you looking for? Mr. Luo, the shop owner I rented to, is a wealthy man. He owns quite a few shops, so he might be able to find you something suitable."
Kang He saw this as a good way out, so he told Hu Dalang his idea.
Hu Dalang took note of what he said and said that he would go to Mr. Luo's house to pay New Year's greetings during the Spring Festival and would ask about it then.
Kang He was grateful in his heart. Even if the plan failed, it was hard for Hu Dalang to have such an intention.
Later, Kanghe went home and felt his feet were itchy and painful. He took off his shoes and socks and found his toes were red. It turned out that he had frostbite.
Seeing this, Fan Jing poked his toes, making Kang He cry out in pain.
"How can you be so heartless? My leg is going to be broken and I'll become a cripple. Who will go out with you?"
Fan Jing said, "I've never heard of anyone becoming crippled from frostbite."
"If I were the first, I'd be considered outstanding."
Fan Jing glanced at him, said nothing, and walked out of the house.
Kang He hummed twice and went to get some boiling water to soak his feet.
His feet were burned red, but they didn't itch as much. He got some water and went out to pour it out, looking at the snowflakes falling outside again.
Kang He didn't see Fan Jing in the kitchen, so he went to the pig shed, but still didn't see anyone there.
He was wondering where this man had gone. Chen came out to get a broom and said that she saw him leave the house earlier with a depressed look on his face. When asked where he had been, he didn't say anything.
Kang He was just about to say that this guy couldn't be watched at all and would be gone if he turned his back.
Just when I was about to go out to look for him, I saw a straight figure on the road coming back home. Who else could it be except Fan Jing, who didn't even shrink his neck in the cold wind and snow?
"Where have you been?"
Kang He walked up and slapped the man twice, leaving snow on his shoulders and head.
Fan Jing shook himself, turned around and went into the house.
Kang He chased after him and entered the house. Just as he was about to lose his temper, he saw the man pull out a small medicine bottle from his arms and said, "Here."
"What is this?"
Kang He asked, opened the bottle cap and sniffed, and he smelled the scent of frostbite cream.
"Where did it come from?"
Fan Jing took off his coat and changed into a dry and comfortable one. He said, "Where else could it have come from except from Doctor Zhu's place?"
Hearing this, Kang He came forward and said, "You idiot, I have it in my medicine box. Luckily you are so quick that you went and got me another can."
Fan Jing's eyebrows moved when he heard this: "Why not use it if I have it?"
"I was just saying I was applying medicine to my burned foot, but who knew you'd be so impatient and go out to get it?"
Kang He held Fan Jingliang's icy hand and said, "You have a cold body and you like to walk around all the time, so your shoes always get wet. I was afraid you would get frostbite, so I brought it up for you, but I got it first."
Fan Jing glanced at Kang He and couldn't tell what he felt in his heart.
Kang He pulled the man to sit down and applied the ointment he had just bought to his chilblains. He said to him, "We went to see Doctor Zhu, but he only gave us chilblains cream. Why didn't he mention ointment? That thing is really gone."
Upon hearing this, Fan Jing squinted at him and said, "You're thick-skinned enough to take it yourself."
"It's okay if I don't use it, but can you bear it?"
“Ouch, ouch!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Kang He screamed and hurriedly covered his toes that were kicked by Fan Jing. It was really painful!
"You really want to make me a cripple!"
Fan Jing said: "The mute is stronger."
Kang He laughed out loud.
The snow fell even harder at night, and I could faintly hear the crackling sound of bamboos being broken by the pressure outside.
We swept the snow off the roof before nightfall, so we weren't worried about the snow piling up too thick and damaging the house.
Kang He was cutting a few window paper-cuts with two maids in the main room. When he turned around and saw Fan Jing returning to the room, he became a little restless and cut two more pieces. He said it was late at night and it was cold, so he asked the two maids to go back to the room and sleep early.
He returned to the room and saw that Fan Jing was not asleep either. She was sitting in front of the oil lamp with her head slightly lowered, as if she was doing needlework.
Kang He was very curious and came over to watch Fan Jing find some fur from somewhere, cut it with a knife, and sew insoles.
The stitching was so fine and even that if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought it was just Qiao'er's work.
"You can sew!?"
Fan Jing was not interrupted by his surprise and continued to work. He said slowly, "I am a young man."
Kang He moved his eyes: "Of course I know this."
"Girls and boys usually know these."
After that, he stopped sewing and said, "My mother taught me these when she was alive. She was very good at sewing, no worse than Aunt Liang."
Kang He said, "When my clothes got torn before, Zhen'er always helped me mend them. I never saw you do it before, so I thought you couldn't do it. I didn't expect you to do it so well."
Fan Jing said nothing.
Kang He looked at the thick insole, which had been cut to the shape of his big feet.
He was already overjoyed, but pretended to be ignorant and asked, "Did you do this with me?"
Fan Jing didn't answer him and just continued sewing.
Kang He kept calling him brother and would not stop until he heard it from his own mouth.
Fan Jingjiao was tired of his nagging and said, "I made it for Fan Xin."
After hearing this, Kang He fell silent immediately.
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