Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Opening
At the end of February, the shop was almost ready. On this day, Kang He and Fan Jing took Chen and two maids to the city to clean the shop inside and out.
There was a thick layer of old onychomycosis in the corners, and when the cloth used for cleaning was wrung into the basin, the water turned into dirty paste.
A few grains of rice could be swept out from the cracks in the bluestone floor, so it seemed that there was a rice and flour shop in the front. However, precisely because of this business, the dust was particularly heavy.
It took the family of four or five people half a day to clean up the place.
Although it was tiring, I was happy to be doing my own work and running my own shop.
Kang He went to the street corner and ordered five bowls of rice dumplings with fermented glutinous rice to fill everyone's stomachs. The waiter brought a long table and served sweet soup. He saw that the shop at the other end had been rented out and asked what business the shop was going to do.
Chen hurriedly introduced herself to the people and booked a shop in the first month of the year. She sold konjac and tofu on the street and told every customer that she would sell things at the Douxinfang at the bottom of South Street in the future.
The next day, Fan Jing and Kang He brought in the twenty kilograms of honey stored at home, the kudzu starch and fern starch made by Qiuyue, the ten or so kilograms of vermicelli that they had saved, and the salted duck and preserved eggs...all these dry goods and long-lasting goods into the shop.
Chen also helped, packing up the things and putting them on the shelves.
A small sleeping room was separated from the shop, and shelves and counters were added. It was no longer as spacious as when I first came to see the empty shop.
However, they didn't have much goods, so after putting them on the shelves, the shop didn't feel crowded.
Pork still followed his previous plan and built a rainproof roof on the left side of the shop door and set up a long stall.
Some sweet water shops on the street are like this too. There is a window in the shop facing the street, which is always open. Customers who do not enter the shop can order a bowl of sweet water through the window, eat it on a long table placed by the window, and then leave.
After sorting the goods, Kang He took four salted ducks and four preserved eggs and sent them to the oil shop on the left. He also sent the same things to the double-line shop on the right, which made shoes and boots.
Because the oil shop has to press its own oil, people can sometimes smell the oil. Their pork still has some smell, so they put the stall on the left.
The two shops each have their own flavor, and it's hard to say which one is better.
"What kind of resounding name should we give our shop?"
At night, Kang He rested his head on his arm and asked Fan Jing, "I was so busy with my work that I went to the next door shop to give a gift. When someone asked me, I remembered that I almost forgot about it."
Fan Jing said, "As you wish."
Kang He turned his head and looked at him: "You are a butcher, don't you have any ideas?"
"You can't even read a word, what ideas do you have?"
Kang He laughed and said, "I was listening to Brother Daxin's teaching a few days ago, and I heard a very good word."
Fan Jing glanced at him.
Kang He then said, "He told the children that spring is approaching, and when the spring breeze is gentle and the scenery is bright, it is called spring and scenery."
"When I heard it, I thought it had both our names and a good meaning."
After hearing this, Fan Jing said, "It's a nice word, but only a butcher shop would hang a sign like this?"
Kang He smiled and said, "That's what I was thinking too. I don't think it's suitable, so I haven't decided yet."
After that, he continued, "I've seen that most shops use surnames as signs. Otherwise, we can do the same. Fortunately, neither of the two pork shops in the neighborhood is named Fan."
He looked at Fan Jing with a smile and said, "How about calling it Fan Fulang's Pork and Dried Meat Shop? Fulang butchering pigs is quite interesting."
Fan Jing said, "There are women selling pork in the butcher shop, and the shop is named after a woman. People will think it's a man slaughtering pigs outside. What's the big deal?"
He turned to look at Kang He and said slowly, "If it's the son-in-law who comes to visit, pork and dried goods will be more interesting."
When Kang He heard this, his eyebrows moved.
He was not angry, but instead began to think about it carefully.
"Hey, don't laugh yet, this sign is really quite eye-catching. Not only does Douxinfang not have a shop with such a name, but I haven't seen one in the entire county!"
"Most of those who come out to buy meat and vegetables are husbands and wives. When they hear someone is coming, who can resist taking a look? In this case, we don't need to shout at the top of our lungs.
People find our shop interesting and tell it like a joke to their friends, relatives, and good neighbors. It may seem like they're just saying we're funny, but as it spreads from one person to another, it becomes easy to remember, and the word spreads. These people don't necessarily intend to buy from us, but they might buy just to join in the fun.
Seeing that he was serious, Fan Jing frowned slightly and said, "I was just joking."
Kang He clicked his tongue. He knew what Fan Jing meant. He felt that once this sign was hung up, people outside would know that he was a doorman, which would hurt the man's self-esteem.
But Kanghe didn't think there was anything wrong.
"I am a door-to-door worker, so I am not afraid of people knowing. Besides, what's the big deal? My family loves and respects me, and I have a good life.
Only someone so incompetent and useless as to be a gigolo would feel so dependent on others and have such a strong sense of self-esteem that he is afraid that outsiders will know that he is someone else's son-in-law."
Fan Jing was slightly stunned when he heard this. He had never expected Kang He to be so insightful. It was rare to find a man as open and honest as him.
"I don't know much about business matters. If you think it's good, I'll do as you wish."
Kang He was very happy, feeling that he had earned a rare good reputation.
After a few days, he went to the carpentry shop and made an engraved sign.
The shop opened on February 11th, a date chosen by an old gentleman who had read a pornographic book.
Kang He and Fan Jing had not been optimistic about other people buying pigs to slaughter, so after discussing it, they decided to slaughter one of their own pigs and sell it.
The two piglets we bought last spring have already grown strong, but we didn’t slaughter them at home because we kept them for the pork shop.
By the time the shop opens and starts selling fresh meat, people who have raised pigs and are preparing to sell them will pay attention and come to inquire about the price of buying pigs, so they don't have to worry too much about not having enough supply.
So later in the tenth day of the first lunar month, Fan Jing slaughtered the pig and deconstructed the meat at home beforehand.
On the 11th day, before dawn, the two men loaded the pork onto a donkey cart and drove to the county.
For such a big event as the opening of a business, everyone in the family wants to go and see it and help out.
We only transported a hundred pounds of pork, which was not enough to accommodate such a large family.
Father Fan, Chen and the two maids followed behind.
When the shop opened, it couldn't make a big splash, so it just followed the custom of opening a business in the city, put up a string of firecrackers, put up a red cloth and displayed the sign, and that was it.
When the cannon was fired, there were bound to be people coming to the streets to watch the fun. When they saw the red cloth on the sign being pulled off, those who were watching outside immediately pointed at the sign and laughed.
"What's written on it? Everyone is so excited about it!"
"Auntie, you can't read? Your shop is called the Fan Family Son-in-Law's Pork and Dried Vegetable Shop!"
"But it's strange. There are quite a few people standing over there. Which one is the son-in-law?"
People were talking about it, and the more they talked, the more people came to watch the fun.
Fan Shoulin had never done business in the city. Even when Chen was selling radish and tofu, he had never worked with her, let alone opening a shop.
He was in the shop, looking at the many people outside watching the fun and pointing at the sign. His face turned red with embarrassment and he hid in the shop, too embarrassed to go out.
Zhen'er is introverted and shy when she sees a lot of people. She follows her father to clean up the shop.
Chen Sanfang could shout out her wares on the street without a trace of shame. Seeing so many people coming to watch the fun, she just wished that they would all become guests in her home.
Qiao'er was not afraid of strangers. She ran in and out, thinking it was fun and interesting.
Fan Jing was sharpening his knife and preparing meat at the stall at the door. He was not afraid of the loneliness of the desolate mountains and wilderness, nor was he afraid of the hustle and bustle of the crowd. He just focused on doing his own thing.
Kang He helped Fan Jing set up the meat stall. Looking up, he saw a crowd of people. He wiped his hands on the apron around his waist and whispered to Fan Jing, "Get ready to receive customers."
After saying that, he walked out to the stall with a kind smile on his face.
"The Fan family's son-in-law's pork and dried meat shop opened today. They sell fresh meat, chicken, duck, and dried vermicelli. There's a lot of stuff! Ladies and husbands, come and have a look inside to relax!"
"Xiao Lang, are you the live-in son-in-law of this shop?"
Seeing someone coming out to make things happen, those who were watching pointed at the sign and asked Kang He.
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
Kang He laughed and said, "My lady, you have good eyesight. Even if I am a live-in son-in-law, do I still need to be recognized by the elders and villagers?"
"Very handsome!"
Kang He said: "Not only is he handsome, but the things in his shop are also very good!
We're opening today and offering a discount. Anyone who spends thirty cents or more will receive a free cube of konjac tofu. Anyone who spends fifty cents or more will receive a free cube of pig's blood tofu. There are only so many left, first come, first served!
"It doesn't matter if you don't sell meat or buy goods. Just come in and look for a potential son-in-law. I won't accept any copper coins from you."
Jiao Kanghe, who was watching the fun outside, was amused and went back into the shop.
Chen Sanfang was so happy that he slapped his thigh and even went to greet people.
"Come in and take a look. Our prices are good and the goods are great!"
"Madam Cao! Oh, I've seen you from afar, thank you for coming to support me today."
Chen Sanfang's warm greetings were overwhelming, but the shop was packed, making it almost impossible to move around. Even in the February weather, she was sweating from working so hard.
Qiao'er didn't like what she said. She was very smart with her mouth. She called one person "wife" and another "husband". She was also very sweet-mouthed and held the salted duck to let people taste it.
Although Zhen'er is not as bold as Qiao'er and is not good at speaking, she is quick and careful in doing things. She remembers everything on the shelves and can help anyone find it. She learned arithmetic from Fan Xin and can now do accounting for people.
Only Father Fan, seeing so many people pouring into the shop, was so embarrassed that he didn't do anything. A layer of sweat had already appeared on his forehead, and he just kept wiping his face.
When Chen Sanfang saw this, he pinched the man fiercely and said, "You are not even as good as those two girls."
Father Fan whispered, "I see we have enough people to handle this. Your throats are dry from shouting. I'll go boil some water."
After saying that, he simply hid in the bedroom at the back.
Kanghe was watching the meat stall outside.
When people come to choose and buy meat, Fan Jingqie weighs it and collects the money. The couple cooperates very well and doesn't keep people waiting for long.
"What's the price of this front leg? It looks quite fresh."
Kang He said, "Fifteen cents a square. The price of meat here is only lower than elsewhere, not higher."
He looked at the basket of celery in the young lady's hand and said, "The front leg meat is tender and delicious even when stir-fried. Madam, you can use the celery sticks to stir-fry the meat, and the celery leaves can be used to make soup."
"Just be with me."
After hearing this, Fan Jing took the front leg meat hanging on the rack, cut off a piece with a knife, and weighed it. According to the difference between one piece and one catty, it seemed that he owed a few cents.
Without saying anything, he cut another large piece of meat and added it in. When it was weighed, he sold it to the man as one side.
When the young lady saw Wang's scale, her face was delighted and she said, "My home is not far from here. I will come to buy meat from you next time."
"Okay, next time my lady wants any good meat, just tell me."
Kang He accepted the copper coins and felt relieved to think that Fan Jing also knew about Wang Cheng.
He secretly poked Fan Jing, and their eyes met, both smiling.
"I want to cook bamboo shoots with meat. What kind of meat should I buy?"
The young man who was walking behind the young lady who had just bought the front leg of meat, saw that the owner also knew the tricks of cooking, so he asked for his advice.
Kang He said, "If you want to make roast pork, the best is to have pork belly with alternating fat and lean parts. It won't be greasy, and there's enough oil to braise the bamboo shoots."
He saw that the boy was young, well-dressed, and had a jade hairpin in his hair, so he thought his family was not too poor. He then advised, "Brother, buy two squares. I'll give you some konjac and tofu. It will be even more delicious when you roast it with bamboo shoots."
The weather is not hot this month, so the meat can be kept for a longer time, so you don’t have to worry about buying too much and not being able to finish it in one meal and letting it go bad.
Kang He persuaded the young man to also want the konjac tofu that Fang Fang was giving him. However, people living in the city were not necessarily more generous than those in the countryside; many of them also lived frugally.
"I heard earlier that if I paid thirty coins, I'd get konjac and tofu. So I'll get meat worth that much."
Kang He didn't try to persuade him much and just said okay.
Fan Jing followed his instructions and cut the meat into pieces for the man.
Customer after customer came in. The purchase price of meat was high, but the selling price was not low either. The purchase price was at least a dozen copper coins. In a few hours, Kang He found that the money box under the stall for keeping copper coins was half full, which made people feel relieved.
Hu Dasan heard that the shop was opening today, so he came to take a look. When he came over, he saw people coming in and out of the shop, and it was rare to see anyone leaving with nothing. Business was pretty good!
Hu Dalang also came over to show his support. Seeing this, he said to Hu Dasan, "It looks like the business is much better than Dad's old butcher stall. I've always thought Kang Sanlang was a good businessman."
Hu Dasan snorted softly, "How old were you when your father and I set up the stall? What do you know? It's not easy to start a business that's not good."
"By the way, if Xiaokang is incompetent, will your father accept an apprentice?"
Hu Yuan laughed: "Dad, aren't these two sentences contradictory? But Dad's eyes are the sharpest, there's no doubt about that."
Liang and Xiangxiu came one after another, and the shop received several congratulatory couplets. Even Zou Fulang heard that they had opened a shop and sent a fortune-attracting ornament.
There were also people from the village who came to watch the fun and greet each other.
The shop was bustling for most of the day and only died down at noon.
The whole family was so tired that their mouths were dry, their calves were sore and swollen, and they didn't want to move anymore after their buttocks were pressed against the stool.
Kanghe went to the restaurant across the street and ordered six bowls of noodles, and ate them inside the shop.
After finishing a bowl of noodles with the soup, I felt a little stronger.
Chen Sanfang said, "It seems like business is just a small shop, but this work is really no easier than working in the fields."
She couldn't help but feel a little worried: "From now on, if the whole family can't come to the shop to help, how can we handle it~"
Kang He laughed and said, "Our shop is open today, and we're giving away gifts, so business is looking good. If things get worse over time, there won't be this much business. Look at the shops on the street, there aren't many people coming in and out this morning."
Chen Sanfang thought about it and it made sense, but it still ruined the good business of the morning.
As expected, by the afternoon, business in the shop had visibly declined.
In the morning, many people go out to buy things, so business is very busy. In the afternoon, except for the rich and idle people who go out for fun, there are few people buying food and daily necessities in the city.
For this reason, the farmers from the villages who come to the city to sell vegetables do not do so in order to sell them early in the morning and go home to work, but also because there are many people in the morning.
Although this merchant can open his shop all day, business is only good during that time.
In the afternoon, Chen, Father Fan and the two maids were free to play.
Kang He and Fan Jing were guarding the stall outside. Occasionally, one or two customers came to ask about the price of meat, but not many people bought meat.
Seeing that business was not going well, Kang He asked Chen and Fan Dad to take the two girls home first. He took out ten copper coins and asked people to take a carriage at the city gate. He was exhausted after working for a whole morning.
Later on, we could go back together on the cart and it would be enough for us to sit on, so we could save a few coins.
But if we go back together, there's still a lot of work to do at home that will take a long time. If we go back in order, we can go to their house first and boil some hot water.
Kang He and Fan Jingruo had almost sold all their meat, so they had to slaughter the other pig in their house.
The shop has just opened, and we have to have fresh meat every day in the first few days. This is the time to build word-of-mouth and promote the stall. If we have goods for three days and no goods for two days, how can we maintain a stable business?
Chen went home first.
When it was getting late, the wind from the alley was blowing through the streets. Kang He and Fan Jing put the remaining meat into the shop.
After an inventory, the pig weighed over 170 kilograms, with only half a pig's head and a few pieces of meat left, totaling about 20 kilograms.
It’s so rare nowadays, almost the whole pig has been sold.
Hu Dasan told them that when business was good, he could sell a pig weighing 200 kilograms a day, but when business was bad, he could not sell 100 kilograms of pork in three days.
Close the door and go to business.
The two men braved the cold wind, went to the livestock store, led out the donkey that was staying there, and harnessed it to the cart to go home.
When he got home, he didn't rush to eat. While the water was boiling, he took out the smaller pig from the pen and slaughtered it.
After working for more than an hour, it was only late at night that I had time to eat and take a shower.
Kang He returned to the house. Although he felt a little tired, he felt refreshed when he took out the heavy box containing money from today.
The two of them sat cross-legged on the bed barefoot and poured out all the copper coins in the box, forming a pile as high as a small mountain.
Kang He handed a few hemp ropes to Fan Jing, looked at him and smiled, "Count them. After you count, we can go to bed."
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