57 Stuffed Cold Cake
◎Let go! Or I'll pull out your teeth one by one!◎
The next day.
Shopkeeper Wang and Shopkeeper Li were sitting in a private room in a tavern, looking at each other in bewilderment, because they had both received a letter this morning saying that the other party invited them to have a chat.
Who would have thought that when they met here, they found out that neither of them knew about this matter.
So who invited them?
Shopkeeper Wang was a man of short temper. Seeing that this was strange, he immediately thought someone was playing a trick on him and stood up to leave.
At this time, the door was slowly opened and a woman walked in. She had a slightly round oval face and bright eyes. She was only about sixteen or seventeen years old, but very smart.
She walked over slowly with a smile on her face and a pair of dimples on her cheeks.
They were both familiar with this woman, as she was the owner of Song's Sweet Water Shop.
Song Jinyi smiled and calmly passed by Shopkeeper Wang and sat directly in the main seat. "Shopkeeper Wang, what's the hurry? Why are you leaving before you even have your tea?"
When Shopkeeper Wang saw her, he said unhappily, "I was wondering who it was. It's you. What's your purpose in calling us here?"
Song Jinyi said straight to the point: "I'm here to settle accounts with the two bosses."
Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Wang frowned and looked at Shopkeeper Li.
Shopkeeper Li asked, "Shopkeeper Song wants to settle accounts with me? We don't have any business dealings. What kind of accounts are you settling? I'm so confused."
Song Jinyi took a sip of tea and said, "The teahouse run by Boss Li is well-known in the bookstore and is considered a leader in the industry; Boss Wang's Yinzi Restaurant is also well-known and attracts a lot of attention. Both businesses are extremely prosperous and popular, and are deeply favored by customers."
This flattery made the two of them neither refute nor say a word. They just looked at Song Jinyi quietly, wanting to see what tricks she would play.
"You two both have thriving businesses, so why bother playing house with others? You're all businessmen, so you know exactly how to win a price war.
I came here to calculate with you two how much time and money it would take to defeat me, and whether this deal is worthwhile for you two."
Song Jinyi leaned forward, her head stretched out, and her round eyes filled with innocent curiosity. She asked, "How much have you two invested?"
The two of them immediately understood what Song Jinyi was talking about. They looked at each other warily and said, "What is Madam Song talking about? We don't understand."
Song Jinyi knew that these two people were not so easy to fool, so she revealed some details of yesterday. Sure enough, cracks appeared in the expressions on their faces, revealing emotions such as stagnation, confusion, and puzzlement.
This is when doubts began to form in my heart.
Song Jinyi struck while the iron was hot and asked, "Aren't you curious about how I knew about this?"
Shopkeeper Li pulled up a self-deprecating smile. This matter was made possible by the joint efforts of the seven of them. The money transactions were private and were not made known to outsiders.
The leak of this matter is definitely related to one of our own people. Who could it be?
Song Jinyi took in their expressions and smiled innocently, "I think you two are smart people and have already guessed the answer, and I just can't bear to see two righteous elders getting involved in things that they shouldn't be involved in.
Will you listen to my account now?"
Song Jinyi first listed the various expenses required to open a store, such as raw materials, labor, rent, etc., and then explained to them that low prices may attract customers in the short term, but the long-term costs and profits are not proportional.
Although her Songji Sweet Water Shop also has low prices, her shop is small, the rent is low, and the labor costs are almost non-existent. If they continue to waste time, it will be disadvantageous to them.
The reason why Song Jinyi chose the two of them was because when she eavesdropped yesterday, she observed that they spoke very little and were not in a good mood during their conversation.
Moreover, she had done background checks and found that their business was pretty good. It was more like they were just following the crowd and joining the "punitive army."
The silence of Shopkeepers Li and Wang confirmed that her choice was correct.
After a long time, Song Jinyi guessed that the other party had already figured out what to do, and now he needed her to add fuel to the fire.
She was very flexible and pretended to be weak, saying, "I was ignorant before and didn't pay you a visit when I opened the sweet water shop in Shuchengfang. Now I will make up for it and pay my respects to you two."
She held the cup in both hands, very respectfully.
The shopkeeper Li and the other man saw that she was sincere and offered tea. Her hands were slender and white, but her fingers were covered with cuts of various sizes.
This is no wonder. I heard that although she employs three people in her store, she does everything herself.
I also thought that she was only the same age as my children, and it was a weak woman who had to run her own small shop. I don’t know how much hardship she had endured to get to where she is today.
After thinking about it, I just felt that Manager Zhou and his men were too pessimistic, thinking that such a little woman could affect their business.
Shopkeeper Wang didn't think as much as Shopkeeper Li and said directly, "It's really boring. I heard them say it was good before, but now that we've invested so much money, we don't know when they will stop.
The prospect of recovering my investment is so distant, I don’t want to invest any more money.”
Boss Li saw that Shopkeeper Wang had spoken directly, so he didn't know what to say. He just asked a question: "We have already made an agreement with them. Now they are suddenly withdrawing. How are we going to explain it?"
Song Jinyi took a sip of tea and smiled meaningfully, "Explain? People in this world live for themselves, why should we explain to others? Just like now, if the store suffers losses later, those shopkeepers may not explain to you."
"...Shopkeeper Song is right. It's us who are blinded by one thing."
Shopkeeper Li looked at the woman in front of him. She was young, but brave, resourceful, decisive and smart. She was more courageous than himself, who had lived for more than 30 years.
After the matter was settled, Song Jinyi paid for the tea and left first.
Shopkeeper Wang sipped his tea and said, "This little girl has a sharp tongue. What do you think?"
Boss Li replied, "Being eloquent is a good thing."
******
On the eve of Laba Festival, Yunzhou had another heavy snowfall. The snow fell so fast and densely that the snow was all white outside the window, like a silvery-white galaxy or broken white jade.
After the snow, Xu Ruolan fell ill. She was so ill that she could barely make porridge in the morning, but at noon she fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
After consulting a doctor, he said that she had caught a cold and needed to rest for a few days. However, Xu Ruolan refused to just lie there and recuperate, insisting on doing something.
Song Jinyi said a few firm words but failed to force her to the bed, so he arranged for Li He to take care of her. She didn't want to involve others, so she finally rested and recuperated.
At Tianshuipu, because Xu Ruolan was ill, the work that usually took four people was now divided among three people.
Song Jinyi was responsible for the sweet porridge and health tea, so Li He had to be responsible for all the pastries by himself.
I don't know where she came up with the idea of stuffed jelly cake.
Song Jinyi tasted it, and a light aroma mixed with warmth came to her nose. This aroma contained the fragrance of glutinous rice, the fragrance of red beans, and the fragrance of milk.
These aromas are harmoniously intertwined together. When you take a bite, you will find it soft, fresh, sweet and mellow. The sweetness and fragrance are intertwined and overlapped, but not cloying or greasy, which is just right.
Song Jinyi asked her to add this snack without saying a word.
With Song Jinyi's approval, Li He was very motivated. She rubbed her hands eagerly and asked, "Sister, do you want some Laba porridge?"
I overheard that day that the other side was going to have an event on Laba Day, and they would probably focus on making Laba porridge.
It's better to avoid the sharp edge. Why bother arguing about this? She shook her head and said, "Your sister Ruolan is sick, and we are too busy to handle it. Adding your stuffed jelly cakes will be enough."
It’s the Laba Festival.
The thick fog of the winter morning gradually dissipated, and the sky became brighter. In a place in Shuchengfang, the sound of gongs and drums gathered pedestrians together.
The shop even hired a special lion dance troupe, performing tumbling and leaping lion dances in a lively manner. Then the shopkeeper came out gracefully, smiling and saying to the crowd, "Today is Laba Festival, and I'm celebrating with all my friends. The Laba porridge in our shop is on sale for 5 cents, today only."
People who love the hustle and bustle and those who like low prices flocked to the store.
Shopkeeper Zhou condescended to stand in front of the door, warmly greeting every guest, and looking into the distance from time to time, as if waiting for something.
Half an hour later, a group of people in colorful clothes appeared. They were all well-known shopkeepers in the market.
Following behind them were their servants, holding couplets with auspicious words or potted plants with the words "attract wealth and treasure", coming to support him. The scene was so grand and majestic.
Those who didn't know the reason felt that it was extremely lively and rushed forward to get a clear view.
Some discerning people saw through the twists and turns and pointed out bluntly: "It's not a lively scene at all, it's clearly a competition. It's going to be a good show."
This one asked, "What ring?"
The one who answered: "Just wait and see!"
Xie Wuyang leaned against the door frame, watching the bustle on the opposite side coldly. He turned his head and glanced at Song Jinyi. Why wasn't she anxious at all?
Song Jinyi was indeed not in a hurry. At noon, she even handed the store over to Xie Wuyang and Li He with confidence.
She was going to the next street to get medicine for Xu Ruolan.
Li He didn't like staying in crowded places. There weren't many customers in the store, so they all went across the street to watch the fun. He also saw Xie Wuyang taking care of things by himself.
She slipped away to the small kitchen.
A diner tried their new product, stuffed jelly cake, and praised it several times.
Xie Wuyang politely replied "thank you".
The diner seemed to really like the pastry and kept talking about it after he left. Someone nearby heard it and poured cold water on him, saying, "This pastry is just ordinary pastry. You haven't tried the one across the street. That's the real deal, made specially by Zui Liuxia's chef."
"Who said that Zui Liuxia's pastries are the best in the world? I think the pastries from Song Ji Sweet Water Shop are the best."
He shouted so loudly that all the shopkeepers who were greeting each other at the store door looked over.
Boss Zhou walked down the stairs and took the initiative to ask, "This gentleman thinks our cakes are not as good as those across the street. Have you tried ours? Those who have tried it all say it's good."
"I've tried your stuffed jelly cakes before and thought they were pretty good. But now I've tried Song Ji's and it's even better, soft and sticky, with a really strong red bean paste flavor."
Shopkeeper Zhou was silent for a while, then turned to look at the other shopkeepers. After receiving their eye hints, he said calmly, "Wait a moment."
He turned back and came out with a pastry chef.
The man claimed to be the pastry chef at Zui Liu Xia and pointed at Song Ji Sweet Water Shop, saying arrogantly, "Is that what you said about their fruit-filled jelly cake being better than mine?"
Without waiting for an answer, he snorted loudly, "What a joke!"
"This stuffed cold cake was created by our master chef Chun Sanniang years ago, and I learned the craft from her. Who else but Zui Liuxia knows how to make this cake? Did she steal it from her master?
I'm not wrongly accusing anyone, but have you ever seen this pastry anywhere else?"
These words not only imply that Songji's pastries are not authentic, but also point out that their behavior is immoral.
Learning from a master is the right way, while stealing from a master is a crooked way and not what a gentleman should do.
The diner, upon hearing this, offered no defense, acting like a dog official who took human life lightly. He cursed, "I thought they were skilled in cooking, but I didn't expect they were thieves. They've wasted my kindness on them. How shameful!"
The accusation of plagiarism was suddenly directed at Songji Sweet Water Shop.
Xie Wuyang crossed his arms, his dark green eyes scanning back and forth between Shopkeeper Zhou, the diners, and the dim sum chef.
He sneered, what's there to not understand?
He raised his long eyebrows and his dark gaze fell on the dim sum chef.
Just now he was talking about Chun Sanniang, but Chun Sanniang had already been disgraced and buried in Shengjing, so this was...
He frowned slightly, then thought about it and figured it out.
This Chun Sanniang is the signature and face of Zui Liuxia. Not only did she fail to win the first prize, but she also caused a controversy by using someone else as a substitute.
If he was the shopkeeper of Zui Liuxia, he would definitely not pass the news back and ruin Zui Liuxia's reputation. At that time, there were only two people from Yunzhou who went to Shengjing to participate in the competition, one was Cheng Xia from Liuxiangju, and the other was Song Jinyi.
Cheng Xia didn't win the championship either, which is not a glorious thing for her, so why bother to say it out loud.
On their side, Song Jinyi was concerned about Li He and did not want to mention her sad story, so naturally she did not tell this matter.
Seeing that no one mentioned it, Zui Liuxia suppressed the news. Even their own pastry chef was not aware of it.
He glanced into the distance. Should he wait for Song Jinyi to come back before solving it?
After pondering for a moment, he turned around and went to look for Li He.
Li He heard footsteps and opened his eyes to see a huge shadow falling over him. He was so scared that he almost dropped the snacks in his hand. He leaned back and was about to fall over.
Xie Wuyang grabbed Li He's arm and did not let go until she sat down.
Li He had always felt that although this man was beautiful, he gave people a sense of danger, especially when she was sticking to Sister Song. His eyes were scary, like... like a poisonous snake staring at her coldly.
So she had never been alone with him before. Now she wanted to move, but he held her in place. She looked at him anxiously and stuttered, "What are you going to do?"
"I know you're a fool, but you should like your sister, right? After all, she saved you and she's a good person."
Li He nodded in confusion and said, "Sister is a good person."
"That's right." Xie Wuyang picked up Li He and carried her out. "I don't need your help. Just tell me what happened between Chun Sanniang and you."
When Li He heard Chun Sanniang's name, she felt like she was pricked by a needle. She struggled for a long time, but when she saw that he would not let go, she lowered her head and bit Xie Wuyang's arm.
Xie Wuyang felt pain, but refused to let go.
He lowered his voice and threatened, "Let go! Otherwise I'll pull out your teeth one by one!"
He walked into the crowd and said to Shopkeeper Zhou, "You said this dim sum is only available at Zui Liu Xia. Coincidentally, we also have a Zui Liu Xia dim sum chef in our shop."
【Author’s words】
Those who love sweet and sour food, please look here (wink)
[Sincerely introduce our store's freshly baked pre-collected story "I Wish to Be a Married Tree with You", which contains refreshing elements such as marriage first and love later, crematorium, and the flower of Gaoling bowing its head for love.]
Zheng Guiyan was born in a humble family and has always been cautious and law-abiding. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was that he loved Lu Min, a new noble in the court and an important minister of the emperor.
Knowing the huge difference between them, she kept her love hidden deep in her heart. Until the day of the Queen Mother's birthday banquet, she and Lu Min had an affair by chance, and Lu Min was forced to marry her.
Everyone said she was scheming and was willing to destroy her own innocence in order to get close to Lu Min.
The mistress of the Lu family regarded her as a despicable person who would do anything to achieve her goals, and her sister-in-law regarded her as a bad woman who broke up her brother's good marriage, and made things difficult for her many times.
She had nothing to argue about, so she just behaved herself, abided by the code of conduct for women, was filial to her parents-in-law, managed the household business, and treated Lu Min with respect, and their days passed in a dull and peaceful manner.
******
Lu Min was a beautiful woman with a jade-like complexion and golden features. Not only was he born into a noble family, he was also the newly crowned top scholar with outstanding abilities and a bright future. Even the princess favored him. Everyone thought he would marry the princess, but unexpectedly he married a concubine's daughter of humble birth.
Lu Min disliked his first wife because of the drugging incident at his birthday party, but as they got along, he found that she was gentle, diligent, docile, and committed to her duties. He gradually let go of the grudge and was willing to live a simple life with her.
Until one day, she handed over the divorce papers——
Later, he found out that the drugging incident was a misunderstanding.
Later, he discovered that his wife, whose eyes were once filled with admiration, now only had indifference and alienation in them.
Later, he realized that his wife was so capable that she could make his mother and sister dependent on her.
…
Lu Min had a smooth life. He studied, took the imperial examinations, investigated cases... He never failed in his studies, but he suffered a crushing defeat in love.
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