7. Dragon Boat Festival Zongzi
◎Meet the Song family again◎
In the past, there were more than just these two flavors of zongzi. Sweet zongzi are a thing of the past, and even savory ones include mushroom and meat zongzi, chestnut and meat zongzi, and egg yolk and meat zongzi...
With so many flavors, we guarantee that they will be fresh and delicious.
Xu Ruolan never knew that zongzi could come in so many flavors - she had never heard of it or tasted it.
Xu Ruolan nodded and said trustingly, "Given your skills, I think these are pretty good. When the shopkeeper comes, go tell him."
After a while, the shopkeeper finished counting the goods in the warehouse and came to the front desk to settle the bill.
Song Jinyi stepped forward to discuss the matter with the shopkeeper.
Over the past half month, there has been an endless stream of tea drinkers coming to the shop every day. The numbers in the account book are increasing, and the shopkeeper's life is becoming more and more comfortable, and his complexion is becoming more and more rosy.
After listening to Song Jinyi's suggestion, he couldn't help but think: If he could sell the tea at a good price during the Dragon Boat Festival and gain a good reputation, and then slowly raise the price of the tea in the store, wouldn't he earn more than Zui Liuxia in the future?
I heard that Zui Liuxia's daily turnover is 70 to 80 taels. Who in the tea business wouldn't envy him?
He thought about the future, his brows lit up with joy, and he said yes repeatedly.
When Song Jinyi reported the amount needed to buy the ingredients, his face instantly fell, and the upward curve at the corner of his mouth drooped mercilessly.
The shopkeeper suppressed his smile and said unhappily, "Four taels? Why does it cost so much?"
Did he suspect she was inflating prices? Possessing personal gains?
Song Jinyi directly stated, "The glutinous rice needed for these dumplings costs 200 coins per stone, and candied dates cost 50 coins per pound. There are also various beans and fresh meat..."
She quoted the prices of the ingredients one by one like counting beans.
"How could I doubt your character? But the purchase cost is really a bit high. I have something to say to you." The shopkeeper said in a preaching tone.
"When you made snacks before, you always picked the best ingredients. Do you think we are some kind of prestigious teahouse? We are a small business, not as good as Zui Liu Xia or Liu Xiang Ju. Just buy whatever you want."
The shopkeeper took out two taels of silver from the cabinet and said, "You can do whatever you want with it."
Song Jinyi didn't accept it immediately. Instead, she patiently explained to the shopkeeper that the quality of the ingredients greatly determines the taste of the tea. Although this teahouse is a small shop, many customers come here because the taste is good.
If they feel that the store is perfunctory, who will buy from it?
Song Jinyi's suggestion was well-intentioned, but the meaning of this statement changed when Zhanggu heard it.
The shopkeeper's face darkened and he asked, "Are you the shopkeeper or am I the shopkeeper?"
After saying that, seeing that Song Jinyi looked unhappy and seemed to be trying to shirk responsibility, he rolled his eyes, thought about it for a moment, and then slammed the money on the table.
He said arrogantly, "Since you mentioned the rice dumplings, I promised and paid for them. If you can't do it well, pack up and leave."
After that, he continued to talk to himself: "The store only has so much money, and we still have to pay you a salary. Your salary this month is equivalent to half a month's income..."
This statement puts all the blame on Song Jinyi.
Song Jinyi was furious when she heard this. Was he treating the diners like fools? There's a saying that goes, "A long illness makes a doctor." So how could someone who eats too much delicious food not be able to taste the subtle differences?
Also, what do you mean by giving her all the money as wages?
Bullshit!
She is busy from dawn to dusk every day, and she is the only one working in the kitchen. Now she is being PUA!
She also roughly calculated that since she came, her income would increase by at least three or two taels a day compared to before.
How much did she take?! The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her chest heaved up and down, and she opened her mouth to argue.
"Ajin——" Xu Ruolan suddenly came to her, winked at her, shook her head slightly, and signaled her not to say anything more.
She smoothed things over and made the shopkeeper's expression much more relaxed. She picked up the money on the table and left with Song Jinyi.
The two crossed a street. Seeing that Xu Ruolan had no intention of speaking, Song Jinyi took the initiative to ask, "Sister Ruolan, why did you stop me just now?"
"Why are you arguing with him? He's the shopkeeper, and we're just people trying to make a living. If he doesn't want to, arguing with him will only make him angry, and the outcome won't change."
"Then let him exploit you?"
"Of course not." Xu Ruolan smiled shrewdly, "Since he has reduced the purchase price and you are unwilling to lower the standard of the food, then reduce the quantity. This way, Ah Jin, you can make fewer portions and won't have to work so hard."
Xu Ruolan smiled brightly, "Isn't it a pleasure for you?"
How could Song Jinyi not understand this?
She just means well.
She had left home in a hurry, and although she got this job to make a living because of her cooking skills, it was also because of the kindness of the owner that she was given a raise in her salary later on.
She knew that she couldn't stay for long, so she wanted to do her best to do her job well to repay the shopkeeper's kindness.
A sincere heart and deep affection.
As she thought about this, she couldn't help feeling disappointed, with complex emotions surging in her eyes. She lowered her eyes, and her long eyelashes suppressed her sadness.
"Why has the shopkeeper suddenly become a different person? He used to be very generous with my purchases and always reminded me to buy good ingredients..." His tone revealed confusion and disappointment.
Xu Ruolan pondered for a moment and sighed softly, "Actually, I've noticed a change in the shopkeeper since Mr. Feng came here."
She tilted her head slightly and calmly recounted the past, "Shopkeeper, it wasn't like this at the beginning. I came to Yunzhou alone to make a living, and it was hard. You've been there before, and you know how difficult it is for a woman to find a job.
Because we are weak, we either encounter people with bad intentions or they maliciously deduct our wages and deliberately make things difficult for us.”
Song Jinyi nodded in agreement, she had a deep understanding of this.
Xu Ruolan continued, "The shopkeeper gave me a good salary because of my good skills. He didn't look down on me because I was a woman. I have always regarded him as a benefactor.
In the past few years, Yunzhou's tea business has been almost entirely contracted by Zui Liu Xia and Liu Xiang Ju. They only have a few casual customers, and the profit isn't huge, but it's a daily income, and the owner is content. Now, he has to read the account book seven or eight times a day, almost like he's possessed."
People's hearts are fickle, which is really sad.
******
The two came to the north market.
This is a small market, not as big as the Yunlai Market in the east, but it has everything.
Song Jinyi bought several pounds of mung beans and red beans, bargained with the shop owner, and got a good price.
Xu Ruolan was envious and said that she envied her bargaining skills.
Song Jinyi smiled and said, "What kind of skill is this? It's just that I'm thick-skinned."
The two of them also bought the rice dumplings leaves, glutinous rice, and pork needed to make the dumplings.
Because the people of Daxia did not like pork, a poet once said: "Yellow pig is as cheap as dirt. The rich will not eat it, and the poor cannot cook it." [1] Therefore, pork was cheap. After buying other ingredients, Song Jinyi had a few hundred coins left, which she asked her to buy several kilograms of pork.
When walking back, she saw a stall selling candied dates on the road. Song Jinyi stopped and looked, and picked and chose in front of the stall for a long time. When she was paying the bill, a man came over and also wanted to buy candied dates.
Out of the corner of her eye, Song Jinyi saw the man holding an exquisite snack box. The box was painted with colorful figures and flowers, and had auspicious words written on it that suited the occasion.
Song Jinyi was attracted by the exquisite box and asked the man, "Where did you buy it, sir?"
"I bought it at Zui Liu Xia," the man picked up the paper box and showed it to Song Jinyi generously. There were three big red official script characters "Zui Liu Xia" on it.
Xu Ruolan also found it unique and looked at it for a while. After the man left, she said to Song Jinyi, "That box is really beautiful, but I wonder how the snacks inside taste?"
The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Song Jinyi said with a smile, "It's still early, why don't we go over and take a look?"
******
A gorgeous colorful pavilion stood at the entrance of Zui Liu Xia's restaurant, and the various vendors outside formed a continuous colorful line around it. Outside the restaurant, there was a clamor of people, while inside, bursts of pleasant music could be heard.
This is the largest teahouse in Yunzhou.
Song Jinyi and Xu Ruolan walked into the shop and saw a spacious corridor inside. Looking up, they saw that the teahouse was a three-story building with a patio at the top, which was the usual architectural style of Yunzhou.
Song Jinyi withdrew her gaze. She had been here before - when she was looking for a job.
A woman came towards them, dressed in colorful silk clothes, holding a peony fan in her hand. She swayed as she came in front of the two of them and asked, "Ladies, would you like some tea or to order some snacks for the Dragon Boat Festival?"
Song Jinyi glanced at her. This person was the one who rejected her when she first applied for the job.
Although Song Jinyi had never had tea here, she had heard that it was expensive, even more expensive than gold. She looked at Xu Ruolan and said, "I heard that your snacks are exquisite. Come and take a look."
The woman took them to the west side of the first floor, where there was a spacious courtyard separated by a twelve-sided screen with flowers and birds.
There was a long walnut table against the wall, on which were placed various snacks. The woman leading the way said with a smile, "These are new products specially launched for this Dragon Boat Festival."
The implication is - this is a limited edition!
Song Jinyi and Xu Ruolan walked closer and looked down. The dim sum was truly exquisite, with flowers and figures so lifelike that even Song Jinyi, a modern dim sum chef, had to praise it.
When I asked about the price, well, it’s also quite beautiful.
Seeing the two of them, the woman took the initiative to say, "Young lady, would you like to order something to give away, or sell it for yourself? If so, you can place your order today and pick it up tomorrow..."
Of course, she and Xu Ruolan couldn't afford custom-made products, so they had to consider even selling them individually.
She leaned in closer and whispered with Xu Ruolan about which one to buy.
The sound of footsteps suddenly rang out, and a waiter came running in, leaning forward, saying, "Someone from the Song family is here!"
The woman turned around and asked, "Is this the Song family from the Song Family Trading Company?"
The waiter answered yes.
Hearing this, Song Jinyi, who had her back to them, stiffened and her fingertips trembled. Although her eyes were fixed on the snacks, her mind was completely focused on the words "Song family."
【Author’s words】
[1] Ode to Pork - Su Shi
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