Chapter 14 Tofu Workshop (Part 1)
As for renting a house nearby, I have to trouble Aunt Wolf, who has many connections.
After hearing Jiangyou's idea, Auntie Wolf immediately volunteered to help find an apartment. "I know this street like the back of my hand! It's full of old neighbors! In fact, there have been quite a few vacant houses on this street in recent years. There's even one next door to me!"
The situation of that house was quite different from the plot of land that Jiangyou had just bought. Its owner, Aunt Balina, was still alive, but after her son became successful, he bought a new house in the North District. Dissatisfied with the safety of the South District, he moved his mother there to live in her old age. The house here was left vacant.
"When Balina moved out, she asked me to look after the house and find a tenant. She left the key with me." Aunt Wolf was quick and decisive, rushing home to get the key. "But this place has been so desolate in recent years that there haven't been any tenants. I just sent her a letter, and I should have a reply soon. Would you like to come and see the house first?"
"Yes!" Jiangyou pulled Alexi and excitedly went to see the house with Aunt Wolf.
This house is located on the other side of Aunt Wolf's courtyard. It's adjacent to hers, similar in size and layout, and even has a well. The house itself is two stories, constructed entirely of wood. The wood makes the walls appear thinner, but also creates more space. The exterior walls extend several meters into the courtyard, creating more space inside, making it ideal for large families.
"By the way, how many children do you have?" Jiang You asked curiously.
"Eight," Alexi said shyly. "We lay and hatch eggs in clutches, so we have more children than other races."
"Where are they now?" Aunt Wolf asked with concern.
"At the hotel," Alexi replied. "We've already been staying here for three days. If I don't find a job today, I'll have to consider moving out and joining the witches in the Witch Forest... The hotel is too expensive, and all my belongings are only enough for two more days."
"Let's not waste any more time on that. Let's take a look at this house first to see if it's suitable." Aunt Wolf said, "Balina has many children, so this house has a large kitchen and dining room. There are also many rooms upstairs, so it's perfect for everyone to live in."
I usually come over to help clean the house, and the basic furniture is usable. At most, I just need to buy some daily necessities before I can move in."
Alexi looked at each room, a glint of hope in her eyes, but then she clutched the hem of her dress tightly: "...Um, how much is the rent here? I, I'm afraid I can't afford such a big house."
"The location here is very cheap, only two silver coins a month." Auntie Wolf had just finished quoting the price when Jiang You took over the conversation: "Don't worry about the rent. If you really rent this house, you will have to make tofu in the kitchen here and dry sweet potato noodles and noodles in the yard until my big workshop is built. So until the big workshop is built, the rent here will be paid by me.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll come over and teach you how to make tofu and other ingredients. I'll provide the raw materials, and you'll be responsible for the production. I'll inspect the finished goods. Qualified goods that pass inspection will be counted as the fruits of your labor, and you'll be paid for each piece you make. As for how much raw material should produce, I'll set a standard. The closer the quantity of goods is to this standard, the greater the bonus you'll receive."
The last one is to prevent Alexi and others from wasting raw materials, or cutting corners and reducing quality to obtain a larger output...Jianyou does not want to see either of these two situations.
Alexi's eyes lit up even more: "In addition to giving us a house to live in, you will also pay us wages?!"
"Of course, I'm not an unscrupulous boss!" Jiang You said with a smile, "And you can all come to the store to eat the staff meal together tonight. If you don't want to eat with us, you can take it home. However, I have a few conditions that you must abide by."
Alexi's expression turned serious: "You say!"
"First, the recipe I teach you must be completed flawlessly. No steps may be altered or omitted, and the proportions of ingredients and seasonings cannot be arbitrarily changed. The quality of the product must be guaranteed. Secondly, we are in the food business, so we must pay attention to the storage and hygiene of the ingredients. No toxic or harmful substances can be mixed in. In fact, I think it would be best if you learn the Purification Spell..."
Jiang You paused, remembering the Vindicators' strange custom of staying away from magic, and then changed his words, "If that's not possible, at least you should frequently boil water for bathing and keep yourself clean. I'll pay for the firewood to boil the water."
"Third, these recipes must not be disclosed to anyone without my consent. All products produced must be handed over to me. Even those that I deem unqualified must be destroyed by me."
These requests sounded very reasonable, and Alexi agreed without hesitation. Her only concern was: "Will the landlord really allow us to live here?"
Boom boom boom.
A raven knocked on the window. Aunt Wolf opened the window and let it in, and took out a letter. Inside the envelope was a letter from the landlord, Aunt Balina, and a lease.
"Don't worry about that." Aunt Wolf showed Alexi the letter from Aunt Balina. "Balina herself is a knowledgeable magician, and she's also very familiar with the Disciplinary Cicadas. As long as you promise to treat this house well and not cause irreparable damage to the furnishings or the house itself... Of course, if any damage is caused, the cost of repairs and compensation will be yours. Xiaoyou and I won't help you with that."
It's not that Aunt Wolf and Jiangyou are cruel and don't want to help, but with the threat of money, the cicada family can better restrain their behavior - before losing their minds, just thinking about the high compensation will scare themselves sober in an instant.
The negotiations went smoothly, and with the landlord's consent already obtained, Jiangyou was ready to sign an employment contract with Alexi. She spotted Andrei riding back from outside, and immediately opened the window, waving at the horseback rider: "Andrei! Over here! Over here!"
Andrei yanked the reins and looked at her in confusion: "Jiangyou? Why are you here?"
"Hey, of course we have new business!" Jiang You waved his hand: "Come in and write a contract for us as a witness!"
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