Chapter 16 New Employee Dinner
"Wow," Andrei exclaimed after hearing Takumi's future plans. "You're really smart and have a lot of foresight. That's really rare."
Andrei knew nothing about the food business, but he knew quite a few potion makers. In his impression, they were always secretive about their recipes, so much so that even their own apprentices might not know the complete formulas and the key steps in making potions. Even if they were overwhelmed with orders, they would rather work themselves to death than reveal their secrets.
Of course, Andre also felt that their approach made sense. After all, even with such strict security measures, the potion formula could still be stolen and misused, even analyzed and copied... The thought of someone taking away their life's work effortlessly and making hundreds or thousands of times the profit would make anyone furious.
Takumi Yuu, however, possesses a strangely open-minded and insightful perspective. She readily shares this wondrous culinary knowledge, profiting from it while helping others. She follows her heart in doing good, but she doesn't sacrifice herself to feed the hawks; she simply offers a chance to those who need it most. If someone truly possesses the qualities and worth to be saved, they will cling to the rope Takumi Yuu gently throws down, striving to climb out of hell.
"Hehe~" Jiang You said happily after being praised, "This is the experience my aunt and I learned! It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. We need to use interests to tie everyone to the same big boat, so that people will work together."
Speaking of Jiang You's aunt, her father's sister, she was a strong woman with a strong hand. She redeveloped various ancient recipes passed down by her ancestors, adapting them to modern tastes and transforming the family business from a recession to a booming business overnight.
The soy sauce that was once unsalable and had no reputation has become a hot-selling product, the small workshop has become a large family-owned company, and the family is closely united.
As sauces were developed, production lines were built, and food processing plants popped up, the hardworking villagers found jobs. And faced with the enormous benefits, clan elders, who once favored sons over daughters, reluctantly abandoned the old custom of passing down the family line to sons, ushering in a new era.
Her cousin inherited her aunt's legacy and became the heir to the family business. The hardships involved are something only the girls in the family can truly understand.
Honestly, seeing Alexi reminds me of her aunt. Did she also face the same setbacks when she started her business, having to fight tooth and nail to forge a path forward? I don't know if anyone was willing to lend a hand back then, but I've received so much help from my aunt and cousin since I was little, and I hope to spread that kindness even further.
Regardless of the world, women who bear the responsibility of childbearing always have a harder life than men. As long as it doesn't affect his own business, Jiangyou is naturally more willing to help them find their own foothold.
"It's indeed a smart move." Andre commented.
They chatted all the way and unknowingly returned to the workshop. The sun set again, and the street lights gradually lit up. Andre led the horse into the stable, and Jiang You skipped into the shop and helped Leila, Nasha, and Jericho close the shop.
Alexi and her eight children soon arrived, accompanied by Aunt Wolf. Following Takuyu's instructions, the family meticulously washed themselves and changed into clean, simple clothing. Alexi's flaxen hair, dabbed with a little floral-scented ointment, looked much shinier and emanated a pleasant floral fragrance—presumably Aunt Wolf's work.
Her eight children, some big and some small, stood in a row, looking nervously and uneasily at the door of the shop. Jiangyou gave them a big, skeletal smile, but the children exclaimed in surprise, and the youngest, who was being held by her sister, burst into tears: "Wow! There's a ghost!"
Alexi sheepishly picked up the crying little girl and tried to comfort her: "Shh, shh, it's not a ghost, this is Miss Jiangyou, she is a lich and also mom's employer. We talked about this this afternoon, right~"
The little girl sniffed, "It's a lich, not a ghost?"
"No." Alexi said, "Ms. Takumi can cook delicious food. Doesn't Hachi want to try it?"
The little girl stopped crying immediately and sniffed again: "I want to eat!"
Unfortunately, Jiang You failed to act cute: "..." Well, ever since she became a lich, all her charm has been focused on her cooking skills.
Alexi's children were named with extreme haphazardness, numbered 1 through 8 from oldest to youngest, a stark reminder of their illiteracy. Fortunately, despite their illiteracy, the children were well-mannered. The older children, helping the younger ones, sat quietly and respectfully around a table, neither running around nor uttering shrill cries. They sat upright, their hands on their knees, each staring longingly at the bowls and chopsticks before them, as if a delicious dish could emerge from these empty bowls.
Jiangyou felt relieved a little - he was not a naughty kid!
"Alexi, come help in the kitchen," Takumi called. "Our main ingredient tonight is tofu, which is the same ingredient we'll be asking your family to make. It would be very helpful to know the taste of this food beforehand."
"Okay!" Alexi was very proactive. She asked her two oldest daughters to look after her younger sisters, and then followed Jiangyou into the kitchen, where she saw the white tofu that had been cut into square pieces.
The frozen tofu had already been put in the freezer, and most of the soft and firm tofu had been consumed during today's business. Including Alexi's family, there were fourteen mouths to feed tonight... oh, no, including Xiaolong, fifteen.
The remaining soft tofu was only enough for one dish, with more firm tofu. Besides that, there were still some meat dishes left. As for seafood, since Xiaolong had restocked it in the afternoon, the current stock was still very sufficient.
Jiangyou caught a fish and planned to make fresh fish and tofu soup - the head of sea fish is small, and it is definitely not enough for so many people, so he might as well use a whole big fish to cook a big pot of soup!
As for the tender tofu, you can make a dish of egg and shrimp wrapped in tofu together with eggs and shrimp, and then make a dish of pan-fried tofu, a dish of fried potato and fish fillets, and add some blanched vegetables... Make a little more of the dish, well, that should be enough!
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