Xu Erzhu quickly bowed and said, "Ninth Miss, we are all very excited. Don't worry, we will still open the shop tomorrow. It won't be delayed. Ninth Miss, shall I ask the kitchen staff to make you breakfast?"
Xu Zhi waved her hand and asked, "Manager Erzhu, how many cakes have you prepared today?"
Xu Erzhu replied, "I made 100 jin of flour, and there's another 100 jin of flour to go. I think I'll put the flour on the stove after all the other batches are done."
Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Also, make sure you have enough paper bags for packaging. Don't run out. It's the first day of business, and we lack experience, so things can easily go wrong. We've done so much advertising beforehand, so there will definitely be a lot of people coming. Give them instructions later. It's not just about having enough things, but most importantly, about keeping a close watch on our premises so that no one can take advantage of the situation."
Xu Zhi carefully explained these were the things that needed attention today, and Xu Erzhu listened attentively.
As dawn broke, the shop was already prepared, ready to open its doors and welcome customers at any moment.
Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan brought a group of people over. They not only hung the signboard at the entrance of the shop, but also covered it with red silk. Xu Bai invited the prefectural governor of Liaodong Prefecture to unveil the signboard.
Although Xu Zhi is the owner of the Faraway Flavor, she accepted Xu Rao and Chen Zhaoci's suggestion to only be a behind-the-scenes boss. Xu Rao affiliated the shop with a second-class steward in the Marquis's mansion to avoid unnecessary trouble in the future. It is enough for a cake shop to rely on the powerful support of the Yongning Marquis's mansion.
The officials in the Liaodong government naturally understood that the shop, which had caused such a sensation in the city even before it opened, was run by the daughter of the prefect who was already married. Even without the identity of the daughter of the Liaodong prefect, the mere fact that she was the daughter of the Marquis of Yongning was enough to deter many envious people from having any designs on it.
Xu Bai not only hung up the plaque, but also hired a team of constables to maintain order.
Because of the flyers distributed a few days ago, people were already waiting at the shop entrance with them before dawn. To avoid a stampede, maintaining order at the scene was of utmost importance. Nowadays, people naturally have a sense of awe towards government officials. The entrance, which was originally a little crowded, immediately became much more orderly after that group of constables arrived.
The sun had already risen, but it wasn't time to open for business yet. Xu Zhi instructed the shop's young waiter to carry a pot full of milk tea and borrowed large, rough porcelain bowls from a nearby tea stall, so that anyone who wanted to drink could have a bowl.
Xu Bai even made the milk tea. He's someone who loves to cook, so making milk tea is a piece of cake for him. For today's opening, he even used the biggest pot in the back kitchen to slowly fry the sugar.
After adding tea leaves and frying them until they were almost done, large buckets of milk were poured in.
This milk was from the cows that Xu Rao gave to Xu Zhi. These days, the children who were picked up from the orphanage drink a bowl of milk every day. The freshly squeezed milk doesn't taste very good, but it tastes okay after being boiled with almonds. Later, Xu Bai made milk tea with the milk, which made the children very happy.
Actually, Xu Bai wanted to make some tapioca pearls for milk tea. He tried using glutinous rice flour, but the result wasn't very good. Xu Bai is now thinking about what to use to make something that tastes like his favorite flavor.
As soon as the milk tea was brought out, a sweet milky aroma wafted from afar, mixed with the fragrance of tea leaves. Hearing that the shop owner was offering it to everyone for free, everyone was naturally very happy. Even those who didn't like the taste of milk ordered a bowl, held their noses, and drank it down. To be honest, after drinking it, they felt warm and the taste was quite good.
I heard that this will be a drink in the store in the future. I will remember this as a favorite and look forward to visiting this store, which looks different from other stores, more often in the future.
The queue was already quite long when suddenly the sound of gongs and drums came from the direction of the government office. Everyone craned their necks to look in that direction and saw a group of people dressed in red short jackets walking over, beating gongs and drums.
These were all things Xu Bai had seen prepared for a business opening before. This was his own business opening, and it was his sister's shop, so naturally he wanted to make it as lively as possible. Xu Bai inquired and found a drum and gong troupe in the city and invited them to come and make it lively. It actually worked! Quite a few people came to watch the excitement after hearing the drums and gongs.
Xu Rao and Chen Zhaoci naturally came to witness the ceremony, but they entered through the side gate in the backyard and didn't turn to the front until the opening time arrived. They watched as the Prefectural Magistrate stood at the shop entrance, said a few simple words, and then removed the red silk covering the signboard. After a burst of firecrackers, the flavors of the distant place were officially displayed to the world.
After the shop opened, the same young shop assistants carried a large bamboo basket from the backyard to the shop entrance. As the basket approached, a sweet aroma of eggs wafted into people's noses, making those who had come to queue up early in the morning but hadn't had time for breakfast feel even hungrier.
Inside are the cakes to be given away. Holding the flyers they received a few days ago, each flyer can be exchanged for a small cake. The small cakes are about the size of a baby's fist, baked to a golden brown color, and even have some cracks on the top. Those who received them took them and immediately broke them open with their hands. Inside, they could see a pale yellow color, still steaming slightly. Taking a bite, they found the cakes to be soft and fluffy, yet with a slightly chewy texture.
How can a small cake be enough to fill you up? After eating it, you'll only miss the taste even more, wishing you could eat ten or eight more. Many people ask how much the cakes cost. They hear they're three coins each. Some with extra cash buy ten or eight to take home, while others who are frugal just buy two or three to bring home for their children.
There were also staff members responsible for maintaining order. The young staff members were not very old, but their service was excellent. They answered all questions with a smile and were neither humble nor arrogant. They stood in front of the counter, and once you said how many you wanted, there were staff members who would pack them up for you and collect the money on the spot.
Xu Erzhu was busy running around, checking how well the sales were going, whether the order was being maintained, and whether the cakes being baked in the back kitchen were enough to supply the shops in front. He was busy until noon, and only when he saw that there were fewer and fewer people buying cakes in front did Xu Erzhu return to the backyard.
Xu Bai had already prepared lunch for the constables who had come to help maintain order. He had booked tables at a nearby restaurant, and they ate in batches before returning to help maintain order.
They were all exhausted by the afternoon, but looking at the empty counter and the nearly empty work area, Mr. Xu could finally relax. The first day of business had ended perfectly.
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