Wang Ting, who came back with the horse keeper, politely declined Si Li's suggestion to give him another bowl of sweet potato porridge. The horse keeper, who was touching his wallet with his left hand and holding the new title deed with his right hand, looked at this for a while and had some doubts about where the little girl got so much money from, but he said nothing. After Si Li dealt with the small problem with the clerk, he pushed the stamped deed and title deed in front of Si Li.
The shopkeeper smiled like a Maitreya Buddha, beaming with joy at having been freed from all the burdens. "You can start business by ordering a sign. I wish you lots of money!"
The deed was made in triplicate, one copy was kept in the government office, which clearly stated the division of property, etc. Ma Zhanggui transferred almost all of his business properties in the capital to Si Li. Logically, this was a very shaky departure from the capital, but considering that he had briefly mentioned once that business was not doing well, this reaction was not too strange.
Si Li put away the documents and asked about the location of the masons and paper mills in the city, which attracted a strange look from the shopkeeper Ma. "I just wanted to tell you that Zhu Carpenter in the south city has good craftsmanship, but why do you want to find a mason and paper mill? Miss Si, I'm not being nosy, but we are doing business, so we should be thick-skinned. You will have to deal with officials many times in the future. Your servants can do the trivial things, but you have to deal with the officials yourself."
If you pour a basin of water out of the capital, half of the ten people are officials and half are royal relatives. This is the consensus of the residents of the capital. It is impossible not to deal with the government.
As soon as he said this, Si Li knew he had misunderstood. Even though she looked so different now that few people would recognize her, she was still the daughter of the Si family. As a manager, Wang Ting's transfer of ownership of a restaurant was still within the normal business scope of a noble lady. When Wanglaiju had not yet become famous, she went to the government office in person to join in the fun. She was just looking for trouble because she was afraid that she would have too few chances to run into Lord Si.
Si Li brought the topic back to the topic, "I brought a lot of people with me, and I want to expand another room. If you have a good craftsman, you can tell me directly. The signboard can still be used for a few more days before the trial opening, so there is no rush."
Everyone's signboard is of utmost importance, but this little girl is a special case. The shopkeeper looked at Si Li with a strange look for a while, and said cautiously, "Brother Wang and I will talk about it later, but why did the shopkeeper Si look for a paper shop?" Most paper shops do business with bookstores and ink shops. Even if you buy red paper for a wedding, you go to an ink shop. No matter how you think about it, a restaurant should not be related to a paper shop.
"We will start trial operation in two days. If it is not busy, you must come to support us. I will give you a membership card discount. The membership card is a little idea of mine..."
Si Li briefly explained the idea of modern business opening bonus cards and promotional advertisements. Ma Zhanggui's eyes lit up and he exclaimed in amazement, "Really, really..." He thought for a while before finding the right words, "I've never heard of it before."
Meng Taotao nodded thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hand. This was the first time she had heard Si Li say this. Before, Si Li only said that she wanted to write something to attract customers, but she didn't know what it was for. Now she understood. Si Li had only mentioned it to her once. Before she had negotiated the printing business with the paper mill, it was useless to think of a promotional slogan. Seeing Meng Taotao and the horse shoe counter both looked surprised, Si Li was a little surprised.
The Queen came to this world many years earlier than she did, and the Ma Family Shop was a neighbor of Qiyunlou. Logically, they should have seen all the marketing methods of modern rubbish, and it shouldn't be this state. However, if you think about it more deeply, it's normal. According to the reputation of Qiyunlou's food, the Queen is obviously a good cook with many fans, so naturally she doesn't need to use such a trick, her ability is directly crushing.
Alas, she also wants to have such awesome skills.
Imagination is imagination. When Si Li was thinking, Ma Zhanggui, who had lived in the capital for more than ten years, selflessly shared with them the famous or unknown craftsmen and workshops in the city. Wang Ting helped him remove the sign of Ma's shop on the door. When the wooden boards were tied to the ox cart, Ma Zhanggui showed a little sadness on his face.
"Alas, I am old..."
Si Li smiled, "Have you heard the saying that old age brings more strength? You have raised this cow very well, it will surely be safe and sound all the way."
"That's right." The horseshoe counter said proudly, "The sheep we sell are all raised by ourselves, and they are all plump and fat. A few years ago, the ban on cattle was lifted, so we just raised a few cows. Look, they are growing so well."
Wait. Si Li realized the problem and asked uncertainly, "Do you raise cattle and sheep?"
"That's right."
"What about selling cow's milk, goat's milk and the like?" Si Li instantly thought of the cheapest "Fried Milk" recipe in the system mall. According to the system's consistent style, the proportion or method of this dish must be far better than Ning Chao's technology. With this, there is no need to worry about not having high-end products in the shop.
The butcher's smile faded, and he subconsciously glanced into the kitchen. He still didn't say that her family might not be able to afford meat with their food. He responded, "I will sell it, but I won't cheat you. Wait for you to go to the vegetable market or the meat market. If you trust me, Brother Wang knows where I live, so just come to me directly."
The horse shoe shop owner who always said "I won't cheat you" drove his ox cart farther and farther away. Seeing that it was getting late, Wang Ting hurried to find the mason and ran away. Fortunately, the sun was still high, and there was a lake on both sides. No one would care if he stood in front of his house. Si Li stood in front of the shop alone to bask in the sun and think about the future plan of the shop.
But...where was the cloth sign that she asked Meng Taotao to find?
Si Li had just taken a step inside when he heard someone say in a sinister tone, "Hey, has Old Ma finally fooled a fool? Look, there are no customers here. The girl is so young, don't let her lose all her dowry!"
The voice was familiar, and the shout of "Sugarcane Ginger Soup" that followed was even more familiar. Si Li poked her head to look at the dessert shop behind the corner of Wanglaiju. The shopkeeper said something strange and then was busy entertaining the guests who had just come in. There was no further news.
The street behind Wanglaiju is not a truly prosperous street in the East City. There are few people here, and it cannot be compared with the market where there were endless customers in the alleys when she looked at the shops yesterday. The business in the alleys and streets near the South City of East City is relatively average. This is the conclusion she came to after looking at East City yesterday. However, for the same reason that she did not want to choose Ma's shop before, she also believed that Ma's shop next to Qiyun Tower would have a geographical advantage.
——To put it another way, if you want to advertise your store at xx direction, xx alley, xx street, Dongshi, you still need to search for it slowly. But considering the past popularity of Qiyunlou, Wanglaiju only needs to say, "We are next to Qiyunlou," and no one will have trouble finding the place.
Si Li was amused by this thought and replied softly to the dessert shop, "Everything depends on human effort." After all, the dessert shop did not close.
"What kind of workers?" Wang Ting brought back a group of bricklayers according to the low price and good standards given by Si Li. He just heard Si Li talking when he entered the door.
Si Li made way for them, and the noisy apprentices rushed into the backyard, replaying the scene of the construction line drawing that had happened in Lingtao Courtyard before. As the sky gradually darkened, there was no place for him to stay in the shop, and Wang Ting hurried back to the farm, agreed with the masons on the time to start the construction tomorrow, and left in a hurry.
After hearing the simple marketing plan, Meng Taotao locked himself in the compartment. Si Li looked at the time and estimated that if she walked faster, she might still have time to catch the evening market, so she went into the backyard to look for Meng Taotao.
In the room, Meng Taotao raised her hands and wrote and drew in the air. There was obviously no room for her to repeatedly revise the wording on paper in the shop that was so poor that it lacked everything. However, she was quite obsessed with the new promotional idea. She didn't come to her senses until Si Li stood in front of her.
"I'll think about it later." It only took the time of one marketing plan for Meng Taotao to suggest going out and for Si Li to drag her to buy groceries. Si Li was helpless about Meng Taotao's potential workaholic and dedicated nature.
The main vegetable market in the capital is located in the south city. Under the orange-red sky, one can see the blood flowing out of a meat stall at the edge of the city. The smell of blood, the body odor of livestock, and the smell of soil are mixed together. The noisy voices become clearer as one approaches. Si Li stands at the entrance of the market and blinks slowly. Suddenly, she feels a sense of absurdity as if she has lost time and space.
If the vendors standing behind the earthen platform and shouting loudly were not wearing the coarse cloth clothes common to ordinary people in Ning Dynasty, she would even suspect that she had suddenly stepped into a modern agricultural market. From the layout to the design of the vegetable counters and the entrance weighing area, everything looked familiar. However, the queen should not be so idle. Si Li attributed this familiarity to her lack of knowledge. Maybe the ancient markets in the previous life were also like this?
Like them, most of the people who come to join in the excitement of the night market are local residents. Elderly people bring their children and carry baskets to compare prices, just like the old men and women who grab bargains in modern shopping malls.
Si Li forced her thoughts back on track and pulled away Meng Taotao who was stopping in front of the tofu stall to ask prices one by one. She passed by the small stalls selling rare dishes of late autumn such as lotus roots, cucumbers, eggplants, etc. and stopped in front of a stall piled with cabbage and potatoes.
There was no other reason. If she didn't hear the stall owners calling out prices on the road, or if she had enough money in her pocket, she would be willing to take her time to choose.
As she expected, the cheapest items in the market were the abundant crops and the Chinese cabbage that was essential for the winter. The stall owner urged them to buy more to take home for the winter, otherwise the price would go up again in two days when the winter solstice came. Si Li stayed to talk to him about the price of potatoes, while Meng Taotao went to the market alone. For a boss who had an employee with a talent for math and memory, the best way to use her was to let her collect data and form reports on her own.
Feeling that she had now mastered the role of a black-hearted boss without any instruction, Si Li knocked on the wooden board on which the cabbage was placed, "Wu Wen, give me half of your remaining potatoes and cabbage."
After selling for a day, there were not many vegetables left on the stall. According to the price quoted by the stall owner, Si Li did not bargain much. But the stall owner was still not happy, looking at Si Li with a squinting eye, "You look so rich, five cents is just to buy a sleeve from you, why are you bargaining for such a small amount? You think it's too expensive? If you think it's too expensive, why come to the market? Wouldn't it be better to go out to the farmers to harvest in the morning?"
A sleeve costs five cents, and a set of clothes costs at most one or two taels of silver. Considering the status of Si Mansion, the price of these clothes is quite cheap. Si Li glanced at the sleeves that were stained by kitchen fumes and splashes of oil and could not be washed clean, and smiled, "Thank you for your advice. If it doesn't work, forget it, I will go to other houses."
"Okay, okay." The stall owner's attempt to provoke her failed, and she choked him instead. Seeing Si Li turn around and really want to leave, he hurriedly stopped her, "Can't you just give them all in half? There are a lot of potatoes left. I'll give you more potatoes, or I'll give you half. What do you think?"
Si Li: The plan is successful.
Meng Taotao came back from her stroll with a cloth bag of soybeans. Si Li stood in front of the six pounds of potatoes and two large cabbages and waved to her, "We have food for tomorrow."
Meng Taotao picked up the potatoes with a piece of cloth and carried them together. Si Li held a cabbage in each hand and asked the stall owner for a hemp rope to tie up the cloth bag. The two of them left the market together, and Meng Taotao finally said what he had been holding back, "The shopkeeper is really...thrifty."
Si Li said confidently, "The hemp rope he made is very fine, and can be used as lamp wicks when he gets home. Today I saw that the wicks of the oil lamps left by Old Ma Tou are all black, and I'm afraid they won't work well when burned."
Hearing Si Li's reason, Meng Taotao was stunned and raised the corners of her lips. Now that she had moved, as the shopkeeper, she could go to bed early and prepare the food during the day. In the end, she was the only one who used the light at night.
[System: Employee "Meng Taotao" loyalty +1. ]
Si Li stopped to look at Meng Taotao, then quickened her pace and returned to Wanglaiju. The shop had taken down its signboard but had not yet put up a new one. The two of them locked the door as they entered, and walked into the courtyard in the dark. With the help of the rising moonlight, they saw Xiao Que dozing off against the kitchen door.
"Chicken drumstick..."
She even ate in her dream. Si Li woke her up with a smile, "Hurry up and go to sleep in the room."
---
Looking down at the courtyard of Majiapu from a height, the silhouette of a person shrinks to a small cube. The height of each floor of Qiyun Building is extremely high. As the tallest building in Beijing, it is worthy of the name of Qiyun. But under the eaves closest to the cloud, there is a small attic. The attic is very cramped, so cramped that people will feel constrained and uncomfortable when standing in it. It is not that Qiyun Building does not have enough space for a spacious attic, but the original owner did not allow it to appear in this form.
Jiang Hengyun was standing in this small attic, looking down. Lights had been turned on in the ordinary courtyard, and inaudible voices floated up. They seemed to be in a world apart, yet very close.
People who don't know this place look up to it, people who know what happened here fear it, but she is the only one who refuses the easy fame and fortune and chooses to come to the side. It's like a declaration of war shoulder to shoulder, which makes him a little surprised.
Jiang Hengyun turned his gaze and saw a half-man-high wooden box standing loyally and quietly behind him. At this moment, one person and one box had already made the attic seem a little crowded. The close distance made the wooden wall project a colorful light, and the mechanical flashing prompt selection continued.
The sound of the city wall slowly closing not far away made Jiang Hengyun look back at the courtyard. The lights in the courtyard were not extinguished, but brighter. He raised his eyebrows and pressed the "pass" option for the first time.
"Ding, receiving opinions."
"… All opinions have been received. Thank you for your cooperation."
Jiang Heng walked out of the attic with a broad mind, the wooden box closed, the light disappeared, and the corner of his robe fluttered across the stairs of Qiyun Building, leaving no trace. Qiyun Building has three floors, the tables and chairs are upside down, and the doors of the private rooms are locked, but the snow-white window paper and the clean wooden lattices of the doors and windows show that Qiyun Building has not been left unattended after it was closed. On the contrary, it is carefully managed, as if it is just waiting for the right person to take over and reopen it one day.
"Go and find out why the eldest daughter of the Si family stayed away from home."
Zhong Liuru, who was guarding the courtyard, looked strange for a moment, then calmed down and followed behind His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
It was not uncommon for other girls in Daning to stay out overnight. They might stay out overnight when they were out for fun, looking for a date, or just tired of shopping. The fact that the prince paid attention to this was definitely ambiguous news. But according to the conservative character of the current chief minister, he would never allow his daughter to do such a rebellious thing as staying out overnight. So there was something wrong with his eldest daughter staying out overnight.
Zhong Liuru made a note of this, and under the cover of night, the group left Qiyun Tower from the back door and blended into the night scene of the capital. Si Li, who had just returned to Wanglaiju after visiting the vegetable market where there were few places where she could spend money with Meng Taotao, suddenly made a move.
[System: Dish level D. After being judged by the seniors, you are already a relatively mature imitator. You still have a long way to go on the road to becoming a chef god. Congratulations on receiving 1 random unlocked recipe from the seniors. Please keep up the good work.]
[System: Ding, random recipe extraction in progress...]
Meng Taotao put away the cabbage and potatoes they brought back. Xiao Que prepared some water for washing and was about to go into the room to look for the young lady when Meng Taotao grabbed her. Si Li in the room frowned and looked a little nervous. This made Meng Taotao wonder if the prices in the vegetable market had hit the young lady's confidence as she was just starting her career, so that she was hiding and worrying secretly.
The next moment, the two people squatting by the window saw Si Li's expression become ugly, and he hammered the bed angrily. The young shopkeeper rarely showed such an angry expression in front of them, which made them a little uneasy.
After following Meng Taotao back to the kitchen, Xiao Que whispered, "Did the young lady give me too much money? Now we have no money to spend?"
Meng Taotao shook his head hesitantly, glanced at the compartment, and became unsure.
In the room, Si Li's thoughts had nothing to do with money. Maybe a little bit, who can say that the attributes of the European emperor and the non-African emperor have nothing to do with money?
Before the system lottery started, she had some unrealistic expectations. The reward for the "Building Wanglai Residence" mission was a two-star recipe, so she didn't even dream of a three-star recipe for this lottery, at least a one- or two-star recipe. However...
[System: The reward recipe "French Fries" has been unlocked, please continue to work hard. ]
The French fries were a complete letdown.
After Si Li's repeated inquiries, the system confirmed that the extractable recipes included recipes with one star or above. Its wording was quite sincere, "The extraction samples were based on some unlockable recipes in the mall, and 80% of the recipes were one star and above."
Si Li didn't want to say anything. She was too lazy to even take the bowl back from the tasting module. She just poured it down with lifeless eyes.
The Africans are destined to have a sleepless night.
The huge capital city was ablaze with lights, and Si Li was not the only one who didn't sleep.
The chief clerk of Jingzhao Yin, who was arranging documents by candlelight, put a bound document on the shelf and rubbed his forehead as he looked at the newly added copy of the capital's deeds handed in by his subordinates. Here, he could find all kinds of contracts and documents. If it weren't for the busy month-end affairs, he would be happy to make a cup of tea and slowly see what new things happened in the capital.
After correcting and sorting the numbered deeds, the chief clerk was suddenly stunned for a moment, "Shuntian Sifu Si Li? There should be only one family with the surname Si in the capital, right?"
His colleague who had just returned from making tea heard the question and laughed out loud, "What else? We haven't heard of any family surnamed Si coming to register for a pass to stay at Jingzhao Yin recently."
The chief clerk sighed twice and joked, "I didn't expect that our Prime Minister, who is at loggerheads with Master Xiao on the surface, would allow his daughter to open a canteen behind the scenes. You must go and have a look at the canteen when you have time. Who will go with me next time I have a day off? Oh, it is said that a daughter like Little Cotton-padded Jacket can make a person become a soft and gentle woman. I wonder how many times Miss Si begged him to agree. We finally see the sincere heart of a loving father!"
"What food shop?" His colleague glared at him. "The Prime Minister is a man of integrity, so you can't say anything nonsense."
The chief clerk shook the contract he had picked out and pointed at the name signed. "The second daughter of the Prime Minister, Si Tang, is the most beautiful woman in the capital. Your Excellency has no other bloodline, so this can only be the sickly beautiful lady hidden in the inner chambers? The most beautiful woman can be seen often in the girls' school. Her sister has been hidden for so many years, so I'm afraid her appearance is not much worse. With a beauty by my side, brewing wine with my bare hands, just thinking about it makes the meal taste better."
"Pfft!" Someone spat at him, "How can you say such indecent things?!"
The indecent joke attracted a siege from colleagues who were also working late at night in the yamen. The chief clerk asked for mercy again and again and put the deed back into the file. The restaurant in the east city, which had just changed its owner, left a faint mark in the memory of ordinary officials in the capital.
On the other side of the capital, the servant who had returned with the message went out again with the food box he had prepared earlier, heading straight for the imperial city. It was not uncommon for the chief minister to be still in a meeting and not come back. This was the case for at least half of the year, and sometimes he even stayed overnight in the imperial city. The mistress of the house watched the servant run to the imperial city before returning to eat with her daughter.
Si Tang, whose dinner was interrupted, picked up a piece of Longjing shrimp and gave it to his mother. "Dad is staying in the attic again? That's great. He didn't know that the annoying ghost had left."
The maid in the kitchen who had hurried back from the manor outside Beijing to report the news heard her words, shrank her neck, tried her best to reduce her presence, and regretted why she rushed in rashly before. She knew that the attitude of the lady of the house and facing the secrets were two different things. She had heard too many dirty stories in the backyard of the rich family, and she didn't want to become one of the people who was quietly dealt with in the next story.
As soon as she moved, she was seen by Madam Si, who was in the main seat. "What are you afraid of? You have been in the manor for so long, and you still remember to come back and report the news. Your loyalty should be rewarded." Madam Si tilted her head and said, "Ah Wu, let her live with Qinglian."
The maid shrank and knelt on the ground, "Madam, I, I won't go back?"
"Look at you." Si Tang looked at her panicked expression and chuckled. Mrs. Si said calmly, "You have been watching Wang Ru there for so long, and there is no change. You should come back to work. Or, the eldest lady has left the manor, do you want to follow her to the county?"
"No, no, no." The maid bowed her head and said hurriedly, "Thank you, Madam. It's fine for me to stay. It's fine."
The frightened maid followed Madam Wu out. Si Tang stopped laughing and said, "Mother, don't you want someone to check where she is?"
Mrs. Si looked indifferent. She swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking, "After leaving the Si family, she will never be able to get rid of the coppery stench of the Jian family. No matter where she goes, it doesn't matter." She changed the subject, "How is the preparation for the exam before the New Year going?"
"Who else can be the first place except me?" Si Tang pointed at himself proudly, "Mingjing mathematics, music, chess, calligraphy and painting, cooking and needlework. Last time I didn't choose mathematics, so Xiao girl stole the limelight. I won't lose to her this time."
Mrs. Si's eyes flickered slightly, "I remember that Ah Li went to Guangji Temple with some pastries before?"
"She?" Si Tang said disdainfully, "She has learned for ten years and can only make two kinds of pastries, and they are not tasty. I am the only one who supports her and coaxes her. It is nothing. Besides, she didn't go to the girls' school, and now she has run away. She can't blame her mother for her lack of knowledge and skills."
"Tangtang."
Mrs. Si called her but said nothing. Si Tang stopped talking and focused on eating. The night gradually darkened.
--------------------
The author has something to say:
Lili: Nmd, the system is harming me, can I wash my hands and start over?
Prince: Well, you are very brave.