food delivery service
Pei Qingwu paused as he was clearing the dishes: "Oh? How do you collude?"
"That old fox Liang Jingshan secretly raised the listed price of cloves at the Persian residence and prepaid a large deposit, demanding that Said hoard all the fresh, high-quality cloves that had recently arrived, releasing only a small amount of old stock to inflate the market price. He also spread rumors that cloves would soon be out of stock."
As Gu Heng spoke, he angrily bit into the mutton in his mouth, as if it had been cut off from Liang Jingshan's body.
"Their plan is to force us to either maintain our brand by using exorbitantly priced cloves, which would make our costs soar and unsustainable, or to cut off the supply of cloves, which would damage our brand."
"No matter which one it is, it will severely damage the reputation and business of our Sushan Market. The people causing trouble at the gate today are probably hooligans hired by the Liang family."
The candlelight flickered, illuminating Pei Qingwu's serene profile.
“So that’s how it is. They maliciously raised prices, cut off my raw materials, and then sent people to cause trouble... What a brilliant move to undermine me and kick me when I’m down…” she said, her knuckles unconsciously tapping the table.
"It seems we can't avoid this business war. Ah Heng, thank you for your hard work these past few days. Keep a close eye on the movements of Ruifangzhai and Persian Mansion, especially... where exactly they've hidden their stockpiled cloves. Knowing our enemy and ourselves will allow us to better counter their attacks."
"Yes, I will follow the master's orders."
This crisis involving lilacs has been temporarily averted.
On this day, Pei Qingwu opened his shop early as usual, selling soup dumplings and vegetarian porridge, which could be served as breakfast.
As dawn broke, the kitchen of Sushan Xiaoji was already steaming with heat.
Pei Qingwu, wearing an apron, was busy working in front of the large cutting board.
In the celadon basin, there was a filling that had been carefully prepared the day before.
The meat is made from fresh pork foreleg, finely minced and mixed with chicken broth and aspic. It is then seasoned with minced ginger, scallions, and salt.
Wu Niang was stirring the filling vigorously on one side, while Yu Yi was kneading the dough next to her. She repeatedly slapped and pounded the water and refined white flour together, gradually making it soft, smooth, and with excellent extensibility.
Pei Qingwu took a small ball of rested dough, rolled it out with a rolling pin, and in the blink of an eye, a round dough sheet as thin as a cicada's wing was spread out.
On the other side, in a huge cedar barrel, the Seven Treasures Vegetarian Porridge was bubbling away.
The rice, millet, and glutinous rice that had been soaked last night were now cooked until they were thick and sticky. Yinlan was on the side, adding the finely chopped ingredients into the pot one by one.
The dish features tender yellow corn kernels, bright green peas, vibrant red goji berries, pure white lotus seeds, dark brown Job's tears, plump peanuts, and finally, snow-white yam cubes sprinkled on top.
The pine fire blaze beneath the stove burns steadily, and the aromas of rice, beans, and various sweet scents blend perfectly in the rising steam, filling the entire shop with a warm and inviting atmosphere.
The first batch of soup dumplings came out of the steamer, steaming hot, with thin, delicate skin that looked like it could be broken with a touch, and you could vaguely see the amber-colored soup sloshing inside.
Carefully pick it up, gently bite a small hole, and the piping hot, fragrant, and extremely rich soup instantly floods your mouth, scalding your tongue and causing a slight numbness. At the same time, a delicious flavor rushes straight to your head.
The skin is thin yet resilient, and after absorbing all the broth, the filling is firm, tender, and full of meat juice, leaving a lingering fragrance in your mouth.
The Seven Treasures Vegetarian Congee is thick, smooth, and warm. The rice grains have long since melted into nothingness, and the various beans and grains are soft, sticky, and delicious.
Lotus seeds have a slightly bitter taste followed by a sweet aftertaste, Job's tears have a slightly chewy texture, goji berries add a touch of sweetness, and yam is smooth and creamy... The sweetness of various natural grains unfolds layer by layer on the lips and teeth, warming the stomach and soothing the palate.
Outside the shop, regular customers had already stopped and waited, drawn by the enticing aroma.
“Master Pei, this porridge smells delicious today.”
Jiang the blacksmith, who lived in Anyefang, was the first to arrive today. Pei Qingwu personally served him a bowl and handed it to him with a smile.
"With Brother Jiang and others showing such support, how could I deliberately neglect them? It would ruin my reputation, but there's no way to get it back now."
"That's true. For us in business, reputation is the most important thing."
Jiang Shu was a rough man who didn't care much about manners. He would put one foot on a stool, bring the bowl to his lips, and slurp it down as he drank.
Before long, the bowl of Seven Treasures Vegetarian Porridge was completely finished.
He ate a few more flatbreads and two soup dumplings, then wiped his mouth with a towel and said, "Oh, it has to be Pei Dongjia's porridge. No other porridge tastes the same."
"Thank you, Brother Jiang, take care." Pei Qingwu smiled as he accepted the money and saw Jiang Shu off.
At this moment, more and more people entered the shop. Seeing that Qian Tao, Wu Niang, and Yu Yi were all busy, Pei Qingwu quickly helped to greet them as well.
"Business is good here, boss."
A familiar voice came from behind him, and Pei Qingwu turned around. Sure enough, it was Zhang Jian, the official in charge of Zhang family affairs.
"Master Zhang is here. Are you also having breakfast?" Pei Qingwu asked with a smile. "You are my great benefactor. Consider this meal on my behalf."
Zhang Jian waved his hand: "No need, no need. You run a small business, and I shouldn't take advantage of you. Just let me pay for the soup dumplings and the seven-treasure vegetarian porridge at the original price."
Since they were both straightforward people, Pei Qingwu had no choice but to accept the money since he couldn't refuse.
Compared to Jiang Shu, Zhang Jian ate much more politely, managing to taste the aroma of tea even from a bowl of plain porridge.
"Phew, this porridge is really perfect. No wonder your business is booming."
"Master Zhang is too kind. I was just thinking that I should treat my guests well, use high-quality ingredients, and put my heart into the cooking."
Zhang Jian nodded: "Yes, honesty is fundamental."
As he spoke, he took another sip of the porridge and sighed, "This taste... It's a pity that your place is quite far from my residence."
Such a thoughtless remark struck Pei Qingwu like a thunderbolt.
When she was studying in modern times, there was a very popular dessert shop far from the school.
Their restaurant is listed on Meituan Waimai (a food delivery platform) as offering city-wide delivery, but the delivery fee is predictably high. One day, Pei Qingwu received his scholarship money and wanted to splurge, so he ordered their tiramisu, cheese and ham alkaline water balls, and tiger-skin cake roll.
After waiting for a long time, until Pei Qingwu became impatient, the deliveryman finally handed her the item.
"What the hell? The delivery fee is so expensive. I'm never following the trend again..." Pei Qingwu muttered as she opened the package. After taking a bite, her eyes immediately cleared up.
The texture was simply...
Absolutely amazing!
Suddenly, Pei Qingwu felt that spending so much money and waiting for so long was totally worth it. It was so worth it that she later specially chose a day when she didn't have any classes, took the bus and then the subway, and went all the way to the store to buy it.
Despite it being a weekday, a long queue still formed outside the store.
Unlike today, public transportation was not as developed in ancient times, but the desire to join in the fun and enjoy delicious food remained the same.
Sushan Market is so famous, there must be a lot of people who want to try it. It's okay to come once or twice from afar, but what if you want to eat it later?
Anyway, she has been wandering the streets of Qinzhou these days and found that there are quite a few idle men. Occasionally she would stop and immediately go up to ask if they needed help with work.
Given this, could she hire such a person to develop a unique "takeout service" for Sushan Market?
Although it was impossible to have a mobile food delivery platform in ancient times, it was not difficult to pass a note and have someone deliver a food container with insulation.
As for these "delivery drivers," they can be temporary workers paid on a daily basis for now. Once the business grows and becomes more profitable, permanent employees can be hired.
Thinking of this, she almost jumped up in excitement.
“Master Zhang, I’ve thought of a brilliant idea. Perhaps in the future, you can enjoy our Su Shan Xiao Ji’s snacks at home.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian also became interested.
"Oh? What method?"
"Let me try it first. If it works, I will be the first to deliver your favorite snacks to your home, Mr. Zhang."
Let's get right to it.
After breakfast time, the steamers for soup dumplings and the wooden buckets for porridge were removed from the shop. As Wu Niang and Yu Yi arranged the snacks that were on the shelves that day, Pei Qingwu called Gu Heng out the door.
"Master, what are we going to do?" Gu Heng asked, puzzled.
"Go do great things."
She first pulled Gu Heng along, heading straight for Taibai Tower.
Du Hui, the manager of Taibai Tower, was sitting there looking at the accounts when he saw Pei Qingwu rushing in. He immediately stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Master Pei, what brings you to our humble establishment today? Are you here to try our new dishes?"
Pei Qingwu gave a graceful curtsy and got straight to the point: "Greetings, Manager Du... I apologize for disturbing you, but I would like to make a small attempt with you."
"try?"
"If my idea works, then whenever we need snacks, we won't have to trouble your staff to run errands. I'll just send someone to deliver them directly, and I guarantee they'll be fresh and hot."
Du Hui stroked his beard, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and laughed, "Master Pei is quick-witted and a remarkable person. Then please bring him here so that I, Du, may have a look."
Pei Qingwu nodded, asked Du Hui what kind of snacks he wanted, and then left with Gu Heng.
She had already cut out a piece of plain paper and used the charcoal notebook she carried with her to write down: "Taibai Tower, one serving of dragon beard candy and two servings of jade floss cake."
Then, she and Gu Heng quickly walked out of the gate and arrived at a street corner near the East Market where people gathered.
Sure enough, there were several idle men dressed in short tunics squatting there, basking in the sun and waiting for work.
Pei Qingwu stepped forward, selected two men who looked fairly clever, and bowed slightly, saying, "Brothers, I have a job running errands here, paid daily, thirty coins per run. Are you interested?"
Thirty coins a day was a fairly good wage for an idler.
The two men immediately stood up, patting their chests and saying, "Young lady, just give the order! Sending messages? Moving goods? We have plenty of strength!"
“It’s not heavy work.” Pei Qingwu took out the order slip: “I would like to trouble you two brothers to take this order back to my Sushan Xiaoji shop in Anyefang and give it to the shop assistant Qiantao. After the pastries are prepared, I would like to trouble you two to take the food box and deliver it to Manager Du of Taibailou according to the address. Just be quick on your feet and don’t delay on the way. Make sure the pastries are still warm when they arrive. How about that?”
This job sounds simple and pays well, so why wouldn't two idle men take it?
After receiving the order slip, he ran off to Anyefang.
Pei Qingwu and Gu Heng then returned to Taibai Tower and ordered two dishes and drinks to wait.
About 15 minutes later, two idlers came running up, panting. One of them was carrying a double-layered food box specially made by Pei Qingwu.
The outer layer is made of bamboo and wood, while the inner layer is made of thick cotton for warmth.
Du Hui took the food box, which was still warm to the touch. When he opened it, he found that the pastries were intact. Although the heat had dissipated a bit, they were by no means completely cold.
"Alright! You two have worked hard!" Pei Qingwu inspected the goods and readily paid each of them thirty coins.
The two idlers touched the heavy copper coins, beaming with joy, and thanked him repeatedly.
My first attempt went so smoothly.
Pei Qingwu felt a great weight lifted from his heart, and his eyes shone even brighter.
At this moment, Du Hui wrote a new order form, specifying the snacks he wanted for tomorrow.
Pei Qingwu handed the food box to the two idle men who were watching eagerly: "I'll trouble you two to make another trip to deliver this order back to the shop and tell the clerk to prepare the goods. Deliver them to the customer's residence this evening as instructed. The delivery fee will be thirty coins."
Watching the idler dash away again, Pei Qingwu and Gu Heng exchanged a smile, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes.
"It's done, Aheng! This path will work!" Pei Qingwu clenched his fist tightly.
The next day, just after 5 a.m.
As soon as Su Shan Market opened, Pei Qingwu hung a newly made wooden sign in the most conspicuous place outside the shop, with several lines of large characters clearly written on it:
New measures to benefit the people
Starting today, Sushan Market will pilot a service providing transportation and food accommodation.
For all the neighbors in Anyefang who are unable to come in person, simply look for someone with a blue cloth strip wrapped around their arm and tell them what you need. Our shop will prepare the snacks and have them delivered to your door immediately.
Ask the staff for details.
Standing beneath the sign were four idle men whom Pei Qingwu had specially selected and negotiated with yesterday.
They were all dressed in clean, short-sleeved clothes, with a conspicuous indigo strip of cloth wrapped around their arms as a distinguishing feature. They stood tall and proud, full of energy, a stark contrast to their usual lazy demeanor when squatting on street corners.
Pei Qingwu had explained the rules and wages to them beforehand—thirty coins a day, with a small bonus for those who delivered diligently. He repeatedly emphasized that they must be disciplined and diligent, and must not be lazy, cheat, steal food, or damage the snacks.
“Boss,” a regular customer who had just bought breakfast asked curiously, pointing to the sign, “Does this ‘Meal Delivery Service’ mean that if I want to eat your snacks but am too lazy to go, I can just ask one of these men with blue cloth strips wrapped around their arms and you’ll deliver them to my home?”
“That’s right, Auntie!” Pei Qingwu replied with a smile. “You see, these young men are the errand runners we hired. You just need to tell them what you want to eat and where you want it delivered, and they will write it down and bring it to the shop. We will prepare it, pack it in boxes, and then they will deliver it to your home as soon as possible, saving you the trouble of walking around.”
"Oh! That's such a thoughtful idea!" An elderly man with mobility issues, leaning on his cane, nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. "My grandson keeps asking for your family's jade floss cakes, but my legs really don't want to move. It would be wonderful if someone could deliver the snacks to my door."
The novel service immediately attracted a lot of attention and discussion.
Some people find it convenient, while others are taking a wait-and-see approach.
Soon, a young boy with a blue cloth wrapped around his arm took on his first errand.
He was a servant sent by Master Hu, who lived at the other end of the neighborhood.
The servant went directly to the young waiter at the shop entrance and handed him a note that read, "Two Golden Milk Pastries and a plate of Fresh Flower Cakes, to be delivered to the Hu residence at the beginning of Shenshi (3-5 PM)" along with a deposit.
The young errand boy wrote down the requirements and ran back to the shop to place the order.
At the beginning of Shenshi (3-5 PM), the young man carried a specially made food box and steadily delivered the pastries to the gatehouse of the Hu residence. The pastries were still warm and soft.
This result put Pei Qingwu at ease, and naturally, the business of Sushan Market reached a new peak.
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