Chapter 92 Making a fortune every day
After finishing the Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup, Chen Peisheng left.
Bao Lan was a little worried and whispered to Bao Xiang, "Our Shengyuan and Zuixianlou are practically rivals. Could that Boss Chen be jealous of you and want to do something bad to you and Shengyuan?"
Baoxiang shook her head: "I don't think so."
Bao Lan asked in confusion, "Why?"
Bao Xiang smiled and said, "The fact that Master dared to let him come to the kitchen shows that he is not a bad person, and that Master is not afraid of him."
Bao Lan suddenly realized: "That's right, only the weak are timid and afraid of this and that."
Their mistress is so powerful, the most powerful woman they've ever met, why would she be afraid of a mere Boss Chen?
The kitchen was only so big, and Sheng An could hear their conversation clearly, leading her to reasonably suspect that they were flattering her, the boss.
However, she was quite happy to hear it.
Just as the last ingredient was being cooked, the customers who had made a reservation arrived.
The guest's surname was Mu, and he ran a timber business. He had business dealings with Boss Ding. Among the seven people who came to eat together this time, there was the Ding family grandfather and grandson.
Ding Tianci was just there to freeload a meal.
Twelve meticulously prepared dishes were served one by one, with the central dish being grilled fish in an iron pot, which immediately attracted the guests' attention.
Fish in Qingzhou City are not prepared in this way.
The aroma of the delicious food wafting into their nostrils and constantly tempting their stomachs made the guests forget to ask about the specific recipe for the grilled fish. After exchanging a few polite words, they all took their seats.
Seeing several dishes on the table that he had never tried before, Ding Tianci was particularly pleased. He smiled and said to the satisfied Mr. Mu, "Uncle Mu, isn't the place my grandfather recommended good?"
Mr. Mu laughed heartily, raised his wine glass to toast Mr. Ding, and said, "If it weren't for Mr. Ding, I would have missed this treasure trove."
Originally, I decided to invite people to Shengyuan for dinner on a whim, and also to curry favor with Master Ding.
Unexpectedly, the chef of this newly opened private restaurant is just as skilled as Chen Peisheng of Zuixianlou.
Expensive things do have their advantages. Today's meal certainly made him look good, and I'll have to give him a generous tip when we settle the bill.
After a round of toasts, everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.
Upon tasting the dish, Mr. Mu and his companions, who were experiencing such delicacies for the first time, all showed expressions of astonishment.
The most composed were the Ding family grandfather and grandson. Ding Tianci was the first to serve himself and his grandfather two bowls of chicken soup:
"Grandpa, please drink more. Last time I drank this soup, I slept very well at night. My body felt warm all night, and my mind was much clearer when I woke up the next day."
Grandpa Ding knew his grandson was talking to others, so he took the chicken soup and chuckled as he agreed, "Yes, Grandpa feels the same way. When I got back and looked at the account books, I didn't feel sleepy at all."
Upon hearing this, Boss Mu and the others immediately realized that this pot of Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup was a good thing, and they all put down their chopsticks and asked someone to serve them the soup.
After swallowing the chicken soup, a look of amazement appeared on everyone's faces.
Boss Mu asked Shuqi impatiently, "This soup is good, could you prepare an extra serving to take away?"
Since this soup has calming and energy-boosting effects, my parents at home should definitely try it.
Upon hearing this, Shuqi quickly replied, "Alright, I'll go to the kitchen and give the instructions right away."
Mr. Mu nodded repeatedly, his impression of Shengyuan improving even more.
Seeing this, Master Ding and the others quickly said, "I'll have one too!"
I wrote down the chess pieces, and I was overjoyed.
Sheng An didn't show up in the private room; instead, she was chatting with her four children in the main kitchen.
Upon learning of the guests' request, Sheng An nodded: "It will take at least an hour to simmer this soup. Tell them to leave one person behind when they leave, and have their person take it back with them once it's done."
Sheng Yuan doesn't have the facilities for food delivery, and she doesn't plan to develop that business.
Baoxiu had a sudden inspiration and suggested, "Master, since Shengyuan can sell roast chicken alone, why not add an Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup as well? That way we can earn more money."
Her idea was simple: Shengyuan's prices were too high, and only a few families could afford it, so there wouldn't necessarily be customers every day.
With roast chicken and Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup, Shengyuan has a daily income, so there's no need to worry about not being able to support so many people.
Sheng An shook his head: "You can't earn all the money in the world. With roast chicken, that's enough. If we add Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup, we'll probably be too busy to handle it all."
It's true that she enjoys counting money until her hands cramp, but she prefers to enjoy life even more. Spending all day wielding a large ladle in the kitchen would also make her feel tired.
Baoxiu wasn't discouraged when her proposal was rejected; after all, her master's decisions were always right.
The other three treasures shared the same thought; their worship of Sheng An had reached the point of blind devotion.
The twelve dishes were completely devoured, satisfying the appetites of Boss Mu and his entourage. They were all beaming with joy.
Upon learning that Shengyuan had a tea room, a chess room, and outdoor recreational areas, several people, including Boss Ding, became interested and were led by the group of calligraphers and painters to the chess room.
The cards are modified playing cards, with designs changed to conform to contemporary aesthetics and featuring exquisite patterns that won't offend taboos or cause trouble, while the rules and gameplay remain unchanged.
With the demonstration by the calligraphers and painters, Master Ding and the others quickly mastered the game and enthusiastically started playing Dou Dizhu in groups of three.
Ding Tianci was "ostracized" and kept circling around the two mahjong tables, hoping that these uncles and elders would take care of the young man and give him a place.
As a result, Mr. Ding, who was engrossed in the game, ignored his grandson, not to mention the others.
Ding Tianci was really itching to play, so he used both threats and inducements to get the calligraphy, paintings, and inkstones to play with him.
Unable to refuse the calligraphy, paintings, and inkstones, she carefully accompanied this young master in playing cards.
Upon hearing this, Sheng An looked puzzled and then glanced at Shu Qi, who seemed somewhat envious: "Is this card game really that fun?"
She wasn't interested in playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game), and setting up the card room was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. She never expected that guests would actually get addicted to it, and social status and class temporarily became irrelevant.
Shuqi nodded repeatedly: "It's so much fun! The noise those old men make while playing is louder and louder than the last."
They didn't care about their image at all.
Sheng An scratched his head, then his eyes lit up: "Tomorrow, go to the card-making workshop and talk to them about a card-making collaboration."
Dou Dizhu (a card game) will eventually become popular throughout Qingzhou City. Before it becomes too popular, she can earn some pocket money by playing cards.
Shuqi immediately understood Sheng An's meaning and looked excited: "Master, how much should we negotiate for the profit sharing?"
After thinking for a moment, Sheng An gave a reasonable range: "30/70 or 40/60 is fine."
Playing cards are made entirely by hand, and making so many cards takes a lot of time and effort, so they have to make a little profit.
Sheng An reminded Shu Qi: "Tell them that this kind of playing card will eventually spread to other places. At that time, their workshop will be the only one of its kind, and merchants from other places will come to their workshop to get the goods."
Shuqi agreed to the deal, determined to negotiate a 30/70 profit split: 30% for the workshop and 70% for the owner.
As Sheng An predicted, Master Ding and the others really got hooked on the game, and didn't realize they had been playing all afternoon until nightfall.
Before leaving, these people offered to buy the playing cards for a large sum of money.
However, the number of playing cards at Shengyuan was limited. Shuqi said he would work overtime to have more made and deliver them to the various mansions. Only then did Master Ding and the others leave satisfied, taking the Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup with them.
Mr. Mu ate and played to his heart's content. Most importantly, Shengyuan made him look good, so he was given a very generous reward of fifty taels of silver.
Sheng An was not a stingy person. The four treasures and the four of them, including Shuqi, each received three taels of silver, which was their monthly salary.
The eight men, beaming with joy, thanked Sheng An profusely as they held the silver.
Sheng An encouraged them, saying, "Work hard! The better the business at Shengyuan, the more money you'll make. Getting married and having children won't be a problem in the future."
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, the eight of them made excuses and left one by one.
Sheng An shook his head and chuckled, tidied up, and returned to the small building with the heavy money box in his arms.
The final payment for today's roast chicken, the final payment for the ordered food, the reward money from Boss Mu, and the money from selling the Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup all add up to more than 120 taels.
Saying he makes a fortune every day is an exaggeration; he certainly makes a fortune every day.
Sheng An hummed a little tune as she walked, and halfway there she ran into Xu Jinnian, who had come looking for her.
She patted the money box, her increasingly full face full of smugness: "This is what I earned today. If this continues, Shengyuan can earn another Shengyuan in a year."
Xu Jinnian took the money box; it was indeed quite heavy. "Are you planning to save up to buy a courtyard?"
Sheng An shook his head: "We won't buy the courtyard for now, but we can buy a few shops in good locations. The rent from them each year will be a considerable income."
Xu Jinnian suggested, "We could also buy a manor, the kind with fields and woodlands."
Sheng An readily agreed: "The land near Qingzhou City is quite good. We'll buy it when we find a suitable one."
Xu Jinnian held her hand and noticed that her fingertips were cold, so he frowned slightly.
Sheng An also sensed the difference in their body temperatures, and mischievously reached her hand under his neck while standing on tiptoe.
Xu Jinnian shrugged slightly, took her hand and held it in his palm: "From today onwards, soak your feet in hot water every night."
Sheng An was still being mischievous, hooking his hand around hers: "Holding you is much easier than soaking my feet."
Xu Jinnian's lips curled up, a glint of light in his eyes: "What will you do if I'm not home one day?"
Sheng An pulled her hand away and jumped onto his back.
She hugged the man's neck tightly, buried her delicate face in his dimples, and said in a clear, melodious voice, "I'll follow you wherever you go, whether you're a chicken or a dog."
Xu Jinnian felt a surge of warmth in his heart and held her tightly in his large hands: "An'an, keep your word and don't abandon me."
Sheng An tilted her head and kissed him on the cheek: "Who knows who will abandon whom?"
Xu Jinnian's face darkened, and he lightly patted her pert buttocks: "You're talking nonsense again."
Sheng An sighed inwardly, leaning on his back and looking at the few scattered stars in the sky: "Just take it as me talking nonsense. Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?"
She couldn't have peace of mind until that thorn in her heart was removed.
The truth will be revealed in three years.
Xu Jinnian frowned, but said nothing, and carried her all the way back to the small building.
Sheng An was exhausted after a long day and slept very soundly that night, completely unaware that the person beside her had quietly left...
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