Chapter 85 Jin Nian, do you believe in past lives and reincarnation?
The first roast chicken order was just the beginning. Before the thirty roast chickens were delivered, another twenty-four orders came in the next day, ranging from a minimum of five chickens to a maximum of eighty.
"Ordering eighty chickens at once, are you going to eat roast chicken as a meal?"
Baoxiu's fingers were trembling from plucking chicken feathers, but when she learned that another big order had come in, a look of pain mixed with joy appeared on her face.
Shuqi laughed and said, "The manager who placed the order said that his master suddenly made a fortune and, in his joy, ordered eighty roast chickens to reward his capable subordinates."
Baoxiu tilted her head, her innocent face full of confusion: "Two taels of silver for a roast chicken is not worth it at all. It would be better to just give those people the silver."
Before she could finish speaking, Baolan gently patted her: "Our roast chicken is so delicious, how can two taels of silver not be worth it? Your food, clothing, and monthly allowance this month depend on these roast chickens to earn money for you."
Baoxiu realized what was happening, glanced cautiously at Sheng'an who was busy in front of the oven, and immediately shouted her loyalty at the top of her lungs:
"That's right, our roast chicken is the most delicious in the world! I just think it's the most affordable option for ordinary people. Besides, our roast chicken is specifically made for the wealthy!"
Bao Xiang and Bao Yun chimed in, "That's right. Rich people aren't fools. They're willing to spend two taels of silver on a roast chicken because they feel it's worth the money."
Sheng An found it amusing and began to explain to Bao Xiu:
“The meaning of rewarding with silver and rewarding with roast chicken is different. Originally, if the master made a fortune and didn’t give anything, his subordinates wouldn’t say anything. But if they received a roast chicken worth two taels of silver, they would feel that their master was kind and would be grateful to him.”
The delicious roasted chicken will leave a lasting and wonderful memory, and I will always be grateful to my employer when I think back on it.
Moreover, a roast chicken costing two taels of silver was something only the wealthy could afford; it was a symbol of status, and talking about it with relatives and friends greatly satisfied their vanity.
If they were given silver directly, it would be gone in a flash, and they would expect their employer to make another windfall and then reward them with more silver.
If expectations are not met, some people will inevitably feel dissatisfied, thinking that the employer is stingy and not worth their time.
The four treasures and Shuqi exchanged thoughtful glances, then stole a look at Sheng An, all having the same thought in their minds:
The master really doesn't treat them like outsiders!
The total number of roasted chicken orders received in the past two days is 420. With Shengyuan's production capacity of a maximum of 50 chickens per day, it will take at least eight to nine days to complete these orders.
Fortunately, Shuqi had informed them of the situation in advance, so the customers who placed orders were not in a hurry. All the orders were processed in order, and there would be no situation where the goods could not be delivered on time.
Looking at the few remaining live chickens, Sheng An instructed Shu Qi, "There will be plenty of orders in the future, but each order must not exceed five chickens, and the total number must not exceed twenty."
Shuqi felt a pang of regret but dared not question Sheng An's words in the slightest: "Yes, Master."
Sheng An nodded, telling him to go about his business.
Looking at the half-cooked roast chickens in the oven and the piles of raw chickens waiting to be roasted in the large basin, Sheng An couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
The four children haven't mastered the secret to making roast chicken yet, so she has to do it all by herself. Now she smells like roast chicken from head to toe, as if she has become a roast chicken herself.
The four little ones chattered away, completely unaware of their master's exhaustion.
Sheng An suddenly disliked them and gave them their first task after teaching them cooking: "You have twenty days to master all the techniques for making roast chicken."
The four treasures looked at each other in bewilderment. The most lively one, Baoxiu, asked, "Master, do we even have to learn the most essential techniques?"
Sheng An gave a definite answer: "You have to learn it; you can't skip a single step."
Once she teaches them how to make roast chicken, she can leave them to their own devices, except perhaps for a special culinary buff when the chicken is almost done.
After all, even if she wanted to teach them, they wouldn't be able to learn this step.
The four children were overjoyed and nodded vigorously, saying, "We will definitely study hard!"
It's just that their master trusts them too much, being willing to teach them even the most essential skills.
This unconditional trust moved them, but it also made them anxious, fearing that they would disappoint their master if they didn't learn well.
After spending the afternoon roasting chicken, Sheng An returned to the small building, smelling strongly of roasted chicken and carrying a heavy box.
The box contained the deposit for the roast chicken received today, half in silver and half in banknotes, totaling 390 taels.
As soon as Sheng An stepped into the courtyard, he heard his aunt Xu Cuilian's voice coming from the main hall.
"Second brother, once those people find out that Jin Nian passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, will they shamelessly pester him?"
Xu Chenglin sneered: "Jin Nian is my son. As long as I don't acknowledge them as brothers, they can forget about bothering Jin Nian!"
Xu Cuilian said helplessly, "I just don't know what the clan chief is thinking. This morning he sent his grandson to our house to ask if Jin Nian had passed the imperial examination. That's when I found out that Jin Nian hasn't gone back yet."
Xu Chenglin's expression was not good: "Jin Nian has been busy during this period and has not been able to return to the village to offer sacrifices to the ancestors. Now the clan chief knows that he has passed the imperial examination and become a scholar. I will go back with him in the next two days."
Xu Cuilian asked, "Isn't An'an going?"
Xu Chenglin shook his head: "Let it go this time. What if we fight again and she gets hurt?"
Hearing this, Sheng An was both amused and exasperated. He quickened his pace and walked into the main hall, where he saw not only Xu Cuilian but also Zhang Daikui.
Zhang Daikui quickly came forward, took the small box from her hand, and said with a simple and honest smile, "You've worked hard all day, cousin-in-law."
Sheng An raised an eyebrow slightly. This kid has changed his ways; he actually said something like that.
Feeling embarrassed by Sheng An's scrutinizing gaze, Zhang Daikui lowered his head to avoid her probing look and fled back with the box in his arms.
Sheng An was speechless. Was she some kind of monster?
Xu Cuilian was also annoyed by what she saw, and slapped her eldest son on his broad back: "You're such a grown man, yet you're still not steady enough."
Zhang Daikui was unhappy to hear this, and with a flushed face, he huffed, "Wait, wait until I get married, then I'll be more mature."
Xu Cuilian said with relief, "You've finally figured it out, kid."
Sheng An's eyes lit up, his gossip instincts kicking in: Something's up!
Xu Cuilian couldn't keep anything to herself. Before Sheng An could ask, she pulled Sheng An to sit down in front of her and said, "An'an, your aunt has something to ask you."
Sheng An hurriedly said, "Auntie, don't ask me for anything. As long as I can help, I will do my best!"
Xu Cuilian smiled and said, "You can definitely help with this."
As she spoke, she pointed to Zhang Daikui, whose face was red and neck thick: "It's this kid. He has his eye on your friend Zhaodi. I'd like to ask you to help me find out what Zhaodi and her family think."
If Zhao Di and her family are willing, she will immediately ask a matchmaker to come and propose marriage.
Sheng An looked at Zhang Daikui, who was staring at her expectantly, and realized that things were going to be difficult.
After thinking for a moment, she said tactfully, "Zhao Di has broken off an engagement once, and she doesn't want to talk about her future in-laws for the time being. Da Kui may need to wait a while."
We can't exactly tell the mother and son that Zhao Di didn't fancy Da Kui, and that she would be scared at the thought of sharing a bed with him after marriage, can we?
Zhang Daikui, as expected, had no doubts and blushed as he said, "I...I'm willing to wait."
Xu Cuilian didn't hesitate: "That's right. As long as Zhao Di can take a liking to Da Kui, he's a grown man. He can afford to wait three to five years."
Sheng An nodded, offering the mother and son a kind reminder:
“Zhao Di is a girl with her own opinions. Persistence won’t work on her. If Da Kui wants to win her heart, he should be honest with her and let her know that he is a trustworthy person.”
Xu Cuilian was overjoyed and patted her chest to assure him: "I know my son, Da Kui. He's straightforward and his thoughts are always on his face. He's nothing like his father, who was full of scheming!"
Sheng An: "..."
Aunt, do you know that your husband said those things about you?
However, it's true that Da Kui is simple-minded. Sheng An smiled and encouraged him, "Zhao Di is a bit rough around the edges, so you need to be more patient."
Zhang Daikui's face was dark red, but his expression was unusually serious: "I have patience."
Looking at his honest, shy face, Sheng An suddenly recalled Liu Huazhi's harsh words:
Everyone who loves you will become unfortunate; your grandparents will perish in a fire because of you; your best friend will become a widow because of you…
Sheng An was breathing rapidly, and his heart was pounding.
Could Zhao Di's husband in her previous life have been Da Kui?
After seeing Xu Cuilian and her son off, Sheng An returned upstairs alone, leaned against the window, and stared blankly at the darkening sky.
Not long after, faint footsteps were heard at the top of the stairs.
Sheng An didn't turn around; the next moment, her slender body sank into an embrace that carried a slight chill.
Is something on An'an's mind?
Xu Jinnian touched Sheng An's exposed hand and found her fingers were icy cold. He immediately closed the window and led her into the room, saying, "It's chilly at night. You're weak, so you should wear more clothes."
As he spoke, he opened the wardrobe, took out a thin coat, and draped it over Sheng An.
Looking at the man with a gentle expression and a tone devoid of blame, Sheng An asked softly, "Jin Nian, do you believe in reincarnation?"
Xu Jinnian was taken aback at first, then revealed a gentle smile: "Of course I believe it. I believe that An'an and I were a loving couple in our past life, and that we are continuing our relationship in this life."
The feeling of his heart fluttering the moment he saw An'an was real, and he only felt that way about An'an.
"Then... what were we like in our past life? If, as you say, we were a loving couple who grew old together and then returned to dust, why would we rekindle our past life together?"
For the first time, Sheng An was so stubbornly determined to find an answer, as if only by figuring it out could the thorn that had been hanging over her heart disappear.
"Does this mean that our fate in our past life wasn't good, and that our destiny wasn't completely severed, which is why we're able to continue our relationship in this life?"
Her ability to travel through time and the willow branches' ability to be reborn are the best proof that past and present lives are not just wishful thinking.
"An'an, what exactly happened?"
Xu Jinnian sensed Sheng An's unease and his expression became more serious than ever before: "You...did you dream about something?"
Sheng An froze.
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