Chapter 90
90
After Yang Shiming's painting was finished, Cheng Yeran took it to Uncle Zhou and discussed with him about printing a new version.
Uncle Zhou was amazed by Cheng Yeran's paintings last time. "Your paintings are getting better and better. Okay, I just accepted a few apprentices recently, so manpower is not a problem. But you have two paintings here, so it may take some time."
Cheng Yeran said, "I'm planning to open a new shop. By the time the shop opens, Uncle Zhou's packaging should be printed."
"You are urging me in disguise." Uncle Zhou sighed. Although he was very tired, he was still full of energy. The more challenging the task, the more excited he was.
At home, Shen Yuntang also started making sausages with Liuya and Luwei.
Shen Yuntang wanted them to rest for a few days, recuperate, and get familiar with the environment, but they couldn't sit still. The next day after arriving in the county, they followed Shen Yuntang to work. Shen Yuntang didn't let them move, so they found work for themselves.
Both of them have been used to doing farm work since childhood. They are efficient at work and do not mind dirty or tiring work.
Shen Yuntang wanted to teach all three of them, so they had to spend some time on each process.
Before, Tugen had been washing pig intestines, but now he asked Tugen to mince meat and stuff sausages, while Liuya and Luwei would wash the pig intestines. They should get used to the job first, and then he would let them divide the work.
Shen Yuntang was responsible for the rest of the drying, cooking and smoking.
The hired helper was responsible for chopping wood and making fire, and also helped with drying the wood.
Before, when Cheng Yeran went to the noodle shop for dinner, he mentioned that it was too troublesome to come to the store to eat every day, and it was not convenient sometimes when there were many customers. This was not their canteen, but a serious noodle shop, so it would be better to hire a cook.
Ah Xiang heard this and said that he had a neighbor who was neat and capable and cooked delicious food, so he could try to be a cook.
A Xiang's home is very close to the noodle shop, and that aunt is A Xiang's neighbor. She can go home after cooking every day and doesn't have to stay at Cheng Yeran's house.
After listening to Ah Xiang's introduction, Shen Yuntang felt that the family was indeed too busy to handle it. Moreover, there were two more people in the family, and there would be another younger sister in the future. It was not realistic for him to cook, so he had to ask someone to help.
He agreed and asked Ah Xiang to bring people to the store to take a look.
The aunt's clothes, hair, and nails were all very clean. She was plump and had a simple smile. She looked to be around 40 years old. I heard that her grandson was already in school and her son was a waiter in Wangchunlou. The cost of her grandson's education was high, so she thought about finding a job.
Shen Yuntang did not agree directly, but asked her to go to his house and cook a few meals first. Of course, she would not work for free during these days. She would be paid for the days she worked. If she did a good job, she could stay, and the salary would be two cents of silver per month.
Two qian of silver is the average wage in the county town. My aunt's son works as a waiter in Wangchunlou and can earn four qian of silver a month. He cannot earn this much in other small shops.
But this aunt is a widow with only one son in the family. Without brothers and sisters to help each other, it would be very difficult for her to support her grandson's studies.
After the aunt arrived at their house, she not only helped with cooking, but also helped wash a lot of the pig intestines when she saw Liu Ya and the others washing them. She said that she was free anyway and her daughter-in-law was taking care of the family, so she would do as much as she could and asked Shen Yuntang if he could let her do two jobs.
Seeing that she cooked delicious food and worked efficiently, Shen Yuntang asked her to help and gave her extra wages.
The pig intestines she washed were as clean as Tu Gen's, and faster.
Liu Ya and Lu Wei were also assigned to do other things. This time there were enough manpower, and Shen Yuntang could even take a break every day and go around the store.
But Tugen was anxious because his sister had not come yet. He originally wanted his sister to be the family cook, but later when his aunt came, he thought of asking his sister to make sausages because the four of them were too busy to handle it.
But that aunt joined in again and worked harder than any of them. He was afraid that Shen Yuntang would drive him back to the countryside because of the comparison, not to mention his own sister.
He was so anxious that he couldn't sleep and was a little absent-minded, which was noticed by Shen Yuntang. Shen Yuntang talked to him and was worried that he might be sick. However, he didn't dare to say anything and just insisted on working.
Tugen started crying again, asking people not to chase him and his sister away.
Only then did Shen Yuntang realize that he saw that a new helper had come to the house and was afraid that he would no longer be needed.
"Although we have enough manpower for the sausages, Yuanbao is still short of manpower for making soaps. You can ask your sister to help Yuanbao to pack the soaps. He is always too busy. Sometimes when there are too many orders, he, Ye Gou, and Fourth Brother have to stay up late and their eyes are red. With one more person to help, they can relax a little. You can also teach your sister how to make soap in the future." Shen Yuntang is very good at coaxing children. Cheng Yeran always says that he has a maternal glow.
He said to Tugen, "Since I brought you out of the village, I won't chase you away. Just treat this place as your own home and relax."
"This is not my home. My home is not this good." Tugen felt relieved and hoped that his sister could be sent here soon.
Before, Cheng Yeran said that they couldn’t let Manager Wang go there immediately after they returned, for fear that he would be exposed, so he asked Manager Wang to wait for two days before driving to the village.
Tugen's father thought that the plan was going to fail, but when he saw Manager Wang, he praised his daughter highly in front of him as if he had seen the God of Wealth.
Cheng Yeran had told Shopkeeper Wang before that when buying a person, he would really sign a contract to sell his sister and sever ties with her parents.
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There will be trouble later. When we get to the county town, we will restore her identity. Manager Wang said that he could temporarily register my sister's household registration in their home, and any changes in the future will depend on Cheng Yeran.
In fact, Shopkeeper Wang also wanted to adopt his sister as his own child. He had lost his own child and had always wanted to have another one, but he hadn’t gotten one yet.
But it’s not a good idea to bring up this matter right now. After all, my sister has family and a brother, so Shopkeeper Wang wants to discuss it with them later.
Tugen’s sister is called Maimiao, his brother is Gen and his sister is Miao, and his younger brother is called Maisui, all of which are related to grain.
Mai Miao has never heard her father praise her since she was a child. Now that her father is going to sell her, he can actually say so many good things to her against his conscience.
Before, when Mai Miao knew that she was going to be sold to an old man, she didn't want to live anymore. Later, her brother told her that Uncle Cheng would find someone to help, and she felt much more relaxed.
Mai Miao is very timid. Even though she knew that Manager Wang was called by Cheng Yeran, she was still afraid when she followed Manager Wang back.
She curled up in the car, not daring to move, until she arrived at Cheng Yeran's house and knocked on the door. The person who opened the door was Tugen, and only then did she feel at ease.
Mai Miao is thirteen years old this year, but she is thinner than the average thirteen-year-old child and looks like she is underdeveloped.
Moreover, she was dark and skinny, and looked like a little monkey, so pitiful.
Shen Yuntang felt sorry for her and made her new clothes even though her shoes had holes in them. Lu Wei lived in the same room with her and took care of her in every way.
After seeing this, Cheng Yeran thought to himself, with a group of teenagers in their family, they could open a school. But can such young children really work? It’s better to raise her for a while, and wait until she grows up a little before making soap with Yuanbao.
But Tugen and Maimiao were very scared. They thought Cheng Yeran didn't let her work because he was planning to drive her away. In the end, they had no choice but to let her do what she wanted.
Although Mai Miao was very timid, she did not cry or make a fuss when she learned that she would not work with her brother. She did not speak every day and only talked to her brother during breaks. She usually lowered her head to wrap soaps. Although her hands were small, she wrapped them carefully, which saved Yuanbao a lot of time.
In the past, Yuanbao and Ye Gou would wrap soap together. Either he made the soap and Ye Gou wrapped the soap, while Fourth Brother would grind soy milk or help deliver the goods.
The wild dog is a mute and cannot speak, and now Mai Miao is also silent. Yuanbao has gotten used to this atmosphere. He is a person who cannot sit still, so he tells the two of them about some interesting things he has encountered recently, or about things in the shop. He goes outside every day these days to see if there are any good shops to rent, and then he goes to find his cousin once he has found one.
…
Yuanbao browsed for seven or eight days and finally found a shop he liked. After he saw the shop, he immediately went to find Cheng Yeran who had just returned from school and told him that he was afraid that the shop would be snatched away by someone.
"Cousin, I've seen a shop that I like. It's very popular. I've agreed with them that I'll take you to see the shop tonight. If it's okay, we can decide on it quickly." Yuanbao said to Cheng Yeran anxiously.
Cheng Yeran knew that although Yuanbao was young, he was reliable. "You are in such a hurry, what kind of shop must it be? I'll go with you to take a look."
"It may be a little expensive. It has two floors and the location is also very good." Yuanbao scratched his head, thinking that in the past, they only needed one car to sell soap, but now that his cousin said he would open a shop for him, he actually asked for a two-story building. Wasn't he too ungrateful?
"Price and other things are not important. What's important is the location and environment." Cheng Yeran almost forgot that his original purpose of doing business was to launder money, but he ended up doing business so seriously that he forgot his original intention.
Cheng Yeran followed Yuanbao to see the two-story building. The area was not very large. The first floor was twice as big as Shen Yuntang's noodle shop, and the second floor was the same size as Shen Yuntang's noodle shop with a large window.
Yuanbao pointed at the window and said, "I've thought about it. I can sit in front of the window and make soap. People passing by can see me and will be attracted to the store."
Cheng Yeran didn't expect that Yuanbao had not given up on dressing up as a boy to sell soap. He originally thought that after opening the shop, except for the time when Yuanbao acted as a model when painting, he should transform back into a boy the rest of the time. Unexpectedly, Yuanbao became addicted to dressing up.
He asked Yuanbao with mixed feelings: "Are you doing this to make money or is it a hobby?"
Yuanbao: "Making money is my hobby! I don't mind if I can make money and become a real bro."
Cheng Yeran: “…”
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