Chapter 50: Hiring Another Assistant You are the Marketing Leader of Yunlaixiang...
In this way, the words that Wei Jinyun was about to say became "Madam, Madam"?
Chang Siyan saw Wei Jinyun's surprised expression and finally reacted. She gently brushed her hand over, and with a "rip" sound, the sticky fake beard fell off.
"What do you want from me, Miss Wei?"
She picked up her belongings and smiled.
She was thin and dressed in a gray straight dress, with only a wooden hairpin to tie her hair into a bun. Her false beard fell, revealing her thin eyebrows and fox eyes.
"Do you know me?"
In fact, Wei Jinyun was not surprised by these, but by her accent.
Wei Jinyun and Lu Lingxiang had spent a long time under the arch bridge, listening to her tell two stories, clearly in a male voice. But now, speaking to her now, she could switch between male and female voices with such ease?
"How can I make a living if I don't even know the story's author?"
Chang Siyan changed back to a male voice and said leisurely, "Miss Wei, what do you want from me?"
"You tell a good story."
Wei Jinyun's attention was attracted by her narrow and long fox eyes.
"Thanks for the compliment, it's alright."
Chang Siyan's tone was a little proud.
"Have you ever seen me plucking a weeping willow?"
Not to mention that there was only an old locust tree in her yard, even the weeping willow tree next to the bridge had a trunk so thick that it took two people to hug it and it couldn't be shaken.
Still pulling...
Upon hearing this, Chang Siyan's tone suddenly changed, quickly returning to a female voice. "That's not the case. But Miss Wei, tell me first, is Li Dabing a habitual thief from Zhao Ji Delicatessen?"
Wei Jinyun nodded.
"Did you call the neighbors and stop him just as he was about to climb over the wall?"
"Yes, in the end it was Adjutant Zhan who helped to hold the man down."
The more Wei Jinyun listened, the funnier it became.
"That's it."
Chang Siyan shook the bag on his back. "Everyone who listens to this story only remembers the beginning, where the habitual thief gets caught, and longs for the ending, where the wicked man is punished. The way you dealt with Li Dadan was to pull out a weeping willow, or use a rolling pin, or something else... I'll give it a little polish, a little polish, and get everyone to applaud. Is that okay?"
Wei Jinyun was choked by these words and laughed out loud, "You are really good at writing. Some children who come to Yunlaixiang for snacks now ask me to learn how to pull up trees."
When the two sisters and Meng Ge'er went out for a stroll in the evening, they were no longer satisfied with the company in front of Tianqing Temple. Their route now went to Shantang Street and Shiquan Street.
Hui Hui would invite a group of guests with their children to have snacks during the day. While eating, the children would ask, "Manager Wei, can you teach me how to pull up trees?"
So they heard it from here...
Chang Siyan's tone was less proud and more sincere, "Miss Wei, thank you for your compliments. I was just making something up to entertain you all."
Seeing that her annoyance seemed to have subsided a lot after hearing her words, Chang Siyan also felt a little embarrassed. After all, many of her lies were just nonsense, and now the person who made up her lies had come to her door.
"So how much money can I earn from reading books in a day?"
Wei Jinyun's eyes fell on the few scattered copper coins placed in front of her. They were stacked in the bowl and did not weigh much.
"Even if you talk your mouth off, you can only get fifty or sixty cents."
Chang Siyan tapped the bowl hard, and the copper coin slipped into her palm. "The tea stalls here have to pay two cents for the booth. If there is no business on rainy days, I have to pay for food at home."
"After deducting food and drink, can you save forty coins a day?"
Chang Siyan smiled helplessly. "How can that be? In our line of work, we may look eloquent, but in reality, we earn our money through hard work. My grandfather always says that there are all kinds of people in the tile shop, and he won't let me go. You don't know, storytellers in the tile shop can earn a hundred or eighty coins per show, which is much better than working under the bridge... There's nothing I can do about it. I'm only good at telling stories with my grandfather, and I can't do anything else."
Chang Siyan's father-in-law was a half-blind man who sang lotus opera. His name was Lao Chang. He sang wherever he went to earn a living. When he was in his forties, he traveled and sang all the way to Pingjiang Prefecture and picked up little Chang Siyan.
Little Chang Siyan was only three or four years old. Old Chang had found her among a pile of rags. He couldn't see clearly, but he could still vaguely see that she was as thin as a monkey, a bag of bones with no flesh.
She said she only remembered that there was a river next to her home, her father liked to hold her and play with her, and her mother made delicious soup noodles.
Old Chang took her to the clinic, where the doctor said the child was barely alive, with wounds all over her body. It all depended on fate. Fortunately, little Chang Siyan was very strong and managed to survive.
Lao Chang gradually understood from the few words he exchanged with her in their daily interactions that she was abducted by a kidnapper, who abandoned her because he disliked her and she was sick!
What a damn kidnapper!
A half-blind man and a child sang and asked questions along the way, and walked across most of the Song Dynasty. After more than ten years, Lao Chang still couldn't find her home.
Seeing her growing older, Old Chang couldn't bear to let her continue singing along with him like a beggar, so he returned to Pingjiang Prefecture, where he had found her. Perhaps, she was from Pingjiang Prefecture. Perhaps, she would remember something clearly when she grew up.
Old Chang rented a house in the countryside and continued to sing. He saved some money and raised his granddaughter for a few years. Finally, he raised her to be no longer a little beggar.
Wei Jinyun suddenly spoke, interrupting Chang Siyan's thoughts, "Do you want to make money? Two strings of cash a month, including two meals, leave to visit relatives, annual leave, and interest during festivals."
Chang Siyan was stunned for a moment, then gave a casual wry smile, "Before, I mentioned that I wanted to go to the tile house to tell stories, and my uncle chased me all over the village with a stick. If he knew..."
She lost her temper again. "I'm sure he'll scold me for not learning my lesson again."
Although Aung was reluctant to hit her with a stick, she really made money in the village. She also wanted to earn more money for Aung, who wore broken shoes for several years without replacing them.
She begged Grandpa for a long time to tell stories under the bridge until she asked him to use men's clothes and a male voice.
"Who told you to go to Wazi?"
Wei Jinyun still smiled, "I'm the one who hired you, come to my Yunlai Dried Tofu."
Chang Siyan subconsciously glanced at his wrists, which were as slender as bamboo poles. "But I don't know how to make snacks. The guys in your shop can carry two bags of glutinous rice flour, but I don't even have the strength to knead the dough..."
"It's your mouth that I want."
Wei Jinyun interrupted her, saying seriously, "I want you to help write the names of the new pastries for the shop, and then tell the customers who come to buy cakes about the secrets behind the pastries. For example, you could make up some stories for these pastries and come up with some promotional slogans. Wouldn't that be more reliable than telling stories under the bridge?"
"Is there such a good thing in the world?"
Chang Siyan leaned forward, his voice full of disbelief.
Wei Jinyun nodded, staring at her with a half-smile. "But before we make a decision, I have to ask you. What's the story behind my 'Little White Dragon in the Waves'?"
"You want to hear it?"
Chang Siyan winked at her and then took out her wake-up stick again.
Chang Siyan slapped the wake-up stick with a practiced "snap," still using a female voice that was sharp and eye-catching. "Then listen carefully, everyone! There was a swindler in Pingjiang Prefecture named Zhang Dazui. One day, Zhang Dazui tried to escape with the money he'd swindled, but Miss Wei stopped him by the river and yelled, 'You bastard, don't run!' He was so scared that he peed his pants and dove into the water. He looked so cowardly that even Zhang Renbai, who was washing vegetables by the river, laughed at him for being useless."
She bent over and imitated Zhang Dazui's flailing movements, her hands scrabbling in the air. "After Zhang Dazui had only paddled twice, Miss Wei jumped into the river without even taking off her shoes. Even Zhang Renbai, who was washing vegetables nearby, got his clothes soaked!"
"The next thing is called wild!"
Chang Siyan leaned forward, gesturing with his hands to show the fierceness in the water. "Zhang Dazui tried to escape, but Miss Wei pounced on him, grabbed him by the back of the neck with her left hand, pressed his head with her right, and pushed him into the water. As soon as Zhang Dazui emerged, she grabbed his arm and twisted it. Miss Wei was not ambiguous at all, and kept pressing him while shouting, 'Do you want to spit out the silver?'"
"Zhang Dazui was so anxious that he scratched around, trying to scratch Miss Wei's face."
Chang Siyan suddenly slammed the table. "Miss Wei was even more ruthless. She pushed him directly into the water and, holding her breath, forced Zhang Dazui to drink a bellyful of water. By the time she grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to shore, Zhang Dazui was already like a dead fish. Miss Wei didn't forget to kick him in the butt and shouted, 'If you dare to cheat me again, I'll break your arm!'"
Finally, he slammed the wake-up stick hard and grinned. "Everyone on the street was stunned. Even Lord Lu came and praised her, saying, 'Young Lady Wei is even more powerful than us. How about working for the Inspection Bureau?' Look at her carefully, everyone. Isn't she the Little White Dragon in the Waves?"
Chang Siyan had just finished clapping the wake-up stick. Wei Jinyun looked at her dancing with helplessness, "Stop, stop, stop. When did I... kick his ass? Are you going to work at the Inspection Department? If you keep making this up, I'm going to become the River Overlord."
Lu Lingxiang, who was standing next to her, clutched her stomach and couldn't straighten her back. She cried out intermittently, "Jinyun... I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore... My stomach is going to hurt like hell today. I pressed it so hard that I drank a bellyful of river water. Was that what you were like then? Ouch, my stomach hurts so much."
She had heard the children talk about the "Little White Dragon in the Waves" and knew that there was such a thing, but she had never listened to it in detail. Now, when Chang Siyan mentioned Wei Jinyun, he seemed to be nine feet tall and strong enough to lift a tripod.
"How about using your ability to write a story for my new Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup?"
"You can give it a try."
Wei Jinyun took Chang Siyan's arm and left. "I'll only give you three days. I need to see the results before I consider hiring you... For now, come with me to try a bowl."
This guy looks like a real marketing expert.
Yunlaixiang needs fame, lots of fame.
"Three days?"
"not enough?"
"Look down on me... Will Miss Wei give me the money for the children's candy?"
*
At daybreak, the vendor brought two more bags of red lotus rice.
Shopkeeper Wei signed a contract with him, stipulating that the Red Lotus Rice would only be delivered in batches of two dou each, and that he must ensure that the grains of Red Lotus Rice delivered each time were full, otherwise he would never do business with him again.
The peddler was happy. It was a good thing that he could find a seller for the accumulated red lotus rice. He could finally have a good New Year. He immediately signed the contract and gave Wei Jinyun a sea bass that he had caught himself.
After the autumn frost, the sea bass meat was as white as snow, delicious and without any fishy smell, which made Yuanbao stare at the wooden basin and meow.
As the weather got colder, Gu Xiang came even earlier. Before her two sisters got up, she was already busy preparing ingredients in the yard.
She has now completely adapted to Yunlaixiang's daily routine. If she has time after work, she will feed her some loofah and edamame.
Wei Jinyun cooked two pots of red lotus rice as usual, but in just two days, her red lotus anti-aging soup was a huge hit.
Yunlaixiang's dining hall was lit on a small clay stove, steaming tea and filling the air with the aroma of snacks. But it seemed as if all the idle young men in Pingjiang Prefecture were flocking to her place. In just this hour, she had seen the faces of more than a dozen different idle young men.
The story about the Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup has been passed on from mouth to mouth among children, just like the story of her plucking weeping willows.
Chang Siyan was telling stories under the arch bridge, occasionally adding new lyrics to the storybook:
One.
A scholar named Li, who worked nights and nights preparing for the provincial examination, complained of dizziness and cold hands. His wife gave him a bowl of Red Lotus Anti-aging Soup. After drinking it for three days, he reported no longer feeling sleepy while studying at night, and his hands were no longer cold. The soup wasn't too sweet or greasy, and it was much better than strong tea, which could damage the stomach.
Second.
There was a bodyguard named Brother Zhao who had been escorting a group for half a month. He was exposed to the wind and sun and came back with a peeling face and shaking hands. His wife brought him a Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup. He said, "I'm a grown man, I can't drink this." But after taking one sip, he couldn't stop and drank two bowls in a row.
Later, before Brother Zhao escorted the convoy, he would ask his wife to buy two bowls of it and pack it up, saying that drinking it would give him strength to fight the bandits on the road!
Third.
Mr. Sun wanted to nourish his wife and went to a pharmacy to buy Chinese angelica. When the shopkeeper asked him if he wanted it to replenish qi and blood or regulate menstruation, his face flushed and he could hardly speak clearly.
Later, he bought Yunlaixiang's Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup. Shopkeeper Wei said that this soup was the best for his wife because it replenished Qi and blood, but he was embarrassed to say that he was drinking it himself. Shopkeeper Wei was considerate and wrote a flowery note for Mr. Sun and placed it aside.
Yunlaixiang has launched a service that provides ghostwritten flower notes. When men order soup and state their needs, the waiter will directly write on the note something like "You've worked hard taking care of the kids, have a bowl of warm soup", "Don't be too tired recently, I'm thinking of you", etc., saving both worry and effort.
There are even more exaggerated statements.
A shopkeeper named Wang came to order Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup, saying that his wife's hands were swollen from embroidery. He was afraid that she would find ginseng soup too bitter if he sent her ginseng soup, and he was afraid that the color would be wrong if he sent her rouge.
This Red Lotus Anti-aging Soup is just right!
A bowl of exquisite soup, with a note attached that read, "My dear wife, I know your hands are tired, I hope this bowl of warm soup can help you relax." It was more effective than ten words of love! When Shopkeeper Wang sent it over, his wife's eyes were red on the spot.
And so on.
I don't know how Chang Siyan could come up with so many jokes in just two days, but Wei Jinyun was so busy that he was dizzy. He cooked pot after pot of red lotus rice, and the idle young man almost trampled the stone steps at the door flat.
This Chang Siyan is truly a genius!
It was not until the beginning of the afternoon that Wei Jinyun took a breath and rested. He only told others that the Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup was sold out today and the demand could not meet the supply.
She sat in a rattan chair and used an abacus, thinking that she still needed to do business with the owner of the porcelain shop and order some cups and bowls engraved with Yun Laixiang's name.
Her two younger sisters gathered around her, massaging her shoulders and offering her tea and fruit.
"Miss Wei, it hasn't been three days yet."
Chang Siyan came over and took a sip of the tea that Gu Xiang brought over. "What do you think?"
"very good."
Wei Jinyun almost fell asleep. "You will be the marketing leader of Yunlaixiang in the future."
"What does that mean?"
Chang Siyan was a little confused.
"Yes."
Wei Jinyun yawned, then stood up and signed the contract with Chang Siyan, "Come to work early tomorrow morning."
Chang Siyan is responsible for promoting every kind of dim sum in Yunlaixiang and tells stories in Yunlaixiang every day, but this must be separated from Wang Qiulan's teaching time.
Chang Siyan had long forgotten her hometown, and all she had were memories of singing on the streets with her grandfather. She had started storytelling this spring and had worked hard to save up a small amount of money.
When she returned home in the afternoon, she bought some pork knuckles and new shoes for Grandpa.
Old Chang chased her around the village with a stick, feeling sorry for her for having such money, and thought it would be better for her to buy him two new clothes.
Chang Siyan originally thought that he would spend his whole life squatting in an arch bridge and telling stories.
But she has a lot on her mind now.
Not only did she want to buy new shoes for Grandpa, she also wanted to treat his eyes.
The Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup was out of stock today. Wei Jinyun finally had some free time. She did some calculations and decided to eat a bowl of water shield and sea bass soup that she hadn't had time to eat at noon.
Wang Qiulan had been simmering the soup on the stove, and when she tasted it, the taste didn't change much.
The smooth water shield wrapped in the mellow broth melts on the tongue, barely requiring any chewing. The late autumn sea bass is delicious, sliced incredibly thinly, leaving it tender, fresh, and sweet.
Wei Jinyun drank a bowl of it, and his stomach felt warm. He and Wei Fuqiu settled today's accounts together.
The Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup costs 12 cents to eat in the restaurant but 19 cents to take away. The idle guy earns 2 cents for each order, and today he delivered 360 bowls of soup.
Wei Jinyun stared at the account, then leaped up from her rattan chair with a whizz, her spirits high. After deducting costs and labor expenses, her daily profit was already several thousand taels.
So much money, she made so much money!
Gu Xiang, who was bending over to wipe the newly vacated table, straightened up when he heard the noise. Seeing her spirited look, he couldn't help but ask, "Shopkeeper Wei, was that bowl of water shield and sea bass soup you just had more nourishing than our Red Lotus Anti-aging Soup? You look so energetic."
Wei Jinyun stared at the busy Gu Xiang for a while, thinking about how she had to eat in, clean up, and help pack up the food all day long. "Little Gu, you haven't rested since we opened the shop until now. We should go to the pawnshop and hire two more guys. We can't let you keep running around like this all the time.
Gu Xiang straightened up and nodded, "I'll listen to you, Shopkeeper Wei. Actually, I'm not afraid of being tired, but today's orders are so heavy. If it were like this every day, you'd be exhausted. You've been watching the stove and making snacks since morning, and now you have to reconcile the accounts. You don't even have time to enjoy a bowl of soup."
"Yeah, Sister Gu is right. Sister also eats her lunch at the counter."
Wei Fuqiu carefully recorded every single entry in the account book. "When Lingjie and I go to school, you'll be busy as hell."
"Hire, this guy must be hired again."
Wei Fuling and Meng Ge'er sat at the small table and ate some snacks. They had come to help out today and didn't even have time to go to the small house.
She said generously, "It's okay, sister. I, Lingjie, will pay for the servants!"
"Brother Meng is coming out too!"
"Meng'er, which shop are you from?"
Zhan Ziming, who had been sitting at the small table for a while, looked at Meng Ge'er's cheerfulness and said with a smile, "Manager Wei's shop is very busy right now, so how can he have the time to look for a broker? Why not let me handle the hiring and take care of it?"
He then added, "Don't worry, I was the one who found Chuntao and Xiaoman for Sister Xiangping. They're quick and reliable. Just tell me what kind you want."
Wei Jinyun saw the smile that couldn't be hidden between his brows and replied, "Lawyer Zhan has been very happy these past two days... I don't have any special requirements, just three: one, you must be obedient and sensible, two, no male associates, and three, you must try him out for three days. If you're not suitable, you won't be able to stay. Let me be frank, although the rules here are not strict, there are many requirements, so you must explain them clearly."
He came to Tianqing Temple every day, but he didn't go to Zhao Xiangping's shop anymore, always staying at her Yunlaixiang. When Zhao Xiangping had some free time, she would come to eat some snacks and chat with him.
Zhan Ziming readily agreed, "Leave this little thing to me. Do you have any of today's Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup left? Sister Xiangping should be here soon."
Wei Jinyun smiled and shook her head. "Lawyer Zhan is a little late. Today's Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup is sold out in a flash. Even the clay pot on the stove has been scraped clean. But don't worry, we still have freshly baked jujube paste cakes and taro cakes. They are both soft and sticky. Aunt Zhao likes them all."
"Yeah, that's fine."
Zhan Ziming took a break while drinking tea and reading a book.
He had once again made it clear to Ms. Qing that he still had someone in his heart and asked her not to come to him again. But he also knew clearly that he would not ask Sister Xiangping any more questions and embarrass her. After all, her shop had only been established for a few months and she still had to run a good business. And the man in the past was really not a good person.
He will wait for her.
He should take on more lawsuits and write more petitions to earn more money. When his younger brother grows up, he'll have to take the provincial examination again. Being a lawyer isn't a long-term career. She'll do her business, and he'll strive to be a man worthy of her.
Zhan Ziming always thought she was like a beautiful green carp, bright and charming.
The beautiful green carp should swim slowly from the pond into the river, freely and happily.
Wei Jinyun curled up in a rattan chair, listening to Gu Xiang chatting with the guests. She gradually felt sleepy and fell asleep with her head tilted to one side. The day had been so hectic and tiring that even money had only a momentary appeal.
The sunlight filtering through the carved wooden window was dyed a warm orange, and she suddenly woke up, slapping her forehead and jumping up instantly.
Today is Lu Lingxiang's birthday, but she was so busy that she completely forgot about it!
She didn't even bother to rub her sleepy eyes and turned around and ran to the backyard.
"Oh, it's done."
Wang Qiulan smoothed her messy hair with a smile and pointed to the food box on the counter. "Here you are, don't be so anxious all the time... Wear the new clothes that grandma made for you, and go to Xiangxiang's house. You need to be more modest."
"Grandma, this takes a long time to make."
"It's really fine now, don't worry, sister." The two sisters carried her into the bathroom.
After all, Sister Gu's strength was no joke. After eating her grandmother's stewed bacon and bamboo shoots rice, she felt like a strongman, not stopping for a moment.
The next time they see Grandpa Gu pulling the donkey cart, they will definitely ask him what delicious food he feeds Sister Gu to keep her qi and blood so full, so that they can buy some for her.
Wei Jinyun put on the new clothes made by her grandmother and tied her loose hair into a bun again.
Just as she was about to leave, she saw a green-covered carriage parked in front of the shop. The maid beside the carriage hurried forward and asked, "Miss Wei, my daughter specially asked me to come and pick you up. She also asked your two sisters to come along as well to make the occasion more lively."
Wei Jinyun quickly pulled Gu Xiang to her side and gave him careful instructions, "The remaining snacks must not be left overnight. Eat them all when you have time. If any customers come and ask for the Red Lotus Rejuvenating Soup, tell them that it's sold out today."
Even the loofah and edamame were told to take good care of themselves.
Gu Xiang pushed her towards the carriage. "Manager Wei, please go quickly. I know everything about the shop and I can guarantee it will be safe. Please don't ruin Miss Lu's happy life."
Wei Jinyun pulled her two sisters and got on the carriage, looking back every few steps.
The driver cracked his whip, and the horse neighed. Zhang Renbai had finished reading and was about to go into Yunlaixiang for a cup of tea. But when he saw the carriage with the Chinese character "Lu" embroidered on the curtains, his hands unconsciously clenched until they turned pale, and he squeezed the paper bag inside tightly.
The carriage stopped in front of the Lu Mansion. Wei Jinyun lifted the curtain and saw a lot of people crowded at the door. Even the lanterns under the corridor had been lit in advance, and the warm light was wrapped in noisy voices.
Lu Lingxiang, who was at the front, was wearing a light red jacket and skirt. She looked towards the carriage and the moment she saw Wei Jinyun, she ran over quickly.
"Xiangxiang, your home..."
Wei Jinyun looked at the large group of people behind her.
"The whole family is coming out?"
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The author has something to say: Red Lotus Youth Soup, everyone who eats it says it’s good [glasses]
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