Chapter 54: Meow Meow Charge, Six Meows' Daily Life, Slowly Infiltrating Pingjiang Prefecture...
Before meeting Wei Jinyun, Chang Siyan heard from the neighbors that the snacks she made were delicious and thought Wei Jinyun was a gentle and capable beauty.
Then, Chang Siyan saw her diving into the water to catch a swindler under a bridge, and thought she was a beautiful and clever woman.
Later, she heard that she had planned to catch a thief, and she changed her pen and portrayed her as a smart, strong and beautiful woman.
However, no one told her that the beauty would be so energetic after becoming her mistress... She simply had all those advantages in one person and was even more energetic to the point of exploding.
When she came to work at the beginning of the morning hour, Manager Wei had already put all her snacks on the steamer and clay stove, and was sitting at the door of the shop waiting for her.
Beside the osmanthus tree, she was wearing a light yellow skirt, holding a gold ingot in her arms. She waved and called out to her with a smile, "Good morning, Xiao Chang. You've finished thinking about the story, the character design, and the image design, right? Hurry and bring it out."
Chang Siyan felt like she was the only sheep in her sheepfold. It was late autumn, and she smiled as she plucked her wool to make a coat.
"Talk while we eat."
Wei Jinyun held Yuanbao in her arms and pulled Chang Siyan into the front hall. She pointed at the breakfast on the table and said, "I bought this especially for Xiao Chang."
Chang Siman recognized that the five-flower preserved vegetable rice dumplings were made by a grandmother in a house on Shantang Street. The pan-fried buns were also a signature dish. The glutinous rice dumplings were from Shiquan Street, and the lamb skewers were from Changmen... After making the snacks, she ran around to buy food. So when did she get up?
That's all.
Chang Simian frowned.
Then she will just be a lucky sheep that is fleeced by her.
"I want to preserve the story of the cat slave repaying his gratitude. I have to tell it in my storytelling. You know, throughout history, people have always loved to hear stories about wild spirits and talented men and beautiful women... Lord Lu also agrees with this."
"no problem."
Wei Jinyun pushed the breakfast spread in front of Chang Siyan. "Don't call me Lord Lu anymore. Just tell me what I told you yesterday." Chang Siyan took a bite of the pork belly and preserved vegetable rice dumpling without hesitation. The richness of the glutinous rice and the fresh aroma of the pork belly made her brows tremble. "As for what you told me about 'Six Cats' Daily Life', it's all on the paper. Shopkeeper Wei, take a look."
She took out a folded paper from her bosom, which recorded in detail the results of her sleepless night.
Wei Jinyun knew clearly that in order to create momentum, she had to first increase the popularity of the six raccoon slaves before she could sell their derivative products, such as her meow cookies and meow sachets.
Just by looking like an ordinary raccoon, it won't make much of an impact.
The Song people loved incense. Regardless of gender, age, or profession, they all loved to hang sachets of incense around their waists, sometimes multiple. Nobles bought fine incense, while the common people wore simple fruit or dried flower scents.
In short, whenever someone comes towards her, they can always see the sachet, which is a good derivative of hers.
As for the six cats, they must be of different categories, with their own unique personalities and interesting stories, as well as outstanding appearances, and be well promoted in order to be loved by people.
Last night before Chang Siyan left work, she gave her instructions.
Although Chang Siyan covered her face and tossed the folding fan she used for storytelling in her palm, she still smiled at her and muttered, "Okay, okay, who told me to fall into Yunlaixiang?"
Chang Siyan selected six categories: Shenjiangyue, Hawksbill Turtle, Dark Cloud Covering Snow, Lihua, General's Seal and Golden Tiger, and even the stories and images were clearly compiled.
Chen Jiangyue is an elegant teacher, wearing a green gown with green bamboo leaves embroidered on the cuffs, a small square scarf on his head, and a miniature scroll in his paw.
But she would mutter to herself, look around to make sure there was no one around, secretly stuff a cookie into her mouth, and then flip through the book as if nothing had happened.
The hawksbill turtle is a bright and beautiful lady who loves to eat. She wears a brown, black and yellow color-blocked skirt, a pearl flower and a hairpin on her head, and holds a small cookie in her hand, looking as if she is raising her paw to pick up food.
She uses the "Meow Meow Trick" every day to please her owner and get a big plate of cookies.
Wuyun Gaixue is a master thief catcher. He wears red clothes and has his hair tied up in a ponytail. He brings the cookie-stealing mouse doll he seized to his owner to claim credit.
He is very serious when catching a thief, but when his owner pats his head and rewards him with cookies, he will shyly try to do something bad.
Lihua is a loyal and clingy cat. He wears an orange-brown tiger-striped shirt with wheat ears embroidered on the collar and a small bell hanging around his waist. His posture is as if he is pouncing on his owner to ask for a cookie and a hug.
He follows his master wherever he goes, even waiting outside the door when he goes to the toilet.
General Gua Yin is the leader of the cats with great martial arts skills. She wears black armor, a scimitar at her waist, her hair is tied into a high crown, and she stands majestically with her hands on her hips and chest out, with the strongest aura.
The big sister came back from the battlefield, distributed the spoils of war cookies, and then combed the fur of each cat attentively.
The golden tiger is naturally a lucky star that attracts wealth. It wears a golden brown long skirt embroidered with copper coins and ingot patterns, and has a golden hairpin on its head. It holds a small tray with ingots and cookies in its paws and waves one paw.
She was the youngest and would go out from time to time to pick up coins dropped by others.
......
Chang Siyan also specially made up a number of short stories for them, describing his daily life with the six cats, and wrote them on a long stack of paper.
She is truly a prodigy!
"Xiao Chang."
Wei Jinyun folded all the papers and patted Chang Siyan on the shoulder. "Go to the backyard to catch up on your sleep after dinner. You can continue to catch up after the book lecture in the afternoon."
"No, I'm used to it."
Chang Siyan raised her chopsticks and tapped the chopsticks of Gu Xiang, who was trying to grab her pan-fried buns. "I used to do the same when I wrote storytelling pieces, and I wrote even more. Take a look at this story and see if it suits your taste. If not, I'll revise it."
There was a dark tint under her eyes, and there were many bloodshot streaks in them. Her voice was also softer than usual when she spoke.
"No resistance."
Wei Jinyun poured her a bowl of hot milk and said, "I am the shopkeeper now. You, as a clerk, must obey me, right? I will get you a blanket later."
Chang Siyan held the chopsticks and bowed to Wei Jinyun, "Okay, Manager Wei, I obey your orders."
Are you taking a break from work to slack off?
After Chang Siyan finished her breakfast, Wei Jinyun looked at her back and suddenly felt like an evil shopkeeper who was specifically trying to take advantage of her.
Then I thought again.
She's really good at recruiting people.
She has a lot of great friends.
Gu Xiang, holding an empty breakfast bowl, saw Chang Siyan walking briskly towards the side room in the backyard. He couldn't help but move closer to Wei Jinyun, his eyes full of admiration, "Shopkeeper Wei, what do you think of Siyan's brain? He can come up with jokes one after another, and he can also come up with a lot of new ideas every now and then. I can't think of anything like that even if I rack my brains."
"Maybe I've seen it a lot since I was a kid."
She and her grandfather traveled across most of the Song Dynasty together.
Naturally knowledgeable.
On the first day of signing the contract, Old Chang came to Chang Siyan's house and discussed the contract with Wei Jinyun over and over again before reluctantly agreeing to it.
He said, "Si Yan is a child who keeps everything to herself. Don't look at her smiling face, you never know what's going on in her heart." He taught her every word she knew, and this was her first time doing work for someone else. If there were any shortcomings, he hoped the shopkeeper would bear with her.
Old Chang even brought Wei Jinyun homemade tofu, white cabbage from his farm, and a freshly slaughtered old hen. The tofu was fresh, the white cabbage had been peeled many layers, only the tenderest ones being picked, and the old hen had been stewed in a delicious soup.
I think it is the best in their family.
Old Chang is trying his best to make his family's Chang Siyan's future smooth.
But she clearly has no blood relationship with him.
The morning sun poured in through the carved wooden windows. Chao Jiu had already expertly tied her apron and followed Gu Xiang, memorizing the names of the snacks in Wei Fuqiu's picture album. She barely knew any words, but practice made perfect, and with her dedication, she had memorized the recipe several times last night and finally had it memorized.
Yunlaixiang is really particular. The names of the snacks are all inspired by flowers. The mung bean cake is even named Qingluanzhan, which she has never even heard of.
"Why hasn't the evening mist come yet?"
Gu Xiang swept the floor in front of the shop for a while. When it was time for the sisters Wei Fuqiu and Wei Fuling to go to Su Yuxuan, there was no sign of the evening mist.
"Oh, maybe he won't come."
Chao Jiu held a towel and sighed, "She must have been told off by her husband when she got home yesterday. Her husband is just like that, he doesn't let her go out to work, he wants her to stay at home to take care of the baby. Her baby is almost ten years old, she can eat and dress herself, why does she need to be watched over every day? But her husband doesn't earn much, and he always stops her from finding a job."
Chao Jiu continued, "Yesterday on the way home from work, she told me with a sad face that her husband said women don't need to work in public, it's better to stay at home and take care of the children, isn't that just letting you enjoy life?"
Gu Xiang stopped sweeping the floor, remembering that Wan Wu was extremely serious when she followed her yesterday, and she even said that if she could do this for a long time, she could buy new pens and ink for the kids, and two new sets of clothes for her parents during the New Year.
She frowned. "Is this a life of luxury? Wan Wu does laundry, cooking, and taking care of the kids at home. What kind of work is that? Now she just wants to earn some money to supplement the family income. This man earns little himself, so why does he let others earn money?"
Chaojiu's tone was filled with regret. "That's what I said too! But Wanwu said her husband always said it was natural for a man to support the family, but his salary wasn't even enough to cover the family's expenses. He was also accused of being restless when he went out. When she left, her eyes were red. She said she would go back and try to persuade him, but I think... it's difficult."
As the two were talking, Wei Jinyun came out with the delivery order he had just checked. Seeing that the two men looked angry and indignant, he asked, "What's wrong? You both look like you want to eat someone alive."
"The evening mist hasn't come yet."
Gu Xiang told Wei Jinyun what he had just said, and he couldn't help but mutter, "Isn't what Shopkeeper Wei said infuriating? He has no ability to make a lot of money, but he wants to keep his woman at home, and he calls it enjoying life. Fuck him."
"Oh, don't make our little Gu sick."
Seeing Gu Xiang's face flushed red, Wei Jinyun quickly comforted him, "Don't worry, let's wait a little longer. If Wan Wu really wants to come, she will definitely find a way to come. If she really can't come, I hope she can suffer less. Come on, prepare the food, Brother Xianhan should be here soon."
Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu put on their backpacks, stuffed two boxes of cookies in them with ease, and stood at the door of the shop waving to Wei Jinyun.
"Sister, let's go!"
"Sister is sending you?"
"don't want!"
Meng Ge'er was even more anxious than Wei Jinyun. He grabbed the straps of their shoulder bags and repeatedly urged them, "Ling Jie'er, come back soon. I will catch the bad guy. Qi Jie'er, come back soon too!"
Chuntao and Xiaoman took one of each sister's hands before letting go of Meng Ge'er's hand and letting the two sisters go to school.
I think I will have to perform a tearful farewell scene at the door every day from now on.
In the afternoon, more and more people came to Yunlaixiang.
Gu Xiang was greeting the guests, calling them "Boss" one by one, and was busy as hell.
Wind chimes rang as Lü Lantang and Zhou Zhuqing entered side by side. Unable to stay at home, they came to Yunlaixiang for tea three out of five days.
When Wei Jinyun saw the two of them, she immediately came forward from behind the counter and greeted them with a smile, "Good sister, come in! The clay stove is already lit. Let's have tea and play chess together."
Lu Lantang raised an eyebrow and joked, "Oh, you're being so attentive for no reason. Normally, when we come to your house, you're either busy with your abacus or busy making snacks. How can you be so enthusiastic?"
"I'm dizzy with enthusiasm."
Zhou Zhuqing also laughed. "Before, when I came here, you either sat in the rattan chair and kept saying, 'You're here, what do you want to eat?' Or you pointed in the direction and told us to go find the old chess pieces and get them ourselves. You always said you didn't want to move. Why are you different today?"
"I must have remembered it wrongly."
Wei Jinyun personally brought up the small clay stove and said, "No, no, I just really miss you sisters. How about we sit by the window? It's bright here and it's nice to bask in the sun."
Lu Lantang took a bite of the chestnut cake and chuckled, "Hurry up and tell me, don't beat around the bush. If you don't tell me, I'm leaving."
Zhou Zhuqing also sipped her tea and echoed, "That's right, if Tangtang leaves, I'll go too. I won't stay to watch you put on an act."
"Then I'm telling you, I do have something to trouble you two sisters."
Lu Lantang put down the chestnut cake, wiped his hands, raised his eyebrows and said, "Tell me, what's the matter."
"I want to ask my sister for help."
Wei Jinyun leaned forward and said, "Sister, you are a great painter. You once painted the restoration of Yun Laixiang for me. Could you draw some more for me now?"
Zhou Zhuqing deliberately dragged out her tone, "Oh, so I have nothing to do with it. So Tangtang is the only one who is useful, and I'm just here to make up the numbers?"
"Yes, yes, yes, how could there not be."
Wei Jinyun quickly turned to her and said, "Sister Buzhou knows many young ladies from the noble families of Pingjiang Prefecture."
Lu Lantang peeled an orange and stuffed it into Wei Jinyun's mouth. "Hurry up and get back to normal. I have goosebumps all over the floor."
"Okay!"
Wei Jinyun immediately took out Chang Siyan's drawings from behind the counter and ran to Lu Lantang and handed them over. "Miss Lu, just draw them according to the details on the drawing. It's all written in great detail."
Lu Lantang picked up the drawings and looked through them carefully one by one.
She read for a while, and couldn't help laughing at the story above. She looked up and said, "No problem, this little job won't bother me."
She quickly changed the subject, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "But what about the benefits? Will you pay me? You can't let me work for nothing."
"Yes, how about a hundred coins? I can't afford more. You know, my family only has this much food in reserve, and we rely on snacks to make a little money."
"no."
"Good sister, my good sister."
"Stop, stop, don't talk."
Lu Lantang took a sip of tea and said, "You made the birthday cake for Xiangxiang. Make me another one to try. Then I will draw all these pictures for you."
"Do it, do it, it must be done."
Wei Jinyun immediately agreed, "Don't just talk about this time. From now on, I will make you a special birthday cake every year on your birthday, until we are both old."
"Alright, alright, go get me some brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. I'll draw for you, okay? Besides, you're really going to faint. Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, you're making me cold."
Zhou Zhuqing, who was listening nearby, pretended to be aggrieved and said, "Oh, what about me? I'm not a good sister who can draw, so I can't help with the draft. Are you forgetting about me?"
Wei Jinyun waved her hand. "How could I forget Miss Zhou? Once Miss Lu finishes the sketch, I'll find a silk shop to make sachets. By then, I'll rely on you to help me spread the word. These sachets are for you. Give them to all the young ladies from noble families that you know."
Lu Lantang spread out the rice paper and watched Wei Jinyun, who was busy answering Zhou Zhuqing's calls while also busy adding tea and grinding ink for the two of them. "Our shopkeeper Wei really embodies the saying 'getting the best of both worlds' to perfection. He just finished coaxing me, and now he's busy asking Qingqing for help, without missing a beat."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to serve you two tea and water. Just let me know what snacks you want. Feel free to try chestnut cakes and cookies."
"Oh, call her Xiangxiang, and call us little ladies, little ladies."
"Tangtang, Qingqing."
Wei Jinyun peeled a few chestnuts for them.
"Ouch, I can't take it anymore. I have more goose bumps."
It is impossible to do business without having the best of both worlds.
Lu Lantang's painting skills are superb, and Zhou Zhuqing comes from a noble family. Wei Jinyun is always around them, and she is happy with it.
What's more, they treated her very well and were the ones who guided her to do business in Pingjiang Prefecture.
She is so lucky.
"That's more like it. Shopkeeper Wei, please don't be busy reconciling the accounts later and forget about us two here."
"My name is Jinyun..."
All of Yunlaixiang's small clay stoves were lit, and the aroma of hot tea and snacks filled the shop. Lü Lantang wrote quickly, yet each stroke captured the nimble movements of each raccoon.
Many guests came over to watch, some praised her, some were so fascinated that they moved their stools next to her and ate while watching.
"Shopkeeper Wei, I'm late."
The wind chimes were spinning, and Wan Wu walked in with her head lowered. Her eyes were still red, but her hands were clenched tightly around the corners of her clothes, and her eyes were a little more determined than yesterday.
When Gu Xiang saw her, he immediately came over with a bowl of hot tea. "Why are you here at this hour? Did something happen? Come over here and have some hot tea to calm down."
Wan Wu took the tea bowl handed to her by Gu Xiang, took a deep breath, and then spoke, "Don't worry, Boss, I'm fine. I've already made it clear to my husband that I will be working from now on. If he stops me again, it will be hard for everyone."
Leaning towards the wine, he curiously asked, "What happened? Did you have a fight with him?"
"We had a quarrel. I didn't cook for him this morning and asked him to find something to eat by himself."
Wan Wu took a sip of hot tea and said, "He always tells me to enjoy the good life at home, but I can't afford it. I have to earn my own wages and make a name for myself."
She walked up to Wei Jinyun step by step, her head slightly lowered, feeling both guilty and expectant. "Shopkeeper Wei, I, I didn't come to work on time today. Does the probation period you mentioned still count? Can I still work in the shop? I'm really sorry for the delay. Can you give me another chance?"
Wei Jinyun looked at her red eyes and asked softly, "Have you dealt with all the things at home? Will you miss work because of these things in the future?"
"It's been taken care of, don't worry."
Wan Wu said firmly, "I've made it clear to him that I will never let family matters delay my work again. I want to be myself first and make a living with my craft. Then I will be his wife and the mother of his child. I won't let others stop me from doing my work anymore!"
She thought about it all night and decided that the best way to deal with him was to go crazy. He just thought she was soft-hearted and easy to talk to.
This morning, she didn't get up when the roosters first crowed, and she didn't care even when the pigs in the yard grunted with hunger. Normally, by this time, she'd already be hustling around the stove, feeding the chickens, mixing the pigs' food, and stewing breakfast, her hands and feet never stopping. But today, she just sat on the doorstep, watching the day slowly dawn.
When her husband got up and saw the mess in the yard, he got angry and pointed at her and scolded her for not working and trying to make trouble.
Wan Wu didn't bow her head and admit her mistake as usual. Instead, she stood up and stared at him, saying that she had to go to work and would go every day from now on. If he stopped her, she would divorce him and they would not live together anymore.
The man was a little stunned, and started using that rhetoric about how it was natural for a man to support his family, and even raised his hand to push her away.
Wan Wu stepped back and asked him if he had forgotten that before she got married, she worked as a porter in a grocery store and could carry a bag of rice weighing over a hundred pounds for half the street. With his strength, if they really fought, it was hard to say who would win or lose.
Wan Wu pointed at him and said that she could either go out to work and share the housework, or go to the government to seek a divorce. She could earn her own living before the marriage, and she could still do it now. He wanted to wait, and she would accompany him to the end.
In fact, when Wan Wu said this, she was still afraid, but when she thought of how she looked in Yun Lai Xiang, she was no longer afraid.
Shopkeeper Wei is a master at making pastries, the boss is good at kneading dough quickly, and Chang Siyan is extremely smart... She wants to be like them, earning a decent living with her own hands, instead of being stuck at home and having to ask men for money even when she wants to buy a new piece of cloth.
I’ve had enough!
Later, the man stopped trying to stop her, probably because he was frightened by her desperate look.
When she walked towards Yunlaixiang, the sun had just shone on the street in front of Tianqing Temple, and it was warm.
It turns out that if you go crazy once, you can really break free from the ropes that trap you.
Wei Jinyun looked at Wan Wu's tense yet expectant expression and nodded gently, "That's great. Raise your head."
Wan Wu was stunned for a moment, her eyes full of confusion, but she still slowly raised her head as she was told.
"Wanwu, you look really beautiful when you smile."
Wei Jinyun's voice was gentle and smiling, "Use this kind of smile to greet guests from now on."
Wan Wu's eyes instantly became hot, and tears of excitement almost fell. She nodded vigorously, and a genuine smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
This shopkeeper Wei is only seventeen years old, how come he speaks so well?
How can someone be so nice?
"I, I will do it well!"
Wan Wu turned around and quickly ran to Gu Xiang, "Boss, I'm here to work! I've finished memorizing the snack list you asked me to memorize yesterday. Do you want to do a spot check?"
"I don't have the time for spot checks. Hurry and put on your apron."
Gu Xiang smiled and nodded towards the door, "Didn't you see there were so many idle guys standing there? The shop is almost going crazy with its busy schedule."
As the sun set, the students from the prefectural academy entered Yunlaixiang. Wei Fuqiu and Wei Fuling followed behind, holding snacks Tang Yin had bought for them.
"Mr. Tang, Mr. Zhu, Mr. Wu, please sit down!"
Wei Jinyun rushed over with a "whoosh".
Tang Yin was so shocked by the scene that he took a step back. "Wow, what are you doing, Manager Wei? I didn't save your life, so why are you being so polite?"
"Manager Wei, did you do something bad secretly and was seen by Tang Yin?" Zhu Zhishan said from the side.
"How could I possibly do that? Seeing you gentlemen coming here is truly an honor for our humble Yunlaixiang, and we must treat you well."
Wei Jinyun was so fast that he even created an illusion.
Lu Lantang, who was beside her, was arranging his drawings with his head down. Upon hearing this, he glanced at her and said slowly, "Oh, you didn't say that your humble home will be honored just now, but now it's the turn of the prefectural school, and you're getting this treatment?"
"All of them."
Wu Sheng sipped his tea and said slowly, "Miss Wei, stop beating around the bush and just speak."
"Painting? Writing poetry? Here are six raccoon slaves waiting for your appreciation."
Wei Jinyun raised his hand.
"benefit?"
Tang Yin picked up the tea bowl.
"The benefits... I have a partnership with Chen's Cloth Shop, and Miss Shen has to come here often to coordinate the sachet patterns. Counting it this way, she can be considered my contact person."
Tang Yin stood up with a bang.
"What's good or bad about it? We're old acquaintances. Isn't it just drawing pictures and composing poems for six raccoon slaves? It's a trivial matter. Today, I'll show you what it means to be the great talent Tang who ranked first in the Pingjiang Prefecture Examination!"
Zhu Zhishan was watching with great joy, "Well, when it comes to Miss Shen, she's more motivated than anyone else."
Lu Lantang was good at painting flowers and birds, so he could naturally capture the various postures of raccoons. Tang Yin was good at painting ladies, so he could outline raccoons in human form.
Wei Jinyun held the painting and even waived their tea and snack expenses for seven days.
How can there be such beautiful fan art... It seems that we have to produce our own food.
Ten days passed slowly.
Li Nu wrote a lot of poems, and small paintings and flowery paper were also popular among students. There was also someone who made Chang Sima's short stories into a comic book according to Wei Jinyun's request.
Large scrolls of raccoon paintings were placed in front of the shops of Yun Laixiang and Shen's Cloth Shop.
Hundreds of sachets were made and hung in front of the Yunlaixiang counter, on the school bags of the children in Suyuxuan, around the waists of young ladies, and around the waists of students and principals in the prefectural school...
"Sir, here are some sachets to give out."
The brothers from the Inspection Department are also in trouble.
Half a month later, each cat slave had his own name and his own supporters... The daily life of the six cats was slowly infiltrating Pingjiang Prefecture.
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The author has something to say: This is what it’s like to create your own IP, go for the Meow Meow peripherals! [Rainbow fart]
These are the types and elegant names of meows. Meows had very nice names in ancient times.
Wives, please talk more. There are so few comments lately [burst into tears]
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