The constables did not live off their monthly wages. Many of them owned their own shops or were involved in joint businesses.
As soon as the news of He Zifeng opening his shop spread, several of his subordinates wanted to throw him a big opening party.
He Zifeng said it wasn't necessary. He went to the black market and exchanged the gold for silver to repay the money owed to the broker. Such a large shop couldn't just be a porridge stall. He planned to sell some meals at noon and some drinks in the evening.
He Zifeng was worried that if the stall expanded too much, his wife would be overworked. So he went to the catering company to ask the manager if there were any people who could cook; he wanted to recruit a few!
Ya Xing was a little worried and said, "There are some, but none of them are contractually obligated." The wealthy people in the county government like to keep people under their control. Cooks are prizes in cooking competitions, and it's common for them to pack up and give away cooks they like.
He Zifeng said, "Let's go have a chat." Then he went over to take a look.
There are two cooks at Yahang who are currently looking for work. One of them is a cook who is good at making pastries. She said that she used to receive guidance from a master chef in the kitchen.
Her hands looked clean and smooth, without a single callus. It was probably the small kitchen of a wealthy family, where they steamed cakes and other treats for the nobles in the inner quarters.
He wanted to find someone who could do the work.
The other person put Ya Xing in a bit of a bind. But since they had already said what they wanted to say, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "This person has a family to support." He was a man around thirty years old, his wife could cook some home-style dishes, and they had three children. The oldest was only ten years old, and the youngest was four, the same age as Ranran, and they all lived with him.
And the price wasn't low either; the couple would charge 500 cash a month. A normal contract of indenture costs only 5 taels of silver. They'd charge 6 taels a year—how could that be possible?
He also had a common trait among craftsmen: a bit of arrogance. Even when he saw He Zifeng and knew he was the deputy head constable, he didn't grovel or bow down; he still stood tall.
He Zifeng asked, "What can you do?"
"I can do everything – frying, stir-frying, braising, stewing, you name it. My wife can help me with all of it," he said.
He Zifeng asked, "Can you cook communal meals?" Communal meals are quite different from small-scale cooking. You have to be careful about the quantity and the amount of seasoning. And you also need to be strong, as stirring communal meals is hard work.
This man, named Zhang Meng, was called Master Zhang by everyone. Upon hearing He Zifeng's words, he replied, "Yes."
He Zifeng then said to the manager of the child dealership, "May I borrow your kitchen?" The child dealerships in the county sold all kinds of goods and had their own small kitchens.
Then he was asked to demonstrate his skills; he had been looking for work here for a month. And since he wasn't local, his meager savings were almost gone, so he wanted to find a good job as soon as possible. He could manage with an adult, but he felt bad about his child having to endure the hardships of traveling with him.
He Zifeng only asked him to make one of his signature dishes. He glanced at the kitchen and saw only a few wilted eggplants, so he made braised eggplant in soy sauce.
The pot suddenly burst into flames, but it didn't affect his cooking at all; soon the aroma filled the air.
Even the manager remarked, "This is the first time he's shown off his skills, and he's actually quite good!" He swallowed hard, feeling a surge of urge to eat a bowl of rice with the food.
After finishing the dish, He Zifeng tasted it. It was indeed savory, fragrant, soft, and tender, perfect with a main course.
The small kitchen here doesn't have all the seasonings, yet he still managed to make it like this; it's clear he's quite skilled.
Then I told him, "Five hundred coins is fine, but it might be quite busy. We're planning to set up a porridge stall." That would definitely be crowded. We also have plans for lunch and dinner; I don't know if he can handle it.
Upon hearing that He Zifeng intended to hire him, Master Zhang immediately said, "Okay." Then, still somewhat hesitant to speak, He Zifeng said, "You can say whatever you want."
Master Zhang said, "I don't have a place to stay right now. Can I stay at the shop tonight?" They could sleep by putting two tables together, but they couldn't stay if the owner didn't want them to.
He Zifeng said, "Of course." But he then reminded them of the rules here: "You must pay attention to hygiene and not have any petty theft habits." He was now the fourth-in-command of the yamen, and if someone was really careless, they would fall directly into his hands.
Mr. Zhang said, "Neither my wife nor I are that kind of people."
He Zifeng then took the person there.
As soon as I arrived, Xie Rui, Lin Feng, and Zhou Hao were already at the door.
Since learning that He Zifeng was going to open a restaurant, they have been even more enthusiastic than He Zifeng himself, and they have all brought people with them.
Xie Rui said, "Brother He definitely doesn't have time to look for the accountant. This is my Xiao Chen. Don't let his young age fool you, he's very capable. I can vouch for him. If anything happens to him, Brother He can come to me."
Lin Feng laughed and said, "Brother He, you have to criticize Xie Rui. He even found an accountant. Isn't this a slap in the face to the brothers? This waiter is someone I brought."
Zhou Hao said, "Hey, that's why we're on the same page, brothers. I also brought a waiter. I was originally planning to surprise Brother He with a big gift, but now look, you guys are too cunning. You didn't even tell your brother about your plans." If he hadn't prepared, he would have fallen behind these two.
They all handed over their indentures and contracts. Opening a shop is no simple matter.
They were thinking what He Zifeng was thinking and helped him solve his immediate problem of lacking manpower.
In one fell swoop, the small shop that He Zifeng and Qiu Yu wanted to open was put into a proper business.
He Zifeng said, "Thanks, brothers."
"This is nothing," Lin Feng said. "You can use it without worry."
They handed the person over to He Zifeng and then left.
The accountant, Xiao Chen, was a young man. The other two waiters were named Xiao Bing and Da Bao.
Their indentures were in He Zifeng's hands, so they kowtowed to him.
He Zifeng then reiterated the rules: they should treat the guests warmly. Each person would receive one hundred copper coins a month for pocket money, and they would live and eat at the inn, which would provide three meals a day. After five years, their indentures would be returned. Those who wanted to continue could stay, while those who didn't could go home. For these people who had sold themselves into slavery, this was an incredible windfall.
Wealthy people like to hold onto their indentures tightly. Not only are they slaves, but their descendants are slaves as well. Once you're in slavery, it's very difficult to regain your freedom, and being given away so easily is a common occurrence.
But thankfully, their new owner is a nice person!
Their most important task now is to clean this place up. No one has been here for a long time, and cobwebs have formed on the walls.
The tables, chairs, and benches were covered in dust; a light wipe with a damp cloth and the dust practically curled up.
It needs to be thoroughly cleaned three or four times before it looks like anything.
He Zifeng and Qiu Yu went to buy some chicken, duck, fish, meat, firewood, rice, oil, salt, and grain.
They bought a whole truckload of stuff and brought it back.
There are also various stoves and large bamboo tubes for holding porridge. All of these need to be custom-made.
There were also brand new bowls, chopsticks, plates, and the like.
Master Zhang's three children were also very well-behaved. The two older ones could help with the waiters, and the youngest stayed by his mother's side, helping to wipe things down. He Zifeng, being the father, loved children. He then picked up Master Zhang's youngest son. The little guy called himself Jiaxuan. Seeing He Zifeng, he was a bit reserved and said, "Uncle."
Aunt Zhang quickly told the child to call him "boss," but He Zifeng said, "Just call him uncle. Uncle has a little brother about your age at home. When he comes back from his next break, he can take you to play."
Jiaxuan said, "Thank you, Uncle." He Zifeng held him for a while, then put him on the ground, and the little guy ran away shyly.
After settling them in, Qiu Yu went back. Being the thoughtful person she was, she found four quilts in the storeroom. The shop had just been cleaned and was empty yet; having quilts would make things easier for them. She would put the quilts back in the small storeroom during the day and bring them out again after cleaning in the evening.
He Zifeng hugged Qiu Yu, kissed her, and said, "You're so thoughtful."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yu said, "You can't live without me."
He Zifeng said, "Of course!"
The shop's opening day was set for three days later. Four kinds of porridge were prepared: millet porridge, mixed grain sweet porridge, pumpkin sweet porridge, and a savory vegetable porridge. They soaked the rice early in the morning, and it was time to cook it at dawn. After boiling, they seasoned it, and the rice became soft and tender. The longer it cooked, the more fragrant and sticky it became.
Most of the grain was newly harvested from the countryside, with a small portion purchased from a grain store. However, since the grain store was looking for He Zifeng, they offered him the lowest possible price, and they even set up a small shed outside.
The cooked porridge was poured into a huge bamboo tube, which was then covered with a lid to keep it warm.
This street wasn't usually very crowded, but the delicious aromas wafting from it this morning woke me up, making me quite hungry.
Many people came here because of the smell.
On the first day of the opening, He Zifeng and Qiu Yu arrived early. Upon hearing that they were opening, Fang Shi put aside her basket weaving business and came to help them.
Before long, someone asked, "How much is this porridge?"
Xiao Bing warmly greeted them: "Our boss wants to do good deeds for our county. The first bowl is free, and the second bowl is only one coin."
The newcomers were stunned. The porridge smelled so good that the first bowl was free. Are you kidding me?
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