Jiao Sanlang wasn't kept behind by the teacher to copy books as punishment, but he wasn't happy at all.
Li Wenjie had promised to take him back by carriage the next day, but he declined.
The two friends were both quite sad when they parted ways at the school gate.
One was sad that she no longer had an excuse to go to Jiang's Private Kitchen for a free meal, and the other was sad that she had disappointed her friends.
When Jiang Shan realized that none of the delicious dishes on the table could whet Sanlang's appetite, she knew that Sanlang had encountered a problem he couldn't solve.
She pinched the chubby cheeks that Sanlang had worked so hard to grow and said, "We can't waste food, and we can't let bad habits develop!"
Saburo shook his head repeatedly, "No, my sister's cooking is the best!"
Jiang Shan remained silent, putting down his chopsticks and quietly watching Sanlang. Even Jiao's mother slowed down her movements and listened intently.
Qiao Sheng, even more curious, puffed out his cheeks and glanced at Sanlang every now and then.
Saburo recounted what had happened at the school and asked with a worried expression, "Sister, they were punished by the teacher because of the food our family was eating. I feel very sorry for them."
Jiang Shan felt both surprised and that it was perfectly reasonable.
She thought for a moment, then took Sanlang's hand and said seriously, "Sanlang, you did nothing wrong, you did very well! Neither of us did anything wrong, the only mistake is that I can't take on such a large number of orders right now. Things are valued for their scarcity. If Jiang's Private Kitchen were everywhere, and we could eat it anytime we wanted, it wouldn't be anything special."
She paused for a moment, then added, "My sister is just too busy right now. After a while, I'll find a few more people to help, and then we'll be able to take on more orders!"
Jiao's mother opened her mouth as if to say something, but seeing her son's beaming face, she swallowed her words.
"Can I invite Wenjie and the others to my home again in the future?" Sanlang asked excitedly.
"sure!"
Jiang Shan could tell that Sanlang liked his classmates very much and cherished his friendship with his friends. He generously shared all his belongings with his friends, but he couldn't accept the possible negative consequences that might result from it.
A child's education is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Jiangshan is not worried at all that Sanlang will go astray. She just doesn't want to put too much pressure on him. Children should enjoy a carefree childhood.
"Sanlang, everyone's life circumstances are different, and the choices they face are different, but you must remember four words: do what you can! You can exert all your strength to achieve your goals, but you cannot do useless work, nor can you do what you know is impossible. Cherish what you have, and don't dwell on what you can't get. Remember, you are just a child now!"
Jiao Sanlang nodded as if he understood, but some fragmented images floated into his mind.
He couldn't remember when it started, but he would worry about what to eat tomorrow, whether his mother's medicine was gone, whether his sister-in-law was being bullied by the village children again, and when his brother would come back.
He never thought that he was still a child, a child who needed to be taken care of by adults.
Jiang Shan thought to himself that it was time to recruit a few people to help.
Her belly would soon become visible, and she wouldn't be fit for any more strenuous activity. Although Uncle Qiao and Brother Asheng were helping, they still needed to find a few women to handle matters within the household.
The job posting at the entrance of Jiang's Private Kitchen attracted a large crowd, with applicants blocking the entrance in layers.
Jiangshan only hired three people: two female workers and one male worker. The female workers were responsible for the trivial matters of the inner quarters, while the male worker was responsible for assisting the Qiao family father and son in external liaison work.
The interview was also a very troublesome thing. It took Jiangshan two days to just finish the first round of screening.
These people must first be thoroughly known, reliable, capable, and discreet.
After three rounds of selection, Jiangshan finally settled on three people.
Yuan Wen, male, 20 years old, used to be an apprentice in a shop in Yuzhou City, and later worked as a waiter. He returned to Guyang County with his grandfather three months ago and was looking for a job.
Wang, also known as Wang Si Niang, was thirty years old. She and her husband originally worked for a wealthy family in Qingyang County, Yuzhou City. However, due to the advanced age of her parents-in-law, she returned to her hometown alone to take care of them.
Xue, whose maiden name is Xue Zhen, is twenty years old. She is Aunt Hong's niece and remains unmarried because she has six fingers on her hands.
All three of them seem to be honest and reliable, but we'll have to spend some time together to see if they're compatible.
All three of them had places to stay in the county town, so they didn't need to live in the shop, which saved Jiang Shan some trouble.
After the three helpers entered the house, Jiang Shan explained his family's situation to them, mentioned some requirements that must be followed, and signed several agreements with them before officially starting work.
Qiao Shi is bold and meticulous. Under Jiang Shan's guidance, he has already started to cook some private dishes. Qiao Sheng is in charge of all the procurement and inventory management of materials. The father and son run the shop together, while Wang Siniang helps out in the kitchen. Jiang Shan trusts them completely. Jiao's mother is now half the manager and accounting assistant in the shop, responsible for collecting money, managing accounts, and taking orders.
After assigning them tasks, Jiang Shan, along with Yuan Wen and Xue Zhen, began preparations for participating in the seaside food festival.
With less than two weeks left, a detailed feasibility plan needs to be developed, including market research and investigation, deciding which dishes to use for the competition, the required quantity, promotion methods, budget, risk assessment, and risk prevention measures.
If you're going to do something, do it properly!
Yuan Wen was good at external liaison, so Jiang Shan also assigned him some errands. Xue Zhen was stubborn, as could be seen from the fact that she was still unmarried at the age of twenty. That girl was also very straightforward. When Jiang Shan asked her to conduct a survey, she grabbed passersby without asking any questions and stubbornly asked them what their preferences and suggestions were for the food at the market.
In just three days, Xue Zhen had gained some fame. Some people, knowing she was an employee of Jiang's Private Kitchen, happily cooperated with her in the investigation and offered her a whole host of suggestions.
Xue Zhen wasn't very literate, so Jiang Shan came up with a solution for her: he drew several pictures using sketches, each representing a different topic, and then asked passersby to choose the correct answer.
After completing her investigation in the town, she went to the county seat, and Jiang Shan couldn't stop her. Having no other option, he had Yuan Wen go with her.
Jiang Shan stayed in his room all by himself, working on plans, evaluations, and budgets, and was extremely busy.
In an inn in the county town, Fu Zhi leaned dejectedly against the railing on the second floor, sighing repeatedly.
The young master doesn't like him anymore. Even that piece of wood has been assigned an important task by the young master... Ugh, what a terrible task! He's now doing odd jobs for others, which is less prestigious than when he was helping the master outside...
But the young master values him highly now and had a private conversation with him for a whole hour, yet he hasn't ordered him to serve him closely for several days. He has completely fallen out of favor!
Waaaaah... I'm so sad!
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