Chapter 146 The Female Shopkeeper
Zhao Lan said, "He is just a small spy. It is impossible for him to understand the situation of the entire horse market by himself. There must be spies, collusion, or even traitors. Hua Sicha, lead your men to find these hidden spies."
"Yes, little prince."
Lao Du reported back: "The Fang Lian we caught today only confessed himself, and refused to confess even to 'my mother'. After we caught 'my mother', she only confessed her part, and didn't say a word about the rest."
You say confession, except knowing that they are spies from Liaoxia country and came to the capital to investigate the situation of Ma City, there is no other useful information.
If you want to make someone confess, you must find their weakness. However, these Liaoxia people came to Beijing alone, without any ties, and had no weaknesses or leverage. Apart from using extreme punishment, there was no way to pry them open.
Mr. Shen asked, "He squatted opposite Su Ji, is it really for a woman?"
Zhao Lan raised his eyes, looking very sharp.
Hua Ping shook his head: "He must have taken a fancy to the Su family's recipe book or some handy tool."
Su Ji Breakfast Restaurant, whether it is the steamer, oven, or cooking recipes, are all different from those of ordinary restaurants and hotels. The food they make is noticeably softer and more flavorful, or has a beautiful shape.
These spies are really greedy. They even covet these daily necessities. They are so hungry that they will eat anything.
Mr. Shen stroked his beard and said, "Don't underestimate these. It is these vivid lives of the people that make the Great Yin Dynasty prosperous. Their envy is also part of their feelings."
Coming from places with backward productivity to the prosperous city of Bianjing, which was like a land of abundance, anyone who had a sense of honor for their country would wish that these things belonged to their own country.
After a busy day, Su Ruojin was about to lie down on the bed to meet Zhou Gong, when Qiuyue came over and said that Santai, the steward of the young prince, had arrived. She slapped her head and said, "Oh no, I was so busy that I forgot about it." She quickly took off her shoes and went downstairs.
Xiumu means rest and bathing, which is similar to our Sunday. In the Qin and Han dynasties, people had formed the habit of washing their hair every three days and bathing every five days. So much so that the one day off given by the government every five days was also called "Xiumu".
In the pre-Qin period, rice washing water was a high-end detergent. However, in that era, only wealthy aristocrats could afford rice, so rice washing water was a high-end detergent. Therefore, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, people found a cheaper detergent, soapberry.
Gleditsia sinensis is the fruit of the Gleditsia sinensis tree, which is unique to China. It contains saponin, and its juice has a strong decontamination ability. It can be used to wash hair, take a bath, and wash clothes. It has the longest existence among the detergents used by the ancients. Even today, some people in remote rural areas still use Gleditsia sinensis instead of washing powder to wash clothes.
In ancient times, some places used wood ash water as a bathing and cleaning product. Modern tests have confirmed that wood ash juice, like rice water, contains potassium carbonate and also has a cleaning function.
These are all natural.
So, were there artificial detergents in ancient times? The answer is yes. Bath beans are such a detergent, which were only used by the royal family and nobles, and ordinary people could not afford them.
Moreover, the formula of bath beans is kept in the hands of the nobles, and it is even more difficult for ordinary merchants to obtain it.
Su Ruojin remembered that there was a recipe for bath beans in "Qian Jin Yao Fang", but she had not seen this book in the Dayin Dynasty. The Su family's financial situation was still good now, so she bought some bath beans and deliberately crushed them to study the ingredients in them, in order to make her own soap.
Since last year, the Su family has been using soap made by Su Ruojin to remove dirt. The coarse soap is used for washing clothes, and the refined soap is used for washing hair and bathing. She used the name it was called in the Ming and Qing Dynasties - fragrant soap.
Of course, the fragrant soap in the Ming and Qing dynasties was indeed made based on lard. Su Ruojin wrote and drew under the oil lamp until her father urged her several times before she finished and handed it to Santai.
"Thank you, Second Madam. I'll take my leave first." Santai bowed and disappeared into the night.
Su Ruojin yawned. She was so sleepy that she had to go to bed quickly. She was not worried at all about what kind of soap Zhao Lan could make. She was only concerned about the breakfast shop on Wenshan Street. She was distracted by buying a horse and didn't know what was going on there.
When I woke up, Hua Ping had already arrived and had started practicing with Mao Ya and Su Sanlang.
She stood in the corridor: ...
Well, she had her reasons for oversleeping.
Hua Ping didn't care about the reason and looked at her with disdain - lazy bum.
Su Ruojin: ...
Lu Dani had just confirmed that she was pregnant. After breakfast, Su Ruojin grabbed Hua Ping and wouldn't let him leave, insisting that he drive the mule cart. Hua Ping refused because he was now looking for all kinds of spies and traitors related to Fang Lian, so he had no time to hang out with her.
"No, just let my uncle Shutong accompany aunt for a few days, and you can be my coachman for a few days."
"What does his wife having a child have to do with me?" Hua Ping just disagreed.
Su Ruojin just pulled his hand and said, "Uncle Hua, are you jealous that Uncle Shutong has a child?"
"What does his having a child have to do with me?" Hua Ping almost said, "My dear, you have seen through my identity. I am your uncle and I am very busy."
"You're just jealous."
Su Ruojin was about to make him work as a coachman, but then he rolled his eyes and said, "Hey, Uncle Hua, why is your forehead red?"
Hua Ping subconsciously touched his forehead, thinking it was a mosquito bite. He touched it but felt nothing. "Are you lying to me?"
"No!" Su Ruojin laughed, "Uncle Hua, you are so lucky, maybe you will meet the love of your life if you go out with me!"
Hanahira: ...This kid really tried every trick in the book to deceive him.
He snorted coldly, "If I am lucky, the old Taoist will tell me, so don't talk nonsense."
"Then will you drive the mule cart for me?"
Su Ruojin kept shaking his arm, and even the most stubborn person was softened by the soft and tender girl. "Alright...alright, I really admire you, little girl."
Shu Tong had been standing by, watching them quarrelling with a guilty conscience, until Hua Ping agreed, Shu Tong dared to come over and greeted with a smile, "Brother Hua, don't disbelieve what my second wife says, she is a little lucky star, she is very clever with her words, maybe you will meet your future wife."
Huaping:......
This master and servant dared to say anything nonsense when they ordered him around. He glanced at them with disdain and resigned himself to pulling the mule cart.
Su Ruojin and Shu Tong smiled secretly behind him.
Lu Dani felt very embarrassed and whispered, "I'm really fine, let Brother Tong go."
Su Ruojin gave him a calming look, smiled complacently, and took Mao Ya and Qiuyue out to Wenshan Street.
Her daughter went out to do something again. Cheng Yingzhen breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to touch her belly, not knowing when her daughter would notice.
We admired the early summer scenery all the way to Wenshan Street. When we arrived at the shop, the breakfast shop was just about to close.
Shi Xiaosan was the first to notice them. He ran up to Su Ruojin with great joy, "Young lady, business is booming." He almost drooled on Su Ruojin's face.
Mao Ya stretched out her hand to stop Shi Xiaosan who was about to get close to the Second Lady, "Don't get too close to the young master, show your respect first."
Qiuyue said coldly, "If you do this again, I will ask you Shi family to get out of the shop."
Shi Er, who had just stepped forward and was about to startle his son, was startled and quickly knelt down, "Please have mercy, Madam. I will definitely teach my son well in the future and not let him appear in front of you."
When Shi Xiaosan heard the seriousness of the situation, he was so scared that he knelt on the ground and dared not look up.
Su Ruojin said coldly, "Second Uncle Shi, you are so smart, why don't you teach your children well?"
"I..." Shi Er suddenly burst into tears and covered his face with his hands, feeling very sad.
Outside, he is either learning how to behave in society or pretending to be a grandson to beg for food. At home, he has to act like a villain to protect his family from being devoured by his parents and brothers. Just staying alive has already used up all his energy, so how can he have the energy to teach his sons how to behave?
Miao Ercui also brought her other two sons to kneel in front of Su Ruojin, "Please give my Shi family a chance, young master. Don't worry, my man will have time to teach the children in the future."
Su Ruojin looked up at the thriving new shop. The door of the shop faced Dongshan Academy. The midday sun shone obliquely, just shining through the wide door into the main hall, making it fresh and bright.
It’s just the beginning and there’s hope.
Su Ruojin nodded, "Okay."
Shi Er quickly wiped his tears and said, "Don't worry, this kid will only light the fire and wash dishes in the back hall from now on, and will never appear in front of the young master."
Su Ruojin shook her head: "No, you can appear in front of me, but I need to see his progress. If he still doesn't know the rules, I won't even give him the chance to light the fire and wash the dishes."
Shi Er was stunned for a moment, then quickly responded, "Okay, I'll listen to the young master. If this bastard doesn't make progress, I'll send him back to the Shi family's old house and let him fend for himself there."
What kind of life was that in the Shi family's old house! It was just like little devils eating little devils, whoever wins can survive. Shi Xiaosan was really scared and kowtowed, "I won't dare to do it again, I won't dare to do it again..."
His head was bruised.
Boss Shi lowered his head with his teeth chattering. At this moment, he finally understood that some people were not from the same world as them. It would be a sin to even look at them for one more moment. He prostrated himself on the ground in submission, with only his heart looking up at them with respect.
Shi Xiaoer seemed to be deep in thought. He was neither as despicable as the third brother, nor as gloomy as his eldest brother. Now that he had jumped out of the quagmire, as long as he worked hard, perhaps he would be more successful than his father, meet more noble people, and live a better life.
Su Ruojin nodded.
Shi Er quickly pulled up his third son and dragged him to the backyard to prevent him from jumping around in front of the young master and causing trouble.
Miao Ercui took her eldest son and hurried to get busy.
Shi Xiaoer stepped aside and stood there silently, as if he had no sense of existence at all.
Su Ruojin then let out a breath and turned to talk to Hua Ping, but he had an indescribable expression on his face, as if he saw something. His eyes moved and he followed his gaze towards the door of the shop.
A beautiful woman with a cold and aloof temperament stood by the door with her arms folded. She seemed to have been looking for a while. When she saw Su Ruojin looking at her, she put down her arms, walked over in a dignified manner, and bowed: "Ye Huaizhen greets the young master."
"You..." Su Ruojin thought of the three people she bought that day. The two maids went back with her. She didn't see the shopkeeper that day because they were in a hurry to return to Beijing. She always thought it was a man, but she didn't expect it to be a female shopkeeper.
"It's me." Her eyes were clear and stubborn, yet revealed a sense of sadness, yet not weak. She was beautiful and resolute.
She looks like a beauty with a story.
"Ye Huaizhen?" I seem to have heard this name somewhere.
"yes."
Oh! Su Ruojin suddenly remembered, "You look like a..." star I know, and almost said the wrong thing.
There is only one character difference between her and that female star, but they really look alike and give people the same feeling, as if they are both beauties with ill-fated lives, stubborn eyes, but also a sense of tragedy.
Although he has encountered many hardships, he does not seem weak at all. He is independent and sober. He never sheds tears or feels sorry for himself when faced with difficulties. He walks with his head held high, freely and independently on the rugged road of life.
This was the first independent woman Su Ruojin met in the Dayin Dynasty, and she admired her very much.
She didn't think of herself as an eight-year-old girl at all, and her tone unconsciously took on the tone of a boss, "Are you used to being here, Shopkeeper Ye?"
Ye Huaizhen looked calmly at the little boss who looked like a glutinous rice ball, and then glanced at the followers behind him, one man and two women.
She certainly wouldn't underestimate a young lady who could go out alone with her maids and servants, and replied respectfully, "Very well, thank you for your concern, young master."
Su Ruojin glanced at the furnishings, hygiene, tables and chairs in the shop, then walked through the aisle and arrived at the back kitchen. Perhaps the stall had just been closed, so the steamer and other tools had not yet been washed, but it was obvious that everything was in order, as if someone was managing it.
Ye Huaizhen walked to the counter and handed the bill for the past two days to the young boss.
Su Ruojin took it, flipped it over, and saw everything clearly at a glance. She nodded again. Su Ji Breakfast Shop on Wenshan Street was closed.
"Very good." She didn't hesitate to praise him. "Did the fourth steward tell you how much he gets paid every month?"
Ye Huaizhen shook his head, "Not yet, waiting for the young master to decide."
"I'll talk to you alone then."
"Yes, little master."
At noon, everyone was hungry, so Su Ruojin asked Shi Miao to bring over the remaining steamed dumplings from the morning. On the one hand, she wanted to fill her stomach, and on the other hand, she wanted to test the taste to see if it was too bad.
After tasting everything, the taste was pretty good, and there was still room for improvement. Su Ruojin then gave Shi Miao some advice, "These are all techniques. We need to incorporate more good emotions and feelings of happiness into our lives, so that customers can feel that 'I' am not just eating breakfast, but also feeling happy. Do you understand what I mean?"
The feeling of happiness? Miao Ercui thought about the past and the present, and she could completely understand it. She smiled shyly and said, "I understand."
Just understand it. No matter whether it is making breakfast or cooking, it depends on the chef's own understanding. If he understands it, he will not only be happy, but also make a lot of money. If he can't understand it, he can only do ordinary business and make ends meet.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Lan was so reliable. Not only did he find her a female shopkeeper, but she was also so capable. Su Ruojin was in a particularly good mood. She didn't have to worry about anything and had plenty of time. She took Hua Ping and others to visit Wenshan Street.
As they walked, Su Ruojin couldn't help chattering. After she had said several sentences, she didn't get the response she deserved. She turned to look at Uncle Hua Ping in confusion, and saw that he had restrained his usual smiling attitude and had a serious look on his face.
What a mature and handsome guy!
No, why did he suddenly become mature?
Su Ruojin opened her eyes wide, "Uncle Hua, no way!"
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