Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Clay Pot Soup for Health
Baozhu was furious. "I've been looking at it these past few days. The Lin Mansion looks magnificent from the outside. I wonder how much of the people's wealth they've plundered. When that Minister Lin is paraded through the streets, I'll definitely be throwing rotten vegetables at him!"
I have been worried these days, and this time I saw her in this state again, scolding the Lin family harshly. Pei Yanqing smiled as he watched her finish scolding, and knew that the matter was over.
He lay in bed all day long and couldn't even turn over. When Baozhu had free time, she would bring some of Baorong's joke books to read. She often couldn't stop laughing after reading a single sentence. Pei Yanqing couldn't stop laughing when she saw her laughing. The wound broke twice and she called the doctor for a lecture. After that, Baozhu didn't dare to bring joke books anymore. She only picked up the books that her second brother often read to read. Unfortunately, she started to cough after reading for a while.
The weather was getting colder, and he came to help out in the stall at Liu Si'er's wharf as soon as it was closed. The guys under her were very easy to take care of and didn't cause any trouble. Even when other restaurants offered to poach their employees, no one paid any attention.
We are not fools. The shopkeeper is kind and everyone can tell the difference between a full meal and a full meal.
After returning, Madam Xu bought another shop to use as a warehouse. She sent one of her former employees to manage this store, and hired a new employee in each of the two places, as well as a driver. The goods in her warehouse had to be transported back and forth frequently, so it was convenient to have a driver.
Her business is growing bigger and bigger. She used to just act as a middleman to help people connect for business, but now when she sees some suitable goods, she will buy them herself. If the price is right, she will stockpile them and sell them when the price is higher.
For example, the price of liquor from the north in the summer is definitely different from the price in the winter. Madam Xu is a person who plans ahead, knows many people, and naturally has a lot of information. She can tell at a glance which goods are in short supply, and even if she loses money by stockpiling them, the loss won't be too big. Most of the time, she makes a profit, and the profit is quite good.
Originally, the coconut drink sold by Baozhu was very popular in Bianjing. Last year, she asked a familiar merchant to bring coconut powder to sell. Originally, Baozhu made the coconut drink popular. Many drink shops in Bianjing City sold coconut drinks. Although the price was cheaper than before, it was not much cheaper. Now, Xu Niangzi directly bought the coconut powder and sold it by weight, and the profit was higher than those dry goods.
Baozhu suggested an idea. Most of the coconut powder they were collecting was from the merchant. Drinks were popular everywhere, but coconut drinks were rare. If they could join forces with the merchant and set up a shop in the south to make coconut powder and sell it everywhere, the profits would be substantial. She only gave a general idea, but Madam Xu immediately saw the potential benefits and immediately asked someone to invite the merchant to the restaurant to discuss the matter in detail.
Since her second brother became an official, although Madam Xu no longer socializes with the wives of officials, no one dares to bully her in business now. She is also cautious and never gives others any chance to talk when she speaks or does things.
For them, this was just an idea; how they would actually carry it out depended on the other party. After all, neither Xu Niangzi nor Baozhu could rent a house in the south and hire someone to crush coconut flour. Even if they wanted to invest and share in the profits, it would depend on whether the other party was willing.
The businessman nodded as soon as he heard it. "This business is profitable, but I'm not interested in it right now. If Shopkeeper Xu is willing, I'll let my brother do it. If it's profitable, we'll share 10% of the annual profit. The cost of making coconut powder is not high. Since Madam Xu has proposed this method, we can forget about raising the capital. In the end, we're the ones who get the better deal."
Lady Xu smiled and told him that it was Baozhu who suggested this idea. "If we can really make some money, the ten percent profit will go to my eldest sister."
Baozhu smiled behind the counter, "Mother, keep it for household use."
I saw Madam Xu send the person out the door, then turned back and took out a contract from her sleeve.
It turned out to be the shop that Baozhu had rented later, spending over three thousand strings of cash, more expensive than the house they now lived in. The shop was only about the size of one of the Zhen family's rooms, but the price was high, and this was because house prices had dropped a bit this year; otherwise, it would have been even more expensive.
Baozhu accepted the contract. The name written on it was hers, and the official seal was even affixed. She was shocked and said, "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
It was the same thing when Pei Yanqing came last time with the box of deeds.
Madam Xu picked up the unfinished tea on the table and drank it. Then she said, "The landlord who rented the shop to you was reluctant to sell it. I told him not to pay the rent this year, and he agreed."
She ran back and forth several times, not daring to let anyone know that it was her daughter who rented his shop.
"Where did the family get all this money?"
Madam Xu was silent for a while before she said, "Your father has saved quite a bit, and grandma also gave him some money."
Baozhu had no time to listen to this. She had her own money and had planned to save it up to buy a shop, but she hadn't expected it to happen without a word. Others didn't know about the family's money, but she knew how much it was. Sister Xiu had just given birth, and her mother had secretly left some money before she left, so her second brother would need money to get married.
Baozhu pressed harder and harder, determined to get her to tell her the truth.
"The nine hundred strings of cash I borrowed from the Changsheng Treasury at Daxiangguo Temple isn't much... I can pay it back in full next year when I have more money."
"How can you borrow money from a loan shark!" Baozhu's voice became louder. She looked at A'niang's hair, which was tied in a bun with only a blue cloth strip. There was not a single pearl or jade on her head. She didn't know when A'niang stopped wearing gold and jade. She also saw fine lines at the corners of her eyes and her hands were much rougher than before.
Suddenly he thought of something, left the shop to Jiang Shi, and took his mother home.
When I entered the room, I first looked through her jewelry box. The only gold and jade jewelry left in it were those given by her children. The jewelry that her father used to give her during festivals had long been sold.
Madam Xu didn't care at all. "At my age, why should I wear gold and jade? Having you good children makes me prouder than wearing any jewelry."
"The Kong family is a wealthy and high-ranking family. Although we can't compare to a proper wealthy family, we can't be stingy with the betrothal gifts. We must include the three things: a gold bracelet, a gold shawl, and a gold bridal cape. The Kong family's dowry is generous, and if our gifts are meager... outsiders will think your second brother is trying to curry favor with them."
"After your second brother, it's your turn. Master Pei has just finished his work and sent someone to bring me a message. Mother doesn't want to let you down. You must have a decent dowry and private property when you get married, and your wedding headwear and clothing can't be worse than others."
"Father and mother don't have any special abilities. You and Baorong will each have a shop, and the land in Xuzhou will be divided equally between you. There's no need to rush Baorong. She's still young, and there are still two years. Business is much better now than before, so earning another shop won't be a problem."
Lady Xu choked up at this. What Zhen's father said was true. The children had grown up, and although she knew she had to let go, she couldn't help but feel sad. Five fingers were different lengths, and on the surface, the children were all the same, but she had a preference for Baozhu. Baozhu had the same personality as her and loved her parents the most.
"We are all grown up now, why do we need mother to worry about everything?" Baozhu went to the house to get some money. "My second brother is getting married, and he has already taken Sister Kong to the family to arrange for the three pieces of gold jewelry."
"Mother, you haven't leaked a word yet. We have already reached the stage where we have to sell jewelry to borrow money. Let's go and redeem the things now."
"It's not so easy to borrow money from the temple. The interest is so high that it's almost like eating people. Business in the shop is good, and it's the peak season. I still have some money to work with. I originally wanted to use the money to buy a shop, so why should I ask my mother to pay for it all?"
Madam Xu shook her head. "Keep your own money for your ladder. Your parents are still young."
My father and mother are not the type to ask for a loan from others, but now they have borrowed money from the temple. After borrowing such a large sum of money, I am afraid they will not be able to eat or sleep well day and night.
Seeing that A Niang still didn't listen, Baozhu became anxious and said, "I have my own money, why should I ask others to earn interest on it?"
When the second brother heard that his mother had pawned all her jewelry, he went to redeem them himself.
"Mother is really worried. You've spent so much money on studying all these years. Now that you've finally graduated, why would you need to spend any more money from home?" Zhen Erlang shook his head. "When I passed the imperial examination, many families gave me gifts. I haven't spent much of my salary these past two years, and the government has often given me rewards. Now that I'm an official, I can't live worse than before."
After saying this, he took out 500 strings of coins and gave them to A'niang. Since he took up his post, he only paid some money home at the end of each year. A'niang only knew that his salary was only more than 200 strings of coins a year, but she didn't know that he had other income.
"Leave 200 of these 500 strings of cash for Baozhu's dowry, and the remaining 300 strings of cash for the wedding. Don't worry about the betrothal gifts, I have them all figured out."
Erlang went to "see" Lord Pei in person and learned about the relationship between him and Baozhu. He originally wanted to teach him a lesson, but when he saw him lying on the bed, he felt a little pity for him and gave up the idea of opposing him. After thinking about it, he felt that Pei Yanqing was a good person and was a good match for Baozhu.
Baozhu knew that her second brother probably didn't have much money left and was unwilling to ask him for money. Seeing that the jewelry had been redeemed, she forced her mother to pay back the borrowed money.
Each of them was capable, which made Madam Xu feel depressed. However, Erlang's wedding was approaching, and her mood was up and down. She was busy and forgot about it.
With Dalang's wedding as an example, the Zhen family didn't have to rush through preparations this time. The Kong family was a respectable family, and the official matchmaker hired by the Zhen family was experienced. With the matchmaker passing on messages between the two families, nothing would go wrong.
The snow fell later this year, not until the beginning of winter, but the first snow was very heavy. It started falling at dusk and was not even up to the calf height by morning.
The snow on the roof was swept up by Zhen's father with a ladder, while Snow White and Zhu Rong at the door went to clean it up together with a broom and a shovel.
The children in the alley grow faster than onions. When Baozhu came, some of them were still clinging to their mothers' legs every day and asking for hugs, but now they are running around playing snowball fights.
The neighbors had good relationships with each other, so with one person taking the lead, the others followed suit. Soon, every household came out wearing fur gloves to sweep and shovel snow.
The weather was so cold and windy that people couldn't open their mouths. Baozhu had to wear a hood to keep out the wind when she went out. It was too cold these days and she felt a little lazy. She got up later than usual and it was already noon when she finished sweeping the snow. The shop could run smoothly even without her.
In winter, the store has more meat dishes than vegetables. There is a small stove at the door of the store, which specializes in roasted sweet potatoes. If someone wants to buy one, Madam Liu will pick one out from under the stove. It is not an expensive item, but the aroma of the roasted sweet potato and the hot taste can attract diners.
As the old saying goes, eat sprouts in spring and roots in winter, and radishes in winter are better than ginseng.
In winter, people eat more radishes and yams. In the freezing cold, a bowl of soup is a welcome relief. Dongyue's shop removed several unused vegetarian dishes and added a variety of clay pot soups. He learned how to make clay pot soup from a merchant in Hongzhou on the boat back to Bianjing from Suzhou.
The newly made small clay pot is buried in the charcoal fire in the furnace and simmered for half a day with the residual heat of the charcoal fire. No matter whether it is ribs or old hens, the meat inside will be stewed until it is crispy and the soup will be more delicious than that stewed in an ordinary pot.
Baozhu’s signature dish is the health-promoting clay pot soup, which is easy to prepare and has many variations.
There is yam and pork rib soup that replenishes qi and nourishes the kidneys, there is radish and crucian carp soup that clears away heat and relieves stagnation, if you have a dry throat and cough, you can drink pear and meat pie soup, if you want to replenish qi and blood, drink red dates and mutton bone soup, and if you have a weak spleen and stomach, drink pig tripe and chicken soup, which is also very delicious.
Since it is known as a tonic, Baozhu naturally invested some money in it. She put some corresponding Chinese wolfberry, astragalus and other medicinal materials in a bowl of soup. The medicinal materials are expensive, and the soup seems to be more flavorful and substantial. Besides, these soups can be used as half a medicinal meal.
It's been cold these past few days, and Baozhu drinks a bowl of mutton soup every day, which keeps her feet from getting cold at night. Besides the soup, she also offers red date and peanut drink and walnut juice as complimentary drinks.
New dishes are half price on the first day. Originally, the restaurant had separate dish labels, but every month when new dishes were served, new labels had to be carved, and the old labels that were not in use had to be removed. It was always troublesome to go back and forth, so Baozhu asked Jiang Shi to cut red paper, write the names of the dishes on them, and then stick them on the labels. This way, they only had to change the paper every month and there was no need to carve new labels.
Baozhu looked at the two shops that had been connected and felt particularly relieved. She would not have to pay rent next year, and even if the store's performance was a little worse, she would not have to worry about it and lose sleep at night.
Now the kitchen is just blocked by a fence, so there is no air when cooking. It’s okay in winter, but in summer, you will sweat like rain after just a few strokes of the spoon, and you will feel short of breath when you go in.
After the Chinese New Year, the kitchen will have to be renovated.
After the two shops were merged, they were bigger than before. Baozhu thought about converting the small warehouse at the back of the shop bought by A Niang into a kitchen, and opening a larger window for ventilation. The windows in the shop also needed to be reopened, with a few large windows facing the street. The shop would be bright and passers-by would be more willing to come in. A few windows should also be opened on the wall inside to let in air.
Baozhu scribbled on paper. Now that the shop was hers, she no longer had to worry about the landlord foreclosing or raising the rent, so she began to think about thoroughly planning the shop. She had used her savings to pay back the interest on the Changsheng Treasury, but the profits from the winter and twelfth months of the year were enough to renovate the shop, plus the annual bonus for the employees.
The two shops were simply renovated at the time. If it weren't for the new door connecting them, they would seem to have little to do with each other, after all, the shop next door originally did grain and oil business.
Baozhu thought about it in her mind first, and the more she thought about it, the better it seemed. She simply took two cans of soup, put them in her lunch box, and went to Pei's house to talk to Pei Yanqing. Pei Yanqing stayed in the house all day and didn't know what was going on outside.
The wedding of the Zhen and Kong families is approaching, and the wedding ceremony will be held quickly after the two families have decided on it. There were originally three dates calculated: one is the sixth day of the first lunar month, one is the eighteenth day of June next year, and the second day of the twelfth lunar month next year.
June is the flood season, so Erlang cannot take a vacation. The second day of the winter month is too late, and Erlang is afraid that he cannot wait another year.
Mrs. Kong wanted to keep her daughter for another year, but Miss Kong's temper was well known to all the wealthy families in Bianjing City. No matter how low the official was, a young lady of her age in the family would have already been engaged. Outsiders did not know that Mrs. Kong was cautious about choosing a son-in-law, and they just thought that there was something wrong with Miss Kong.
Some people, who were generally dissatisfied with the Kong family, often whispered that Miss Kong would stay home forever, unable to marry. If she waited until next winter to get married, who knew what unpleasant rumors would spread. The Kong family's daughter, who was so wonderful in their hearts, was reduced to a worthless piece of trash in the eyes of outsiders, and anyone who heard that would be furious.
Thinking of Erlang of the Zhen family, Mrs. Kong felt very satisfied. This child was very polite and even her husband, who had an unpleasant personality, had nothing but praise for him when he was mentioned.
Anyone who loves their daughter obviously knows the second son of the Zhen family. During this year's flood season, everyone knew that he had been praised by the government from top to bottom in the water conservancy department. Everyone with a discerning eye knew that he had a bright future. More and more families who used to look down on him are now paying attention to him.
It’s a pity that it’s too late. Now Erlang of the Zhen family only has eyes for Miss Kong.
This will also let those people see that their daughter is marrying a man who has won the third place in the imperial examination, who is extremely talented, has unparalleled character and appearance, and is highly regarded by the government.
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