Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Bumped into the Teahouse
Although Baozhu has been running a restaurant for a long time and can handle all kinds of business, she doesn't know much about the things in the fields. Since she doesn't know much, it's better to leave this matter to someone who knows the business.
Landlord Shi had been working away from home for many years and was familiar with the fields. If Baozhu could be allowed to take charge here, she would have a lot less worries.
They worked tirelessly for three or four days to calculate the accounts in the farm. They had originally wanted to spend the New Year here, but they knew that the farmers were not well fed and clothed, so how could they have the extra energy to celebrate the New Year? The couple was in a hurry to settle the accounts. They only visited the ancestral graves and had a reunion dinner on the 30th day of the lunar year. After that, they continued to carefully check the accounts in the farm.
These are accounts from more than ten years ago. No matter how careful I am, there are bound to be omissions. In the end, some old accounts are still not clear. I have to calculate what can be calculated first.
The rent collected over the past two years was returned before the New Year, and the accounts have been settled these days, mainly to return the overpaid money to the tenants.
They picked up a few capable people and checked Zhou Zhuangtou's private property and money. All the money returned to the farmers was returned from Zhou Zhuangtou. Zhou Zhuangtou wanted to deny it at first, but after Pei Yanqing interrogated him, Zhou Zhuangtou, who was a coward, confessed everything.
He had swallowed up most of the profits from the farm in recent years, and even exchanged the fine grains from the fields for old and coarse grains bought at low prices, thus benefiting from both ends.
Pei Yanqing worked tirelessly to count the accounts, so Baozhu counted the money and property that Zhou Zhuangtou had secretly obtained over the years. She was shocked after counting. In addition to the house he had bought, he also had two not-so-small shops.
In addition to a box of silver ingots, there are also several warehouses of grain in the house. This is just right. After Pei Yanqing has made his calculations, if these farmers want grain, they can give it directly. If they want money, the money will be returned.
It didn't matter to them whether it was early or late. These farmers had to make a living day by day. The couple had a tacit understanding and worked together to distribute all the money and grain. When all that should be distributed was distributed, only some people who had rented land in the past and later stopped renting land, or some people who were inconvenient to come, were left. Those who were not in a hurry for spring plowing would wait until they came back to send someone to deal with them.
This year, the couple celebrated the New Year in this village. Many neighbors came to watch the fun. Some families whose sons were studying even came to ask Pei Yanqing to touch their sons' foreheads.
Baozhu found it funny and watched him touch people's foreheads one by one.
No one knew who was the first to realize how good she was at making money, and some people even came to her door hoping to find a job for them. Baozhu didn't refuse them outright. She asked several aunts who were good at working where they lived, so that she could give them work if there was any. These aunts were also good at farming. If Landlord Shi was willing to come, she would also need to find him some experienced farmers.
After all, Baozhu had taken over the management of these three farms, and there were only a few capable people left. Moreover, there were many complicated things to do on the farms, and there were also all kinds of messy people to take care of.
After finishing the work here, the two of them slept for a day and a night before they recovered. When they recovered, they were shocked to find that it was already the eighth day of the New Year. They had stayed in Pingyang County for a long time. This year, they only sent one letter home and did not go back for the New Year. The matters of the shop and the farm were considered resolved, and now it was time to go back.
Before going back, I went to the shop again to take a look. The business was good during the year. The clerk was promoted to the manager. Although he had taken over not long ago, he was quite experienced in his work and devoted himself to studying the business. Although he was a little cunning, he had good character. Since Baozhu valued him, the clerk simply took over the shop.
This guy did a good job, so Baozhu gave him the power to manage all the shops. Naturally, she also said that if he did a good job, she would keep him as the manager, but if he did not do a good job, she would let him know as soon as possible.
He nodded cautiously and promised Baozhu to believe him.
It is not easy to manage several shops. Some shop owners rely on their seniority and experience to bully others. Baozhu took him around and decided on one. Those senior shop owners were respectful in public but would not gossip behind his back.
Although the new manager has just started, he is very capable in his work. It is obvious that he has been assigned a lot of work in the past.
There is no need to worry about purchasing at the Pingyang County Spice Shop. The spice business is done all year round, but you still have to wait for the southern merchants to pass by to purchase goods. There is no need to rush to buy now.
The provincial capital is a hub, and merchants traveling from the south to the north all pass through here. Every year, merchants from the south come here to buy goods from them. After purchasing these goods, they are stored in the warehouse in the backyard of the spice shop in the provincial capital. The goods in the two spice shops in Pingyang County are transported from the provincial capital.
Baozhu gave him some advice on the purchase, saying that there was no rush. After the work at the shops in the county was done, there would still be time to go to the provincial capital to inquire about the purchase of spices.
Now that there is no need to purchase, the manager can relax a little. When it is time to purchase, the business in the shop will be fully up and running, and then he can go shopping and compare prices with ease.
Baozhu inspected several shops, distributed lucky money to the shop assistants one by one, and joined in the fun on the street. Then she returned to Bianjing with Pei Yanqing.
She didn't have time to visit the two shops in the provincial capital this time. Those two shops were rented out by Manager Wu. Since Manager Wu was arrested, Baozhu appointed someone else to manage the shops.
"It would be nice to turn the shop in the provincial capital into a restaurant if I have time." When Baozhu heard Pei Yanqing say that one of the shops was right next to the pier, she immediately became interested. If she opened a restaurant there, the business would surely be very good.
The two shops in the provincial capital both sell spices, and their business is decent. However, keeping two shops selling spices is inevitably redundant. To be honest, one spice shop is enough. Ordinary spices are not affordable for ordinary people, so a more luxurious shop is more profitable than an ordinary shop.
It’s a pity that it’s too far from Bian Jing. Even if she really opens a restaurant, she won’t be able to take care of it. The two shops in the provincial capital should just be open for the time being. She doesn’t have time to deal with them now.
When Pei Yanqing heard her interest, he said, "When I have some free time at the yamen, I'll come here with you to discuss it."
Except for resting at the post station at night, Pei Yanqing was on the road all day long. He took it upon himself to be a coachman and rode at full speed all the way to Bian Jing the day before the Lantern Festival.
When they arrived in Bian Jing, they said hello to the old lady of the Pei family, put down their luggage, and gave various gifts back. Pei Yanqing was naturally with them. On the way back from Hedong, he bought a lot of local products, which he brought to A'niang today.
My mother happened to be at home today, but my father has been busy during the first month of the year. Even though Baozhu came back today, he couldn't stay idle at home. He hurried back in the afternoon and met Baozhu and Pei Yanqing.
Zhen's father, a man of few words, racked his brains to find a few words to say to Pei Yanqing, but he ran out of words after just a few sentences. Seeing that Baozhu was doing well, he had nothing to worry about.
In the afternoon, he hurried to another restaurant to prepare a feast. The apprentice he brought with him had become very skilled in cooking. Baozhu originally wanted to hire him to help in the shop, but he respected Zhen's father so much that he just followed behind and helped with the fire and odd jobs.
Since Zhen's father was no longer able to do the cooking, he took over and helped with the cooking.
As soon as her father left, Baozhu remembered to ask her mother how the chefs who worked under Zhen's father were doing now.
"Your father's previous attempts to test him were pointless. It's just a matter of pretending for a longer time or a shorter time." Madam Xu sneered and shook her head. "Ever since your father brought them fame, they refused to attend banquets and started taking on jobs privately. There are so many banquets every year, and they just think they earned their money through their skills. Naturally, they don't want to share their money with your father. Now they have simply cut off all ties. Not only do they not send New Year gifts, they don't even come to see you."
Madam Xu felt sorry for her man who had become thin and deceived her, so she raised her voice a few notches and scolded the outsiders.
"If anyone tries to use your father's reputation to get ahead again, I won't allow it. Fortunately, the contract we signed with them is still there. I'll ask them to pay the money they lost according to the contract, and they're not allowed to mention Chef Zhen anymore when they go out."
Zhen's father also saw through people's hearts. During the year, there were still people who came up to him and wanted to become his disciples or to be taught by him, but he ignored any of them. It turned out that he was not after these people could make a lot of money for him. He just prepared two banquets himself and these people would give him a commission every month.
They were truly ruthless. Once their reputation spread, they could earn money much faster by accepting banquets. If things got out of hand, they'd pay for a year's worth of losses out of their own pockets. If they didn't have the money, they'd just forget about it. Even when Zhen's father went looking for them, they'd just say, "If you can, report it to the police," and then they'd turn them back.
Baozhu shook her head as she listened. People's hearts are unpredictable. Even the most honest people will gradually become lax if they aren't closely monitored or checked from time to time. Take, for example, the Pei family's farms and shops. Left unattended for so long, they naturally become considered their own.
Bianjing was busier than Pingyang County, and naturally more crowded, with the occasional blue-eyed foreigner visible. Bianjing was already bustling during the New Year, and with the Lantern Festival, everyone was pulling out all the stops to drum up business.
Baozhu was not at home this year, so she sent a letter asking her mother to help her give red envelopes to the shop assistants so that they could go back home for the New Year. Her mother gave out the red envelopes first. The shop made a lot of money last year, and this was the first New Year that Baozhu was not at home, so Jiang Shi arranged the shop properly, opened the shop on time on the fifth day of the New Year, and distributed lucky money at the door.
She even discussed new dishes with Mrs. Chen in the kitchen, a stone pot tender tofu and boiled pork slices. The boiled pork slices were the idea of Mrs. Chen after hearing Baozhu's advice. The other dish, glutinous rice balls with osmanthus wine, also sold well.
As soon as Baozhu and Pei Yanqing arrived, they smelled the spicy aroma in the shop and naturally ordered a plate of boiled pork slices to try. Pei Yanqing couldn't eat spicy food, so he could only watch Baozhu grimace in pain from the spiciness of the dish.
Although it tastes spicy, it is very satisfying. The meat slices are tender and the soup base is spicy and refreshing. You will sweat all over after eating this dish in cold weather.
They came to the restaurant not just to have a meal. Baozhu looked at the account book and counted the money distributed to everyone this year. Knowing that everyone was looking forward to receiving the money, Baozhu did not waste any time and asked the waiters to line up one by one to receive the money. The waiters did not waste any time either. After receiving the money, they went back to their work.
After leaving the restaurant, we went to the pastry shop. Mrs. Liu ran the shop very well. There were many people buying cakes for New Year gifts and weddings. Mrs. Liu was a very considerate person. She treated everyone very politely, no matter whether they were shop assistants or customers who came to buy things. Over time, people who came once would naturally be willing to come a second time.
During the New Year, many wealthy families want cakes and pastries, so Zhen's father has a considerable sales channel. In addition, Sister Liu also knew some of the customers. In addition, ordinary customers who come to the restaurant and want to buy pastries as New Year gifts also go directly to Zhenji Pastry Shop to buy pastries.
The dim sum in the shop is never cut corners, everything is displayed in a proper manner, and you can even choose a variety of dim sum for a box of New Year gifts.
Before leaving, Baozhu had discussed with Sister Liu the cakes and pastries for the New Year, as well as the designs for the boxes to hold them. Sister Liu had the carpenter carefully craft them. The best-selling items during the New Year were the crispy candies Baozhu had mentioned to Sister Liu, including the peanut, sesame, and walnut crispy candies. These crispy candies, made from a variety of dried fruits ground into powder and pressed into shape, were so crispy that they left a mouthful of crumbs.
Although he was full, he still tasted all the food in the bakery shop and felt relieved after seeing that there was no problem.
Baozhu had put a lot of effort into these two restaurants, and now they were gradually becoming famous, so she couldn't help but feel proud of them. So the first thing she did when she got back was to go to the restaurant, and then to the bakery.
I checked both stores and nothing went wrong. This year's revenue is better than last year.
Coincidentally, we rushed back at the right time and the next day was the Lantern Festival.
During the Lantern Festival, the city of Bianjing was extremely lively. Lanterns were lit all the way from Zhouqiao to Zhengjiawazi. Inside thewazi, it was even more lively, with all kinds of new performances and storytelling.
Baozhu and Pei Yanqing started their stroll from Zhouqiao, first guessing lantern riddles, then blending into the crowd of people performing Nuo opera, following the team, and following the flow of people to Zhengjiawazi to watch the fire-breathing show.
Inside the tile house, I heard from others that a new teahouse had recently opened in Bian Jing. This teahouse was nothing new, but it had hired a man who was good at ventriloquism. This man came from the north and had just arrived in Bian Jing when he was discovered by the manager of the teahouse. He was invited to the teahouse at a high price and only performed for half an hour every day. When this man was performing ventriloquism, you had to buy a ticket at the teahouse door to go in and have tea.
It was still early, so Baozhu pulled Pei Yanqing to go and take a look.
As soon as they sat down on the second floor, Baozhu noticed a familiar person sitting opposite her. It was a bit far away and she couldn't see clearly. Pei Yanqing saw her staring at the opposite side, so he stood up and looked at her in surprise, "Isn't that Sister Rong?"
When Baozhu saw it, she immediately widened her eyes. Wasn’t the person opposite her the Lord Xu?
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