The rack was taken to the shop yesterday, but the bean curd sheets were not taken because they could not fit on the donkey cart. Today, Li Yuemei sorted out two baskets and prepared to take them to the shop to sell.
On the way, Zhou Chunlan looked at Lin Yan, then at Yu Ge'er, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.
Lin Yan looked at his mother silently. He wanted to ask, but felt that the timing was not right. Since his mother was hesitant, he decided to ask at another time.
When he arrived at the shop, Zhao Shiyun quickly put the bean curd sheets on the shelf next to the counter. The bean curd sheets were spread out in a winnowing basket and placed on the shelf. There was no need to advertise it specifically, as any customer who entered the store would see it at a glance.
"Hey, young boss, what is this?" Customers who have eaten here have only seen cooked bean curd sheets, and have never seen uncooked ones.
"This is yuba. This is what it looks like before it's cooked."
The customer's eyes lit up. He had wanted to buy some yuba to take home for a long time, but the boss had said that there wasn't enough, only enough for the store, so it wasn't for sale yet. He lived in the next town and came to Luoyang Town for work. He came to Douxiangzhai every few days to eat. The food was so delicious, but it was a pity that his home was far away, so it wasn't practical to take the prepared food back. Now, it was finally available.
"Little boss, how much are these bean curd sheets?"
"Ten cents per pound." This price was decided after the family discussed it. The bean curd sheets are light in weight, and there are a lot of them in one pound, enough for the family to eat for a long time.
"Ten cents? Isn't that a bit expensive?"
"It's not expensive. Come and take a look. This yuba is relatively light. If you buy half a pound, it's already a lot. It can feed the whole family for several meals."
The customer came closer to take a look and saw that it was indeed true. Half a pound was a large bundle. "Then give me half a pound. How are these bean curd sheets made? Why are they so hard?"
"Soak it in hot water before cooking. It's delicious when stir-fried with meat, eggs, black fungus, or vegetables."
"Okay!" The customer put away the bean curd sheets, had breakfast in the store, and went to work happily.
Once you've had it, you'll have more. Anyone who's tasted yuba knows it's delicious. They buy some and make it themselves, letting their family enjoy it too. They've already sold a basketful of it, and it's only just past noon. Lin Yan plans to bring an extra basket tomorrow. He's already stockpiled enough at home, enough to last him a while. He's wondering if he should hire someone to help make it, since once he starts selling it, he needs to have a supply.
After selling the ingredients in the afternoon, Lin Yan said hello to Zhao Shiyun and prepared to go to West Street to find Amo.
"I'll go with you." Zhao Shiyun didn't dare let him go out alone now. He had to be careful when he was pregnant.
"No need. I want to talk to my mom and it's not convenient for you to be around." Lin Yan felt that he was making a fuss out of nothing.
"Then I'll take you there and come back later." Zhao Shiyun insisted. Lin Yan couldn't persuade him and had to agree.
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"Mo, do you have something to say this morning?" Today is not the market day, but Zhou Chunlan went up the mountain to dig some spring bamboo shoots after returning yesterday and was anxious to sell them, so she came to the town with us today.
"I remember your brother-in-law said before that he wanted to learn embroidery?" Zhou Chunlan replied.
"Yes, but I couldn't find a suitable embroiderer before, and my family rented a shop, so we were busy, so I put it on hold."
"Yesterday I was chatting with Brother Li. His wife's sister got divorced and is now living with him. She used to cry all day, but recently she's come to her senses and wants to find something to do. Her husband's family used to run a tailor shop, and she was already good at embroidery before she got married. She learned some skills from her mother-in-law and is thinking of opening a small tailor shop of her own."
"If I open a shop, a divorced woman would be afraid of being gossiped about. Why not take in some apprentices and teach them embroidery?"
"Yeah, I think so too. I told Brother Li about this, and he agreed that this is a better approach, but I still have to go back and ask my wife's sister what she thinks. I mean, if she really starts accepting disciples, your brother-in-law can go and learn from her."
Lin Yan knew that Yu Ge'er liked embroidery, but he hadn't found a suitable embroiderer before. Now there is one ready-made one, but he didn't know if the fee would be expensive.
"Okay, I'll go back and talk to them first."
Zhou Chunlan hesitated for a moment, then spoke up: "Brother Yan, you're pregnant now. If Brother Yu goes to learn embroidery again, wouldn't it be better for the shop to hire someone else?"
Lin Yan nodded. He had considered letting Yu Ge'er take charge of cooking, but Yu Ge'er was still young after all, and the demand for bean curd sheets was large. Maybe other food shops would come to take the goods back to sell in the future, so all these had to be taken into consideration.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll discuss it with them tonight. I won't tire myself out." Lin Yan knew that Mom was worried about him. She was pregnant and still had to run a shop, and she was afraid that he would be exhausted.
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Lin Yan didn't eat much for dinner because he was preoccupied. Zhao Shiyun picked up an egg with chopsticks and gave it to him, "Brother Yan, eat more." After Lin Yan became pregnant, Li Yuemei decided to feed him eggs every day to supplement his nutrition, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, steamed eggs, and change the recipe. Tonight she had scrambled eggs with bean curd sheets.
Lin Yan waited until everyone had eaten their fill before speaking, "Dad and Mom, I have something to discuss with you."
Li Yuemei stopped cleaning the dishes and sat down again, "What's the matter, Brother Yan, tell me."
Lin Yan recounted what he had heard today. "Anyway, it's still uncertain whether she will accept a disciple. I'll have to wait until the next market to ask Brother Li to find out."
Yu Ge'er was overjoyed. Before, he hadn't found a suitable embroiderer, so he was planning to give up and teach himself secretly. Now, if he could find a suitable master, he would definitely learn it well.
Li Yuemei was also happy, but she considered it more comprehensively, "What about the shop?"
"Dad and Mom, once we start selling bean curd sheets, we'll definitely need a lot. I was wondering if Dad and Mom could specialize in making bean curd sheets at home. After all, it's a skill that's hard for outsiders to know about. If we run a shop, we could hire a boy or aunt who knows how to cook. They should be able to get started with some simple instruction."
"Will many people buy it?" Li Yuemei hesitated.
"Today's two baskets are sold out. There will definitely be many people buying them later. We can sell them to restaurants and peddlers, so we don't have to worry about sales." Lin Yan's eyes sparkled. He wanted to sell his own bean curd sheets all over the town, and even the whole county.
The others smiled at each other and said, "Yes, the shop is open, and bean curd sheets are so popular in the shop now. We should take advantage of this opportunity to sell more. Maybe someone will figure it out in the future."
"Brother Yu, what do you think?" When it comes to your brother, you always have to ask him what he thinks.
"Mom, I want to learn embroidery." Yu Ge'er said with a firm look in his eyes.
"That's fine. I think everything Brother Yan said is fine. Let's do as he says. As for manpower, I'll find someone reliable and with good character in the village."
The whole family agreed unanimously and started to get busy again.
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