Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Going to the funeral alone...
With money and servants in the mansion, Lin Xia became more and more capable. It was easier for Lin Qiuran to do business now than four years ago.
Lin Xia chose a shop and hired people to learn the skills. The two shops he opened later required simple skills. Unlike Jindinglou, which required learning so many dishes, they just needed to make stuffing and wrap wontons, and hired the shopkeeper's assistants to sell them. There were many people in the capital, so if the skills were not done well, they could be replaced.
Lin Qiuran worked hard for a few days and turned the 4,000 taels of profit brought by Xu Yuanheng into two shops. The decoration was very simple and it took only a few days to open them. One shop sold wontons and the other sold spicy hot pot.
There are many delicious foods and restaurants in the capital, but the two shops opened by Lin Qiuran can occupy a place among them.
Beijingers love sesame paste, and Lin Qiuran made some subtle changes to it, removing its inherent bitterness. The spicy hot pot made with it is quite delicious. The chilies were shipped in from Yu'an; local Beijing ones aren't as flavorful, so those who find hot pot expensive appreciate this. At this time of year, the vegetables sold well are potatoes, radishes, and cabbage.
Wontons were a regular dish for Yu An. Lin Qiuran had created several fillings to suit the tastes of Beijing residents, focusing on thin wrappers and generous fillings. A common broth base was made with seaweed, dried shrimp, and lard. The wontons were then added to the broth, after being poured over with bone broth.
The soup is piping hot, and the wonton wrapper is extremely thin, like paper. Once cooked, the color of the filling comes through. It is thinner than the dumpling wrapper here, and the filling is more delicate and less grainy.
But it tastes fresh and juicy, and in addition to the meat filling, there are other things in it, such as shrimp, salted egg yolks, and century eggs, which makes the taste richer.
In addition to this bone soup, there are also sour soup, red oil, and dry mix, each of which has a unique flavor.
Before opening this place, we advertised it in Jinding Building for a few days. Now we are preparing to open it in the next few days, and I think business will be good.
Lin Qiuran planned to buy a shop when she became richer. Whether or not to do business was another matter, but she could rent it out and collect rent. Because there were many merchants in the capital, she also invested a few businesses with Yun Shi. The investment was not large, just over 600 taels. There were gains and losses in the business, but the businesses that Yun Shi took the initiative to take care of were likely to be profitable.
Because of business matters, Lin Qiuran always has to go out for half a day to meet guests and attend banquets... As she met the ladies of aristocratic families, her dress and appearance became more and more in line with local customs, which was very different from when she first arrived.
Lin Qiuran always took a carriage when she went out, so she bought another one to make it easier for the family to travel. Now the family had three carriages, and the older one was reserved for Lin Xia and others to use when they went out for work.
One was for delivering dumplings, and the other was for Lin Qiuran and Sun. However, Sun didn't go out often, so she usually used it herself.
When Xiao Xun took up his post, he did not take a carriage but rode a horse himself.
In short, the family had more and more things, and the property was becoming more and more prosperous. Lin Qiuran calculated that the real estate alone was worth 15,000 taels, not counting the Bo Mansion and the farmhouse.
Yun always praised Qin, "Qiuran is very steady and learns quickly. Mother, don't worry. I see that the shops in Jinding Building are doing very well. The family business will definitely grow bigger and bigger. I introduced Qiuran to a few farmers. It's spring planting time now, and they will gradually get the hang of it."
When the autumn harvest comes, these thousand hectares of land will yield 20,000 taels of silver, which is real money.
Money makes money, and as time goes by, you will have more and more money, and gradually you will build up a foundation.
The Qin family had always worried that Xiao Xun would gain power and lose control of the family business. But Lin Qiuran was doing a great job, so they didn't have to worry about anything.
The elders should be relieved that the child is worry-free. Lu Zheng said, "Qiuran is such a capable child. We don't have to worry about anything. Otherwise, when he is so old, he will still be worried about him after he is buried."
Qin felt sorry for Lin Qiuran and Xiao Xun as they were so young and it was not easy for them to run the family business.
Lu Zheng didn't think too much about it. He still often ate at Jindinglou. There was a reason why the business was so good here. The chef was very skilled. He often brought friends here, and he even brought Qin here once.
Of course, when Lu Zheng came to eat, Lin Qiuran didn't let Zhu take the money. Qin felt a little embarrassed, but Lu Zheng waved his hand and said nonchalantly: "After all, they are relatives. We treat them well, why don't you be filial to them?"
Lin Qiuran didn't care about the meal money, but was worried about Lu Zheng's health.
He was in his sixties, a bit plump, and looked like the Maitreya Buddha. Eating well all the time was definitely bad for the body. She had advised him twice, but Lu Zheng didn't care. He said, "I know my body well. I can't control my diet for a few years. I feel depressed and miserable. No matter how happy I am, I might as well enjoy myself."
He loved food. If he were to eat only thin porridge and plain rice every day, even if he lived two more years, it would be meaningless. Moreover, having lived to such an old age and seen his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he was already content. One night in mid-March, Lü Zheng passed away in his sleep. When Qin woke up, she called out to him but he didn't move, and only then realized that he was gone.
Lu Zheng was no longer breathing, but there was still a smile on his face, and he passed away happily.
However, Xiao Xun was stunned for a long time after hearing the news. Lin Qiuran advised him, "The old marquis has seen you and Tangyuan, so he must have no regrets."
Xiao Xun looked at Lin Qiuran and nodded, "I understand."
Because of this kinship, the Bo Mansion and the Anyang Marquis Mansion also have personal connections, so the couple must go to pay their respects.
Originally, there was no need for Tangyuan to go, but he was also a junior, so after thinking about it, Lin Qiuran decided to take him with him to kowtow.
Lin Qiuran found some plain clothes for the family of three to change into. They didn't have to wear mourning clothes, but they couldn't wear bright clothes when attending a funeral.
Tangyuan was only five years old and didn't know anything about life and death. When Lin Qiuran told him that he would never see his great-grandfather again, he burst into tears.
Lin Qiuran held him in her arms and coaxed him, "It's not that we'll never see each other again, it's just that Tangyuan goes here, and your great-grandfather goes somewhere else. When you go to school, your great-grandfather is on the street. When you go to Lao Jin's hot pot, your great-grandfather comes to Jindinglou. He's always there, but we can't see each other easily."
Tangyuan cried so sadly that Lin Qiuran felt heartbroken too.
Tangyuan doesn't cry often. He hasn't cried since he was two years old. If he falls down, he will pat his clothes and get up. If he encounters difficulties, he will find a way out. Today he cried because he was really sad. He hugged Lin Qiuran's neck, tears still on his face.
After listening to Lin Qiuran, Tangyuan looked at her and hugged Lin Qiuran's neck tightly. He was afraid that one day Lin Qiuran would be just like what she said.
Xiao Xun looked at the mother and son, sighed in his heart, and then held Tangyuan in his arms, "Otherwise, don't let Tangyuan in later."
Lin Qiuran glanced at Tangyuan, but Tangyuan wiped away her tears and said, "Mom, I can go. My great-grandfather was very good to me. I should go see him and see him off."
Lin Qiuran wiped his tears and said, "Okay, let's go over there. If you feel uncomfortable, mother will take you out."
Tangyuan nodded, and the carriage soon arrived at the Anyang Marquis Mansion.
The guests coming in and out were all dressed in dull colors, white banners were flying, and even the plaque on the door of Anyang Marquis' Mansion was hung with white silk flowers.
There were many wreaths and paper ornaments placed at the entrance. After entering the gate, a group of people were beating gongs, drums, and suonas, playing funeral music. The tune was so mournful that it made people feel unbearable grief.
Lin Qiuran went to pay his respects first, and then the family of three went to the front hall to pay their respects.
The lobby was all in black and white. The colored furniture was covered with black gauze. In the middle was a huge wreath with a word "葬" (die in Chinese) on it, and in front of it was a coffin.
Marquis Anyang and Mrs. Yun entertained the guests. They were both dressed in mourning clothes. Mrs. Yun and Marquis Anyang had red eyes. Although it was a happy funeral, they were still extremely sad about the passing of their loved one.
Yun took Lin Qiuran's hand and patted Tangyuan's head. "Go see the old lady later. She needs someone to accompany her right now."
Yun was the mistress and had to take care of all the big and small things. Her daughter and daughter-in-law were with her, but after a while, Qin asked them to leave. The old lady was old, and after Lu Zheng left, she probably wanted to see Lin Qiuran.
If Tangyuan stays with me for a while, I think I’ll feel better.
Lin Qiuran brought Tangyuan over. Qin's eyes were red, but she still smiled at Lin Qiuran Tangyuan and said, "Come and sit down. I'm fine. I'm just not used to it."
When someone is gone, no matter how many arguments or quarrels we had in the past, once they are gone, all the bad things are forgotten and all that comes to mind is good things.
Lin Qiuran said, "Then let Tangyuan chat with you more. Otherwise, if you're idle, you'll start to have random thoughts."
Qin nodded. Her granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law had just mentioned that Lü Zheng was gone and buried, but she didn't want to see her sad. She needed to cheer herself up. But the constant mention of Lü Zheng made Qin feel uncomfortable, so she let them go.
Qin smiled and said, "How is Tangyuan doing in the academy?"
Tangyuan has been in school for a month. Qin asked him if he was used to the academy.
Tang Yuan puffed out his chest proudly, "That's good. My roommates asked for leave several times this month, but I never asked for leave once. No, no, I asked for leave once today, but it was for something serious. It wasn't because I wanted to play around and didn't want to go to school."
Tangyuan was very proud. Qin smiled when she saw this and said, "What have you learned these days? Can you tell your great-grandmother about it?"
Lin Qiuran smiled. He had learned a lot these days. The academy not only taught reading and writing, but also the six arts of a gentleman. Although attending the academy cost a lot of money, it was a place where one could truly learn skills. If he had a teacher come to his home to teach him, he would definitely not learn as much as he did at the academy.
Tang Yuan said, "I've learned to read and ride, as well as arithmetic and music. But I've only been learning each of these for a few days, so I've only scratched the surface."
Tang Yuan was talking to Qin in the room, while Lin Qiuran went outside for a walk. When he came out of the room, he could still hear the voices of a man and a woman talking. In fact, it was not just one man and one woman, but two children.
What an old child! Qin also needs someone to coax her now.
After walking around the yard for a while, Xiao Xun came over and patted Lin Qiuran's hand, "I have to leave soon."
He has something else to do and has to go to work soon.
Lin Qiuran didn't return until noon, and after lunch, he asked the servant to take Tangyuan to the academy. Tangyuan didn't make a fuss, nor did he complain that half a day was too short to go. He just went to school obediently with his school bag on his back.
Lin Qiuran felt that he had grown up. She didn't mean that he had grown taller. She saw him every day, and even if he had grown taller, she wouldn't be able to notice it for a while. She felt that Tangyuan had grown up a little bit in his heart.
Later, Lin Qiuran did not bring Tangyuan with her to the Anyang Marquis Mansion. She and Xiao Xun went there again on the seventh day after Lu Zheng's death. They went there again after the burial in early April.
The couple saw the deceased off all the way, watching the white paper money flying in the sky, and they always felt that Lu Zheng was watching them from heaven.
Twenty years have passed, and perhaps the old marquis has reunited with Xiao Xun's mother by now. Perhaps he would talk about Xiao Xun's appearance, or perhaps he would talk about glutinous rice balls.
Lin Qiuran glanced at Xiao Xun, who was also looking up at the sky. His eyes were a little red. Lin Qiuran felt sad and patted his hand.
Life had to go on. At the beginning of April, Manager Xu brought the profit of Thirteen Spices, 1,600 taels. Lin Qiuran also ordered the people in the mansion to hurry up and make the spices to avoid a shortage of supply.
The profit this month is only 1,600 taels, and Xu Yuanheng still has a lot of inventory, all of which is silver.
Lin Qiuran didn't use all the money. Lin's Wonton and Sun's Hotpot had just opened, and she couldn't keep the shops open forever, so it would be useful to keep some money at home.
The Malatang signboard was named after the Sun family. Firstly, it couldn't be called Lin's or Xiao's. Customers wouldn't mind, but it was just to prevent people with ulterior motives from making unwarranted assumptions. Secondly, Lin Qiuran planned to give the Malatang profits to the Sun family. She also needed the money, as Xiao Dashi had just given her fifty taels, and she probably didn't have much left.
Since Xiao Dashi was not around, Sun Shi had no fun. She could still go to the shop to take a look around on weekdays, and Lin Qiuran would find something for her to do.
I can earn dozens of taels of silver a month, and I feel confident having the money.
Sun doesn't spend money recklessly and always cares about her family. Even if she spends money, she won't end up like Xiao Dashi. So why not give the profit from a shop to make people happy?
At first, Sun refused to take it. She thought that all this was done by Lin Qiuran, so she didn't feel comfortable taking the money.
Lin Qiuran said, "You're doing well at home. I'm helping you. Just take the money. It's yours. Buy whatever you want."
Lin Qiuran went out after she finished speaking. She had other things to do. It was more interesting for Sun to stay at home counting money than for Bi Gan to stay.
Sun kept it and drank tea in the morning. Soon the opera troupe invited by Lin Qiuran came to the house and performed a few plays, which she watched with great interest.
However, near noon, the doorman said that someone from the Xu family was looking for Lin Qiuran, but Lin Qiuran was not there. Seeing that the man looked extremely anxious, he could only come to find Sun.
Sun asked the servant to invite the person in, and only then did she realize it was Manager Xu.
The last time Xu Yuanheng came, Manager Xu also came. He was sweating profusely, like an ant on a hot pot. Sun asked the maid to pour him some water, "Sit down and take a breath. What's wrong? Why are you so anxious?"
Manager Xu didn't sit down. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Sun. "Old Madam, our young master has been arrested. You must think of a way!"
Sun Shi would never deal with such a matter, but since Xu Yuanheng was in trouble, she would definitely take care of it. "Don't worry, Qiu Ran is not here. I'll ask the servant to go look for him."
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