Chapter 27 Chapter 27 A clever woman makes a move...
Lin Qiuran felt that the terms offered by Second Master Xu were quite generous. However, he had immediately sought to buy the house, perhaps intending to keep the recipe for himself. When the sale failed, he shifted gears to a partnership.
It is still unknown how much money he can make from the recipe. His attitude is still pretty good. If he really makes money in the future, even if the Xu family is rich, will the second young master Xu be willing to give her a 40% to 50% share?
Lin Qiuran couldn't read and couldn't understand the account books, and if Xu Er were to balance the accounts, she would be even more confused. Xu Er knew she didn't understand, so when she was in Yu'an, he would occasionally come back to take care of her, making her think that was good enough. If he gave her more benefits than he had originally sold the house, she would be grateful, and Xu Er would be able to live a stable life.
But if she didn't give it to him, she would have to worry about Master Zhao and Xu Er. But Zhao Jinshan couldn't stay in Xuzhou forever. After he left, she didn't know what kind of person the next prefect would be. What if he was someone who didn't care about the people and was in cahoots with the rich? What then?
Several officials in the county, familiar with Magistrate Li, initially agreed to four coins a day, but later reneged. Wang Zhubu was a good person, but only in minor matters. Xu Yuanheng didn't necessarily take these people seriously; perhaps they were also in private contact.
If all the recipes were given away, and the business was stable in a few years, Xu Er might set up a trap. For example, if anyone got sick after eating the food cooked by the Xiao family, the whole family would be sent to jail.
It's not Lin Qiuran's fault for overthinking things; she had to assume the worst. There's a saying that goes, "A man is innocent until he's found guilty of possessing a treasure." If she didn't give it to him, Lin Qiuran was afraid of what might happen next. She had children and a family, and she just wanted to live a stable life and earn some money.
The recipe must be given, but one must be cautious. The recipe must be kept in hand for the next few years. The family is making money now, and by then, even if they can't surpass the Xu family, they won't be like they are now.
Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, I can give you the recipe, but not all of it. When I wrote the recipe, I left out a few spices and gave the rest to them."
Xu Er asked someone to make the spices in the recipe, and Lin Qiuran made the ones he didn't get. He told them the ratio of the two, and they added the spices after Lin Qiuran made them.
If she did everything herself, it would be too slow, but if she let the Xu family pay, she only had to make a few spices, which wouldn't take too much time. Grinding the powder and mixing the ingredients wouldn't be too difficult even for Xiao Dashi of the Sun family.
With this, Lin Qiuran will have a clear idea of where it will be sold and how much it will be sold for in the future. The price he gives is fixed, and the price he sells is also fixed, so he won't be cheated.
Besides, Xu Er is leaving tomorrow, so it will definitely be easier to talk to Manager Xu about this than to Xu Er.
Sun didn't quite understand this, but in her heart, everything Lin Qiuran said made sense. "Mother, I'll listen to you."
Xiao Dashi also said: "We'll do whatever Qiu Ran says!"
Lin Qiuran smiled and nodded, "Mom, it's a good thing no matter what. I was just worried that I wouldn't be able to sell myself."
She thought to herself that compared to the Xu family, the Xiao family was nothing. She just hoped that Xu Er had higher standards and looked down on this little thing.
*
Xu Yuanheng really didn't care too much about this business.
The Xu family has been doing business for so many years and they have seen all kinds of recipes. Only Lin Qiuran holds a spice recipe in his hands and treats it as a treasure.
It is still unknown whether it can be sold or whether the business will be good or bad even if it is sold.
Xu Yuanheng looked at Manager Xu and said, "I'll leave this matter to you. As long as it works, it wouldn't hurt to give her some convenience."
Manager Xu: "Hey, I understand."
Xu Yuanheng pursed his lips and said, "By the way, please help take care of my eldest brother. If he wants to use the name of master and servant to pressure you, just say it's my idea. Madam Lin is my boss."
I don’t know if Xu Yuancheng still cares about it, what a useless thing.
Xu Yuanheng still had some admiration for Lin Qiuran. Since he was doing business with him, Xu Yuanheng couldn't dwell on him, no matter what he was thinking about.
A man like Xu Yuancheng's head is filled with cotton wool, and he can't even walk when he sees a woman. No matter where he goes, he claims to be out discussing business, but he's actually just living a life of debauchery. He's only interested in money, and his mind is full of sexual matters. He even has the nerve to ask his father why he's been entrusted with all the business.
Manager Xu hummed, "Second Master, please rest assured. I know what to do."
It was nothing more than finding someone to keep an eye on him, but the eldest master left soon.
Xu Yuanheng stopped talking and leaned against the wall of the carriage, closing his eyes and resting.
*
The next day, Manager Xu invited Lin Qiuran to the teahouse to discuss the matter with her.
Manager Xu said, "Madam Lin, my Second Young Master said everything he needed to say yesterday. What do you think of this?"
Lin Qiuran said, "I can agree to a business partnership, but there are a few conditions."
Manager Xu smiled and said, "Madam Lin, please speak."
Lin Qiuran: "I will only give you half of the recipe, and I will find someone to make the rest. The Xu family asked for manpower and material resources, but I won't use anyone for now. Just give them the money to buy the spices when the time comes."
"This..." Manager Xu looked hesitant.
Lin Qiuran said, "We originally agreed to do business together, so this won't affect anything."
Manager Xu pressed his brows together. "Madam Lin, some spices are cheaper to buy from other places. It's a waste of manpower and resources to have you buy them and then transport them away. Besides, I don't even know if Madam Lin actually bought these..."
Lin Qiuran: "I understand what Manager Xu is worried about, but the Xu family has never done this kind of business before. Everything is difficult at the beginning. Second Young Master Xu should also be concerned about how to sell them. Besides, there are only a few items. If you want to do this business, you have to have something to offer. As for Manager Xu's second question, I also have it. If they can sell them and make a profit, and the recipes are all given to Second Young Master Xu, then I don't know if Second Young Master sold them."
What can be revealed from the account books and silver?
Manager Xu had a complicated expression. He said, "But what if Madam Lin can't handle it? If it delays business, Madam Lin will also lose money."
As he spoke, Manager Xu glanced at the side wall of the room.
Lin Qiuran said, "Don't worry about this, Manager Xu. If I'm really too busy, I'll ask the Xu family for help. It won't interfere with my business. Who would be so stingy with money?"
Manager Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead. At this moment, there were several knocks on the door. Lin Qiuran couldn't help but look over.
Manager Xu smiled and said, "The tea and snacks you ordered are here. Come in."
The waiter pushed the door open and came in, carrying a pot of Rain-Previous Longjing tea, which he brewed for the two of them. Manager Xu said, "Send the snacks quickly."
After everyone left, Manager Xu said, "I can agree to this. Are there any other conditions?"
Lin Qiuran was not polite either, "I want to see the account book."
Manager Xu said, "Of course. Madam Lin is the boss, so she'll naturally be able to check the account books. The monthly interest and account books will be sent to Madam Lin's home, so don't worry."
Lin Qiuran had never done business before, so she couldn't think of anything else for the time being. She shook her head and said, "Nothing else."
Manager Xu said, "Mrs. Lin doesn't have any, but I have some here."
Business is a matter of mutual consent, and the Xu family isn't out to do good things. He said, "Since you've decided to partner with the Xu family, there are some things I have to say upfront: the recipe cannot be sold to anyone else."
Lin Qiuran said, "It's for five years. You can't sell it to anyone else within five years. After the deadline, this document will be invalid."
If the business fails to succeed within five years, she cannot remain trapped in the Xu family.
Manager Xu said, "That's no problem."
If the recipe is useless, it makes no difference whether you do it or not.
Manager Xu said: "Mrs. Lin, you can't sell it privately anymore. It's fine for you to use it yourself."
Yu An will definitely sell it in the future, and the price Lin Qiuran gets will affect the business.
After saying that, he added with a smile, "Within five years."
Lin Qiuran nodded and said, "We'll discuss profit sharing in five years."
Manager Xu immediately said, "But we have to consider the Xu family first. Madam Lin, this is not a problem, right?"
Lin Qiuran nodded gently, "Since we've been doing this for a long time, we'll naturally have some feelings for each other. No problem."
Manager Xu glanced at the movement at the door and said, "It's better to sign the document today than to wait for another day. This will save us having to come out again later."
Lin Qiuran also thought this was the best approach, so he followed Manager Xu to the government office.
This document, similar to a later contract, was made in triplicate: one for her, one for Manager Xu, and one for the government. The government kept it to avoid future disputes. Essentially, documents approved by the government were more effective.
It contained numerous clauses. Lin Qiuran was Party B, Xu Yuanheng was Party A, and the two were to enter into a business partnership. Party B would provide the secret recipe, while Party A would provide the manpower and resources. It also listed the profit sharing ratio, that Party B could not sell the recipe to anyone else, that the contract was valid for five years, and that if either party breached the contract, Party A would pay 500 taels of silver, and Party B would also pay... etc...
There was also someone added by Lin Qiu later, who wanted to look at the account books and so on.
Lin Qiuran didn't recognize many of the characters, so she asked Wang Zhubu to check them three times and only pressed her fingerprint after confirming that there was no problem.
Manager Xu also stamped Xu Yuanheng's official seal and gave twenty taels of silver in advance. He said, "Madam Lin, please hurry up and make the things. Once they are done, we will be responsible for selling them, so you don't have to worry about it."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said hello. Now that they were doing business together, it was natural for them to laugh whenever they could.
After Lin Qiuran left, several carriages bound for the capital departed from the north of the city.
*
It was still early, so Lin Qiuran went to the south street of the city and helped Sun and the others sell fish for a while.
The braised fish business has always been good. Now we choose carp that weigh three or four pounds each, which is not too big, just right for customers to eat and can be paired with other dishes.
While Lin Qiuran was packing the fish, someone asked, "Madam Lin, are you selling braised pork tomorrow?"
The braised pork sold at this stall is incredible. Some people who have eaten at restaurants in the county town think this one is even better, so they buy their food here almost every day. Not only is the taste superior, but the price is also cheap.
A pound of meat costs twenty cents, and you can also buy other dishes, which are best eaten with wine.
Lin Qiuran said, "If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'll sell it. If it rains, I'll sell stuffed peppers with meat when I open the stall the day after tomorrow."
The Xiao family stall sells vegetables in a rotation of braised pork, stuffed meat with chili peppers, and braised fish. If it rains and they don't open the stall, the dishes they made that day will be gone, so they have to make something else the next day.
A customer said, "Mrs. Lin, this won't work. If it rains for several days in a row, what will happen to the braised fish we're selling today and the braised fish later? We won't be able to sell the braised pork anymore. If we can't catch up, we won't be able to sell it!"
It's not just the braised pork, other dishes are the same. Sometimes a dish is out of stock for several days, and when it's put on the stall again, something else will be available.
Customers have different taste preferences, some like this, some like that, and we have never been able to find one, although it was because of the bad weather, but it just hasn’t worked for a long time.
"Otherwise, you can just rotate these three dishes. If the weather is bad, it's okay if you don't open the stall. If you do open the stall, you should also sell these. Otherwise, you won't be able to eat for several days."
Everyone knew that these dishes were made by Lin Qiuran. Usually, when Sun and Xiao Dashi came over and asked, she would just say that it was her daughter-in-law who cooked the dishes and that the daughter-in-law had the final say. As a result, she would just buy the vegetables and would not tell them about these things.
When Lin Qiuran came over today, he couldn't help but say it directly. He liked braised pork and was looking forward to this dish.
Someone else agreed, and Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Everyone is willing to take care of the business, so how to rotate the dishes is a small matter. I didn't think it through before, so I'll just do it one by one from now on. If you don't make it, wait two days, and it will be available next time."
The customer is God, so we must follow the customer's taste. This is also a good way to save the trouble of calculating what to sell tomorrow.
The fish sold quickly and the three of them went home after selling them.
After returning home, Lin Qiuran told Sun and Xiao Dashi about the signed documents. The Thirteen Spices she made had a total of sixteen spices, and she kept six of them.
It is also a cover-up, called Thirteen Spices, but there are sixteen kinds. If the Xu family really wants to study the recipe, they will probably only think of the other three.
Some of the items Lin Qiuran left behind looked simple but were crucial, while others were less common. She spent the entire night pondering what to leave behind.
She also planned to buy some books in the afternoon and learn to write calligraphy, so that she wouldn't be unable to read account books in the future. She wrote today, just like buying a house, and only pressed her fingerprints.
Lin Qiuran had done everything she could. If there was no solution, she would be helpless. At that time, it would make no difference whether the prescription was given or not.
Sun and Xiao Dashi didn't quite understand, but they nodded. They believed Lin Qiuran and tried to comfort him, "It's okay. Whether it makes money or not is easy to deal with. Our family is running a business now and earns quite a bit."
"I made over 500 coins selling fish today. Before, Sun never dared to imagine that she could make over 500 coins in a day."
Lin Qiuran: "Yes, mother is right."
Sun: "You must be hungry. I'll go cook."
When Lin Qiuran cooked fish in the morning, she also left a piece of braised fish. Since she went out in the morning and didn't make lunch, Sun fried two dishes, baked a white flour pancake, and two two-wheat flour pancakes. She and Xiao Dashi only had the two-wheat flour pancakes.
Lin Qiuran saw it but didn't say anything. After dinner, he took a nap and went to buy spices.
The silver was given by Manager Xu. After buying a few things, Lin Qiuran went to the bookstore again and bought some pens and ink, and bought two books first.
He still had to make spices, so Lin Qiuran didn't hang around and went straight home. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw a person sitting in the yard who looked familiar.
Mrs. Huang lowered her head and wiped her tears, while Mrs. Sun stood beside her, looking a little helpless.
Lin Qiuran looked at Sun and asked what was going on. Sun's eyes lit up. Just as she was about to open her mouth, she coughed twice and said with regret, "Qiuran, Madam Huang's father-in-law has passed away. I would like to ask you to come over and take care of the banquet."
Mrs. Huang lives in the alley at the back. Her father-in-law has passed away a few days ago. The funeral will be held the day after tomorrow, and she must invite guests to dinner, so she came to find Lin Qiuran.
This is a good thing for the Xiao family. After all, there is work to do. But the father-in-law is gone, it is a funeral, so it is not appropriate to be too happy.
Wiping her tears, Huang Niang said, "I also heard that Qiu Ran is a good cook. Since our two families live close to each other, I wanted to ask him to come over and help."
Huang Niangzi asked, "Qiuran, do you think it's okay to go to the funeral the day after tomorrow?"
Lin Qiuran said, "My aunt's family has been in trouble, and I'm deeply saddened. But there are some things we need to discuss first. I'll charge half a tael of silver a day for the banquet."
Mrs. Huang wiped her tears without caring. She said in a daze, "Why is it so expensive? Other masters only charge three or four cents! Qiuran, Sister Sun, you see, we are neighbors..."
Lin Qiuran interrupted with a smile, "Auntie, this is the price for banquets I prepare here. It also depends on the number of tables and the number of dishes per table. If you make too much and need to prepare the dishes a day in advance, the price will also be paid on a daily basis. I'm already giving you the actual price."
Besides, I've cooked for wealthy families several times, and I've never had a bad experience. Other chefs charge a low price, and there's a reason for that. I charge a high price, and there's a reason for that."
Lin Qiuran decided to raise the price a few days ago. Now the price of a banquet chef is three to five cents a day. She has worked for the Xu family several times and also went to the post station. It is not appropriate for her to charge four cents a day.
Lin Qiuran said, "Business is about mutual consent. If Miss Huang thinks the price is too high, she can find someone else."
What Lin Qiuran didn't say was that Sun and Xiao Dashi help her cook every day. She cooks about 100 kilograms of meat dishes. Although the quantity is large, there are only two dishes in total, which is still easier than preparing banquets. The income from doing this kind of work is already considerable.
If he went out to prepare banquets, he would earn even less money than this. Even if Lin Qiuran liked cooking, it would not be worth taking this kind of job.
Only when you have money can you think about whether you like it or not, and think about other things.
Maybe the price of preparing a banquet will increase in the future, which also reflects the benefit of making an appointment in advance. Zhao Shiyue booked a full moon banquet for next month and paid a two-cent deposit. Now it has increased to five cents. Doesn't this save one cent of silver?
Besides, she had cooked at the post station and at the Xu family. If the price here was too low, she wouldn't be able to go to a better place to cook in the future.
Seeing the hesitation on Huang Niangzi's face, Lin Qiuran said, "Madam Huang, you can go back and think about it."
Mrs. Huang said, "Qiu Ran, you should do it. You have good skills."
Everyone living here knows that the Xiao family goes out to sell vegetables at a stall, and some have bought from them. She has also heard of Lin Qiuran's cooking skills.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Okay, how many tables are there in total? How many dishes are there on each table? Are there any dietary restrictions? Are there any dishes with red characters on them that you should avoid? Please tell me about these, so I can prepare in advance."
Huang Niang pondered and said, "We need five or six tables. Assuming there are ten people at each table, there should be at least ten dishes per table. There are no dietary restrictions. Yes, we should have more meat dishes."
Lin Qiuran asked again, "How about four meat dishes and six vegetarian dishes?"
This is how banquets are usually prepared. The financial situation of the people living here has to be considered, unlike the Xu family, where they can use whatever they want.
But Lady Huang said, "Qiu Ran, prepare five meat dishes and five vegetable dishes. Don't make too few meat dishes. It will be embarrassing if it gets out."
Lin Qiuran always puts the guests' requests first. She said, "Since you don't mind the word red, we can have braised pork, braised fish, chicken in lotus leaves, stuffed meat with chili peppers, and a braised pig's ear as a cold dish. For vegetarian dishes, we can have shredded cabbage, braised eggplant, stir-fried cowpeas, smashed cucumbers, and even minced meat and tofu. That would be half meat, is that okay?"
If we have five or six tables, one day will be enough. Aunt Huang will give us half of the deposit first, which is two taels and five cents."
Mrs. Huang nodded, then asked in surprise, "Why are you still paying a deposit?"
Lin Qiuran patiently explained, "Auntie, if you order something elsewhere, you still have to pay a deposit. I'll have to delay a day's business here. What if someone else wants to order for tomorrow, and you don't even give a deposit? Should I tell them that someone has ordered for tomorrow or not? What if they pay more money?"
Lin Qiuran said, "If you had hired someone else to do it that day, the deposit would definitely not be refunded. If I were delayed, not only would the deposit be returned, but compensation would also be required. It would be convenient for anyone to do it."
Huang Niang said angrily, "Okay then."
She gave the deposit and Lin Qiuran accepted it.
Lin Qiuran said, "For that dish, prepare 20 kilograms of hind leg meat, and 5 to 6 kilograms of each of the other vegetables will be enough. You can use whatever seasonings you like."
Huang Niang frowned. Why did she still look at him? But she nodded and said, "Well, the day after tomorrow, don't forget it."
Lin Qiuran had already accepted the deposit, so he naturally wouldn't regret it. Giving a deposit wasn't just about asking for money; it was also about protecting the customer.
After sending Huang Niang away, Lin Qiuran put the silver inside the house. She said to Sun, "Mother, if we can open the stall tomorrow, you must tell the guests that we can't open the stall the day after tomorrow because of something going on at home."
Sun nodded and said, "Well, your father and I will go with you the day after tomorrow."
There are five or six tables, and washing and preparing the vegetables is no easy task. Lin Qiuran definitely can't do it alone.
Lin Qiuran felt that her belly seemed to have grown bigger in the past two days. Once her belly got bigger, she wouldn't be able to stand or bend over all the time. So now she would just do whatever work she could.
The next day, Xiao Dashi got up early again to buy meat and vegetables. He had an agreement with the butcher that if the Xiao family went there often, the meat and vegetables would be cheaper by one cent per pound. This way, he could reduce his costs and make more money.
The two of them cut the meat and vegetables and cooked breakfast before calling Lin Qiuran to get up.
Lin Qiuran washed up, had breakfast and started cooking. After the food was ready, Sun and Xiao Dashi loaded it onto a cart and pushed it to the street to sell.
During this period, Lin Qiuran used a stone mortar to grind spices at home. After grinding for a while, she felt that it was too slow.
Lin Qiuran went out and bought a small millstone, and went to the blacksmith shop to get the knife he had made.
Having a small millstone would be much more convenient. When Xiao Dashi and the others come back, they can also grind this. Whoever is free can do it. After grinding. Lin Qiuran weighed it according to the ratio and placed it in a clean and dried wooden barrel. There was no need to put it in a can, because the Xu family made the cans.
She doesn't care whether it is big or small or what it looks like, and Lin Qiuran doesn't know how much it costs.
But it doesn't look like it will be sold too cheaply, otherwise they wouldn't stop her from selling it privately.
At this moment, Lin Qiuran thought that handing the items over to Xu Yuanheng to sell was indeed a good idea. However, he didn't know when he would be able to make money. Currently, the family had 17 taels and 6 qian of silver and more than 200 copper coins.
Once he made more money, Lin Qiuran wanted to build some family business. He could buy a shop or some land and hire someone to cultivate it. The Xiao family didn't have to pay taxes, so he couldn't waste it.
At night, after spending some time together, they went back to their room to sleep. The next morning, before daybreak, Sun woke them up and said, "Qiuran, you have to leave soon."
As the day was short, Sun called her three quarters of an hour later than usual.
Mrs. Huang's home is in the back alley, so it's a short walk away. This is also an advantage of moving to the county town. It's closer to other people's homes than coming from the village.
Lin Qiuran went to bed early yesterday and got up happily. The three of them packed up and Sun went over with a cloth bag containing a knife and seasonings, but when she entered Huang Niangzi's kitchen, she found it was empty.
Maybe they came too early, but vegetables won’t go bad in this weather, so how could there be nothing?
Lin Qiuran went to ask Mrs. Huang, "Mrs. Huang, when will the meat and vegetables be delivered?"
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The author has something to say: Please give me some advice~!
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