Chapter 33 Chapter 33 The Jiang family is the only one...
Sun didn't understand for a moment. What did Aunt Zhao mean by this? She sold steamed buns, and the Xiaos sold steamed buns. How could she say that selling steamed buns affected the Xiaos' business?
Sun said good-naturedly, "Auntie, how could that be? I sell my steamed buns, and you sell your dumplings. We're so far apart, how could I possibly affect your business? You're really saying something interesting."
Aunt Zhao put her hands on her hips and said, "Why wouldn't it have an impact? You sell steamed buns here, so people who used to buy steamed buns from you and then come to me after buying vegetables now don't want to come to me anymore. If you start selling steamed buns, what will happen to my business? It's already been halfway through today, and I've only sold a dozen or so buns!"
It was already 9:00 a.m., more than half an hour had passed. It was a cold day, and the Xiao family's business was booming; the steamed buns were almost sold out.
For one hundred steamed buns, there must be at least fifty or sixty customers, all of whom originally came to her house to buy buns!
Xiao Dashi frowned. How could this person be so unreasonable? He was a man, though, and couldn't argue with a woman. If he spoke up, he'd be accused of bullying the minority by relying on his numbers.
Why are you so unreasonable?
Sun finally understood. It turned out that Aunt Zhao, her customer, had blamed her. She had never noticed this before, and she had never noticed that customers who bought vegetables at the Xiao family would stop by Aunt Zhao to buy a few buns.
There are other things to buy, how can I keep an eye on them?
Sun always thought that Lin Qiuran was alone at home, so she should go back quickly after selling everything to avoid her worrying.
Sun didn't mind her business bringing customers to other families; they were all on the same street, and harmony brought prosperity. But she couldn't just give up selling steamed buns because she wanted to be considerate of others. Besides, she didn't even sell steamed buns. If she couldn't even sell steamed buns, she was afraid that customers would not buy Zhao's buns. How could that be?
The boy selling sesame cakes nearby couldn't stand it any longer. "Auntie, why are all of you the Xiao family's customers? Isn't it natural for you to buy two steamed buns after buying vegetables? What's it got to do with you? You're acting like a robber. Why don't you just stop selling everything else on the street and just buy your steamed buns?"
Aunt Sun, let me trade with you and see if she still has something to say."
Besides, the Zhao family steams more than 200 buns a day, while the Xiao family only sells 100 steamed buns a day. Some people who don’t want to eat steamed buns will still buy buns. If you really want to wait for the Xiao family’s customers, then just wait.
Asking for food is reasonable.
Who would be willing to sell things next to this person after this?
Sun saw that the young man was tall and strong. Although he looked ordinary, he had a good heart and often helped and took care of the business. She couldn't help feeling warm in her heart.
She nodded, and the boy said, "Auntie, I'd love to sell next to you. Who knows, I might even be able to buy a couple of pancakes with the vegetables I buy."
Originally, there was a young lady selling bean cakes on the left side of the stall selling sesame cakes. These were snacks and had little to do with vegetables, but the Xiao family stall was doing good business, and they were proud to have a stall next to theirs, so they came over to help move the stall.
With several people together, the positions were changed quickly.
Aunt Zhao was dumbfounded when she saw their positions had been swapped. "Hey, Sister Sun, I didn't ask you to switch. I just said that your family shouldn't steam buns anymore..."
Sun said coldly, "What we sell is none of your business. Just eat the radish and mind your own business. Sell your buns."
The Xiao family's stall was originally a little further back, but this time it was moved closer to the front.
Business is good today. No matter what you buy, you'll always take two steamed buns with you. It's rare to buy just one. The steamed buns smell really good, with a sweet wine aroma as you pass by. They're light yellow in color and look so big they're soft in your hands. Some people buy them and eat them right away for breakfast, and after they're done, they ask if they'll sell them tomorrow.
Don't buy too much at one time, but if there is still some left tomorrow, it's okay.
Sun didn't know either, so she just responded with "I'll do it later". It must be said that this steamed bun is very useful.
Meat usually sells the fastest, but today it is slow because mutton is expensive. Most people buy half a catty, and few buy a catty. Only one person bought two catties at once, saying that he was hosting a family banquet and was short of two dishes for lunch, two catties of mutton and two catties of vegetables. He also bought the remaining six steamed buns, for a total of 118 coins.
When Lin Qiuran arrived, there was only mutton left in the pot. All the vegetables had been sold out, and there were still three or four pounds of mutton.
Sales are slowing down. The food has gone cold in the past half day. When it gets cold, the fat solidifies, and it doesn't look as appetizing as it did when it was fresh out of the pot. That's the downside of not being able to heat it up. Lin Qiuran also considered getting a pot, but that would require a stove and firewood, which wouldn't be convenient for the two of them.
Sun urged Lin Qiu to go back first, "It's almost sold out, we don't need you anymore, go home and work."
Lin Qiuran said, "I just came to take a look. You two brought some drinks."
She brought rice wine, and since she brewed so much, she couldn't use it all up even when cooking. She drank to warm herself up, so she put it in a bamboo tube and brought it over. She also noticed that the stall had changed, and Lin Qiuran gave a bamboo tube of sweet rice wine to someone nearby. "Brother and sister, my parents are old, and thanks to you for taking care of them, this is homemade. Try something new."
According to the original stall, it could have been given to Aunt Zhao today, but the location was changed, so Lin Qiuran didn't give it to her.
Seeing this, Aunt Zhao couldn't help but chirp, "You're being so attentive for no reason. Do you really think you're just taking care of these two old people?"
It's because the Xiao family's business is good that they all stick it there. Even if it doesn't matter much, there are many people coming here, and over time they can take advantage of it.
Seeing that Sun was honest, she really did change. But it was tough for her. She had sold more than 200 buns in the morning, and only a small half of them. In the past, she could sell most of them in the morning, and then sell them all in the afternoon. Today, she didn't know when she would sell them all.
Aunt Zhao was furious, but she was still thinking about Lin Qiuran, so she didn't dare to say anything too harsh. Lin Qiuran was going to marry her son, and she still dared to act like this. It was her son who had the final say. She really thought she was a big deal just because she could cook two dishes.
Aunt Zhao cursed in her heart for the whole morning, but she couldn't beat the Xiao family's good business, so she closed her stall early.
Some people didn't buy it, while others were waiting to see what was on the horizon. It looked delicious, but it was too expensive. They would rather buy two pounds of meat to satisfy their cravings. But the homemade ones didn't taste the same, and they couldn't help but sigh that they had wasted their money.
I'll wait and ask people who have bought it what it tastes like next time. If so many people still buy it, they might as well buy one to try.
Sun and Xiao Dashi returned home before noon. They had more than a pound of mutton left, so they didn't sell it out. Instead, they brought it back as a side dish for lunch.
Make some rice and stew some vegetables, heat up the mutton and you can eat it.
Lin Qiuran hadn't specifically stayed this morning, so after unloading the things, Xiao Dashi went to wash the bucket. Lin Qiuran carried the mutton to the kitchen and asked casually, "Mom, why did you change the stall?"
Sun said simply, "This is just selling steamed buns. If you really sell your soup dumplings, I wonder how angry you'll be."
Lin Qiuran remembered that there were two or three bun shops on the street, not just hers. Why should she look down on her family selling steamed buns? Besides, if the business was really brought in by her family, why wouldn't she just talk to them? She took it for granted like this, and who would want to be the one being taken advantage of?
Lin Qiuran said, "It's okay to change it. Even if she doesn't want it, there are others who are willing."
Sun nodded. "That's right. Look at the money. The purse is much heavier today than yesterday."
Going home every day is the happiest time for Sun. She can see Lin Qiuran, rest, and count money.
Lin Qiuran estimated that she could earn one or two taels of silver today. She and Sun went back to the house to count, and there were 2,330 coins. After deducting the miscellaneous costs, the profit was 1,800 coins.
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but smile, "Mom, there are a lot of them today."
It was exhausting, though. Lin Qiuran woke up early to cook and make steamed buns. Sun and Xiao Dashi also rose early, one to fetch the meat, the other to wash and chop the vegetables. It wasn't easy, after all. While doing this, Lin Qiuran couldn't help but rub his waist, but now, seeing the money, he temporarily forgot all the hard work and worries.
This is a lot. It’s the first time I made so much money without cooking for others.
Sun also laughed. Who would have thought that they could make so much money in a day? "It's a lot of money. It would be great if I could sell mutton every day."
Lin Qiuran agreed. She said, "Mom, let's get rid of the braised fish for now. We can just have the braised pork and the braised lamb. We can give out some steamed buns every day, and we can make quite a bit of money."
She hadn't thought of anything to replace the chili peppers, and pickled fish wasn't easy to make right now, so it was better to just leave them out. Fish was cheap, and to earn enough to make 40 kilograms of pork belly, she'd have to cook over 30 fish, each weighing two or three kilograms, which was even more laborious. Not only was buying and selling fish tiring, but Lin Qiuran was also tired from cooking.
Originally, I thought that the fish was cheap so that I could cater to all customers, but now the stalls have both expensive and cheap items.
It’s cold to prepare fish in winter. Just wait until you think of a suitable dish to add it to, otherwise forget it.
Sun nodded. "Okay, and sometimes the weather is bad, so we change the dishes about every three days."
Lin Qiuran said, "Then let Dad go and tell him."
I'd told the fish vendor before that if I bought more, I'd get a discount, but now that I don't want fish, I definitely have to tell him. I bought the tofu at the regular price, so I won't be using it anymore.
The two even specifically asked what was going on, after all, they were big customers. When they learned that it was cold and difficult to make, they didn't say much, just said, "Come back to me if you need it in the future. I'll give you a discount."
The weather not only affects the Xiao family's business, but also affects other people's business.
Lin Qiuran was glad that she had changed to mutton. In the future, when she had a banquet, she could ask if she wanted to add this dish, but she hadn't received a banquet for some time.
In the afternoon, Zhao Shi arrived at the Xiao family's house with a cart of goods. The cart was filled with everything, and Zhao Shi said, "Madam Lin, you can pick first. I'll sell it to others after you've picked."
Lin Qiuran ordered the cheap dried cowpeas, as well as potatoes, preserved meats, and pickled vegetables. He almost booked half the truck. There was a lot of stuff, and the Xiao family only had three rooms, no warehouse, so most of the stuff was stored in the house where Sun and Xiao Dashi lived. Otherwise, it would easily spoil if left outside in the rain, and there was also the fear of rats eating it.
A total of four taels of silver were spent. After buying these, Lin Qiuran did not plan to buy anything else and planned to save money first.
She was preparing a banquet for the Zhao family on the second day of the Lunar New Year, but that was originally scheduled at the beginning of the previous month. Since then, except for cooking for the Xu family and failing to cook for Mrs. Huang's, she hasn't received a banquet in a long time. It's not that she hasn't had any business. In the month since she moved here, there have been three weddings and two funerals in this alley. For things like a full moon or a first birthday, there's no gongs or drums, and Lin Qiuran didn't know about it.
This was just the nearby area; Lin Qiuran didn't know about other places. She could only comfort herself that cooking at home would definitely be more economical, as not everyone could afford to hire someone else to prepare a banquet.
Fortunately, he was making money every day, but now half of the family's savings had been exchanged for goods, and there had been no news from Manager Xu, which made Lin Qiuran feel anxious.
She asked the Xu family once, and Manager Xu said there was no news yet. Lin Qiuran went to the grocery store and saw that several stores had Thirteen Spices on display, but the jars were small, a bit like the size of the barbecue seasoning jars in the past, white porcelain jars, and such a small jar cost two cents of silver.
It looked cheap, but what Lin Qiuran sold to Chen Cang was worth four cans. That said, Lin Qiuran only sold it for five cents, and compared to Xu Yuanheng, she couldn't even be considered a businessman.
She didn't know if they sold well or not, but whenever she went there, she'd always see them displayed prominently in the grocery store. Lin Qiuran didn't ask again, and continued to live her life peacefully.
Lin Qiuran took a nap in the afternoon. After waking up, he prepared the dishes for tomorrow, soaked dried cowpeas, washed potatoes, and brewed rice wine so that they could be used directly tomorrow.
After finishing all this, Lin Qiuran noticed that it was getting dark. The days were getting shorter as the weather cooled. Sun went to cook dinner, and Xiao Dashi locked the door. Smoke rose from every household, and as the sun set, the day was over.
There was little rain in September, with only one rain event until the middle of the month.
The only day I didn't set up the stall was this day; business was good on other days.
After moving out from Aunt Zhao's bun stall, the people around the Xiao family stall were very kind. The lady selling bean cakes was nice, and the guy selling sesame cakes was also nice and always helped.
Sun often told Lin Qiuran that Lin Qiuran would ask Sun to get them some vegetarian steamed buns for free, and would always get a few bean cakes and baked buns in return.
Over time, they became familiar with each other. The young woman selling bean cakes was surnamed Shen, with a single given name of Yu. The man selling sesame cakes was surnamed Dong, and I didn't know his full name, but I always heard Shen Yu call him Brother Dong. The two had a good relationship, and although neither of them was married, it seemed like they had that intention.
They are all kind-hearted people, and they won't always keep an eye on the Xiao family's business. Sun didn't tell Lin Qiuran that Aunt Zhao always came to the stall to see how much her family sold.
Anyway, I feel much more comfortable after moving out.
Since switching places with the pancake stall, Aunt Zhao's bun stall hasn't been doing very well. Buns aren't expensive, and there are three bun stalls on this street alone. The taste varies, but people don't demand much from cheap food; as long as it's filling, they're fine, whether it's near or far away.
In the past, people would just buy whatever they wanted, but now Brother Dong would always shout, "Customers, come and buy some sesame seed cakes. Look at these freshly baked ones, how crispy they are. They are delicious whether you soak them in mutton or broth. They are only two cents a piece, and they have meat filling inside! Try these freshly baked sesame seed cakes!"
I bought some pancakes before I even got to Aunt Zhao's place. Aunt Zhao's face was blacker than charcoal.
Not only that, she also had a stall next to her selling Jiangxiang pancakes, which was doing pretty well.
The one selling the sauce-flavored cakes was none other than Aunt Yu and her family.
Lin Qiuran didn't expect that Aunt Yu and the others would act so quickly. They started working as soon as they said they would, and within a few days, everything was ready.
Living in the village, it was naturally inconvenient to come to the county town to sell things. Every day, I would make the cakes and then wrap them in quilts and send them to the county town. The taste was not so good, but there was no other way. I would sell and cut them on the spot and go back after selling them.
I didn't dare to make too much on the first day, so I made ten pounds of flour. After calculating the cost halfway through the night, I finally set the price at eight cents per pound of pancakes. One pound of flour makes two pounds of pancakes, so after accounting for other costs, I could make about half the profit.
It smells very fragrant. Eating this at noon is very filling and you basically don’t need to eat anything else. Although half a pound may not seem like a lot, it tastes strong and oily. You have to drink water after eating it. It will keep you from feeling hungry for half a day. It is much better than buying two meat buns and is very popular among those who do hard labor.
Although the stall is at the back of this street, some people also come from the back street.
They were sold out in half a day on the first day, and I made 20 kilograms in half a day on the second day. Later, I kept increasing the quantity until it reached 50 kilograms.
Lin Qiuran didn't care about her family's business. If she interfered in everything, she wouldn't be able to tell whether it was the Xiao family's business or the Li family's business. She only asked whether it cost money. It would be tiring to push the cart back every day, otherwise she could leave the cart at the Xiao family's first and work here early, which would be easier.
Aunt Yu smiled and said, "No, we plan to move here."
Aunt Yu was content with earning two hundred coins a day and planned to rent a house in the county town. She wasted her time traveling every day. If she moved to the county town, she would have a large family and could sell goods in the afternoons and evenings.
Lin Qiuran of the Xiao family is pregnant, and Xiao Dashi of the Sun family is too old to compete, but the Li family can.
With two sons and a daughter, she and Uncle Li are not afraid of being tired.
She said, "Qiu Ran, can you help me find a tooth maker? I'll take some time to look at the house."
This is easy, Lin Qiuran went directly to find Zhao Guangcai.
Renting a house was much easier; it was settled in just three days. The rent was three taels a month, or three taels and six taels a year. It was cheap, but it had to be paid all at once for six months.
Fortunately, the Li family had some savings, enough to pay the rent. There were also three rooms, so the whole family had to squeeze in. The two brothers shared one, and Taohua had a smaller room partitioned off between the couple's room. Everything else was fine, though the space was a bit small.
Aunt Yu plans to live like this for now and talk about it later.
The moving day was set for the 19th. The Xiao family stopped doing business for the day. Sun and Xiao Dashi wanted to go back to the village to help, but Aunt Yu refused. "We don't have much stuff, and the five of us at home can move it. We can just come over at noon to help out. But you must come!"
This is a rented house, so it's not considered a move, but I'm in a county town where I'm unfamiliar with the place, so it's good to have some hustle and bustle around to avoid being bullied.
At three quarters past four, the family of three arrived carrying gifts. The Li family had almost finished packing. Having more people is good; everything can be done faster.
Aunt Yu accepted the gift without hesitation and invited the three of them to come in and sit down.
She poured sugar water for the three of them. Before Lin Qiuran had even finished drinking it or even looked at the house, Aunt Yu stuffed a purse into her pocket and said, "Qiuran, our family has been doing business for a total of thirteen days. Business was slow in the first few days, but we made two hundred coins a day the next few days. We've made a total of two thousand four hundred coins these days. This is half a draught of money. I'll count it as your share of the shares. It might be less at the beginning, but as you make more money later, you'll get more."
Lin Qiaoran was stunned. She really didn't expect Aunt Yu to give her money. She gave the recipe to repay a favor, not to ask for money. She said, "Aunt, you all know how to make this kind of home-cooked dish. The money is earned by your hard work..."
Aunt Yu didn't wait for Lin Qiuran to finish and said seriously, "We did it, so we shamelessly took 80% and gave you 20%. We have many children at home, and we need to marry them both and save up a dowry for Taohua. Don't think it's too little, you must accept it."
Lin Qiuran couldn't refuse, and was also glad that he didn't choose the wrong person.
Aunt Yu breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't tell the Xiao family about letting Taohua go. They had just moved in, and she was afraid that sending Taohua there would only cause trouble for the Xiao family.
In her heart, the Xiao family has done a great favor to the Li family.
The three of them ate at Li's house and then returned. Even though Aunt Yu's family had moved in, they each lived their own lives. Living far away, they didn't often visit each other. Although they could see each other when selling things, they were still busy with their own things.
At the end of the month, Lin Qiuran did her accounting at home. She first learned the words she could use. The account book was very useful so that she could look through it at any time in the future.
I didn't have any banquets this month, relying solely on selling braised pork and vegetables. The money I spent on stocking up on cowpeas has paid off. I still have plenty of cowpeas and dried potatoes at home, which will last until spring. I also have 1,500 kilograms of potatoes, which will last me another two months. If they're not enough, I can just buy more.
The braised mutton made the Xiao family earn a lot of extra money. Lin Qiuran exchanged the copper coins and got a total of twelve taels. Not counting the change, there were still twenty-two taels left at home.
This money is enough to rent a suitable shop before winter.
There had been no news from the Xu family. If they could make some money, they might be able to buy one. If she could save some money from her business in the winter, she could buy someone. She had no plans for Taohua.
Taohua was only eight years old, too young. In Lin Qiuran's heart, she was just a child. Being an apprentice was fine, but if she had to get up early every day to wash and chop vegetables, not only would Aunt Yu, her mother, feel distressed, but Lin Qiuran couldn't bear it either.
Besides, the Li family has now come to the county to do business, and the family also needs help. They give dividends every month, so why bother to mention letting Taohua come to the Xiao family?
If there are not enough people, you can either invite or buy.
Lin Qiuran prefers to buy one. When she has children in the future, it will be much more convenient to buy one. If she hires someone, she is worried that the recipe will be leaked.
But my house is so small now that it can’t accommodate more people, so everything has to wait until we have a shop.
There were two sunny days at the end of the month. It is almost October and the weather has become much colder. It is difficult to get up and cook. There are fewer people on the streets and sales are not as fast as before.
Those who hibernate during the winter and don't work are reluctant to spend money. Currently, Sun and Xiao Dashi can only sell for a little longer at noon and ask Lin Qiuran to bring them lunch.
Today, Lin Qiuran made fried golden eggs and two servings of rice. She also gave them a few pieces of the mutton she had saved from the morning. She finished her meal first and then went to the street to deliver food.
The others either made do with buns or ate from their own stalls. Sun and Xiao Dashi had Lin Qiuran deliver their meals, but they were perfectly content. The food was always hot, and most importantly, delicious.
Yesterday, Lin Qiuran made hand-shredded cabbage, stir-fried with lard and seasoned with chili peppers. It tasted especially fragrant. The heat was just right, and the cabbage was crispy and sweet, even the stems were delicious.
Lin Qiuran thought today's dish was pretty good, too. The fried golden egg was crispy and crumbly. Her family always made braised pork, so there was no shortage of oil. She was also adventurous enough to season it, cooking it over high heat, and the taste was just as good as the meat.
The first few times, Lin Qiuran would bring food to Aunt Yu's house, but after two times, Aunt Yu said she didn't need it. Although she should give her a share, Lin Qiuran's belly was getting bigger and bigger, so making one more portion would require more effort.
I'm already tired, why bother?
Lin Qiuran went to South Street, but there was no sign of Sun and Xiao Dashi. There was only a stall. Not only were they gone, but Chen Yu, the bean cake vendor, was also gone, as were Aunt Yu and Dahu.
Fortunately, Brother Dong, who was selling sesame cakes, was there, but his face was blue. Without waiting for Lin Qiuran to ask, he said, "Madam Lin, Aunt Sun and the others have been asked to leave."
"Please leave, officials?"
Brother Dong raised his arm and accidentally pulled the wound. He took a breath and said, "No, it's the Jiang family in the county. They said the old lady at home has a poor appetite, so they invited everyone who can make snacks and cook here to come over."
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