Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Disagreement...
Sun's eyes were moist. She smiled, but fearing Lin Qiuran and Xiao Dashi would see her embarrassment, she turned aside and wiped the corners of her eyes. "Right. Even if we have money, we can't just sit there and do nothing. If others see us, they'll be jealous. Let's earn more and save more."
Xiao Dashi chuckled, "Qiu Ran, you're not tired now."
Sun nodded in agreement, "Exactly. I'm not tired at all now."
Compared to farming at home, what's so tiring about it now? Farming didn't even make much money. Now I just wash vegetables at home and sell them outside. Lin Qiuran does everything. It's only when the weather gets cold in autumn that I get cold outside. But the street vendors are all doing the same thing; there's nothing to worry about.
Earning money and eating meat is a good life for Sun and Xiao Dashi.
They never forgot who had brought them these good times. Previously, they had only thought about saving money, living frugally, to leave it for Lin Qiuran and their child. Now, they saw another possibility: earning more money, living a good life. They could enjoy family happiness in the future, watch their child grow up, and see Lin Qiuran get married. Who knows, maybe even see their child get married.
That was all the two of them wished for.
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but smile when she saw the two of them like this. She planned to continue selling vegetables and work less. She told her customers that she wanted to open a shop while looking for shop decoration.
It was the end of September, and although it was cold, it wasn't as harsh as winter. Lin Qiuran didn't care whether she bought the shop from the Xu family or someone else. As long as she signed the paperwork, the shop would be hers.
During this time, she wanted to talk to Chen Yu about selling bean cakes. She remembered that there was a popular snack called fairy bean cakes, which came with various fillings. Maybe she could give it a try.
Lin Qiuran had also tasted the bean cakes made by Chen Yu. Back then, when Sun sent vegetarian steamed buns, Chen Yu reciprocated by sending some bean cakes. They were sweet, with a smooth bean paste, and quite delicious. She sold them cheaper than the pastry shop, and business was brisk every day.
In addition to fermented osmanthus, Lin Qiuran thinks that meat floss can also be added. After adding fillings to the bean cake, the price will definitely double. The novel taste will sell better. No matter how you look at it, it is a profitable business.
Lin Qiuran was 80% sure that Chen Yu would agree. She didn't believe that Chen Yu wanted to set up a stall to sell bean cakes all her life. Small vendors had to get up early and go to bed late, which was the hardest part. Didn't she want to open a small shop to sell it? She could make more money and wouldn't be exposed to the wind and rain.
After saving some money, Lin Qiuran could invest it as capital. Isn't this how Xu Yuanheng does business? If he finds a good and suitable one, he will invest money in it. The only difference is that Lin Qiuran doesn't have that much money.
Lin Qiuran planned to tell Chen Yu tomorrow that he would let it go today and let Chen Yu take a day off.
In the afternoon, the family ground and prepared the spices, saying they couldn't wait until the last two days of the five-day process. They spent the afternoon grinding and sifting the spices, and Lin Qiuran then arranged them according to the proportions. The three of them worked meticulously, with Sun and Xiao Dashi being particularly attentive. To them, spices were money, and lots of it.
When they signed the paperwork, they had simply followed Lin Qiuran's lead, having no idea how much they could sell for or how much they could earn. They'd assumed that even though Lin Qiuran was selling at a high price, he'd only be able to sell two cans. Now that they knew, they were naturally proceeding with caution.
The powder is ground very finely, and nothing can be done with it. After it is ground, it is waiting for Lin Qiuran to mix it according to the ratio. The mixed powder is sealed in a wooden barrel to prevent dust from falling.
The uncooked ones were also put away. As long as they were ground, Lin Qiuran would mix them immediately. If Xu Yuanheng sent someone to the Xiao family, he would only see the finished ones and the ones that were not cooked at all.
The three of them talked while doing this, and they finished quickly. It took them an entire afternoon and half an hour in the evening to make most of the spices.
The next day, the Xiao family set up their stall as usual. This time, when someone asked Sun and Xiao Dashi when they would have a shop, they no longer said they didn't know. Instead, they said, "Maybe we'll rent a shop in a few days."
Lin Qiuran told them that he wanted to buy one, but he certainly couldn't tell outsiders that. Besides, there were vendors around, and Aunt Yu's family was also selling it here. If they heard that the Xiao family wanted to buy one, they would think they had made a lot of money.
Aunt Yu's family are all nice people, but we still have to be careful of them.
Sun said, "It's cold now, and if we have a shop, we can sit down and eat. If we really rent a shop, we will definitely go and support it."
"Of course! Braised pork is a must!"
Sun smiled and nodded to take the money. The weather was warmer today, there were many people on the street, and the Xiao family stall was doing good business.
Lin Qiuran finished cooking in the morning, took a short break, and then headed out to the street. She needed to buy something for lunch. The fish was fresh, and since she hadn't eaten it in a while, she bought one. She also had shrimp, which she bought, planning to make a dry pot shrimp dish for lunch. After all, she had made some money, so she deserved a good meal.
There were potatoes at home, perfect as a side dish. Green vegetables were rare these days, and if they were available, they were expensive, so Lin Qiuran wouldn't buy any.
She walked around the end of the street. There was only a small amount of braised lamb left at the stall, and the vegetarian dishes were selling very quickly. However, Chen Yu's stall still had those bean cakes. Lin Qiuran didn't see any osmanthus wine and mung bean cakes.
Fortunately, if Chen Yu had already been sold, Lin Qiuran would not know how to speak.
Chen Yu called Lin Qiuran, “Sister Qiuran, I’ll make you some bean cakes!”
Lin Qiuran said, "No, I don't feel like eating bean cakes these days."
Chen Yu paused and smiled, "That's right. If I didn't have to make money, I wouldn't want to sell it."
Lin Qiuran said, "Business still needs to be done."
She felt a little relieved, smiled at Chen Yu, and then went to the Xiao family stall again, "Mom, I'll go back and cook, and bring you food at noon."
Just then, a customer finished buying some meat and looked at the fish in Lin Qiuran's hand. His eyes lit up and he said, "Madam Lin, I haven't eaten fish in a long time. If I open a shop, I must have fish!"
Lin Qiuran nodded, "Don't worry."
Seeing that there were many guests at the moment, Mrs. Sun was afraid that Lin Qiuran would be squeezed, so she quickly waved her hand and said, "Go back quickly."
Lin Qiuran carried the fish and shrimp home and looked around. She was a little wary, afraid that someone would sneak in while she was away. Fortunately, nothing was moved in the house.
Reassured, she began to light the fire and cook. She had saved some of the lamb from the morning, braised the fish, and deveined over a pound of shrimp, splitting them in the middle. She then deep-fried the shrimp and potato strips until they were golden.
Then add seasoning and stir-fry together. Chili pepper is indispensable for this dish. Stir-fry a few times and it is ready to serve.
This dish looks good too, and with some sesame seeds sprinkled on it before serving, it has a great color, aroma and flavor.
Lin Qiuran ate first. She hadn't eaten braised fish for a long time. The fish was tender and the soup was tasty. She also sprinkled rice wine when stewing it, so there was no fishy smell at all.
Then, he ate dry-pot shrimp. After all, having only eaten lamb the day after, shrimp was still more appealing to Lin Qiuran. The shrimp meat was seared perfectly dry, the shells crispy and tender, and each bite was filled with a delicious crunch. The freshness of the shrimp and the spice of the seasoning were particularly delicious.
Lin Qiuran couldn't help squinting his eyes when he ate this. The shrimp meat was burnt dry. Compared with the braised prawns, this one was crispier and more to Lin Qiuran's taste. The potatoes were also delicious, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the sesame seeds added flavor. After eating a bite of potato chips, he could eat a big mouthful of rice.
While eating, Lin Qiuran felt a kick in the stomach.
It wasn't hunger, as usual, but rather someone was kicking her. It felt strange, not hard, more like curiosity than agreement with her that the dry pot shrimp was delicious.
This must be fetal movement, it has never happened before. Lin Qiuran calculated that it is almost five months now, but these days, apart from the fact that her belly is a little bigger, she still hasn't felt anything else. Today is the first time.
I don't know if it's because the child is obedient or because she's in good health, but in any case, this is a good thing for her. However, when her belly gets bigger, it will be more difficult to do things like work.
Lin Qiuran ate two more dry-pot shrimps, and after finishing, he checked his stomach, but this time there was no reaction.
She is probably a child now, but she is just a child. How can she understand what she says?
After dinner, Lin Qiuran washed the dishes and then took the basket to deliver food to Sun and Xiao Dashi. In the past, when they ate, Lin Qiuran would wait by their side, taking a break so they could enjoy their meal. Today, she went to Chen Yu's stall and asked, "Ayu, how's business going? Is it good?"
Chen Yu said: "It's like this every day, it's almost the same. Anyway, I won't starve to death. It's not as good as Sister Lin's business."
Lin Qiuran said, "My parents are both here, and they don't sell the same thing. Speaking of bean cakes, I still think yours tastes better. Think about it, there are quite a few pastry chefs in the county, and the Jiang family probably has a chef who specializes in pastry. In the end, it was you who made it."
Chen Yu was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Lin Qiuran looked around and said, "Ayu, there aren't many customers here at noon. I have something to tell you about business. Why don't we go somewhere else for a while?"
Chen Yu didn't say anything, so Lin Qiuran said again: "I have some ideas for making bean cakes, and I want to tell you about them."
Chen Yu nodded and asked Brother Dong to watch over the stall for her. He was beaten and his injuries looked serious, but no bones were broken. That night, the Jiang family's steward came to the Dong family and gave him two taels of silver, saying that it was for buying medicine and seeing a doctor.
Just buy some safflower oil, there's no need for so much, this is compensation. He's better off than Aunt Zhao, and he continued to sell sesame cakes yesterday.
The two left the street, and Lin Qiuran found a teahouse. After sitting down, he asked the waiter to bring a pot of hot tea.
Chen Yu sat opposite her, and after sitting down, he couldn't help but look at the scenery outside.
Lin Qiuran waited for the waiter to serve tea, poured a cup for Chen Yu, and said, "I think the snacks made by Ayu are delicious. Now it's just a small stall, and who knows, we might open a shop in the future. Haven't you thought about it? Now it's exposed to the wind and sun. If it rains or snows, the business will be gone. It would be great to open a shop."
Lin Qiuran: "It's not much different from setting up a street vendor. If you want good business, the food must be novel and delicious. Taste is the most important thing. I think the old lady of the Jiang family was satisfied after eating that day, not only because the taste was similar, but also because the bean cakes were delicious. What do you think?"
Chen Yu kept his head down, his hand nervously clutching the teacup.
When Lin Qiuran said this, she never raised her head once. Instead, her fingers turned white from holding the teacup with so much force.
Chen Yu was a year younger than Lin Qiuran and still unmarried. She had heard that she had many younger siblings, and sometimes they came to help out. She was a bit thin, with delicate features, but now her brows were furrowed, looking quite pitiful.
Lin Qiuran was originally very confident, but seeing Chen Yu like this, he was no longer confident.
She had a bad feeling in her heart, but she couldn't figure out why. She said, "Chen Yu..."
Chen Yu raised his head, a trace of panic on his face, "Sister Lin, it's all my fault... Yesterday afternoon, someone from the Jiang family came to my house and asked me to be a chef in his pastry shop, and to pay me three taels of silver a month."
Chen Yu's nose felt sore, and tears fell one by one. "I've been setting up my stall here for quite a while, and I have a lot of family members who are waiting for me to make money to support them. I don't have such great ambitions as Sister Lin. I just want to live a stable life, save some money to get married, and hopefully help my family a little. Sister Lin said it very well, it's not exposed to the wind and sun, and I can sell it in the rain and snow... But it doesn't make any difference to me whether it's my own shop or someone else's."
Chen Yu wiped away her tears and lowered her head. "Sister Lin, I really have no choice. The money the Jiang family gave me is not small. I can only set up a stall here for a few days. I can't even make three taels of silver a month..."
Lin Qiuran listened to it, but still didn't understand. Clearly, when she left the Jiang family that day, Chen Yu's eyes also showed joy and relief. When she was taken to the Jiang family, she was also afraid. Did she forget that Brother Dong was beaten and locked up for an entire afternoon?
Lin Qiuran suddenly thought of something. She was afraid that Chen Yu would not agree to it with only three taels of silver. She asked, "How much did you sell the recipe for osmanthus wine and mung bean cake for?"
Chen Yu bit his lower lip and said, "I sold it for thirty taels, and half of it is yours, Sister Lin. I will bring you the money tomorrow."
Chen Yu watched Lin Qiuran make the glutinous rice wine filling, which was made with glutinous rice wine, honey, and a little red bean paste, mixed together and mashed, nothing else.
It's very simple, but the method was thought up by Lin Qiuran. He gave each person five taels of silver that day, so half of it should be given to Lin Qiuran this time.
Lin Qiuran smiled. "You don't need to ask for money. You made the bean cakes and sold the recipe, so you deserve the money. I was just saying it casually today. You... don't take it to heart."
Taking the money meant that she agreed to sell the recipe, but Lin Qiuran disagreed.
If Chen Yu can sell it himself, so can she.
Lin Qiuran didn't know what else to say. Everyone has their own choices. Perhaps if she had talked to Shen Yu yesterday, the result would have been different. She hadn't expected the Jiang family, so busy with the old lady's funeral, to have the time to find someone to buy a house.
Chen Yu was not wrong. Lin Qiuran could not impose his ideas on others. It was Chen Yu's own business to choose what to do.
Lin Qiuran smiled at Shen Yu, and Shen Yu stood up, still looking flustered, “Sister Lin…it’s all my fault. If I had just asked you, it would have been better.”
Lin Qiuran said, "I was just saying it casually, don't take it to heart. Actually, it's better to go to the Jiang family's shop. After all, we have a big tree behind us and can enjoy the shade."
Chen Yu couldn't tell whether this was Lin Qiuran's true words or if she was saying it on purpose. "Sister Lin, if you have any ideas, talk to the Jiang family. They might have been too anxious that day, but they didn't bully us afterwards. They even gave money to those who didn't help. Besides, the money they gave us was not small, more than what we could earn from selling bean cakes for a month. If that's the case, why bother setting up a stall outside?"
Lin Qiuran: "If I really come up with a good idea, I would consider going to the Jiang family. But it was also an accident at the time. Otherwise, I, a cook, would not be able to help much."
Lin Qiuran had nothing more to say. "It's getting late. I'm afraid there will be guests. You should go back too."
She would never make the recipe in her lifetime if she gave it to the Jiang family. It would be better to give it to Xu Yuanheng than to the Jiang family.
Lin Qiuran originally planned to tell Chen Yu that in addition to adding fermented rice wine to bean cake, he could also try making bean cake with meat floss. As he thought about it slowly, there would definitely be more and more ways.
She doesn't know how to make bean cake, what should she do now?
Should I leave it alone or ask Xu Yuanheng? Or should I talk to another dim sum shop? Don't ask the Jiang family's dim sum shop what it's called.
Now that she has Chen Yu, it is impossible to give her money.
Lin Qiuran's mind was a little confused and he couldn't think it through for a while.
Originally, she thought Chen Yu was a good person. She paid the money and Chen Yu did the work. Lin Qiuran could think of some ways and rent a shop to sell. She would definitely make a lot of money, but now it seems that it is no longer possible.
The Jiang family shop is good at making fermented glutinous rice, sweet-scented osmanthus and bean cakes. If this business is good, other businesses will definitely be affected.
Lin Qiuran remembered that she went to Xu's house to cook during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Manager Xu gave her mooncakes from Wufangzhai. Maybe it really was related to Wufangzhai.
Then, by looking at which dim sum shop Chen Yu went to, Lin Qiuran would be able to rule out the Jiang family.
But whether she went there or waited for someone else to come, Lin Qiuran hadn't made up her mind yet. If a dim sum only sold well but didn't affect the others, then even if Xu Yuanheng really managed the dim sum shop, he wouldn't want to make this dim sum.
Meanwhile, Chen Yu followed Lin Qiuran back to South Street. She felt a little regretful, thinking Lin Qiuran was right. She wondered if she could really make money by opening a shop. But she also felt she had made the right choice. Wasn't it good to have someone to protect her?
If you insist on going against others, what good will the outcome be?
Lin Qiuran didn't want the thirty taels of silver, and Chen Yu wouldn't force him to give it. Half of it was fifteen taels. How long would it take to save up that much money? She also said that she gave it to Lin Qiuran, but it was Lin Qiuran who didn't want it, so it wasn't her fault.
However, Chen Yu did have selfish motives, otherwise she would have told Lin Qiuran when she met him today. She would not have waited until Lin Qiuran asked about the recipe before telling him to sell it.
Chen Yu thought, this is not her fault, she made the bean cake. Lin Qiuran can sell it if she wants to, she doesn't care.
After returning home, Sun asked, "What did you talk about?"
After being out for a while, Lin Qiuran was still pregnant, and Sun was a little worried.
Lin Qiuran said, "Nothing, I'll be back soon after you finish eating."
Lin Qiuran could only think positively now. She didn't know Shen Yu very well. She only knew that they sold things together on the street, that he had a good heart, and that he had helped Sun and Xiao Dashi several times. The only other thing she knew about him was that he had many brothers and sisters at home, and she didn't know the rest.
The Xiao family moved from the village to the county town, and everything went smoothly along the way. Perhaps it would be a good thing not to do business in partnership.
Two days passed like this, and heavy rain fell in Yu'an again.
It was raining heavily outside, like beads falling from a broken string. Especially much water fell from the eaves, and the mustard plants in the yard grew a lot.
It was impossible to set up the stall in such heavy rain, so Sun stayed in the house mending clothes and making new ones.
Xiao Dashi's clothes were worn out, so he just had to mend them. Lin Qiuran had to make winter clothes, as her old ones were no longer wearable.
The three of them were in the house and heard someone knocking on the door through the sound of rain.
Xiao Dashi went to open the door wearing a straw raincoat. He saw that it was Manager Xu, who was holding an umbrella. "I came to get the spices. I've finished them. If you're not done, I'll come back tomorrow."
Lin Qiuran had already finished it. Although there was still one day left until the fifth day, everyone was already here and she didn't want them to make a wasted trip.
Manager Xu brought someone in to get something, and Lin Qiuran warned, "Don't get wet in the rain."
Manager Xu: "Be careful, don't get wet in the rain."
Two people carried a bucket, holding an umbrella over the spices. Steward Xu glanced at the rain outside, then at Sun and Xiao Dashi. It was still morning. "Madam Lin, are you free today? Could you come over and make a meal for the Second Young Master? He's had a poor appetite lately and hasn't eaten or drunk anything."
Lin Qiuran thought, what does it have to do with her if he doesn’t want to eat?
Manager Xu added, "Since it's raining today, we won't let Madam Lin go in vain. We'll give her two taels of silver."
Lin Qiuran coughed, but then again, it wouldn’t be good to always not be able to eat.
Xu Yuanheng doesn't come back often, so having a good meal is no big deal.
Two taels of silver was more than what he could earn from selling mutton in a day. Lin Qiuran coughed and said, "It's raining today so I can't go out to sell vegetables. Otherwise, I might not be free. Let's go. Let's finish it early so I can come back for dinner."
Lin Qiuran brought his own knife. Sun was still frightened and said, "I'll go with you."
Lin Qiuran said, "It's okay, I'll be back soon."
Manager Xu said, "Don't worry, Madam. We will send Madam Lin back safely after we are done."
After hearing this, Sun nodded, filled the bottle with water, and Lin Qiuran went out.
Arriving at the Xu family's house, the carriage entered directly through the side door and arrived at the stables. Lin Qiuran followed Manager Xu out of the carriage. She had been to the kitchen several times and knew the way.
Lin Qiuran asked, "Did the Second Young Master tell me what he wanted to eat?"
Manager Xu said, "Red-braised pork, whatever else Madam Lin takes note of."
Lin Qiuran remembered that Xu Yuanheng seemed to like seafood and river fish, so he could make some dry-pot shrimp and two other steamed dishes. When you get paid for something, some things should be forgotten.
Two taels of silver is enough to sell mutton for two days. Now, if you sell that much braised pork in one day, you can only make more than 500 coins. Only a fool would not do this.
When making braised pork now, Lin Qiuran adds rice wine and hawthorns from the Xu family. Another dry pot shrimp dish was made a few days ago.
Seeing that there were still vegetables in the kitchen, Lin Qiuran stir-fried two plates of them. There were also some thirteen-spice mushrooms, which gave it a sweet and fresh taste.
When Lin Qiuran was cooking, she looked at what was in the kitchen and thought about Xu Yuanheng's taste. The fish was very fresh, so she asked the chef to help kill it. She happened to be making pickled fish, which could be considered as a food trial at Xu's house.
The Xu family's kitchen was fully stocked. Onions, ginger, and garlic were sautéed until the fish head and bones were fragrant. Hot water was poured in, and the broth turned milky white. However, the fish bones alone weren't fresh enough, so Lin Qiuran also added dried scallops, dried fish, chicken, and pigeon to the broth.
Lin Qiuran's soup was a golden yellow, and in its white porcelain bowl, it truly looked like golden soup. The chef beside her even marveled at her culinary prowess, though he didn't know it was because of the pumpkin puree she'd added.
Otherwise, who can make golden soup?
The soup base is ready, stir-fry the sour soup to season it. The sourness of the pickled fish comes from the pickled cabbage. Once the pickled cabbage is added, the only thing left is the fish fillet. With a good knife, cutting the fish fillet is also easy. Control the heat and slide the fish fillet into the boiling broth. Then pour it into a bowl, sprinkle some dried chilies on it, and pour hot oil on it.
The taste is sour, spicy and fresh, and it goes perfectly with rice.
The fish ball soup made by Tang Lin Qiuran was served along with the other five dishes after it was ready.
After she finished, she went to find Manager Xu and said, "The food is ready. If there's nothing else, I'll go back first."
Manager Xu said, "Don't worry, Madam Lin. The Second Young Master has some business going on, and it seems to be related to the business of the shops downstairs. It's time for lunch, too. If Madam Lin doesn't mind, let's eat together and talk while we eat."
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The author has something to say: Please water it~[panda head][cat head][come on]
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