Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Opening ceremony...
Aunt Yu was still a little confused. She took a bite of meat and raised an eyebrow, saying, "How would I know? I haven't even asked."
He even asked Sun if she was short of money. Who says that?
Dahu poked the rice in the bowl twice with his chopsticks. Uncle Li kept his head down. Erhu glanced at Dahu and said nothing.
Da Hu pursed his lips and said, "But if you own a shop, whether it's rented or bought, it means you have some spare money and you don't need the little things we have at home."
The Li family worked in the county town for a month. Last month, they paid the Xiao family a total of 500 coins. It was not much that time, but they made a lot after that.
They set up their stalls morning and night, and Uncle Li also went out to work in the morning. At the end of the day, they could earn four or five hundred coins. Excluding the rainy days, their earnings totaled nine taels of silver. But they had to give 20% to the Xiao family, leaving only seven taels of silver for the family.
Two taels of silver was not a shortage for the Xiao family, but it was a lot of money for the Li family. Da Hu was sixteen years old, and at the right age for marriage, so for him, two taels of silver was already a lot.
The house is rented; we need to buy one and save for the bride price. With so many people in our family, a small house isn't enough. Every penny counts for a lot in the Li family these days. With several taels of silver a month, it'll take several months to buy a house. I wonder if I'll have enough money saved by the middle of next year.
Da Hu lowered his head and said, "Mom, if Aunt Sun's family was poor and life was not easy, with two elderly people and a pregnant woman at home, I would help them without hesitation. But now our family is far from being as well off as the Xiao family, yet we still have to give money to their family."
Da Hu felt that he couldn't always think about the hardship faced by the two elderly people and a pregnant woman in the Xiao family. He also had to think about his own life. His family had to save money to buy a house and marry him off. It was such a big deal, and he was still giving money to others. He didn't need it.
When they borrowed money from the Xiao family, they didn't have much savings, but they still borrowed one or two taels of silver. He was not happy at the time, but Yu said that it was not easy for the three of them, so they would help if they could.
Besides, it's not like they won't pay it back. We've been neighbors for over a decade, so it's not like they don't even have that much trust. They say you should help in emergencies, not in poverty. I agreed to help Da Hu, but what does this mean now?
His family worked hard to earn this much money. The Xiao family's business had always been better than his own. Now that the Xiao family had opened a shop, he still wanted to help? Why did the poor have to help the rich? He was grateful to Lin Qiuran for giving him a way to make money, but it was his mother who had arranged for Lin Qiuran to work in Yujiazhuang.
There are so many ways to express gratitude, do you have to give money? Can't you just go and visit with gifts during the holidays? Besides, the family members are so tired that they fall asleep as soon as they get home, and the Xiao family only gave the recipe.
Moreover, Lin Qiuran had declined the offer at first, but it was his mother who insisted on giving it to him.
Aunt Yu now understood what Da Hu was trying to do. She thought something was wrong with him today because he didn't eat much and had a sullen face all the time.
The candlelight flickered in the kitchen, and the family of five sat around the table. Uncle Li said nothing, his head lowered as he ate his food. It seemed Dahu had goaded him on his way home that afternoon. Erhu was still young and didn't understand. Taohua was even younger, her eyes filled with confusion.
Aunt Yu was originally happy for the Xiao family, and since her family was making money, she prepared such a table of dishes.
She nodded calmly and said, "That's fine. If you don't want a share, then don't give it. Tomorrow you and your father will find a job in the county town, either as a farmhand or an apprentice. Just don't stay home. Erhu too, don't be idle. How much you earn depends on your ability. If you can't make ends meet in the county town, we can go back to the village."
Da Hu was dumbfounded. The joy on his face after hearing that they wouldn't pay him hadn't faded yet. Now he was just stunned and bewildered. "Mom, I only said I wouldn't give them a share. I didn't say I'd quit."
Aunt Yu threw her chopsticks on the table and asked, "What are you doing?"
With a "bang", Uncle Li and the others were startled.
Da Hu's lips twitched, and Aunt Yu looked at him. "How dare you do this? This is the recipe given by the Xiao family. How could you make so much money without it? If you don't want to give me a share, fine. But I don't have the face to sell this on the street anymore."
Aunt Yu was furious, and the more she talked, the angrier she got. She said, "How could you be so imaginative? You don't know what it means to repay a favor. You just want money. 80% left at home is not enough. People can make as much as they want. That's their ability. We don't have their recipes, so we're nothing!"
Da Hu stammered, "Mom... I didn't say I wasn't grateful to the Xiao family. It's just that they don't need money, and we are short of money. There's no need to express gratitude with money."
Aunt Yu was even glad that Da Hu said that if he got married in the future, the family could sell sauce cakes together. After teaching his wife how to make them, the two of them might go out and do it on their own.
Aunt Yu said, "Let me put it this way. No matter how much money the Xiao family makes, that's their own ability. If we want to make sauce cakes, we'll give them 20% of the profit. If we don't make them, there's nothing they can say. We have to be grateful. If we can't be good people, we'll have to be even worse at business."
Under the candlelight, Da Hu's face turned red, and it was unclear whether he was embarrassed or what.
Uncle Li nodded and said, "Your mother is right. If it weren't for the Xiao family, we wouldn't be able to move to the county town. We should learn to be grateful."
Originally, the Xiao family wanted to help them, and they forced the money on them. Now that the Xiao family has made money, they want to take the money back. This is not how things are done.
"Money can be earned slowly. If you treat people well, they will treat you well too. We are unfamiliar with the county town, so we are close to the Xiao family. If you don't give us a share, the relationship will end." Uncle Li sighed and said, "Look further ahead. Don't always think that being able to make money by selling it is your ability. Without this recipe, you have nothing."
Aunt Yu saw Da Hu lowering his head and said, "If you have a better way to make money, no matter how much you make, you won't give it to the Xiao family. This won't work. Even 20% is too little for me. It's not your turn to make decisions about family matters. Your father and I are not dead yet."
After Aunt Yu finished speaking, she glared at Uncle Li. Uncle Li smiled awkwardly. He originally thought that the Xiao family was not short of money, so it would not matter if they gave a little less. But then he thought it was not right.
Originally, the other party didn't want the money, but forced it upon him. Now he doesn't want to give it back. How can he be so two-faced?
Da Hu nodded, "...I'll listen to my mother."
Aunt Yu didn't believe it. She lost her appetite. When Da Hu wanted to eat meat, she also hit his chopsticks and said, "How dare you eat meat like this?"
After dinner, Aunt Yu also told Taohua, "Don't tell anyone the recipe even if they ask."
Taohua nodded ignorantly, "Mom, I won't tell anyone."
After this incident, Aunt Yu thought more about it. Since she moved to the county town, her family had a small stall and business was pretty good. Some people had indeed been asking about Da Hu these days.
Da Hu is a man of many ideas, so he should choose a wife who is honest, kind, and loyal. If he chooses a woman who is competitive and mean, he will end up marrying a troublemaker.
Aunt Yu was very angry today and took her share the next day.
The two families didn't sign any paperwork, and Aunt Yu had never done business before, so she just sent money whenever she was free. She smiled and said, "This time it's more than last time. My family is so grateful to you. I don't know what to say."
Sun was happy for her. "That's because you are capable and willing to work hard. Now that you have made money, you can also find a wife for Dahu. Wait a moment, I will get you some bean cakes."
Sun gave Aunt Yu two pounds of bean cakes, which were delivered by Wufangzhai. Wufangzhai's business was good, but sometimes it couldn't sell all the cakes. The remaining bean cakes would not be sold the next day. Manager Xu was in charge of the shop and would occasionally deliver them here.
Aunt Yu was stunned. The total was only two taels of silver, and she had to take two kilograms of bean cakes. How could she justify that? "No, no, give it to Qiuran."
Sun stuffed it into Aunt Yu's arms and said, "There's more at home. Take it back and feed it to the children."
Aunt Yu thought about that good-for-nothing and said she wouldn't give him a share. She felt ashamed when she thought about it, but since Sun was sincere in giving it to her, she could only take the snacks back.
After returning home, Da Hu came over to see it again, but Aunt Yu glared at him and said, "This is given by your Aunt Sun. You are not allowed to eat it."
*
Sun came into the house with a purse and handed the silver to Lin Qiuran, "Your aunt Yu is here to give you her share."
Lin Qiuran weighed it and found two taels of silver in it. His family was short of money, and two more taels of silver could solve the urgent problem.
Nowadays, everything costs money. Buying pots, pans, and utensils costs one or two taels and five cents. Then there are the food samples, seasonings, spices, and other miscellaneous things. Everything costs money.
He also went to the government office to get business documents. The documents didn't cost any money, but Lin Qiuran made some arrangements so that it would be convenient for him to do business in the future. The money he earned these days was quickly spent.
Including the two taels now, there are still three taels and five cents left at home, which can be used in case of emergency, so we don’t have to live so tightly.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "That's perfect. Whatever you need, you can get it."
The family's shop is scheduled to open on the 16th. In the past two days, Lin Qiuran has been going to the shop to try out the dishes and cook, and to get familiar with the stoves there. Wan Niang also went to help.
She has a child, but the child is too young and needs someone to feed him, so her mother brought the child here and looked after him in the next room.
Originally, Lin Qiuran was worried that Wan Niang would always be busy taking care of the child and would be distracted, but fortunately, Wan Niang would only come over when Aunt Xu called her.
After a few days, Wan Niang already knew how to prepare the dishes she was going to make. She had to cut the stir-fried potatoes into shreds and soak them in water, and also cut some shredded carrots.
The slices of boiled pork should be cut against the grain, patted a few times with the back of the knife and dipped in a little cornstarch. Wan Niang was not familiar with the method at first and was slow, but she was serious and meticulous in her work and did a great job, so Lin Qiuran didn't have to redo it.
The dishes were prepared and cooked right away, including boiled pork slices with bean sprouts and bean slices, ginger duck with rice wine and ginger slices, and several cold dishes such as crispy pork and braised pork liver and pig ears. I decided to serve all of them after trying them three times.
The staple food is fermented rice and steamed buns, which should be prepared in advance.
Wan Niang was busy following Lin Qiuran all day long. She had hardly gone out since she gave birth to the child. The first time she went out, her daughter was by her side and she didn't have to worry about her. Soon she became reluctant to leave.
Since there were no customers, they all ate the dishes Lin Qiuran cooked. The boiled pork slices were spicy and delicious, and she had never tasted anything so spicy and delicious before.
There were also pickled cabbage, spicy and sour potato shreds, crispy rice potatoes, braised cold dishes, and pork skin jelly...everything was delicious. Furthermore, Wanniang thought that not only was Lin Qiuran's steamed buns delicious, but even his steamed rice was more fragrant than the ones she made at home.
She couldn't help but ask: "Qiuran, where did you buy this rice?"
Wanniang also wants to buy some.
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but smile and said, "It's just ordinary rice, but I put some glutinous rice in it, so it's more smooth and sticky when steamed."
Of course, the amount to put in is also important. If you put too little, it will be useless. If you put too much, it will be too sticky and taste like a zongzi without any zongzi flavor.
Wan Niang smiled and said, "I see."
Today is the fifteenth day of the month and the restaurant will open tomorrow. Wan Niang took a deep breath. The food is so delicious and there were repeat customers in the past. Business should be good tomorrow.
He caught a glimpse of Xiao Dashi coming back from outside, so he went out to buy two strings of firecrackers to set off tomorrow.
I didn't know how business was going, so I didn't prepare many dishes the first day. I stewed 20 kilograms of braised pork and 10 kilograms of mutton. I bought 20 fish and kept them in a bucket. I also prepared 30 kilograms of pork. Pork is used in dishes like boiled pork slices and minced meat and tofu, so it's essential.
There were also vegetables, tofu, and bean sprouts. Lin Qiuran stocked a daily supply. If all of this could be sold, the daily turnover would be over 3,000 wen. Running a food stall with a profit margin of 60% was quite profitable.
It's cold now, so food won't go bad even if it's kept for a few days. Lin Qiuran planned to stew two ducks first and keep the rest at home. If they weren't easy to sell, she'd just eat them at home. She actually quite liked ginger duck.
I didn't feel anything when preparing these things. I just thought that I had to prepare everything and not miss anything. But when the night of the 15th came, the whole family became a little nervous when we thought about the opening of the business the next day.
Sun was the most nervous. She was afraid that business would be bad and she wouldn't be able to make enough money to cover her expenses from the stall. What would she do if she opened a shop but still couldn't make as much as before?
Xiao Dashi was the same, and the carriage he rode that day occasionally floated through his mind.
Lin Qiuran comforted her, "Mom, all we want now is to make some money every day, no matter how much, as long as we don't sit around and wait for the profits to be divided. We're not short of money at home, and we've saved enough to own a house and a shop. Isn't opening a shop just to make life easier and more comfortable? It doesn't matter if we make less money."
Lin Qiuran's voice was gentle, which made Sun feel a little relieved, but who would complain about having too much money? She still hoped to make more money while being relaxed.
It was indeed light. The next morning, Sun woke up early. It was still dark outside. It was only five o'clock in the morning. Without a light, it was pitch dark.
Xiao Dashi would usually go get the meat at this time. When he returned, Sun would cut the meat, blanch it, and stir-fry the sugar color. Then she would make breakfast and wake Lin Qiuran up. She hadn't set up the stall these past few days, but she had to go there to clean up and cook, so she had to get up early.
We won't open for business until noon today, so there's no need to get up so early.
Sun rolled over and lay there until after 12:30 AM, then got up. Xiao Dashi also got up, and the two of them, one fetching water and the other cooking, waited until 1:15 PM. Sun went to call Lin Qiuran to get up. The family cleaned up briefly, had breakfast, and then went straight to the shop. It was only 1:30 PM now.
It was still dark and gray, but there was a hint of red in the sky. It was a good day today.
Soon Wan Niang also came, and Aunt Xu took the child to the next room, where there was a bed, table and chairs, where she could take care of the child.
The child needs milk now, so you don’t need to bring him here when he grows up.
Xiao Dashi and Sun were busy, cleaning the tables and chairs on the first floor. Since only the first floor was needed, the second floor was used for storage. When there was nothing to do in the front, Sun went to the kitchen to help.
The meat that needs to be stewed has been stewed. There are four casseroles and two stoves in the kitchen. Xiao Dashi built another one in the yard, so there is enough space for two stews and one for stir-frying.
Steam the steamed buns and rice while stewing the meat to save firewood.
At two quarters before the hour of Si, all the dishes that had been prepared in advance were already being cooked. Xiao Dashi came over from the front and said, "Qiuran, it's almost the auspicious time. It's time to unveil the plaque."
It was calculated to be the auspicious time of 15:20 pm, which was almost here. Lin Qiuran followed Sun's Xiao Dashi to the front. The opening of a new shop would inevitably attract a lot of people to watch and join in the fun.
Lin Qiuran didn't recognize these people, but Sun and Xiao Dashi saw a few familiar faces.
When the time came, Xiao Dashi set off firecrackers, and Lin Qiuran used a bamboo pole to lift the red cloth covering the plaque, revealing the four words "Xiao Family Restaurant" underneath.
She looked around and said, "The Xiao Family Restaurant opens today. I hope everyone will come and support us! On the first day, each table will receive a pot of rice wine!"
After Lin Qiuran finished speaking, she handed the front section to Sun's Xiao Dashi. It was not time for lunch yet, so she went to wait in the back.
Sun and Xiao Dashi often sold vegetables and were particularly familiar with attracting customers. Lin Qiuran still preferred to cook in the back, churning out dish after dish, which brought him joy and happiness just by watching.
There are shops on both sides. Seeing that this shop has just opened, customers over there can't help but stop to see what is selling.
Some people even inquired about the menu, and those who liked something decided to have lunch at the restaurant. Having had enough of the other restaurants in the county, a new one now opened, and wanted to try some local cuisine.
There are also repeat customers of the Xiao family's stall. They are picky eaters and used to wait for the braised pork and stewed lamb to satisfy their cravings. Now that the stall has opened, they came in early to order dishes.
I ordered a braised fish, something I hadn't eaten in a while. Stuffed pork with chili peppers was still unavailable, which was a bit disappointing, but there were other dishes. Lin Qiuran had written nine menus, all with prices on the back. Those who couldn't read asked Sun and Xiao Dashi to tell them; they had memorized the menu by heart over the past few days.
Sun and Xiao Dashi went into the kitchen one after another, "Qiu Ran, we need eight dishes for the table: a braised food platter, braised pork, braised lamb, braised fish, stir-fried shredded potatoes, minced meat and tofu, ginger duck, and stir-fried cabbage!"
This table was a group of five returning customers. Mrs. Sun said there were too many dishes, but the customers didn't believe her and ordered eight.
Soon Xiao Dashi came in again, "Qiu Ran, two dishes of braised pork, pickled fish, and shredded potatoes for one table."
"Qiu Ran, one table needs braised lamb, boiled pork slices, shredded potatoes, and pickled fish."
…
Sun and Xiao Dashi came in and out, registering six tables in a row. There were nine tables in the restaurant hall. Each table was for four people, with long benches that could accommodate five or six people if they squeezed together.
Lin Qiuran was also a little nervous, but luckily her brain was working well. However, Wan Niang was already confused. "Wait a minute, how many plates of braised pork, how many plates of mutton? How many plates of shredded potatoes, how many ginger ducks?"
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Wanniang, if my parents ask for something like braised pork, you can give it to them later. I've got the other dishes in mind: four plates of shredded potatoes and three servings of ginger duck."
Generally speaking, a meal can be finished in more than fifteen minutes but less than two fifteen minutes. At noon, when the restaurant is open around noon, it can take more than an hour to eat.
If there were a lot of customers, there could be three or four groups of guests at noon. Lin Qiuran saw that there were already six tables, and taking advantage of the fact that the guests had only ordered dishes and had not yet eaten, he asked Xiao Dashi to slaughter two more ducks and roast them first.
She took a pen and paper to write down the instructions, but Wan Niang couldn't read, so she just let Lin Qiuran tell her what dishes to prepare.
Washing and cutting potatoes is also a busy job.
Outside the Xiao family restaurant, customers came and went in an endless stream, but it was only the 9th hour, and most of them were just watching.
At this time, a carriage stopped at the door, and the people made way. A jade hand lifted the curtain. Jiang Sijie looked at the four words on the plaque and asked the maid in a low voice, "Is this it?"
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The author has something to say: Please water it~[panda head][cat head][come on][scatter flowers]
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