Chapter 35 Chapter 35 is divided into single...
It was still two quarters past the hour of You, the sky was getting dark, and the Xu family's carriage headed back home.
The driver sat in the front, holding a lamp in his hand to illuminate the way. The road was wide and flat, and the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground could be heard on the street.
Steward Xu followed Xu Yuanheng in the car. Xu Yuanheng had just stayed at the Jiang residence for a short while before leaving. While he was waiting in the main hall, servants meticulously served tea and snacks. The Jiang family's master arrived quickly. He said, "Everyone has left. I asked, but no one knows the Second Young Master. Could the Second Young Master have made a mistake? It's getting late, and my mother just left. I really don't have the time or the mood to discuss this with you."
If the person is really there, not only should we bring him here safely, but we should also apologize to Xu Yuanheng. However, the kitchen said that there is no such person, so we can't blame the Jiang family.
The Jiang family's eldest son was over forty years old and well-fed. Although he had a kind expression, his words were full of ulterior motives. Xu Yuanheng arrived at an inopportune time. He dismissed the guest, saying, "There's a funeral at home, so it's inconvenient for us to entertain the Second Young Master today."
Xu Yuanheng understood that Lin Qiuran had probably passed away. He said, "My condolences. I'll come back tomorrow to pay my respects."
Seeing that Mr. Jiang didn't look particularly grief-stricken, he guessed that Mrs. Jiang had passed away without regrets. Perhaps it was related to Lin Qiuran, or perhaps it wasn't.
Xu Yuanheng said goodbye and returned home. In the car, he couldn't help thinking about what happened today.
It was his idea to let Lin Qiuran wait. Although the people were taken away, anyone with a common sense would know that no matter how ostentatious the Jiang family was, it was impossible for them to hold so many people captive.
The Jiang family would not only release the person but also give a certain amount of compensation. Everyone knew that the old lady was ill, so they naturally would not blame her death on the person who was captured.
Lin Qiuran ignored him and went straight to the Jiang family. Xu Yuanheng thought she was too bold and reckless.
The people who followed him said that Lin Qiuran went to the Jiang family. Xu Yuanheng couldn't help but feel nervous. He was afraid that Lin Qiuran would really stay in the Jiang family and affect the business, so he came.
Xu Yuanheng felt a slight headache. Lin Qiuran was bold. If she was certain she could make the snacks Yang wanted, and if they were truly hers, then she was quite capable. If she thought he was back and had a way out, then she was smart and daring enough to take a gamble.
After all, Xu Yuanheng really came.
It was a pity that he was not of use. If he had arrived and happened to bring Lin Qiuran and her family out, he could be considered a hero saving a beautiful woman. Friendship is hard to repay, and he could also make Lin Qiuran feel grateful, killing two birds with one stone.
It turned out to be a wasted trip. Lin Qiuran knew that he was back. Now they have business dealings. If she knew that he was in Yu An but was unwilling to help him with a small favor... she would definitely complain.
I think this is a bit difficult to handle.
Xu Yuanheng changed his posture, and Manager Xu perked up, "Second Young Master."
Xu Yuanheng whispered, "Don't worry about the spices. The Lin family was frightened today, so you can give them a few more days. It's cold out now, so ask Lin Qiuran if he wants the shop. If he does, I can give him 20% off the rent."
Manager Xu nodded and said that it was 20% cheaper, but it could probably be 30% cheaper. The Second Young Master wouldn't say much, so he could decide for himself.
As soon as the Second Young Master left the Jiang residence, he mentioned that Lin Qiuran had already left. He didn't know if he'd been too talkative, but he didn't seem very happy after he'd finished speaking. It was probably just as he'd expected; the two of them hadn't run into each other at all. It was a strange coincidence that the Jiang family had released him just a moment later.
It would be better if it were a little later.
In Manager Xu's eyes, what Xu Yuanheng said was more like compensation, but on second thought, this is how business should be done. The original intention was to shorten the time so that Lin Qiuran would not be able to finish the work, and now it is just a coincidence.
But reducing shop rent is a real bargain. If the rent can be reduced by 20%, you can save a lot of money in a year.
This is exactly what Lin Qiuran needs most.
But the second young master doesn't seem so kind. Could it be that he wants Madam Lin to rent the Xu family's shop so that it will be easier to control? That means that whether Lin Qiuran is willing or not, he has to find a shop to rent out.
Manager Xu asked tentatively, "Second Young Master, this is a good idea. If we rent the Xu family's shop, we'll be able to know everything if Madam Lin makes any move."
Xu Yuanheng raised his eyelids and tilted his head to look at Manager Xu, his eyes filled with disbelief. "What's going on? Are you afraid she'll drug me?"
Manager Xu fell silent. Oh, that means giving some benefits.
He was overthinking it.
On the other side, Aunt Yu and Dahu came to Xiao's house to pick up some things and then went home. Everyone at home was waiting for them, so they had to go back quickly.
Madam Xu asked her husband to help carry the things back. She specifically asked if everything was alright. Lin Qiuran shook his head and said, "No, it's alright. Thank you so much for today."
Madam Xu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "As long as he's alright, I'll look after the things. You guys can go back as soon as possible."
Madam Xu didn't ask what the matter was specifically. She wasn't supposed to ask about things she shouldn't. Even though no one was at the Xiao family's house the entire afternoon, she went to check on them several times and was worried.
After returning home, the three of them hadn't sat there for half an hour when Xiao Dashi said, "Let me soak the dried cowpeas first. Will we be open for business tomorrow?"
Usually the dishes would be ready by this time, but since it took so long today, Lin Qiuran nodded and said, "Come on, Dad. Mom and I will make the dried cowpeas. Go buy some food. If there's any braised food, buy two pounds and we'll have it tonight."
It was too late, and Lin Qiuran was too lazy to cook. She looked in the bucket. Most of the food had been sold today, with only some meat and vegetables left. However, they were already cold and had been sitting there for so long that she didn't know when they had been returned. Lin Qiuran didn't dare eat them and fed them to the chickens.
Xiao Dashi nodded and went out.
Sun moved the things in, cleaned the barrels and other things, and even wiped the car. This is what it's like to wait for money. No matter what happens, there's no time to rest, you have to busy yourself with making money.
Lin Qiuran went to get the dried cowpeas, which had to be soaked in advance, and the potatoes also had to be washed and peeled.
Seeing this, Sun asked her to go back to her room and rest. "You must be tired after half a day. Go and rest first. Everything will be fine after we finish cleaning here. Your father and I will take care of it tonight. Is everything completely fine at the Jiang family..."
Lin Qiuran nodded. "Chen Yu and I made bean cakes. The old lady ate them and passed away. We each received five taels of rice, and you each received half a tael of rice. This has been going on for a month now, and it will be fine from now on."
Sun was stunned. The dead are the greatest, and it was hard to say anything at this moment. If you can't say it's not pitiful, then it's pitiful. At such an old age, he's still worried about a bite to eat. His children are trying their best to be filial to him, but he's still hanging on by a thread. If he's not in good health, he's suffering. If you can say it's pitiful, then aren't they even more pitiful?
The Jiang family beat people up and took them away, yet they didn't even bother to show their kindness to the old man. Their family is so powerful, I'll just have to stay away from them. I'm afraid hiding won't be any use. I was just trying to sell things today. Sun and Xiao Dashi were worried about Lin Qiuran, but they were also afraid of causing trouble, so they didn't argue with anyone.
Sun: "Don't let this happen again. Qiuran, if you do this again next time, just wait for me and your father. You are pregnant, what are we going to do?"
They are old and weak, what can be done to them? But Lin Qiuran is different.
Lin Qiuran nodded in response and comforted Sun, "It's okay, mother. I took six taels of silver today, which is not a small amount."
She could only think about money, what else could she do? These rich people were all the same kind of people. Unless one day she could be that rich, she would never become like the Jiang or Xu families.
Sun said, "Well, let's have something delicious at home tonight to calm our nerves."
After she finished cleaning the bucket, she went straight to soak the dried cowpeas. Lin Qiuran went to cook. Sun and Xiao Dashi hadn't eaten yet, so she steamed rice and fried six eggs. Two per person wouldn't be too much, right?
I don’t know if Xiao Dashi has bought it. It’s too late and Lin Qiuran is afraid that they will be sold out.
Sure enough, when Xiao Dashi returned, he said the braised food was gone, leaving only a roast chicken. The roast chicken was even better, and after heating it in the pot, the three of them devoured it all.
Lin Qiuran ate a chicken leg and two chicken wings. She couldn't finish the rest, so she asked Sun and Xiao Dashi to eat it all.
They'd been hungry all day, having skipped lunch and spent the afternoon waiting, their bellies empty. It was cold now, and after eating, they felt completely refreshed. They weren't dizzy from hunger, though. They'd been eating well these days, and despite the heavy workload, they felt better and had gained a bit of weight.
After dinner, I tidied up the house, washed up and went to bed.
The alley was quiet, with only the occasional barking of dogs and crowing of chickens.
The next morning, Lin Qiuran was woken up by Sun again. Xiao Dashi had bought some pork belly to make braised pork.
Sun and Xiao Dashi were in good spirits. Sun tucked Lin Qiuran's clothes into the quilt and said, "I've boiled some hot water for you to wash. The meal is ready too, and I made you some egg pancakes."
The cowpeas were soaked yesterday, and the potatoes have been washed and chopped. Sun Shi has even mastered the art of frying sugar color. Two pots of crimson meat are waiting for Lin Qiuran to season them.
Lin Qiuran went to wash up first, then made the braised pork, adding spices, seasonings, rice wine... one by one.
These days, customers have been praising the Xiao family's braised pork for being more and more delicious. More and more people are buying it because it is cheaper and sells better than mutton.
Many people hope that the Xiao family will open a shop. It may be a little more expensive, but you can eat it hot from the pot. If you buy it now and reheat it, it will definitely not be as delicious as it is right out of the pot.
The Xiao family runs a respectable business. Some vendors, seeing their business boom, cut corners, focusing solely on profit rather than proper execution. However, the Xiao family's dishes get better and better the more they eat, earning them a large following of repeat customers.
It's cold now, so the food solidifies after a while and doesn't look good. Those who want to eat it have already bought it, and the food sells out the fastest when it first arrives at the stall, but the few remaining portions at the end are no longer in demand. Sometimes, we can't sell a single portion in two quarters of an hour.
Lin Qiuran was planning to open a shop, but she decided to give up for the next few days. She was too tired yesterday and wanted to rest for two days.
But things did not go as planned. When Lin Qiuran was packing up at home in the morning, Manager Xu came to visit.
Manager Xu brought the account book and last month's share, and said eagerly, "Mrs. Lin is back. Your parents-in-law should be back too."
Lin Qiuran said calmly, "Well, I came back last night and went on business again today."
Manager Xu smiled and said, "That's good, that's good. The second young master also came back yesterday. When he heard that Madam Lin's family was taken away by the Jiang family, he immediately went to the Jiang family, but he didn't see Madam Lin."
Lin Qiuran: "Really? That's really unfortunate. I haven't seen the Second Young Master either."
Manager Xu laughed dryly twice, and when he answered again, he didn't know what to say. He said, "I've been so busy chatting that I almost forgot about the real business. Madam Lin, I'm here to deliver the Thirteen Spices account book and the share of the profits."
Lin Qiuran said, "Come into the house first."
Manager Xu touched his nose. He always felt that there was a hint of sarcasm in Lin Qiuran's words. He hoped that he was just overthinking it.
After entering the house, Lin Qiuran poured a glass of water for Manager Xu.
Manager Xu placed everything on the table and pointed, "Madam Lin, this is the account book. This box contains the profit sharing. The Second Young Master invested eighty taels of silver just to buy the spices. Besides that, there's also money spent on manpower and material resources, all in the book. I've also brought the paperwork. Madam Lin provided the prescription, and the Second Young Master provided the initial capital. All told, the Second Young Master invested one hundred taels of silver."
Lin Qiuran flipped open the account book, where every single entry was clearly recorded. She nodded, "Manager Xu, that's what you said."
Manager Xu was a little surprised. The account book was fine, but he hadn't expected Lin Qiuran to be able to read. He recalled that when Lin Qiuran signed the document, he had asked the county clerk to look at it.
He continued, "We haven't sold all the goods yet, but the Second Young Master said business is pretty good. We've sold most of them in just over a month, and the profit is 240 taels. The document states that Madam Lin gets 45% and the Second Young Master gets 55%. Logically, Madam Lin's share should be 108 taels, but 140 taels must be kept for subsequent business turnover, so Madam Lin's share this time is a total of 45 taels of silver."
Xu Yuanheng was a businessman, so it was impossible for him to pay for every spice he sold. That would make him work for Lin Qiuran. Since they were making money, both parties wanted to keep the business going. So, most of the money had to be reinvested in the business, continuing to buy spices and sell them. The more they invested, the more they earned.
Lin Qiuran only provided the recipe, so he would make money anyway. But if Xu Yuanheng wanted to recoup his investment, he would have to wait a while.
Lin Qiuran finished reading the account book. Yes, she opened the box and found seven silver ingots weighing ten taels each, including a small one.
This is seventy-five taels, not just the share.
Manager Xu seemed to know what Lin Qiuran wanted to ask. He said, "Well, the other thirty taels are for asking Madam Lin to continue making spices."
Although some of them are not sold out, they are available for emergency use. We cannot keep our customers waiting when doing business.
Manager Xu: "But it's not urgent. Madam Lin just needs to make it within five days."
It was originally two days, then became three days, and Xu Yuanheng said to give it a few more days, so now it has become five days.
However, Lin Qiuran didn't know how she got five days. She could finish the spices in two days, but she wouldn't tell Manager Xu that it would only take two days. She nodded and said, "Just come and get it when the time comes."
Lin Qiuran felt that the spices were selling quickly. If she were alone, she would only sell a few cans. She just didn't know why they were selling so quickly. Lin Qiuran had seen the packaging before. If it was good and used quickly, she would keep buying it. But she only sold two cans. How did Xu Yuanheng do it?
Lin Qiuran closed the box and asked directly, "May I ask how spices are sold? It's okay if you don't want to tell me, I'm just curious."
Xu Yuanheng didn't say that it can't be said, which means it can be said.
Manager Xu said, "We put some of it in the Xu family's grocery store, displaying it in the best position. We can sell some of it, but it's not a large percentage. We also sell some of it to spice merchants, asking them to sell it elsewhere. Foreigners like it."
Another portion was bought by Xu Yuanheng himself as gifts. If business partners found them useful, they would come back to him for more in the future. That was a big order, so Manager Xu didn't mention it.
Lin Qiuran nodded. Anyway, it was Xu Yuanheng's idea and she couldn't do it.
There was nothing else to do. Lin Qiuran said, "It's getting late. My parents are going to have their meal delivered, so I have to make lunch for them."
Manager Xu could tell this was an attempt to get rid of the customer, but he had one more thing he didn't say. "Madam Lin, I have one more thing to ask, but I won't keep you too long. Madam Lin has been running a stall for business for two months now, and now that she's just received her share of the profits, she has some extra money. She might as well rent a shop. When the weather gets even colder, she can save the two elders from being cold outside."
"Look at this day. If it rains or snows, business is impossible. But having a shop makes a huge difference. Isn't that right?" Manager Xu said. "It just so happens that the Xu family has several shops whose leases are about to expire. The second young master said that if Madam Lin wants to rent, he can give you a 20% discount on the rent."
Lin Qiuran's first thought was that this was Xu Yuanheng's compensation for what happened yesterday. She wasn't angry that Xu Yuanheng wasn't willing to help, but she was powerless. She also understood that helping was a favor, and not helping was a duty, but she couldn't help but think that they were clearly there, clearly doing business together, but he wouldn't even open his mouth.
But after she left, Xu Yuanheng went to the Jiang family again.
Lin Qiuran said, "That's not necessary. I have my own plans for the family business."
Manager Xu was stunned. "Madam Lin, there's nothing bigger than money. Why bother with it? Over the years, the rent you save will be quite a bit."
Manager Xu knew that the Xiao family had borrowed money to buy the house, so he would definitely pay back the money first when he had money. In that case, the Xiao family was also short of money, so why bother getting angry? It was not worth it.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Manager Xu, you misunderstood. I didn't intend to rent one, but to save up enough money to buy one. If the Xu family has a cheaper one, you can tell me."
Adding these 45 taels, I also earned 6 taels yesterday. To be honest, my family is not short of money. We have much more than when we bought the house. With more than 70 taels of silver, I can earn a few more taels in the next half month. I guess I can also get a share of the spices next month, so what's the rent?
Lin Qiuran wasn't stupid. She didn't care what Xu Yuanheng thought. She would take advantage of any opportunity. Giving was better than not giving. However, she really didn't want to rent a house right now. She wanted to buy one. Even if business was bad, she could still rent out the shop, which would be considered an addition to her family property.
Lin Qiuran said to Manager Xu, "If you have something cheap to sell to me, please talk to the Second Young Master."
Manager Xu smiled and said, "Then I'll go back and take a look. I'll tell Madam Lin if I have any news."
I can't say it for sure. What if the Second Young Master really agrees to sell it? It's not impossible.
There was nothing else to do, so Manager Xu went back.
Lin Qiuran saw the man off, then stood at the door, watching him walk away before closing the gate and returning to the house to put the money. The shop should be more expensive than the house, but it's definitely enough. Manager Xu clearly knows everything, yet he's still playing dumb.
She could only look at it in a more open-minded way. The money she was given was quite a bit, and the spice business was also doing well. She should be content. She could clearly distinguish between duty and affection. Xu Yuanheng was just telling her that she couldn't put all her eggs in one basket, nor could she always rely on others.
Even a towering building can be built from the ground up. Lin Qiuran didn't believe that these rich and powerful people were born like this. Even if they were born like this, were their ancestors also like this?
She can also do business and slowly expand it until one day, she no longer needs to bow or beg others.
Lin Qiuran brought the box back to the house. The thirty taels of silver, not counting the Xiao family's, would all be turned into spices. The forty-five taels were all silver ingots, and with the previous twenty-eight taels, the total was seventy-three taels.
There were five ten-liang silver ingots, two five-liang silver ingots, and the rest was small change. The silver was large and conspicuous, so Lin Qiuran planned to exchange it for banknotes.
I'll save some for the shop, and the rest to ask Chen Yu if he wants to start a business together. Chen Yu's bean cakes are good, and the fermented osmanthus bean cakes she made for the Jiang family yesterday are even more unique. Lin Qiuran made the filling, and Chen Yu made the bean cakes. If they combine the two, maybe they can make more money and won't have to set up a stall here.
She planned to find an opportunity to talk to Shen Yu about this. After putting away the money, Lin Qiuran went to the kitchen. Now she had to cook lunch.
When it gets cold, he will go out later and have to sell for a while longer. Lin Qiuran had some braised pork left in the morning, and seeing that there was sauerkraut and bacon in the kitchen, he washed some dried chilies and fried them in a pot.
After she finished her meal, she went to the street to deliver food and went to the money shop to exchange silver.
Aunt Zhao didn't come today. When I asked her, I found out that she was very scared yesterday and fell ill. I don't know when she will come back to sell buns. I can only say that evil people will only be punished by evil people.
This stall does not charge money. Although it is agreed that everyone can take their own space, it will not be reserved for those who do not come. Aunt Yu's sauce and pancake stall moved forward.
On the way back, Lin Qiuran bought some spices and sent them directly to the Xiao family.
She didn't know whether this was the Xu family's spice shop, but what she knew now was that even after giving Xu Yuanheng most of the two secret recipes, he still couldn't figure them out.
Thinking of this, Lin Qiuran was still very happy.
In the afternoon, when Sun and Xiao Dashi returned and saw so many spices, they couldn't help but ask, "Have the ones we sent before been sold out?"
Lin Qiuran said, "No, but it's almost there. The share has been delivered, a total of 45 taels."
Lin Qiuran didn't elaborate on the rest. She felt that she couldn't hide how much money she made because they were a family. However, business matters were too complicated, and even if she explained it, people might not understand, and it would be easy for them to have wild thoughts.
Sun and Xiao Dashi had never seen so much money before. They had never thought they could make so much money from selling spices. It seemed that there was more than this, because there was also the Xu family's money.
Sun's mouth opened wide, "That's a lot!"
More than picking ginseng or selling gold.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "I guess there will be one every month in the future, but it won't be this much."
After all, spices will only be replenished when they are used up, but the amount allocated to her can reach more than ten or twenty taels of silver a month.
Sun couldn't help but laugh, "That's great."
Even if she and Xiao Dashi are gone in the future, Lin Qiuran and the children will have money to spend.
Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, Dad, we'll have money every month. I think with this money, we won't have to work so hard every day. Too much fatigue is not good for our health. But we still have to make money, so I want to buy a shop and hire someone to help. I can still make money, but it will definitely be much easier than getting up early and going to bed late now."
Lin Qiuran hoped that Sun and Xiao Dashi would stay healthy and live long lives. But working from dawn to dusk like they were now was definitely not an option. But just sitting there with the money and doing nothing was also not an option.
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