Chapter 38 is fine. Su Zhihan asked about the matter, checked the condition of the braising liquid, ...
Su Zhihan inquired about the matter, checked the condition of the braising liquid, and learned about the current business status.
When the topic turned to business, Grandma Chen's smile faded, and she began to speak seriously. Because of this case, Jiang's braised tofu stall became one of the few that survived, truly establishing itself firmly.
Customers who initially thought it was too expensive and went to other shops have all come back to buy from it. Seeing that they dare not go to other shops for a while, sales have been rising steadily in the past few days, reaching a peak yesterday, when more than two strings of cash were sold.
"Moreover, even several restaurants and eateries in the city have come to inquire, wanting to get their goods directly from here." Grandma Chen said, beaming with joy.
It should be noted that although Su Zhihan re-signed contracts with both parties, the original employment fees remained unchanged, and the commissions Su Zhihan provided were not removed. The more they sold, the more commissions she and Xiao Hong would receive.
"Thanks to you, Xiaohong's grandfather has also started taking good medicine, and he looks much more energetic now." Grandma Chen said, her eyes slightly red.
Just over a month ago, her husband thought he was going to die soon. He not only refused to take his medicine and told her and Xiaohong not to waste money on him, but also ordered a coffin in advance.
"Now, people can sit up."
"Oh dear, why didn't you say so sooner?" Upon hearing this, Su Zhihan hurriedly went inside to check on them.
The old man's surname is Hu. He was a carpenter in his youth. He and his wife saved up a lot of money and bought this house in Beijing. They could be considered a well-off family.
However, as the couple aged and their son and daughter-in-law, both in their prime, passed away, the Hu family's financial situation plummeted. Old Master Hu's illness became the final straw, depleting the family's remaining savings and plunging them into dire straits.
Grandpa Hu knew that if Su Zhihan hadn't hired Xiao Hong to work and given her such generous treatment, the family's situation would probably be even worse.
He was very enthusiastic when he saw Su Zhihan come in, constantly stuffing various snacks and trinkets into her hands. In the end, Su Zhihan, worried that she might disturb Old Master Hu's rest, left first.
Once outside the house, Grandma Chen brought up the matter of deep-fried stinky tofu again: "As for stinky tofu... affected by this incident, sales have been rather mediocre."
The stinky tofu has a strong smell, and since the whole thing was just something the old man's family imitated, even with government approval, it couldn't overcome the skepticism of customers, and its sales have remained mediocre to this day.
"Hmm..." Upon hearing this, Su Zhihan put the pine nut candy in her hand into her mouth.
This pine nut candy is made with maltose and pine nuts. As the sweet maltose melts in your mouth, the unique aroma of pine nuts also spreads throughout your oral cavity. The sweet and pine nut aromas blend together, creating a sweet but not cloying, melt-in-your-mouth, and rich and mellow flavor.
"This pine nut candy...it's delicious! Whose is it?"
"Huh?" Grandma Chen was taken aback by the change of topic and subconsciously replied, "Xiao Hong made this."
"...Did Xiaohong make this?" Su Zhihan asked in surprise.
"Yes." Grandma Chen's heart melted as she looked at the candy, and she kept saying, "Usually before the New Year, her mother would make a lot for her so she could eat one every day. When she took it out this year, I thought it was leftovers from last year, but later I found out that the child made it herself."
"It tastes just like her mother's."
"..." Su Zhihan seemed thoughtful, and took out a pine nut candy to examine it closely. This pine nut candy looked simple, but it was not simple to make. After mixing maltose, sugar and water, it had to be stirred evenly at the appropriate temperature before adding roasted pine nuts.
Even in later generations, with the assistance of thermometers and ovens, novices still encounter numerous problems when operating the equipment. Moreover, nowadays, the heat for boiling syrup needs to be controlled by the user, and the changes in the sugar syrup need to be observed with their own eyes. For a beginner to succeed on the first try is nothing short of a miracle.
Su Zhihan sipped her pine nut candy, her cheeks puffing out slightly. She glanced at Xiao Hong, who was busy cutting tofu and preparing to set up her stall again, and thought to herself: Perhaps Xiao Hong's talent in cooking is unexpectedly good.
"Lady Su, Lady Su."
"Ah, about stinky tofu." Su Zhihan snapped out of her reverie and steered the conversation back to stinky tofu. She instructed Grandma Chen to reduce the amount of ingredients she would prepare for the future: "...If anyone asks, just say that the cost is a bit high and we can't increase the quantity for now."
Su Zhihan remained quite calm about the current unpopularity of stinky tofu. She knew that even in later generations, many people disliked it, and foreigners needed to be mentally prepared before daring to try it.
For stinky tofu sales to explode, it will take a long time to develop or for a catalyst to emerge.
...
Yesterday, the snow stopped for a while, and everyone in the Marquis's mansion thought that the heavy snow had stopped. But it only stopped for half a day, and then it started snowing again in the evening. The second and third sons, who had just returned home to rest for half a day, wrapped themselves in their coats and put on their cloaks, and hurriedly boarded their carriage and went out.
"Second sister-in-law, it's still early, why don't you come to my place for a while? I just brought over a lot of interesting little trinkets from home." Third Sister Zhou asked Second Sister Xu with a smile.
Xu had a delicate, round, oval face and a pretty face. Two flowers were tucked into her hair at an angle, along with a gilded and kingfisher feather hairpin. She wore a gold and jade bracelet on her wrist and a snow-white coat adorned with fox fur. She was very simple and unassuming.
She smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, let's leave it at that for today. Xiangsi is still studying, and I have to go back and keep an eye on him."
"Why is Si-ge'er still studying at this hour?"
"That child is very playful. If you don't keep an eye on him, he'll either be playing with something or trying to sneak outside." The second wife said that she was worried about the child in the room. After saying goodbye to the third wife, she got into her sedan chair and went back.
After the sedan chair had been gone for a while, Madam Xu's smile faded, and she complained to the maid beside her, "Look at Madam Zhou's outfit. The hair ornaments on her head, the hairpins in her hair, the things hanging on her wrists, she's adorned with gold and silver. She doesn't look like an official's wife at all, she looks like a merchant's wife. She's really not presentable."
“Zhou Niangzi is a merchant’s daughter, how can she compare to the young lady?” The maid was Xu’s dowry maid, so she naturally sided with Xu and joined in speaking ill of the third young lady.
On the other side, Third Sister Zhou was fiddling with the malachite, crystal and agate beads on her wrist, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes: "Look at my good Second Sister-in-law, she still doesn't know her own situation."
"Does she still think Li is like she was when the old lady was in charge? She doesn't dare to put on airs in front of her sister-in-law, so she comes to me to put on airs."
"He even taught Sige'er to read..."
"Does Mom remember? She used to dislike Sige because he was born to a concubine and didn't want to keep him around to discipline him."
Zhou looked down on her sister-in-law. In any family, the children born to concubines are not to be raised by the main wife. But Xu was disgusted with them. Now that the child is eight or nine years old, she regrets it and has brought him to her side to discipline him.
Upon hearing this, wet nurse Zheng Mama thought to herself that the second young lady was young at the time and always felt that she could have a child and was unwilling to let someone else have it. Who would have thought that she had never been able to get pregnant even once in all these years.
Madam Zheng thought to herself that her mistress knew the truth, but was just venting her anger by poking at the other woman's sore spot. She didn't bring up the matter, but instead smiled and coaxed, "Why should you get angry with the second mistress, young lady? To be honest, after the family is divided, that woman probably won't even be qualified to visit except during the New Year."
"She only has a few years left to put on airs. If she doesn't do it now, she won't have the chance to do it again."
"That's a rather sarcastic remark." Upon hearing this, Zhou thought for a moment and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "But my sister-in-law is kind-hearted. I imagine she'll still be willing to let poor relatives visit occasionally and ask for a handout."
The second son of the family entered officialdom through his family's influence, but after ten years in office, he is still stuck at the seventh rank, and it seems that this is how his life will be.
"Tsk... Rank 7."
"After the family is divided, there won't even be a wife left." Third Sister shook her head, the anger that had just risen had completely dissipated. She sighed, "That's right, why should I be angry with her? I just feel sorry for Second Miss. That girl is no less beautiful or talented than Eldest Miss, but I don't know what kind of family she will be able to find."
The old Marquis has passed away, and the second and third wives are living in the Marquis's mansion because the old lady is still alive.
However, when it came to finding a marriage partner, he had to use his father's title. Even with an uncle who was a loyal and brave marquis, it couldn't overcome the fact that Erlang was only a seventh-rank official.
The matchmakers who tried to find a husband for the second daughter were mostly sons of sixth-rank officials, nephews of fifth-rank officials, or second or youngest sons of officials. Even Zhou Shi didn't think much of them, let alone her proud and arrogant sister-in-law.
Madam Zhou, who had daughters herself, couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for her second daughter. Then, she changed the subject, speaking of her own daughter: "Although the fourth daughter is still young, we must be careful; everyone in the house needs to be prepared..."
She stepped down from the sedan chair, went inside, and reached out to hug the cat that had jumped up to her. Zhou stroked the cat's fluffy, soft fur and thought of Jiang Zhenniang again: "This person wasn't wrong after all. Look at our Jinzhu, she's gotten quite plump, and her fur is much nicer than before."
"It's all thanks to your good taste, Madam." Madam Zheng was quite satisfied with Jiang Zhenniang. She had a good relationship with Madam Xu and knew about Jiang Zhenniang's filial piety towards Madam Xu, so she happily chimed in.
She didn't praise Jiang Zhenniang's outstanding abilities, but only praised Zhou Shi for her good judgment in choosing Jiang Zhenniang from among the people. She completely ignored the fact that Jiang Zhenniang kindly escorted Xu Mama back to her courtyard, which is why she caught the attention of the Third Sister.
"...Nowadays, the maids and servants in the courtyard are more attentive and meticulous in their work than before." Madam Zheng said, half flattering and half expressing her own feelings.
After Jiang Zhenniang took over Wang Pozi's position, it was like throwing a big fish into a pond. The old women and servants who used to hide in the corners suddenly dared not slack off and worked extra hard.
The maids, seeing how considerate and supportive their mistress was of Xu Mama, were also eager to promote her. They worked with great enthusiasm and determination to climb the ranks. Not only were they meticulous and thoughtful in their work, but the head maids themselves also reaped considerable benefits.
Hearing what Zheng's mother said, Zhou's eyebrows relaxed and she was in a good mood: "I remember her daughter works in the main kitchen? That child is only a little over ten years old, right? Does she look like her mother?"
"That child is still young, it's not obvious yet," Zheng's mother said tactfully, instantly understanding Zhou's thoughts.
"Working in the kitchen makes people rough." There was a kitchen lady in Zhou's room, whose face was always covered in smoke and looked much older than her peers.
She said to Zheng Mama, "Have Xu Mama ask Jiang Niangzi later. If she's willing, let her daughter come to the courtyard to learn needlework so she can become a needlework maid in the future."
Let's put it in the yard first and see how it behaves.
After Zhou made her statement, Zheng Mama immediately went to handle it. The next day, she relayed the message to Xu Mama, instructing her to ask Jiang Zhenniang for her opinion.
Xu's mother responded and turned around to pull Jiang Zhenniang aside. But Jiang Zhenniang immediately waved her hands and said, "Mother, you don't know. My daughter is not cut out for needlework at all. She tried to embroider a handkerchief for herself, and all ten of her fingers were bleeding."
"Besides, as you know," Jiang Zhenniang paused, then added, "that girl loves to cook, and she's doing quite well in the kitchen these days. Even if I asked her to come to the courtyard, she definitely wouldn't want to."
"It would be better to call Han'er to try out when we choose a cook for the Fourth Miss later." Jiang Zhenniang spoke the truth. In the past, she would have been happy to let her daughter enter the Third Miss's courtyard, but now she didn't think much of the work of a needlework maid.
Now, Su Zhihan's income has skyrocketed since she became the head cook. Her monthly salary has increased to 800 wen, plus 300 wen for food expenses, and she receives an annual bonus of 8 taels. That adds up to 21 guan a year, more than she, as the mother, earns.
If she were to agree to Madam Xu's suggestion to let Han'er work as a needlework maid in Third Sister's courtyard, she would probably be given a good scolding by her greedy daughter, who would slap her forehead and call her stupid.
Mrs. Xu knew that Han'er was quite skilled and was currently learning the craft in the kitchen. She thought that in a few years, she might really make something of herself.
But this time, Madam Zheng's meaning was different. The Third Miss wasn't just looking for a needlework maid; she clearly wanted to select one. If Han-jie was chosen, she would have to serve the Fourth Miss in her room.
Looking at Jiang Zhenniang, who was still grinning foolishly, Xu's mother was both annoyed and amused. She glanced at the door, pulled Jiang Zhenniang a couple of steps inside, and said, "You didn't understand what I said at all!"
"My lady wants Han-jie to serve her, so they can get to know each other. If she's a good match, she can serve in the Fourth Miss's room later on; that would be a truly promising future."
These days, being a kitchen maid is indeed a very good job, but it's still far inferior to being a maid serving in the courtyard.
The maids who served their masters were either promoted to be the young master's concubines, or they would be assigned to the steward or trusted servants. Even if they were granted the privilege of choosing a son-in-law outside, there were plenty of other men seeking their marriage.
“Your daughter may not be as good-looking as you, but she is still pretty. Can you bear to let her be in the kitchen smoke and fire every day? Look at Xia Niangzi in our courtyard. She is the same age as you, but looks like she is ten years older than you.” Xu Mama simply laid out the truth and spoke to Jiang Zhenniang in detail.
What she didn't say was that sometimes, the master preferred pretty and honest maids as concubines rather than those with outstanding looks like Jiang Zhenniang. This way, they wouldn't have to worry about seducing the young master, and they could keep their parents in line and teach them to behave properly.
In the courtyard, Xu Mama had only two or three capable maids. She had a good impression of Jiang Zhenniang and wanted to get closer to her, so she couldn't help but say a few words of advice: "If Han'er is so lucky, not only will she be able to live a good life, but you, as her mother, will also benefit from it in the future."
If Han Jie'er could serve in the Fourth Miss's room, she and Jiang Zhenniang would go and serve her too. With people inside and outside, even if she didn't become a concubine, life would still be very comfortable.
Xu's mother explained the benefits to Jiang Zhenniang, but Jiang Zhenniang was taken aback at first, and then shook her head repeatedly: "Xu's mother, I have experienced what you are talking about, I know, I don't want my daughter to have any great achievements, it's good enough if she is safe and sound."
"Han Jie'er loves cooking, so she became the kitchen lady."
"If she takes a fancy to someone in the manor, she can marry him; if she doesn't take a fancy to someone, she won't marry him."
"How can a girl like this not get married?"
"What's the big deal? Even Madam Xu from the main kitchen is still unmarried." Jiang Zhenniang was easygoing and laughed, "At most, when Han'er gets older, she can take on a few apprentices, so that someone can take care of her in the future."
"Madam Xu is already the head of the main kitchen, so naturally there are people who fawn over her." Madam Xu chuckled. If a kitchen lady wants to get ahead, she has to study for several years and understand all kinds of official banquets.
Even though Han Jie'er is highly talented, the position of manager requires more than just skills; it involves many other things as well. Climbing to the position of head cook is an extremely difficult thing...
"Mom, Han'er is already the head cook."
"Huh?" Xu's mother's mind went blank for a moment, and she stared blankly at Jiang Zhenniang, her eyes widening in shock.
Wait a minute? Didn't Sister Han just start working in the kitchen not long ago?
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