Chapter 71 The profession of broker, though not as powerful and prestigious as that of the scholar-officials...
Although brokers did not enjoy the same power and prestige as scholars and officials, nor the wealth and luxury of merchants, their work was relatively less demanding compared to farmers toiling in the fields every day, or those who worked as slaves, barbers, or butchers. At the same time, their income was quite good and sufficient to support their families.
Upon hearing this, Yao Lang was immediately tempted to help Su Zhihan's family secure a table, but he said aloud, "Their shop is doing very well, so I doubt they have such thoughts."
“If they didn’t have this intention, why would they bother to follow you to Master Peng’s mansion to cook, and why would they give you two portions of money?”
Looking at the silver coins on the table, Yao's wife felt it was a good idea and continued to persuade her, "Han'er comes from the Marquis's mansion. Just think about the food on the table that day. Every dish was so delicious that it amazed everyone at the table."
"Then you'll go with me to Master Peng's mansion."
"Tell me, what do you think of Han Jie'er's cooking skills?"
"They are no less skilled than the cooks in restaurants."
"That settles it."
Yao's wife glanced at her husband and changed her words, saying, "It just so happens that Han'er doesn't mind that you're a novice. Although you don't have any connections right now, at least you can figure out the tricks of the trade and learn some skills. Even if you don't achieve great things, you can still become an apprentice in a brokerage firm."
"Look at what you're saying, how can you have no confidence in me at all!" Yao Lang was displeased upon hearing this. He propped himself up and said indignantly, "Just you wait and see, I will definitely find another banquet job in the future and show you my skills, and put Jiang Niangzi and Su Niangzi at ease, so that they can entrust the banquet job to us with peace of mind."
Although he spoke with great conviction, once he returned to his room and lay in bed, Yao Lang tossed and turned, filled with worry.
He had found out about the job at Master Peng's mansion by asking around. Then he learned that Steward Zheng was a gambler and a drinker, so he used a trick to gain Steward Zheng's gratitude and consent, allowing Su Zhihan to go in and make soup.
But a proper banquet table... is not easy to find.
The next morning, Yao Lang went out to inquire about the situation. Before long, he learned from idlers in the market that a family selling candles in Caoying Lane, near the Fish Selling Bridge, was preparing a feast and was willing to pay two strings of cash to find a capable cook.
Yao Lang's heart stirred slightly, and just as he was about to step forward, he suddenly heard someone beside him ask, "Since you have this much money, why bother to find a cook to come to your home? It would be much easier and more convenient to go to a restaurant and order a low-class meal."
“You wouldn’t understand.” Guo the butcher, who was sitting to the side drinking, shook his head and explained the trick to the people around him: “How much does it cost to hire a cook in a restaurant? It seems like a high cost, but in fact it saves money and makes you look rich.”
The restaurants outside all have clearly marked prices, and the plates, dishes, and bowls used for the upper, middle, and lower tables are all different. As soon as a person arrives, they can tell at a glance what kind of banquet the host has invited.
For wealthy families, or for people from out of town who have not yet settled in Beijing, hosting a banquet at a restaurant is naturally the best option.
However, for families who own a house in the capital or have a fixed place to live, it is more cost-effective to hire a cook to handle the cooking at home rather than to openly display the price to the public and invite discussion.
"In a restaurant, two strings of cash wouldn't even be enough to afford a low-class meal. Some guests would even complain that the host was stingy and look down on them, simply because they were given a low-class meal."
"But if you entertain guests in your own house, and the cook prepares the meal, the guests will not know the price of the dishes, which will make you look respectable and wealthy."
"It's especially suitable for small families like ours."
"When my daughter and son-in-law come back, I've already made plans to invite a cook to our house to prepare the feast," Butcher Guo said, half-drunk and slurring his words, eliciting gasps of surprise from the idlers.
"I've heard that your son-in-law is a scholar."
"If you pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, you and your wife can live a good life with your son-in-law."
Yao Lang's eyes lit up as he listened to the chatter around him. After all, compared to the complete stranger, Zhu Hu, he had often interacted with Butcher Guo and they had a close personal relationship.
Yao Lang glanced at Guo the Butcher, then went to the main shop on the street corner and bought two ounces of medium-sized loose liquor. He returned with the liquor and happened to see Guo the Butcher staggering out. He quickly raised his hand and shook the liquor in his hand: "Brother Guo, let's go have another drink over there."
"Hey, look at you, kid!" Butcher Guo's eyes lit up when he saw the wine in Yao Lang's hand. He laughed and put his arm around Yao Lang's shoulder. "What are we waiting for? Come home with me, and let's continue our drinking spree!"
Having said that, he pulled Yao Lang and headed home. Once home, Butcher Guo laid out two ounces of roasted pork and half a plate of pickled chicken intestines. The two sat facing each other and raised their cups to drink.
After a few rounds of drinks, Yao Lang's face flushed slightly. He coughed lightly and slowly got down to business: "Brother Guo, are you really planning to hire a cook to prepare the feast? I've heard that hiring a cook isn't cheap..."
Yao Lang had intended to subtly inquire about Guo the Butcher's desired price. However, as soon as he spoke, Guo the Butcher launched into a tirade, saying, "Brother Yao, we're close friends, that's why I'm telling you all this."
“Why would I hire a cook? I don’t have the money!” Butcher Guo sighed and slammed his wine cup down. “Besides, cooking for my son-in-law is like talking to a brick wall. What does he know? He’s as thin as a stick, he can’t even drink, and all he knows is classical Chinese. I think he’s just been bookish to the point of being stupid.”
"Only my two wives insist that he's a promising man, incredibly good. In my opinion, let alone passing the imperial examination, he'd be lucky if he could even make tofu."
Guo the butcher, his brows furrowed and eyes wide, grew more and more agitated as he spoke, grabbing Yao Lang and pouring out his grievances: "My wife says she wants to spend money to hire a cook to prepare a feast, so that her son-in-law can make a name for himself among his classmates."
"Hey! Why doesn't she let her son-in-law's own parents do this? Why does she insist that our family pay for it? Isn't it because she's taking advantage of the fact that we only have one daughter and is using her to manipulate my husband and me?"
"I discussed it with my wife, and we said we should save this money and buy a few dishes at a restaurant. We can just heat them up and have a meal. Don't you think what I'm saying makes sense?"
Before Yao Lang could answer, the voice of Guo the Butcher's wife came from outside: "How can you talk like that? Our son-in-law is close to our family, that's why he entrusted this matter to us."
"Look at you all, you've been blinded by greed!"
"Pah! I think you're getting senile; you can't stand to see others doing well!"
Seeing the Guo butcher and his wife arguing back and forth, neither giving an inch, and getting louder and louder, Yao Lang, sitting to the side, felt quite embarrassed.
He originally wanted to catch up with Butcher Guo and, based on their past friendship, persuade him to invite Su Zhihan to prepare the banquet that day.
Seeing the scene before him, he dared not mention it again. After all, Yao Lang had witnessed Su Zhihan's skills firsthand and genuinely believed that his wife's idea was feasible.
Since it's feasible, the first banquet needs to be carefully considered. We need to find a reliable customer to recommend Su Zhihan to.
As for someone like Butcher Guo, whose family is in turmoil and who might suddenly change his mind, that's definitely not someone you can take on. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, you won't make much money, you'll lose face, and you'll even cause your family to drift apart from the Jiang family mother and daughter.
After much deliberation, Yao Lang finally decided to go and investigate the candle seller's house. He traveled around and finally found the candle shop. As soon as he explained his purpose, the shop owner shook his head repeatedly, looking impatient and ignoring him.
Yao Lang was about to ask another question when a servant in the shop stopped him. The servant forcefully pushed him out, muttering and complaining, "Which brokerage firm do you work for? Don't you know the rules?"
Yao Lang only said that he was there to inquire for someone else, which immediately earned him the disdain of the servants: "So you don't know the rules, you're just a nobody."
The profession of broker is no different from other trades; one must be guided by a master to enter the field. Only after learning from a legitimate broker for several years and completing a few transactions can one be qualified to register with the government and officially start making a living in this business.
As for Yao Langmo, he has never made a single deal, not even signed a single order. To put it bluntly, he doesn't even have the qualifications to register with the government.
Hearing this, Yao Lang was angry, but he still smiled. He took out a money pouch from his sleeve, grabbed a handful of copper coins and stuffed them into the servant's hand: "Young man, you don't know, I really feel sorry for my sister who is working too hard."
The servant's eyes lit up, and he happily accepted the money.
Seeing that he had taken the money, Yao Lang continued, "I am indeed not in this business, but my sister is an excellent cook and comes from an official family. It is a real pity that she has nowhere to use her skills."
"I'm really trying to find her some good jobs."
"Well, I just got the news and rushed over to inquire, but I didn't expect to be so ignorant of the rules and offend the master. I hope you can put in a good word for me..."
“It’s not that I’m unwilling to speak up for you, it’s just that your news came way too late.” Upon hearing this, the servant immediately interrupted Yao Lang and said directly, “My master has already arranged for the cook to prepare the feast long ago.”
"It's already decided?" Yao Lang was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses. There are many people and a lot of gossip in the marketplace, and although there is a lot of information, it may not all be true. He still had to analyze it carefully himself.
Seeing that he hadn't found a place to eat, had already spent two ounces of cheap wine, and now had lost five copper coins for nothing, Yao Lang was so depressed that he couldn't even laugh anymore. His original enthusiasm had dissipated by more than half. He could only barely muster his spirits to say goodbye to his servants and prepare to return to the market to inquire about other news.
Just then, a shout came from afar: "Brother Yao? Could that be Brother Yao up ahead?"
Upon hearing the voice, Yao Lang quickly turned around and saw Manager Zheng. Manager Zheng was overjoyed to see Yao Lang's face clearly and happily walked forward, saying, "What a coincidence! I never expected to run into you as soon as I stepped out."
Previously, Steward Zheng had not taken Yao Lang seriously at all, and had not even inquired about his background.
It wasn't until this morning, when Master Peng and his wife sent him to look for someone, that Steward Zheng realized he didn't know where Su Zaoniang lived, or even where Yao Lang lived.
Unfortunately, this matter was difficult to bring up, so Steward Zheng didn't dare to tell Master Peng and his wife, nor did he dare to tell Granny Pang.
He slunk out the door, intending to search along the way where he had drunk, eaten, and gambled last time. But to his surprise, he was so lucky that he saw Yao Lang as soon as he stepped out the door.
Manager Zheng secretly rejoiced at his good fortune and looked at Yao Lang with even more kindness: "I saw you talking to the candle maker just now. Are you looking to buy candles? I have some good candles over there. I'll send some to you later."
The servant of the Zhudu family, who had already reached the door, saw the two talking and his expression changed slightly. He did not go inside, but stood at the door, pricked up his ears, and secretly listened to their conversation. He also made a gesture to the manager inside.
Yao Lang felt uneasy looking at Manager Zheng's enthusiastic attitude. You see, last time he helped Manager Zheng pay for his services, Manager Zheng only glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, speaking coldly and acting distantly, as if afraid that he would try to curry favor with him.
Yao Lang inwardly grumbled, but still wore a smile on his face. He stepped forward and said with a smile, "How could I bear to use those good candles? Lamp oil is enough for daily use at home. This time I'm just running errands for someone to deliver a message."
Then, he changed the subject: "Manager Zheng, is there something you need to do? If you don't mind, let me run the errand for you."
"What are you saying? I came here to find you." Manager Zheng shook his head upon hearing this. "I was originally thinking of going far away, but I didn't expect to run into you as soon as I stepped out the door. Yesterday's banquet was all thanks to you. My husband and wife are thinking of you and Madam Su. First, they asked me to send you some reward money, and second, they wanted to ask if Madam Su was free. My wife wants to talk to her."
Yao Lang's face lit up with joy, and he readily agreed, intending to lead Steward Zheng to Su Zhihan's place. Steward Zheng shook his head, called for a sedan chair, and had Yao Lang ride in it, letting the men carry the sedan chair away.
After they had gone some distance, the servants of the Zhu family also came out a few steps and looked into the distance. He said a few words to the shopkeeper, and then went to ask the people in Master Peng's mansion for information.
Over there, Su Zhihan was pondering the Qixi Festival. She had no connections and didn't want to seek help from the Marquis's mansion. She only planned to do the most peripheral business. She needed to figure out how to make people notice her shop at first glance.
Just then, Jiang Zhenniang lifted the curtain and rushed into the room: "Han'er, hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"
"What's wrong?"
"Yao Lang has brought Master Peng... Steward Zheng from Master Peng's mansion has arrived, saying they're bringing reward money and want to invite you to the mansion again!"
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