Chapter 75 Taking Advantage "It tastes like a savory zongzi..."
"It tastes like a savory zongzi."
Master Peng chewed slowly, feeling that the glutinous rice had absorbed the oily and salty aroma of the diced meat, making it sticky, chewy, and with a hint of sweetness at the end.
Just as he was enjoying it, he caught a glimpse of the inside of the pastry out of the corner of his eye. Upon closer inspection, Master Peng saw a faint golden hue on the inside of the bitten pastry.
He held the wooden chopsticks and gently pulled them apart, revealing the whole egg yolk, glistening with oil and golden color.
"Is this an egg yolk?" Master Peng was surprised to find such a delightful surprise inside, and poked at it with his chopsticks.
The yolk in front of me looks similar to, yet different from, the yolk peeled from a tea egg. It is oily and glossy, and its color is as brilliant as the sun in the sky.
Curious, Master Peng took a bite. The salted egg yolk looked hard, but with a little pressure from his lips and teeth, it gradually softened and released a rich, mellow salty aroma.
The savory aroma is not jarring, but rather blends and merges with the savory aroma of glutinous rice and diced meat, enriching the texture of the pastry.
"This egg yolk is really delicious."
"This is the first time I've ever eaten an egg yolk like this."
Although zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and various egg dishes are common, it is rare nowadays to put egg yolks inside zongzi, especially since the taste of egg yolks is so unique.
Master Peng marveled at the sight, and Madam Qi also praised it, prompting the children to pick up a piece to try. The youngest girl was not satisfied with one and asked the servant to pick up more, but Madam Qi stopped her, saying, "Such a big pastry, one is enough."
"If Xiangjie likes it, let her eat it."
“From the very first meat dish, Xiang’er has eaten quite a bit.” Madam Qi glared at Master Peng, then glared at Xiang’er with a stern face: “If you overeat, you won’t be able to eat any food for a while, and you’ll have to drink bitter medicine.”
Upon hearing this, Xiangjie stopped fussing and pouted.
After finishing the main course, it was time for soup. Zhou Zaoren made Lotus Jade Soup, while Su Zhihan made Jade Stream Soup.
After finishing the refreshing soup, Madam Qi and the children all looked satisfied, but Master Peng only tasted it briefly and didn't even satisfy his craving. He cleared his throat and called Steward Zheng to check the dishes, but after looking left and right, he found that the rest were all made by Zhou's cook.
"Don't bother looking, we've used up all of what Chef Su made." Madam Qi leaned lazily against the couch, smiling at Master Peng's greedy expression. She took the teacup brought by a maid, took a sip, and then instructed Granny Pang to pay for the banquet. Finally, she told Granny Pang to make a reservation with Chef Su to come to the mansion again in three days to prepare the banquet.
…………
Su Zhihan was overjoyed to receive the good news, but the matter did not end there. Yao Lang, who was already prepared, stepped forward and began to discuss the price of the banquet with Mama Pang.
"Today's wages are three strings of cash."
"May I ask, Mother, how much will the wages be for the banquet three days from now?"
“One round costs five strings of cash,” Madam Pang said with a smile.
"Five strings of cash?" If Yao Lang hadn't inquired in the marketplace, he probably would have thought it was a good price. After all, when he asked the candle seller that day, they only offered three strings of cash to hire a cook and a kitchen helper. Ordinary people could only earn a hundred or so coins a day, and a few strings of cash a month. Even if they rented out their own houses, they would only earn ten or so strings of cash a month.
But yesterday, he listened to his wife's advice and inquired carefully in the streets and alleys. Only then did he realize that the three strings of cash that the candle maker offered was ridiculously low. Only the most low-level cooks or novices would be willing to take on such a job.
Once they entered the profession, cooks who could work independently would charge around ten strings of cash per meal. Usually, the host would also give them silk fabrics, or even jewelry as a reward.
“Aunt Pang, this price won’t do.” Yao Lang shook his head and refused decisively, saying bluntly, “The cooks and kitchen staff outside charge at least ten strings of cash for a single banquet.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Pang's eyelids twitched, and she subconsciously wanted to avoid talking to Su Zhihan while avoiding Yao Lang. However, after taking two steps, she was stopped by Yao Lang again, only then realizing that Su Zhihan had entrusted this matter to Yao Lang in front of her.
Madam Pang almost couldn't keep up her smile and cursed under her breath before discussing with Yao Lang: "Brother Yao, your daughter's skills are good, but she's still a novice and has never served at a banquet before. Five strings of cash is already a good price."
“For a newcomer, this price isn’t bad at all,” Yao Lang said, echoing Pang Mama’s words without refuting her. But before Pang Mama could smile, he added, “But surely the locals wouldn’t want to try the food?”
To put it nicely, tasting the food is to let the homeowner know the cook's skills; to put it bluntly, it's because the homeowner doesn't trust the cook's skills.
Most well-known cooks in the city don't accept tastings of their dishes. If someone asks to taste their food and then offers to cook for them, simply refusing is already being polite; otherwise, you might get a beating.
Madam Pang understood the implication in Yao Lang's words: since they had already tasted the dishes, the banquet should be prepared at the price set by a proper cook.
Madam Pang hadn't expected this, and feeling uneasy, she wiped her sweat with a handkerchief: "This... then I'll go ask my wife again."
A moment later, Madam Pang returned with a message, saying that the mistress had agreed to the matter, but instructed Su Zhihan to pay close attention to the banquet three days later. If she did well, the mistress would reward her further; if she did poorly, the mistress could prevent her from ever attending official banquets again.
...
Jiang Zhenniang waited anxiously in the shop, and as soon as her daughter returned in a sedan chair, she went up to ask. Upon receiving an affirmative answer, she was overjoyed, exclaiming, "Good, good, good!"
Especially after Su Zhihan mentioned that Yao Lang had helped negotiate the price and drafted the contract, Jiang Zhenniang became even more affectionate towards him, sending people to bring tea and inviting him and his wife to have dinner together in the evening.
Over there, Uncle Chai piled all sorts of utensils into the storeroom. After coming out, he chatted with two maids about what he had seen and heard in the mansion. He had already described the scenery of Master Peng's mansion before, but this time he only talked about the embarrassing incident involving the kitchen servant Zhou: "...After Master Peng and his wife finished serving the banquet, they took the leftovers back to the kitchen and instructed the servants to divide them among themselves."
"Guess what?" Uncle Chai said, beaming with delight as he thought of Zhou Zaoren's dark complexion. "Everything that the wife made was used up completely, and the rest was made by Zhou Zaoren."
“Didn’t you see his expression at that time?”
"Oh dear, it had all the colors of red, green, black, and white, and in the end, it didn't dare to utter a single word and slunk away."
He was taught to treat his wife with utter disdain, and asking for her help was like asking for his life.
"...It's a pity our shop is too busy and we don't have enough staff, otherwise we could show you what we've got." Uncle Chai was pleased with himself and went on to describe the dishes Su Zhihan had made, making the two maids' eyes full of longing and regret.
In fact, Su Zhihan had also thought of this. Upon hearing this, she glanced at Uncle Chai, but did not stop him from talking excitedly. Instead, she pulled Jiang Zhenniang aside to discuss the matter: "What Uncle Chai said is also what I was thinking. I think our family should go to the brokerage firm again and buy a few more people."
“That’s true.” Jiang Zhenniang nodded, both happy and helpless: “After you two left, I didn’t stop for most of the day.”
“I think there need to be two people in front and two people in the back.” Jiang Zhenniang counted on her fingers, first calculating the number of people the shop needed, and then talking about Su Zhihan’s: “In the future, we will be making a whole banquet. It’s not something you can handle by yourself or Uncle Chai.”
“We need at least three more people…” Jiang Zhenniang felt it wasn’t enough and added, “Five people?”
“I think three people are enough,” Su Zhihan thought for a moment and said to Jiang Zhenniang, “We can keep all three in the shop for now, or we can buy one and hire two assistants.”
The main problem is that her catering skills haven't yet made a name for themselves, and her income isn't stable. Even if the shop is doing well, supporting too many people would be a real strain.
Su Zhihan wanted to save money wherever possible: "When we buy people, we'll teach them to learn from Aunt Cai and Aunt Sun. Once they've gotten the hang of it, we can select one of the two to help me out, and keep the other to watch the shop."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhenniang had no objection: "Then shall we go to the brokerage today and ask? That way, if the brokerage has any skilled cooks, they can contact us."
Su Zhihan nodded, instructed Uncle Chai and the servant to watch the shop, and then went to the brokerage firm with Jiang Zhenniang. The mother and daughter visited several brokerage firms, looking at all the people they could find, but they couldn't find many who met their expectations.
Seeing this, the broker advised, "Some people with culinary skills, or those who have worked in brothels, are rare and few in number. If you don't like them, I have some others here, but they are only willing to sign long-term contracts for a few years and are not willing to sell themselves."
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Zhihan shook her head. She only needed the broker to keep an eye out and contact her if there was a suitable match. Then she chose a young brother and sister who had lost their parents and were willing to sell themselves to the brokerage firm. She also hired a young idler as a helper.
Back at the shop, Su Zhihan taught the boy to help Uncle Chai with odd jobs, while the girl learned to work in the shop with Aunt Cai and Aunt Sun. The shop assistants were responsible for serving customers.
Jiang Zhenniang remained silent, letting her daughter arrange everyone's whereabouts. Only after returning home did she tentatively inquire, "Speaking of which, how's business at the pavilion stall? Should we send someone over to learn how to do it?"
Su Zhihan smiled and said, "Let's talk about it over there."
Jiang Zhenniang glanced at her face and whispered, "Perhaps there's a problem with the accounts over there?"
Although Jiang Zhenniang had little contact with Xiao Hong's family, she knew that when her daughter was still in the Marquis's mansion, Xiao Hong's family was very hospitable to her, and would send her a gift during festivals. Her daughter often mentioned them to her.
Since leaving the mansion, the relationship between the two families has actually cooled.
Aside from the occasion when Xiao Hong's family came over for a meal during the move, they never came back. Even the revenue from the stall was collected by Su Zhihan sending someone to fetch it.
Furthermore, since Xiao Hong has become her daughter's apprentice, according to the current custom, since Su Zhihan has opened a shop, Xiao Hong should also work in the shop.
Although Jiang Zhenniang wasn't the rigid type to insist on her apprentices being treated like slaves, she was still unhappy because Xiao Hong's family didn't react.
Especially after seeing that her daughter, since leaving the mansion, no longer liked to rent people but only liked to buy them, she began to have doubts.
"Mother, that's not true."
“So it’s because Sister Hong is getting old and has her own thoughts?” Jiang Zhenniang thought of another possibility and continued.
This time, Su Zhihan remained silent.
The first time Su Zhihan delivered the clothes, Hong Jie'er wasn't working at the stall, which Su Zhihan thought was just a coincidence.
Who would have thought that when they passed by again, they didn't see Sister Hong. The servants went to the stall to collect money but didn't see Sister Hong either. Even today, when they came back in a sedan chair, they specially sent someone to go there, but they still didn't see Sister Hong.
If the first time was an accident, then it can't be an accident every time, right? Besides, if Jiang Zhenniang could feel the coldness, Su Zhihan would feel it even more clearly.
Su Zhihan glanced at her mother and whispered what had happened, saying only, "I haven't inquired about it either, but I just find it strange."
"You little brat, how could you let people bully you like that?"
"How is that bullying?" Su Zhihan smiled and said to Jiang Zhenniang, "I didn't want to take on apprentices either, but I didn't have any money at the time, and I happened to need Xiao Hong's land."
In Su Zhihan's view, this was a mutually beneficial arrangement. She gained a place and manpower to help make and sell food, and she also made money, while Xiao Hong's family made money and solved their immediate problem.
"Besides, it's written in our contract."
"If they work for me for two years, I will give them the recipes for stinky tofu and braised tofu."
Su Zhihan's words contained a hint of regret. Although she did not care about their master-disciple relationship, she had thought that after leaving the manor, she would teach Hong Jie some skills to fulfill the master-disciple relationship. Who would have thought that things would develop like this?
However, Su Zhihan has fulfilled her long-cherished wish of leaving the manor and now only thinks about making money, living a good life for her family, and saving some money so that she can save a few people when the Marquis's manor falls into ruin.
As for what Grandma Chen and Xiao Hong thought, Su Zhihan didn't want to interfere. As long as the family hadn't embezzled any money, the business would continue, and they could part ways by this time next year.
Su Zhihan didn't want to cause any trouble, but Jiang Zhenniang thought differently. She told her that her daughter was kind-hearted and had an exceptionally good temper towards those around her, especially her loved ones.
But there's no way to stop it; many people are bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong.
You treat him well, but he doesn't appreciate it. Instead, he thinks you're easy to bully and can be taken advantage of.
"Don't be so kind-hearted." Jiang Zhenniang turned her back and pouted, "Back then, we thought she was poor, had lost her parents, and her grandfather was on his sickbed. There was only an old lady in the family, but we didn't mind that she was too young."
"They're the ones who are looking down on us first."
"I noticed that they were very nice to us back then, probably because they knew we were from the Marquis's residence."
"Now I don't know where they've gone to climb to become richer."
"If you don't take care of it now, who knows, maybe your descendants will climb the social ladder and try to control you."
"Mother, I know about this."
“Last time when Madam Cai went to get the account books, I checked them carefully, and there were no problems with the items and money in the accounts.” After noticing the problem, Su Zhihan paid more and more attention to details, not wanting to be taken advantage of.
"The contract we signed was for a two-year term, but it's only been a year. If we want to terminate the contract early, we'll have to pay a lot of money in compensation."
"Since there are no problems with the business, let's continue to cooperate like this. Besides, if they manage to climb the social ladder and it gets out that they can't even fulfill the agreements they signed, who would want to cooperate with them?"
Seeing that Su Zhihan had a plan, Jiang Zhenniang said no more. However, she thought that her daughter had only looked through the account books and had only glanced at them from afar, and was too busy to pay attention to what was happening there. So she secretly decided to go and observe, lest her daughter be foolish enough to be taken advantage of without even realizing it.
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