Chapter 81 Seeking the Official Just as Madam Cai was walking out the door, holding her breath, a glimpse of something in her eye…
Just as Madam Cai was about to leave, holding her breath, she caught a glimpse of Su Zhihan walking in from the corner of her eye. Her anger vanished, and she reached out to lift the curtain, saying loudly, "Young lady, you're back? Madam was just sending me to the back room to see if you'd returned."
"That's quite a coincidence."
"Please come in, young lady. I'll go get some tea right away." Cai Mama usually had a loud voice, but Su Zhihan didn't find it strange that she spoke a little louder today.
"I remember there's some mung bean soup left over from today's shop. Go get two bowls," Su Zhihan instructed before heading into the house. As soon as she entered, she saw Jiang Zhenniang busily organizing account books at her desk. "Mother, you can continue with the accounts. I'll tell you what just happened."
"You just went to Yao Lang's place?" Jiang Zhenniang closed the account book in her hand, piled it aside along with the contract, and then got up, took her daughter's hand and left the desk to sit on the couch next to her: "Did the matter we discussed earlier come to fruition?"
"It's half done."
"How come there's still some that's only half-finished?" Jiang Zhenniang looked her daughter over carefully and saw that her forehead was covered in sweat. She picked up a fan and fanned her: "Look how hot you are. I'll have someone bring you a basin of ice."
As July progressed, the weather became increasingly hot.
The braised meat shop is doing good business, and the ingredients need to be braised four or five times a day. In order to ensure the flavor is maintained and to avoid spoilage, the stove needs to be kept burning as long as the shop is open.
The few people who worked at the stove from morning till night were so sweaty that their shirts were soaked through.
"Let me do it, I'm strong." Su Zhihan took the fan, and with her strong hand, she fanned herself with great ease. Then she said to Jiang Zhenniang, "There's no need to serve it, is there? I've already asked Cai Mama to prepare some mung bean soup for me. I'll feel better after drinking it."
“Mung bean soup is mung bean soup, and ice is ice,” Jiang Zhenniang said dismissively. “It’s not worth much money, and it’ll make me more comfortable when I go to sleep later.”
In the previous dynasty, Xia Bing was something that only royalty and nobles could enjoy, and its price was comparable to gold and jade. But now it has flowed into the homes of ordinary people.
Not only would the emperor bestow rewards upon officials of all ranks during the hottest days of summer each year, but also, for example, the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, where the mother and daughter had lived, would stockpile ice every winter in addition to the rewards from the court, and then take it out for use in the summer.
For them, ice and charcoal were common items in the household. Not to mention the master of the house, even the servants and stewards of high status were used to using them daily.
Just like how the Third Lady used the finest charcoal in her cat house, it is said that in the summer she would have craftsmen carve large blocks of ice into various mountain sculptures and arrange them around the banquet, serving both as decoration and to lower the temperature.
At the same time, the imperial court and merchants saw a business opportunity. Every year at this time, the imperial court had ice dealers, and there were also ice shops in the private sector. Large merchants also supported paying to pre-order ice every winter, and then collecting ice from designated places in the summer with ice tickets.
“When the ice season starts next year, we should find a shop to book early. I heard from Aunt Wu next door that you can get a 40% discount if you book in advance, which is much more cost-effective than buying it individually like we are now.”
"Oh right, let's not talk about that." Jiang Zhenniang suddenly realized that she had gone off-topic, so she quickly asked about something new.
Just then, Aunt Cai, who had gone to get mung bean soup, arrived.
Su Zhihan took the mung bean soup she was offered and sipped it from the bowl. The mung bean soup was stewed until it was smooth and creamy, with a bright green color. It had been chilled in ice, and one sip made her feel refreshed all over.
Su Zhihan took a few sips of her drink before continuing to explain their plans to Jiang Zhenniang: "It's just that the set of silver and porcelain is a bit of a hassle. I'm thinking of renting a set from a rental shop in a couple of days."
The rental shops in the capital city had everything available for rent, from linen clothes and shoes to bamboo baskets and chicken coops, and even tables, chairs, benches, pots and pans. It was incredibly convenient.
"Does this mean we'll have to send someone to deliver the food?" Jiang Zhenniang instructed Cai Mama to put the ice basin in Su Zhihan's room before asking the question.
“Yes, I was thinking of hiring a few idle men to take it away,” Su Zhihan explained. “Although Zhang Xuezi said that the three of them would be waiting at the door, we still need to put on a show that the price is commensurate with the service.”
"Are we manpower enough? Do you need Mother to come and help?"
"That's enough." Su Zhihan shook her head. Although a mid-level official banquet is more complicated and elaborate, it is still only one table, which is much easier than the banquets held by Master Peng and several other families.
"Have you asked when that official's birthday is? I'd like to prepare in advance so as not to give myself away." Jiang Zhenniang remembered something else and quickly asked.
“It’s the third day of the eighth lunar month, so there are still ten days to go.” Su Zhihan understood the implication in Jiang Zhenniang’s words and laughed loudly, “My current banquets are booked until the end of the month. If anyone comes to inquire about booking banquets for next month, just say that the heat is unbearable and I need to rest for a few days.”
"If they ask again, imply that the price is low."
"When someone mentioned it, they spread the word that Zhang Lang and his group had spent a total of thirty-eight strings of cash on the banquet."
The visitor must have been suspicious of the sudden jump from a little over ten strings of cash to thirty-eight strings of cash, and probably went to inquire about it.
That way, we can conveniently communicate the pricing information.
Leaving aside how Su Zhihan and Jiang Zhenniang discussed the method of spreading the word, the next morning, Cai Mama led Mei Jie'er out to find Granny Chen.
She first went to the pavilion stall, but seeing that it wasn't open, she asked the people at the next stall. One of the stall owners recognized her and knew that Madam Cai was a servant in Jiang's braised meat shop, so he said to her, "Madam, doesn't your mistress know?"
"What do you know? My wife taught me how to collect money."
"Sigh!" The stall owner shook his head. "Not two days after Qixi Festival, Granny Chen stopped opening her stall."
"Huh?" Mrs. Cai feigned shock, her eyes widening. "Then it means they haven't been open for business for about ten days? My family signed a two-year contract with them, instructing her and her granddaughter to sell food here."
"Huh? A two-year contract?"
"No way..."
Not to mention the kind stall owner who answered, even the stall owners and passersby nearby stopped to watch. Many of the stall owners knew about the trouble at Granny Chen's house, and upon hearing this, they began to discuss among themselves: "Good heavens, it's a long-term contract?"
After the incident of Granny Chen claiming to be the stall owner, without knowing that she owned the stall or the craft, became public, Granny Chen never came back.
Those around them assumed they had signed short-term contracts that were terminated by their employers after their misconduct was discovered. Unexpectedly, not only were they not terminated, but they were actually on long-term contracts.
"This stall, you opened it at the end of last year, right?"
"At most, it's only been about half a year..."
"Hiss—" Some people couldn't help but gasp, while others exclaimed in shock, "Old Lady Chen is so bold!"
There's still at least a year left before the two-year contract expires!
The surrounding stall owners and common people were talking about it, and an insider even said, "But I heard that her daughter has already gone to work in the mansion, and it's a very big mansion."
These words drew even more gasps of surprise.
"Really?"
"Then...isn't this being sold back and forth?"
How could Granny Chen have such audacity?
While the people around were gossiping, Cai's mother also inquired about the family from the crowd. However, Granny Chen was very mysterious, only telling a few close friends that they were from an upper-class family, but never mentioning whose family they were.
"Are you lying?"
"I don't think so. She was very proud of herself those few days, constantly saying that Sister Hong would have a bright future."
"Maybe he went to work as an apprentice at a restaurant."
"No, no, no, I heard that he took a famous stove master as his apprentice."
"No, no, I heard it's going to the Earl's mansion."
"No, no, it's about learning a trade from the stove master!"
Seeing that none of the surrounding stall owners knew, Cai's mother stopped chatting with anyone and then led Mei'er to Chen's house.
Madam Cai was meticulous. She instructed Mei-jie to wait at the alley entrance, pretending not to know her, while she herself went into the alley and knocked on Granny Chen's door.
After knocking several times, Granny Chen finally came out to open the door. When she saw that it was Granny Cai standing outside, her eyelids twitched immediately: "Granny Cai, what brings you here?"
"My wife taught me to come and collect my monthly allowance."
"And I heard that you and your daughter haven't been to the stall to work for quite some time. What's going on?" Mrs. Cai asked directly, her face cold.
Granny Chen's smile froze, and she cursed inwardly. Because of the Qixi Festival, she had been subjected to a lot of sarcastic remarks. In addition, since the matter of Sister Hong had been settled, she had lost her will to work and only wanted to go to the mansion with Sister Hong to enjoy a life of luxury as soon as possible.
Granny Chen smiled apologetically: "Aunt Cai doesn't know, the contract we signed is different from yours. Han-jie said that if we work for two years, she will teach the skills to our Hong-jie."
“Hongjie was reluctant to give up that job.” Granny Chen first showed weakness, indicating that Hongjie was reluctant to give it up, and then changed the subject, saying, “Who would have thought that she would be favored by a noble person who wanted to recognize her as his goddaughter.”
She was too embarrassed to tell Han-jie.
"I thought I could do it, so I helped."
“Who knew that Sister Hong would be so busy lately, I always have to go and help out—look.” Granny Chen stepped aside to show Cai Mama the several boxes of things in the yard: “That’s why I’ve been delayed at the stall.”
“I was originally planning to go to the shop in a couple of days to talk to my wife about this, but since Mother is here, please go back for me. We’ll pick a day to go to the yamen to cancel the contract…”
"You shameless old woman!" Before Granny Chen could finish speaking, Mama Cai immediately turned hostile. She knew why Jiang Zhenniang had summoned her; she was the uncouth woman, a tool her mistress used to hurl insults. Without any politeness, she pointed at Granny Chen's nose: "My daughter works so hard, and you all, after learning the skills, try to pretend it never happened? Taking advantage of our family for nothing?"
"Your family signed a two-year contract with my family."
"Come with me to the government office! I want to know how to deal with breaches of contract, and I want to see if your esteemed family member is willing to have a goddaughter who breaks contracts at will!" Madam Cai shouted at Granny Chen, intending to drag her to the government office and ask the officials in court to judge the matter.
Granny Chen was no match for Granny Cai's strength, and she stumbled forward abruptly. Feeling guilty, fearing Granny Cai would really drag her to the authorities, she quickly apologized, "Granny Cai, you've misunderstood! I didn't mean to break the contract! I... I was willing to pay!"
"Please tell Madam Jiang."
"Tomorrow, just tomorrow, I'll come over tomorrow and we'll talk."
Mrs. Cai looked at her suspiciously: "Don't lie to me. What if you run away tomorrow?"
"This house belongs to my family. Where can I run to? Besides, if I run away tomorrow, your family will take the deed to the government and sue me!" Granny Chen was furious, but she still forced a smile on her face. She finally managed to persuade Granny Cai to leave after much persuasion.
As Cai Mama emerged from the alley, she gave Mei Jie a wink. The two brushed past each other, Mei Jie not even glancing at Cai Mama, but instead looking down to inquire about the price of the bronze mirrors on the stall.
Just as they were haggling over the price, a donkey cart entered the alley.
Mei leaned over and saw Granny Chen instructing the driver to help her move things, putting several boxes inside, and then she got on the donkey cart and they went off together.
After the donkey cart had gone far away, Sister Mei followed it.
In a short while, she saw the donkey cart turn left and right into an alley, and then stop in front of a house.
A maidservant came out and said, "Mother Chen is here."
Granny Chen got out of the car with a big smile on her face: "Why did you come to the door to greet me, Mother? Please come in and sit down. I'll carry these heavy things."
“Teach them to do these rough jobs. Come inside with me.” The maid called the coachman and servant to carry the things inside, and then pulled Granny Chen inside, her face full of affection: “Sister Hong was just saying that you hadn’t come back yet.”
"That girl, why does she keep nagging me?" Granny Chen was happy, but worried that her granddaughter would offend that important person, so she muttered a few complaints.
Soon, she followed the maid into the house, leaving the coachman and another young servant to go in and out, unloading the chests and boxes from the carriage and sending them all inside.
Mei Jie'er's eyes flickered, and she quietly stepped forward.
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