Chapter 40: Tailor-made Winter Clothes [VIP]
It is impossible to work part-time.
Chen Yaowan declined the invitation from Manager Ren. Although she was grateful, she still had to deal with the matter at hand.
Whether this business can continue for a long time or not, I need you, the shopkeeper, to give me a clear answer.
Shopkeeper Ren sat back in his seat amid the expectant gazes of the old people in the room.
If he really decided to plant cassava in large quantities, it would inevitably flow out in the future. Would his hot drink still be the only one in Qingfeng Town?
Shopkeeper Ren expressed his concerns.
"Manager Ren, have you ever considered that if your dominance becomes a source of envy, would others become jealous? Would you be able to maintain your current business?"
Manager Ren is a smart man, and Chen Yao's words undoubtedly woke him up.
Among the four classes of people, merchants have the lowest status. No matter how much money he makes, people will say he is greedy for money. If he is envied by a villain and framed, he will not be able to save his life even if he pays all his wealth.
But he was unwilling to give up the benefits to others.
"Is there no other way to break the deadlock?" It would allow him to profit from it and take the lead without making others jealous.
Yes, of course there is!
Shopkeeper Ren hugged the heating device and leaned forward, sincerely asking Chen Yao for advice.
Chen Yao told Manager Ren about the business methods of milk tea franchise in the future, and promised to provide him with methods for making milk tea with various flavors.
Manager Ren opened the first hot drink shop. If others wanted to join, they had to pay a franchise fee, and then you would tell them the recipe and ingredients for making milk tea.
As for how they run their business in the future, that is their own business.
"That's a good idea. Let's go back to the city to sign the contract and do as you say." Shopkeeper Ren seemed to have a burning fire in his heart. The more he interacted with Shen Yao, the more he felt that she was a businessman born to do business, but she just loved farming.
The reason for rejecting him both times was that he had to go home and farm.
He didn't understand: if farming was really good, why were there so many tenant farmers who couldn't pay the rent and taxes and had to do hard labor?
But this was Chen Yao's decision, and he had to respect it.
As long as you don't mention the dividend increase to him, everything will be fine.
Two hundred kilograms of cassava were unloaded in Wanhe Township.
The old people in the village were very happy. They were afraid that the damp ground would cause the cassava to rot, so they asked the shopkeeper Ren's servants to dismantle several wooden beds in an abandoned house in the village to make shelves, and stored the cassava on the shelves.
Chen Yao told the old people how to preserve the cassava until spring and how to plant it after spring. The old people were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling.
"Grandma Wang, I'll leave it to you to figure out how to grind cassava flour in the future. Reserve 50 kilograms of cassava for seeds first, and you can take your time with the rest. Don't rush and tire yourself out." Chen Yao held Grandma Wang's hand and instructed her.
Grandma Wang's eyes were red and she was very grateful to take on this important task.
Chen Yao discussed this deal with Manager Ren in front of them. They were not stupid and knew that Chen Yao would rather suffer the loss herself than give them this job.
Naturally, they also understood that she did all this for Wanhe Township and for these elderly people.
So when Grandma Wang was sending Chen Yao and Manager Ren out of the village, she said, "Ayao, Manager Ren only gives you 10% profit, and you even have to allocate wages to us. We are dragging you down and making you suffer!"
Although Grandma Wang was holding Chen Yao's hand, she was speaking to Manager Ren who was sitting on the ox cart.
Shopkeeper Ren moved with the jar of pickled vegetables and hid behind the waiter, pretending not to hear what they said.
The clerk was very disgusted with his boss's behavior, but since he was relying on his boss for his livelihood, he had to block the old people's gaze for the boss.
Chen Yao patted Grandma Wang's hand and looked at the overgrown Wanhe Township.
"How could I be at a disadvantage? I'm just acting as a middleman. After all, it's Manager Ren who's providing the money, and it's you who's doing the hard work. As long as Manager Ren's business is booming, Wanhe Township won't be as lifeless as it was before."
Cassava can easily survive in the mountains and can take root when planted in the soil of Wanhe Township. With this cassava, even if the shopkeeper Ren's business fails in the future, the people of Wanhe Township can still rely on it to fill their stomachs.
Although Chen Yao didn't say those words, all the elderly people present understood them, including Manager Ren and his servants. They all realized that by doing this, she had undoubtedly saved many lives and families.
The ox cart slowly drove out of Wanhe Township. The old man with good legs and feet followed the ox cart and held Chen Yao's hand, refusing to let go.
"Ayao, you have done a great favor to our Wanhe Township. We will never forget this kindness for generations to come."
"Grandma, Grandpa, don't cry. Go back. As long as we work hard, we will definitely reap the rewards of our hardship."
Chen Yao sat on the ox cart and waved goodbye to the people behind her. The old people shed tears in the wind. They did not return home together until the ox cart disappeared in the mountains.
Grandma Wang looked at the cassava stored in the empty house and cried with joy. She wiped away her tears, put herself in a good mood, and immediately called a few old sisters to get to work.
No.
When they returned to the city, Manager Ren was already starving, so he ordered Chef Ma to prepare a banquet quickly.
Chen Yao glanced at the sky outside and waved her hand to reject his kindness.
"Put more meat on it." Shopkeeper Ren gave the order and turned back to the coachman and said, "I'll trouble you to send Madam Shen home later, and then go to the grain field with me tomorrow."
After giving the instructions, pay the driver the fare.
This was considered chartering a car, and the coachman happily agreed.
The waiter thanked the shopkeeper and waited for the two of them to go upstairs to the private room. Then he and the old man sat in a corner on the first floor to wait for food.
Today he went out with the shopkeeper and really broadened his horizons. He found that business could be done this way.
In the private room upstairs, after eating the hot noodles, Chen Yao finally felt like she was alive again.
Manager Ren put the signed contract into his sleeve, feeling a little painful.
Chen Yao actually asked him to pay 20 wen per catty to buy cassava flour, which was the same price as fine flour. Cassava was cheaper, only 1 wen per catty. If he hadn't gone with her today, he would never have signed the contract.
Manager Ren handed the pen and ink to Chen Yao again, indicating that she should write down the hot drink recipe.
Chen Yao didn't know how to use a brush, so she could only dictate it to Shopkeeper Ren and let Shopkeeper Ren write it down.
Cassava sweet soup, Bobo milk tea, brown sugar pearl milk, jasmine milk tea, soy milk mochi.
After writing down these hot drink recipes, Manager Ren felt a little guilty about giving Chen Yao a 10% profit, so he thought about giving her a little more.
But after a while he felt that this 10% profit was just right. After all, he was bearing all the risks of this business.
"Boss, I've given you the recipe. The rest is up to you to hire someone to make it. The sweetness and thickness of the hot drink can be adjusted according to the customers' tastes." Chen Yao stood up and prepared to leave.
Shopkeeper Ren put away the recipe and sent her downstairs. He also took a few packets of snacks from the counter and handed them to her. "Come to my restaurant and sit down if you have time. Don't worry, once this hot drink shop opens, I'll let you review the monthly accounts. You won't lose a penny."
Chen Yao took the snacks and thanked him, then got on the ox cart and left Qingfeng Town under the watchful eyes of Manager Ren.
After returning to Xiahe Village, Chen Yao gave the counting rope and snacks she brought back to Yang Wenying, and then she couldn't wait to sit down by the charcoal brazier in the main house to warm herself by the fire.
Tian Baozhu hurriedly poured a cup of hot water for her cousin.
Shen Qingshan sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "How is it going? Is everything done?"
"Yes, it's all done." Chen Yao briefly told her father and Yang Wenying and Tian Baozhu who followed in about the business between herself and Manager Ren, as well as the arrangements for the elderly people in Wanhe Township.
Yang Wenying sat nearby, noting down her brother's measurements while listening, and was shocked when she heard what happened next.
This kind of benefiting the people, seeking profits for the people, and taking the people's affairs to heart should be what a local official should do.
But Chen Yao actually took the responsibility and did it quietly without telling anyone else.
It can be seen that Chen Yao has a kind nature and truly cares about the people of Wanhe Township. She is not the kind of person who seeks repayment for a favor.
"Cousin, you have done a great thing. Whatever you want to eat tonight, I will make it for you." Tian Baozhu was proud of it. Who says women are inferior to men? Those who once looked down on A Yao, who can compare with A Yao now?
At this moment, Yang Wenying also felt indescribably happy in her heart.
Tian Baozhu wanted to add more food for Shen Yao, so she made clothes for her.
"Ayao, come back to the house with me and I will measure you." After Yang Wenying wrote down the measurements of her brother and elders, she picked up the hemp rope and motioned Chen Yao to follow her.
Chen Yao was dragged up by her and returned to their room. She watched her measuring up and down in front of her body with a hemp rope and gesturing back and forth. She felt that the places where she touched were itchy and uncomfortable.
When Yang Wenying gestured, she started giggling.
When Chen Yao moved around, Yang Wenying couldn't measure it clearly. She exerted force with her hands and the hemp rope tightened around Chen Yao's waist.
A cry of "ouch" was heard from inside the room, and Yang Wenying was pushed down on the bed by Chen Yao.
Chen Yao looked at the face under her body that looked like Yang Jizong, and suddenly remembered something. She quickly turned over and lay on her side, pulling the quilt over herself, and refused to let Yang Wenying measure her again no matter what.
"Hmph, you take my kindness for granted. My aunt works hard grinding tofu all day long. I made clothes for you because I was worried that she would be tired. If you don't want it, forget it." Yang Wenying looked at the pile on the bed, feeling very angry.
She mustered up her courage and took the opportunity to slap Shen Yao across the quilt, then ran out of the room before Shen Yao lifted the quilt to settle the score with her.
Unfortunately, she ran too fast and didn't see the blushing face under the quilt.
Everyone gathered together for dinner in the evening. Chen Yao was so hungry that she ate two bowls of brown rice porridge without having time to talk.
So her cousin and Yang Wenying, one the supporting actor and the other the funny one, told the story of what happened today, leaving everyone stunned.
"It's just something I can do, cousin. How's the news about cotton?" Chen Yao wiped the grease from her mouth. The braised pork and cabbage made by her cousin was really delicious.
Tian Baolai put down his bowl and chopsticks and replied, "Yes, there is, but a pound of cotton costs five hundred coins, which is very expensive."
The dining table, which was full of joy just now, was now quiet.
"Ayao, you can just buy the cotton yourself. When you make money in the future, your cousins will buy some for us." Huang Mei led Miao to clean up the dishes.
Huang Xing was probably tired today. She was in low spirits and ate very little for dinner. Now she leaned on Shen Qingshan's shoulder, trying hard to listen to everyone's conversation.
"Dad doesn't need to wear cotton clothes. It's mainly for you and your mother. You are weak." Shen Qingshan held his wife's hand to warm her.
Everyone pushed and pushed, and finally Shen Yao made the final decision. She would give it to Huang Songbai and Yang Jizong first, and then to her mother, cousin, and cousin. They would all have to work outside in the wind and snow in the future, and her mother was really sick and weak.
Besides, since all the partners bought cotton cloth, how could some of them be missing while others were missing? Everyone should get a share.
Tian Baolai and Huang Dongsheng took out money from their pockets to give to Chen Yao. Since they wanted to honor their elders, they had to pay.
So Chen Yao pooled everyone's money together and gave it all to her cousin. Although it wasn't much, it was just enough to buy a pound of cotton.
After everyone went home, Shen Qingshan took out a purse from under his pillow and handed it to his daughter L. "You must have spent all the money you earned in the past few months. Take this."
"Dad, you don't have to give it to me. Send the vegetables to the city at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, and I'll have money again. Then I'll ask Doctor Zeng to come home to see Mom." Chen Yao lowered her voice, her eyes fixed on Huang Xing who was already asleep.
"Okay, then Dad will put the money in the room. If you need it, just take it yourself." Shen Qingshan stuffed the purse back under the pillow.
Chen Yao nodded and quietly left the main house. The cold wind outside made her scalp hurt.
Thinking back to the past, when winter came, we had to wear several layers of linen clothes to keep warm. When it was the coldest, no one could go out to the fields and we would just stay in the kitchen.
Chen Yao didn't want to endure the bone-chilling winter, so she had to get everyone a cotton-padded jacket for the winter.
Chen Yao clasped her hands together and prayed to the stars in the sky: I hope that Shopkeeper Ren’s hot drinks will sell well in the city!
"What are you doing? Why don't you go into the house and wash up!" When Yang Wenying opened the door to pour the foot washing water, she saw Chen Yao standing in the yard rubbing her hands and muttering to herself.
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