Chapter 61 Accommodation
"Madam, these are complimentary snacks and tea for you," said Madam Wei, bringing over a plate of freshly baked pumpkin cakes.
"Are you the old woman hired by this restaurant?" Madam Sun's anger subsided considerably when she saw that it was Wei's mother who brought the food; at least it wasn't the slightly younger-looking owner of the restaurant.
“I am the restaurant owner’s mother. She was too busy, so I came to help her,” Wei’s mother said kindly.
"Oh? I heard that Mr. Wei got divorced? Why didn't he find someone else? With her looks, it should be easy for her," Madam Sun said meaningfully.
“This child is too stubborn. She insisted that she doesn’t want anything else now, only to raise her two children. She also said that she was afraid that finding someone else would be bad for the children. I couldn’t persuade her. Now that I see that she is doing well, I’ve given up on that idea.”
After hearing what Wei's mother said, Madam Sun agreed with Song Yushu's point of view. As a mother herself, she felt that her child was the most important person, and thus her opinion of Song Yushu changed somewhat.
"With such capabilities, why would Boss Wei want a divorce? My husband tasted her cooking and came back praising it highly. Logically, a woman like that shouldn't be desired by her in-laws."
"Alas! It's our fault as her parents for not persuading her. She insisted on marrying that man and becoming a stepmother. How easy is it to be a stepmother? What's more, that man still has feelings for his ex-wife. How could he remember any kindness from her? He only has eyes for the children from his previous marriage. My daughter has suffered so much. We had to sell her dowry to raise her two children..."
"Later she realized that she insisted on divorce and even gave her in-laws a sum of money to get the child out."
As she spoke, Wei's mother emotionally wiped away her tears.
"I never imagined that Boss Wei had lived such a life before. She was quite a pitiful person. But with such good skills, her business will be good, and you parents won't have to worry about her. That's a good thing."
Madam Sun was a sentimental person. After hearing what Wei's mother said, she felt that Song Yushu was strong as a mother and that she had to show her face in business for the sake of her child. Her anger towards her subsided.
"Oh dear! I've lost my composure in front of Madam. Please enjoy your meal, Madam. We'll bring the ingredients over shortly. If the young master likes some desserts, we'll bring you another serving!"
When Wei's mother saw that her attitude had softened, she knew that her words had moved her, and she quickly took her leave.
"Mother, how did it go? Did that lady say anything?" Sister-in-law Wei asked as soon as she saw her mother return.
"Why are you so hasty! Go pour me a cup of tea first, my throat is parched," Mother Wei glared at Sister-in-law Wei and told her to go pour the water.
"As the sister-in-law, I'm just thinking of my sister!" Sister-in-law Wei said, pouring tea and handing it to her mother.
"It's alright now. That Madam Sun is easy to talk to. She even feels sorry for your sister now!" Mother Wei was quite pleased with herself, feeling that her efforts had not been in vain.
"You're still very capable. We'll have to rely on you in the future!" Sister-in-law Wei began to flatter him.
"Go away! What next time? There is no next time! Can't you think of something better?" Mother Wei disapproved of her eldest daughter-in-law's thoughtless words.
"Pah, pah, pah! I misspoke, Mother, please don't take it to heart," Sister-in-law Wei patted her mouth lightly, then slipped into the kitchen as if fleeing.
Song Yushu smiled helplessly, but he was also somewhat moved by the way Wei's sister-in-law and mother defended him.
Several more guests arrived, all with their families. Song Yushu had Wei's mother and the others greet them, and then she went to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients.
These guests were all regular customers, and Song Yushu was very generous to them, providing them with plenty of ingredients and waiving the cost of the snacks.
There are advantages to having fewer people at a farmhouse, such as spaciousness. Children can play to their heart's content under the treehouse, while adults can find their own comfort zone, where they can barbecue, have hot pot, or go fishing.
Only after the guests left satisfied did Song Yushu have someone clean up the mess.
On the first day of official opening, although only three households were served, the profits were not bad, and two taels of silver were earned.
Zhou Chengzhu carefully kept the accounts and stopped sighing.
For Song Yushu, having a house, land, and even an oxcart, she was already quite satisfied with her current situation. Every day after seeing off her guests, she would tend to her flowers and plants, or build trellises for the vegetable seedlings with Wei's mother.
As the days went by, the vegetables in the garden grew more and more beautifully. The pumpkin and cucumber vines climbed all over the trellis and produced a lot of melons. What surprised Song Yushu even more was that the melon seeds she bought at a high price had now also climbed and borne fruit.
At first, Wei's mother advised her not to buy so many melon seeds, because they were expensive because they were not easy to grow. But Song Yushu loved to eat them, so she left two plots of land for her to cultivate.
"I didn't expect it to actually grow! If a melon looks good, it can fetch a tael of silver! Should we plant more?" Sister-in-law Wei was already imagining the profits that the melons would bring after they ripened.
"What are you dreaming about in broad daylight! It's this late, how can they possibly grow any more? Hurry up and help me put up the trellis!" Mother Wei was reliable enough not to let her joy cloud her judgment. The three of them spent the entire afternoon setting up the melon trellis.
The agritainment business was gradually improved, and the ten small wooden cabins were completed. They were just waiting for the furniture to be moved in and arranged so that they could be used for guests to stay overnight.
Song Yushu also categorized the interior decoration of these detached wooden cabins into different levels. The better the decoration, the higher the price, ranging from 200 coins per night to 3 taels of silver per night, all of which included three meals a day at different levels.
After completing the renovations, they immediately put up a sign in front of the wooden house, clearly explaining the prices.
Now that the guest rooms for the night were ready, it was time to arrange some nighttime activities. Song Yushu planned to prepare a bonfire party that would last until 9 PM.
After making the arrangements, Song Yushu began to go to the orphanage to find the children to promote the cause.
The promotional flyers were designed at great expense. Song Yushu handed the flyers to them, paid them thirty coins a day to help distribute the flyers, and explained what to say while distributing them. He then had them practice in private before he was relieved to let them go to town to distribute the flyers.
"A new attraction has been added to this delicious restaurant! Only ten exquisite wooden cabins are available for overnight stays, first come, first served!"
"A bonfire banquet is held at night, with a variety of delicious foods, making it an excellent choice for a family outing!"
Children on the street were loudly promoting flyers, and before they could even hand them out, people came up to ask them questions.
"Give me one, I don't have to pay for this, do I?"
"No need to give it to me, please take it."
This was the first time anyone in town had promoted something like this, and it certainly opened their eyes. Look at the picture on the paper; the fruits and vegetables in the picture were plentiful, and the wooden house for lodging was just as exquisite as the children had described.
"This bonfire party looks interesting! But the price for staying overnight is a bit high! The cheapest is 200 coins a night, which is enough for me to eat meat for several meals!"
"Doesn't it say here? Bring the flyer and you'll get a discount, plus a night's stay and all your meals are included!"
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