Upon hearing the words of the manager of Huacuilou, Jiang Ling frowned and pursed her lips without saying a word. The manager of Yuchulou, who was standing next to her, also quickly said, "Sister-in-law, don't go. I also have something to discuss with you."
Jiang Ling's eyebrows furrowed even more. After looking the two shopkeepers up and down, she asked, "What business do you two have with a village woman like me?"
"Peppermint water!" the managers of Huacuilou and Yuchulou exclaimed in unison.
After the two shopkeepers finished speaking, they glared at each other and turned away in a huff, ignoring each other.
As the saying goes, rivals are enemies. Jiang Ling already knew most of what was going on by observing the actions of the two shopkeepers in front of her.
She smiled and said, "You two are both shopkeepers, and you know that the most valuable part of this food is the recipe. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my recipe is not for sale!"
"No, no! Sister-in-law, please don't misunderstand. I'm not like someone who insists on making you sell the recipe to me!" the manager of Huacuilou said meaningfully.
"You!" The manager of Yuchulou was no fool. He knew that the manager of Huacuilou was mocking him. Although he wanted to retaliate, he thought that he was on someone else's turf, so he could only snort coldly and remain silent.
Jiang Ling was slightly surprised after hearing the manager of Hua Cui Lou's words. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the manager, asking, "Then what brings you here to see me today?"
"Sister-in-law, please rest assured that I won't consider the recipe. You just need to supply me with the goods every day! I need at least two hundred bowls of mint water every day," the manager of Hua Cui Lou patiently explained.
After hearing this, Jiang Ling was even more surprised. Two hundred bowls would require at least five buckets of syrup. The county government and Li Shanren's family had at least two buckets every day, and Li Shanren had just ordered peppermint paste. Such a huge project was something that even if Jiang Ling were split in two and worked day and night, she still couldn't finish it in a day.
Just as Jiang Ling was about to speak, the manager of the Imperial Chef Restaurant quickly said, "Sister-in-law, I won't buy the recipe. I'd also like to order two hundred bowls of mint water from you every day. Is that alright?"
Two hundred bowls again? Jiang Ling looked up and rubbed her slightly sore temples. After thinking for a moment, she said to the two shopkeepers, "Okay, but we can only start supplying goods from the day after tomorrow. In the early stages, you may need to send people to pick up the goods yourselves. All of these mint waters are made by me. If I deliver the goods every day, I'm afraid we won't be able to keep up with the demand."
Seeing that Jiang Ling had agreed to their request, the two shopkeepers breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.
Jiang Ling then took out the bamboo tube she was carrying and said, "Two shopkeepers, please bring five of these bamboo tubes each time you send someone over!"
The two managers were puzzled. The manager of Huacuilou asked first, "Sister-in-law, what is this bamboo tube for?"
"The previous mint water was difficult to store, so I made an improvement. It only takes about five bamboo tubes' worth of syrup to make about two hundred bowls of mint water. The method is also very simple." Jiang Ling then explained to the two shopkeepers how to dilute the mint syrup.
After hearing this, the two managers looked surprised. The manager of Hua Cui Lou stroked his beard and said, "Sister-in-law, you are truly an extraordinary person! You actually came up with such a method."
Jiang Ling smiled but didn't say anything. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the two managers, she left Hua Cui Lou.
"Mother...are you alright?" As soon as Jiang Ling reached the entrance of the yamen, Jiang Suihe jumped off the oxcart and asked with a worried expression.
Jiang Ling affectionately patted Jiang Suihe's head and said softly, "Don't worry, Mom is fine! Let's go home!"
As she spoke, Jiang Ling took Jiang Suihe's hand and sat down on the oxcart.
As soon as she returned to Lujia Village, Jiang Ling arrived at Zhao Erleng's house. She looked up, knocked on the door, and said, "Is Sister-in-law Erleng home?"
Soon, Zhao Erleng's wife's clear voice came from inside.
When Zhao Erleng's wife saw that it was Jiang Ling, she smiled broadly and led Jiang Ling into the yard, asking, "Sister-in-law Jiang, what can I do for you?"
"Sister-in-law Erleng, I know you have a very good reputation in our Lu Family Village. There's something I'd like to ask you for a favor," Jiang Ling said.
Zhao Erleng's wife was a straightforward person who often saw Jiang Ling. Seeing Jiang Ling's troubled expression, she quickly waved her hand and said to Jiang Ling, "Hey, let's not be so polite. Just tell me what's wrong!"
"Sister-in-law Erleng, could you find me a few people who are quick and efficient? This job isn't very tiring. It's just about washing and crushing the chili peppers the children gave me. It will only take about an hour each day. Don't worry, it won't be for nothing. I'll give you two copper coins for each hour. Is that alright?"
On the way back, Jiang Ling realized that she needed to expand her workforce and increase production lines in her small workshop, otherwise she definitely couldn't handle it all by herself.
Zhao Erleng's wife initially seemed hesitant, but her expression changed drastically when Jiang Ling mentioned receiving wages. She stared wide-eyed, biting her thin lips, and asked incredulously, "What! Sister-in-law, you're not lying to me, are you? Are you serious? You really have copper coins to give me?"
Jiang Ling nodded and added, "Yes, if you're worried, I can pay you in advance. We'll settle the payment daily, as soon as the work is finished! Don't worry, Sister-in-law Erleng!"
Zhao Erleng's wife almost couldn't contain her joy after hearing this. She covered her mouth, widened her eyes, and whispered excitedly, "Then...then sister-in-law, how many people do you need for the time being?"
"We need five people for now, but we don't know what will happen next..."
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