This year's Mid-Autumn Festival is more lively than last year. There are many people going to the market and many vendors selling small items.
The hawking sounds echoed in different accents, perhaps from other prefectures. After all, Yindu was rebuilding much faster than other prefectures.
"Ahh——" Sui Sui wanted to hide in a crowded place, but Jiang Yue ran away without noticing.
Jiang Nian had long legs and could run fast. He brought the man back and held him in his arms, no longer forcing him to walk on the ground by himself.
Jiang Yue patted his forehead gently a few times, "With your small body, you'll be lost in a crowd in a short time, and you'll get stepped on if you're not careful!"
Suisui pouted and lay on his father's shoulder without saying a word.
Jiang Yue had seen through him. This kid had learned his tricks from Fan Jin, and had learned a lot of the art of flattery. If she just ignored him, he would find something new after a while.
Jiang's shop was originally located not far away, diagonally opposite the East Market. Today, all the shops on the street are open and crowded with people.
Among these popular shops, hers was particularly eye-catching because it not only had the largest number of people, but also had their queues lined up in an orderly manner on the street.
There were other shops selling chicken and dried fish nearby, but people were used to buying from the Jiang family shop and generally wouldn't switch shops easily. This was the advantage of an old shop.
Jiang Yue did not go in immediately, but stood outside the door and observed silently.
Because there were so many people today, Aunt Yan also came to help. The three of them were guarding the precious fruit. This family was also honest, fearing that someone would take advantage of the situation to steal the fruit. One of them was selling, one was collecting the money, and the other was watching over it. They worked together very well.
There were women and children at Yan Gu's and Jiang Dashu's homes who had nothing to do, so Jiang Yue ordered a number of fruit baskets with handles from them. Each basket cost 5 wen, and she sold them for 6 wen. Although these bamboo baskets were relatively simple, they had a rustic feel to them.
Ordinary people could only afford to buy a few pieces of fruit individually, so fruit baskets were sold as gifts to make them look more presentable. Some people, however, were attracted to fruit baskets and, without anyone to make them at home, simply bought them to carry their groceries.
As for the wealthy families who don’t like the fruit, they can just prepare their own beautiful fruit baskets.
Fan Bai had just returned from Baisha Village a few days ago and had stocked up for the next two days. Jiang Shan and his wife, along with Jiang Dashu, were also busy collecting debts, counting eggs, and selling vegetables.
Jiang Yue glanced at Fan Bai who was sitting behind the counter. He often took Jiang San and the others out, so his face and neck were tanned a lot, and he looked more calm than before.
She thought about that sentence. The three brothers and sisters of the Fan family were loyal to her, and now it was her responsibility.
"Sister Jiang."
Jiang Yue turned around. It had been a long time since they last saw each other. Fang Lu had grown up and was now a graceful young lady. She was standing not far away, greeting her with a smile, holding a wooden lunch box in her hand.
"Fang Lu, are you here to deliver lunch?"
Fang Lu nodded and said, "I deliver it every day."
Jiang Yue walked into the shop while chatting with her.
The pork on the chopping board was from a fat pig slaughtered this morning, but most of it had already been sold, leaving only a few scraps. Butcher Fang and his eldest son worked in perfect harmony, with his youngest son, Fang Xin, also helping out. It seemed like a skill passed down through three generations.
After seeing off a wave of customers, Fang the butcher and his son breathed a sigh of relief. They started working before dawn and were basically relaxed after noon.
Hu Cheng was in charge of the accounts of several shops and usually stayed in this shop to prevent Fang's father and son from being too busy. At this time, his wife also came to deliver food.
"Boss!"
Jiang Yue nodded and told them to eat quickly without being so polite.
The couple is grateful to the Jiang family from the bottom of their hearts.
This job was both respectable and rewarding. The common people didn't even mind the pig's offal, and basically all the meat in the shop was snapped up. But if the shop assistants wanted to buy, they could just ask in advance and get it without having to fight for it. Moreover, the boss would give them gifts during festivals. Even when Hu was the boss himself, he wasn't that generous.
After working here for four months, his wife no longer has to compete for work or wild vegetables. Not only have the children at home grown fatter, but Hu Cheng's back has also straightened up, and he has regained his original high-spirited feeling.
Jiang Yue was also very satisfied with his abilities. He was well-educated and had been a shopkeeper before, so he knew how to keep clear and concise account books.
After Hu Cheng had finished his meal, Jiang Yue called him to the unopened shop next door, where there was a set of old tables and chairs.
Jiang Yue looked at the account book while listening to his report.
Of the three shops we had opened, the most popular items were eggs and vegetables, but these were sold at low prices. The most expensive item was fruit, which was generally sold to wealthy families. Meat was the least difficult to sell.
Although there were more and more meat and vegetable shops in the city, and the prices were much lower than last year, there were more customers. Every year, her business was better than the previous year, and the food they earned was enough to support her family and the servants.
This month, the three shops earned a total of 50 taels of silver and 7.6 shi of grain.
"...Boss, will you continue to exchange grain from now on?"
Jiang Yue calculated that she had harvested a lot of summer grain, but the autumn grain had not yet been harvested.
"Well, let's continue exchanging grain. There are more and more shops opening in the city now. We can exchange grain for vegetables and meat, and then we can attract more customers who are not so wealthy. A little bit will add up to a lot. The price of grain will gradually drop, and we will receive more and more grain. After the year after next, we will start paying taxes, so we won't have to worry about not having enough food."
Jiang Yue said, and then added with a smile, "With food in hand, there is no need to panic."
Hu Cheng deeply agreed with this. Only someone on the verge of starvation could engrave this sentence in his heart.
While Jiang Yue was checking accounts with Hu Cheng, Jiang Nian was in the shop with Sui Sui. Fang Xin still respected Jiang Nian, and when Jiang Nian asked him to play with the child, he had no objection. The two, ten years apart in age, had a lot of fun.
Fang Lu would occasionally play with the children. She would wait until the family finished eating, then collect the lunch boxes and take them home to wash. The weather was still hot, and if she waited until night to wash them, the lunch boxes would easily become smelly.
After Jiang Yue finished checking the accounts, she came out and happened to meet Fang Lu who was going home.
Seeing her looking at him hesitantly, hesitant to speak, Jiang Yue asked directly, "Do you want to ask about your elder brother and Fan Mo?"
Fang Lu waved her hands repeatedly, secretly glanced at her elder brother in the shop, and then whispered, "It's none of my elder brother's business. My mother has already found a young lady for him. If there are no problems, she will propose marriage in a while."
Jiang Yue's heart moved slightly. She originally wanted to talk to him, but since that was the case, forget it.
Fang Lu bit her lip lightly and steeled her heart, "Sister Jiang, are you still hiring in your store? I wonder if someone like me can..."
Jiang Yue raised an eyebrow, "Are you looking for a job?"
"Yes and no... I want to do business."
At this time, a dissenting voice came from behind.
Butcher Fang approached and said to Jiang Yue, "Boss, the child is ignorant, please don't blame him."
Then he looked at his daughter with a sullen face, "Fang Lu, go home now."
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