allonlinenovel Chapter 244: Officially Opens on the 8th of the Lunar New Year
Chapter 244: Officially Opens on the 8th of the Lunar New Year
Lin Xiaotang and her fourth uncle spent two days preparing at home. After helping her fourth uncle get everything ready, she took the money to the cattle and horse market and bought a horse and a carriage.
The next day, Lin Qingchuan drove his horse-drawn cart and bought all the live pig trotters he could find in the county's butcher shops.
He gave Shuisheng money and told him to buy as many raw pig trotters as possible in the county town when he delivered braised pig trotters to Fuqing Restaurant in Pingding County.
Xiao Jiu drove the carriage back to Qinghe Town alone to deliver the goods to Yunlai Restaurant, and also brought back some things from his home in town that he hadn't brought back.
Shen Qianchuan sat anxiously in the courtyard. He saw his elder brother burning pig hair and cleaning pig trotters, so he immediately went to help.
"Qianchuan, this is enough for your brother. You and Xiaotang have been so busy these past few days. Go and rest. Once your car arrives in a few days, you won't be able to rest at all."
Shen Qianchuan's eyes flickered, and he said with a smile, "These past few days, it's been Xiaotang who's been helping me, her fourth uncle. I'm not as capable as this little girl. What's there to be tired about? I'm not tired at all. It's Xiaotang who's so young and busy like a spinning top. She really needs to rest."
As you know, my parents and I have divided the debts, and I'm still carrying a huge debt of several dozen taels of silver. If I don't do some work, I'll always feel insecure. You tell me to rest, but I can't.
Lin Qingchuan knew that his fourth brother was worried that he wouldn't be able to earn money and pay off his debts, so he would be dragged back to Juxian Restaurant by Manager Zhang to work as a waiter.
He looked up and comforted her, "Qianchuan, trust Xiaotang. If she says it can work, it definitely can. Just do as she says, and you'll be right."
She went up the mountain to dig up turmeric and we sold a small portion of it in town. She saw that it was valuable and suggested that your sister-in-law and I plant it in the fields. Unexpectedly, the price was much higher than that of grain, and the yield was even more astonishing.
She felt that the family's life revolved around cultivating a few acres of land in the village, which offered little hope for the future. So she decided to grow sweet potatoes and sell them roasted in town. Your sister-in-law and I followed suit. You know about the braised pig's trotters business too. Ever since we separated from the family, every decision we've made has been based on Xiaotang's ideas.
Shen Qianchuan was astonished. He asked, "Brother, Xiaotang is only six or seven years old. How did you and sister-in-law decide to listen to her in doing business?"
Lin Qingchuan put down the raw pig's trotter in his hand, grinned and said, "When the family divided, we only had four acres of dry land. The harvest wasn't even enough to eat. After the four of us were separated, we couldn't enjoy our father's status as a scholar. We also had to pay taxes. Even thieves would shake their heads if they came to our door."
At that time, your sister-in-law and I thought, since we were dirt poor, why not try Xiaotang's method? If we made money, great; if not, we could just go to town to find odd jobs. We're used to being poor, and as long as we don't go into debt, how poor can we get?
So, we gritted our teeth, stamped our feet, rolled up our sleeves, and got to work. Following Xiaotang's instructions, we've come this far step by step, and wow, we never expected to succeed so quickly! It's all thanks to Xiaotang. Your sister-in-law and I both think Xiaotang is a lucky star, sent by heaven to help our family escape poverty and become prosperous.”
Shen Qianchuan was stunned. He never expected that it was Xiaotang's idea from the very beginning that his elder brother's family grow turmeric and sell roasted sweet potatoes.
I have to admire her; Xiao Tang is truly remarkable at such a young age!
Hearing how courageous and supportive his elder brother and sister-in-law were, and how their family of four had achieved what they had today, Shen Qianchuan felt that he should also trust Xiaotang unconditionally, just like his elder brother.
"Brother, now that you mention it, I think Xiao Tang really is a lucky star. I will definitely listen to her and do my best."
“That’s right. Don’t worry. I can’t guarantee whether you can make money selling breakfast in other counties, but there are a lot of people in Dushui County. As long as you calm down and do your best to make the breakfast delicious, there will definitely be a lot of people buying it. With so many people, how can you not make money?”
Yes, as long as the food tastes good and there are many customers, what's there to worry about?
Shen Qianchuan nodded emphatically and said, "Brother, after listening to you, I suddenly understand. That's right, as long as I cook well, I can definitely make money."
That evening, after the pig's trotters were braised, Lin Qingchuan went to Wucheng to supply them before dawn the next day, Shuisheng went to Pingding County to supply them, and Xiaotang and Xiaojiu went back to Qinghe Town to supply them. The three carriages went their separate ways.
The manager of Wanhe Restaurant would send a waiter to pick it up from the shop.
From then on, after Lin Qing finished supplying Yun Jiangnan, he purchased live pig trotters in Wucheng County every day. Shui Sheng also purchased them in Pingding County every day. Xiao Tang and Xiao Jiu purchased them in Dushui County. They got discounts for large quantities. After storing them for a few days, after deducting the amount needed for supply, there was enough left for the business to start.
So they found the manager of Wanhe Restaurant, told him the location of the shop, and asked Manager Su to come to the county to visit the shop.
The manager naturally agreed and even praised and congratulated them.
That night, everyone sat down together to discuss the matter and decided that the eighth day of the month would be an auspicious day, so they decided to open the restaurant on that day.
With the opening date set, everyone got busy.
Aunt Xiangqin led Xiaoyu to clean the shop, wiping it inside and out.
Liu Cai'er helped Xiao Tang braise pig's trotters, while Lin Qingchuan, Shui Sheng, and Xiao Jiu continued to supply the three restaurants. Even Shen Qianchuan was busy burning pig hair and cleaning pig's trotters.
Lin Xiaotang and her father took some time to find a well-known carpenter in town and commissioned a plaque to be made.
In fact, Lin Qingchuan was also a carpenter and could make very exquisite things, but he had never made a signboard before, and he had to carve the name of the shop. He was afraid that if he didn't do a good job, it would affect the business of the shop, so he decided to pay someone to do it.
With clear division of labor and orderly work, everything was ready, and the business officially opened on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year.
Early in the morning, they put the braised pig's trotters in the shop, opened the door, and made the shop bright and airy with good light. They also hung red silk on the signboard and bought firecrackers to set off.
Passing customers were tempted by the delicious aroma of meat, and many of them gradually made their way into the shop.
A customer asked, "What kind of meat do you sell here? It smells so good!"
The shop was run by Liu and her sister, and Xiao Tang was also there, but she was still a little girl. Even though her family knew that Xiao Tang was clever and quick-witted, like a little adult, the customers didn't know that.
Liu Cai'er was more eloquent than her sister, and she answered first, "This is braised pig's trotters. The meat is tender and delicious, and the aroma lingers in your mouth after eating. I guarantee you'll want to come back again after you finish eating it once."
The customer, whose mouth was watering, hurriedly said, "These braised pig's trotters smell good, but what if they smell delicious but taste just average? We can't just believe everything you say, can we?"
"Yes, yes, business depends entirely on your words. When we spend money to buy food, we definitely want to buy something satisfying."
Liu Cai'er's lips twitched, thinking to herself that she had encountered a difficult customer. She was just a country woman, and she couldn't answer such questions.
Lin Xiaotang immediately said, "Since everyone here is from this county, you should all know Wanhe Restaurant. Their braised pig's trotters are supplied by us. They taste exactly the same and are priced the same."
Some customers want to eat at a restaurant. If they want braised pig's trotters there, they can order from the restaurant. If they don't want to go to a restaurant, they can buy their food from us, pack it up, and take it home. It's convenient and saves time.