stingy landlady

Chapter 34 Vegetable Seller

When I arrived at the college gate at noon to sell dumplings, servants from the Zheng and Liu families were already waiting there.

Guizhi and the others didn't recognize her, so naturally they didn't go to greet her.

By the time Xing'an Academy ended, people had already started coming in to buy dumplings. Young Master Liu and Young Master Zheng arrived late, followed by servants from the Zheng and Liu families.

"Little sister, we ordered forty boxes of shepherd's purse dumplings yesterday, could you save some for us?" Young Master Zheng asked Guizhi.

"Keep them, keep them! Young master, here are forty boxes of dumplings, but how will you two carry them?" Guizhi hurriedly stepped forward, pointing to the forty neatly arranged boxes of dumplings, and asked.

Two servants from each of the Zheng and Liu families came over, each carrying a bucket.

The food containers were neatly arranged in the bucket, mainly to prevent them from tipping over; otherwise, one person could carry them all.

"Dalin, take this back to my mother, so she can share it with my father and the sisters at home," Young Master Zheng instructed his servant.

"Yes, son!"

Guizhi called out with a smile, "Gentlemen, please wait! This food box must be returned later!"

Young Master Zheng then said, "Dalin, did you hear me? Return the food box when you get back to the manor."

"Yes, sir! I heard you."

Young Master Liu said, "Young lady, are you going to wait here, or come back tomorrow to collect it?"

Guizhi looked at Daya, and Daya looked over as well, but didn't say anything. Since Guizhi was receiving them, she would let her handle it.

“Young Master Liu, once we sell all these dumplings, we’ll head home today. It would be even better if we could take them back today, but if we’re in a rush, we can take them all back tomorrow.”

Young Master Liu hesitated for a moment, then decided that sending the food boxes back for distribution and collecting them from room to room would take too long.

"Then let's bring them all here tomorrow! I'm so sorry for the inconvenience!"

"It's alright! If you two family members enjoyed your meal, please feel free to make another reservation next time!" Guizhi waved her hand with a smile.

The two young masters smiled and walked out together, followed by their servants carrying buckets.

The three of them bought all the necessary items: fabric, small jars, pots, candy, cakes, and large biscuits. Money was easy to spend, and after buying these necessities, there wasn't much left for the day.

Life went on as usual, each day more or less the same. But every day she would check on the little bok choy, watching it grow bigger and bigger, changing every single day. The piglets were also being fed well; Zhou Niangzi remembered Guizhi's words and dared not overfeed them, but fed them four or five times a day, for fear that they would get diarrhea.

The piglets were very clean, almost always defecating in the same spot. Cleaning them daily was easy. Zhou Xing farmed, and his wife didn't want her daughter to go. So she went into the pens herself to clean, piling up the manure away from the pigsty as Guizhi had instructed, to collect the fertilizer.

Guizhi was worried about being too close to the pigsty, as the hot weather would attract too many flies and mosquitoes, which could easily spread diseases. She wanted to create a clean and tidy environment as much as possible.

The chicks are growing quite fast, almost the size of a fist. Guizhi observes them carefully whenever she has time and says she'll keep them in captivity for a while longer.

Dazhu had just finished planting when he told the old man to rest. He and his three daughters went to town to deliver vegetables to Xiangmanlou Restaurant. Li Caiban came over and said, "Dazhu, you and Sanya go inside for a moment. Manager Qu wants to see you."

Shopkeeper Qu led Dazhu and Guizhi to the private room with a smile.

"Brother Dazhu, our master really wants to see you. He's arrived and will be here shortly! Please wait a moment!"

"Manager Qu, do you know what this is about?"

"Great news! Great news!"

Dazhu and Guizhi were suspicious, but could only wait patiently in the private room. Daya and Erya waited on the oxcart.

The landlord was a middle-aged man in his thirties. He wore a moon-white robe, the fabric of which looked very fine. Mature and charming, Da Zhu thought the landlord was very impressive.

As soon as the owner entered, the three of them stood up together. Manager Qu stepped forward to greet them and said, "Owner! These are Brother Dazhu and Miss Sanya."

The landlord, a man of few words, nodded to Dazhu and Guizhi as soon as he arrived, and pointed, saying, "Sit down, please sit down!"

After Dazhu and Guizhi sat down, Manager Qu had already poured tea for the owner.

"My surname is Qu, and Manager Qu is my cousin. I know you're all very busy. So I'll be frank. The shepherd's purse is very fresh, and the boiled pork slices are also very popular in the restaurant!"

Looking at their expressions, Dazhu was completely bewildered. Guizhi, the little girl, remained calm and didn't say much. She knew that boiled pork slices were a Sichuan dish, and probably unique to this place.

"I want to buy out this recipe and don't want any other company to sell it. Of course, if someone else figured it out on their own, we won't bother them without reason."

Dazhu felt it must be related to his family, but after working in the fields for several days, he hadn't heard the children mention it. He glanced at Guizhi but didn't offer any opinion.

"How much silver is the owner planning to pay for the buyout? You know we're also in the food business. Of course, we can't compare to your restaurant!" Guizhi asked, feigning curiosity.

"Fifty taels of silver, of course a contract is required. You are not allowed to tell anyone, nor are you allowed to make and sell this dish. This is already a very high price."

"Your bean sprouts, wild vegetables, and bok choy can all be sold to you at the high market price."

Dazhu was surprised. What recipe was it? He didn't know. But judging from Guizhi's expression, he definitely knew.

"Uncle Qu, fifty taels of silver isn't much for a good recipe. Your business will be successful no matter where you are. As long as you have all the seasonings, most chefs can't make it like this without special guidance!"

Guizhi glanced at Dazhu. Dazhu's expression remained unchanged, but Guizhi knew that her father had been in business for over half a year and had learned to keep a low profile. She then looked at Manager Qu, who dared not offer any hints and simply lowered his head, behaving like a quail.

Then I looked at Qu Dongjia. Qu Dongjia seemed very relaxed, lightly tapping the table with his fingers.

Guizhi hadn't originally planned to sell the recipes; she'd only given them away for free to sell bean sprouts. But then she thought, if she were to sign a contract, she should try to get as much money as possible for her business. The restaurant owner probably wouldn't care about such a small amount of money, otherwise he wouldn't have specifically mentioned paying her.

Asking for dividends is suicidal. They shouldn't underestimate their own abilities; they should know the saying, "Possessing a treasure invites trouble!"

"Uncle Qu, if my family has the capital, we can use this dish to rent a food stall and open our own snack shop. Most restaurants only have a few main dishes."

How much money can a small snack shop earn in a year?

Manager Qu looked up at Guizhi, then quickly lowered his head again.

Qu Dongjia carefully examined Guizhi and pondered, "Look, whether it's a snack shop or a grand restaurant, they invest a lot of manpower and resources. And with a young girl, it's good to have a powerful backer! This dish isn't suitable for a snack shop. It's more suitable for a restaurant. How about this!"

"Fifty taels is indeed a bit low; I can offer more if needed," Qu Dongjia stopped, seeing Dazhu's nonchalant attitude and then looking at Guizhi with a curious expression, he smiled.

"Alright! Three hundred taels it is! That's about a year's net profit for the snack shop! Some eateries, after paying taxes and handling social obligations, really don't earn that much!"

Guizhi knew this was the truth. She had also thought of what her employer hadn't finished saying. Without a powerful backer or any real strength, even the best recipes weren't enough to support a restaurant.

Oh! She also knows about modern delicious boiled fish fillets, spicy dishes, and of course, sweet and sour pork and dishes coated in batter. But she can't bring them out.

In modern times, there are many foodies, mainly because of the advanced information technology and the diverse cuisines from all over the country. If a cuisine can stand out and become well-known, it must be recognized by the majority of people.

Guizhi worked at a restaurant during summer vacation, but she liked chefs, so she went to the kitchen to wash dishes and vegetables, hoping to learn how to cook and make delicious food herself.

Because her mother often said that she could be independent and not ask for favors. At the time, she didn't take it seriously and retorted that she had money to eat at restaurants. Her mother said that no one eats at restaurants every day, and even takeout can be delicious sometimes and not so good.

"Thank you, Uncle Qu! Our family is from the village, and we'll have to rely on Xiang Manlou for help in town!"

"No problem! No problem! Don't let the small amount of money fool you, you seem like honest people! Sanya! Is that your name?"

"Uncle Qu! My name is Wang Guizhi!"

"Good! A name is important too! From now on, call me by my name when we go out! You seem quite smart, so I'll say a few more words today. People's status, position, and standing influence their words and actions! If you need anything in the future, come to the restaurant and find Manager Qu! I'll give you a chance to ride on his coattails!"

At this moment, Wang Dazhu raised his head and quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Master Qu! The child is ignorant! We are country folk and have never seen the world! Thank you for your guidance!"

Guizhi thought to herself, "Dazhu's really savvy! Finally, I have a backer! Haven't you heard the saying 'a mountain to lean on can crumble'? Alright! I'll rely on him for as long as I can!"

"Uncle Qu, I'll tell you how to cook delicious dishes in the future!" Guizhi smiled.

"Good! Wang Guizhi! Uncle will remember that! You have quite a talent for cooking!" Master Qu then looked at Manager Qu.

"Big cousin, could you please bring me the silver?"

"Alright, boss. Do you want silver notes or silver?"

Guizhi looked at Dazhu and said, "Let's use silver! Silver is more convenient to use!"

Dazhu nodded. "Then I'll have to trouble Manager Qu!"

"Don't mention it. It's nothing. I'll go get it right away. Brother Dazhu, Guizhi, wait a moment!" Manager Qu strode out.

"Guizhi! I heard your shepherd's purse dumplings are quite good. What do you think of my restaurant's sales?" Qu Dongjia joked with a smile.

Guizhi nodded and said, "Of course! It's very simple and free! Just add meat, shepherd's purse, and seasonings! I have some in my car, shall I get you a portion to try?"

"Okay! Bring up five boxes then! I'll take them home for my family to try."

"I'll go get it!" Dazhu and Guizhi said in unison, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll go! I have long legs and I can walk fast. You stay and chat with Master Qu for a while longer!" Saying this, she was about to leave when she turned back and added, "Learn from Master Qu!"

"Okay, Dad! It'll be easier to carry if we use a bucket."

"Yes, yes! I know! There's also Da, and Gui Xiang and Gui Hong!"

"Brother Dazhu, use a bucket to put the food box in before bringing it in!" Manager Qu understood Guizhi's meaning. Seeing that Dazhu didn't understand, he deliberately pointed it out to him.

Dazhu said, "Good!"

As I left, I was thinking to myself, "Such a few boxes of dumplings, and they're being packed in a bucket!"

"Uncle Qu! If restaurants were to sell shepherd's purse dumplings, they wouldn't be able to charge ten coins a pound! Shepherd's purse is only available at this time of year, and the bok choy I grow at home is already this tall!"

Guizhi gestured with her hands as she spoke.

"In another three or four days, we can thin them out and harvest them. The seeds were not sown evenly, so some areas sprouted more seedlings than others. After thinning, the remaining ones will grow faster."

Guizhi fears that Qu Dongjia doesn't know how to farm, so let me explain.

"These small green vegetables must be very tender, right?"

"Of course! I go and see it every day, it's so green and beautiful! There are baby spinach, baby celery, baby bok choy, baby radish greens, and baby rapeseed! After three or four days, I pick a small basketful and eat the first bite of spring greens, so tender and crisp, with a fresh and fragrant taste! Ah! I can't stop thinking about it, I've been thinking about it all winter!"

Guizhi looked at Qu Dongjia with bright eyes: "Uncle Qu, if you keep talking, I'll want to go back today and pick a bunch to secretly dip in sauce and eat! Hehe!"

"Uncle Qu, are you craving some? Do you like green vegetables? You can stir-fry them, make soup with them, or even put them in boiled sliced ​​meat—they taste absolutely delicious!"