Read Novel Full Chapter 250
Chapter 250: The Shop
“Are we also getting the tofu recipe?” Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Qin, and the already-rounded Zhou Ge were stunned by the unexpected good fortune.
“Yes, I’ll figure out how to get a mule for you as well, so it won’t be too exhausting.” Otherwise, with making various types of noodles and tofu, she worried that the Chen family members might get too tired.
“However, there is one point where the method of cooperation might differ slightly from what we initially discussed,” he said, referring to the Zheng family’s situation. “So, it’s safer to open the shop in my name.”
Mrs. Chen was not concerned about this; she was more anxious about whether the Zheng family would pose any danger to Sang Luo. Once she was reassured that there would be no issues, especially with the emperor’s edict in their home, she turned her attention to where the shop would be opened.
“It will first open in the Eastern Market. Once it’s up and running, we’ll open another one in the Western Market. The shop won’t just sell tofu; it will also handle vegetables, eggs, and meat produced on the farm.”
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Chen’s eyes lit up. “In that case, I’ll supply you with the mountain chickens, rabbits, and vegetables from my fields.”
She also remembered that the Shen family had spent a lot of money on buying shops and building houses in the past few months. So, she asked, “Do you have enough money? If not, we have several taels at home that we can lend you for now. Also, the mule is ours, so you don’t need to pay for that. Just help us find a way to buy it, and we’ll cover the cost ourselves.”
Sang Luo smiled and said, “You can buy the mule yourself, but you’ll need to look for it, which might take some time. As for the shop funds, don’t worry. Remember, we still have nearly twenty jars of honey stored at home.”
With over three hundred pounds of honey, a temporary shortage of cash was not an issue.
Qin Fangniang, upon hearing this, became interested. “Is the shop in the city ready to open as well?”
Sang Luo, who was among the first to grow purple vetch and keep bees, had a larger quantity of honey compared to others. Although the others had also accumulated some honey, they had promised to supply it exclusively to Sang Luo’s shop. They were waiting for Sang Luo’s city shop to open.
Sang Luo nodded and smiled. “Yes, the honey shouldn’t be stored at home for too long. It might open on the same day as the Eastern Market shop or slightly later. The shelves and decoration will take some time.”
Mrs. Chen responded, “Then don’t spend money on the shelves for the vegetable and tofu shop. Just draw up the design, and have Uncle Youtian make it for you. If the other shop needs to be more refined, you can order it in the city.”
Sang Luo thanked her and agreed to have the Chen family come over in the evening to sign a cooperation agreement before heading home.
When Shen Lie returned home in the evening, he heard about the shop opening, which would initially focus on selling tofu and vegetables. He frowned, “Shouldn’t we wait to see how the Zheng family reacts before deciding?”
Given the Zheng family’s current situation, they wouldn’t dare take overt action, but it’s wise to guard against any covert schemes. Normally, the Zheng family wouldn’t dare to be sneaky, but even so, Shen Lie was concerned because Sang Luo was heavily pregnant. It was hard for him to feel at ease.
Sang Luo noticed his reaction and guessed his thoughts, so she smiled and relayed Concubine Fan’s message.
Shen Lie was pleased to hear that Concubine Fan had arranged for an experienced midwife to check Sang Luo’s condition and had left several dietary supplement recipes. He was even more reassured upon hearing Concubine Fan’s response about the Zheng family. He asked, “Did she send any personnel?”
“No, she didn’t. However, Concubine Fan is always straightforward and would not speak so confidently without certainty.”
“May I see Mrs. Zeng’s reply?”
There was no issue with showing it, so Sang Luo handed the letter to Shen Lie. After reading it several times, Shen Lie’s eyes showed some deep contemplation.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Go ahead and open the shop. But if you’re leaving the village, it’s best if you go with me. If I’m at school, you can let Dashan and Wenqing accompany you. That would make me feel more at ease.”
Sang Luo naturally agreed.
At dinner, Shen Ning was still cooking, Shen An was carving bamboo slips, and Shen Lie told Sang Luo he was going to check on the construction of the sheep shed.
The hundred acres of imperial land recently acquired were also being used to build a sheep shed. Sang Luo planned to expand livestock breeding. Instead of gathering all the sheep together, which could make disease control difficult, they were kept separate.
However, the grass hut, built earlier than the sheep shed on the hill, was a place for long-term workers. With over 270 acres of land, Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang alone couldn’t manage everything. Sang Luo had hired five additional workers, two from neighboring villages and three from farther away. When they came looking for work, they asked if a place could be built for them to stay, and they would also help manage the livestock on the mountain.
The grass hut was constructed by the workers themselves. Sang Luo had only provided a small plot of land for it. The new land she had been granted included an extra grass hut.
Shen Lie climbed the mountain and returned an hour later, but his doubts were not resolved.
At the edge of the grass hut on the mountain, after Shen Lie had walked far enough away, the three workers exchanged glances. One of them asked quietly, “Does he know something?”
“It’s not that he knows, but he suspects. If he knew, he wouldn’t need to test our reactions. Don’t worry, we’re just farmers.”
Even if the household registers were checked, there would be no discrepancies.
After dinner, the Chen family arrived to sign the agreement. The Shen family, including Shen Jin and his brothers, were also present. Shen An had previously lived with Shen Jin, and now their eldest brother’s new house was spacious and elegant, especially clean. The smooth walls were one thing, but the bathroom and toilet were particularly remarkable. The water flushed away completely, leaving no odor at all.
When the new house was first built, the brothers were both curious and envious. Sang Luo promised that when they built a new house, she would provide the blueprints for Shen Jin to follow. For now, the new house was still fresh, and if they were willing, they could live in the east wing with Shen An.
Although Shen Jin didn’t take advantage of the offer to move in immediately, he and his brothers were genuinely impressed by the clean house. They cooked and ate at their own home, but when it was time to bathe, they would head over to Shen An’s side. Sang Luo had added an extra bed in the east wing, so sometimes Shen Jin and his brothers would stay there with Shen An.
As a result, the evening was especially lively.
Especially knowing that his sister-in-law was opening a shop in the Eastern Market, Shen Jin and his brothers were quite pleased. However, since it was the Chen family’s event, the brothers mainly watched the excitement and didn’t meddle. Shen Jin, in particular, was fascinated by how his sister-in-law meticulously organized the details of the cooperation and profit sharing. He moved to the side to observe Shen Ning drafting the contract based on the terms discussed by his sister-in-law and found it very educational.
The Chen family elders were not very skilled in these matters. They had to go over the details several times in their minds to understand them. Mrs. Chen said that the formula, the shop, and the contract were all managed by Sang Luo. They just needed to be informed and sign their names, trusting Sang Luo completely.
However, Zhou Ge, Chen Ershan, and Chen Xiaoya, who had previously learned some things from Manager Xu while in the mountains, responded more quickly to Sang Luo’s detailed explanations compared to the rest of the family. Chen Xiaoya, in particular, was familiar with Shen Ning and Xu Wenyin.
Finally, it was Chen Dashan who signed his name and stamped his thumbprint on the contract. The formalities left him somewhat bewildered, as he couldn’t recognize all the words on the document.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t recognize any words at all, but rather that he was unfamiliar with most of them…
For the first time, Chen Dashan realized that his future life might be different from what he had once imagined. It seemed he would need to recognize at least the commonly used words. Since coming down from the mountains and taking up official duties, acquiring more land, and receiving the imperial decree to Daxing Village, Chen Dashan felt they had been steadily advancing.
When Shen Lie sent the Chen family off, he took the opportunity to mention to Chen Dashan the importance of learning to read. Chen Dashan conceded, “I understand. I’ll have Xiaoya teach me when I get back.”
Seeing that Chen Dashan didn’t suggest having his children learn instead, Shen Lie smiled and then turned serious, discussing the situation with the Zheng family. Chen Dashan spent most of his time in the village, and since the two families were close, Shen Lie asked him to be extra vigilant.
During dinner, Chen Dashan had already heard about the Zheng family from his grandmother. He said, “Don’t worry, I’ll inform the other families in the village and keep a closer watch.”
…
The Chen family needed to enclose their courtyard. To speed up the process and for convenience in the future, they divided it into a small courtyard for tofu production and a larger one for vermicelli. They were focusing on enclosing the small courtyard first, though they could start by working in the kitchen with the door closed.
Sang Luo was also busy, renting the shop, hiring staff, ordering signs and shelves, custom-making small ceramic jars, and setting up a large oven in the Shen family’s backyard.
On June 20th, both the Main Street and the Eastern Market in Shezhou City were lively with the sound of firecrackers, attracting curious citizens who discovered it was the opening of new shops.
What caught the attention of Shezhou residents was not just the items for sale but also the people in the shop and the eye-catching sign. Additionally, there was a distinctive fragrance wafting towards them.
The Main Street shop’s sign read “Daxing Village Specialty,” while the Eastern Market shop’s sign said “Daxing Village Fresh Produce.” Both signs featured the prominent word “Sang” on the far right.
Daxing Village was the most talked-about in Shezhou this year, and if considering the entire Da Qi, it was Sang Luo from Daxing Village who was most prominent.
Those who couldn’t read focused on the people, while those who could read looked at the signs. Even before the firecrackers finished burning, everyone knew that Sang Luo from Daxing Village had opened a shop.
When the firecrackers were finally spent, Sang Luo came out and gave a brief introduction, clarifying what the two shops sold.
Daxing Village Specialty mainly offered unique products from Daxing Village, such as honey, bread, cakes, and dry-eaten rabbit, while Daxing Village Fresh Produce focused on local produce like vegetables, eggs, tofu, and preserved tofu. Bread and cakes were only available on specific days in limited quantities.
The onlookers were puzzled by the unfamiliar items—besides honey, vegetables, and eggs, they had never heard of bread, cakes, dry-eaten rabbit, tofu, or preserved tofu.
Moreover, people wondered if honey could be so abundant and whether different types could be distinguished.
The excitement was palpable, and just the discussion of these new products generated significant interest. When Sang Luo announced the opening, those with some means or courage went inside to see for themselves, while those less confident stood outside peeking in.
Of course, Sang Luo, who was pregnant, was surrounded by a few protectors. The crowd was considerate, and Sang Luo stood to the side, allowing others to enter comfortably.
Inside the shop, despite the limited variety, the items were impressive. For example, the shelves were filled with exquisite bamboo trays containing unfamiliar items, described by the sales staff as bread and cakes. They looked appealing, and the unique aroma made people’s mouths water.
These items were entirely new and unprecedented, unlike anything seen in pastry shops before the chaos.
Another example was the dry-eaten rabbit, which came in several ceramic jars. The sight and smell of the rabbit meat were irresistible.
There was also a whole cabinet filled with jars of honey, labeled with Daxing Village and purple vetch honey.
Was there really that much honey, and could it be categorized?
Though the variety was limited, every item was something they had never seen before or was rare, and each had a small bamboo sign with the name and price, making everything look particularly novel.
Shen Ning, who had been selling divine tofu at the market since he was nine, understood the importance of sampling new products. He had prepared small samples and bamboo sticks, and along with Xu Wenyin, Xiaoya, and Qiao’er, they offered samples of bread or cake to customers with a smile.
The effect was…
The shop’s official staff, including Miss Xin, the younger sister of the shopkeeper Dong, nearly lost track of the cash register amidst the frenzy.
The items, though expensive due to the high cost of flour and craftsmanship, were selling out quickly and were insufficient to meet the demand.
Concubine Fan, wanting to avoid drawing too much attention, deliberately arrived at Daxing Village Specialty Shop three quarters of an hour later than planned. However, when she entered the shop, she found that apart from some honey and a bit of dry-eaten rabbit, the shelves were left with nothing but empty bamboo trays.
She looked bewildered: “Is that all? Did it really sell out already?”
Sang Luo had anticipated her visit. After checking in at the Eastern Market shop and seeing that Mrs. Gan and Daniu, who were helping out, were quite busy, she decided to return to the Main Street shop and wait. She was currently resting in the courtyard behind the shop when she heard Concubine Fan’s voice and went inside, smiling, “I guessed you would come.”
She was holding a delicate bamboo food box and said, “Don’t say I didn’t think of you. I specially reserved these for you.”
Concubine Fan lifted the lid and was stunned to see six kinds of pastries she had never encountered before. The irresistible aroma made her forget all about etiquette and propriety. She glanced around, picked up a piece, and took a bite. Her eyes widened in astonishment!!!!
“No wonder it sold out so quickly. Luo, you should come back to my place.”
She was so eager to take them home that she felt like crying!
…
While Sang Luo’s new shop was bustling with success, on the other side, the Zheng family’s servants, who had gone out for shopping, first visited the Eastern Market. Seeing the new shop opening, they joined in the excitement. However, once they saw the products and the prices, their enthusiasm waned. After a quick inquiry about the prices, the servant was disheartened, abandoned the Eastern Market, and hurriedly made her way back home, stumbling along the way.