Chapter 58.1

Translated by Aviana

Thank you Lier and Weiyeung for your support!!! Bonus Chapter (2/2)

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It took a day and a half for Yang-shi, Yang Tiegen, and Yao-shi to prepare a simple row of shelves in the backyard of Yang-shi’s house. After which, they hung the other batch of Laweixian they prepared onto the shelves.

After another two days, the due date the Manager Li had requested to deliver the goods arrived.

This time, Lin Qingwan also tagged along with Yang Tiegen.

When they stepped into the restaurant, it was still early in the morning. As soon as the waiter, cleaning the lobby, saw them step in, he rushed in and quickly invited Manager Li.

Manager Li politely ushered them into a side room and directly went to the subject and asked if they had brought the goods.

Lin Qingwan pointed at the large wicker basket on Yang Tiegen’s back. A smile blossomed on Manger Li’s face as he looked at it while caressing his beard.

After asking the waiter to take the basket and weigh it, he began conversing with Lin Qingwan to ask if the making of Laweixian was troublesome, how often the food could be supplied, and the likes.

Manager Li was an honest person and didn’t conceal the situation. He truthfully shared how the demand for Laweixian was in the restaurant currently.

In the beginning, Manager Li only considered this as a dish that would go well with wine. Never had he expected that the dish would sell this well. He simply asked the waiter to recommend it to the patrons whenever they asked for the wine. But who would have expected that after a few patrons tasted it, they found this dish new and novel, even ordering one more plate.

Initially, the amount of the Laweixian would have amounted to no more than a dozen or so servings. But the Man Fu House’s chef went a step ahead and plated it with a few other embellishments to make it look even more appealing. As such, what Lin Qingwan had expected to be only 10 or more servings became over twenty servings thanks to Man Fu Luo’s chef.

These twenty-odd servings were finished by the evening of the same day. The patrons asked for it again the next day, but Man Fu House didn’t have anything more of it. Thus, Manager Li could only cook up an excuse and notify them that they would be available in a few days. This was why he asked Yang Tiegen to bring the next batch in haste as soon as he came.

It wasn’t that Manager Li was eager to earn this little bit of silver. After all, he was the owner of such a big restaurant, and the number of dishes he sells on a daily basis isn’t few. This Manager Li was a fastidious person; as per him, all the requests and desires of patrons in terms of food must be readily met. That is even more so in their restaurant. If they are unable to meet any of their patrons’ needs, it is tantamount to the dereliction of the duty from their side.

Have to say, for Manager Li to be able to develop their small ancestral wine shop into one of the best restaurants in the Luoyun town wasn’t without any basis. At the least, Manager Li possessed an excellent sense of hospitality, far beyond that of the people of this era.

Once all of them were weighed, Manager Li handed Lin Qingwan money for this time and requested to deliver another 30 jin of Laweixian after three days.

Lin Qingwan, after exchanging a few more pleasantries with Manager Li, left with Yang Tiegen.

After discussing a bit, the two went to the pork seller in the market to order pork meat and small intestines.

Yang Tiezhu led Lin Qingwan to the pork vendor he went to last time.

As soon as the pork seller saw him coming, he beamed, for he was able to sell 50 jin of pork to him last time, and greeted him courteously. Hearing that they wanted a hundred jin of pork this time, he slapped his chest and said that he would surely arrange it for them by early in the morning the next day. When he heard that they also wanted hog’s small intestines, he agreed to give it to them without any money and to collect all the small intestines of the day. He asked them to fetch them the following day.

Even after Lin Qingwan and Yang Tiegen turned around and began leaving, they could feel the pork vendor watching them with a bright smile on his chubby face.

The two then went to buy a bit of salt, sugar, soy sauce, and a few other condiments before returning back to the Luoxia village in an ox cart.

Just in time for lunch, they reached home.

Before leaving, Lin Qingwan and Yang Tiegen had already notified them that they wouldn’t be in town for long and would return before noon. As such, Yao-shi had already prepared lunch for the two as well.

While having meals, Yang Tiezhu asked how the situation in the town was.

Lin Qingwan said that everything was going as she expected with a smile. If the situation in the Man Fu House was stabilized, she would plan to go to the other restaurants to look.

Although Yang Tiezhu felt distressed for his wife for having to go out, he was injured currently and couldn’t go out. His third younger brother was also reticent; thus, he could only leave everything to Lin Qingwan.

Upon hearing that the business went smoothly, Yao-shi also became cheerful. Knowing that the business went smoothly, even the Yao family was delighted. There wasn’t any need of mentioning Yang Tiegen, who had been running here and there for Lin Qingwan all the time, for he too was beyond happy.

After all, it was their first business. For it to go smoothly without any hitches was indeed a matter of joy.

Lin Qingwan asked Yang Tiegen to not do laborious odd jobs. But Yang Tiegen declined because firstly, he wanted to be able to deliver the news in the town faster, and secondly, he wanted to make more money.

When all was said and done, their family was still heavily dependent on their second elder brother and second sao for their livelihood. Although Yang Tiegen usually maintained silence and didn’t say much, he still felt very apologetic in his heart. Though fearing that they would feel uneasy in their hearts, the second sao had said it was fine for them to return the food grains next year, Yang Tiegen was nevertheless uneasy in his heart.

However, Yang Tiegen decided not to take up any odd long-term jobs even if they were available. He thought of only taking temporary jobs of carrying goods from one place to another. In such jobs, wages are handed over the same day itself. And if he is diligent enough, he can travel back and forth daily.

During this period, after he bought the pork, he went to the town for work the next day. Meanwhile, the three of them, Yang-shi, Yao-shi, and Lin Qingwan, once again started making another batch of Laweixian. Because the quantity they were making this time was comparatively a lot, the three worked slowly and managed to finish it within two days.

As now Yang-shi’s backyard had more area to hang Laweixian and could also be air-dried faster, they weren’t worried about being unable to complete it before the delivery due date.

Once the delivery day arrived, Yang Tiegen rushed to Man Fu House with the prepared Laweixian.

After Yang Tiegen came back, he handed over the silver he got to Lin Qingwan. Lin Qingwan calculated the money and separated Yang Tiegen’s and Yang-shi’s portions.

The 30 jins from the last time and this time totaled to 60 jins. That day, Lin Qingwan had said that after subtracting the money for the meat, the rest of the earnings would be divided with Yang-shi and Yang Tiegen, each getting ten percent of the share. As for the seasonings and the other things, Lin Qingwan didn’t calculate them. A jin of pork cost 12 wen. In other words, they would get a profit of 48 wen for every jin. And for 60 jin, they would make 2880 wen profit. 10% of 2880 would be 288 wen.

文 (wén): Wen was a currency denomination used in China in imperial times. It was the chief denomination until the introduction of the yuan in the late 19th century. A string of 1000 wén was supposed to be equal in value to one tael. These are made up of copper. So in some places, the author referred to them as copper coins.

斤 (jīn): Like the catty, the jin was then equal to 1 1/3 pounds or 604.79 grams

(Note: In case I have confused you with my translation, Lin Qingwan got a jin of pork for 12 wen. Referring to the last chapter, Lin Qingwan sold a jin of Lap cheong for 60 wen. Thus if you subtract the former from the latter you would get a profit of 48 wen.)

Lin Qingwan handed Yang Tiegen’s share to him and had him deliver Yang-shi’s share as well.

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