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Chapter 40
After receiving two hundred silver taels, Qi Huan happily took Lin Xiang to see the process of making spicy strips from chillies, greenery, and bean sprouts.
She then verbally explained the specific recipe, allowing him to write it down on paper.
"Chilli powder and other seasonings, I can get for you quite quickly. However, the process of making starch is more complicated and will take some time. I plan to hire two more people to help. You can come back in three days to pick up the goods. How's that?"
Lin Xiang thought to himself, there was no choice but to agree...
He could only smile and nod in agreement.
"As Shopkeeper Qi has said, I'll come back in three days."
After seeing off Lin Xiang, Qi Huan hurried to prepare for setting up her starch workshop.
The kitchen behind the noodle shop was crowded with Lv Yin, Lv Ya, Tao Su, and Nuan Dong cleaning up. Adding two more people would make it difficult to even turn around, let alone work.
So, she decided to acquire another shop.
With her mind made up, she went to see broker Qian again.
Qian Laishun did not disappoint her and found a shop space for her in less than a day.
This used to be a pastry shop, but its location was a bit out of the way, and business gradually declined until the shopkeeper wanted to move elsewhere.
The storefront was slightly smaller than Qi's Noodle Shop, but the backyard was quite large. On the east and west sides of the backyard were two side rooms each, and further back was a row of two large kitchens combined into one.
Qi Huan was very satisfied. After some bargaining, she acquired the property for thirty-five taels of silver.
With the shop issue resolved, she next needed to hire workers.
At this time, the sisters Lv Yin and Lv Ya approached her.
"What's the matter?"
Seeing her gentle demeanor, Lv Yin mustered her courage and slowly spoke her mind.
"Miss Qi, I heard you need workers, so I'd like to recommend my father and mother.
They are skilled workers and honest people.
They are very strong, perfectly suited for tasks like pounding sweet potato into a paste..."
Meeting the sisters' anxious yet hopeful gazes, Qi Huan was touched and smiled, "Of course, it doesn't matter who I hire."
She just didn't expect them to all be of serf status...
Upon hearing this, the two sisters excitedly jumped up and down, holding hands.
Qi Huan also smiled faintly.
After explaining her intentions to the broker from last time, she learned: Lv Yin and Lv Ya's father and mother had great strength, so the broker wanted to keep them for himself and didn't sell them.
After her persistent persuasion, the broker finally agreed to sell them to her, allowing Lv Yin's family to reunite.
She also gained another point from this.
At the same time, she gained two capable workers.
After purchasing them, Qi Huan explained the key points of making starch to them one by one.
Lv Yin's Father Chen Dashan and Chen's Wife did not disappoint her expectations; they worked quickly and diligently.
By the three-day deadline, they had even produced several extra pounds of starch.
Twenty pounds of starch were packed into jars and brought back to the noodle shop. Qi Huan also repurchased large quantities of chilli powder and other seasonings, placing them together to await Lin Xiang's arrival.
Lin Xiang arrived on schedule just after noon. 𝖋𝔯𝖊𝖊𝖜𝔢𝖇𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔢𝖑.𝖈𝔬𝖒
"Shopkeeper Qi, do you have all the goods ready?"
"They're all right here, you can check them." Qi Huan stepped aside, revealing the ceramic jars behind her.
She then ordered someone to bring out a scale beam to weigh everything.
"Twenty pounds of starch, sixty taels in total. Chilli powder, five-spice powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and cumin powder, five pounds each, forty taels. Added together, that's one hundred taels of silver. Shopkeeper Qi, please accept the payment."
Taking the silver, Qi Huan smiled radiantly and said politely, "Thank you, Master Lin. When you run out of seasonings, just come back for more. I've opened a starch workshop, so there will always be a steady supply."
"Certainly."
Watching as Lin Xiang's carriage gradually disappeared into the distance, Qi Huan clutched the silver happily as she returned to the noodle shop.
With no tasks in the afternoon, she first sent some sweet potatoes to the starch workshop, then called over the four members of the Chen family for a discussion.
As the four of them stood in a row before her, Qi Huan couldn't help but marvel inwardly at how frugal this family was - they seemed to share one face.
Chen Dashan and Chen's Wife looked very much like a married couple, and Lv Yin and Lv Ya resembled them as well...
She refocused her gaze and spoke clearly, "I called you here to tell you that I plan to separate the spicy strip business from the noodle shop. This shop will be renamed Qi's Spicy Strip Shop going forward.
Uncle Chen and Auntie Chen will be responsible for making starch - half for our own use, and the other half for Master Lin to pick up.
Lv Yin and Lv Ya will be responsible for producing and selling the spicy strips.
Work diligently, and I will not treat you unfairly. In addition to your monthly wages, I will also award bonuses based on performance. This time, for fulfilling the order, all of you have performed well and will receive a reward."
Saying this, Qi Huan took out one tael of silver from her purse, placed it in her palm, and handed it over.
"This is a reward for the four of you working hard to make the starch these past few days."
Chen Dashan grinned as he accepted it, "Thank you, Miss Qi."
In contrast to their joyous atmosphere, the Ruyi Restaurant across from Qi's Noodle Shop was facing some difficulties.
Ever since Shopkeeper Chen was imprisoned, his only son Chen Shu had taken over the restaurant.
Chen Shu had no interest in the restaurant business; his only interest was gambling.
On this day, after losing more silver at gambling, he came to the accounting room to withdraw funds.
Seeing his outstretched palm, the accountant Ding felt quite troubled.
"Young Master, didn't you just withdraw five hundred taels a few days ago? How can you need another five hundred taels so soon?"
"Old Ding, you don't understand. Of that previous five hundred taels, I paid off four hundred and sixty in debts, leaving only forty. Guess what happened - I actually won up to two hundred taels! If it weren't for my mother sending someone to call me, disrupting my luck, I definitely wouldn't have lost it all back.
Old Ding, believe me, give me another five hundred taels and I'll continue riding this streak of luck. I guarantee I'll win back a thousand taels for you."
After Ding the accountant tried reasoning with him again, Chen Shu remained unmoved and angrily scolded, "You stubborn old man, my father rewarded you with food to eat, and you really think you're something special? This restaurant belongs to my Chen family. I'm now the head of the Chen family, the man of the house. When I tell you to hand over the money, you'd better do it quickly."
Forced to hand over five hundred taels, Ding the accountant was quite worried as the remaining silver would not be enough for provisions. What could he do?
With no choice, he had to settle for cheaper ingredients.
The kitchen staff then skimmed even more from the budget, ultimately only able to buy rotten vegetables.
The chefs had no alternative but to cut away the bad parts and stir-fry what remained.
Initially, there were no issues for a few days, so they became complacent.
That is, until Chen the county magistrate's son Chen Jinyou fell ill after eating there.
Chen Jinyou had been secretly taking protection money, so his father locked him up in the family shrine for a thorough disciplining for half a month.
Finally released, he immediately headed to the Ruyi Restaurant to celebrate his freedom.
Unexpectedly, after finishing his meal, he started vomiting uncontrollably as soon as he left the restaurant.
Passersby stopped to watch, pointing and discussing the scene.
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