Chapter 118: What Is This Puzi For?

The chives have already been harvested once; as the weather keeps getting colder and the twelfth month arrives, the price has risen from one jin for one hundred wen to one jin for one hundred fifty wen, and as the New Year approaches, it will become even more expensive.

The customers who come to buy vegetables keep complaining, and Niu Shopkeeper patiently explains.

"Scarcity makes things valuable; it's already good that you can get this now. If you come back on the 28th or 29th of the twelfth month, it will be one Yijian per jin. Then you'll have to scramble for it; if you don't, you won't have a bite to eat for the New Year."

Complaining as they may, their mouths are craving that bite, and regardless of the price they must buy a whole jin.

The main thing is having money in hand; if you have no money, you won't buy even if you want to eat.

Qiao Mai saw the five old women managing five mu of land; not only were they diligent with the vegetables, they also cared greatly for the Poultry House, so she immediately rewarded each of them with Two Taels of Silver.

When others heard, they worked even more enthusiastically; the New Year is approaching, so they finish the work well, and if the master is pleased, they'll receive extra rewards.

Even though they are bound by a Death Contract, who would mind having more silver? If the master happens to be happy one day, he might even set them free.

The Liu Family siblings are very well‑behaved here; Liu Ye does well at Xiu Zhuang, doing whatever work is needed, and when idle she practices Embroidery Art with scrap cloth. Xiuhong and the others treat her kindly and teach her what she doesn't know.

Having been here just over half a month, she can already stitch simple handkerchiefs.

Assistant Two said, "The roasted snacks are selling fast; three days ago we roasted once, now we're roasting almost daily. I've seen it—if a few more days pass, we'll have to roast every day, otherwise by year's end everyone will be buying, we won't be able to supply, so we need to stock more."

The assistant left with the money, and the woman pursed her lips at Qiao Mai, "Twenty Wen a bowl is really not cheap."

She gave Xin'er's snack recipe; in a modern world where delicacies are abundant, people chase after it, let alone here.

If such snacks appear in the city, they will surely spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred.

Whenever she has a moment she goes to the Small Food Puzi to pick up tasty food; look, the backyard warm greenhouse has produced vegetables.

Anyway, by the end of the year anything sells well; merchants all point out that making more money during the New Year means a good year ahead.

"Aren't you from the County Town?" the woman asked warmly.

The first batch of fresh vegetables arrived just in time; he immediately paid the silver, grabbed half a basket, and had the guards rush it to his home.

Qiao Mai's complexion grew increasingly grim; when she first handed the recipe to Lu Shopkeeper, she said it was for Xin'er, not for the Feng Family, yet after such a short time it had become the Feng Family's.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth month, Qiao Mai prepared the winter dates, wrapping them tightly, and went to Fucheng to "stock up."

"That many?"

The buyers who succeeded left happily; those who couldn't buy paid silver to make an advance reservation, but they still couldn't order more, as each household has a restriction.

Since the New Year is near, she plans to prepare a batch of fruit to sell in the shop and also head to the County Town to check out Xin'er's store.

The idle town mayor, Qian, loves to wander to the Qiao Ji Snack Puzi, where he can sit for half a day at a time.

The woman was also enthusiastic, leading her to a newly freed table; the assistant hurried over to clear the bowls and wipe the table clean.

The woman wasn't annoyed and promptly paid for her portion; Qiao Mai smiled and also handed over twenty Wen.

The main point isn't this; what pleased him was the four recipes he bought for two hundred taels of silver, which received great feedback—many customers order those four dishes as soon as they enter, boosting his business considerably.

Qiao Mai replied, "It's okay. They rent a shop and employ assistants; the food is surely made with good rice and flour, and with that oil, the profit isn't much. The main thing is that it's tasty again."

Because here, he always gets to eat good food.

"Two large bowls of cold noodles, add extra chili oil."

"Hehe, hehe."

Niu Shopkeeper gave them a glance, "Work hard; Master won't shortchange us. Stop talking about useless things all day."

The three meals were excellent; although it was her cousin's house, she never roamed around. Only Xiuhong and Xiuyu would pull her to the back to look at the greenhouse vegetables and the Poultry House; otherwise she wouldn't leave the house.

She made a silent vow to master the craft, learn from her cousin to earn more money, because having money is better than not.

Only now does she realize how diligent and hardworking her cousin is at making money.

Assistant One said, "Exactly. These past few days I've been cooking two kinds of five‑spice eggs, serving them every day. Starting tomorrow I'll make more."

Liu Hai is also diligent at Ji Restaurant; having worked in the town before, he reads the atmosphere with few words and needs no instruction from the Shopkeeper to get the work done.

"Indeed, let me tell you, this shop is a Feng Family enterprise, and I don't know where they got the recipes. This business, though small, is booming—people come from dawn till dusk. I crunched the numbers; they'll eat over a thousand bowls in a single day."

Tong Shopkeeper thought him decent, and since he's a relative of Qiao Niang, gave him a monthly wage of two hundred Wen.

"How did you know this is the Feng Family?"

So she also joined the line of people waiting, and after about half an hour, she and that woman finally got to go in.

"Yes, one bowl is twenty Wen, ten bowls are two hundred Wen, a hundred bowls are two Taels, a thousand bowls are twenty Taels of silver, a month is six hundred Taels. Sometimes sales exceed even that; many large households send people to buy them, they don't even eat here. I heard prices are going up."

"Alright, one bowl is twenty Wen, two bowls forty Wen. Who will pay? Here we pay first, then eat."

Smelling the aroma drifting out from the doorway, she was absolutely certain.

As expected, after wandering for a while she spotted a shop crowded with people; she hurried her carriage to stop beside it.

Assistant Three said, "This month is a bumper harvest."

Liu Ye appears to be overseen by Lu Shopkeeper for meals and lodging, but actually she lives in Jixiang Yuan just like Xiuhong and Xiuyu.

After entering the city, she didn't go straight to Xin'er but aimlessly roamed the main streets.

She got off the carriage and tied the horse to a post on the side.

She asked a woman waiting to enter, "What does this shop do? Why are you all gathered here?"

"Let me tell you, this is a newly opened Small Food Puzi in our County Town. It sells only one kind of snack, which is truly fragrant, spicy, and tasty. After one bowl you'll want a second. I come here every day for a bowl; both cold and hot versions are delicious."

Niu Shopkeeper looked at those orders and chuckled, "Master is absolutely right; this fresh vegetable dish boosts the shop's other goods. When they come, they not only buy the fresh veg, but seeing these tasty items they also purchase some to take home, pleasing the shop owner."

Qiao Mai gave the cold noodles a stir, eating bite after bite; both she and the woman wanted it cold.

So every now and then she had her own cook buy some, wrapped it at home to eat, and also the kimchi; the spicy cabbage was often bought to eat with porridge.

"The Feng Family lord and lady come by every now and then, not only to look, but also occasionally eat a bowl here, showing their food is clean. If it weren't clean, could they eat it themselves? Besides, didn't you just see the sign? It clearly says Feng Family Small Eatery."

In the dead of winter, being able to eat cucumber, eggplant, water spinach, etc., feels like soaring into the sky with excitement!

The news of new dishes at the Qiao Ji Snack Puzi in Tianshui Town spread like wings into the surrounding cities, counties, and towns.

The cold noodles were served, and the woman impatiently grabbed chopsticks to eat.

Just take the sauerkraut‑stuffed dumplings made in the kitchen last time; he was lucky to have eaten it once.

Hearing that, Qiao Mai knew for sure that this shop would not be leaving.

In order to have fresh vegetables in winter, the steward of the wealthy household, after receiving the Main Family's order, hurried with a carriage and arrived.

"Hmm, I'm coming into town today to handle some business."

It's hot inside; no need to stir‑fry—liangpi is best eaten cold for a refreshing bite.

Tasting the familiar flavor reminded her of Earth; she truly felt a bit nostalgic.

Just as she was thinking, a burst of laughter came from outside; she glanced coldly and saw that it was the Feng Family's matriarch bringing Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl.

As soon as they entered, the attendant arranged seats and first served liangpi to the two of them, master and servant.

(End of chapter)