Chapter 286

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Song Miao

The sky had already grown a little dark; outside it was quiet and still, not a single person in sight.

Song Miao was not anxious either; she took the account books from the past few days, sat in the front hall, and examined them slowly.

Song Ji's account books had been kept very meticulously by Cheng Erniang, and lately she had also been teaching Zhang Siniang bookkeeping; the two of them, one recording and one verifying, made almost no mistakes.

But Song Miao read very slowly.

As she read, she noted and calculated, paying even more attention to fluctuations in ingredient prices, and also computing the daily profit situation for each category.

Sometimes, business is not such that the more you sell, the more money you make; profit changes every day along with changes in cost.

For instance, take making steamed buns: seasonal vegetables differ across the four seasons, meat prices also fluctuate, but once a bun's price is set, it cannot be changed lightly, because frequent price changes would give diners a bad impression.

A Char Siu Roast Meat Bun sells for ten wen; pork, seasonings, firewood, labor, wear on various utensils, dried lotus leaves, bamboo skewers, and all the rest added up—if the cost comes to six wen, the profit is only four wen left; whereas a mutton bun might cost three wen, sell for eight wen, and yield a full five wen profit. Different categories can easily result in a higher price but lower profit.

And plain vegetable buns—cabbage, green beans, carrots, wood ear, glass noodles, and so on—see ingredient price swings that are even more pronounced with the changing seasons.

Right now Song Ji need not worry about spoilage; as long as things can be made, they all sell without worry. But even though they all sell, selling different varieties can mean profits differing by more than double.

What variety to make when, how many to make, how to maintain variety and flavor under the existing manpower while maximizing the food shop's profit—all require careful calculation.

Otherwise, after toiling for a whole month, clearly having added several helpers, if the money earned has not increased correspondingly, how could one bear it?

But beyond mere calculation, one must equally consider how to more appropriately satisfy diners' taste demands.

Some categories, even if they earn little or almost nothing, if customers like them very much, a certain quantity must be kept—both as a return to regulars and to drive sales of other foods.

But judging this "like very much" requires attentive observation and discernment.

Some diners shout loudly, only saying they love a certain category, but if you record carefully, you'll find they don't come often, and even when they do, they don't buy that same item every time—two or three times out of ten is already good.

Some diners hardly speak, yet each time they buy many different varieties; but if you discern carefully, you'll notice that although they spread their purchases evenly, they definitely have one favorite, and once that item stops, their visit frequency drops sharply.

There is also the fact that many diners often "deceive" unintentionally.

For example, earlier when we set up the stall, quite a few Taixue students said the weather was hot and they wanted a heat-dispelling drink, asking Song Miao to serve Perilla Drink.

But when it was actually served, Perilla Drink was the last to sell out every day.

After selling for a few days, Song Miao thought and thought, and unable to find the reason, she simply called everyone in the food shop over and first asked: now that it's hot and we want to dispel heat, if we drink a beverage, which is the best choice?

The result: from top to bottom of the food shop, including short-term hires and long-term hired women, eleven people in total, nine said Perilla Drink.

Yet the next morning at breakfast, Song Miao placed Perilla Drink, Pork Rib Clear Soup, Green Plum Drink, Sweet Embryo, and Green Bean Drink on the table; only Cheng Erniang took Perilla Drink, everyone else picked something else.

Asked closely, the reason was that Perilla Drink is very good for the body, so when heat-dispelling is mentioned it comes to mind; but once it comes to actually drinking it, either they say they don't want that in the morning, or they feel perilla flavor is too overpowering and doesn't pair with breakfast, or they say it's not as tasty as other drinks—in short, each had their own reason.

Now it's a stall, we make little, and even if it doesn't sell, a few jars left over can be drunk ourselves, and the cost isn't high.

But if later the food shop opens for real, and when preparing other ingredients and prepping dishes the same situation occurs—misjudging diners' tastes and demand, causing waste—that would be a true loss of real silver.

In addition, some said the meat buns were a bit greasy, urging Song Ji to produce more plain buns—but count them up, and you'll find that with the same quantity, meat buns always sell out first; even the one who made the suggestion buys four meat buns and two plain buns every day.

How to discern customers' true needs, and how to adjust output based on everyone's needs and actual profit—this work is both meticulous and requires overall consideration; it is extremely important.

Fairly speaking, Song Miao is very clear that Song Ji's requirements for helpers are strict, even to the point of being called nitpicking.

Upon entering, one must first memorize dozens of kitchen rules; not only memorize, but also carry them out one by one. Just the rule that vegetables must be washed four rounds is already more than many can stand.

With such trivial and verbose requirements, wanting to recruit suitable hands, sweet talk alone is useless; the key is to pay well.

Song Miao pays very high wages; besides the regular monthly pay, she also rewards people each month according to the food shop's earnings.

To be able to pay out more wages, each person's labor must be made more valuable.

And compared to driving everyone to work harder, more desperately, doing more work within the set time, it is naturally more effective to rely on coordinating varieties, quantities, and so on.

It's just that this matter is too troublesome; currently no one can be found to take it over. She looked through her subordinates, and intended to put Cheng Erniang and Da Bing to use.

Same stall work: Cheng Erniang, Zhang Siniang, Da Bing, and several other long-term hired women have all taken turns going along; the rest mostly just do simple buying and selling. Only Da Bing, in just a few days, has already become familiar with quite a few students, calling them "brother" and "scholar" left and right.

He not only remembers regulars' faces, but has even memorized many of their preferences.

And although Cheng Erniang is not so keen on dealing with people, her aptitude for learning is the best.

She learns characters fastest, even faster than the two children Da Bing and Xiao Lian; she learns arithmetic best, and has her own framework for accounts—she just needs slow guidance.

When the time comes, one handling overall calculation, one providing customer feedback, together they can save her a lot of effort.

But that is a matter for later.

Because it is meticulous work, Song Miao spread out two sheets of paper and slowly verified the calculations; before long she was completely absorbed. Calculating away, she suddenly heard horse hoof sounds and wheel sounds at the door, followed by the driver reining in the horse, and then voices. She looked up—the sky was half dark outside—yet two people carrying a lantern came in from outside.

Seeing the arrivals, she was extremely surprised, hurried forward to welcome them, first gave a greeting, then asked: "It's this late; the two sirs have been out all day, aren't you tired?"

She also asked: "Do you want to eat something, or is there some other instruction?"

The arrivals were precisely Masters Chen and Cao.

Chen Fuzi smiled and said: "No need to rush; that fine banquet of yours, I ate so much my belly is still full right now. Just came to sit a bit—give us two cups of tea and that's enough."

He also said: "On the way back, Lao Cao and I ran into each other at a book and painting shop outside..."

He was still speaking when Cao Fuzi beside him handed over a bundle, saying to Song Miao: "Song Xiaoniangzi, you take a look and see which pleases your eye!"

Song Miao hurriedly received it; since the table was padded with paper underneath, she wasn't afraid of oil, and just gently unfolded it on the tabletop. She lowered her head for a look and instantly froze.

Inside were first two large-character pieces, both writing "Song Ji Food Shop"; one script was steady and solid, the other vigorous and weighty; both calligraphy and character forms were extremely beautiful.

Besides the large characters, there were also two pairs of door couplets for welcoming guests.

Song Miao looked at the large characters, then at the small characters, and couldn't help sighing: "This calligraphy is truly beautiful—asking me to choose, I really can't pick!"

Chen Fuzi laughed heartily: "Choose slowly—one here is written by me, one by Lao Cao. You see if there's a script style suitable for the signboard and door couplets; if not, we'll write more later, it's no trouble!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the table beside them and said to Cao Fuzi: "Lao Cao, come over."

Seeing the two sit at the large table next door, Song Miao hurriedly moved the clean tea water over.

Chen Fuzi tapped his chin toward the brush and paper on the neighboring table and shooed her: "You go tend to your business; pick out the ones that aren't there!"

Speaking, he flipped over the teacup on the table and poured tea for the two of them himself.

In a moment the tea was ready, and after he offered tea again, Chen Fuzi then said: "Lao Cao, only Song Xiaoniangzi is here, no one else; you be straight with me — what exactly happened at home?"

Cao Fuzi visibly froze for a moment, then said: "Didn't I say in the daytime? The one at my home fell ill..."

Chen Fuzi gave a cold snort and said: "That line you can only use to fool others; you and I have known each other for how many years?"

"If your wife were truly sick, never mind today's elegant gathering, even for regular classes you'd be so anxious you'd ask for leave." Chen Fuzi spoke, unable to help sighing, "You hide it from others, fine, but hiding it from me — what's the meaning of that?"

Hearing him sigh, Cao Fuzi also let out a long sigh and said: "I won't hide it from you then; Ling An has run into some trouble lately. I originally didn't want to get involved, but his mother is frantic — in half a month she's come down with fever twice. We've summoned doctors, but it's been lingering without cure, and it's made me anxious. I truly couldn't refuse, so I agreed to go think of a way..."

Knowing Ling An is Cao Du's only son, always treasured dearly, Chen Fuzi understood that this so-called "truly couldn't refuse" was mostly just finding a ladder to climb down. Since he'd heard in the daytime that the patient had already improved considerably, he asked a couple of polite questions, then said: "What trouble? Can I help?"

"Nothing else; I've already found an acquaintance — I have a classmate's nephew who's currently in the Six Routes Transport Commission. I entrusted him with a letter; just waiting for his reply."

Hearing this, Chen Fuzi's brow furrowed at once, and he asked: "What matter exactly can't be spoken straight? You, so not straightforward!"

"It's not that I'm not straightforward..." Cao Fuzi shook his head. "Never mind, not afraid to tell you — the court is pressing for progress on the Liu Ta He, wanting Lv Zhongchang to produce results early. That Lv wants to shirk responsibility, saying river works and manpower are both insufficient, and also saying local officials won't exert themselves, just dragging their feet."

"Because pressure came from above, Ling An had no choice but to find a way to recruit another thousand or so laborers."

Speaking to this point, Cao Fuzi also looked somewhat helpless and said: "This matter still has to blame your family's Zheng Yan — heard when he went to Hua Prefecture he recruited local brave men to help dredge the river. Because room and board were included, the work went extremely fast; what used to take a month was finished in less than half a month."

"The news reached Liu Ta He, and that Lv heard it and wanted to copy the method, making Ling An and his people busy for over half a month. They recruited two or three thousand people in the county towns and countryside below Chan Prefecture, and now they're pressing the Zhou Ya to help solve the people's food and lodging..."

As Chen Fuzi listened, cold sweat had already seeped out on his head. He hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped it all away, saying: "Two or three thousand people's food and lodging?? This many??"

"Exactly. And it wasn't said early — they say they want it, they want it now. And it's not like there's a disaster or calamity, so we can't use the Imperial Granary. Moreover, we can't lightly use it. This year the rainfall is so heavy; looking at it, Chan Prefecture's embankments and dams aren't good either. If something happens..."

For a moment Chen Fuzi also fell silent. Half a while later, he said: "You went to the Six Routes Transport Commission — you want to request grain from the south?"

"Yes. The memorial has already been submitted. Because Li Xianggong said the court will allocate grain, but we have to wait until the Jiangnan Two Routes' tribute grain enters the Capital, then make arrangements. I thought to hurry and send someone to urge them, see if we can get the Transport Commission to arrange more tribute grain transport first, and let other things wait a bit longer before dispatching..."

Chen Fuzi then said: "Let's see what your classmate says. If it doesn't work, give me a heads-up. I'll pull some strings here, and we can surely find a person or two in the Six Routes Transport Commission — at a time like this, no need to worry about face."

He added: "Get the grain gathered for him early. Otherwise two or three thousand people, eating and drinking day after day — Chan Prefecture isn't some big prefecture. Where would that much surplus grain come from! To speak unpleasantly, if something sudden happens and it's all used up, even disaster relief won't know how to manage!"

Song Miao sat to the side, originally still looking down at the characters. Hearing the words "Six Routes Transport Commission," she almost immediately thought of Wang Shuji whom she'd met in Hua Prefecture.

That day the other party had even given her a calling card, and an address, and official documents, wanting to invite her to be a Cook's Wife, asking her to come find him at his door in the Capital afterward if she was willing.

She herself was truly busy with affairs, and moreover her mind was full of business. For a short while she just didn't pay it any more mind.

Wang Shuji is after all the Six Routes Transport Vice Commissioner. She just doesn't know where he is right now. Although her words may not carry weight, making an introduction surely should still be possible...

She thought for a bit, and without hesitation, immediately told the two old men Cao and Chen about the Hua Prefecture matter, and also said: "If needed, I can write a letter here. Though it may not be of use, it's at least a channel. Also, Young Master Han Li is acquainted with him..."

Cao Du heard this and was somewhat pleased, saying: "Right now it's precisely that Wang Shuji, Vice Commissioner Wang, who manages this grain transport! Only he's constantly outside, and he's a southerner. In my whole circle, there's actually no one who knows him!"

He added: "Let's wait for my classmate's reply first. If it really won't do, then we'll come find Song Xiaoniangzi!"

The two old men sat drinking a cup of tea, talked a while more. Seeing the sky color was already late, they didn't dare delay. They only told Song Miao to choose characters well, and hurriedly took their leave.

Chen Fuzi said: "Afraid we delayed your closing up shop!"

Song Miao and the other person saw them out. Just as they were about to reach the door, they heard the sound of a horse galloping from outside. Looking up, the horse had already arrived before them. A man flipped down from it. Without using torches or lanterns, he strode over in quick steps.

And Cao Fuzi stood at the very front, narrowing his eyes at the newcomer, and smiled: "Youngster, coming this late to do what? Song Xiaoniangzi has closed shop. Late at night, you just go find something to eat wherever!"

And the newcomer also smiled. First he called "Cao Xiansheng," then called "Shixiong," and finally said: "Not for a meal. Just a small matter to trouble you at your door. I'll leave shortly. Won't delay you."

Speaking, he actively stepped forward, lifted the lantern, helped the two old men onto the carriage, and also helped close the carriage door.

?? Thank you Rang Xiang Bu Dao for personally gifting me one sachet, one immortal herb; book friends Yuan Chengzhi, Yu Si Portion Fei 72 three people personally gifting me one sachet each; Bing Xue Ci Wei personally gifting me one immortal herb^_^

? Thank you book friends, book friends, Feng Zi De Bai Yan You Si Ge, book friends, book friends, Mu Weicheng Li, Bu Zi Shen De Zi Shen Shu You, Xian Shi Kan Hua Feng Ye Mouth eight people personally gifting me one Peace Talisman each:)

? Thank you Special Mission Cat Cat, book friend two people personally gifting me one One Road Fortune Talisman each=3=

? Thank you everyone's various votes, subscriptions and comments~