Chapter 48 Surprise Came Too Fast Like a Tornado

The eldest branch of the family continued to go to the county to sell cakes today, while the second and third branches went to the town to promote the milk cakes. The task of promoting the milk cakes was left to Shen Duo.

The children in the village came to find Shen Nian early in the morning. Shen Nian was doing morning exercises with her grandfather and brothers, and she didn’t want to go out to play, so she tricked the children into doing morning exercises with her. After they finished, she played with the white wolf, and while playing, she went to the field to weed, dig, move stones, and gather firewood.

Just as they were playing, Wan Baocai arrived. When he learned that Shen Nian had gone to the field, he casually greeted the Shen family and went up the mountain as he was familiar with the way.

He had been to the Shen family many times, and he had gradually adapted to the life in the village. He was a little more agile than before. When he arrived at the wasteland, he no longer collapsed on the ground and groaned, only panting heavily and sighing.

After catching his breath, he pulled Shen Nian aside and told her about his father’s order for five hundred jin of milk cakes.

Shen Nian looked at him, “Are you serious?”

“Of course I’m serious. My father even wrote you a letter, and I brought the deposit!” Wan Baocai took out a silver ingot and a letter from his bosom, “This is five taels of silver. My father said that when the milk cakes are ready and there are no problems, he will pay the rest.”

He was secretly despising his father. It was only ten taels of silver, why did he have to pay it in two installments? So stingy!

Seeing the deposit and the letter, Shen Nian smiled.

Wan Baocai saw her happy and was happy too. He continued, “My father said that when the first batch of milk cakes is made, if they sell well, he will continue to order them and do long-term business with your family. But he has one request, don’t sell the milk cakes to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant.”

Shen Nian was puzzled, “Why?”

She had heard her father mention the Drunken Immortal Restaurant. It was the second largest restaurant in the county.

Wan Baocai shook his head, “I don’t know why. I don’t know anything about the restaurant.”

He had never been to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant.

Yang Mu, who had come with Wan Baocai, stepped forward and whispered, “Young Master, the Drunken Immortal Restaurant is the biggest competitor of our Wan family’s restaurant. They are sworn enemies. Half a month ago, the Drunken Immortal Restaurant somehow invited a great chef from the capital. Not only is he a skilled chef, but he was also once an imperial chef. With the title of imperial chef, the Drunken Immortal Restaurant has snatched away half of our Wan family’s restaurant’s distinguished guests. So, the master is very unhappy with the Drunken Immortal Restaurant, and naturally, he doesn’t want such a rare thing as milk cakes to fall into their hands.”

He originally wanted to tell this to the adults of the Shen family, fearing that Shen Nian, a child, wouldn’t understand. But seeing Shen Nian’s inquisitive look and thinking about her intelligence, Yang Mu couldn’t help but tell her.

“Miss Nian Nian, my master said that he won’t always stop you from selling milk cakes to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant. He only asks that you don’t do business with them for half a year.”

Shen Nian understood. The Wan family’s restaurant had suffered huge losses because of the Drunken Immortal Restaurant, and Mr. Wan wanted to use the fermented bean curd to improve their business.

After half a year, even if the Drunken Immortal Restaurant got the milk cakes, the novelty would have worn off, and customers wouldn’t be attracted.

Just for Mr. Wan’s generosity in not haggling and ordering so many milk cakes at once, she had to agree to this small request.

Anyway, she didn’t know anyone at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant, and they probably wouldn’t even look at her, a little peasant girl.

Not everyone could be as insightful as Wan Baocai.

Shen Nian nodded, “I understand. Let’s go, let’s go home and tell my mother and grandparents this good news.”

She said goodbye to her friends and took Wan Baocai and the four guards back home, telling her family the good news.

Old Man Shen was waiting for the Zhang family to deliver the tofu. When he heard this good news, he was overjoyed. He enthusiastically entertained Wan Baocai and then excitedly went to the Zhang family.

He bought another five hundred jin of tofu.

This extravagant and fierce manner scared the Zhang family!

They hadn’t even finished making the two hundred jin of tofu from yesterday, and today they added another five hundred jin. Was it necessary to be so extravagant?

Even a big restaurant wouldn’t need so much tofu. Are you going to use tofu to hit people, Shen family?

Despite their many questions, the Zhang family, adhering to the principles of business, didn’t ask further and happily accepted the large order.

Shen Nan was selling cakes in town, while Liu Shi personally went to Liu Village to order another five hundred small earthenware jars from her third uncle.

Liu San Lao Ye was shocked, “You, you, you, what kind of business are you doing? You need so many jars.”

Liu Shi smiled and didn’t elaborate, “It’s nothing, just a rare snack I came up with.”

After paying the deposit, Liu Shi left quickly. Looking at her back, Liu San couldn’t help but sigh, “Lanhua has changed a lot since she married into the Shen family. She used to be timid and quiet, not very talkative, and not very efficient in her work. Now she’s very quick and efficient.”

His wife laughed, “You used to say that the Shen family was poor and that Lanhua wouldn’t have a good life after marrying there. Now look, how happy Lanhua is.”

Liu San laughed, “She’s doing very well, it’s enviable.”

He was happy for his niece’s good fortune.

The milk cakes were Shen Nian’s invention, so they belonged to the eldest branch, but the seven hundred and thirty jin of fermented bean curd was a lot. The eldest branch alone couldn’t make it, so the other branches had to help, and they would be paid according to the amount of work they did.

Even brothers should settle accounts clearly!

Unclear accounts could lead to disputes.

The milk cakes ordered by the Wan family didn’t need to be sold, but the rest of the milk cakes needed to be sold. The Shen family couldn’t sell them all, so the four branches had to sell them together.

The eldest branch wholesaled the milk cakes to the other three branches at twelve copper coins per jin. They would sell them themselves and keep the money they earned.

Shen Nan and Shen Xi’s families returned from town at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Shen Duo said proudly, “All two jin of milk cakes were sold. One jin was sold to the Wang family’s servants, and the other jin was divided into four portions and sold to regular customers. They were all very satisfied with the milk cakes and wanted to buy more. These are the orders from the customers.”

He took out a piece of paper and spread it out on the table.

The Wang family ordered twenty jin of milk cakes, and together with the orders from other customers, there were a total of ninety-eight jin.

They all paid a deposit.

Shen Duo gave the deposit to Wei Shi.

The old couple looked at the deposits, thought for a moment, and when the Zhang family delivered the two hundred jin of tofu, they ordered another three hundred jin of tofu.

The Zhang family: “…”

We worked overtime all day to make these two hundred jin of tofu, and now you two want to order more.

The surprise came too fast, like a tornado, they couldn’t handle it!

They used to worry about not being able to sell the tofu, now they worry about not having enough tofu to sell.

They had to quickly buy soybeans everywhere!

They also had to hire people to help, otherwise, it would be difficult to make so much tofu in a short time.

When the Zhang family returned home, they saw Wang Po and Lu Dashen waiting at the door.

They came to buy tofu.

Zhang Ershun said, “Sorry, we’re all out of tofu today.”

Wang Po frowned, “What? All out? But I didn’t see anyone from your family going out to sell tofu today!”

Lu Dashen was puzzled, “If you didn’t go out, how could the tofu be sold out so quickly?”