Chapter 29 Restaurant Storage
Liang Laoer started to stir-fry the last pot, and when it was cooked and out of the pot, Qianhuan took out five pounds of chestnuts for herself and wrapped them in oil paper.
"Qianhuan, why did you keep five kilograms of chestnuts?" Liu asked puzzledly.
"Dad, Mom, it's very troublesome for us to move the iron stove, iron pot, shovel, stools and two stools back and forth every day. I observed that the restaurant opposite us also does breakfast business and opens quite early. I want to give these five pounds of chestnuts to the shopkeeper of the restaurant opposite and see if he can deposit our tools that we don't need to take home in his restaurant's woodshed after work every day." Qianhuan explained.
"My dear, you are very thoughtful. But will they agree to let us store it?"
When Liang Laoer heard the conversation between the mother and daughter, he couldn't help but interrupt. His family had no relationship with the restaurant owner, and he was worried that the other party would not agree at all.
"Dad, we have to try to know whether he agrees or not. If he really doesn't agree, then we'd better be a little more troublesome. We can take it home after work every day and bring it back the next day." Qianhuan said in a Buddhist way.
Here, a family of three was selling the remaining chestnuts and discussing something.
At this time, a gorgeous carriage arrived at the gate of Zuixianju. A young man in gorgeous clothes got out of the carriage. He looked to be about fifteen years old, and behind him was a servant in gray clothes.
The shopkeeper saw him at the door and immediately walked out of the counter to greet him. He bowed to the young man and said respectfully, "Greetings, Young Master. Are you here to inspect the store again today?"
"Well, how is the business in the store today? Is there anything unusual?" The young man walked into the store while asking the shopkeeper with a folding fan in his hand.
"Reporting to the young master, the business of the store today is about the same as usual."
"If there is anything unusual, it is that a new stall selling sugar-roasted chestnuts has opened on the street corner across from our restaurant. The business of this stall is very hot, attracting diners from our restaurant. Many customers even sent their servants to buy some food."
Shopkeeper Zhou thought about it and decided to report what happened today.
"Oh, really? Could it be that the fragrance I just smelled came from that stall?"
As soon as he got off the car and walked to the door of the restaurant, Chu Yichen smelled a sweet smell. He sniffed hard and concluded: This was not the fragrance from their restaurant's kitchen at all. Their restaurant had not served any new dishes in the past two days.
"Yes, Young Master, it's the aroma emanating from the stall that can whet one's appetite. Our guests are attracted by this aroma."
"Yuanji, go buy two kilograms. I want to try and see how delicious these sugar-roasted chestnuts are." The young master turned around and instructed his servant.
"Yes, sir, I'll go buy it right away." The servant named Yuanji immediately trotted off to buy chestnuts.
After a while, Yuanji walked into the restaurant dejectedly.
"Sir, I didn't buy any chestnuts. When I went there, they had already sold out and were packing up to close their stall." Yuanji pouted, obviously unhappy.
"Is business so good that you've sold out in less than a day and are going home?"
Chu Yichen was a little surprised. It was rare to see a stall closing so early.
While the two were talking, Qianhuan had already walked into the restaurant with the oil paper bag.
"Boss, these are our own sugar-roasted chestnuts. I packed five pounds for you. Can I trouble you with something?"
Qianhuan deliberately spoke boldly in a hoarse voice. She was a good communicator in modern times, and she was not at all nervous when dealing with these ancient people.
"Little brother, can you please tell me what help you need first?" Shopkeeper Zhou did not accept the chestnut immediately, but asked her back.
He was a little surprised. He had just been telling the young master that their stall was doing good business with chestnuts, and she actually delivered some to him and asked him to help.
"It's like this. My family lives in the mountains, a little far from the county town. We set up a stall here, and it's inconvenient to bring stoves, iron pots and other tools back and forth every day. Can I leave them in the firewood room of your restaurant? I can pay a few coins a day for the storage fee."
"This... little brother, I'm sorry, I can't make this decision."
Shopkeeper Zhou looked embarrassed. Although what the young man asked for was not a difficult matter, the key was that he could not act on his own.
"Oh, I see. Then we won't bother you. You should take these chestnuts. We will set up a stall across from your restaurant in the future. I hope you can take care of us."
Although she didn't agree, Qianhuan still decided to give him the chestnuts.
"No, no, no, I can't accept it." Shopkeeper Zhou waved his hands and refused.
Chu Yichen had already gone up to the second floor of the restaurant, but when he heard the conversation between the two, he immediately stopped going up the stairs.
He turned and walked down the stairs, then came over and picked up a large bag of chestnuts that the two men were pushing back and forth on the counter, looked at the shopkeeper and said, "Old Zhou, I'll take the chestnuts. I'll do what he asked for."
"Yes, Young Master. Little brother, this is our Young Master. You are lucky today. Our Young Master is kind and has agreed to your request." Shopkeeper Zhou looked at Qianhuan and said, this little brother is really lucky. Their Young Master usually never cares about these trivial matters, but today he actually took care of this trivial matter.
"Thank you, Young Master. I wonder how much I should pay as the deposit?" Qianhuan looked at the Young Master and clasped her fists in thanks.
Chu Yichen looked at the oil paper bag in his hand and could smell the sweet aroma wafting from it before he started eating.
He opened the oil paper package and found that each chestnut had a cut on it. He picked up a chestnut and began to peel it, and the shell fell off in no time.
When he put the chestnut meat into his mouth, he couldn't help but sigh: It really tastes great, fragrant, sweet and glutinous.
He looked at Qianhuan and said slowly, "No need to pay for the storage. But you have to tell me, why did you choose our restaurant to store your things when there are so many shops around?"
The storage fee of a few cents a day was really not worth their restaurant's attention. But he was very curious why this young man chose his own restaurant.
"It's like this. First, I noticed that your restaurant also does breakfast business and opens quite early, so we also need to come to the city early to set up our stall. Second, I saw people coming and going in front of your restaurant. I guess your restaurant must be doing very good business every day and must be open for business every day. Several nearby shops are deserted and the bosses are the ones who run the shops themselves. If something happens at home, they may not open. If my tools are stored in another shop, what if one day they close and I can't get the goods? Then won't I be able to set up my stall?" Qianhuan explained.
In fact, there is another reason. It is because Qianhuan found that his restaurant is large in scale. From the exterior decoration and the attire of the guests, she can tell that the consumption level of this restaurant is not low.
The restaurant owner would definitely not like these broken tools at his house, so she wouldn't have to worry about them being embezzled if she kept them in their restaurant. Of course, she wouldn't say this reason.
"I see. You are really smart, little brother." It was rare for Chu Yichen to praise someone, and the one he was praising was a shabby country boy.
"Young Master, thank you for your compliment. Thank you for agreeing to help. Then, Young Master and Shopkeeper, I will go back to the stall to get the things and store them here." Qianhuan bowed and said goodbye.
When they returned to the stall, Liu and Liang Laoer saw that the chestnuts in her hand had already been given away, and thought: This deal is probably done.
Sure enough, before they could even ask, Qianhuan said, "Dad and Mom, the restaurant owner has agreed. You guys sit here and eat some whole grain cakes to fill your stomachs. I'll go buy a big iron pot."
I have to take the iron pot at home to cook, so I have no choice but to buy a new one and store it in the restaurant.
"Okay, take one too." Liu also handed her daughter a whole grain pancake.
Qianhuan specially bought a bigger iron pot, spending 300 wen. The capacity of this iron pot is at least to kilograms.
In the future, I can fry more than 30 kilograms of chestnuts in one pot, which is more efficient.
Liu helped Qianhuan move all the things to Zuixianju, and Manager Zhou asked the servant to take them to the woodshed to put the tools.
At this time, the young master of Zuixianju had already boarded the carriage back home.
"Yuanji, you should also try the sugar-roasted chestnuts." Chu Yichen said to the servant Yuanji in the carriage.
"Thank you for the reward, young master." Yuanji obediently picked up a chestnut, peeled it and put it into his mouth.
"Oh my God, sir, these sugar-fried chestnuts are so delicious, sweet and soft. They are even better than the chestnuts in the chestnut roast chicken in our restaurant." Yuanji exclaimed.
"It's really delicious. When you get home, give the rest to your parents and grandmother so they can have a taste too."
"Okay, sir, I will deliver it as soon as I get to your house. The old lady and the mistress will definitely be very happy. They usually like to have some snacks." Yuanji said incessantly.
Yuanji was only half right this time. Not only the old lady and the lady loved to eat the sugar-roasted chestnuts, but even the master in the mansion liked to eat them.
These sugar-roasted chestnuts are not like sweets. Eating too much sweets can make you sick of them, but chestnuts are sweet but not greasy.
Therefore, not only women and children, but also men like to eat it.
"Yuanji, how much do they sell these chestnuts for per pound?"
"In reply to the young master, 10 cents per pound."
“This little vendor is willing to give.”
Chu Yichen couldn't help but look at this small vendor with a different eye. Five catties was 50 cents, which was a lot for a small stall.
Qianhuan and her parents have already boarded the carriage back to the village. They don't have any burden to carry today, except for the dozens of kilograms of cooked sand in Liu's bamboo basket. This thing is the key to frying chestnuts, so it must not be left with others, so she has to carry it with her.
Without the extra burden, Qianhuan and the other two did not need to pay Old Man Wang more for the ox cart fare today, and only gave him 6 cents.