"What's written on it?"
Early in the morning, a man came out of the newly renovated shop and pasted a piece of paper on the door. He waited at the door for a while, and when no one came forward, he went in. When the people around saw him leave, they couldn't help but get curious and moved forward.
"It says recruiting, saying they are looking for two long-term workers and a dishwasher. The long-term workers need to have some cooking skills, and it would be best if they have worked in a restaurant or inn. If you want to work, go in and have a talk. As for the salary, it's not clearly stated, and it will be told when you hire them." A kind-hearted old man explained the contents of the paper to the illiterate people around him.
After hearing what he said, everyone understood. Those who were interested went in directly, and those who were not interested also took note of the news and planned to visit their relatives later to talk about the matter.
Jiang Miao sat in the shop for a day, and a total of 30 people came to ask about the situation. Among these people, four of them looked quite reliable. They had all worked in restaurants, and one of them could even cook.
Jiang Miao thought it was okay, so he kept them until the end. After asking them a few questions, he told them the wages and other benefits. After hearing that the wages were 800 coins, one person stood up and left with a gloomy face. After he left, another one also found an excuse to leave.
"Manager Jiang, I'd like to ask, is the salary fixed?" asked the smarter boy among the two who stayed behind.
"This is the first month's wages. Starting from the second month, it will be decided based on the actual situation of the shop. The minimum is 800 wen, and the rest will be increased depending on the working hours. Generally speaking, the more work you do, the higher the wages." Jiang Miao said.
The boy thought about it for a while and asked again: "Then, shopkeeper, how do we sign this contract?"
"The first month is a trial period, and we won't sign a contract. Let's get to know each other first. If both parties are satisfied after a month, we can sign a six-month contract." This was the decision Jiang Miao made after careful consideration.
The boy thought this was a good idea. If there was no business here and his wages could not be raised, he could leave in the second month.
"Then boss, when can we start work?" He decided to stay here for a month to try it out.
"It will open the day after tomorrow, so come over early then. By the way, Tang Lin, where do you live?"
Tang Lin said: "I live two streets away from here, but it's not far. I can be there when the morning bell rings the second time." The morning bell rings three times every morning, with a quarter of an hour between each ring.
"Okay, then you go back first."
After Tang Lin left, Jiang Miao looked at the man who had been sitting silently next to him and asked, "Li Ping, do you have anything you want to ask me? Is it about wages or something else?" This man didn't leave, so he probably wanted to negotiate terms.
"Manager Jiang, I can accept the wages. I just want to ask if you can provide accommodation? If you can, it doesn't matter if the wages are lower." Li Ping's voice was not loud, and there was some embarrassment in his words.
Jiang Miao noticed that there was a large package at his feet, which probably contained all his belongings. He didn't know whether he had just come to the city to find work or was driven out by someone.
"If you want to stay, I have a room here. But you need to deduct 200 coins from your wages. Do you agree?" Jiang Miao said. This person can cook, which means he has a good cooking foundation. It would be best if he could stay.
Li Ping said happily, "I agree, Manager Jiang. Don't worry, I won't wander around at night. If you don't trust me, you can lock the door from the outside and let me out in the morning."
"That's not necessary." Jiang Miao shook his head. He was not guarding a prisoner.
He took Li Ping to the room and said, "There are quilts and mattresses in the low cabinet. Take them out and make your own bed. Next to it is the lock and key of the low cabinet. Put your things in there and keep an eye on them. The door lock is also here for you. We cook food, and people come and go in the shop. Remember to lock the door when you go out."
Li Ping nodded in agreement, and Jiang Miao asked him to pack his things and turned to walk out. There were two habitable rooms in the backyard, this one was given to Li Ping, and the other one was used by Jiang Miao to rest at noon.
In the room, Pei Mu sat at the table, practicing calligraphy stroke by stroke. Jiang Miao taught him how to write the three characters of heaven, earth and man. After an afternoon of practice, he was already able to write them skillfully.
"This is heaven." Jiang Miao pointed at the word heaven and asked Pei Mu to watch how his mouth made the sound.
Pei Mu opened his mouth, as if he wanted to make a sound but couldn't find the way.
"Heaven—" Jiang Miao stretched out his voice, and his mouth shape was exaggerated. Pei Mu imitated him, opened his mouth and made this sound silently.
Jiang Miao praised him, patted his head, and taught him to read the other two words. Pei Mu studied very hard, and soon, no matter which one Jiang Miao pointed to, he could not be stumped.
"Let's go pick up Little Stone and then go home."
"Crackle..."
In the early morning, a burst of explosions woke up the people who were still immersed in sleep. The sound continued, as if to declare its presence.
"Which shop is opening?" On Mingfeng Street, the owner of the rouge shop came out of the shop with sleepy eyes. Their shop usually serves women from wealthy families, and business will probably start around 9:00 p.m., so there is really no need to get up too early.
The owner of the antique shop next door came out earlier than him. When he asked, he said, "It seems to be the vinegar shop in front. I heard that the shop has been sold. There were people coming and going in the past few days. I don't know what they are selling."
"That shop," the rouge shop owner suddenly realized, "I went to see it before, the shop is different from others. I didn't see the owner at that time, so I asked the workers, and they said they were selling food."
"Selling food?" The antique shop owner nodded. It had nothing to do with them. "Manager Zhong, since we're already up, why don't we go over and join in the fun?"
"Okay, please wait for me, Manager Zhang." Manager Zhong went in and cleaned himself up. He came out after a while and walked towards the newly opened shop with Manager Zhang.
The sound of firecrackers had stopped. A young man stood in front of the shop with a smile on his face. He bowed to everyone and said, "Boss, you are all polite. My name is Jiang. I am new here. If there are any rules I don't understand, please forgive me and give me some advice. Today is the first day of business. Anyone who comes in to show their support will get a free snack no matter how much they spend."
"Manager Jiang, what do you sell in this shop?" someone asked. When they passed by a few days ago, they found this unique shop. No other shop had windows as big as theirs. It looked strange and a little novel.
"Our shop sells breakfast. We sell steamed buns, wontons, dumplings, porridge, noodles and soup. We sell everything here," said Jiang Miao.
He waved his hand, and the big bull who had been waiting behind him brought out a sign and put it up next to the gate. Everyone looked closely and found that the sign was made of a thin wooden board with a piece of paper pasted on the outside. There were pictures and words on the paper, which looked very fresh.
"This month's recommendations: soup dumplings - 20 cents, mushroom and lean meat porridge - 15 cents, shepherd's purse and egg dumplings - 12 cents." Someone read out the words on the top layer, and those who heard it were a little surprised. The things in this shop are not cheap.
There is also a price list posted below, and the prices are more acceptable than those recommended above. In addition to the food the shopkeeper just mentioned, there are some unheard-of foods, such as "fried dough sticks" and "tea eggs". Tea eggs are easy to understand, just adding tea leaves and eggs is enough, but what on earth are fried dough sticks
Jiang Miao saw that everyone was hesitant, and knew that they were scared by the price. He did not continue to greet them, but together with Daniu, he carried out the carrying pole from the kitchen. This pole was used by him to make steamed buns before, and it was just right to put it in front of the door.
As soon as the lid of the steamer was opened, everyone could smell the aroma of dough mixed with salty and fresh. The buns inside were large and looked soft.
Jiang Miao looked at the crowd beginning to stir, so he added more fire. He scooped out the tea eggs that were slow-cooked on a low fire in the back kitchen and poured them into an iron basin. Then he told Tang Lin to move a small stove outside.
The iron basin was placed on the stove, bubbling with small bubbles. The brown tea eggs looked inconspicuous, but the fragrance was very overbearing. Soon, most people on the street could smell this unique smell.
"How much is this tea egg?" Finally someone couldn't help but stepped forward to ask the price.
"Sir, this tea egg normally costs three cents each. But since we just opened today, it's free as a snack. As long as you buy anything in the shop, you can get a tea egg for free."
The customer thought for a moment and said, "Give me two vegetarian buns with tofu filling."
"Okay." Jiang Miao responded, walked over, picked up two tofu buns with bamboo tweezers and put them into the oil paper bag, then took another oil paper bag and put a tea egg in it.
"The total amount is four cents." Jiang Miao took the money and handed over the two oil paper bags.
The customer took it with satisfaction. A tea egg cost three cents, and he only spent one cent more and got two more buns. Isn't this a good deal
He could do the math, and naturally others would do the same. So, people who wanted to buy something rushed forward just to get the free tea egg.
Daniu, Tang Lin, and Li Ping were all helping outside, and they were inevitably a little flustered at first. Fortunately, after a while, they had a tacit understanding. Daniu was responsible for picking up the buns, and Li Ping was responsible for taking out the oil paper bag and opening the bag to put the buns in. Tang Lin was responsible for scooping out the tea eggs as gifts and handing the set meal to the corresponding customers.
The three of them were busy in an orderly manner, and Jiang Miao, the shopkeeper, stood beside them to collect money. The sound of copper coins entering the bag made people feel happy. This sense of satisfaction from earning money by oneself made Jiang Miao full of energy.
Soon, all the three layers of buns in the steamer were sold out. Jiang Miao apologized and told everyone: "Sorry, the buns are still being steamed and cannot be served for the time being. You may want to look at other items. No matter what you buy, the tea eggs are free."
The expressions of those people in front were so engrossed in eating the eggs that those who hadn’t gotten theirs naturally lost their patience to wait any longer. For a moment, all the cheaper items in the store were ordered.
(End of this chapter)