When Jiang Yunzhu got up the next day, Jiang Cheng had already returned from work and was feeding the mule in the yard with a happy face.
He earned twenty-five cents this morning alone.
This amount of money might not be much compared to what Jiang Yunzhu earns, but he thinks Jiang Yunzhu is right. Pulling rickshaws has a good future in life. If he makes more money in the future, he can buy more mules and horses and make more money.
At this time, Chen had already prepared breakfast, steaming hot hand-rolled noodles.
Jiang Lin and others have also gotten up to feed the chickens and clean the yard.
Jiang Yunzhu stood at the door, looking at this thriving scene, a smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
Eat, and then go to the county to hire a chef.
Jiangcheng now has a mule cart, so naturally he would take Jiang Yunzhu there.
The two men came to a dental clinic and were greeted by a middle-aged man who looked a bit gentle.
The man did not look down on Jiang Yunzhu just because she was a girl, and asked her if she needed anything.
Jiang Yunzhu told her what she wanted. She wanted to hire one or two chefs. What was special was that her business was in Changshi Village, so the chefs had to consider the location. Also, if she signed a contract with the chef, it had to be for ten years. If the chef changed his mind, he had to compensate her with one hundred taels of silver and promise not to work as a chef for three years.
The first point was fine, but the second point made the middle-aged man frown. This request was too demanding. In this case, "the girl might as well just buy a chef." Then the man would be hers.
Jiang Yunzhu also thought, isn't it because she has no money? A good chef costs at least twenty taels of silver, and is very popular. She wanted to try hiring one first. If she couldn't hire one, she could only save money and see if she could buy a suitable one later.
After the middle-aged man asked, he actually guessed that Jiang Yunzhu couldn't afford it, so he asked again, "Can the second condition be relaxed a little?"
Jiang Yunzhu shook her head. It would be easy for a chef to learn her dishes if he worked for her. She didn't want the same dishes to appear in other restaurants in the future. If not, she would rather not hire him.
"Okay, I'll ask for the girl." The middle-aged man stood up helplessly, not holding much hope for this business.
A quarter of an hour later, the middle-aged man shook his head as he entered the door. No one was willing to go to a village and stay there for ten years.
Jiang Yunzhu was not surprised either, she came here today just to try her luck.
"Thank you for your help." Jiang Yunzhu said, putting a few copper coins on the table as a reward for her hard work, then stood up and left.
At this time, the middle-aged man said unwillingly, "Wait a minute, there is another person, but he hasn't come to the dental clinic recently. I don't know if he has found a job or not. If you are willing to wait, I have his address here. I will go and ask him."
Jiang Yunzhu paused. She felt that there was little hope for this matter and actually didn't want to trouble him anymore.
"That man lives on Willow Street, not far from here. If the girl goes out of town, she might just pass by his house." said the middle-aged man.
At this point, Jiang Yunzhu could only agree. Finally, the three of them left the room together and went to Liushu Street. If this person was not suitable, Jiang Yunzhu and Jiang Cheng would go directly to the vegetable market to buy things and go home.
A narrow alley, two dilapidated wooden doors, and a middle-aged man knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" someone inside asked, and then there were footsteps. Soon, the door opened, revealing a pretty face.
Jiang Yunzhu and the owner of this face were both stunned.
Soon, the owner of the face said excitedly, "Girl, you are here, come in and sit down." This person was none other than Ruan, who set up a stall to sell wontons yesterday.
Jiang Yunzhu just felt that this world was too small. How come they met yesterday and again today
"Do you know each other?" the middle-aged man asked in surprise.
"I know her. This girl helped me yesterday." Ruan pulled Jiang Yunzhu into the house.
Jiang Yunzhu looked at the middle-aged man. Could this Ruan be the cook he was talking about
No, the one who was looking for a job in the pawnshop was Ruan's husband Xue Jing. Xue Jing was originally a cook at Yunhelou in the county, but the owner of Yunhelou was not doing well and closed the shop more than a month ago.
Xue Jing wanted to find another job, so he went to the pawnshop.
There just hasn't been the right one.
Later he discussed with Ruan and decided to do it himself, saying that with his skills, there should be no problem.
The rent for shops in the county town was expensive and they couldn't afford it, so they decided to start by setting up a stall selling wontons.
I have a good idea, I will open a shop when I make money.
But setting up a stall is not that easy. Some people can be good chefs, but may not be good bosses.
Xue Jing was the latter. He was impatient and not good at speaking, so he could not win over guests at all.
Seeing that business was not doing well, he became anxious and angry, and then he fell ill after being exposed to a cold breeze.
So the incident of Ruan selling wontons for him came about.
"Thank you, thank you." Xue Jing hurriedly thanked Jiang Yunzhu after hearing that she was the one who helped Ruan Shi out of trouble yesterday. His complexion was still not good, but his condition had improved. He probably would be fine after taking medicine for a few more days.
"It's just a small thing. If others saw it, they would do the same." Jiang Yunzhu said.
Xue Jing disagreed. He knew that most people would choose to remain silent for various reasons when faced with such a situation. It was commendable that Jiang Yunzhu, a girl, could speak up for justice.
As they were talking back and forth, the middle-aged man from the dental office became anxious. He came here to facilitate the signing of a contract and get paid, so he quickly interrupted and told them that Jiang Yunzhu wanted to hire a chef.
So that's how it is. Xue Jing and Ruan looked at each other.
"I just stopped by to take a look. If you don't want to find a job, don't force yourself." Jiang Yunzhu said. It was really a piece of cake yesterday, and she didn't want to repay the favor.
"Otherwise, let this girl see your craftsmanship, and then you can discuss the terms. Nothing is absolute in this world." The middle-aged man thought that it might be possible, so he tried his best to make it happen.
Xue Jing got up and went to the kitchen. He was best at stir-frying, and with the ingredients ready in the kitchen, he used his knife very quickly, and then stir-fried over high heat. In a short while, a plate of stir-fried cabbage was ready.
When stir-frying, the most important thing is the heat. You have to use high heat and stir-fry until the dish is tasty.
Jiang Yunzhu watched from the side and found that he was still a little weak, but his cooking skills were very good, so she had an idea in her mind.
After tasting the cabbage with a chopstick, she confirmed what she was thinking.
"Otherwise, I'll also cook a dish for you to try." Jiang Yunzhu said.
Then, she also made a dish of stir-fried cabbage in the hot iron pan.
She had learned from three chefs in the Anping Marquis's Mansion, all of whom were famous chefs in Luzhou and even in Central and South China. Later, she went to the capital and learned from the famous chefs there for a period of time, and her skills had reached perfection.
"Money controls servants, and skills control professionals" is true. In the eyes of others, Jiang Yunzhu's cooking is beautiful, and every move is so pleasing to the eye, but after Xue Jing saw it, he took a breath of cold air.
He learned from a master chef at Luzhou Xiangkelou and thought he was already a very good cook. But today, when he saw Jiang Yunzhu cooking, he realized the difference. Jiang Yunzhu's every step and every heat were just right.
His eyes sparkled as he watched, and as he watched, he compared in his mind what he was doing, where the gap was with her, and how he could make up for it. He was stunned for a moment.
"Try it." Jiang Yunzhu said. The stir-fried cabbage came out of the pot, steaming hot.
Xue Jing woke up as if from a dream, and then he ignored others and took a piece of cabbage and put it in his mouth. It tasted fresh and fragrant, followed by the sweet taste of the cabbage itself, refreshing and endless aftertaste.
There is one thing that is difficult about stir-fried cabbage, that is, the cabbage leaves are thin, but the stems are thick and watery. If one of them is not stir-fried well, the leaves will wilt and the stems will not be cooked yet. However, the dish made by Jiang Yunzhu is perfect.
"How did you do it?" Xue Jing asked immediately.
Jiang Yunzhu smiled but said nothing.
Xue Jing also immediately realized that he was too abrupt. These cooking secrets might not be taught to you even by your master, let alone a stranger.
Xue Jing's face flushed, firstly because he was still sick, and secondly, he was too excited.
The middle-aged man from the dental clinic saw that there was a chance, so he said to him, "This girl wants to hire a chef, but there are two conditions." He told him Jiang Yunzhu's two conditions.
The first one was nothing. The second one was that he had just asked five chefs, two of whom told him to get out, and the other three rejected him outright. So he was still very nervous when he told Xue Jing this condition.
Xue Jing didn't show any surprise on his face. He understood that Jiang Yunzhu was afraid that her dishes would be leaked. Suddenly, he thought again, Jiang Yunzhu meant that if he became her chef, she would teach him a few dishes.
His face turned even redder, and his heartbeat accelerated unconsciously. As a chef, it is essential to have, first, superb skills, and second, to have your own unique dishes. He thought he was very good at the first one, but now it seems that he is far from it, and the second one, he doesn't have it at all.
If I follow Jiang Yunzhu...
He was about to agree to be Jiang Yunzhu's chef at once, but he was no longer a teenager after all. He had a wife to support and would have children in the future, and he couldn't let them suffer with him.
"Wages?" he asked Jiang Yunzhu shyly.
"How much did you earn per month at Yunhe Tower?" Jiang Yunzhu asked.
"Nine cents of silver." Xue Jing replied.
Jiang Yunzhu thought it was about right. "I'll give you one tael of silver a month. In the next ten years, depending on your performance, your salary will increase by at least half a cent a month each year. After ten years, I won't ask whether you stay or leave.
Also, I can help you rent a house in the village so that you have a place to live."
Half success is half of 10%, 5%, which should be the common standard of annual salary increase in modern times. Rent a house, because you have to make lunch and dinner, Changshi Village is far from the county town, and Xue Jing will definitely not be able to get back after making dinner.
Houses in the village are not expensive, so if people come from far away to work in a remote area, they must prepare accommodation.
Jiang Yunzhu was afraid that he would not agree, so she added, "Maybe in the future, I will come to the county to open a store. It will be much more convenient for you to follow me then." This is called promising a bright future to employees, or, it is called painting a rosy picture.
In fact, even if she didn't say this, Xue Jing had already wanted to agree. Now, he looked at Ruan.
Ruan Shi understood what he meant and nodded to him immediately. During the two days she had been setting up the stall, she also realized that neither she nor Xue Jing were business people anymore. Jiang Yunzhu was a good person with good craftsmanship, so it was good to follow her.
The main thing is to have a stable life without having to worry about all those trivial things. Ten years is a bondage for Xue Jing, but it is also a commitment.
In this way, Xue Jing signed the employment contract in a daze. For ten years, he sold his ten years like this. But it seems that he is not afraid or worried. He just wants his body to get better quickly so that he can watch Jiang Yunzhu cook.
Jiang Yunzhu had actually just realized that Xue Jing was a man with a strong spirit of study and research. If given a chance, his future would be limitless.
And she needed someone like him.
He paid the middle-aged man a commission, and then made an agreement with Xue Jing that he would come to work at the Jiang family as soon as he recovered from his illness. Jiang Yunzhu also bought a lot of things in the county town and went home with Jiang Cheng.
This trip to the county town was very successful.
When I got home, I found that there was a guest at home, it was Liu.
Liu's eyes were still red, but there was a smile on her face.
When she saw Jiang Yunzhu coming back, she immediately stood up and said, "Yunzhu, you're back."
"Well, when did your aunt come?" Jiang Yunzhu replied with a smile.
"I just got here a while ago. By the way, try this dress on." Liu said as she opened a bundle beside her, took out a dress from it and handed it to Jiang Yunzhu.
The dress was a light persimmon-colored one with snow-white rabbit fur rolled around the collar and cuffs. It was embroidered with a pattern of twined green phoenixes. Even Jiang Yunzhu thought the dress was very beautiful.
"Aunt, what's this?" Jiang Yunzhu suddenly understood why Liu's eyes were so red. It was because she stayed up late to make clothes.
Indeed, when she returned home that day, Liu was thinking about how to compensate Jiang Yunzhu. Later, she wanted to make a set of clothes for her.
"It's for you, try it on." Liu said.
"How can this be possible?" Jiang Yunzhu saw that the material of this dress was very good, and the orphan and widow of the Liu family...
"I've already done it. If you don't wear it, I'll feel even worse." Liu said.
After she said that and Chen also tried to persuade her, Jiang Yunzhu had no choice but to pick up her clothes and go to the inner room to change.
After a while, she came out after changing her clothes.
When the door curtain was lifted, both Liu and Chen were stunned. They both knew that Jiang Yunzhu was pretty, but this person who was so beautiful and difficult to describe...
"Mom, how is Aunt Liu?" Jiang Yunzhu asked.
In fact, she felt that the waist of the dress was a little too tight, and she preferred a looser and more comfortable one. But if someone gave her clothes out of kindness, she shouldn't be picky and make them feel bad.
"It looks good." "It looks good." Liu and Chen said one after another.
Chen stood up, took Jiang Yunzhu's hand, and looked her up and down. She couldn't get enough of looking at her. Is this her daughter? This is her daughter, her beautiful daughter.
"I feel that the Empress in the palace is not as pretty as Yunzhu." Liu praised. Of course, she had never seen the Empress in the palace, but in her heart, the Empress in the palace should be the most beautiful woman in the world, but not as beautiful as Jiang Yunzhu.
Chen became even happier after hearing this.
Jiang Yunzhu wanted to say something, but suddenly she seemed to have some feeling. She looked into the courtyard and saw Shen Fengming and Yang Sheng standing there, looking at her. She didn't know when they came back.
Originally it was just a soft and graceful side profile, with beautiful peaks and hills and unparalleled slenderness, but when she turned around, a face embraced by snow-white rabbit fur was revealed, pink and tender, with eyes and eyebrows full of beads.
Jiang Yunzhu's heart skipped a beat, because Shen Fengming's eyes were so dark at this moment, as if they were going to swallow her up.
Yang Sheng wanted to pat Shen Fengming on the shoulder and praise him at this moment. He heard that his breathing became heavy. Even so, he could still hold it in. He was worthy of being his good boss, Wan Nian Han Bing.
If he continues like this, when will he be able to win the heart of the beauty
He suddenly wanted to laugh, so he said with a smile, "She is indeed prettier than the empress in the palace."
Jiang Yunzhu: …She had the honor of meeting the Empress in the palace!
Yang Sheng walked forward a few steps and said, "The clothes are nice, but it's a pity there are no jewelry." When he said the last sentence, he glanced at Shen Fengming meaningfully.
Jiang Yunzhu just wanted to end the topic quickly, "I'm going back to the house to change clothes." She turned and went into the house.
When she came back, Shen Fengming and Yang Sheng were still there, but they had already started talking about other topics. She also happened to have something to ask Yang Sheng, "The sausages are almost done. They can be eaten after drying for a few days. Should we make the rest before you leave, or?"
"Do it first. I'll have someone send it back immediately after it's done." Yang Sheng said anxiously.
Jiang Yunzhu didn't care and decided to start today.
In fact, these things are worth twenty taels, but the travel expenses of sending someone all the way back to the capital would be more than that.
Yang Sheng also wanted to ask Jiang Yunzhu something, but he was worried about how to ask. Suddenly, he remembered that many people saw the goddess appear that day, so it made sense for him to see it, right
So he asked Jiang Yunzhu, "Before I left last time, I saw the goddess of Xifeng Mountain appear. What do you think happened?"
Jiang Yunzhu paused, looked up at him, and found that there was no strange expression on his face. She finally felt relieved. She didn't expect that the matter could be hidden from the Qilin Guards, but she was just asking for incense for the temple, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
Maybe he was just curious
Jiang Yunzhu decided to explain, "I also saw the goddess's appearance, but it was too unreal, which reminded me of something. I watched shadow play before and found it very interesting. Later, I found that if there is a small hole in the window, standing behind the window and holding a smooth white object in your hand, you can see the reflection of the candle on it.
It feels a bit like that, but I'm just guessing, maybe it's really the appearance of the goddess."
In fact, it is pinhole imaging. The mountain behind Xifeng Mountain has a cliff like a mirror, which is suitable for this.
What kind of vision of a goddess? In fact, even the image was very blurry, far inferior to modern projection technology.
She specially arranged people to create a good atmosphere, saying that it was the appearance of the goddess that was real.
When she said that, Yang Sheng immediately became interested and wanted to tinker with the things and try it himself.
At this time, Shen Fengming said, "The Mohist Classic says, 'The light is as bright as a sun. The lower person is high, and the higher person is low. The feet block the light below, so the shadow is formed above; the head blocks the light above, so the shadow is formed below. There is an end to the light at a distance, so the shadow is inside the storehouse.'"
Translated, this passage not only describes the appearance of pinhole imaging, but also summarizes its laws.
Jiang Yunzhu really didn't expect that Mo Zi had already recorded this, and Shen Fengming actually knew about it.
Yang Sheng looked thoughtful, "Is that so? How come I didn't know that?"
"You sleep more in school than when you are awake." Shen Fengming said.
Yang Sheng: …
The author has something to say:
The light is warm and shining. The lower person is high, and the higher person is low. The feet block the light below, so the shadow is above; the head blocks the light above, so the shadow is below. There is an end to the light in the distance, so the shadow is inside. --From "Mojing"