Beloved Concubine

Chapter 16 Understanding the Market
Chen Xiao took the silver and went to Nanmen Street.

Under the "South Gate" archway, on both sides of the street, there are many vendors selling vegetables, meat, and miscellaneous things. It is a roadside farmers' market.

Chen Xiao asked about the price. Pork is cheap at 100 yuan a catty, and expensive at more than [-] yuan per catty. It depends on which part of the pork you want to buy.

As for the vegetables, Chen Xiao didn't recognize more than half of them. They looked like wild vegetables picked by the roadside, or roots dug out of the soil.But the price is also very cheap, a few pennies or a dozen pennies.

When Chen Xiao saw the chicken sellers, he always sold them only.Different sizes, some ask for [-] Wen, and some ask for [-] Wen.Judging by the size and weight of the chicken, it is roughly equivalent to one hundred Wen coins per catty.

In addition, there are also those who sell hemp rope, bamboo utensils, and hoe handles...

Someone sold a tree branch wrapped in white floc. Chen Xiao didn't know what it was. After looking at it for a long time, he realized that it was insect wax.

After looking around, Chen Xiao planned to buy some pork.

The white boa said that he didn't want to eat stewed chicken, so let's eat stewed pork.

Chen Xiao came to the meat stall and asked for ten catties of pork belly.After paying the money, a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind her ears.

"Why buy so much meat?"

Chen Xiao turned around, it was Fang Yu.

He was wearing an azure gown, and his hair was smoothly tied to the top of his head and tied into a bun.This appearance, like a handsome scholar.

It's just... His slightly swollen right cheek seemed to be slapped and swollen.

Fang Yu saw her staring at his face, touched half of his face, and said:

"Toothache. My face is swollen from the pain."

He didn't know what he ate to get angry last night. In the second half of the night, he had a toothache and didn't sleep well.After getting up this morning, he found that Chen Xiao was not there, so he asked Aunt Shen.The aunt said she had gone to Nanmen Street, so he came to find her.

Chen Xiaodao: "It's just right, there are wild vegetables selling over there. Buy some cool wild vegetables, you can eat more."

The stall owner asked Chen Xiao for money. Fang Yu saw the money in her hand and asked:

"Where did you get the money?"

"Pick it up."

"Picked it up?" It would be strange if he believed it.

Chen Xiao smiled without explaining.

Fang Yu helped her carry the meat, and the two went to buy wild vegetables.

Chen Xiao was going to secretly buy meat and bring it into the space quietly, but Fang Yu bumped into him.

If she was seen, it would be difficult for her to take it into the space, but with so much meat... After thinking about it, Chen Xiao decided to let it go.

The two inquired and found a pharmacy. Tsaoguo, star anise, cinnamon bark, licorice, angelica, cloves, etc. are only sold in pharmacies.

Fang Yu was puzzled and asked, "Is this medicine for me?"

In fact, he knows medicinal materials and knows that these medicinal materials have nothing to do with his toothache, but he doesn't know what to buy them for.

"You think too much! Buy it and cook."

"Cook?"

Chen Xiao bought other condiments along the way, and the two returned to Mrs. Shen's house.

She borrowed the kitchen from Wenxiu, and then began to blanch and marinate the meat.Fang Yu helped her light the fire.

"smell good!"

Wenxiu walked into the kitchen and said:
"Miss Chen, how did you do this, can you teach me?"

"sure."

Chen Xiao explained the condiments and preparation methods needed for braised pork.

As expected of a cook every day, Wenxiu understood most of it when she heard it, and said:

"With this prescription, another shop in our family can be used."

Chen Xiao heard "utilize" and asked:

"What was that shop used to do?"

"Opening a restaurant. His family's business is not good, so he left when the rent was due. The pots and stoves are still inside."

"How much is the annual rent for that shop?"

Chen Xiao likes to inquire about the market, because she doesn't know much about the society of this era.

"180 taels. They were given two rooms in the back yard, one for living and one for storage."

"Are you really going to open a shop?" Chen Xiao asked.

If you really want to drive, Chen Xiao can teach her more.

"Hehe," Wenxiu smiled, "It's just talking. There are so many things at home, I can't keep busy."

She has to work in the cloth shop and the inn, and she also has to take care of the children and serve her husband. She has a lot of things to do.

Wenxiu's son smelled the fragrance and ran into the kitchen.

"Mom, what delicious food are you doing? I want to eat."

"Mother didn't do it, Aunt Chen did it." Wenxiu patted her son's head.

Wenxiu's son is named Bao'er, he is six years old, and was introduced by Aunt Shen yesterday.

Bao'er pouted her mouth, salivating.

He knew that guests staying in the hotel often borrowed their kitchens to cook.Although the food was made in their pot, it wasn't theirs, so he couldn't eat it.

Chen Xiao said to Bao'er: "It's not cooked yet, wait a while and I'll give you a big bowl."

Wenxiu said to her son: "Did you hear that, I'll give you something to eat when it's cooked, go back and practice calligraphy."

Hearing that it was edible, Bao'er was happy, and happily went back to her room to practice calligraphy.

Wenxiu sent her son away and went to work herself.

Sitting by the stove, Fang Yu heard the conversation between Chen Xiao and Wenxiu just now, and said:

"How about we rent out their shop?"

"What do you rent it for?"

"Open a restaurant! Food is the most important thing for the people. If you eat today, you will eat tomorrow."

Chen Xiao looked at him like a fool:
"Do you know the catering industry environment here? Do you know the eating habits of the people here? Do you know the flow of people around and consumption power?"

Fang Yu was a little confused by her series of questions, but..., he said:

"The best restaurant here is Ruyi Restaurant. A meal can range from a few taels of silver to as many as tens of taels. Little Shitou liked the snake meat hot pot you made yesterday; Wenxiu and Bao'er both said that the stewed meat today It is fragrant, which means they like this taste."

"There are not only Nanyue people here, but also Xiling people and Xia people. There are more businessmen here, and these people can afford money."

Chen Xiao was dumbfounded.indeed so.

Fang Yu said again: "Also, the rent is 180 taels, and there is room to live in. The three of us live here for more than one tael a day. Isn't renting a shop more cost-effective than staying in a hotel? And opening a shop can make money."

Chen Xiao calculated.Yes!Good point.

Fang Yu continued: "Chunhong will be our maid from now on. Just leave it to her to do anything. You don't have to do it yourself, just give advice. If the business is not good, she can do it alone; If the business is good, just hire someone again.”

"Chunhong is our maid?"

"Yes, she said it when she was in the village on the mountain, and she will follow us from now on. She doesn't ask for anything else, as long as she has a way to survive."

"us?"

Chen Xiao wants to ask: When did it become "us"?

Fang Yu raised the gold bracelet on his wrist and shook it.

"We are partners!"

To be honest, Chen Xiao was really convinced by him.If nothing else, just stay in the inn for more than one tael a day, rent a shop for 180 taels a year, and still make money.

However, there always seems to be something wrong?
Chen Xiao stood by the stove and meditated.

Fang Yu bowed his head to light the fire, and prayed silently in his heart: she would not find the problem in these words.

……

(End of this chapter)