Border Cook

Chapter 194 Storybook
"Yes." The clerk hurriedly took a few books down from the shelf. "Take a look at these. They are all selling well right now."

Xia Mingyue took it and looked at it carefully.

"Yuhua Ji", "Jinzan Lu", "Spring Boudoir Dream"...

After flipping through a few pages, Xia Mingyue discovered that most of the stories were about talented men and beautiful women. Some of them were unable to love each other due to family disputes, while others were opposed by their families due to the disparity in their social status. However, they were all tragic love stories that were full of deep affection and moving.

The plot may seem a bit melodramatic and cheesy at first, but the scholars and students who wrote these stories have profound writing skills, refined word choice, and various images come alive on paper, making them very comfortable to read.

Xia Mingyue picked out two books she wanted to read and asked, "Are there any strange stories?"

"Yes!" The clerk saw that a big customer had come and hurriedly took out the storybooks from the bottom of the box. "These are all stories of strange stories. Do you think they suit your taste?"

Xia Mingyue flipped through the book roughly and found that it seemed to tell some folk stories from various places, and even some mythological stories, so she put them all in her pocket.

Xia Mingyue picked out a few travel books, a total of eleven books, and took out her purse to pay.

"It's two taels of silver in total." The waiter took out another storybook and handed it to Xia Mingyue, "You bought a lot, so this one is for free."

Xia Mingyue saw that there was no name written on the book, and the content inside looked like a story about the mistress of a wealthy family. At first glance, the writing style and content were not bad. She was a little surprised, "This book looks good too, why didn't you take it out just now?"

"To be honest, this storybook is not finished yet." The clerk said, "This is the first volume. The second volume has not been completed yet. Originally, the shopkeeper did not want to accept unfinished stories, but the writer was really short of money, so she said to sell the first volume first. She is already writing it and expects it to be finished by the end of the year."

"The shopkeeper saw that the quality of the book was pretty good and felt sorry for the man, so he agreed. However, the unfinished book couldn't be sold at a high price, and he was also afraid that the buyer would not be able to read the ending and would curse, so he could only give it away halfway and sell it halfway. He would first see how the feedback was, and then decide whether to sell it when it was finished."

We'll see how the pricing will be determined at that time.

"I see." Xia Mingyue nodded and asked the waiter to pack up all the books. After paying the money, she carried them out.

"Goodbye." The waiter said goodbye.

Seeing Xia Mingyue pushing a flatbed cart to the door and placing the books directly on the cart without any care, he frowned slightly.

After he walked away, he shook his head again.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, and it’s true.

The lady looked ordinary in her attire. Her clothes were made of ordinary fine cloth and she was pushing a flatbed cart. It was obvious that she was just an ordinary person who did rough labor.

Such a person is willing to spend two taels of silver to buy a book.

Wow, is this storybook really that good?

The guy curled his lips and went back to look after the store.

Seeing that it was already noon and there were no customers in the shop, he just stood behind the counter and picked up the ghost story book that he had not finished reading yesterday and continued reading it.

In the book, the moon is dark and the wind is high, and there are gusts of cold wind, and a pair of red embroidered shoes...

How scary!

But I really want to continue watching.

Xia Mingyue pushed the flatbed cart all the way back home.

After putting away all the storybooks and washing their hands, Jiang Zhuguo and Lu had already prepared lunch.

Steamed white rice, cabbage stewed with tofu, and the meat dishes were the braised chicken and braised pork liver left by Xia Mingyue.

Under the influence and guidance of Xia Mingyue, the cooking skills of both of them have improved a lot. The cabbage stewed with tofu is fragrant and delicious, and quite tasty.

The braised chicken was taken out and torn into small pieces and served on a plate. The braised pork liver was also cut into small pieces. No dipping sauce was needed. It was very delicious to eat alone. "The braised food made by my sister-in-law is very delicious. I think it is much better than the braised food of Yueran Restaurant. Will my sister-in-law consider opening a braised food franchise in the future?" Mrs. Lu asked.

Today, the central kitchen has begun to take shape and everything is well organized.

In the past two days, Xia Mingyue has once again adjusted the internal division of labor in the central kitchen, assigning the supply of various raw materials needed for snack stalls, oden, and breakfast stalls to specific people.

There are also dedicated people to take care of the stove, firewood, and purchase of raw materials.

In this way, everyone does their own job and only addresses the problem in that area.

Clear division of labor, clear division of responsibilities and proper connection make the entire kitchen operate in an orderly manner.

With such a central kitchen, it is affordable to add another braised food restaurant.

Moreover, braised food is easy to store in winter, and as the Chinese New Year is approaching, the demand for braised food is quite high, so you can take advantage of this opportunity to make some money.

If it were a month or two ago, Xia Mingyue would have adopted a very conservative attitude and approach towards expanding the business.

After going to Xiaohezhuang, Xia Mingyue felt that Lu Qiyan was very caring towards her, and she should do something for him when Lu Qiyan was in trouble.

To work for Lu Qiyan, you need money to support you.

And today, buying some storybooks would cost another two taels of silver, which made Xia Mingyue feel that a comfortable and leisurely life would require a lot of money.

Then she needs to earn more money.

Therefore, Xia Mingyue nodded immediately and said, "It's feasible. Let me think about it in the next two days."

It seems to be the same routine as usual, they first set up a stall on the street to try to sell something, see how it goes, and then open it up to franchisees.

Or you can just rent or buy a small shop and open it as your own shop.

If the braised food is made in the central kitchen, the shop only serves to sell it, so the storefront does not need to be too big. She has saved some money now, so even if she buys a small shop, it will be easy...

Xia Mingyue thought about the braised food business for two or three days and also went for a walk on the street.

First, I wanted to see which shops in the entire county were selling braised food, what types of braised food they sold, and how their quality was. Then, I wanted to see where there were suitable shops.

That morning, Xia Mingyue was once again strolling on the street with a curious look when she was stopped by someone.

"Madam Xia." Shopkeeper Qian came over and asked, "Madam Xia, are you out for a walk?"

"Take a look." Xia Mingyue replied with a smile, "Seek out if there is a suitable small shop."

Small shop...

"Madam Xia, are you planning to start a new food business?" Shopkeeper Qian asked tentatively.

"I guess so, but it's not completely confirmed yet."

Seeing that Shopkeeper Qian was hesitant to speak, Xia Mingyue raised her eyebrows slightly, "Shopkeeper Qian, do you have something to say to me?"

"Yes..." Shopkeeper Qian rubbed his hands a little embarrassedly, "Madam Xia, please come to the shop and talk."

"Okay." Xia Mingyue agreed and followed Manager Qian into the rouge shop.

Liu was also in the shop. When she saw Manager Qian and Xia Mingyue come in together, she was surprised and happy.

I wish all the adults and children a happy holiday~ In the new month, I hope to get the continued support of the little cuties~