When Jun Xian heard she was opening a shop, he came with Jun Shen to congratulate her. Upon seeing the name she chose, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“What are you laughing at!”
Jiang Ling noticed Jun Xian laughing and shot him a glance.
Jun Xian coughed, suppressing his laughter, and said, “I’ve never seen such a unique name for a restaurant.”
Don’t think she didn’t know he was mocking her restaurant’s name.
Jiang Ling snorted and said, “I like it.”
Jiang Yan couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time; were these two enemies in their past life? How could they be so at odds every time they met?
Jun Shen glanced at his younger brother.
Jun Xian touched his nose, looking at Jiang Ling, and said, “Yes, yes, it’s your shop, you can name it whatever you want.”
Jiang Ling hired six people for her restaurant.
Two were responsible for serving and cleaning.
The other four:
One handled the accounts.
One was in charge of picking, washing, and cutting vegetables.
The other two usually did the same, but during busy times, they would only prepare and cook dishes.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Jun Xian was the first to enter the shop: “I’ll be your first customer, give me a plate of twice-cooked pork with green peppers, a plate of stir-fried lotus root slices, and a bowl of rice.”
Not earning money when there’s an opportunity is foolish.
Jiang Ling immediately got busy, and soon enough, she personally carried a tray out: “Since you’re our first customer, the boss herself will serve you.”
Jun Xian slightly lifted the corner of his mouth.
He thought she would add some extra for him, but that was it?
“Enjoy your meal.”
Jiang Ling placed the dishes and rice in front of Jun Xian.
Inspecting the food in front of him,
Jun Xian subconsciously glanced at Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan smiled and said, “Don’t worry, although it doesn’t look great, the taste is still good.”
Trusting Jiang Yan,
Jun Xian picked up chopsticks and took a bite of the twice-cooked pork. He expected it to be salty, but it was just right.
“The taste is indeed quite good.”
Some incoming customers, hearing this, sat down and started ordering.
And so,
Jiang Ling’s shop finally had several tables of customers.
By midday,
Jiang Ling had earned over two hundred coins, and she was already quite satisfied.
For lunch,
Jiang Yan helped out, and they all went to Baiwei Zhai for lunch.
After lunch,
Jiang Ling returned to the shop.
Compared to her,
Jiang Wan still didn’t know what she wanted to do and continued to study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Though she didn’t learn quickly, she was diligent, and over time, she made noticeable progress.
Soon it was November.
Seeing that Jiang Dabao and the others would soon be two years old,
Jun Shen discussed with Jiang Yan: “Wife, Dabao and the others will be three soon, let’s have a big celebration for them.”
He wanted to make up for not having a big celebration for their first birthday.
Feeling they were somewhat wronged.
Jiang Yan replied to Jun Shen, “They are just kids, not adults, why the big celebration? Besides, my grandparents aren’t in the capital.”
Since she said so,
Jun Shen didn’t go ahead with a big celebration. On their birthday, he only invited their master and Jun Xian, not inviting anyone else.
Ouyang Siyun, who had been wanting to mend their relationship, sent gifts this day.
Jun Shen immediately had them returned.
Jiang Yan stopped him: “Jun Shen, it’s been so long, they know they were wrong, let’s not hold grudges anymore.”
Having one more friend is better than one more enemy, right?
“You can get over it, I can’t.”
Jun Shen, just thinking about the past, wanted to beat up Ouyang Siyun.
Even after so much time had passed.
Seeing she couldn’t persuade him, Jiang Yan had the gifts returned.
In December,
Jiang Wan, thinking she would be seventeen next year, spoke to Jiang Yan one evening: “Sis, find me a match.”
“Are you sure?”
Jiang Yan asked her.
Jiang Wan nodded.
Since she had made up her mind, Jiang Yan had Jun Shen start making arrangements.
On the tenth day of December,
they arranged for Jiang Wan to meet suitors at Qingyuan Teahouse.
The man was named Cheng Nian, whose family ran a tailor shop. He was a year older than Jiang Wan and quite good-looking.
After a round of introductions,
Jiang Wan thought he was okay, but just as she hadn’t yet agreed, she saw Cheng Nian kick a stray cat that had run into the teahouse while he was on his way to the restroom.
Although the cat was annoying, his action was too harsh.
Jiang Wan didn’t dare marry such a violent man, so when Jiang Yan asked her opinion. She told her directly that Cheng Nian had no heart.
On December 15th.
They looked at another one.
This man’s father was the village head, and his family was somewhat wealthy. He himself was quite diligent, becoming a scholar at eighteen.
It was not bad, supposedly.
But when Jiang Yan and her family checked him out privately, they found out he already had a lover in the village.
How could such a man be worthy of Jiang Wan?
Of course, they wouldn’t marry Jiang Wan to someone like him.
December 20th.
The beams for Jiang Yan’s house and workshop were raised.
Since only Elder Bai was invited.
Today, only Jiang Yan, Jun Shen, Elder Bai, Jiang Ling, Jiang Wan, Jiang Ran, and Jiang Dabao were there.
After the beam-raising ceremony.
Jiang Ling was counting how much money and food she had grabbed on the side.
Jiang Wan, however, asked Jiang Yan, “Sister, what are you planning to sell in your workshop? The same old things?”
“No, this time I plan to do something different. I’m thinking of making shampoo, toothpaste, and for food, Lao Gan Ma and chopped chili sauce.”
Jiang Yan had planned this out long ago.
Jiang Wan was very curious, “Sister, is shampoo water for washing hair? And toothpaste, is it related to teeth? What’s Lao Gan Ma? Is chopped chili sauce made from chopped peppers?”
“You’ve guessed some of it right. I’ll teach you when the time comes.”
Jiang Yan smiled.
Jiang Wan nodded, eager to help Jiang Yan, of course.
The day after the beam-raising ceremony.
Jiang Yan went out to buy materials and came back to teach Jiang Wan how to make Lao Gan Ma and chopped chili sauce.
These two were easy to learn, and Jiang Wan mastered them in less than an afternoon.
Compared to these.
Making shampoo and toothpaste was a bit harder.
However, compared to making shampoo.
Making toothpaste was even harder.
Jiang Yan didn’t teach Jiang Wan how to make toothpaste first but started with shampoo.
Other ingredients were bought.
But they couldn’t find any Chinese arborvitae leaves.
Jiang Yan called Jun Shen to accompany them to the mountains to pick Chinese arborvitae leaves.
Jun Shen was naturally willing, and fearing that the children would be bored at home, he brought them along.
While he helped Jiang Yan pick leaves.
He handed the children over to Qing Yi and others to play with.
Qing Yi and the others all liked children, so they had no objections.
Chapter 136: Shampoo, Yuan Xu
After seeing that they had picked enough Chinese arborvitae leaves.
Jiang Yan didn’t let Jun Shen and the others pick anymore, calling them back to ride the carriage home.
As soon as they got home.
Jiang Yan and Jiang Wan started working together. Jun Shen, not wanting them to tire themselves out, called over several maids to help.
Some were washing the Chinese arborvitae leaves.
Jiang Yan and Jiang Wan were scrubbing soapberries.
Scrubbing out natural soap bubbles.
After washing them clean.
Jiang Yan put them together with the cleaned Chinese arborvitae leaves.
After setting them aside.
