Chapter 34.
Upon entering Penglai Inn, Yu Ying noticed the hall was devoid of guests.
Likely due to the hurricane in the past two days, merchants and travelers hadn't come to Yun County, and the guests who were staying had left after the storm, leaving the inn rather deserted.
Seeing someone enter the inn, the waiter hurriedly approached, "Guest, are you here to rest or to stay...?"
His words changed upon recognition: "Ah, it's Mrs. Yu."
Yu Ying, with a slight smile, expressed her surprise, "How do you still remember me, Little Brother Waiter?"
The waiter smiled and responded, "Madam Yu has been here twice already, how could I forget? If I did, the manager would probably not let me continue working here."
How could the waiter possibly forget?
He rarely saw women conducting business, and Madam Yu was one of them.
That day, she had brought so many herbs, certainly earning a good sum. Moreover, he had heard from the apprentices that Madam Yu seemed to have signed a contract with a medicinal merchant to purchase herbs from her in the future.
Although Madam Yu was dressed simply in coarse clothes and plain accessories, the waiter dared not treat her lightly.
The waiter politely asked, "Madam Yu, are you here to dine or to stay?"
"Yu Ying initially wanted to inquire about the medicine dealers, but not wanting to leave without saying anything and possibly upsetting the shopkeeper, she said, 'I'll have a bowl of plain noodles, and also...'"
"She paused, glancing at the shopkeeper busy with his abacus at the counter, and whispered, 'I came here mainly to ask Er Ge for some information.'"
"As she spoke, she discreetly slipped five copper coins to the waiter."
"Upon receiving the coins and feeling them in his palm, the waiter's smile widened. 'Madam Yu, please take a seat, and I will serve you shortly,' he said enthusiastically."
"The waiter escorted Yu Ying to a table near the stairs, saying, 'Madam Yu, please wait here, I'll be right back.'"
"The bowl of plain noodles was served quickly."
"After setting down the noodles, the waiter asked in a low voice, 'May I know what information Madam Yu is seeking?'"
Yu Ying got straight to the point, "Has any other medicine merchant stayed at Penglai Inn besides the previous Zhao surname merchant?"
The waiter paused, then realized Mrs. Yu had another plan in mind.
He hesitated, troubled, "This is after all the information of our guests, I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to disclose..."
Yu Ying, understanding the adage about risking something to gain something, placed another five copper coins on the table, whispering, "Should I secure a business deal through Little Brother Waiter's help in the future, you will certainly be rewarded."
The waiter glanced at the coins on the table, looked around cautiously, then picked them up and tucked them into his belt.
He lowered his voice, "There have indeed been other medicine merchants, but none as generous as the Zhao surname merchant. They are smaller merchants, purchasing limited amounts of herbs, and likely offer lower prices than Zhao."
Yu Ying thought that even a small amount is better than none, and certainly better than what she would get from medical halls.
After pondering, Yu Ying said, "Little Brother Waiter, consider this - if Zhao Dongjia could do business with me and agreed to buy hundreds of catties of herbs, doesn't it indicate the high quality of my herbs?"
The waiter recalled the laborers brought by the medicine merchant mentioning Mrs. Yu's herbs, noting they were superior to most others they had purchased.
Reflecting on this, he nodded in agreement.
"In that case, how about you collaborate with me?" Yu Ying proposed.
The waiter, startled, then chuckled, "Mrs. Yu must be joking. I don't know about herbs, how can I collaborate?"
Yu Ying gently said, "What I mean is, Little Brother Waiter could recommend my herbs to the medicine merchants staying here. If a sale is made through your help, I will give you a ten percent share of the profits. What do you think?"
The waiter was taken aback at the mention of a ten percent share, but appeared skeptical of her offer, hence he demurred, "I'm just an ordinary waiter, I don't have such capabilities. You're overestimating me, Mrs. Yu."
"Yu Ying was not in a hurry and slowly replied, 'I won't hide it from Er Ge. I've earned around seven to eight hundred wen at Zhao Dong's place, and even a ten percent commission amounts to seventy or eighty wen. Even for a small medicine merchant, that could buy several tens of pounds of herbs. Accumulating little by little, two merchants would need my herbs, and that's the figure. If Er Ge could facilitate this, earning another seventy or eighty wen would be beneficial for both sides, wouldn't it?'"
"The waiter was genuinely surprised to hear that Madam Yu had earned seven to eight hundred wen, which was almost half a year's salary for him."
"Madam Yu continued, 'Er Ge might not trust me completely, hence your hesitation. But I'm aware of that. From now on, I'll be delivering herbs directly to the inn, right under your watch. How could I possibly deceive you?'"
"Her words stirred something in the waiter's heart."
"Seeing his reaction, Yu Ying added, 'I see that Er Ge is probably seventeen or eighteen. If you haven't married yet, saving more money could help you marry a beautiful bride. If you're already married, then earning more would surely make your life more comfortable, wouldn't it?'"
"Ah Fu, Ah Fu, where have you run off to? Hurry up and attend to the guests!"
Suddenly, an impatient call from the shopkeeper interrupted their conversation.
Yu Ying said, "I'll be at Wu Ji's eatery until this afternoon. If Er Ge makes up his mind, you can come and tell me. If I'm not there, you can leave a message with their shopkeeper, and I'll come back to discuss further with you."
The waiter nodded gravely, then responded loudly to the shopkeeper, "Coming right away!"
Watching the waiter leave, Yu Ying secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
The inn's waiter was quick-witted, perfect for sales.
Not only did he have a wide network of information, but with medicine merchants lodging at the inn, there was a steady stream of potential clients, making him the ideal person for help.
If the waiter agreed to help, it would undoubtedly double the effectiveness of her plan, and she was even willing to agree to a fifteen percent commission.
However, if this plan with the waiter didn't work out, she would have to think of another strategy.
But other methods wouldn't be as effective as this one, especially since the waiter could continue to bring in clients.
As Yu Ying ate her plain noodles, she was already contemplating alternative strategies.
After finishing the noodles, she returned to the eatery. During the busiest time, she lent a hand, but as time passed and it grew late, the waiter didn’t show up.
Yu Ying's heart sank, suspecting that her plan might not work out.
Even if it didn’t succeed, she still had to do her shopping.
So, she put aside her concerns and headed to the market with her basket.
She had roughly calculated what she needed to buy, which is why she brought 150 wen with her.
There were many necessities lacking at home, but the immediate needs were food and everyday essentials.
They had run out of cooking oil at home, and she needed to prepare dinner for the He family, so buying pork was essential.
Yu Ying purchased two catties of pork with a mix of fat and lean meat, and a piece of bone, spending 26 wen.
A fish weighing about two catties cost her another 8 wen.
She then bought twenty eggs of varying sizes from a woman selling them, costing only 15 wen.
After buying five catties of rice and half a catty of salt, she also picked up an oil lamp, lamp oil, a Haikou short clay pot for stir-frying, and a kitchen knife from a sundry shop.
These purchases nearly amounted to ninety wen.
Out of the 150 wen she started with, only 7 wen remained.
Yu Ying couldn’t help but sigh about how easy it was to spend money compared to earning it.
She thought about the effort it took to make enough Liangfen to earn those 150 wen, yet in just half an hour, most of it was already spent.
She packed everything into her basket, placing the neatly cut fish into a clay pot and sprinkling some salt for marination, ready to be stewed upon her return.
With everything in the basket, she covered it with common roadside herbs for camouflage.
Returning to the eatery and about to enter, she bumped into the waiter coming out, the same Ah Fu from the inn.
Seeing Ah Fu, Yu Ying's face immediately brightened.
Ah Fu scratched the back of his head and said, "I just got a break at the inn, so I told the shopkeeper I’d step out for a while. Does what Madam Yu said at the inn still stand?"
Yu Ying replied joyfully, "Of course, it still stands."
"She glanced around and, seeing that there were no customers in the eatery, invited him to come in and discuss in detail."
"Inside the eatery, after informing Chen, the shopkeeper, Yu Ying invited Ah Fu to sit with her in a corner."
"Ah Fu said, 'Since I told the shopkeeper I would only be out for a short while, I'll have to return in about half a quarter of an hour.'"
"Yu Ying replied, 'That's fine, I only have a few words to say.'"
"After a pause, she asked, 'How many medicine merchants are currently staying at the inn?'"
"Cangwu County is mountainous, with each mountain varying in its suitability for plant growth, from barren rocky mountains to fertile soil mountains."
"And Jade County's mountains are particularly suitable for growing medicinal herbs, hence attracting many merchants to buy herbs."
"After thinking, Ah Fu said, 'To my knowledge, there's only one right now. Due to the recent hurricane, he hasn't gone out much and thus hasn't collected many herbs.'"
"Yu Ying pondered for a moment, then said, 'When you meet him, don't rush to promote the herbs. Just casually mention how Zhao Dong bought a lot of herbs from me before and praise the quality of my herbs.'"
"'If he shows interest, then you can mention that the new ice cream at Wu Ji's eatery was my creation, and subtly reveal our acquaintance.'"
"Ah Fu, being clever, understood her strategy: 'He's in the business of buying medicinal herbs, so he'll definitely want good quality. If I praise Madam Yu's herbs and mention her dealings with major merchants, he'll surely be interested.'"
"He then expressed confusion, 'But why emphasize that the ice cream was made by Madam Yu?'"
"Ah Fu was surprised to hear that the ice cream was Yu Ying's creation, not expecting her to be involved in both medicinal and food trade, truly a capable woman."
"Yu Ying smiled gently, explaining, 'I don't want the merchant to underestimate me as just a woman, so I want him to see me as a competent person first, which will make negotiating the deal more effective.'"
"Ah Fu nodded, internally admiring Yu Ying's business acumen and feeling fortunate to have agreed to help, otherwise he would have missed a profitable opportunity."
"He agreed, 'Alright, I'll try that when I go back. If it doesn’t work out...' He looked troubled."
"Yu Ying calmly responded, 'Even if it doesn’t work this time, he’s not the only medicine merchant, right?'"
"Ah Fu pondered for a moment and then nodded firmly, 'That's true. If it doesn't work the first time, it should work the second.'"
"After saying this, he looked at Madam Yu hesitantly before adding, 'Madam Yu, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you.'"
"Yu Ying responded, 'Please, go ahead.'"
"Afú lowered his voice and said, 'The matter in which I'm helping you, make sure you don't tell anyone, especially not our boss.'"
"If the boss finds out, he might not only miss out on his share, but he might not even get a sip of the soup."
"Yú Yíng clearly understood the waiter's concerns and replied, 'If I chose to consult with you instead of the boss, it's because I wish to cooperate exclusively with you, so I definitely won't tell anyone else.'"
"Collaborating with the waiter requires giving him only a ten percent share, but if it's the boss..."
"Yú Yíng figured that at least a thirty percent share would be needed to get the boss on board. If she really did go into the medicinal herb business with the Hé family, the profits would be much less."
"After finalizing their arrangement, the waiter had to rush back, and Yú Yíng saw him off."
"Boss Chén had vaguely heard something about medicinal herbs, and when Yú Yíng returned, he asked with a smile, 'Is this another opportunity to make money?'"
Yú Yíng smiled and said, "Making money is not as easy as it seems."
"Boss Chén, being a wise man, did not inquire too much."
"He said, 'The lychee season is almost over, and the pear flavor received a lukewarm response. Do you have any other suggestions, Madam Yú?'"
"Yú Yíng pondered and replied, 'I'm not really good at cooking, the only thing I can make is medicinal cuisine. As for other suggestions...'"
"Before she could finish, Boss Chén suddenly interrupted her excitedly, 'Medicinal cuisine, that's great!'"
Chapter 34.
Upon entering Penglai Inn, Yu Ying noticed the hall was devoid of guests.
Likely due to the hurricane in the past two days, merchants and travelers hadn't come to Yun County, and the guests who were staying had left after the storm, leaving the inn rather deserted.
Seeing someone enter the inn, the waiter hurriedly approached, "Guest, are you here to rest or to stay...?"
His words changed upon recognition: "Ah, it's Mrs. Yu."
Yu Ying, with a slight smile, expressed her surprise, "How do you still remember me, Little Brother Waiter?"
The waiter smiled and responded, "Madam Yu has been here twice already, how could I forget? If I did, the manager would probably not let me continue working here."
How could the waiter possibly forget?
He rarely saw women conducting business, and Madam Yu was one of them.
That day, she had brought so many herbs, certainly earning a good sum. Moreover, he had heard from the apprentices that Madam Yu seemed to have signed a contract with a medicinal merchant to purchase herbs from her in the future.
Although Madam Yu was dressed simply in coarse clothes and plain accessories, the waiter dared not treat her lightly.
The waiter politely asked, "Madam Yu, are you here to dine or to stay?"
"Yu Ying initially wanted to inquire about the medicine dealers, but not wanting to leave without saying anything and possibly upsetting the shopkeeper, she said, 'I'll have a bowl of plain noodles, and also...'"
"She paused, glancing at the shopkeeper busy with his abacus at the counter, and whispered, 'I came here mainly to ask Er Ge for some information.'"
"As she spoke, she discreetly slipped five copper coins to the waiter."
"Upon receiving the coins and feeling them in his palm, the waiter's smile widened. 'Madam Yu, please take a seat, and I will serve you shortly,' he said enthusiastically."
"The waiter escorted Yu Ying to a table near the stairs, saying, 'Madam Yu, please wait here, I'll be right back.'"
"The bowl of plain noodles was served quickly."
"After setting down the noodles, the waiter asked in a low voice, 'May I know what information Madam Yu is seeking?'"
Yu Ying got straight to the point, "Has any other medicine merchant stayed at Penglai Inn besides the previous Zhao surname merchant?"
The waiter paused, then realized Mrs. Yu had another plan in mind.
He hesitated, troubled, "This is after all the information of our guests, I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to disclose..."
Yu Ying, understanding the adage about risking something to gain something, placed another five copper coins on the table, whispering, "Should I secure a business deal through Little Brother Waiter's help in the future, you will certainly be rewarded."
The waiter glanced at the coins on the table, looked around cautiously, then picked them up and tucked them into his belt.
He lowered his voice, "There have indeed been other medicine merchants, but none as generous as the Zhao surname merchant. They are smaller merchants, purchasing limited amounts of herbs, and likely offer lower prices than Zhao."
Yu Ying thought that even a small amount is better than none, and certainly better than what she would get from medical halls.
After pondering, Yu Ying said, "Little Brother Waiter, consider this - if Zhao Dongjia could do business with me and agreed to buy hundreds of catties of herbs, doesn't it indicate the high quality of my herbs?"
The waiter recalled the laborers brought by the medicine merchant mentioning Mrs. Yu's herbs, noting they were superior to most others they had purchased.
Reflecting on this, he nodded in agreement.
"In that case, how about you collaborate with me?" Yu Ying proposed.
The waiter, startled, then chuckled, "Mrs. Yu must be joking. I don't know about herbs, how can I collaborate?"
Yu Ying gently said, "What I mean is, Little Brother Waiter could recommend my herbs to the medicine merchants staying here. If a sale is made through your help, I will give you a ten percent share of the profits. What do you think?"
The waiter was taken aback at the mention of a ten percent share, but appeared skeptical of her offer, hence he demurred, "I'm just an ordinary waiter, I don't have such capabilities. You're overestimating me, Mrs. Yu."
"Yu Ying was not in a hurry and slowly replied, 'I won't hide it from Er Ge. I've earned around seven to eight hundred wen at Zhao Dong's place, and even a ten percent commission amounts to seventy or eighty wen. Even for a small medicine merchant, that could buy several tens of pounds of herbs. Accumulating little by little, two merchants would need my herbs, and that's the figure. If Er Ge could facilitate this, earning another seventy or eighty wen would be beneficial for both sides, wouldn't it?'"
"The waiter was genuinely surprised to hear that Madam Yu had earned seven to eight hundred wen, which was almost half a year's salary for him."
"Madam Yu continued, 'Er Ge might not trust me completely, hence your hesitation. But I'm aware of that. From now on, I'll be delivering herbs directly to the inn, right under your watch. How could I possibly deceive you?'"
"Her words stirred something in the waiter's heart."
"Seeing his reaction, Yu Ying added, 'I see that Er Ge is probably seventeen or eighteen. If you haven't married yet, saving more money could help you marry a beautiful bride. If you're already married, then earning more would surely make your life more comfortable, wouldn't it?'"
"Ah Fu, Ah Fu, where have you run off to? Hurry up and attend to the guests!"
Suddenly, an impatient call from the shopkeeper interrupted their conversation.
Yu Ying said, "I'll be at Wu Ji's eatery until this afternoon. If Er Ge makes up his mind, you can come and tell me. If I'm not there, you can leave a message with their shopkeeper, and I'll come back to discuss further with you."
The waiter nodded gravely, then responded loudly to the shopkeeper, "Coming right away!"
Watching the waiter leave, Yu Ying secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
The inn's waiter was quick-witted, perfect for sales.
Not only did he have a wide network of information, but with medicine merchants lodging at the inn, there was a steady stream of potential clients, making him the ideal person for help.
If the waiter agreed to help, it would undoubtedly double the effectiveness of her plan, and she was even willing to agree to a fifteen percent commission.
However, if this plan with the waiter didn't work out, she would have to think of another strategy.
But other methods wouldn't be as effective as this one, especially since the waiter could continue to bring in clients.
As Yu Ying ate her plain noodles, she was already contemplating alternative strategies.
After finishing the noodles, she returned to the eatery. During the busiest time, she lent a hand, but as time passed and it grew late, the waiter didn’t show up.
Yu Ying's heart sank, suspecting that her plan might not work out.
Even if it didn’t succeed, she still had to do her shopping.
So, she put aside her concerns and headed to the market with her basket.
She had roughly calculated what she needed to buy, which is why she brought 150 wen with her.
There were many necessities lacking at home, but the immediate needs were food and everyday essentials.
They had run out of cooking oil at home, and she needed to prepare dinner for the He family, so buying pork was essential.
Yu Ying purchased two catties of pork with a mix of fat and lean meat, and a piece of bone, spending 26 wen.
A fish weighing about two catties cost her another 8 wen.
She then bought twenty eggs of varying sizes from a woman selling them, costing only 15 wen.
After buying five catties of rice and half a catty of salt, she also picked up an oil lamp, lamp oil, a Haikou short clay pot for stir-frying, and a kitchen knife from a sundry shop.
These purchases nearly amounted to ninety wen.
Out of the 150 wen she started with, only 7 wen remained.
Yu Ying couldn’t help but sigh about how easy it was to spend money compared to earning it.
She thought about the effort it took to make enough Liangfen to earn those 150 wen, yet in just half an hour, most of it was already spent.
She packed everything into her basket, placing the neatly cut fish into a clay pot and sprinkling some salt for marination, ready to be stewed upon her return.
With everything in the basket, she covered it with common roadside herbs for camouflage.
Returning to the eatery and about to enter, she bumped into the waiter coming out, the same Ah Fu from the inn.
Seeing Ah Fu, Yu Ying's face immediately brightened.
Ah Fu scratched the back of his head and said, "I just got a break at the inn, so I told the shopkeeper I’d step out for a while. Does what Madam Yu said at the inn still stand?"
Yu Ying replied joyfully, "Of course, it still stands."
"She glanced around and, seeing that there were no customers in the eatery, invited him to come in and discuss in detail."
"Inside the eatery, after informing Chen, the shopkeeper, Yu Ying invited Ah Fu to sit with her in a corner."
"Ah Fu said, 'Since I told the shopkeeper I would only be out for a short while, I'll have to return in about half a quarter of an hour.'"
"Yu Ying replied, 'That's fine, I only have a few words to say.'"
"After a pause, she asked, 'How many medicine merchants are currently staying at the inn?'"
"Cangwu County is mountainous, with each mountain varying in its suitability for plant growth, from barren rocky mountains to fertile soil mountains."
"And Jade County's mountains are particularly suitable for growing medicinal herbs, hence attracting many merchants to buy herbs."
"After thinking, Ah Fu said, 'To my knowledge, there's only one right now. Due to the recent hurricane, he hasn't gone out much and thus hasn't collected many herbs.'"
"Yu Ying pondered for a moment, then said, 'When you meet him, don't rush to promote the herbs. Just casually mention how Zhao Dong bought a lot of herbs from me before and praise the quality of my herbs.'"
"'If he shows interest, then you can mention that the new ice cream at Wu Ji's eatery was my creation, and subtly reveal our acquaintance.'"
"Ah Fu, being clever, understood her strategy: 'He's in the business of buying medicinal herbs, so he'll definitely want good quality. If I praise Madam Yu's herbs and mention her dealings with major merchants, he'll surely be interested.'"
"He then expressed confusion, 'But why emphasize that the ice cream was made by Madam Yu?'"
"Ah Fu was surprised to hear that the ice cream was Yu Ying's creation, not expecting her to be involved in both medicinal and food trade, truly a capable woman."
"Yu Ying smiled gently, explaining, 'I don't want the merchant to underestimate me as just a woman, so I want him to see me as a competent person first, which will make negotiating the deal more effective.'"
"Ah Fu nodded, internally admiring Yu Ying's business acumen and feeling fortunate to have agreed to help, otherwise he would have missed a profitable opportunity."
"He agreed, 'Alright, I'll try that when I go back. If it doesn’t work out...' He looked troubled."
"Yu Ying calmly responded, 'Even if it doesn’t work this time, he’s not the only medicine merchant, right?'"
"Ah Fu pondered for a moment and then nodded firmly, 'That's true. If it doesn't work the first time, it should work the second.'"
"After saying this, he looked at Madam Yu hesitantly before adding, 'Madam Yu, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you.'"
"Yu Ying responded, 'Please, go ahead.'"
"Afú lowered his voice and said, 'The matter in which I'm helping you, make sure you don't tell anyone, especially not our boss.'"
"If the boss finds out, he might not only miss out on his share, but he might not even get a sip of the soup."
"Yú Yíng clearly understood the waiter's concerns and replied, 'If I chose to consult with you instead of the boss, it's because I wish to cooperate exclusively with you, so I definitely won't tell anyone else.'"
"Collaborating with the waiter requires giving him only a ten percent share, but if it's the boss..."
"Yú Yíng figured that at least a thirty percent share would be needed to get the boss on board. If she really did go into the medicinal herb business with the Hé family, the profits would be much less."
"After finalizing their arrangement, the waiter had to rush back, and Yú Yíng saw him off."
"Boss Chén had vaguely heard something about medicinal herbs, and when Yú Yíng returned, he asked with a smile, 'Is this another opportunity to make money?'"
Yú Yíng smiled and said, "Making money is not as easy as it seems."
"Boss Chén, being a wise man, did not inquire too much."
"He said, 'The lychee season is almost over, and the pear flavor received a lukewarm response. Do you have any other suggestions, Madam Yú?'"
"Yú Yíng pondered and replied, 'I'm not really good at cooking, the only thing I can make is medicinal cuisine. As for other suggestions...'"
"Before she could finish, Boss Chén suddenly interrupted her excitedly, 'Medicinal cuisine, that's great!'"
