Chapter 60: A Natural Shopkeeper
Sister-in-law Yin carefully selected one hundred preserved eggs and one hundred salted eggs. Li Wenliang and two stewards packed them one by one, carried them out, hired a cart, and sent them to the Villa.
People continuously entered the shop. While Sister-in-law Yin was selecting the preserved and salted eggs for the Prince’s Estate, Li Jinzhu nervously stepped forward to greet the customers.
Li Xiaonan sat on a small stool in the corner, resting her chin on her hand as she watched her eldest sister, who was clearly uncomfortable.
Li Yuzhu followed beside Li Jinzhu, bumping into things and inadvertently hindering her.
Li Yinzhun squatted beside Li Xiaonan, also resting her chin on her hand, watching her two older sisters.
Li Xuedong meticulously and earnestly wrote out the price list. He stretched his wrists, looked around, and stood next to Li Yinzhun. After watching for a while, Li Xuedong bent down and patted Li Xiaonan, “Go help Eldest Sister?”
“No,” Li Xiaonan shook her head.
According to the arrangements made by Li Jinzhu and Sister-in-law Yin, once the shop opened, Li Jinzhu would manage the shop, Li Yuzhu would manage the workshop, and Sister-in-law Yin would shuttle between the two.
Since Li Jinzhu was to be the main person in charge of the shop, she had to learn to handle it herself now.
Sister-in-law Yin watched Li Wenliang and the other two carry out the preserved and salted eggs, let out a long sigh of relief, stepped forward a few paces, patted Li Jinzhu, and said with a smile, “You learn from me.”
Li Jinzhu quickly stepped back, watching Sister-in-law Yin skillfully and enthusiastically greet customers.
After seeing off two customers who bought preserved eggs, the shop became quiet. Sister-in-law Yin moved closer to Li Jinzhu and said with a smile, “Let me tell you, now that we’ve taken on the business of supplying preserved eggs to the Villa, we have to let them know! We can’t just do good deeds in secret. Watch closely, learn from this!”
Li Jinzhu was stunned by what she heard. How could they let them know? Should they announce to every customer who came in, “Our family supplies preserved eggs to the Villa”?
“Xuedong, go to school. Yinzhun, go back and cook. You need to bring lunch over at noon,” Li Yuzhu said, approaching the three who were either squatting or standing.
“Okay,” Li Xuedong walked out reluctantly.
Li Yinzhun stood up and bent down to pull Li Xiaonan. Li Xiaonan slapped her hand away, “I want to stay here and watch the excitement.”
“You go back by yourself. A Nan won’t be able to help even if she goes back,” Li Yuzhu patted Li Yinzhun.
As Li Yinzhun left, a middle-aged woman with a seven or eight-year-old child in tow entered.
“Second Sister, move that shelf over there. Why are they all mixed up again? Didn’t I just tell you, this shelf is specifically for the preserved eggs for the Prince’s Estate. The Prince’s Estate has strict rules, we can’t make any mistakes!”
Facing the incoming customers, Sister-in-law Yin turned around and loudly commanded Li Yuzhu.
Li Yuzhu was dumbfounded by Sister-in-law Yin’s command.
There was no such shelf or that shelf. They only had about ten display shelves in total, and they had all been sent out for delivery to the Villa.
“Got it, got it!” Li Xiaonan yanked Li Yuzhu hard and, before Li Yuzhu could speak, preemptively answered loudly.
“Is it the Prince’s Estate outside the city?” the middle-aged woman asked with a face full of surprised gossip.
“It is indeed the one outside the city. Today, our little shop just opened, and Steward Sun from the Villa came looking for us, asking us to deliver two hundred a day.
“Alas, Sister, let me tell you, it’s not that I’m speaking ill of them, but doing business with the Villa outside the city is not easy. That’s a Prince’s Estate, a Prince’s Estate, the second most noble in the world. The rules and the meticulousness of their household! Tsk tsk!”
Sister-in-law Yin pursed her lips and clicked her tongue.
“You see us common folk, look at our shop, how small it is. Alas, Sister, tell me, how difficult is it for us!”
“That’s true,” the middle-aged woman nodded in agreement.
“But what can we do! They say our preserved eggs taste good. Steward Sun ate one on the spot. Alas, look at the bright side of things. People as particular as those in the Prince’s Estate say our preserved eggs taste good. Isn’t that a good thing?”
Sister-in-law Yin appeared to be speaking from the heart.
“Ah? He really ate one on the spot? Oh my, give me ten, I’ll try them.” The middle-aged woman quickly pointed at the preserved eggs and said with a smile.
“Take a few salted eggs too. Our salted eggs use a lot of spices. Try them, they’re no worse than the preserved eggs in taste,” Sister-in-law Yin recommended casually.
“I’ve also pickled salted eggs. Alright, give me five, I’ll try them first,” the middle-aged woman said with a smile.
Li Jinzhu held the mulberry paper bag, and Sister-in-law Yin carefully selected preserved and salted eggs one by one, packed them into the paper bag, collected the large coins, and handed the paper bag to the woman.
Li Jinzhu stretched her neck, watching the woman walk away, and exclaimed, “Sister, you’re amazing! I didn’t even react. So that’s how you tell them!”
“Let me tell you, doing business and managing a shop requires skill. Don’t rush, learn from me properly!” Sister-in-law Yin’s eyes sparkled, her face radiant, and she exuded excitement and joy.
Li Xiaonan looked up at Sister-in-law Yin.
Someone like Sister-in-law Yin, this is talent, a born shopkeeper!
No matter how much her Eldest Sister learned, she could never be like Sister-in-law Yin. It was a shame for Sister-in-law Yin to be confined to the inner chambers doing laundry, cooking, and household chores.
With Sister-in-law Yin here, this shop would do well, even without the Prince’s Estate stirring things up.
Around noon, Li Wenliang arrived, explained the process of delivering goods to the Prince’s Estate, handed over the silver he received to Li Jinzhu, ate lunch, and then headed to the workshop with Li Yuzhu.
Li Yuzhu supervised the work in the workshop, while Li Wenliang escorted a new batch of preserved and salted eggs to the shop.
By the time the shop closed in the evening, there were still seventy to eighty preserved eggs and one hundred and thirty to forty salted eggs left from the ones brought into the shop the first day.
Sister-in-law Yin and Li Jinzhu counted the copper coins twice, reconciled the money and goods together, recorded the accounts on paper, and waited to hand them over to the accounting office the next day.
Li Jinzhu strung copper coins together, occasionally glancing at the unsold preserved and salted eggs.
“There aren’t many left. Didn’t I tell you, the first day of opening is just for the excitement, not for selling much. I didn’t expect today’s business to be quite good.”
Sister-in-law Yin was in a very good mood.
“Our preserved eggs from yesterday had some very tender ones, some just right, and some slightly older ones. That was because we had enough prepared beforehand. From now on, it won’t be like that. The preserved eggs produced by the workshop each day will be the same batch.
“If someone likes them older, pick from the ones left over from the previous day. If they like them even older, pick from the day before that. There are also those who specifically choose the thoroughly dried preserved eggs to buy. Everyone has different tastes, don’t worry, they will all sell.”
Li Jinzhu breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Sister-in-law Yin say this, and then felt a bit embarrassed, “Sister, don’t laugh at me.”
“Laugh at what? Everyone starts from not knowing to knowing. Let’s go back.” Sister-in-law Yin watched Li Jinzhu pack the copper coins and the small piece of silver given by the Prince’s Estate, then took Li Xiaonan’s hand, closed the shop door, and they walked back to Cai Lian Lane together.
