The production volume of waxed meat was huge. Every time the weather turned cold, the warehouses were not enough to hold the inventory and the workers were busy rushing around.
In contrast, the fine craftwork, complicated process, and relatively small demand for shuilu noodles made the entire workshop seem rather tranquil.
In Fengjing, every inch of land was worth an inch of gold. It was understandable that Zheng Ruqian had this idea.
"But Second Brother, shuilu noodles are expensive and making more doesn't necessarily mean selling more." Jiang Sheng scratched his little bun. He always felt the left one was a little loose.
Zheng Ruqian smiled. "Who said I was going to make shuilu noodles? No one with a sane mind eats that stuff."
"Then what are you going to make?" Jiang Sheng wondered.
Zheng Ruqian kept it a mystery. He got up and took a look around, leaving two requests:
First, build a wall down the middle to divide the workshop into two sections.
Second, set up a steaming pot stove and prep tables on the left side.
It looked as if he was going to move the entire Jiuzhen Store over.
Jiang Sheng racked his brains. As the carriage headed towards Tian Street Corner, he finally understood. "Second Brother, are you thinking of expanding our pastry shop?"
Currently, the Jiuzhen Store occupied two storefronts. One was used for steaming various pastries, the other for selling. If the steaming was moved to the workshop, both storefronts could be used entirely for selling pastries, instantly doubling the store space.
They could use the carriage for restocking during normal times, even though it was more troublesome. But they had no shortage of manpower.
Jiang Sheng yelled excitedly, "Second Brother, you've become smarter, Second Brother you're so amazing!"
Zheng Ruqian felt the spring breeze on his face, arrogant yet self-satisfied. "Of course, in this whole family, I'm the smartest! Other than me, who else is there?!"
Who else was there?!!!
Once this guy became full of himself, he could even forget about the losses he just suffered yesterday.
The carriage was stopped by Jiang Sanle. Jiang Sheng lifted the curtain, feigning surprise as he called out, "Oh, Eldest Brother?"
Zheng Ruqian's body instantly tensed up, anxious and apprehensive. "Uh...other than me there's Eldest Brother. Eldest Brother is also very smart, a teeny tiny bit smarter than me."
He used his thumb and index finger to measure half a chi, then spread them to one chi, as far as possible.
Along with that was an almost fawning laugh, and a flattering "Eldest Brother" that he drew out through countless twists and turns.
Yet when he turned his head back, where was that scholarly youth in green robes? All that was there were the diverse shops on Tian Street Corner and countless relaxed commoners.
"I must have just seen things." Jiang Sheng got off the carriage without changing his expression. "There was someone wearing green clothes. I thought it was Eldest Brother."
The little chubby girl was playing tricks on people now!
Zheng Ruqian was torn between laughter and tears. He straightened his back again and gently patted Jiang Sheng's little bun.
Then, before the eyes of everyone, the barely held together little bun came loose, and the red headband fluttered to the ground.
In a flash, Zheng Ruqian retracted his hand and put it behind his back, pretending nothing had happened.
But it was too late.
Jiang Sheng gnashed her teeth, her shrill voice piercing the clouds. "Stinky Second Brother, you're asking for a beating!"
That was a little bun she had painstakingly tied up after losing quite a few strands of hair!
Zhang Xianglian walked out of the room after hearing the commotion, only to see the siblings chasing each other―the one in front guffawing loudly, the one behind baring her teeth. Yet in the bustling Tian Street Corner marketplace, it made for quite a lively scene.
After half a shichen, when Jiang Sheng was too tired to keep chasing, and under Zhang Xianglian's coaxing, she finally entered the Jiuzhen Store again to redo her hair.
Zheng Ruqian commented from the side, "Auntie's skills are better. Little Five doesn't quite cut it yet. She needs more practice."
Jiang Sheng glared at him, then softly muttered, "I feel like someone's watching us the whole time."
She'd had this feeling ever since they left the workshop. It followed them like a shadow to Tian Street Corner instead of disappearing, and grew even stronger.
Zheng Ruqian whipped around abruptly to look, but didn't see anything. He could only knit his brows. "Call Jiang Si over to start moving the oil and flour to the workshop first."
While the siblings were busy expanding their storefront over here, three figures were plastered against the wall over there, and Jiang Chengyuan heaved a sigh of relief.
The one in front was relatively tall, a vigorous youth in white robes.
The one in the middle was nonchalant, with maple leaves embroidered all over his loose, wide sleeves.
The last one was a lively, healthy girl.
"Why are you guys sneaking around like thieves?" Jiang Chengyu was full of disdain. "Can't we just openly greet them when we meet?"
"It's because of you," Jiang Chengfeng helpfully reminded. "Ever since you insisted on joining halfway, we've become a gang."
But this kind of sneaky behavior really wasn't very gentlemanly.
He looked towards his cousin brother. "Eldest Cousin, do we have to secretly follow Jiang Sheng like this?"
"We're not following Jiang Sheng." Jiang Chengyuan didn't even turn his head back.
They were following the Liao Family.
Zheng Ruqian selling lychees boldly and openly in Fengjing, and actually managing to sell them―with the Liao Family's temperament they would definitely harbor resentment and find ways to sabotage things.
Jiang Chengyuan was rather familiar with those uncles of his. Early in the morning, he had sent people to keep watch on the Liao Family. Things had indeed happened just as he anticipated.
The Second Branch siblings beside them kept clicking their tongues. They had heard before that no one knows a son better than his mother, and now there was also "no one knows an uncle better than his nephew". Following Eldest Branch really opened their eyes!
"Those people over there should be the Liao Family's men." Jiang Chengyuan pointed at a few shifty-looking brawny men in the corner. "Keep a close eye on them later and don't let them leave your sight."
Jiang Chengfeng and Jiang Chengyu solemnly nodded.
Those brawny men watched Jiang Sheng and her siblings while they in turn watched the brawny men. The three groups ran back and forth between Tian Street Corner and the workshop.
Transporting oil, rice, flour, steaming pots...
As the rearguard, the three of them ate a mouthful of dust and hid until they were exhausted.
"When can we finish transporting everything..." Jiang Chengyu said blankly to the sky. "Eldest Brothers, can I quit?"
Why had she clung on halfway to insist on joining? She must have a problem with her brain, or caught some kind of madness.
"No." Jiang Chengfeng was merciless. "You've followed for so long already. Quitting suddenly now, could you bear it?"
Quitting meant that the suffering and exhaustion from before would have been for naught.
Could she really bear it?
Jiang Chengyu clenched her little fists. She told her brothers with the action of climbing onto the carriage―She couldn't bear it!
She must see the bustle to the end. She must know how it would all end!
As the carriage travelled from the workshop back to Tian Street Corner again, Jiang Sheng also changed from doubt to certainty.
"There really are people following us." She lowered her voice. "Second Brother, I'm guessing it's because of the lychees attracting attention."
Zheng Ruqian's face was overcast. "I haven't even transported the second batch of lychees back yet. They can't wait to make their move. The Liao Family is being too petty."
The distance from Lingnan to Fengjing was truly vast. He couldn't be certain of the lychees' sales, so he didn't make arrangements to hurry the second shipment. He only prepared the transporters.
The lychees had sold out yesterday. The Yao Family placed an additional order for 30 jin. Wang Xiaosong set off overnight towards Lingnan to bring back large, fresh fruit in 20 days.
The Liao Family actually didn't need to be afraid. As the imperial household's exclusive supplier, plus 20 days of priority, they could earn enough to have pots full of gold.
Yet they were unwilling to even leave behind the dregs of soup, let alone a share of the pot.
