Preparing for the opening

 

The ten days of preparation time were incredibly hectic, with so much to do.

 

The whole family was practically in motion, and Jing Yi, in particular, worked tirelessly from early morning till late at night, rarely taking a break except for sleeping.

 

Firstly, there were the renovations and furnishings for the shop.

 

The renovations didn’t require much work since the previous owner took good care of the place. However, the walls of the shop needed a fresh coat of paint to brighten up the space. Some floor tiles were cracked and needed to be replaced. The paper on several windows was torn off and replaced with new ones. Jing Yi purchased higher-priced ones soaked in tung oil, making them sturdy, durable, waterproof, and even more translucent than before.

 

These changes were only made to the shop; they didn’t have time to touch the main house, kitchen, or firewood shed.

 

Initially, Jing Yi planned to build a washroom near the northern side of the toilet, but that idea was put on hold.

 

After completing the renovations, it was time for the furnishings.

 

Jing Yi redesigned the seating arrangement, saving a lot of space. The original four-person tables were kept, and additional two-person tables were added. There was also a row of seats facing the windows, mainly for customers dining alone to avoid awkwardly sharing tables.

 

The shop originally had a counter near the inner entrance, but Jing Yi moved it to the east wall near the main entrance. This way, customers entering the shop could easily pass by, facilitating greeting and payment. It also made it easier to observe and prevent any dine-and-dash incidents.

 

Next, on the east wall, beside the counter, a cabinet for storing fresh meat and vegetables was to be built, with four tiers. The top tier would be for meat and eggs, while the remaining three tiers would be for vegetables and bean products.

 

Jing Yi had the tables, chairs, and additional cabinets made by carpenter Zhang from Xiwan Village, relying on familiar people. This was a big deal for Zhang and his family, so they immediately dropped any other unimportant tasks and started working together. Sometimes, even Zhang’s twelve-year-old son was called in to help.

 

Working against the clock, they managed to complete these tasks by the seventh day. They then continued without rest, rushing to make fifty extra-large wooden bowls for Jing’s family.

 

Jing Yi had initially ordered one hundred bowls, but since each bowl needed to be engraved with the character “Jing” and colored, even if it was just a common indigo color, it took a lot of time. So Zhang the carpenter said that they could only provide fifty bowls for the grand opening, and the next batch would be available five days later.

 

Since Zhang was busy with his work, Jing Yi had to borrow the village head’s ox cart and combine it with Zhang’s donkey cart. Together with Jing Yi, his father, and his third uncle’s son Jing Zheng and Jing Feng, they loaded the tables, chairs, and cabinets onto the carts and transported them to the shop in town. They didn’t rest but immediately busied themselves with installing everything.

 

Jing Yi also invited his third uncle’s family to attend the opening ceremony in a few days, and both of them nodded happily in agreement.

 

When Jing Zheng and Jing Feng returned home and told their parents, Jing’s third uncle and aunt were amazed. They couldn’t believe that in less than half a year, their eldest brother’s business had grown so big that they were even renting a shop in town!

 

On the other hand, Jing’s father was responsible for acquiring various items for the kitchen.

 

Other items were easy to buy, but the most time-consuming task was going to the blacksmith in town and ordering a large iron pot. He also took the opportunity to dismantle the cooking pots in the yard at home and brought them to town.

 

This way, they didn’t waste the two stove burners and two pots.

 

Following Jing Yi’s instructions, the blacksmith also made a four-grid support frame to place inside the large iron pot, making it convenient for cooking multiple portions of hot pot at the same time.

 

They also hired someone to clean the well in the yard, ensuring the water quality was good.

 

Lastly, Jing’s mother stayed at home with the two little ones and took care of collecting vegetables in the village.

 

They mainly collected vegetables that could be stored well, such as dried black fungus, dried mushrooms, winter melons, radishes, lotus roots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and so on. After collecting them, they were left at home, waiting for Jing Yi and his father to bring them to the shop in town every day.

 

After collecting the vegetables, they began to peel bamboo skewers. XiaoAn and Xiao Shu helped as well, and in just a few days, they filled a basket with skewers. However, the cost of this was that Xiao Shu’s small hands developed several blisters.

 

Jing Yi came back in the evening and quickly said, “That’s enough, don’t peel anymore.” In his mind, he thought that if they didn’t have enough, they could order some from the carpenter in town. Zhang the carpenter was probably too busy at the moment.

 

On the last day before the opening, early in the morning, Jing’s father and mother went to several households in the village with good relations to collect enough vegetables. Then the whole family packed their bedding rolls, toiletries, and excitedly pushed the cart towards the town.

 

Since they needed to wake up early tomorrow for preparations, they decided to stay in town tonight.

 

When they arrived at the entrance of the courtyard in town, Jing’s father unlocked the door with a key, and the whole family entered one after another.

 

“Wow! Big brother, will this also be our home in the future?” Xiao Shu exclaimed excitedly. Xiao An also ran around in different rooms.

 

“Not yet for now. Big brother has just rented it for one year, but I’ll try to buy it next year, okay?” Jing Yi jokingly replied to Xiao Shu, but he knew he was dead serious. He was determined to obtain this courtyard.

 

After joking around, the five of them started tidying up the courtyard and rooms, cleaning everything and organizing the bedding they brought. Since it was already noon, Jing’s mother quickly made a simple lunch, and everyone ate casually.

 

After eating, the family gathered in the shop to discuss matters.

 

“We have almost all the vegetables we need now. We can start organizing them tomorrow morning,” Jing Yi said, holding a piece of paper with a list of the required dishes, checking them one by one.

 

“We still need to buy meat, preferably pork, chicken, and duck. Beef and lamb will depend on the prices at that time; if they are too expensive, we’ll buy less. Oh, and we must buy pig’s blood and duck’s blood. Do Mom and Dad have any other suggestions?” Jing Yi looked up and asked.

 

“Last time you made it, you included tofu and bean curd, which were also delicious. Let’s go to the market and buy some. It’s convenient to have them,” Jing’s mother added, remembering the taste of the tofu after it absorbed the flavors.

 

“Xiao Yi, it tastes great, but men can’t get full just by eating this!” Jing’s father worried. If they couldn’t satisfy their customers, they wouldn’t come back in the future.

 

“Dad, don’t underestimate the ingredients in hot pot. Potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes are very filling. I’m planning to buy some noodles to put on the shelf. Whoever feels unsatisfied can add a portion of noodles themselves.” Jing Yi had experience with hot pot and quickly resolved his father’s concerns.

 

“Regarding pricing, I think we should first stock up on everything and then decide based on the cost of ingredients. What do you think?” Pricing is a significant matter that requires careful consideration. Jing’s parents naturally had no objections and openly let their eldest son make the final decisions.

 

After the discussion, everyone took different actions. Some went to buy meat, some bought tofu, and Jing’s mother prepared dried vegetables, mushrooms, and fungus in the courtyard.

 

There were many small tasks to handle, and they were busy until evening, finally getting everything ready. The whole family went to bed early and had a peaceful night’s sleep.

 

On the opening day, at six o’clock in the morning, Jing Yi heard his mother’s gentle voice calling him from outside. He glanced inside and saw that Jing An was still sound asleep, so he quickly put on his shoes, went out, and greeted his mother to avoid waking up Jing An.

 

Actually, making hot pot wasn’t complicated. It was much easier than other types of restaurants, but it still required waking up early, simmering the soup base, washing and selecting vegetables, and stringing the ingredients. They didn’t have the capacity to hire someone yet, so they had to do it all themselves.

 

Jing Yi was in charge of the soup base. He started simmering it at six o’clock, so it would have enough flavor by the time they opened at ten.

 

Jing’s father had already killed a chicken in advance and sliced the chicken meat. They also had ready-made pork bones from the previous day. Therefore, the soup bases on Jing Yi’s two stoves were quickly prepared. They removed some firewood, and the remaining work would be done with a low flame.

 

Then Jing Yi went to help his father and mother wash and cut the meat for skewers. They would handle the vegetables later, as they didn’t want them to wilt if prepared too early. There were still quite a few miscellaneous tasks to be done.

 

While they were working, by seven o’clock, Xiao Yi and Xiao Shu also woke up. They ate some steamed buns and pickled vegetables in the kitchen, drank a bowl of hot water, and then came to help with the skewers.

 

When the meat was almost ready to be skewered, it was nearly 8 o’clock, and Jing Yi heard knocking on the door of the shop. He was very puzzled because it was unlikely for someone to come for business at this time when they hadn’t even opened yet.

 

It couldn’t be people from the village either because he had told them to come at 10 o’clock and not to arrive early to help. Third Uncle’s family might come early, but not this early. They would have to leave at 6 o’clock to get here.

 

A sudden realization struck Jing Yi, and he quickly put down what he was doing, wiped his hands, fixed his hair, and straightened his clothes before running to open the shop.

 

Seeing his series of actions, Jing’s mother went from being puzzled and uneasy to excited and joyful. She said, “Let’s stop skewering for now and go welcome them at the front gate.”

 

“Who is it?” Jing’s father was completely confused, but he followed his eldest son and daughter-in-law towards the shop.

 

As soon as Jing Yi opened the door, indeed, it was the Lin family of six, and surprisingly, even Lin Qiuying, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, was there.

 

“Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, sister, brother, Xiaoxia, you’ve come! Hehe, please come in,” Jing Yi cheerfully greeted them and thought he had hidden his own name, Xiaoxia, among everyone, so no one would notice.

 

After welcoming the Lin family into the house, Jing Yi locked the main entrance of the shop. The others had already been warmly welcomed by Jing’s parents, who arrived a bit later, into the backyard, leaving only Chuxia waiting for him in the shop.

 

This was the first time they met after the arranged engagement dinner, but their fiancé status didn’t make them feel awkward or unfamiliar. On the contrary, they had a burning sensation in their hearts, and even a brief eye contact made them feel all sticky and affectionate.

 

“Are you tired from walking? It’s getting colder, and you’re dressed too lightly,” Jing Yi always worried about Chuxia, afraid that he would get tired, cold, or hungry.

 

“Not tired, not cold. I even broke a sweat on the way here,” Chuxia replied, raising his head to carefully look at Jing Yi’s expression. “But you… You’ve been busy with the opening and look exhausted. You should take care of yourself… You’ve lost weight.”

 

The last sentence was almost inaudible, spoken softly and tenderly, but Jing Yi still heard it and impulsively grabbed Chuxia’s hand.

 

Just as he was about to express his emotions, they heard Uncle Lin coughing urgently in the courtyard. Chuxia quickly pulled his hand back.

 

Jing Yi: Thank you once again, my future father-in-law.

 

Then they heard Jing’s mother’s voice, filled with a mix of amusement and embarrassment. “Jing Yi, you little brat, why is that door so hard to lock?”

 

Chuxia also heard the commotion in the courtyard, and his face instantly turned as red as a peach. Jing Yi stared at him, almost staring straight at him. If Chuxia hadn’t lightly pushed him, he would have remained stunned.

 

“Oh cough, the lock is a bit rusty. I’m coming right now!” Jing Yi quickly responded to the people in the courtyard.

 

Then he quietly asked Chuxia, “Should we go out now?”

 

Chuxia tried hard to calm himself down and replied with a soft “Hmm.” He raised his foot and walked out.