The Fifteenth Day of the Lunar New Year

 

In the blink of an eye, it was already the fourteenth day of the lunar new year.

 

In the morning, the Jing family’s shop bustled with activity as they prepared for the grand reopening on the following day. They started by cleaning the shop, the courtyard, and the interior. They then welcomed the God of Wealth with great respect and hung auspicious red lanterns high up.

 

Next on their agenda was food preparation. Since the next day marked their first day back in business after the Chinese New Year festivities, there was sure to be a small surge in customers after a gap of several days. Therefore, they decided to prepare the meat dishes and soup bases today, reserving the vegetable preparations for tomorrow. They needed to ensure they had a substantial amount to cater to the expected demand.

 

This time around, Jing Yi’s New Year visit to the village had yielded some delicious items. Each household in the village had its own experienced cook, and these talented individuals had managed to create one or two signature dishes.

 

Jing Yi didn’t make a fuss but chose to collaborate with two families he was close to. One was the small pickled vegetable delicacies made by Aunt Luo, and the other was the dairy products made by Uncle Meng. They were somewhat similar to ginger milk curd that Jing Yi had tasted before but with a hint of alcoholic aroma, making them even more delicious.

 

Speaking of this idea of mutually benefiting the prosperous and less prosperous families, it originated from the meal they had on the thirtieth day of the lunar new year. At that time, amidst a table laden with sumptuous dishes, Jing Yi had been pleasantly surprised by the small pickled vegetables made by Aunt Luo. This sparked the idea of purchasing them.

 

In the following days, during New Year visits and banquets, he had paid attention to the food offerings of various families. Ultimately, he had chosen the Luo family and Uncle Meng’s family not only for the flavors but also for their good character.

 

Jing Yi had decided to purchase the small pickled vegetables from the Luo family at a price of thirty wen per jar, with each jar being roughly the size of a soccer ball. He initially ordered ten jars to test the market. By serving them in small portions at the restaurant and charging ten wen per serving, Jing Yi would earn around ten wen per jar, ensuring a profit.

 

As for Uncle Meng’s ginger wine dairy product, it was pricier due to the cost of raw materials. Jing Yi had set a price of eight wen per serving and ordered twenty servings to start. In the restaurant, he would sell them for twelve wen each.

 

Don’t be mistaken; Jing Yi’s profit margins weren’t excessively high. He had to cover expenses for the venue, transportation, wear and tear on the equipment, as well as any promotions during the event.

 

Both families, even if they didn’t do business, were not naive, and they appreciated Jing Yi’s support.

 

Apart from these, Jing Yi had also prepared a secret weapon for the reopening: crispy pork and potato fries. He had initially intended to call them “potato sticks,” but he couldn’t quite get past his own judgment, so he opted for “potato fries.”

 

Both of these items were easy to prepare. They were first fried to about seventy to eighty percent doneness today, and tomorrow they could be quickly refried when a customer placed an order. This method saved time, ensured freshness, and enhanced flavor.

 

Speaking of it, the crispy pork and potato fries were also part of Jing Yi’s preparation for the Lantern Festival. He planned to set up a small stove next to the lantern stall, ensuring that every handsome young man and beautiful woman who visited would have a serving in hand.

 

These snacks were not only fragrant but also piping hot. Customers could grab one and continue strolling without any delay.

 

By late afternoon, Dan Tian and his father delivered the items for their stall tomorrow, including some lanterns. They neatly arranged everything in the main hall, marking the end of a busy day.

 

Everyone retired to rest in their respective homes.

 

In the Jing family’s house, Jing Yi, Jing Feng, and Jing An shared a room. In the evening, they had a special conversation with Jing Feng regarding his job change.

 

At first, Jing Feng was reluctant and kept asking if he had done a poor job, wondering why he was assigned to help another family’s business, even if the monthly pay was good. It was only after Jing Yi explained that this was also his own business, a cooperative deal, and after he patiently explained Jing Feng’s talent and hard work, that Jing Feng understood what the extra commission of one hundred and fifty meant. He realized the care and thoughtfulness Jing Yi had put into his well-being.

 

“Brother, what if I don’t do a good job and embarrass you? Can I still come back?” asked Jing Feng, a fifteen-year-old boy, anxiously.

 

“Of course! Besides, now you’re just a window away from the shop. Don’t worry. When the shop gets busy, just come in and help,” Jing Yi replied matter-of-factly, without feeling like he was exploiting labor. After all, Jing Feng was his own brother, and there was no need to be formal.

 

“Yeah!” Indeed, Jing Feng didn’t feel that Jing Yi was bossing him around. It was as if he was not treated as an outsider.

 

The fifteenth day of the New Year – Celebrating the Lantern Festival and Watching Lanterns

 

Business today was incredibly busy, even exceeding Jing Yi’s expectations. He suspected that the customers had been holding back for a while and had gone a little crazy, indulging themselves in revenge spending.

 

With the addition of the Jing family’s spicy and numbing hot pot, as well as the crispy pork and potato fries, the restaurant’s popularity skyrocketed. People crowded in to enjoy the delicious food.

 

The hot pot’s reputation was excellent, and customers had a high acceptance of the new items introduced. Orders kept pouring in continuously. Especially the small pickled vegetables, priced at three copper coins per plate, were delicious and refreshing. Almost every table ordered a plate, and some even wanted takeout.

 

Seeing the bustling scene, Jing Yi didn’t want to miss out on the excellent business opportunity on the fifteenth day. He quickly called Jing Feng over, saying, “Xiaofeng, right now, go back to the village quickly. Go to Xiao Wei and tell him to have Auntie Luo continue preparing more small pickled vegetables. Bring back all the ones that are already prepared.”

 

“Then, go to Uncle Meng’s place and tell him to prepare fifty more servings of ginger wine milk. Here, this is some money. But tell them I’ll return to the village to resupply for them tomorrow.”

 

Jing Feng asked, “What about the outside fried food stall?”

 

Jing Yi replied, “No worries. I’ll have your brother-in-law handle the money in the store. I’ll watch over the fried food stall.”

 

Jing Feng started teasing, “Oh, my brother-in-law! Hehe~”

 

Jing Yi raised his eyebrows and quickly interrupted him, afraid that if Xiaoxia heard, he would feel embarrassed. “What brother-in-law? I meant your brother Xiaoxia. Okay, go ahead.”

 

“Alright!” Jing Feng agreed playfully, then hastily left.

 

“Wait, you should take a cart to go back. The jars from Luo’s family are heavy; you won’t be able to carry them. And Uncle Meng’s ginger wine milk takes time to make. Don’t wait for it; tell them to deliver it as soon as possible, preferably before the Shen hour,” Jing Yi advised.

 

The Shen hour referred to 4 o’clock in the afternoon. By then, some people would already be out and about, and since it was winter, it got dark early.

 

Today, the Lin family had originally planned for Jing’s father to bring them to the town to buy a donkey cart. Jing’s father facilitated the process, and they successfully completed the purchase before ten o’clock in the morning.

 

However, when Lin’s father saw how busy the Jing family’s store was, he didn’t want to disturb them too much. After realizing how much Jing Yi wished to have a prosperous business, he left Xiaoxia behind while he and his wife returned home with the donkey cart. They said they would come back to enjoy the lantern festival with their family in the evening.

 

Xiaoxia thought that since it was the fifteenth day and the store would definitely be busy, they needed extra help, so he agreed to stay.

 

Because Xiaoxia had been helping out for the past two months, and he was intelligent and responsible, Jing Yi had him man the counter in the main hall. He went outside to oversee the fried food stall himself.

 

“Xiaoxia, thank you for this,” he said, as he squeezed Xiaoxia behind the counter. Using his height and strength, he kept pushing him farther inside. At this moment, the eldest son of the Jing family didn’t look like a boss anymore; he resembled a mischievous teenager.

 

This stall occupied quite a bit of space. Jing Yi brought over chairs from the backyard and, with the shelves and a small round table brought by Dan Tian, set up a proper stall. They hung dozens of lanterns of various sizes.

 

“Brother Dan, how’s this? Feeling more secure now?” Although Jing Yi had been busy in the store, he occasionally paid attention to the outside business. Today, lanterns were selling like hotcakes, and he suspected that business would get even busier after dark.

 

“Jing Brother, you’re really something. The number of lanterns we’ve sold today surpasses what I sold during the New Year at the grand market. It’s probably because there are many wealthy people in town,” Dan Tian marveled.

 

“Yeah, and your craftsmanship is excellent too. But today is the Lantern Festival, so it’s expected. In the future, we won’t have such high profits,” Jing Yi commented. It wasn’t to dampen Dan Tian’s spirits but to manage his expectations. Having Dan Tian handle his own business on the fifteenth day was meant to boost his confidence, but Jing Yi also needed to make sure he didn’t get overly ambitious, as it might cause issues in their cooperation.

 

Dan Tian understood this and expressed his understanding. He even mentioned that even if he sold just one lantern a day, it would still be better than eking out a living from farming. He expressed gratitude to Jing Yi once again without going into too much detail.

 

By the afternoon, around 4:30, business in the store began to slow down, while the street food stalls outside became busier. So, Jing Yi decided to close the store and left only the fried food snack stall open.

 

Jing Yi took advantage of the daylight and bought some steamed buns, noodles, lamb offal soup, and braised pork for the evening. He also prepared a large portion of spicy hot pot. They ate two shifts of dinner.

 

Initially, Dan Tian and his wife hesitated to dine at Jing’s family, feeling it was unfair to them. However, facing the warmth of Jing’s parents, they ultimately joined in.

 

After dinner, Jing Yi had Jing Zheng and his wife go to enjoy the Lantern Festival. The rest of them, he organized. Jing Feng, the young single man with no need to celebrate, would continue selling lanterns with Dan Tian and his wife, familiarizing himself with the business and understanding the market.

 

Jing Feng: I work because I’m hardworking, not because I’m single.

 

Jing Yi and Xiaoxia first helped their parents and brothers manage the fried food stall. Once their parents were accustomed to it, Jing Yi planned to take Xiaoxia to enjoy the Lantern Festival.

 

Originally, they had agreed that the entire family would close early today and go to the lantern festival together. However, since Jing Yi had ingeniously set up the fried food stall, it had become incredibly popular, especially in the evening during the Lantern Festival night market.

 

Jing’s parents couldn’t bear to part with the easily earned money and made a resolute decision to stay at the stall and not go to the festival.