12dz Chapter 270 Lack of Ice
Chapter 270 Lack of Ice
Chapter 270 Lack of Ice
Everyone had a clear division of labor: some drove horse-drawn carriages to deliver supplies, some stayed in the shop to serve guests, and some sold pig's trotters.
Shen Qianchuan had also started selling breakfast outside the shop. Business was pretty good at first. After all, most breakfast vendors in the county sold steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and mantou. Suddenly someone was selling savory pancakes with a fragrant aroma, and many customers, out of curiosity, were eager to try them.
More and more customers gathered around the stall, and more and more people joined in the fun and bought things.
Shen Qianchuan was too busy to handle everything by himself and wanted to go into the store to ask for help, but he couldn't leave the shop, which made him sweat profusely.
Coincidentally, Xiaoyu took Xiangqin's grandmother out for a walk. She was so surprised to see that her fourth uncle's breakfast stall was surrounded by a huge crowd.
"My goodness, Granny Xiangqin, look how many people are at Uncle Si's breakfast stall!"
Aunt Xiangqin looked in the direction Xiaoyu was pointing. She was old and her eyesight was failing, so she rubbed her eyes to make herself see more clearly.
When she looked closely, she saw that the savory pancake stall was surrounded by people, all jostling each other, eager to buy some as soon as possible, creating a chaotic scene.
Although Aunt Xiangqin was not in good health, she was kind-hearted and hardworking. She pulled Xiaoyu over to give her some advice.
"Xiaoyu, stand next to your fourth uncle and don't move around. There are too many people here. Don't let anyone knock you over or cause you to fall.
Xiaoyu nodded obediently and said, "Okay, I understand."
Aunt Xiangqin looked at the customers waiting to buy and raised her voice, "Everyone line up, everyone gets one."
She had no experience in doing business, but she knew that whenever something big happened in the village, because there were too many villagers and they were all not very educated, they would rush forward and fight to grab any benefits. The village head would always speak up to maintain order and make everyone line up.
At first, no one listened to Aunt Xiangqin. Shen Qianchuan stretched out his arm, rubbed his forehead on his sleeve, and then imitated Aunt Xiangqin's words, saying, "Everyone, please line up properly. This way, not only will everyone avoid pushing and shoving, but it will also be fairer to everyone."
The customers gathered in a circle thought it made a lot of sense, especially those who had arrived early. They were about to be served, but those who arrived late were strong and shameless, and they managed to push their way to the front. If it weren't for everyone jostling around, they would have already bought their food.
Someone said, "Everyone should be more considerate. There are still plenty left. Let's all line up and the pancake vendor will get them for us quickly. Everyone is pushing and shoving, and we don't even know who arrived early or late. We've all gotten our clothes and shoes dirty. Is it worth it?"
Many people joined in the commotion, eventually managing to divide the crowd into two lines.
Someone muttered under their breath, "I arrived really early, but they put me in the middle of the line. If it weren't for the fact that I'd never eaten here before and wanted to try it, I wouldn't have put up with this humiliation. Humph!"
"Oh, you're right! Blame those scoundrels who only care about buying it for themselves as soon as possible. They're so selfish!"
"Sigh, let's not worry about it so much. If we had known, we would have lined up from the beginning. We gave those unscrupulous people an opportunity to take advantage of us."
People were talking about it, saying all sorts of things. Those who had cut in line felt bad, but could only listen silently.
Aunt Xiangqin is getting old and is afraid that if she helps out, the guests will find it offensive, so she can only help out on the side, clearing away the tables and plates.
Not only were the savory pancake stalls doing brisk business, but the pig's trotter shop was also packed with customers. Because they had promised the customers who hadn't been able to buy braised pig's trotters yesterday, those customers came early today to verify the promise.
Fortunately, they managed to purchase a large quantity of raw pig trotters yesterday and braised them in time. Today, the braised pig trotters sold out very quickly, and customers happily left with their long-awaited braised pig trotters.
The customers who had previously threatened to smash the restaurant's signboard if they couldn't buy any today seemed to have forgotten about yesterday's events. Instead, they praised the pig's trotter shop for offering discounts, saying it was cheaper than Wanhe Restaurant and tasted great, and even offered to help promote it.
Hundreds of braised pig trotters were sold out by 3 PM, with only two left that had been accidentally punctured and didn't look very appealing.
Lin Xiaotang said happily, "Auntie, Uncle Yu, let's stop here for today. We'll break the remaining two pieces and eat them ourselves."
"Sure, I'll do as you say."
Liu Cai'er and Wu Yu naturally had no objections. The group cleaned up the shop together, and then the deliveryman from Tong County, who supplied fresh pig trotters, arrived in a horse-drawn carriage.
The shop assistant entered the store, first politely bowing to Lin Xiaotang before explaining his purpose.
"Miss Xiaotang, the raw pig trotters we delivered to you today are on the carriage outside. Why don't you arrange for some people to unload them together?"
Lin Xiaotang was overjoyed. She hadn't expected the butcher to be so trustworthy. He said he would deliver every day, and he really did. Now she and Wu Yu wouldn't have to drive the carriage back and forth anymore.
With a smile on her face, she asked happily, "How many did you bring today?"
The man held up four fingers.
Forty?
The waiter quickly shook his head, saying that the boss would never let him drive the carriage on such a special trip.
He blushed and explained, "There are more than four hundred."
What the hell?
More than four hundred?
Lin Xiaotang was so surprised she almost stumbled and fell. She asked in confusion, "Didn't we bring all those back from the ice cellar yesterday? We slaughter a dozen or twenty pigs a day, which would only amount to seventy or eighty pig trotters at most. How come your boss suddenly produced so many more?"
This is truly a rare occurrence!
Out of consideration for the two copper coins Xiaotang had given him for his trouble yesterday, the shop assistant whispered, "Our boss's relative also runs a butcher shop elsewhere. His relative's shop is even bigger than his own. They specialize in supplying meat to wealthy families. There's even a royal relative who is supplied by that relative. They slaughter a lot of pigs. Yesterday, our boss found out that you wanted a large quantity of raw pig trotters, so he arranged for someone to go and get them this morning. That's why he had me deliver them to you after lunch."
Lin Xiaotang was secretly delighted. Now that the supply of goods could be stabilized, she would never have to worry about purchasing them again.
However, with the weather getting hotter and hotter, if we don't get some ice, it might spoil after being transported back and forth.
She thought about it and figured that since the butcher had an ice cellar, he must have a way to get ice.
"Okay, we'll take it no matter how much. But it's getting hotter and hotter. Could you please ask your boss how we can buy cheap ice to keep the pig's trotters fresh in the truck?"
Actually, she had read a lot of novels before, which said that the female protagonists who transmigrated would make ice with saltpeter. She had thought about making ice herself, but where could she find saltpeter?
The female protagonists in those novels are incredibly powerful, capable of turning the world upside down with a flick of their wrists, as if they all possess a magical space or a treasure chest.
But she was born into this world and didn't even have any special abilities. Even if she needed to do something, she had to work hard with her parents.
So don't even think about making your own ice.