Chapter 14 TGBW

FlamingoBees

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Chapter 14:

Change ・Egg Fried Rice

In the afternoon, Lou Jian Jia went to town.

She was planning to make egg fried rice. Although there were eggs and rice at home, since the customer base consisted of affluent and discerning individuals, the ingredients used for the food naturally needed to be of higher quality.

For example, the rice used for making egg fried rice couldn't be the ordinary kind used for daily meals.

Upon arriving in town, Lou Jian Jia went straight to the largest grain store, Yun Ji.

© translations belonging to flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Ordinary rice was priced at three copper coins per catty, slightly better quality was four copper coins, and the best quality was five copper coins per catty.

Lou Jian Jia looked at the rice priced at five copper coins per catty, compared it with the three and four copper coins options, and bought ten catties.

In truth, the rice priced at five copper coins per catty wasn't particularly good. However, in such a remote small town, it was the best and most expensive rice available.

Apart from rice, Lou Jian Jia also went to the grocery store to buy some seasonings.

When it comes to cooking, besides ingredients and cooking technique, seasonings are also very important.

Without the right seasonings, the dishes cooked will indeed lack a lot of flavor.

After buying these items, Lou Jian Jia returned home.

Although there were about ten catties of goods in the bamboo basket on her back, Lou Jian Jia seemed to be carrying nothing, appearing very relaxed.

Upon returning, Madam Zhao looked at the rice priced at five copper coins per catty in the cloth bag, gently touched it, and couldn't help but say to Old Master Chu, "This rice is really good, the color is so bright."

Old Master Chu just glanced at it without touching. However, his longing was evident in his eyes.

"In the future, when we have money, we should eat such rice regularly," Lou Jian Jia said.

Madam Zhao immediately smiled and said, "Okay, in the future, we will also eat the rice enjoyed by wealthy households every day."

Early the next morning, as the time approached, Lou Jian Jia went to the kitchen.

As usual, Lou Jian Jia boiled bone broth, rinsed and steamed the rice, while Madam Zhao went to the vegetable garden to pick fresh vegetables.

After the rice was steamed, Lou Jian Jia and Madam Zhao processed the ingredients together.

Today, she quickly made two dishes: stir-fried baby bok choy and a mixed stew of green beans and eggplants.

Thinking that her daughter-in-law would still have to cook today's main dish, egg fried rice, Madam Zhao was afraid she would overwork herself. Looking at the ingredients, she said, "Jian Jia, let me cook the dishes for you today. You go and rest first. I'll call you when I'm done."

In the past, Madam Zhao handled all the household chores.

Even after Lou Jian Jia got married and came here, it was still Madam Zhao who did everything.

Now suddenly not having to do so much work made her feel uncomfortable all over.

"Mom, it's okay, I'm not tired at all," Lou Jian Jia said in a relaxed tone.

She was full of energy, so this little work was nothing to her.

Moreover, only the dishes she cooked could make people feel stronger, which Madam Zhao couldn't do.

Seeing her daughter-in-law continuing to be somewhat different from before, Madam Zhao felt extremely gratified.

Seeing her daughter-in-law starting to prepare the vegetables, Madam Zhao quickly went to light the fire.

After finishing these two dishes, Lou Jian Jia started making egg fried rice.

Although Lou Jian Jia's egg fried rice was very delicious, she also had confidence in herself.

But she didn't dare to make too much, fearing that others might not like it and it wouldn't sell, leading to waste.

Madam Zhao chopped some cucumber and carrot into small cubes and set them aside for later use.

She heated the pan and poured in the oil.

As soon as the oil was poured in, Madam Zhao, who had been cooking for decades, noticed something unusual.

She sniffed and muttered to herself, "It smells so good. Why does the oil smell different from before?"

Lou Jian Jia smiled and nodded. "Yes, I bought it yesterday."

Madam Zhao was slightly surprised to hear this and asked, "Was it expensive?"

Lou Jian Jia honestly replied, "Yes, it's a bit more expensive than before."

Madam Zhao glanced at Lou Jian Jia, pursed her lips, wanted to say something, but held back, and continued to focus on lighting the fire.

Once the oil was heated, Lou Jian Jia added the prepared rice into the pan.

Although Lou Jian Jia made a larger portion of egg fried rice this time, she didn't feel tired at all, and the three catties of egg fried rice were cooked quickly and fragrantly.

After smelling the aroma, Madam Zhao praised repeatedly, "This fine rice is indeed good, and the flavor is so delightful."

Lou Jian Jia also noticed it.

Although there wasn't much difference between three cents and five cents, the taste of the dishes made with them was completely different, proving that money was indeed well spent.

There's a reason why some things are expensive," Madam Zhao remarked.

She seemed concerned that her daughter-in-law might sell the dish too cheaply, adding, "Our rice, oil, and seasonings are all expensive. We can't sell it too cheap."

As she spoke, Madam Zhao glanced at the expensive oil and seasonings placed aside, her heart aching a little.

Lou Jian Jia had already calculated the cost.

One catty was equivalent to sixteen wen.

The laborers would consume more rice in a meal, at least four or five taels per person, so one catty would serve three or four people.

And that's if they didn't eat freely; if they did, they would eat even more.

However, their egg fried rice wasn't meant for the laborers.

One serving of egg fried rice costs around three wen, and one jin can make five servings.

This time, she used new and better-quality oil and seasonings, which are a bit more expensive than before.

Plus, there are the costs of eggs, vegetables, and other ingredients.

Without factoring in labor costs, it's still two to three wen.

If we include the labor costs for her, Madam Zhao, and Old Master Chu, along with the cost of firewood...

"Five wen."

~ Part 2 ~

"Ah? That expensive?" Madam Zhao exclaimed, taken aback.

She had thought about selling at a higher price, but she didn't expect her daughter-in-law to be even more ambitious than her.

She had assumed three wen would be sufficient, but it turned out her daughter-in-law aimed even higher.

Instantly, she became somewhat worried and asked, "Will it sell? Shouldn't we make it cheaper?"

"These ingredients aren't cheap, selling for too little won't cover the costs," Luo Jian Jia explained.

Seeing Madam Zhao still hesitating, Luo Jian Jia suggested, "Let's give it a try today."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao nodded, refraining from further comment.

Egg fried rice wasn't intended for the dock workers but rather for the passing merchants.

Five wen wasn't considered expensive for them; in fact, it could even be considered cheap.

Madam Zhao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded, choosing to trust her daughter-in-law.

Once the egg fried rice was ready and nearing mealtime, Old Master Chu and the others loaded the goods onto the cart, heading towards the direction of the docks.

The regular customers who often came for meals noticed the addition of a small wooden bucket and couldn't help but feel curious, asking casually, "Wow, it smells so good! What's this?"

Madam Zhao smiled in response, "Egg fried rice."

The person, enticed by the delicious aroma, licked their lips and inquired, "Why does it smell so good? What was it cooked with? How much for a portion?"

"Um... Well..." Madam Zhao hesitated, looking at the person's eager eyes, initially intending to answer immediately.

But the price was indeed high, and in the end, she felt somewhat embarrassed to answer, hesitating.

"Auntie, how much for a portion?" The customer grew impatient.

Lou Jian Jia, observing the situation calmly, replied, "Five wen per portion."

Upon hearing the price, the person's demeanor changed, murmuring softly, "Quite expensive."

Afterward, many others inquired about the price of the egg fried rice.

However, not a single person actually purchased it.

Madam Zhao grew anxious, occasionally glancing back at Lou Jian Jia, wanting to ask for her opinion.

Lou Jian Jia had already noticed the situation.

However, at this moment, there were no ships coming to the pier, so her usual clientele was absent, and she was busy tidying up.

As she finished clearing one table and looked up, she noticed a large ship docking. Setting down the cloth in her hand, she walked over to Madam Zhao.

Once she approached, she saw Madam Zhao looking troubled at the egg fried rice before her.

"Jian Jia, you've finally come. Look at the prices we've set..." Madam Zhao began, her expression filled with concern.

Before Madam Zhao could finish, Lou Jian Jia interrupted her.

"Mother, let me handle it first." With that, she gave Madam Zhao a reassuring look, then took a portion of the egg fried rice and stepped out.

For promotion, she had prepared several pairs of new chopsticks.

Her target was clear: wealthy merchants and their families. If she were in her past life, she would have directly approached them.

But now, to blend in and avoid unnecessary trouble, she wore a veil every day.

Seeing a group of people disembarking from the ship not far away, Lou Jian Jia tried to entice them, "Fragrant egg fried rice, would the lady like to try some?"

The lady glanced at Lou Jian Jia's attire, her expression disdainful.

Lowering her head to look at the rice in her hand, she even covered her nose, as if she had spotted something filthy.

"Take it away, take it away. What is this? Bringing this over here," said the woman dressed in peach-colored silk, wrinkling her nose.

Lou Jian Jia didn't feel embarrassed or ashamed. She turned to approach another group of people.

However, before she could leave, she heard a child beside the woman say, "Auntie, it smells so good."

The woman immediately grabbed the child, coaxing, "Be good, later I'll have your father take us to the county town for a meal. There's nothing good here, it's all shabby."

"But I want to eat, I want to eat," the child insisted.

As the woman was about to scold the child, she noticed a man in his thirties or forties with short stubble approaching.

As the man approached, the child ran over to him.

The man immediately lifted the child up.

The child pointed at the egg fried rice in Lou Jian Jia's hand and started talking excitedly.

"It's so dirty here, and the food might not be clean. What if we get stomachaches?" the woman argued.

The child cozied up in the man's arms.

The merchant wasn't as particular. He picked up one of the new chopsticks Lou Jian Jia had prepared and took a bite.

As soon as it entered his mouth, his eyes lit up with surprise. He looked at Lou Jian Jia and exclaimed, "It's delicious!"

Lou Jian Jia smiled at the compliment, but her smile was hidden behind her veil, and no one could see it.

The woman, seeing the way her husband looked at Lou Jian Jia and then at Lou Jian Jia's captivating eyes visible under the veil, immediately felt uneasy. Her gaze towards Lou Jian Jia turned hostile.

The man, however, didn't think much of it. He found the egg fried rice delicious and wanted to take another bite but was stopped by his son.

"Dad, I want some too."

The man turned to his son, then with a twist of his chopsticks, fed the egg fried rice to his son.

"Is it tasty?" he asked.

"Wow, it's so delicious!" the child exclaimed excitedly.

The child was very innocent, and his eyes sparkled as he said those words.

"Hsiang, you should try it too," the man suggested to his concubine on the side.

But the woman was still angry and refused to try even a bite. Moreover, she wanted to belittle the food made by Lou Jian Jia.

However, the man didn't give her the chance. He praised, "It's even tastier than the egg fried rice I had in the capital. Ah Ding, go buy a few portions."

"Yes, sir," the servant responded promptly.

The woman stomped her foot in frustration and glared at Lou Jian Jia a few more times.

Lou Jian Jia could see the woman's attitude towards her, but in the past month, she had encountered countless merchants who looked down on her food. She had long grown accustomed to it.

Even though she noticed, she pretended not to, and led the man's servant to her stall.

In the evening, as the woman rode in the carriage towards the county town, seeing her husband wholly engrossed in the egg-fried rice without mentioning a word about the woman who sold the food, she became much more at ease.

As for Luo Jian Jia, she remained unaware of the events that followed, concentrating instead on seeking out other customers.

Thanks to the reasonable price and the comparatively better taste, after sampling, nearly all the customers decided to give it a try.

Business was indeed good that day. Besides selling ten catties of rice dishes, she also sold three catties of egg-fried rice.

The ten catties of rice dishes earned her around twenty wen, while the egg-fried rice, due to its higher cost and consequently higher price, surprisingly earned her over thirty wen, more than the set meals.

Calculating roughly, the two together summed up to about sixty wen.

Upon hearing this figure, both Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao were so shocked that they couldn't regain their composure for a moment.

"How... how much?" Old Master Chu's voice trembled with uncertainty.

"Over sixty wen," Luo Jian Jia said firmly.

•••

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Chapter 14 TGBW

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