The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

“Well, the shops are all pretty similar, so there’s not much to choose from. Once you found something that looks decent, just rent it,” replied Mrs. Liu.

Zhuang Qingning turned to Mrs. Liu, “As we’re talking about the shop, Aunt Liu, you’re also setting up a stall here every day. How about moving in with us and sell the fried chop rice cakes in our shop?”

“Honestly, I rented a relatively large shop because I intend to sell tofu, together with other items such as tofu pudding. But for now, tofu pudding and other products are not ready yet, and selling only salted duck eggs and tofu makes the shop look a bit empty. Anyway, since it’s already empty, you might as well join me in the shop, Aunt Liu.”

“How about I charge you two taels of fried chop rice cake per month as rent, huh?”

Zhuang Qingning teased, winking playfully.

Mrs. Liu laughed, “Oh, you clever girl, I appreciate your kindness, and I know you’re trying to help me improve my business, so I don’t work so hard.”

“But in this case, I have to refuse your kindness. It’s not that I don’t want to accept it, but my fried chop rice cakes business is very different from your tofu business.”

“Your tofu is well reputed, and people arc looking to buy it, so whether you set up a stall outdoors or move it inside a shop, it won’t impact your business. In fact, moving it into a shop might even benefit you as customers won’t have to deal with wind or dust, and you might do even better in business.”

“On the other hand, my fried chop rice cakes are not as exceptional or delicious as the cakes from pastry shops. If I set up a stall outside, passersby can stop and have a look. They’d assume outdoor stalls are cheaper than those inside a shop and maybe buy one or two pieces. But if I move them inside a shop, they might not see it, and it might be hard to sell.”

“So, Aunt Liu, let’s stick to my plan. Your kind intention has been well received,” Mrs. Liu explained.

What Mrs. Liu said made sense, and it was clear that she had her own considerations.

Seeing this, Zhuang Qingning did not persuade her further, saying, “Alright, we’ll go with your plan, Aunt Liu. But the shop will remain empty for now. If you ever encounter bad weather, such as a rainy day, feel free to come inside and set up your stall.”

“Or you could just move your stall to the entrance of our shop.”

In the town, there was an unspoken rule that one could not block the entrance of others’ shops with their own stalls, so Zhuang Qingning and Mrs. Liu always set up their stalls in some corner that wouldn’t cause any hindrance to the businesses around them.

When Zhuang Qingning suggested Mrs. Liu to set up her stall at the entrance of her shop, she was also considering that her tofu customers might also be interested in Mrs. Liu’s fried chop rice cakes, thus driving traffic there.

“Then I’ll take advantage of your kindness,” Mrs. Liu agreed with a laugh.

“Auntie, don’t put it that way – it’s mutual benefit. People who buy fried chop rice cakes at Auntie’s stall might even buy a few blocks of my tofu. So it also helps to drive my business, right?”

Zhuang Qingning laughed.

“Indeed, indeed.” Mrs. Liu laughed, wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes.

When the tofu was sold out, Zhuang Qingning packed up her stall. With her thoughts on catching up on sleep in the afternoon, and not in a hurry to clear up the shop till the next morning, she decided to go home first.

Once Zhuang Qingning and her sister departed, Zhang Qiuying winked her eyes.

“Grandma, since she’s inviting us to move in, why don’t we just do it? In the worst-case scenario, I can sell fried chop rice cakes outside while you stay inside the shop. That way, we can improve our business.”

“You see, that’s not how you should be thinking.”

Mrs. Liu patted Zhang Qiuying’s head and smiled, “Do you understand the meaning of ‘give and take’? It implies mutual behaviour. If only you’re on the receiving end without giving back, then that’s not ‘give and take’ – that’s taking advantage.”

“Zhuang Qingning is a good person. She cares for us, but we can’t be ungrateful. We can’t just take advantage whenever there’s an opportunity. That would make us uncomfortable and disgraceful.”

“Remember, you should never take others’ kindness for granted or else the friendship won’t last long, and might even take a sour turn.”

This was just like the relationship amongst some families – look at those siblings who didn’t understand boundary, eating away their sibling relationship and causing all the conflict.

Zhang Qiuying nodded, “I understand.”

“As long as you remember! Not only should you remember it now, but also continue to carry that attitude forward. This concerns your whole life… as long as you behave well, everything else will fall into place.”

Mrs. Liu sighed, “You’re smart and sensible – a rarity in our family without sons. I hope you can achieve something better than the average girls. Make some effort!”

“Don’t worry, grandma. I understand,” Zhang Qiuying responded and nodded firmly.

Then she started to yell out, drawing attention to her products.

The crisp cries attracted many passersby.

When Zhuang Qingning returned home, she informed Zhuang Yonghe and Mrs. He about renting the shop in town.

Both the husband and wife were happy for Zhuang Qingning.

After all, having a shop would extend the tofu selling hours, which would improve the business. More importantly, it was the convenience of having a fixed place to sell tofu.

“Does the shop need cleaning? Your aunt and I could go help. Let’s see what we need to add to the shop, and we can assist with that,” suggested Zhuang Yonghe.

“Aunt Deng, who rented me the shop, said she would give me some shelves and other stuff to use. I’ll check it out at her place tomorrow, see what I have, and consider what else needs to be added.”

Zhuang Qingning continued, “After the shop opens, this tofu factory here will need to add two more people. We’ll sell two pots of tofu in the morning and another two pots after lunch. This way, the tofu will be enough to sell in the shop, and we can still sell two patches here. And we’ll be able to supply more to the county town.”

“The two additional people will mainly perform tasks like grinding and stirring the tofu pudding. As for this side, I’m thinking about letting Mingliang learn how to make tofu. After opening the shop, we’ll likely be too busy here. We’ll need him to help watch over this tofu factory.”

“In the future, he can just focus on making tofu, and help me watch over the tofu factory. Mingliang is meticulous and hardworking, so I feel relieved to give him this task. And also, his wages can be increased – to ten wen fa unit of currency].”

The work was surely exhausting. Watching over the shop all day and night, although he could rest intermittently during the grinding process, the only real rest he had would occur from afternoon to midnight.

Zhuang Qingning felt that the wage should be doubled.

Upon hearing that their son’s wage was going to be doubled, Zhuang Yonghe and Mrs. He were overjoyed.

The success of tofu-making largely depended on the skill of making tofu pudding. Depending on how well the tofu pudding was made, the final tofu would vary in terms of taste and weight.

If Zhuang Mingliang could learn this skill from Zhuang Qingning, he would have a stable standing in this tofu factory in the future..