After Transmigrating, I Gained a Wife - Chapter 12

After carefully explaining everything clearly to the shop assistant Xiao Xu, her mother, and her wife, Luo Yan immediately opened for business and began selling milk tea.

Her mother and wife also got to know Xiao Xu a little. During the time Xiao Xu worked in the shop, Luo Yan would be the one paying his wages. After asking Xiao Xu how much he earned per day while working for Boss Wen, Luo Yan gained a rough understanding.

Among the people under Boss Wen, newcomers earned around thirty wen a day, and more often than not, they did not even reach thirty wen.

Those who had stayed for a longer time earned around fifty wen or more per day. There were also some bought servants. For those people, food and drink were not a concern, but they had to work diligently every day.

Of course, there were exceptions. If they worked seriously, were quick-witted, and could bring profit to the master’s household, then after a certain number of years, they could have their servant status removed. That depended on the master’s family. For Boss Wen’s family, it was five years. Boss Wen’s arrangement was actually quite good. In some households, ten or twenty years was common.

Of course, for now, Luo Yan was only learning about these things first. Never mind the money needed to buy servants. Even after buying someone, one still had to pay money to the authorities every year to keep them. It was not as if one could simply buy someone back and have them work. The annual payment required was even higher than the tax for one ordinary farming household member.

As for the reason, one of them was that the state feared people privately raising soldiers…

Xiao Xu said, “Boss Wen instructed me to help you within these six months and not take wages from you.”

Hearing this, Luo Yan naturally understood. Boss Wen had sent her free labor. This way, she could save some money during these six months.

“Xiao Xu, since Boss Wen sent you here, that means you must be good at doing and handling things. During these six months, if you work well, I won’t really refuse to give you a single coin.” If she truly did not pay him a single coin, that would be too stingy!

After hearing Luo Yan’s words, Xiao Xu was naturally happy. “Then thank you, Young Master Luo.”

Luo Yan had Xiao Xu take out ten wine bowls. Wine bowls were small, so they did not hold much milk tea, but they were perfect for letting people try a sample.

Yesterday, Luo Yan had bought four tables and eighteen stools. When Luo Yan placed the sign outside, it immediately caught the attention of the people in the market. Everyone looked at the words on it. They recognized each word, but when strung together, they did not know what this shop was selling.

After the samples of milk tea were poured, Luo Yan immediately began calling out.

“The shop is warming up before opening! Milk tea originally six wen, now half price! Fragrant and sweet, and you can try it for free right now~ Everyone, come have a taste!”

At this time, quite a few people had already gathered around. Among the crowd stood a young girl who became very curious when she heard Luo Yan say it was fragrant and sweet. “This is sweet?” the girl asked Luo Yan in confusion.

“It’s sweet. This is called milk tea. It’s made from cow’s milk and tea leaves. If you like, miss, take a bowl and try it. Only today has free samples.”

Hearing Luo Yan say this, the young girl wondered what this thing called milk tea, made from cow’s milk and tea leaves, would taste like. But it smelled fragrant and sweet. “Then I’ll try it.”

“Here.” Luo Yan handed a bowl to the girl.

The onlookers all watched the girl and the milk tea very seriously and curiously. The young girls in the crowd, in particular, were even more curious.

After the young girl took a sip, she felt that this milk tea was extremely delicious. The fragrance seemed to surround her, and the taste in her mouth was sweet and aromatic. “This milk tea is really good!”

After hearing that, Luo Yan smiled happily. “As long as you like it, miss.”

The other girls watching could no longer hold back and asked that girl, “Is it really good?”

The girl said, “It’s good. If you’re curious, just try some. Asking me isn’t as good as tasting it yourself. The shopkeeper already said only today has free samples!”

Before the girl beside her could reply, the other girls had already begun asking to try it.

Seeing the people suddenly swarming over, Luo Yan hurriedly reacted and said, “Everyone, everyone, the free samples are limited to twenty bowls~ First come, first served!”

Xiao Xu also noticed the people coming forward and quickly stepped up to help. Mother Luo and Hanxue also helped sell. Mother Luo helped fill the bamboo tubes with milk tea. As for payment, she had everyone go find her daughter, because she still had not quite figured out what her daughter had said about bamboo tube deposits and no deposits.

The milk tea sold very quickly. There were even girls who, after drinking one bamboo tube of milk tea, were afraid there would be none left and bought another tube.

Luo Yan found time to write a small sign and place it inside the shop:

One-wen deposit for taking the bamboo tube home. Deposit refunded when the bamboo tube is returned. After ten recorded milk tea purchases, the bamboo tube will be given as a gift and the deposit refunded.

After everyone read the explanation about the bamboo tubes, they felt it was very reasonable. The next time they wanted to drink milk tea, they could directly bring the bamboo tube over and buy milk tea to fill it. After ten times, the bamboo tube would be gifted to them and the deposit would be returned, so the bamboo tube would cost nothing.

After everyone understood, no one said there was anything unreasonable about it. Many girls bought one bamboo tube to take home. Luo Yan even specially reminded them that after going home, they should steam it hot before drinking it.

Everyone was very satisfied with Luo Yan’s excellent service, and their hearts felt much more pleasant.

The milk tea sold very quickly. Before noon, it was all sold out. Some people who had not managed to drink a second bamboo tube, as well as some who had not gotten any at all, all asked Luo Yan whether there would still be more tomorrow. Luo Yan happily answered everyone, “There will still be more tomorrow. If you want to drink some, just come earlier tomorrow.”

After everyone learned this, they could only leave helplessly. They had no choice but to wait until the next morning to come again.

The final earnings from the milk tea were 193 wen, with twenty-two wen of that being bamboo tube deposits. Excluding the deposit amount, the earnings were 171 wen. Once it was sold at six wen, the profit would more than double.

While selling milk tea, Luo Yan handed Xiao Xu a bowl. After Xiao Xu drank it, he was very surprised. The milk tea tasted fragrant and sweet, and was very delicious. Even as a grown man, he thought it was quite good. The tea flavor in the milk tea was not too strong.

Xiao Xu spoke to Luo Yan and asked to keep one bamboo tube of milk tea. Xiao Xu planned to take it home and let his wife and son taste it.

Luo Yan naturally agreed and immediately had Hanxue fill a bamboo tube of milk tea for Xiao Xu.

After the milk tea sold out, Luo Yan gave Xiao Xu five wen as a hardship fee and told him to rest in the afternoon and come again early tomorrow morning. After receiving the money, Xiao Xu happily said goodbye to the three of them and went home with the milk tea.

It was still early, so Luo Yan took her mother and wife to stroll around the market. Just as they were about to set off, Luo Yan saw Wen Liang and his wife walking over.

Wen Liang said, “Master, do you need help here?” He had not come to find Master yesterday. His father had said Master was busy with shop matters, so he had not disturbed Master that night and had stayed home painting and studying for the whole day.

“I don’t need help. How is your schoolwork coming along?”

Wen Liang was somewhat embarrassed, afraid Master would dislike him for it. “…I, I ran into problems again.”

Luo Yan knew painting naturally was not easy. Thinking back to when she had painted before, she had spent whole days sitting there painting. “Mm, come in and talk.”

“Tell me, what’s the problem?”

Wen Liang took out his painting and directly handed it to Master to look at. After Luo Yan accepted it, she looked at the painting. Wen Liang had indeed improved. But at this progress, it was still because he had painted too little. Many details still could not be reached, let alone the state of mind and other things.

After Luo Yan answered Wen Liang’s question, she carefully explained the details to him. Wen Liang listened as Master slowly and clearly explained the problems he had encountered while painting. While shocked, he also carefully memorized everything in his heart.

Of course, Wen Liang was not the only one surprised. There was also Wen Liang’s wife, Miss Bai, as well as Luo Yan’s own wife and mother.

By the time the two finished, it was already noon. Luo Yan directly took everyone to a noodle shop to eat noodles. Mother Luo and her wife ordered plain vegetarian noodles, while Luo Yan and the Wen Liang couple ate meat noodles.

After eating a few bites of the plain noodles, Li Hanxue suddenly felt that Husband’s noodles were the most delicious. The plain noodles in front of her really were clear soup and bland water. They were truly so plain they could not be any plainer, without even a bit of oil.

Mother Luo had the same thought. Putting aside her daughter’s cooking, these plain noodles were not even as good as what she herself made.

Luo Yan noticed that her wife was not really moving her chopsticks and smiled inwardly. These plain noodles were hard to swallow; otherwise, her wife would not be eating this slowly. She glanced at Mother. Mother was the same, but she was not slow in eating the noodles.

The meat noodles Luo Yan was eating tasted all right, but they could only be described as very ordinary. Thinking this, Luo Yan held her wife’s arm. After her wife put down her chopsticks, Luo Yan switched their two bowls.

“I’ll try these plain noodles. You eat my meat noodles.”

…!

Husband noticed again! “Okay.”

After eating two bites, Hanxue once again felt something was not quite right. Husband had noticed, but Husband was also eating what she had already eaten! …

And, and now she herself was also eating the noodles Husband had eaten from. Instantly, Hanxue felt that the meat noodles in front of her still carried Husband’s taste…

Thinking of this, Hanxue’s ears reddened inside, and she ate the meat noodles shyly.

After Luo Yan ate the plain noodles, she felt they were truly terrible! If this were her own world, the shop’s review page would definitely be full of bad reviews!

For example:

What kind of noodles are these? Too stingy! You can’t even bear to add a little oil!

Damn, the person above only mentioned no oil. Mine didn’t even have any flavor. Is salt very expensive? If not, I’ll buy a bag and send it to you.

…

Just thinking about it made her unable to hold back a laugh.

After eating the noodles, Wen Liang said goodbye to Luo Yan and went home to paint and study. In truth, the main reason was that Wen Liang was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would forget what Master had said.

That afternoon, Luo Yan took her wife and Mother Luo to stroll around the market. Luo Yan bought some more bamboo tubes. She also bought two chickens. They had eaten one two days ago, and the eggs from the remaining chicken were not enough. Luo Yan bought some apples too. In this season, apples were fragrant and sweet.

Mother Luo was very happy strolling around the market. She had not come to the market in a very long time. On ordinary days, she stayed home mending clothes in exchange for money to supplement the household expenses. Now that her daughter could earn money, she was very happy in her heart.

It was just that her daughter was also very good at spending money. In the past, she had never noticed that Xiao Yan could spend money this well. That afternoon, she bought many things: meat, ribs, chickens, apples, and so on. She also bought mung bean cakes and mung beans. Xiao Yan said she would also make mung bean cakes to sell after opening the shop.

Selling mung bean cakes? Mother Luo could not imagine it at all. When had Xiao Yan learned all these things? Mother Luo had never taught Xiao Yan these things, and the key point was that she herself did not know how to do them either.

She needed to find time to properly ask Xiao Yan again what exactly was going on.

In the afternoon, Luo Yan went to Boss Pu’s place to take a look. Boss Pu’s business was very good, so good that he was almost too busy to handle it.

Luo Yan did not want to disturb him. After greeting Boss Pu, she left.

That afternoon, Luo Yan placed the bamboo tubes, as well as some ingredients and materials, properly in the shop. Then she rode the donkey cart with Mother Luo and her wife and headed home.

When they returned home, it was still early and not yet dusk. Luo Yan took out the fifty-some wen left from the money earned today and gave it to Mother Luo.

Mother Luo did not want to accept it, but she could not win against her daughter. In the end, Mother Luo still accepted it.