Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 123 The 1st Order

Shen Yu was relieved and quickly responded: "What's so difficult about this? I'll help my sister do it. After delivering meals at noon every day, I'll be free."

Shen Yu paused, then continued, "Sister, if you need a few boxes, I will make them and send them to you tomorrow. I don't know who you want to send them to. I have three different sets of cake molds that can be made into different combinations."

Shen Yu thought about the appearance of the cake molds at home and listed them one by one: "For example, if there are elderly people at home, you can choose ones with longevity peaches, gourds, deer, or the three stars of fortune, wealth and longevity."

"If you have children, choose bunnies, crabs, fish, butterflies, puppies, and kittens."

"For a young lady like you, you can choose something with flowers. What do you think, sister?"

When Mrs. He heard that there were so many new things, she was even more delighted.

She said hurriedly, "Sister, sit down for a moment. I'll write out a list and see how many boxes you need and what they look like."

As she spoke, she called in a maid, who was about the same age as Shen Yu. He said, "Lanxiang, prepare the writing brush and ink."

Lanxiang agreed and went to the west room. He told Qiqi and Yucheng to play here, and then took Shen Yu to the west room.

The west room is a study, which is probably where the head of the police department usually uses to entertain guests.

There was no decoration inside, and only a few books were placed on the bookshelf. However, there was a huge map hanging on the wall, and there was also a large desk.

He asked Shen Yu to sit freely. Lanxiang ground the ink beside the desk. She sat beside the desk, thinking and writing, revising it from time to time. After a short while, He had finished writing.

He put down his pen, picked it up and looked at it again, then said with a smile, "Sister, let's make twenty boxes first, just as you said. There will be eight boxes of blessing and longevity, six boxes of bunnies and fish, and the remaining six boxes will have peony, osmanthus, albizzia, and plum blossoms. There will be nine small reunion cakes in one box. For the rest, you can make whatever you like. You know more about these things than I do."

Shen Yu agreed with a smile and prepared to leave.

He said, "Don't worry, sister. I will give you the money first."

Shen Yu blushed, and she said honestly: "I made this for my sister. I never thought about how much a box would cost. Otherwise, I'll make it first and send it to you. You can pay me according to the cost of the ingredients used in the cakes and pastries."

He patted Shen Yu's hand affectionately and said, "Silly sister, if you only give me two boxes, even if each box is ten taels of silver, I won't ask for money. If I ask for it, wouldn't that be a loss for you?"

He paused and made plans for Shen Yu: "But with such a nice pattern and such good craftsmanship, it would be a loss to only make two boxes for me."

"Go back and make them quickly. I'll give them as Mid-Autumn Festival gifts. Maybe the ladies will ask you to make them for them after seeing such a novel little reunion cake. Wouldn't it be better if I could earn some money with my craftsmanship before Mid-Autumn Festival and have a good time during the festival?"

The fact that He said this clearly showed that she truly regarded Shen Yu as her own sister and cared about her.

Shen Yu was deeply moved. Although she did not have the concept of class hierarchy, in this feudal era, there was still a big gap between an ordinary citizen selling things on the street and a wife of an official working in the government.

Before she came, she was worried that He recognized her as her sister in front of everyone in the market just because she saved Qiqi.

If they come as guests without outsiders, they will be treated coldly.

When Shen Yu was making the small reunion cakes, she only planned to take some orders from neighbors and shops at the market and give them to He as a thank-you gift, but she never thought of selling them to her. Unexpectedly, He planned it seriously for her and did not look down on a small vendor.

Shen Yu was moved and said, "Third sister, thank you. It is my blessing to have a sister like you."

He smiled and said, "It is my blessing to meet you. Let's stop talking about this. Tell me how much money is per box. I will get the money for you. Making twenty boxes is not a small amount. I need to buy a lot of ingredients. I have to give you the money first."

Shen Yu nodded and said with a smile: "Third sister, how about this, I will only buy the ingredients and the boxes for these twenty boxes of small reunion cakes. If there are ladies who really order them later, I will make some more money. If you don't agree, I won't do it."

After saying that, she pouted like a little girl and looked at He with determination.

Seeing that she couldn't get the upper hand, He smiled and said, "Okay, okay, then tell me how much money is needed for one box."

Shen Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "I haven't calculated it carefully. If a box uses more fresh milk and the salted egg yolk filling is more expensive, the cost of a box is about one hundred coins."

He asked in return, "Sister, did you get this box of cakes for free? This should also be included in the calculation."

Seeing that Shen Yu refused to give a proper price, He took her sister's money and set the price for her: "Let's say the cost of a box is 200 coins. A box of small reunion cakes like this would cost at least 600 or 700 coins in a bakery. If the ladies decide, say it's 680 coins a box. Remember, don't refute me again."

As he said this, he ordered Lanxiang who was standing beside him, "Go to the bedside cabinet in my room and get ten taels of silver." He took the key tied to his waist and handed it over.

Lanxiang agreed, took the key and left.

Shen Yu blushed and hurriedly tried to stop him, "Didn't we agree to only charge one hundred coins per box? Twenty boxes would only be two taels of silver, how come it became ten taels?"

He smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister. I promise that I will only pay you the cost for these twenty boxes. I won't pay more. I will give you ten taels of silver as the capital. If those ladies order small reunion cakes, we will also have to buy ingredients. This silver is considered as a loan from my sister."

"It's agreed that the cost of one box is two hundred coins, and twenty boxes is four taels of silver. You will pay me six taels when the time comes."

He pretended to be petty and started to count the accounts.

What else could Shen Yu say? Besides, he was just too fussy, so he had to nod and agree, smiling, "Just as my sister said, if the ladies really decide, I will do my best and live up to my sister's expectations of me."

When He saw Shen Yu agreed, she smiled with satisfaction.

Lanxiang took out the silver, which was a small bag of small coins.

He handed it to Shen Yu and said with a smile, "Silver coins are convenient to use, keep them well, sister."

Shen Yu had no choice but to take it and put the small purse in his arms.

The two of them came to the main hall together, but the two children were not in the house. When they came out, they saw the two children surrounding the pomegranate tree, looking up, and talking about something.

Shen Yu called out, "Yucheng, it's getting late, we have to go back."

Qiqi, however, held onto Yucheng's arm and said reluctantly, "Uncle, please don't leave. Play with me for a while longer."