Relieved to know Zhang Liunian was unharmed, Zhao Zhijie’s heart settled.
“That’s good.” Zhao Zhijie sat down again and began settling the payment for four days of goods with Zhang Liunian. It was still 1,100 catties of crayfish and 200 catties of braised meat, totaling 3,360 yuan.
Zhao Zhijie took quite some time to count out the over three thousand yuan, and Zhang Liunian took it and put it directly into his pocket.
Seeing this, Zhao Zhijie’s smile deepened, “The lobster sauce you made last time was delicious. I shared it with my apprentices, and Mingliang and the others are interested in continuing to cooperate with you.
Also, did you bring the ingredients I mentioned last time? They’ve been waiting for them!”
“I brought them, I brought them.”
This was truly unexpected joy. He had originally planned to promote them at the supply and marketing cooperative and at small shops. If he could cooperate with the state-run restaurant, it would also be an avenue.
“Hurry and go see Mingliang, he’s waiting!” Zhao Zhijie urged Zhang Liunian to leave with a smile.
Zhang Liunian didn’t linger. He turned and, with the braised meat, ingredients, and lobster sauce, found Mu Mingliang, who was busy working.
“Liunian, you’re finally here. If you didn’t come soon, I was going to find you myself,” Mu Mingliang said, wiping his hands with the apron he was wearing. He came to Zhang Liunian’s side and took his arm, leading him away.
Zhang Liunian followed him to a secluded spot and smiled, “Something happened, and it delayed me for three days. I brought the ingredients you wanted, as well as the braised meat and the lobster sauce I just developed.”
“Really? Come on, let me see!” Mu Mingliang said, then tugged Zhang Liunian toward the tractor again, but he didn’t touch Zhang Liunian’s left hand, instead pulling his right.
Because Zhang Liunian’s left hand was still in a sling, it was clearly injured, so he naturally wouldn’t touch it.
Zhang Liunian was pulled this way and that, feeling helpless throughout. “Xiao Qian, take the things out for Mingliang.”
“Okay,” Zhang Qian cooperated and took out the items for Mu Mingliang to see.
The latter looked at the ingredients and then at the lobster sauce. With a wave of his hand, he said, “Send the braised meat in first to be weighed. Give me five small barrels of ingredients and ten bottles of lobster sauce.”
“Xiao Qian, Ziten, help Mingliang carry them in.” Seeing how pleased he was, Zhang Liunian turned and asked Zhang Qian and Du Ziteng to move the goods, while he discussed prices with Mu Mingliang.
“The ingredients are half a catty per barrel, and two yuan is fine. The lobster sauce is one and a half yuan. These are my tentative prices, so if you have any thoughts, feel free to express them.” Zhang Liunian felt he had given the lowest prices, but knowing it was one thing, and he couldn’t guarantee that others would also see them as low prices.
As a chef, Mu Mingliang had a good grasp of food prices. Upon hearing the prices Zhang Liunian had just quoted, he knew the other party hadn’t inflated them.
“These prices are acceptable, I agree.” Mu Mingliang reached out and patted Zhang Liunian’s shoulder.
Zhang Liunian smiled, “I’ll treat you all to a meal tomorrow.” This ‘all’ included Zhao Zhijie and others.
Mu Mingliang laughed heartily, “Right, my senior and junior fellow apprentices also want ingredients and lobster sauce. What’s your plan? Are you going to deliver them yourself, or should they come to pick them up?”
“First, I’ll trouble you to ask them how many bottles they want. I’ll deliver them tomorrow morning along with the live shrimp.
Oh, and tomorrow I’ll look for a shop here. It will be much more convenient to install a telephone then.”
Constantly troubling others wasn’t a solution. Zhang Liunian intended to find a shop here quickly. Then, with a telephone installed at home and here, he wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to find a place to take orders and would avoid troubling Mu Mingliang and the others.
“It’s a small matter, you don’t need to rush,” Mu Mingliang said. Having interacted with him for some time, Mu Mingliang knew Zhang Liunian was a very considerate person who would think of things without them having to mention them.
Just like looking for a shop he had mentioned earlier, and now wanting to install a telephone.
However, speaking of shops, he did know of one that would suit him. “Are you sure you want to look for a shop in the county town?”
“Of course, do you have any suitable ones to recommend?” Seeing him ask, Zhang Liunian knew he must know something.
Mu Mingliang smiled and replied, “I actually do. It’s right next to us, see? This one.”
Saying so, he turned and pointed to a shop that was a post office.
Zhang Liunian was confused, “Are post offices failing these days?”
Impossible. This was a time when communication was the least developed, and most communication relied on letters. How could a post office fail at this time?
“It’s not failing, they’re moving to a bigger place.” Mu Mingliang was amused by Zhang Liunian’s question. The post office was a state-run institution; how could it fail?
“Oh, how much is the rent per year?” Zhang Liunian looked around the shop, which was about sixty square meters. It wasn’t very large, but it would be suitable for him to sell crayfish.
“Eight hundred yuan a year,” Mu Mingliang had actually inquired about the situation.
Zhang Liunian was delighted. Eight hundred yuan a year was acceptable. “When are they moving out?”
Mu Mingliang could see he was genuinely interested, and he was happy because this would make it easier for him to help Zhang Liunian sell crayfish. “The landlord gave them three days.”
“Mingliang, do you know who the landlord is? I want to rent it now.” With money in his pocket, he wasn’t worried. Seeing a suitable shop, he immediately expressed his desire to rent it.
“Of course, I do. But you’ll have to wait a moment. After we settle the accounts with you, I’ll take you to see him. This landlord was originally friends with our manager, so he often dines at our restaurant. We’re all familiar with him.”
Seeing that he was determined to take it, Mu Mingliang led him back into the building. He first reported the ingredients and lobster sauce to his superiors, and then settled with Zhang Liunian. Fifty catties of braised meat, ten bottles of lobster sauce, and five barrels of ingredients totaled 125 yuan.
After receiving the money, Zhang Liunian waited outside for a moment, and then he and Mu Mingliang went to find the landlord.
The landlord of the post office was a thin, dark, and simple middle-aged man. At that moment, he was arguing with a young man in his courtyard about something.
“I want to marry her.”
“Don’t you know her family’s situation? Have you thought about the consequences of marrying her?”
“I don’t care.”
“…”
Hearing their conversation, Mu Mingliang looked awkwardly at Zhang Liunian, thinking they had arrived at an inopportune moment.
But since they were already there, he had no choice but to brace himself, push open the half-meter-high courtyard gate, and walk in to greet them proactively, “Hello, Brother Li.”
Hearing Mu Mingliang’s voice, Li Kuai shou stopped lecturing his son and turned to look at the newcomers. “Hello, Comrade Mu, long time no see.”
After saying this, he also glanced at Zhang Liunian beside Mu Mingliang and noticed that he was exceptionally handsome and had an extraordinary demeanor. He couldn’t help but curiously ask, “Who is he?”
Before Mu Mingliang could introduce him, Li Kuai shou heard his son exclaim from behind, “Why are you at my house?”
Zhang Liunian smiled. It was a narrow path indeed, having ended up at Li Qi’s house. So, the ‘Brother Li’ Mu Mingliang had mentioned must be Li Qi’s father.