After arriving at the county town, Shi's father told Uncle Cai that they would meet at the place where the cattle carts were parked at noon and go back together.
Because Shi’s father and his daughter were giving money, Uncle Cai nodded in agreement.
The fields here don't produce much, and after paying the taxes, the family doesn't have much food.
Not to mention, it is more difficult for them to make money in the countryside than in the sky, and every penny they can earn is a penny.
Anyway, it's just a matter of the cow exerting some strength. Just go back and let the children at home cut more tender grass for the cow to eat.
After separating from Uncle Cai, Shi's father asked passers-by and then led Shi Jiang towards the grocery store.
Grain and seasonings are basically available in grocery stores.
Shi Jiang was also very curious. He followed Shi's father and looked around at the town of An County.
The county seat of Anxian County is really too shabby. It is said to be a county seat, but in fact it is almost like a town. There is only one main street. You can walk from one end to the other and you are done.
At the very end of the main street is the county government office. This main street is considered the busiest place in the county.
About a thousand meters to the left from the county government office, there is Qingfeng Academy. It can be said that all the scholars in An County study in this academy.
A little way to the right of the county government office is the largest restaurant in An County. It has accommodations and is owned by the county magistrate's wife and brother.
However, business is usually very slow.
The main business of the restaurant is those businessmen who come to Jingzhou to do business.
They usually go outside the customs to collect their fur. It is inconvenient to carry too much stuff there, so they will ask for a few rooms here as a temporary place to stay.
Shi's father just bought some grain and seasonings, and found out everything about An County.
"Jiang Er, you heard me. If you do business here, if you do business with locals, you will probably lose money no matter how much money you make. But if you do business with businessmen, you will have trouble with the county magistrate. You have to know
, we are here now, even a mere county magistrate can make life difficult for our family, do you understand?"
After walking out of the grocery store, Shi's father lowered his voice and told her the truth in detail to his daughter who was full of excitement.
After hearing Shi's father's words, Shi Jiang shook his head.
"Dad, the local villagers are indeed reluctant to pay, but you said that for some people, if they want to buy something, will their family members still pay for it even if they are reluctant? Besides, who says?
If we do business, we must have trouble with the county magistrate? We can definitely share our profits with the county magistrate. I think the county magistrate will not hate earning more money."
Hearing what his daughter said, Shi's father was stunned for a moment, and then he immediately reacted and looked to the left of the county government office.
"You mean, you're in the business of being a scholar?"
Shi Jiang nodded vigorously. While Shi's father was asking the owner of the grocery store for news, she was not idle either.
I learned from the waiter that Qingfeng Academy does not provide meals, so these scholars have to bring their own lunch boxes when they come to study.
If it is winter, you have to eat cold meals.
If it is summer, you are likely to eat spoiled food.
But if you don't eat, you will be hungry.
Many students have no choice but to ask their families to make thick flour pancakes that are not afraid of filling.
At least you won't have to worry about eating this kind of pancake in the summer, and you can barely eat it in the winter after soaking it in water to soften it and biting it.
It’s just that it’s just tasteless!
What Shi Jiang wanted to make was bean paste, the kind with garlic and chili.
The cost is cheap and the selling price is not very expensive.
It is most suitable for the students in this college. In addition to these students, there are also the caravans leaving the customs.
Outside of customs, there are endless grasslands, and all you can eat is steamed buns, steamed buns, and noodles!
If you add some garlic bean paste to these things, you will definitely not let the bird taste in your mouth.
Of course, she would not foolishly go looking for those fleets of merchants.
After all, Shi Jiang didn't know very well how many times they came here a year.
It would be more stable to do business with the county magistrate's wife's brother who now opens a restaurant here.
Shi Jiang was confident that as long as this garlic bean paste was popularized, his family would be able to make a lot of money just by guarding the border with a hundred thousand troops, and they would not have to worry about food and drink in the future.
But now, they have to take the first step on the Great Wall.
I went back to buy soybeans, garlic and chili peppers. I made them first and sold them here in the academy. I earned some money and then discussed the second step.
Shi's father's eyes flickered and he asked solemnly.
"Jiang'er, where did you get the recipe for garlic bean paste?"
Shi Jiang pouted and said, "When I went to my grandmother's house in Jiangnan, I saw it in the miscellaneous books I bought. However, you never liked me reading those kinds of miscellaneous books, so I didn't dare to bring them home."
Shi's father recalled that when he was at home, his daughter liked to read those messy travel notes. He even said something about her once, which made her angry with him for more than half a month before she calmed down.
"Okay, let's buy the things back. You can try it first. If it doesn't work, don't be sad. Dad promises that you and your mother won't suffer."
Shi's father touched the top of his daughter's head and said with a smile.
After saying that, he turned around and went into the grocery store again, and bought some of the ingredients Shi Jiang requested.
After buying it, Shi's father took Shi Jiang to the butcher's shop and bought some meat.
Looking at the stick bones, pig hearts, livers, and large intestines on the butcher stall, Shi Jiang resisted the urge to point out these items and ask the butcher shop owner how to sell them.
After all, the recipe for making garlic bean paste can be said to be found in miscellaneous books.
But how did she, a rich lady from a high-ranking official's family, learn how to make these stick bones and pig offal?
It can be said that if it had not been for this exile, Shi Jiang would have never had the opportunity to contact these butcher shops.
After all, for a rich lady like her, the meat is already cooked and brought to her.
If she asked Shi's father to buy these things, it would definitely make Shi's father and Shi's mother doubt whether the person in front of them was their daughter.
So, she had to hold it in.
Maybe it was because Shi Jiang's eyes were too hot when he looked at the bone. After Shi Jiang bought a pound of fat meat, he paused and spent another five cents to have the butcher shop owner tie the bone together.
.
The butcher shop owner didn't expect that someone would be willing to spend five cents on these stick bones, so he smiled and gave him two more fan bones as a bonus.
After all, there is little meat on the bone, and most of the time no one buys it. At night, he can only throw it to the family dog for extra meals.
Fortunately, Shi's father was smart and didn't forget to bring a backpack even though he came in Uncle Cai's ox cart.
Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to carry so many things by himself.
As for asking Shi Jiang to help carry things, Shi's father never even thought about it.