Baozi Xishi's Struggle

While Shen Yu was calculating the accounts, Li had been sitting beside her, fanning her with a palm-leaf fan, and remained silent, fearing that any sound would be wrong.

After Shen Yu finished calculating and put down his pen, seeing that Shen Yu was stunned and didn't say anything, Li couldn't help but ask, "How much have all the stores ordered tomorrow?"

Shen Yu came back to her senses. She knew that this was what Li was most concerned about. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "Mother must be getting anxious right now. She's most concerned about how much more money she can earn from ordering meals."

Li couldn't help but pat Shen Yu's arm with her palm leaf fan, and scolded with a smile: "You silly girl, you come to make fun of me, tell me now."

Shen Yu chuckled and dodged, saying briskly: "Mom, the quantity we order for lunch tomorrow will be the same as the amount sold at the food stall in the morning, and we will also need to steam twelve baskets. In addition, I will trouble you to make the mung bean porridge tomorrow."

Li was delighted when she heard this. She fanned herself with the palm-leaf fan and said loudly, "Oh, I didn't expect so many orders on the first day. Wouldn't our earnings tomorrow be doubled?"

Shen Yu nodded with a smile, and then discussed with Li about how to come back tomorrow to steam buns and deliver the meal at noon.

After the discussion, they called Yucheng and prepared to go out together to the butcher's shop and several other stores that supplied vegetable fillings to inform them and adjust the quantity of ingredients to be delivered today. By the way, they also let Yucheng get familiar with the way, because he would be the one to do such errands in the future.

Ever since Yu Cheng followed Shen Yu to the county town, his whole demeanor has changed.

The unhealthy yellow complexion that Shen Yu had when he first met him finally began to fade away after a few days of eating full meals, and his face began to turn rosy.

Although he is still thin and small, he is full of energy and loves to talk and laugh. He is no longer listless and timid as before.

Yucheng and Shen Yu walked on the street, looking around excitedly.

Since he came to the county town, he had only come here once with his mother and second sister, before the food stall opened.

Because Yucheng had to help push the cart and it was his first time to go to such a busy place, he was only focused on the road and was nervous. He had no memory of what the shops on both sides looked like and he didn't even look at them carefully.

This time when I came out with Shen Yu, the situation was different.

The brother and sister walked along the roadside under the shade of trees. Shen Yu pointed out the shops on both sides to Yu Cheng from time to time, asking him to remember. He said to Yu Cheng solemnly, "Little brother, we will start delivering meals at noon from tomorrow. The number of people in these shops is not fixed every day, and they may not order our meals every day."

Shen Yu paused, and continued, "At the beginning, we can't estimate tomorrow's quantity accurately, so we have to temporarily increase or decrease the daily amount of ingredients. You will be responsible for notifying the store of the increase or decrease in quantity."

She told Yu Cheng, "Don't make a mistake with the quantity. If you make a mistake with the quantity of ingredients, you won't be able to steam the buns tomorrow and won't be able to deliver them to people."

At first, Yucheng was just looking at the shops on both sides with a relaxed look on his face. Later, after listening to the elder sister's serious words, he felt that he had a great responsibility and that he was an adult.

He nodded seriously, not looking at the shops on both sides, and began to remember the way carefully. After walking two steps, he asked Shen Yu with some embarrassment: "Sister, what if there are all kinds of ingredients that have been changed and I can't remember them? What should I do if I get confused?"

Shen Yu took the opportunity to give a cultural education: "A good memory is not as good as a bad pen. Look, if you can write, take a pen and write it down on paper, you won't forget it, and you won't get it mixed up."

Yu Cheng nodded in sudden realization and said with admiration: "Big sister, you are amazing and know everything. You taught me to write from one to ten yesterday and I can recognize them all. I will continue to learn to write when I go back, but there are so many strokes that I can never write well."

Shen Yu knew that Yu Cheng had learned a few words from his father, but they were only learned when he was a child. He hadn't touched a pen for several years and had almost forgotten them all. But after being taught again, he still had some basic knowledge.

She smiled gently and encouraged: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. As long as you are willing to learn and study hard, you will always learn it."

Yu Cheng nodded, thinking to himself that he would practice the characters a few more times when he got back, and remember the route carefully, and stopped talking.

When they arrived at the butcher's shop, the shopkeeper was surprised and delighted to hear that Shen Yu was going to prepare twice as much pork stuffing today.

What was surprising was that the pork, which was usually not very fragrant, was made into delicious meat buns in the hands of Miss Shen. The sales volume increased after only a few days of opening. It seemed that there were many more customers who liked to eat her meat buns. The good news was that his family's business also benefited from it and sold twice as much.

Shen Yu took Yucheng to the butcher shop, fruit shop, and vegetable shop that supplied her family with vegetables, and decided on the quantity to be delivered today. He also introduced his younger brother Shen Yucheng to the shopkeepers and clerks of each shop, and agreed that if the quantity needed increased or decreased in the future, Yucheng would notify them.

Yucheng was a little shy at first. When Shen Yu pulled him to the front and introduced him in a tone like an adult, his face turned red with shame, his hands nervously pinched his collar, he didn't dare to look up at people, and he stammered when he answered.

Shen Yu knew that Yu Cheng had lived in the village since he was born and had never come into contact with so many strangers. Usually, the adults treated him as a naughty boy, but today they treated him seriously, like an equal adult, so it was normal for him to be nervous and stage-frightened.

The brother and sister walked out of the store and saw that no one was around. Yu Cheng asked Shen Yu in frustration, "Sister, was I embarrassed just now? I couldn't even speak clearly. They must be laughing at me."

Shen Yu stopped and said to Yu Cheng patiently with a smile: "Yu Cheng, don't be nervous. You are the buyer and they are the sellers. As long as they are not unreasonable, you can tell him that the amount of ingredients to be purchased today should be increased. They will be happy."

"You just don't go out much on weekdays. You won't be like this after you have more experience. How can you be embarrassed? When my elder sister first started working in the restaurant, she was not as good as you. You have done very well."

Yu Cheng's face lit up after hearing this. His depressed look was gone and his eyes brightened up. He said with some disbelief, "Really, sister? You are not lying to me, are you? I know how I felt just now."

Shen Yu couldn't help but burst out laughing, and gently pushed Yu Cheng forward, asking him to continue walking forward.

Then he said to Yu Cheng, "It's true. You are just not satisfied with yourself. Look at those shopkeepers and employees. Not a single one is laughing at you. They all greet you with smiles and call you Brother Shen."

Only then did Yu Cheng become truly happy and returned to his talkative and cheerful childish nature.

Yu Cheng chattered non-stop along the way, pointing out interesting things that Shen Yu had never seen before, and patted his chest to assure Shen Yu that he had memorized the directions to all the shops and would not get lost or lose track of a shop.

The brother and sister chatted and laughed all the way back to the market, and then went to the Lin family's old shop that sold kitchen utensils, ordered six steamers, paid a deposit, and asked the waiter to deliver them to their home in Liushu Lane later.

The two returned home and took a short rest. The servants who delivered the food also came over with the ingredients ordered for today, and the courtyard suddenly became lively.