Food bloggers made fortunes in ancient times

The convoy was getting closer and closer. The mule carts were stained with a gray hue by the wind and frost along the way. The drivers were wrapped in thick coats and hunched their necks. When they saw Song Yan standing in front of the yard, they hurriedly pulled the reins.

A thin man jumped off the first car, walked quickly to Song Yan, and reported: "Sir, the konjac has been transported back. It took some time on the road, but it's safe to say that it didn't delay the trip."

Song Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "It's good that you're back safely. Unload the car quickly. Everyone has worked hard."

Hearing the sound, everyone jumped out of the car and started unloading the konjac.

Baskets of konjac were taken off the mule cart and stacked in the yard, each wrapped in coarse cloth to prevent it from being bumped on the road.

Song Yan walked forward, stretched out her hand and gently pushed aside a corner of the coarse cloth, and saw that there was soil buried inside. If konjac is not stored properly, it will easily go bad, and burying it in soil can keep it fresh for longer.

"You must be exhausted and freezing after traveling all the way." Seeing their tired faces, Song Yan said, "Each of you will receive an extra reward. Go and have a rest. Drink some hot wine to cool off."

"Thank you, sir!" Everyone was delighted and thanked him one after another.

Song Yan waved her hand and told them to go and rest.

Afterwards, he called the guards and went to the workshop to ask Manager Liu to come over, and asked Manager Liu to bring a skilled assistant with him.

Soon, Manager Liu and Wei Taoer hurried over.

Song Yan originally thought that Manager Liu would bring Yang Huan or Li Chou, as these two people's cooking skills were top-notch among the waiters, but she didn't expect that it was Wei Taoer who came today.

However, Song Yan didn't care too much. Manager Liu was always prudent in his work, and he must have his reasons for bringing Wei Taoer here.

He pointed at the konjac on the ground, turned to Wei Taoer and said, "This is the konjac we just dug up from the south. I'll teach you how to process it later. You have to remember it and teach others when you go back."

Wei Taoer stood in front of Song Yan. Her usual hot temper was gone. She didn't know where to put her hands and feet and seemed extremely restrained.

After hearing Song Yan's instructions, he immediately nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice, and said eagerly and sincerely: "Boss, don't worry, I will definitely study hard!"

Song Yan smiled and had a good impression of Wei Taoer. This person was straightforward and impatient, and often quarreled with others, but he was not lazy when doing things and was very quick and efficient.

Without further ado, let’s get to work!

Song Yan took a konjac, peeled it, ground it into a fine paste, and then poured in the alkaline water prepared in advance. The alkaline water was made by soaking and filtering wood ash.

He poured and stirred it and said, "This konjac is somewhat toxic, so we need to add alkaline water to neutralize it."

He repeatedly reminded: "When adding the alkaline water, don't shake your hands. A little more or a little less will not work. Too much will make the konjac taste bitter, and too little will make the toxicity not completely removed, and you will get into trouble if you eat it."

Wei Taoer watched carefully from the side without blinking, for fear of missing any crucial step.

At this moment, he didn't dare to breathe. His lips moved slightly, and he silently repeated the key points Song Yan said in his heart.

Song Yan glanced at him and said with a smile: "Don't be so nervous. It's not difficult to learn as long as you put your heart into it."

"I'm afraid I can't remember it and ruin your business." Wei Taoer scratched his head, with a silly look on his face.

"Relax, you will remember it naturally after practicing a few more times." Song Yan then asked him, "Can you read?"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Song Yan realized that what he asked was nonsense. Wei Taoer came from a poor family, so how could he have the chance to learn to read?

However, Wei Taoer hesitated and said, "I only recognize a few words."

Song Yan was quite surprised: "Who taught you?"

Wei Taoer smiled shyly: "When I was a kid, there was a good friend in the village. His family had a little bit of money, so he could go to a private school."

"He taught me some simple words, like 'heaven', 'earth' and 'man'."

Wei Taoer went on to say, "But not long after I started learning, his family moved away, and I never had the chance to learn to read again."

"That's not bad, it's better than not knowing a single word." Song Yan, out of respect for talent, gave him a heads-up, "Mr. Gao has read a lot of books, and he has a 25-minute break at noon. You can take advantage of this time to ask him for advice."

"Be thick-skinned, ask more questions and learn more. In the future, you will develop your own abilities and benefit greatly."

Wei Taoer's eyes lit up all of a sudden, and she nodded heavily: "Boss is right! I usually want to learn more skills, but I haven't found the way. Thank you for your guidance."

"From now on, I will go to see Gao Ruowang every noon. Every extra word I learn will be considered a profit."

He was filled with gratitude, and felt that his boss valued him so much that he must not let him down.

Song Yan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Come on, young man! Opportunities are for those who are prepared."

If Wei Taoer can recognize all the characters, Song Yan wouldn't mind training him more in the future.

The konjac was almost mixed, and Song Yan moved the ceramic basin containing the konjac paste to the corner of the yard, which was both cool and ventilated.

After two hours, the konjac will solidify into shape.

Taking advantage of this waiting time, Song Yan called Manager Liu to the main hall to discuss the subsequent production arrangements of the workshop.

After Song Yan sat down, he got straight to the point and said, "I see the weather is getting colder and colder, and I don't know when it will snow. You guys should make some more spicy noodles and potato chips and put them aside."

The weather is cold recently, so you don’t have to worry about making too much and not being able to keep it.

"In the next ten days, you can send two more people to help you deliver goods. There are many refugees outside and the roads are not safe. More people will help you take care of them."

"Manager Liu, please pick a guard to accompany you, and we will make sure everything goes well."

Manager Liu nodded and said, "Don't worry, sir. I've taken note of it and will make sure it's all arranged."

"By the way, have you prepared enough firewood for the workshop?"

"Go back to the boss, everything is ready, enough for a while."

"That's not enough. Prepare some more." Song Yan frowned. "I think it's going to snow. If the road is blocked by heavy snow, we need to have enough firewood."

Manager Liu was suddenly puzzled. It was only October, how could it snow so early? And even if it snowed, it wouldn't be necessary to close the road.

However, as the manager, he naturally followed the boss's instructions, and immediately responded, "Yes, boss, I will arrange for someone to store more firewood."

After finishing their business, Manager Liu and Wei Taoer went back to the workshop. Wei Taoer would come over again in the evening to continue learning how to make konjac cake.

On the other side, Wei Taoer returned to the workshop at noon and ran into Gao Ruowang who was about to have lunch.