Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

Old Madam Xia stood up and wrung out a handkerchief for each of them to wipe their faces. Seeing her granddaughter's flushed face, she couldn't help but say, "It's such a hot day, and you're just impatient and insist on going out to watch the fun."

"Grandmother, since we're in Chang'an, how can we not go out and take a look? Besides, Erlang is setting up the stall alone, so it would be easier if I help him, right, Erlang?"

Jiang Wangri had indeed been helped today, and upon hearing this, he quickly testified: "My cousin is very quick at calculating money, much better than me, only slightly worse than my sister."

Jiang's mother laughed out loud when she heard this. "I don't know what's wrong with your sister's brain. I gave birth to both of you, but she's so much smarter than you. I don't even see her snap her fingers and count two breaths and think she's done."

"Oh, Nian Nu is so capable... I originally thought Zhenying was fast enough to count money, hehe." Mrs. Jiang was also surprised. She knew her granddaughter well. She didn't realize this ability when she was young.

It was since her daughter-in-law fell ill that she had to take care of the housework and take care of her daughter-in-law every day, so the shopping and medicine had to be left to her granddaughter.

Only then did she realize that her granddaughter managed the money very clearly. Every time she took the money out to buy something, she would report the expenses to her one by one and she had never made a mistake.

It was only by calculating the expenses along the way that we were able to reach Chang'an.

Xia Zhenying was very diligent. After taking a short rest, she started helping Jiang's mother burn firewood and took the initiative to push the cart to the canal to fetch water.

When he learned that there were stalls and shops selling breakfast near the gate of Yong'anfang every morning before daybreak, he became interested again.

The next day, he got up very early and used the ten copper coins he had saved to buy some.

Although Xia Zhenying is young, she is a very wonderful person.

He went out with two bowls and ten copper coins and bought a lot of food.

It’s not that the portions are big, but that there are so many varieties. I don’t know how she told people that she only bought half of the things that were usually sold in portions.

After returning, he asked Jiang's mother for a bowl, took out a little of each dish to taste it, and then started talking to Jiang's mother: "Aunt, is the food made by my cousin better than these?"

Jiang's mother took a look at the breakfast she bought, which included shredded chicken and egg drop noodles, sesame pancakes, steamed cakes (steamed cakes in the Tang Dynasty included steamed buns, dumplings, flower rolls, siomai, steamed dumplings and many other pasta made with fermented dough), and pancakes.

Fortunately, this girl didn't buy any steamed buns. It's very convenient to make it at home. The last time the two children bought some to eat, she was so sad. It seems that her niece is smart.

"Of course your cousin's cooking is a hundred times more delicious. She's the chef at Lexianlou."

In her heart, she despised her daughter for being wasteful, but Jiang's mother was generous in her praise: "You'll know once you spend more time in Chang'an. Lexianlou is the best restaurant in Chang'an. I don't know how many dignitaries and nobles have eaten there!"

"My cousin is really capable! And my aunt is really amazing. She raised both my cousin and my brother so well."

Hearing Jiang's mother's answer, Xia Zhenying felt relieved and diligently helped Jiang's mother make breakfast. "Aunt, what do you think if I set up a small stall outside our neighborhood to sell breakfast?"

What?

Jiang's mother paused as she smoothed the noodles, looking rather surprised. "Why would you want to run a breakfast stall? It's so tiring."

In the catering industry, the most difficult job is making breakfast. Preparations often begin in the middle of the night, and the stall must be set up before dawn.

But this was not the main reason for her surprise. It was because her niece was only in Chang'an for the third day at most, and she was already planning to start a small business?

What kind of efficiency is this?

Although she was surprised, she didn't object. She was determined to make money and not just stay at home and wait for death, which showed that she was quite ambitious.

Xia Zhenying chuckled, added a piece of firewood to the stove, and said, "Aunt, life is not easy for anyone. If my grandmother and I were in a temporary crisis, we could shamelessly ask you to take care of us. But if it's not the case, then we need to find a way to make a living and earn some money, right?"

Jiang Shangxian, who was already feeling hungry after taking two steps after opening his eyes, heard the last sentence when he reached the kitchen door. He couldn't help but nod: "What my cousin said makes sense. Only if you can earn money yourself can you live a good life."

Mountains will fall if you rely on them, people will run away if you rely on them. It is better to rely on yourself than to rely on others. No matter how rich others are, it is not as good as what you have in your hands.

Jiang's mother looked at her with disheveled hair, eye mucus in the corners of her eyes, and her lazy yawning appearance with a bit of disgust. She waved her hands at her as if chasing away chickens: "I don't know where you learned this from. A young lady of your age doesn't even know how to wash and dress properly before coming out."

"Cousin!" Xia Zhenying's eyes lit up when she saw her, even brighter than Ultraman's. She stood up and ran over, circling behind her.

Jiang Shangxian walked to the water tank in a daze. After washing his face with cold water, he realized that there was a little tail following him. "What's the matter? Do you want to talk to me about something?"

How could she not know what could possibly happen between her and this cousin? They hadn't even spoken more than ten sentences!

Xia Zhenying nodded, her cheeks flushed, her fists clenched, a little embarrassed, but still bravely said: "Cousin, I want to open a breakfast stall, right next to the gate."

"Well, that's good." Jiang Shangxian nodded. If she could stand the hardship of making breakfast day and night, she would also think that the breakfast business was pretty good.

"Cousin, can you teach me how to make breakfast?" Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. After saying the first sentence, Xia Zhenying's nervousness suddenly eased a lot.

It doesn’t matter if you get rejected. At worst, you can think of another way to see if you can be an apprentice in a small restaurant or find other ways to make money.

Jiang Shangxian didn't agree immediately, but asked her instead, "Even if it's just a small stall, it still requires capital. Do you have the money?"

"No."

She answered promptly and offered a solution: "I'm going to ask my aunt to lend me some money. I'll pay it back when I make some money. If I don't, I'll find other work to earn the money. If I can't find any work, my aunt will wait for me for four or five years. When I'm old enough to get married, I'll return the betrothal gifts to you."

When Jiang's mother heard this, she couldn't help but stick her head out and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? How old are you and you're already thinking about the betrothal gift?"

It’s a good thing there’s no one around to watch this kid, otherwise others would laugh at him.

Hiss, Jiang Shangxian looked at his cousin with admiration. What kind of powerful person is this?

She had always thought that this cousin was a weak young lady! It turned out that this cousin was a future business woman!

"Cousin, I won't learn your skills for nothing. I'll split the money I earn from setting up the stall into two parts, how about it?" Xia Zhenying stared at her cousin with burning eyes.

Jiang Shangxian and his mother exchanged a glance, and when she nodded, he said, "Okay, we'll split it 20-80."

"what?"

Xia Zhenying didn't expect it to be so easy to succeed. She was stunned for a moment, then ecstatic. Her little face flushed with excitement, her mouth wide open, and she patted her chest to express her gratitude: "Cousin, you are so kind! Don't worry, I will definitely not cook the books to fool you!"

Jiang Shangxian: "......"