My sister became the empress, but I'm still growing vegetables and raising chickens

The preliminary round was not surprising, both of them passed, and the family returned to the shop happily. The two branches of the Zhu family also came. Aunt Zhu and Aunt Zhu had prepared the food and kept it warm in the pot. When they saw everyone coming back, they quickly brought it out.

"You've been busy all day and haven't had a hot meal yet. Come and eat!"

Aunt Zhu smiled and said, "We are not as good as you in cooking, so you have to make do with us."

She used to only dare to wash dishes in the kitchen, and she would feel suffocated if she was asked to talk to guests.

Now that she had her own porridge shop, she had to bite the bullet and go to work. She couldn't rely on her second brother and his wife and her husband for everything. So after practicing for a while, she was able to face all kinds of customers with confidence.

Second Brother Zhu came over early in the morning and prepared everything needed to open the restaurant tonight. Dachun also helped wash the vegetables and was taking credit for it in front of his younger sister.

"Sister Wan'er, when I grow up a little bit, I'll come work for you in the food store, okay?"

My younger sister asked, "Can you work?"

"Yes, I can take care of my younger brothers and sisters now, and I can also help with the dishes and chopping vegetables, but my parents and uncles say it's too much and won't let me do it. When I'm older, I'll be able to do everything."

My younger sister asked, "How old are you?"

"I'll be eight years old in a new year!"

My younger sister said, "So, even if you can do odd jobs at ten, cook at fifteen or twenty, and become a chef at twenty-five, can you really become a great cook?"

Dachun hesitated. Cutting vegetables and preparing side dishes were all skills he had practiced, so being a chef...should be possible too.

"I tried very hard."

The younger sister asked him to bring the bowl over and took a few chopsticks of food: "When you were at my house, you ate the meals made by Aunt Jin. Now these meals are made by your parents. Do you think there is a difference?"

“…” Dachun was confused.

Of course he knew that his parents' cooking was not as good as Aunt Jin's, and even if he tried hard, he probably couldn't compare.

"To be a chef, do I have to be better than Aunt Jin and the others?"

The younger sister shook her head: "No, if it's a cook in a small restaurant, it wouldn't be so troublesome. If it's a porridge shop, it's even simpler. All you have to do is get up early and work hard."

"Then...should I stay in the porridge shop?"

The younger sister turned around and asked Brother Zhu to get his account book from inside and handed it to Dachun: "Can you understand it?"

Dachun was illiterate, so of course he couldn't understand it, but he also didn't understand what his younger sister meant, so he just looked at her in confusion.

"The porridge shop has been running from here to there for over two months now, and business is pretty good. Have you ever thought about opening a branch in the future?"

"Split shop?"

The younger sister nodded. "If you open a branch shop, you'll have to manage one shop and earn a few taels of silver a month, which will be enough to support your family. But haven't you ever thought about a better life?"

Even the most hardworking and simple people would be happy to get the opportunity to make further progress.

Zhu Laoer and Zhu Laosan looked at each other. They were men and had more ambitions. They hoped to earn more money and make their wives' lives better.

"The account books your father and uncle have given me are just the record keeping method I taught them. But if we open more shops, how will this method work? Of course, each shop must have its own account books. Who will do this?"

Dachun understood, pointed at himself and asked, "Should I...do it?"

Zhu Laoer was also excited: "Wan girl, are you asking me to send Dachun to school?"

If he could learn to read and write, even if he could become a shopkeeper or accountant in the future, it would be better than being completely in the dark like them.

But studying is a matter for the future. The most important thing before the New Year is the cooking competition.

Only sixty people remained for the preliminary round, and only twenty for the semi-finals. Those who made it to the final round were all very well-known, so aside from a few large restaurants desperately trying to secure a spot, everyone else just wanted to make it to the final round.

Si Muyan also said the same thing to Aunt Jin and Shui Qin's mother. Without so much pressure, the two of them found cooking particularly easy.

When the results of the semi-finals came out, Lai Qian was the first to jump up and said happily, "That's great! Aunt Song and Aunt Jin both passed! Sister Yan, Aunt Jin won first place in the group!"

Aunt Jin won first place in the dim sum category?

The snack that Si Muyan asked Aunt Jin to make today was actually quite ordinary. It was just Snow Meringue, with a soft and glutinous dough on the outside and cream and refreshing fruit flesh on the inside.

Because the rematch was held in a restaurant, the charcoal fire was very strong. In addition, the other dishes were steaming hot, and the dim sum were all sweet. The Snow Meringue was refreshing and delicious, which took the lead. The cream and fruit pulp in it were rarely used in other dim sum, which made it more novel.

In contrast, Shuiqinniang looked a little dejected and whispered, "I barely made it through and came in last in the group competition."

The reason why it was chosen is that the dishes in the fragrant pot are rich and suitable for all ages. Compared with other complicated dishes, it is convenient and delicious.

Shuiqinniang said, "I've seen other people cook, and they're all very good. I don't think I'll have much of a chance of winning a prize in the final."

Aunt Jin comforted her, "The eldest lady said that we should do our best and leave the rest to fate. It's great that we can enter the finals."

Shuiqinniang's mood improved, but she never relaxed. She made the fragrant pot every day and was not worried. She practiced the clay pot rice and mapo tofu over and over again, for fear that she would make a mistake for a moment.

Aunt Jin said to Si Muyan, "Dim sum no longer has an advantage in the final round. I've asked others, and no dim sum winner has ever won a similar competition before. But after today's competition, several dim sum shops have already asked me about my recipe, but I haven't told them."

She didn't know what the eldest lady was planning.

Si Muyan smiled and said, "Making it to the finals is a success. As for those who came to ask about it, we will discuss it carefully after we return and decide whether to open another dim sum shop or directly supply dim sum to other shops."

Everyone gathered together in the evening, except for the Si family, Aunt Wang, Shuiqin's mother, Xiang Cuicui and the He family.

Si Muyan explained the current situation. "Business is booming at the moment, and demand is outstripping supply, but I don't plan on making any changes this winter. Spring won't bring as much business, so we'll probably be lucky if we and the Jixiang Restaurant can maintain the status quo. But this is Fenghuang County, and I'm wondering if we could supply base and dipping sauces to other places as well."

Si Xingzhi asked, "You mean, we won't open a food store elsewhere in Lingnan, but supply it directly?"

"Yes, developing a market and supplying directly is much easier than opening food stores and managing them one by one."

Moreover, the Si family's situation is special. Unless there is a general amnesty, they will never be able to leave Lingnan in their lifetime. Even leaving Fenghuang County for a long time is not allowed.

Si Muyan continued, "We need to think about how to expand markets in other places. In addition, there is a market for our dim sum. Should we open our own store in Fenghuang County, or supply them?"