Chapter 290: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 290: The Shop's Grand Opening and Prosperous Business (4)
Once the lowlands and terraces produced grains, they would stock them as second-grade products. By then, the prices would be slightly cheaper than the grains from her space but a bit higher than those from other sources, making it affordable for ordinary people.
"Big sister, what are you doing? Are we going to cook our own lunch in the shop?" Xin'er asked curiously as she saw Mo Yan carrying a wooden basin of rice into the kitchen.
Mo Yan scooped water from the wooden barrel into the basin while asking, "Do you think the rice we eat at home smells good?"
"It smells great!" Xin'er nodded without hesitation. "Even without any side dishes, I can eat two bowls of plain rice! But sister, I've asked you many times, and you never tell me where you buy this rice."
"Why didn't sister tell you? Didn't I say it's conjured by sister's magical powers?" Mo Yan half-jokingly said as she washed the rice grains in the basin.
"You don't want to tell, so you don't have to. You keep using that excuse to fool me. I'm not a three-year-old child; how could I fall for it!" Xin'er rolled her eyes, grumbling discontentedly. She didn't believe her sister's words at all.
Mo Yan was speechless. Nowadays, no one believed the truth.
After washing the rice twice and cleaning it, Mo Yan poured it into the wooden steamer for rice. She instructed Xin'er, "Let dad and Uncle Li carry the big stove to the entrance and set it up with some water to heat. The rice is ready to steam."
Xin'er was a bit puzzled but didn't have time to ask more questions before running out.
Mo Qingze and Li Zhong carried the big stove to the entrance, under the eaves, against the wall, so it wouldn't block the way. They placed the large iron pot on it, added water, covered it, and started the fire.
The Mo family's actions attracted many people's attention. It was clear they were opening a shop to sell grains, yet they were acting like street vendors selling dumplings.
Mo Yan didn't care about what these people thought. When the water in the pot boiled, she directly placed the covered wooden steamer on top. Listening to the bubbling sound inside the pot, she estimated that the fragrant aroma of the rice would waft out in less than a quarter of an hour.
The official opening was scheduled for six marks of the hour, and it was now four marks. They only needed the Liu family, Shopkeeper Xing and Shopkeeper Mu to arrive before unveiling the sign.
Before long, the Liu family arrived first, led by Madam Liu and Liu Tinglan. After exchanging pleasantries, Mo Yan accepted the gift they brought, welcomed the mother and daughter to the separate small room set up at the back of the shop, and served them tea and snacks.
This small room was originally meant for Li Zhong to rest in but was now temporarily used for entertaining guests.
Shortly after, shopkeeper Xing and shopkeeper Mu arrived with their gifts. By this time, the aroma of the rice from the pot had filled the air and was spreading out with the breeze, attracting quite a few passersby to inquire.
"What a clever move! You can tell the rice is delicious just by smelling it! But where does your rice come from? It's so fragrant!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, shopkeeper Xing regretted it. The origin of this rice could be considered confidential, and asking so rashly could easily cause misunderstandings. Although he also knew that if a restaurant used this rice, it could attract many customers.
Unaware of the shopkeeper's discomfort, Mo Yan replied, "It's collected from the countryside. Perhaps it's because of the good soil and water there, so this rice is especially fragrant. Next year, we plan to grow this kind of rice ourselves. If shopkeeper needs it, feel free to come and get some."
"Haha, that's great! But, you have to give me a good price," shopkeeper Xing laughed heartily, relieved that Mo Yan didn't take offense.
"We're old acquaintances; the price can be negotiated."
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