Chapter 788: Parrot Practicing
Editor: Henyee Translations
Chu Qingzhi took a couple of steps back, “Have two people pick the mushrooms, then sprinkle some water on them. After a while, we can grow another batch.”
“Okay.” Wan Haonan gladly nodded and personally, along with Fu Kangping, went to pick the mushrooms.
Chu Qingzhi went to check on the other mushroom houses, and the situation was similar, “Let’s all pick the mushrooms. They are fully mature now. If we don’t pick them, they will spoil before long.”
“Yes, Miss.” Many people were free at this time, and they all rolled up their sleeves to pick mushrooms.
It took an hour to pick all the mushrooms.
Chu Qingzhi said, “Please take the mushrooms to the workshop. We have scales there; let’s weigh them together.”
“Okay.”
Basket after basket of mushrooms was taken to the workshop. After weighing, Chu Qingzhi calculated the payment for everyone. This was agreed upon earlier: Chu Qingzhi taught them how to grow mushrooms as a way to earn extra money.
With money in hand, everyone was very happy. After distributing it, they went back to tend to the mushrooms again.
Chu Qingzhi had the mushrooms taken to the soy sauce workshop.
Seeing this, the supervisor hurriedly came to help, “Qingzhi, what are we doing?”
Chu Qingzhi replied, “Making mushroom soy sauce. We’ll launch a new product soon. You should watch and learn quickly. If we launch this new product, you’ll need to oversee it.”
Currently, there were two types of soy sauce: plain and spicy, both selling well.
The supervisor eagerly said, “No problem.”
Next, the two of them processed the mushrooms together to make mushroom soy sauce.
The ingredients were ready, and in half an hour, they were done. Chu Qingzhi tasted it, and so did the supervisor.
The aroma was already making mouths water, and upon tasting, a sense of satisfaction spread from the tongue to the heart. The savory flavor of the mushrooms mixed with the soy’s richness, combined with the unique taste of frying, instantly awakened the appetite.
The supervisor, after swallowing, exclaimed, “Qingzhi, this is delicious!”
Chu Qingzhi handed the bowl to the supervisor, “This bowl is all yours.”
“I’ll eat it all then.”
“Eat.”
At that moment, Shen Ruyue came in, looking a bit troubled, “Qingzhi, we have a problem with our soy sauce.”
Chu Qingzhi’s expression became serious, “What do you mean?”
Shen Ruyue led Chu Qingzhi outside, “Two restaurant Shopkeepers who buy our soy sauce came by. They’re at the workshop entrance right now. They say our soy sauce tastes worse and are demanding an explanation.”
Chu Qingzhi frowned, “Our soy sauce is produced to a unified standard. How could it possibly taste worse?”
Shen Ruyue helplessly said, “I think there’s an issue, but the soy sauce they brought is indeed ours. I’m a bit confused.”
Chu Qingzhi said, “Don’t worry, let’s go see.”
At the workshop entrance, a small pavilion was built where the two Shopkeepers were sitting, discussing something with furrowed brows and several soy sauce bottles on the table.
Chu Qingzhi approached them politely, “It turns out to be Shopkeeper Qian and Shopkeeper Xu. What brings you here?”
Shopkeeper Qian, still quite polite, handed the soy sauce to Chu Qingzhi, “Please have a look, Miss.”
“Shopkeeper Qian, please wait. I will give you an explanation.” After saying this, Chu Qingzhi opened the lid and tasted a spoonful.
Her eyebrows immediately knitted together, “This isn’t our workshop’s soy sauce.”
Shen Ruyue took the bottle, smelled it, and then tasted, “Indeed, it isn’t. Our soy sauce has a much stronger aroma and won’t be this bland. The color wouldn’t be this dark either. Our soy sauce has a golden, shiny color and is fragrant from miles away. Shopkeeper Qian, this isn’t…”
Shopkeeper Qian hastily said, “Please don’t wrong me. I’m an honest businessman and wouldn’t tamper with the product.”
Chu Qingzhi examined the bottle, confirming it was indeed theirs, “Shopkeepers, please wait a moment while I check the workshop.” “Okay.” They were long-term partners and didn’t want to spoil the relationship.
Shen Ruyue stayed to entertain the guests, and Chu Qingzhi went back to the workshop alone to check for the presence of wooden fragrances.
The soy sauce brought by Shopkeeper Qian contained wooden fragrances, but their own did not use such spices. She suspected if it was mistakenly mixed in.
After inspecting, wooden fragrances were found in other workshops, not in the soy sauce workshop. She now suspected someone was collecting their soy sauce bottles and refilling them with their own soy sauce to deceive.
Returning to the pavilion, she said, “Shopkeepers, the bottles are ours, but the soy sauce inside is not.”
Shopkeeper Qian pondered slightly, “I thought so too. Miss is smart and wouldn’t make such a self-destructive move. But we need to resolve this…”
Chu Qingzhi reassured, “Shopkeeper Qian, rest assured. If someone is impersonating our soy sauce, I won’t stand by idly. However, I hope you can collect and return the bottles to us in the future, or smash them, to prevent the bad guys from taking advantage.”
Both Shopkeepers agreed, “We’ll remember your words, Miss.”
Chu Qingzhi wrote a letter for Shopkeeper Qian to deliver to Chu Xujin, asking him to investigate the soy sauce matter. Now, Chu Xujin’s capabilities were vastly improved, making investigating such a minor issue effortless.
Upon receiving the letter, Chu Xujin immediately began the investigation.
At the same time, Chu Qingzhi deployed all the parrots to scout, leveraging their training over the past two months. Although they were capable of reconnaissance, they lacked practical experience. This was the perfect opportunity for them to practice.
Excited about the mission, the parrots eagerly set off, knowing they’d be rewarded with small green worms upon successful completion.
They loved eating small green worms the most.
With the investigation underway, Chu Qingzhi turned her attention back to her own affairs, riding her horse to Li Family Bridge.
Li Family Bridge was in the process of setting the bridge piers. Old Uncle and the bridge workers were putting their heart and soul into constructing Li Family Bridge, paying meticulous attention to every detail. Even the measurements were triple-checked before finalizing, showcasing their caution and care.
“Miss Chu!”
“Hello, Miss Chu!”
Everyone greeted Chu Qingzhi warmly and respectfully as they saw her approaching, showing their fondness.
Chu Qingzhi smiled and nodded in response, “You’ve all worked hard.”
Nearby, two men were carrying a stone towards a bridge pier. The one at the back, with limited visibility, stumbled on a stone, and just as everyone feared an accident might occur, Chu Qingzhi reached out to steady him, “Be careful.”
The man stood frozen for a long while, staring at Chu Qingzhi’s slender arms in disbelief, “Thankyou, Miss.”
Chu Qingzhi handed the stick back to him, “Next time, be more careful.” If she hadn’t intervened, both of them could have been injured.
The man nodded vigorously, “Yes, yes, I will be.”
Chu Qingzhi continued forward.