Thinking about this, Lin Wan touched her belly, thinking that she must get pregnant when Han Yi returns next time.
Suddenly moving house, the home was still missing some things. Lin Wan took out various tickets from home and went to the department store.
Towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste, mosquito nets; Lin Wan also fancied an enamel pot with a handle, printed with pear blossoms, very pretty. It was just right for her to cook porridge or steam rice by herself.
Besides these, Lin Wan bought some plates, bowls, chopsticks, a clay pot, and a stainless steel pot. A huge pile of miscellaneous items. She used a lot of tickets and spent over nine yuan.
The brother on the tricycle had ridden away, and the grandmother was riding a bicycle. Fortunately, there was someone pulling carts for business at the mall entrance. For one yuan, they could help deliver the items home.
By the time she got home, it was already four or five o’clock. Lin Wan washed and cleaned the new items. After organizing them, she used the new enamel pot to cook some porridge.
The next day, Lin Wan didn’t plan to continue being downcast. She tidied up the house and asked the nearby people about places to buy groceries.
Only then did she learn that the vegetable stalls on the front street had set up directly under residential buildings. That area was a common path for nearby residents, with roads broader than other places. This greatly facilitated people’s lives.
She wandered around there for a circle. In the afternoon, she went to the shop and calculated this month’s account.
She also organized this month’s wages.
Recently, the weather was hot, especially in July and August, and no one wants to go out to eat in the scorching heat.
Fortunately, their crayfish was quite famous in the area. Beer and drinks were available. Grilled lamb skewers and grilled fish were selling well too.
Currently, after deducting expenses in the shop, they maintained a profit of around 1500 to 2000 every month.
Given the summer season and achieving such sales, it’s considered quite good.
Nearby newly opened restaurants didn’t have as good business as theirs. Good business also requires effort.
Last month, Lin Wan added five electric fans to the shop. Aunt Gui and Aunt Liu were older and staying in the kitchen all day; a fan was a must in the kitchen.
However, during summer, they opened for the night market, and Lin Wan had them come to work at three or four in the afternoon. The others, at night, would place the fans in a circle around the tables with mosquito coils.
Even national restaurants didn’t have such good conditions. Do note, five electric fans cost several hundred. Other shops wouldn’t dare to spend such a large sum.
But today, a bit of bad luck struck. Shortly after the night market opened, it started to rain.
The people in the shop quickly moved things inside; there weren’t many diners, and seeing the situation, they carried their dishes inside by themselves.
With rainfall, business dwindled. Today, only half of the prepared dishes were sold.
A lot of lamb and fish were left over.
"Crayfish can be stored, but these mustn’t be," Liang Hongmei glanced at the remaining items, apart from feeling heartbroken, she also had a plan.
"Mom, here’s the wage table I organized today, follow it for distribution. I’ll pack these up as employee benefits, letting them off early today."
"Yes, that’s all we can do," Liang Hongmei took the wage table, looked it over briefly, and went to the first-floor private room.
The raw meat was easy to pack; simply wrap it in oiled paper and tie it with string.
But the cold dishes weren’t easy to manage. Employees didn’t bring lunchboxes or anything.
While Lin Wan was worrying, Aunt Gui came out with her wages, saying that the kitchen had some unused plastic film. "Cut a large round piece, put the dish in the middle, and tie it up."
Aunt Gui’s suggestion made Lin Wan’s eyes light up, reminding her of plastic bags used in future generations.
"I have an idea now, Aunt Gui. Do we have candles here?"
"Yes, but why do you need them?"
"You’ll find out once you bring them," Lin Wan smiled mysteriously, fetched a pair of scissors, and cut the small plastic film into a rectangle.