Chapter 28 - Lin Chen Suggestion
" Aye that Fang Xiaolin?is really hard working " sighed mother Lin?as she walked back inside with Lin Yan "s help " she is the only?woman in her house but she manages?it really well , its just a pity that n.o.body?looks at her good traits?and only focus on the bad one "
Mother Lin?had a good?impression of Fang Xiaolin?even though?she was a shared?wife of the Feng brothers . Mother Lin had seen Fang Xiaolin?working?in the fields?as well as doing laundry?by the river , in the past when mother Lin used to accompany?Lin Yu in washing?clothes , she sometimes chatted with?Fang Xiaolin?, the lively Fang Xiaolin?was?a good companion?to mother Lin but then some of?the village?women started?bad mouthing Fang Xiaolin because?she married all three Feng brothers?and threw contemptuous?remarks everytime?Fang Xiaolin?came to do her laundry?. After some time Fang Xiaolin?who had a nice temper and rarely fought with anyone?, stopped coming to the river for washing her family"s?clothes?it was rumoured?that she started?washing her clothes at night when the rive sh.o.r.e became?much less crowded?.
" I know?mother " said Su Wan?as she sat down on the dining?table and started?serving?the food , she knew that?Mother Lin?was trying to put a good word for Fang Xiaolin?in front of her . But Su Wan?didn"t?need mother Lin?to tell her how good Fang Xiaolin?was because Su Wan?already wanted to befriend?Fang Xiaolin?. After all both of them were?shared?wife?, what was there for her to judge Fang Xiaolin??? As long as the?person was nice towards her , she will be nice to them but if someone turned?nasty towards her - hehe , she would make sure that the person drowned in her spit until they no longer dared?to even?stand in front?of her .
Su Wan?didn"t?care?about?how the village women will condemn her , as long as they didn"t?bother?her she won"t?bother with them . But that didn"t?mean that she wouldn"t?repay their?one comment with two and a slap with two slaps .
She wasn"t?an old Buddha?who had endless patience?and kindness , if someone?tried to disgust her?than they better?pray to their?G.o.ds?nicely because she wouldn"t?hold herself back?and if the situation?called for it .????w???oν?l. c??
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" Ah , I"m?in heaven " with animated tears?flowing down his cheeks like river nile ( its all Su Wan?"s imagination?- like the anime?version where?a character?cries with tears running like broken tap )?Lin?Chen sniffled heaping?praises upon praises as he ate the Salisbury fish steak and mushroom curry with rice?" Its so delicious?, its really- really very delicious?" Lin Chen?didn"t?go to school thus he didn"t?know much?about adjectives , thus he used whatever?words?he knew and piled them all to praise Su Wan?.
" Thank you " lips twitching?Su Wan?accepted his praise .
Then she glanced around the table and saw her family?eating with delight but?compared?to Lin Chen who was overreacting?, the?others acted in a rather dignified?manner ( well at least they didn"t?have snot running?down?their nose?)
" mhmm" with her hand in front?of?her lips , mother Lin?nodded as she ate her meal with flourish?. Never before she ate something so delicious?, her natal family were poor and the most expensive?thing that they?could afford was meat buns later on she married in the Lin family , where she didn"t even get a mouthful of rice much less something so tasty . The first time?mother Lin?had a meat bun , she thought?it was the most delicious?thing in the world but now?that she ate Su Wan"s Salisbury fish steak , she realised?that her thinking wasn"t?any better than a frog stuck in a well ! Compared?to those oily and bland meat buns this Salisbury fish steak?was so delicious "?Ah Chen is right , this is really delicious?. I never thought?fish can be cooked like this usually?we only fried or boiled it ."
" Its all because Ah Yan learned it well " even though?she was the one who came with the idea?of cooking the fish like Salisbury steak , she didn"t?want to claim all the?praise?for it .?When all was said and done all Lin Yan was the one who cooked it to so well that he nearly achieved?perfection?.
" brother , if you can cook so well , gulp?why didn"t you cook like * gulp * this * gulp * before " chewing constantly?Lin Chen asked , Su Wan?was surprised?that he was able to make such comprehensible?words with?how packed his mouth was with fish and rice?.
" Don"t?speak?with?your mouth?full " snapped Lin Yan looking at his little brother with?disgust?, Lin Chen?who was scolded smiled sheepishly?but still continued?to stare?at Lin Yan?who thinned his lips and finally explained?" We didn"t?use to have much condiments in the past?, and Grandma Lin?only let us have coa.r.s.e grain?even coa.r.s.e?rice was hard to come by what do you expect?from me ? Even G.o.d?cannot?cook a delicacy without proper spices and ingredients . And Wan Wan?has different?techniques?that she uses in her cooking for example?she doesn"t?add the coa.r.s.e salt just as it is instead she grinded it into fine powder like white flour?- I didn"t?know that we can do it like that , so the food taste?became?uneven sometimes too salty or too bland . Now that?we have condiments and proper techniques?the food naturally?tastes?better "
" Its?good that it tastes?so delicious?" said Lin Rui putting down his bowl as scooped some more Salisbury fish steak and rice?in it " If we introduce something?that tastes so good and was never?seen before in the restaurant?, the possibility?of it making a good earning will be really high - speaking of?introducing?it in the restaurant for?how much do you want to sell it Wan Wan??"
" Erm .." Su Wan?blinked and?swallowed?her rice , she really didn"t?have much understanding about?the economic condition?of this era?so she really had no idea about what the people of this era thought?as "suitable?price " " why don"t?you guys tell me , I really don"t?know much about how much we should sell it for ?
" I know?, I know "?said?Lin Chen raising?his hand in the air as he placed his bowl back on the?table " If I"m not wrong that "eat delicious "?restaurant of yours is?near the docks right ?"
Su Wan?thought for a bit ,?finally?extracting that particular?information?from the previous?owner"s?memory and nodded .
" Well since?our family"s?restaurant?is near the docks why don"t?we set the?price?around five wen ?" suggested Lin Chen?" Its like this the dockworkers?usually earn upto forty to fifty copper coins a day and if their business isn"t that?good, they can still earn more than thirty?coins. The Salisbury fish steak that Wan Wan and Second brother came up with includes?meat , mushrooms and rice - while?its true that we get fish and mushroom for free and the rice?is coa.r.s.e?rice?, it still tastes?better?than?those oily buns and noodles they eat everyday . So I think?If we?sell a bowl filled with rice , fish and mushroom and the price is too?low, then we won"t be able to?make much money. On the other hand, if?we set the price too high, then no one will buy it."
" then why don"t?we do this ? We make an extra bowl of Salisbury fish steak and mushroom and let some people taste a bit from it?on the first day ? If we let them taste it before they buy it , won"t?they be willing?to purchase?more ? And five wen is not a high price?either?. After?all the meat buns vendors?only sell four meat buns for five wen and we will be giving them?free taste as well as a full bowl of Our Salisbury fish steak and mushroom -?the bowl will have meat , is cheap and tastes really delicious?.I"m certain?it will sell well "
Su Wan?felt like she had seen the light at the end of the tunnel and looked at Lin Chen?with gleaming and admiring eyes. She had to admit, Lin Chen?really had a flare for business , who would have?thought?that this guy who only knew how to eat and act like a fool , will come up with such a modern style?of selling his business.
Lin Chen?felt his pride swell in chest when he saw his wife "s worshipful and admiring gaze. He chuckled at his brothers?envious gazes and started?on his third bowl of Salisbury fish steak and rice .
Ah , It was really too delicious, his wife was really the best .