Song Tan's Notes

Upon hearing Chef Qian relay the chefs' requests, Boss Chang's vision went black:
"If you don't like it, just take me back. Do I look like a fish?"

Ten articles per person?
He widened his eyes: "Do you know how much this fish costs? I have to pay 80 yuan a pound to get it! Ten fish, even if it's just crucian carp, would still weigh five pounds... So, do you still have to pay your mortgage? Do you still have to save money for your kids? You can't just talk about your salary, can you?"

Master Qian thought for a moment and said earnestly, "But the wages you pay are pretty good, boss..."

Boss Chang: ...Is it my fault?
In short! No way!
But...

Sigh! The head chefs have been working at Chang Le Ju for years. Whatever new measures he introduces, whatever new management model he adopts, they all cooperate...

Finally, Chang Baobao said with a blank face: "After the whole fish banquet, each chef can receive two fish."

Master Qian left without any hesitation.
"okay!"

Exactly! As a head chef, it sounds so undignified to buy ingredients with your own money.

The ones the boss gives you are different!

Even though there are only two fish, we can still make a pot of fish soup and have some at home, right?
As Boss Chang watched his retreating figure, he raised his voice and asked, "Now many hotels can debone crucian carp, why don't we debone them too?"

Master Qian paused in his tracks: "We can remove the bones... but crucian carp is different from other fish; it has a lot of small bones. After removing the bones, there's not much meat left."

The fish wasn't very big to begin with.

He looked at Boss Chang, his eyes conveying a clear message: Are you still going?

Where are you going?!
A whole fish feast utilizes even the fish scales; Boss Chang would never give up a single piece of meat.

In short, no matter how it's made, there's bound to be someone who gets a splinter stuck in their throat. He should first have the waiters give them a lot of reminders!

……

Boss Chang has been busy from last night until early this morning, while Song Tan has been preparing to pick, pack, and ship the produce since early this morning, doing everything perfectly.

For Xiao Yang, only waking up after 8 a.m. does feel like a holiday!
Old Yang is different. He has a very regular schedule. He came downstairs at seven o'clock and didn't do anything. He made himself a cup of tea first.

Since there were no outsiders present, he didn't bother with his usual set of teapots and fairness cups; he just poured the liquid directly into a glass.

Amidst the subtle aroma of tea, his expression was hidden, yet a sense of melancholy inexplicably arose within him.

The cook looked around the kitchen again and again, and sensed that the homeowner's mood wasn't quite right, so he asked the usual housekeeper:
"Should we serve breakfast this morning or not?"

The nanny was also baffled.

But she still stepped forward and asked, "Mr. Yang, is there xiaolongbao and crab roe noodles for breakfast today?"

Mr. Yang waved his hand and said, "Your General Manager Liu will be back soon. Let's wait until 8 o'clock. I'll call Xiao Yang and the other guests down to eat together at 8 o'clock."

Hmph, let Qiaoqiao taste the wickedness of the world too!
As for General Manager Liu...

The nanny was even more bewildered: "When I was helping Ms. Liu pack her luggage, she said this business trip would last a week, how come it's only been 3 days..."

why?
Old Yang remained silent.

In short, everyone rushed back for the same reason: it wouldn't be proper for the parents not to show up when guests arrive.

In reality...

As they were talking, he checked the time and saw a message his wife had sent five minutes earlier: 【Coming soon!!!】

Seeing the urgency represented by the three exclamation marks, Lao Yang couldn't help but feel a little smug.

So he quickly ordered, "Go and call Xiao Yang down—the guest, have Xiao Yang ask the guest."

The nanny hurried upstairs. Xiao Yang had been playing on her phone until midnight last night, heartbroken, and was woken up in a daze. She rubbed her face, rinsed her mouth, and went out.

Hearing the noise, Qiaoqiao, already alert, opened the door:
"Is it time for breakfast?"

Before Yang Zhengxin could respond, he heard his mother's voice coming from downstairs:

"Xiao Yang, did Qiao Qiao come? I brought him a gift!"

Having seen through the wickedness in adults' hearts, Xiao Yang remained expressionless, while Qiao Qiao became happy, her eyebrows and eyes brimming with joy.

"Did Auntie bring me a gift?"

He eagerly pushed Yang Zhengxin into the elevator, and as they exited—he was then embraced by Aunt Liu, whose makeup was exquisite, whose curly hair flowed freely, and who exuded a delicate orchid fragrance:
"Wow! Qiao Qiao is so handsome!"

She kept saying she was going to stay in Yunqiao Village for a while, but she's been so busy... I really have to make time to go!

While we were exchanging pleasantries, the driver came in carrying two large gift boxes:

"Mr. Liu, where should we put this?"

General Manager Liu said happily:

"Here you are, Qiaoqiao! Qiaoqiao, this is a Lego gift set I bought for you. I don't know if you'll like it."

On the one hand, she was frustrated: "When Xiao Yang was little, he loved this. But now that he's grown up, he does modeling and 3D printing himself, and he doesn't like assembling this anymore..."

Yang Zhengxin snorted, turned around and sat down at the dining table: "Mom, let's have breakfast first. Did you also fly at night? Are you hungry?"

Mr. Liu immediately fell silent.

"I'm hungry! Of course I'm hungry!" She looked expectantly at the kitchen, then at Qiaoqiao, "What are we having for dinner today?"

The chef was in high spirits, and the nanny was also very happy: "Today's breakfast includes xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and crab roe..."

There were seven or eight different things to eat and drink in the morning; it wasn't extravagant, but it was still quite plentiful.

But as the people at the table listened, their smiles faded, and President Liu's face fell.
"None of these sound like..."

It's unlikely that Qiaoqiao would bring anything like xiaolongbao or crab roe noodles, right? On the contrary, her husband, Lao Yang, loves to eat them, so he often makes them for breakfast.

Did I bring crabs and flour? Will I get through security?
Yang Zhengxin chuckled twice—although he was quite disappointed, seeing his parents' expectations also dashed, he couldn't help but feel a little mischievous.

"Mom, Qiaoqiao came in such a hurry that all her food and drinks have been sent by express delivery, and they haven't arrived yet."

General Manager Liu: ...

The freshly served xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) don't smell good anymore!
Just then, Old Yang added, "I ran into Mr. Li from Hengxin Financial on the plane. He heard we had guests and wanted to come and see us..."

Mr. Liu was in a bad mood: "What's he here for? Probably just here to solicit investment again. I'm not looking! I'll just say I went out today!"

The family ate breakfast in silence. Yang Zhengxin urged Qiaoqiao to eat more while observing his expression.

Seeing that although he frowned, he still diligently finished eating everything in front of him, he was somewhat shocked:
"Don't you think it tastes a bit bad?"

Although their family is eating quite well, it must be different for Qiaoqiao, right?

The chef, who was listening silently in the kitchen, was heartbroken.

He was specially hired by General Manager Yang!

I used to say I loved his cooking, and he's been working from home for so many years, how come it suddenly tastes so bad?

Qiao Qiao thought about it for a moment:
"Although it's not as good as what I have at home, the chef's skills are excellent. You can taste the difference if you eat slowly." He's not as picky as he used to be; otherwise, he'd have to bring his own lunch when he goes out, which is really inconvenient!

However, my older sister is still quite picky.

After silently comparing the options in her mind and finishing the last sip of soy milk, Qiaoqiao said:

“We planted a lot of beans this year. When they’re harvested, we’ll send some to you, Xiao Yang, so your soy milk will taste even better.”

Yang Zhengxin immediately became excited: Who would use beans to make soy milk? That's such a waste!
They have to soak the beans, grind them into tofu, and sprout them, to truly experience the entire life cycle of the beans!
After finishing breakfast and exchanging a few pleasantries, Qiaoqiao was about to go upstairs to brush her teeth when she saw Xiao Yang finally pull out his phone. Her eyes widened in surprise—

"Mom! Dad!"

He rushed out of the elevator like a gust of wind, holding his phone as if it were the Imperial Seal of the State:

"Qiaoqiao sent me so many! So many!!!"

Qiaoqiao looked bewildered: "What..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the elevator doors slowly closed. All he could see was a family of three holding their phones, their heads huddled together, their expressions as excited as if they had won a five million dollar lottery.

In the living room, Old Yang and General Manager Liu frowned and pondered seriously:
Has the package been sent out yet? Wouldn't it look a bit inappropriate to fly there now?

Also, when will the goods arrive? Mr. Li even messaged me asking when would be a convenient time…

Damn!

Why ask him? You should ask the delivery guy!

By the way, Fengfeng Express has a promising future, but is it a bit late to enter the market now?

The family examined the items closely, turning them over and over. These were originally sent by Song Tan to prevent any from being lost in the large volume of packages, but now…

Old Yang patted his belly, already having a plan for which sauce and pickled vegetables to pair with it.

That's right...

"This message was sent at around 6 a.m., and it's already 8 a.m. now. Why is it still showing as 'accepted'? Is the logistics company not moving?"

……

Song Tan can't care about Qiao Qiao right now.

Just after 8 o'clock, she received a call on her phone from Baiyu County.

She glanced at it—it belonged to a villager—and simply hung up.

They've done everything they were supposed to do. They just got back last night and are calling today, so it's probably something they shouldn't talk about.

Lu Chuan was picking gardenias in the yard—Wu Lan liked the fragrance of the flowers. After he finished making honeysuckle soap for Song Tan and used it to scent the wardrobe, he saw that the forecast said it would rain for a few days, so he simply picked all the gardenias today and made soap for her too.

Seeing Song Tan hang up the phone, he smiled and asked, "From Baiyu County?"

Song Tan nodded and sighed, "I did make money, but it felt like a thankless task."

In comparison, it's more convenient to sell goods from home.

But...

Lu Chuan then laughed and said, "Don't you think it's nice to come here once in a while?"

Given Song Tan's personality, if she really wanted to be annoyed, she would have refused from the beginning.

Now that this live stream has added several layers of benefits, she can actually tolerate these phone calls in comparison.

Just don't answer it.

Song Tan nodded: "Of course it's great. The live streaming platform started sending out messages the day before yesterday saying that Qiao Qiao's agricultural assistance activity has attracted a lot of new users for some reason - it seems that the current trend online is still very positive, and everyone loves to watch this."

Those new fans are still jumping around in the background, constantly asking customer service and asking to buy things to support us!
They don't even look at the products they've taken off the shelves; in reality, they don't need any support in terms of sales.

But it is, after all, the sincere heart of a new fan.

Therefore, Song Tan suggested that a simple announcement would suffice, but the customer service team still responded to each person earnestly and sincerely.

Customer service representative She Min's hands cramp from typing so much every day.

In response, Song Tan could only say—

"Let's add a bonus." After all, it's extra work, so a small reward is a good incentive.

As for other benefits—

That's the matter that the leader brought up.

Although they said they wouldn't force him, Song Tan would accept the benefits they offered to his village's development, even without being pressured.

So you've done a good deed, made money, and satisfied your superiors—how can that not be a win-win situation?
As for the mishaps that occurred in Baiyu County, they were just common occurrences that happen everywhere.

It seems infuriating when taken out of context, but it's not surprising at all when placed in the larger context.

No one answers the phone now, so I haven't tried calling again.

But her phone rang once; it was a voice message from Tao Zhuangzhuang:

"Mr. Song, all my grapes have been shipped out today. Don't worry, I guarantee the quality. If there are any after-sales issues, feel free to deduct the money!"

"And also, about Gu Laosan, who caused the trouble before, who exactly did he sell his grapes to? Several other families in the village also sold their substandard grapes, but then something happened when it came time to pay, and the brothers got angry and beat them up again..."

Right now, a group of people are still at the police station mediating a dispute.

"Old Gu and his family went to the city to set up a stall, but they didn't sell much all day, and some people were even causing trouble..."

As he spoke, his voice became serious again:
"Don't worry, Mr. Song! My grapes are definitely of the highest quality! By the way, was the 100 jin of grapes you brought back yesterday enough to share? If not, I have more here, but they're not as good as the previous ones..."

"I'm planning to reduce my grape yield next year, just keep one acre for myself—Mr. Song, how many grape seedlings do you need? You can calculate it when you have time, I can get them all for you..."

There are still quite a few sensible people in this world.

Given Tao Zhuangzhuang's personality, the quality of his products is indeed not a concern.

Song Tan checked the progress on the back end—the earliest batch of grapes had almost all been harvested.

However, some people don't have the habit of manually confirming receipt, so they can only wait for the store order to expire and be automatically settled.

As for how many grapevines he needs... he'll have to ask Yanran and the others about their mountain plans.

Also, Baiyu County and this area belong to the same province, so there are climate differences, but not that big.

They've done a good job with scientific management; the grapevines are all in their peak fruiting period. If there were extra, I wonder if anyone in the village would be willing to plant a few vines in each household?
It doesn't matter if it's not a large-scale operation; tourists can just pick up a skewer or two while they're buying vegetables. Even if the management isn't meticulous and the quality is a bit lower, the price is still lower, so it's still a source of income!
She thought for a moment, then handed the basket full of gardenias to Lu Chuan, and turned to send a message to Secretary Zhu:

"The grapes in Baiyu County are very good. I'm thinking of having each household in the village plant ten or eight vines. The cost isn't high, but what if there's an income..." (End of Chapter)