Transmigrated into the role of the matriarch, I ensured my family had enough to eat and wear during

Tang Susu's family waited at the entrance of Chongwen Hall for the time it takes to burn half an incense stick before Bu Hongliang, the canteen manager, came out led by the gatekeeper.

Bu Hongliang was dressed in a simple gray cloth shirt. He was round and chubby, like a walking ball. His face was oily, and beads of sweat mixed with grease slid down his forehead and nose. It was obvious that he had been working in the kitchen for a long time, surrounded by smoke and oil.

The moment he saw Tang Susu, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with displeasure, and he accused her harshly, "You're the woman selling cold noodles at the entrance? There have been noticeably fewer people eating in the cafeteria these past two days; it's all your doing!"

Tang Susu recalled the injustices and cold shoulders she encountered when starting her business in her previous life, and she had long since developed a calm mind.

She maintained her gentle smile and calmly explained, "The manager has misunderstood. This jelly is only good for quenching thirst and filling your stomach; it won't make you feel full. The students buy it as a refreshing snack in the hot summer; they still need to eat in the cafeteria afterward."

She paused, then added, "Besides, it's so hot these days, and the students are studying so hard, it's unbearable. My cold noodles can bring them some relief from the heat, allowing them to study more peacefully. In the end, it's also helping Chongwentang."

As she spoke, she scooped a bowl of broken jelly from the bucket and handed it to Bu Hongliang: "Manager, you might as well try it and you'll know that what I said is true."

Bu Hongliang was already very curious about the much-discussed cold noodles, so he took the opportunity to accept it and try a small bite.

The moment he tasted it, he was amazed: the jelly was delicate and smooth, with a light fragrance. After swallowing it, a cool sensation shot from his throat straight to his heart, and most of the heat in his stomach instantly dissipated.

He then realized that the decrease in the number of people in the cafeteria was mostly due to his poor cooking skills and the fact that the food did not suit the students' tastes, rather than Tang Susu causing trouble.

Seeing that his expression had softened, Tang Susu immediately asked, "Manager, what do you think of this jelly? Do you think it's feasible to sell it in the cafeteria? I'd like to discuss a supply deal with you."

She then proceeded to provide a precise analysis of Chongwentang's market: "I've inquired, and Chongwentang has nearly four hundred people in total, including teachers, students, and laborers. If we assume that half of them are willing to buy, and each serving costs three copper coins, the daily sales could reach at least two hundred servings, and the jelly alone could bring in six hundred copper coins in revenue."

Then, she changed the subject, pointing out Bu Hongliang's actual gains: "Manager, you've worked at Chongwen Hall for nearly ten years, which seems respectable to outsiders, but I know that your monthly salary is only about six taels of silver. After deducting the wages of your servants and the kickbacks to the headmaster, the net profit you end up with is probably only two or three taels, which translates to no more than a hundred copper coins a day. I, on the other hand, can earn several hundred copper coins a day by setting up my own stall. If you cooperate with me, your profits will be much more substantial than they are now."

Bu Hongliang's attitude completely changed, his eyes becoming more serious as he asked, "So, how do you plan to source the goods?"

"To be honest, manager, this jelly is time-consuming and laborious to make, and the profit is already meager. I only earn half a copper coin for each bowl," Tang Susu said frankly. "The price I'm giving you is two copper coins per serving. As for the toppings like brown sugar, peanuts, and hawthorn, I'll trouble you to prepare them yourself."

Bu Hongliang quickly calculated in his mind: the purchase price was two coins, the selling price was three coins, and he could earn one copper coin per serving. If he sold two hundred servings a day, he could earn two hundred copper coins.

If the amount of sugar and peanuts used is controlled further, the cost can be reduced even more, and the daily income can be at least 160 copper coins, more than double the previous income.

He felt a surge of excitement inside, but he didn't show it on his face.

"When can you start supplying goods?" Bu Hongliang asked.

"I'll have the kids bring the jelly over first thing tomorrow morning. We'll exchange money for goods," Tang Susu readily agreed.

Bu Hongliang nodded in agreement, and the cooperation between the two was officially concluded.

After finalizing the cooperation, Tang Susu was in a great mood, but when she turned around, she saw that the four boys behind her were all hanging their heads, looking miserable and unwilling.

Tang Lifu hurriedly stepped forward and whispered, "Mom, we can sell everything ourselves, we don't need to cooperate with him. We're not afraid of hard work, I can manage the stall by myself."

Yang Gousheng chimed in, "Yes, Mother, cooperating with him like this is like giving away our money for free. It's such a bad deal."

Seeing their earnest expressions, Tang Susu couldn't help but laugh and patiently advised them, "When doing business, you can't just focus on the immediate benefits; you have to understand cooperation and win-win situations. If we do everything ourselves, we can certainly earn a few more coins, but people have limited energy. Not only will we be exhausted, but we also won't make big money."

She deliberately posed a question to guide their calculations: "Our family receives nearly thirty catties of lantern fruit every day. If we peel them all down to the seeds, we can get about six catties. We currently make about three hundred servings of jelly every day, which only requires a little over two catties of lantern seeds. You can calculate how many servings we could make if we turned all the lantern seeds into jelly?"

Seeing the children deep in thought, she continued to explain, "There's so much jelly; we can't possibly sell it all by ourselves. Partnering with Manager Bu isn't about giving him free money; it's a win-win situation. He helps us sell the jelly, earns money himself, and we can earn even more money more easily. That's the long-term solution."

Yang Xiaobao seemed to understand but not quite, while Yang Gousheng squatted on the ground and started doing calculations with pebbles.

A moment later, he stood up, his eyes lighting up: "Mother, I've figured it out! If we make all the lantern seeds into jelly and sell them to Manager Bu at a price of two copper coins per serving, we can earn nearly two taels of silver every day!"

"That's right." Tang Susu nodded and went on to plan further, "If we can find more suppliers like Manager Bu, we won't have to work so hard setting up a stall anymore. We can just make the jelly at home and deliver it to them. That way, we can easily make money and have time to do other things. That's the benefit of cooperation."

The four boys finally understood, and the worry on their faces vanished.

Afterwards, Tang Susu led them for a stroll through the streets of Jiangtou Town.

After observing for several days, she had figured out the distribution of the town and knew that there were a total of seven restaurants and taverns in the town, among which the largest and most popular was Zuiyuefang.

As Tang Susu approached the entrance of Zuiyuefang, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye—the middle-aged man who had previously tried to buy a son from her.

A thought struck her, and she guessed that this person must be Manager Liu of Zuiyuefang.

She still remembered that when Manager Liu left last time, his face was extremely ugly.

If this relationship isn't sorted out, the other party might sabotage her business behind her back.

With this in mind, she came up with the idea of ​​collaborating with Zuiyuefang.

Tang Susu stopped and smiled heartily in the direction of Manager Liu, taking the initiative to greet him.

When Manager Liu saw her, he just gave a cold snort, secretly wondering: Could it be that this woman has regretted it and wants to sell the prescription to me?

If that's the case, I'll give her three taels of silver at most this time, and I definitely won't give her five taels like last time.