In the final analysis, taking the lead is important, winning the recognition of the family is even more important, and raising the brand and reputation of Jiuzhenfang is the most important.
The ancients often said that there is a dark willow and a bright flower in another village. Jiang Sheng fully realized it today.
This idea was never considered mature, but with Aunt Zhang’s help and a long banquet, I finally found a breakthrough.
Jiang Sheng's eyes were bright and he even had other ideas.
For example, finding the best carpenter to carve out a beautiful mold will not only delay the imitation of others, but also reduce the sophistication of the imitation.
For example, let Xu Mo, the eldest brother, draw the pastry molds himself, striving to make the patterns novel and beautiful, and eye-catching.
Just do it.
That night, when Xu Mo returned from the Imperial College, he saw the youngest sister in the family rushing towards him holding rice paper and stopping in front of his desk.
"What's wrong?" He chuckled, the corners of his eyes raised slightly, "Are you going to practice your dog crawling calligraphy again?"
Jiang Sheng's face immediately fell.
Xu Mo quickly changed his mind, "I started learning at the age of eight and practiced calligraphy at the age of nine. It's already good to be able to write like this. My brother is not as good as you."
"Besides, you don't need to take the imperial examination. It's enough if you can expand your mind and understand the world outside yourself through reading."
Jiang Sheng then placed the rice paper in the corner of the desk and begged softly, "Brother, I would like to trouble you to draw a picture for me."
"Painting?" Xu Mo was stunned. He had memorized four books and five classics since he was a child. His handwriting had a unique system, but his painting skills were average.
To say that someone who can really draw is Wang Fufeng.
The astonishingly talented Mr. Fufeng not only has great literary talents, he is also a good painter. He can be said to be the best in both calligraphy and painting.
But the more this happens, the more people regret his body.
Xu Mo sighed softly, took out a thick stack of envelopes from the desk drawer, and opened the top one. Inside was a scene of the brother and sister in the hairpin courtyard.
The younger brothers and sisters were laughing and playing, Fang Laosan was waving a long stick, Zheng Ruqian was playing with the abacus, Xu Mo was reading quietly, and Aunt Zhang was deftly picking up the soles of her shoes.
Such a vivid painting, with just a few strokes showing the characteristics of the characters, as if the painter had traced it thousands of times in his mind before it came to life on paper, and it also seemed like the vivid picture was always lingering in his mind.
"What is this?" Jiang Sheng probed, "Is it us? Who painted it? It's really beautiful."
"It's us." Xu Mo picked up the pen, thought twice, and boldly added a figure at the door.
A weak and noble young man.
Xu Mo's painting skills are not outstanding, but he always feels that adding this figure makes the picture more complete and vivid.
Putting down his pen, he turned around and said, "My painting skills are not as good as Fufeng. If you can wait, I will write to him and ask him to paint a few paintings for you."
"I can't wait any longer." Jiang Sheng said honestly, "But you can draw two pictures for me first, and then let Brother Fufeng draw a few more. Anyway, it's not too much."
The little clever guy actually wants to take it all.
After carefully putting the dried ink away, Xu Mo picked up the pen again and said, "Tell me what to draw."
I thought that no matter how bad it was, it would be a landscape painting or a figure painting.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Sheng's rosy little mouth opened and closed, "Draw some flowers or small animals. The more novel the better, and the less common the better."
Half an hour later, she left with satisfaction holding a stack of rice paper.
Aunt Zhang was cooking, and the lights in the kitchen were bright. The couple looked through them together and picked out the most beautiful and suitable ones.
"Tomorrow I will go find the master who ordered the mold last time and ask him to get it out as soon as possible." Zhang Xianglian estimated, "About three days."
Jiang Sheng nodded and stared directly at the flowers on the rice paper, suddenly feeling a little monotonous.
Switching the positions between herself and the customer, if she goes to buy pastries from Jiuzhenfang by herself, a pattern alone cannot arouse a strong desire to buy, because everyone's preferences are different.
Like Aunt Zhang likes sunflowers, but she likes small wild flowers.
If she had to buy it, probably only cakes with the word "Jiang Sheng" printed on them would attract her attention.
The little girl was stunned for a moment and grasped the key again.
She raised her head, pointed at the novel flowers on the paper, and said hastily, "Aunt, Aunt, I thought of it. We not only need to carve the flowers, but also engrave them with words."
Whoever sells it will have their last name engraved on it, or simply their name.
Not only is it unique, other pastry shops dare not imitate it.
This idea was so great that Jiang Sheng almost jumped up on the spot with joy.
However, Zhang Xianglian hesitated and said, "Then who should we sell to?"
Without confirmed customers, the mold cannot be carved.
Without molds, you can't make pastries.
Without pastries, how can customers be willing to buy them?
This is an endless cycle. If you want to break it, you can only find a guest from an aristocratic family who is willing to close your eyes and try.
"Leave this matter to me." Jiang Sheng clenched his fists, "I will find it."
the next day.
Jiang Sheng squatted at the door of Jiuzhenfang and began to wait.
Whether it was the Qi family, the Zhu family, or the Jiang family, whenever a familiar brother showed up, she would shamelessly recommend him and try to exchange "free" for the first cooperation between the two parties.
Unexpectedly, after waiting and waiting, it was Zhao Yuan who waited.
The boy, who was already seventeen or eighteen years old, walked to the door of Jiuzhenfang and seemed ready to go in. Then he stopped at the door again when he remembered something.
Jiang Sheng rushed to him with a "hoo!" and said with a flattering smile, "Brother Zhao Yuan, I haven't seen you for a long time. Why don't you go into the shop and have a look."
"I...I want to eat cakes, but my mother doesn't want to eat them, and she said she would beat me if I eat again." Zhao Yuan swallowed, remembering the fierce look of the little girl last time, and looking at her smiling face now, Very alert, "What do you want to do?"
"It's nothing." Jiang Sheng put away his smile and said seriously, "I just want to ask Brother Zhao Yuan if he wants to eat pastries, or the kind of pastries that are just for you."
Zhao Yuan's eyes lit up.
"Except for you, this pastry will not be sold to anyone else, no matter how high the price is." Jiang Sheng emphasized, "And I won't charge you any money."
This is why she did not beg her elder brother for help, but worked hard on her own.
Under the temptation of "free" and "unique", most people will be tempted.
Zhao Yuan was no exception and nodded quickly, "Okay, where is it? Give me a taste."
"In three days." Jiang Sheng said with a serious face, "When you come to Jiuzhenfang in three days, the cake placed in the middle of the shop will be your own cake."
After sending Zhao Yuan away, she asked her eldest brother to write the character "Zhao" without stopping, and then sent it to the carpenter with hibiscus flowers.
Three days later, the chestnut and lotus paste cake that belonged to the Zhao family was released.
The chestnut lotus paste filling is newly developed by Zhang Xianglian. The position of the hibiscus flowers is also colored with fruits and vegetables, and it is matched with the surname, which makes it unique.
Jiang Sheng took a long breath, placed the pastry on the highest position facing the door, and took out the four words "Never sold outside" written by his eldest brother and pasted them below.
After doing all this, she opened the door of Jiuzhenfang and formally accepted the test of the people of Fengjing.
