Chapter 883 - Chapter 883: Big Supermarket
Chapter 883: Big Supermarket
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Everyone was excited when they heard the news.
“Old Madam Lin, you must tell everyone once the shop opens. We can’t wait to try those dishes.”
Many of them lived nearby and had been thinking about the food since last
Old Madam Lin understood this, saying, “Don’t worry. I’ll tell you as soon as I know about it. Since you’re selling vegetables, you should make sure they’re fresh.’
“We’ll give you a discount, Old Madam Lin.”
The old woman waved, saying, “Her Highness knows it’s hard for you to do business. You don’t have to give us a discount. We’ll buy your products as usual, but they must be fresh.”
Everyone felt warm inside when they heard that. The princess was understanding of them, after all. It was no wonder the people in the prefecture liked Su Binglan so much.
She genuinely cared for the people and did not treat them as mere commoners. The people remembered how vicious Princess Chu Liuwu was. If someone even bumped into her horse carriage by accident, she would tell her men to whip them.
She even called the commoners ants and did not care about their lives. However, Chu Liuwu was a sinner who had died during the war. Everyone was relieved when they heard about it. They even recalled seeing her public execution.
“Princess Binglan is the best.”
“You have no idea how much Her Highness has done for the people.”
“l know. Princess Binglan and Emperor Ruozhu used to live in Dingzhou and even developed such a remote place into a prosperous one. Everyone can grow high-yield crops and work in factories. They can also receive monthly wages and bonuses.’
“The people there now live relaxed lives. Their children can even attend school and buy cheaper paper.”
“There are also shops that sell school supplies, and their paper comes from a mill in Dingzhou. I heard Her Highness was the one who developed the paper.”
“Don’t forget about the cement. Did you see the roads? Her Highness entrusted someone to research and develop the cement.”
Initially, everyone was curious as to how the cement would hold up. After some rain, the ground was not muddy. People then realized it was not just for show, but it was pretty practical.
Whenever it rained or snowed in the past, people’s carts would have trouble navigating the streets. The roads would get muddy and slippery, so it was unsafe to push carts. The carts would flip over if one were not careful.
“Don’t forget about the books. I know Her Highness has opened many factories, too.’
“My child attends Fiery Blue Academy. We went to check it out once and found out how good the dorms are.”
“Your child attends Fiery Blue Academy? Not just anyone can do that.”
“That’s the academy Prince Ruozhu—no, Emperor Ruozhu runs.”
Everyone discussed these things excitedly while Old Madam Lin smiled. Su Binglan had mentioned opening a factory in the capital during last night’s dinner.
She would also open free education institutes, meaning people’s children could study without spending much money.
Old Madam Lin’s grandson was old enough to attend school. When the time came, she would send him to one.
Meanwhile, Su Binglan had a lengthy conversation with Lan Rouzhu in the palace. It was already noon when Lan Ruozhu asked her to stay for lunch. “You can stay and eat here, Sister.”
Su Binglan asked with a smile, “What would you like to eat?”
Lan Ruozhu was embarrassed. “Damn it, I can’t hide anything from you. I really want to eat your cooking. I heard about the fragrance at the Wei Manor last night. What did you cook that made everyone crave it so much?”
“l made spicy crabs and prawns.”
“Isn’t that the seafood you mentioned last time?” Lan Ruozhu had heard his sister talking about such things last time. He did not expect her to find crabs and prawns so quickly.
“Indeed, it was seafood, but the cooking method was different. I plan to open a few shops here and use two to sell skewers and spicy prawns. I think everyone will like them.”
Many wealthy families lived in the capital, so they would be thrilled to eat such unique food. Su Binglan believed these shops would do exceedingly well.
“Did Wenwu find these seafood in the south?”
“Yeah, he did.” Su Binglan nodded. “Wenwu has been in charge of the market there since he went there with Feiran. I sent a drawing of crabs and crayfish to Wenwu using the courier.
“Still, I didn’t expect him to find those ingredients so quickly. He sent over plenty of ingredients so 1 can make some for you.”
“I’m going to have a good lunch today,” Lan Ruozhu happily said.
Su Binglan looked outside, saying, “Indeed, it’s time for lunch. I’ll use the palace kitchen to cook.”
Lan Ruozhu waved and said, “No need. There’s a separate kitchen beside my small courtyard. I’ll get someone to open up the spare kitchen to make it more convenient for you to eat here.”
Su Binglan did not expect her brother to consider such a thing. “Okay then, I’ll cook in the small kitchen so no one will disturb me.’
She would teach the housekeepers in the palace how to cook these two dishes but now was not the time. She could cook for Lan Ruozhu in different ways.
Lan Ruozhu followed her into the small kitchen and said, “Sister, can we set up a gourmet class in schools?”
Su Binglan became wide-eyed. “That’s a great idea, Brother. I never thought of that. It’ll be good if everyone can learn some culinary skills and open shops to sell desserts and snacks.’
She felt the capital’s market was vast. The students could earn a decent living if they worked hard. Moreover, Lan Ruozhu did not restrict people from setting up stalls and selling things. It was fine as long as they set up stalls within the designated areas of the streets.
“By the way, Brother, I’d like to open a big supermarket in the center to make buying groceries more convenient for everyone.”
“What’s a supermarket?” Lan Ruozhu had never heard of such a term. “Is it like a big market?”
“More or less, yeah. It’s a grocery store that sells nearly everything. If anyone needs daily necessities, they can visit the supermarket and get whatever they need.
“Still, it isn’t as easy as opening a regular shop. We must supply various goods to ensure there’s sufficient supply. That includes vegetables, fruits, bedding, soap, cooked food, and so on..”