0p0 Chapter 336: Sound Teahouse
Chapter 336: Sound Teahouse
Zheng Sisi also announced that the servants would be divided into two shifts to listen to stories in the mansion for two days. They would listen in the morning and do work in the afternoon, and listen to stories in the afternoon after working in the morning. This decision made the servants cheer. They all said that the county lady was good and that everyone had good welfare. They could listen to the stories that the guests paid to listen to for free.
Upon seeing this situation, Qingfeng quickly went to ask his master for instructions, in order to seek benefits for his brothers. He wanted the brothers to be divided into two shifts to listen to stories for free, to ensure that no one's work would be delayed.
Sheng Zhen wanted to ask Zheng Sisi for her opinion, but of course she had no objection. After all, it didn't matter whether one person listened or a hundred people listened, and she was not the storyteller, so she had no loss.
"Thank you, Master, thank you, County Lady. I'd like to thank you on behalf of my brothers. I'll have them come in batches this afternoon to listen to our stories. Haha!"
In the afternoon, the front yard was crowded with people, but it was all silent, with only the storyteller's vivid speech to be heard.
The story of Journey to the West also opened the door to everyone's imagination. Everyone was wondering if there really were omnipotent gods living in heaven? Mrs. Zheng and her three little sisters listened to the story in the morning and afternoon, and they all enjoyed the same content.
After two days of reading in the mansion, Zheng Sisi also took the opportunity to copy the entire "Journey to the West". She thought that this story should be able to be told for several days. She began to worry about the next story, as one was not enough. She planned to ask Sheng Zhen to copy the story in the evening. She chose "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" for him to practice, as this story could attract boys more.
On the opening day of the teahouse, Zheng Sisi only sent invitations to a few close friends.
That day she followed the cooks to the teahouse early. An oven was also customized in the kitchen at the back of the teahouse, and most of the snacks in the teahouse were made in this oven.
She also modified the commonly used peanuts and melon seeds to make strange-flavored peanuts and five-spice melon seeds.
The tea leaves retain the original ones, and silver needle and black tea are added. Silver needle is sold as high-end tea, while black tea is a bit special and needs to be boiled, so it is made for the masses. A big pot is boiled every day. There may be some common people, peddlers and hawkers who come to listen to the stories. They can have a big cup of black tea for three cents.
Zheng Sisi specially found a ceramic shop to custom-make modern teacups with handles for these low-spending people.
Her humanistic designs were also appreciated by everyone. The teahouse sign was also changed to the simplest and most direct "Sound Teahouse", and the words on the plaque were Sheng Zhen's free calligraphy.
Yesterday, Zheng Sisi asked housekeeper Chen to send people to find the little beggars wandering on the streets, give each of them five cents and five big meat buns, and tell them to go to the streets and alleys and tell everyone that the Yousheng Teahouse will open tomorrow, and they can listen to the stories of gods for a few cents.
Butler Chen didn't understand what was going on, and Zheng Sisi just told him: "This is called a publicity tactic. Just do it and you'll know the effect tomorrow."
As expected, as soon as the firecrackers were set off and the red cloth was unveiled, many people who had received the news yesterday came rushing over. The waiters were busy serving tea and snacks. The snacks here were something they had never seen or heard of before, and they were even more shocked when they saw the samples. After tasting them, one customer immediately said, "Hey, give me two more of each of these snacks."
Zheng Sisi had predicted this long ago. She arranged for the shopkeeper to purchase a lot of oil paper, which was cut into squares of the same size to make it easier for customers to pack up and take away. They would then tie them up with thick hemp ropes and carry them, which was convenient and easy.
This made the merchants who made oil paper and hemp rope say, "We have found a big customer." Because Zheng Sisi asked the shopkeeper to sign a long-term cooperation agreement with them.
Zheng Sisi arranged the invited guests on the second floor, which was open, with a spiral staircase and tables placed by the fence. Guests sitting there could see what was happening downstairs and hear the storytelling.
It was almost nine o'clock in the morning when he arranged the guests. He arranged for the two gentlemen to tell stories for three hours every day, starting at nine o'clock. They could take turns telling stories so that they would have time to rest their throats. He also specially prepared heat-reducing tea for the two of them made from herbs such as chrysanthemum and honeysuckle.
At exactly nine o'clock, Mr. Qiao walked up to the storytelling stage with his clothes lifted up. He hit the wake-up stick with a "pop" sound, which scared the guests who were drinking tea.
Before the guests could get angry, Mr. Qiao stood up and bowed, saying, "I am very sorry to disturb all the distinguished guests. My last name is Qiao, and I am known as Qiao Kuaizui. Today I will tell you a fairy tale called "Journey to the West". Please listen, distinguished guests. It is about..."