The Jo Company in the Town
I pressed my face against the carriage window, eagerly looking outside. Since it was the end of the year, the streets seemed livelier than usual.
"Jo, it's dangerous, so sit properly."
Brother Noel warned me, but I had no intention of sitting down.
"Heheh. No way, right? If you sit down, you won't be able to see anything."
Brother Gene said with a laugh.
Hearing that, I puffed out my cheeks and glared at Gene. Then, Brother Aran effortlessly lifted me onto his lap.
"Now you can see, right?"
"Thank you, Brother Aran."
I smiled and thanked him before turning my gaze back outside.
Finally, the carriage came to a stop, and we stepped outside.
"Alright? You absolutely must not wander away from us."
"Yes—"
You don’t have to keep repeating it so many times…
Do they really not trust me that much? Well, I guess I should just respond for now.
"I don’t trust you at all. If you see something interesting, you’d probably wander off on your own."
Brother Aran said.
"Huh!?"
How did he know what I was thinking?
"I can read you like an open book. It’s written all over your face. You were thinking you just needed to respond, weren’t you?"
Brother Aran saw right through me…
On top of that, at some point, Brother Noel had taken my right hand, and Brother Aran had taken my left. If you put it nicely, I was holding hands with two handsome guys, but… to be honest, I looked more like an alien that had been captured for research.
"First stop... here! This is the Jo Company."
"Wow~ What a cute shop~!"
It was my first time visiting this store. Unlike the surrounding buildings, it had white walls and an orange-tiled roof. Above the bright brown entrance door was a striped awning to keep the rain off. Next to the door, there was a wooden deck with a bench placed under a large window.
It looked just like a café from overseas~
Maybe the bench on the wooden deck was an eat-in space~?
As I opened the shop door, a small bell rang. The interior walls were also white, and shelves along the walls, as well as a central table, displayed familiar products. At the counter, a man was assisting customers, while a woman attended to others inside the store.
As I looked around the shop, the other customers left, and the two employees, now free, approached me.
"We’ve been expecting you, Young lady. My name is Kate, and this is my husband, Greg."
"Huh? How do you know who I am?"
"My sister informed me that you would be visiting."
"Sister?"
"Have you not realized yet?"
With that, Kate lifted her bangs, revealing a familiar smile.
"Ah! Nancy?"
"That’s right. My sister’s family is always grateful for your kindness."
Kate and Greg bowed their heads.
"Oh, no, we should be thanking you as well."
I bowed my head in return.
As the three of us exchanged bows, Brother Noel and the others watched us with amused smiles.
"So, Kate and Greg, you’re the ones running this place?"
"Yes, the small goods sold here are made by the orphans based on your ideas, Young lady Joan. Seasonings and sweets are made by others, and drinks are prepared and sold here."
Greg explained.
"Would you like to try and see if it captures your taste, Young lady?"
Kate handed drinks to all five of us.
*Gulp.*
“"Mmm, delicious."”
Brother Gene and Vee said at the same time.
"Yeah, it’s good. It tastes just like Jo’s."
Brother Noel added.
"Ah, it really does taste the same. What do you think, Joan?"
Brother Aran asked.
"Yes, it’s just right. But… isn’t it hard to sell cold drinks in this chilly season?"
"Indeed. Ever since winter started, sales have dropped."
Greg admitted, looking a little apologetic.
"Then, you should sell hot drinks instead!"
[Huh!?]"How about hot honey lemon? It warms the body and is good for the throat, helping prevent colds."
“"Young lady Joan!!"”
Kate and Greg suddenly grabbed my hands.
"Y-Yes?"
"Could you make some for us to try?"
Greg asked.
"Oh, um, sure, I understand."
"Then, let’s go to the second floor."
Kate opened a door at the back of the shop, revealing stairs leading up. It seemed the second floor was where Kate and Greg lived.
"Alright, let’s make it. In a cup, you put honey and freshly squeezed limon juice, then pour in hot water and stir with a spoon… And there, it’s done."
"What…? That’s all? It’s so simple."
Kate was surprised by how easy it was to make.
"It is simple~ But be careful; it’s hot when you drink it."
I placed the honey lemon drinks in front of the five of them.
*Gulp.*
[Ahh~]Hehe, drinking something warm makes you feel relaxed, doesn’t it? It’s like your frozen body is melting.
"This is great. I’d love to sell it. But unlike sports drinks, we can’t sell hot drinks in bottles, right?"
That’s true. Selling hot drinks in bottles would be dangerous.
There weren’t any paper cups… and no tumblers either.
Oh! That reminded me, my grandchildren once gave me a wooden tea cup as a gift. Then, why not make wooden tumblers and sell them together with the drinks? If customers bring back their tumbler for a refill, we could give them a discount—this could create repeat customers!
As I was thinking about this…
"Jo, Jo? Are you okay?"
Brother Noel asked, looking concerned.
"Ah, yes. I was thinking about how to sell it."
"So, did you come up with something?"
Brother Aran asked.
"A wooden tumbler… A lidded cup made of wood. We could pour the hot drinks into those and sell them. And if customers bring their cup back next time, we could give them a discount. What do you think?"
"What would a lidded wooden cup look like?"
Brother Gene asked.
I took out paper and a pen from my storage and drew a picture of a tumbler with a lid.
"This way, people can buy hot drinks, and if they bring the cup back, they can get a discount. That way, they’ll keep coming back. What do you think?"
"That sounds interesting."
Brother Aran said.
"Jo, first, we should report this to Mother and consult her. Kate, would that be okay?"
"Yes, Young master Noel. Thank you, Young lady Joan."
I handed Kate and Greg some sandwiches from my storage for their lunch and then left Jo Company.
Now, where should we go next~?
What do you think about this chapter?
