Chapter 401: Business Arrives

Chapter 401: Chapter 401: Business Arrives

"Go ahead, smash it all. I was just worried about losing money from a lack of sales. After you’re done smashing, I’ll go to the Wan Mansion to demand compensation. If they pay the original price, I’ll break even. If they pay triple, I’ll even make a profit. And if they don’t pay, I’ll sue the Wan Mansion at the government office. I’ve got nothing but time on my hands, anyway."

The moment Santai heard about going to the government office, he rushed to pull at Di Rong. "Young Master, let’s go..."

Di Rong shook him off and glared at Ji Huan. "You must be desperate for money!"

He’d been running rampant in Yeyang for so long, yet he’d never seen anyone actually beg to have their shop smashed.

Ji Huan spread her hands. "Aren’t I just? My goal is to make money, anyway. As long as I can make money, I don’t care if it’s from sales or some other method. Young Master Di has deep pockets, so you shouldn’t mind me taking a little advantage, right?"

Di Rong had genuinely wanted to smash the place, but now he had absolutely no desire to do so.

"You pauper! Madwoman! I’m not that stupid! You won’t get your way! Let’s go!"

He had come gloating, but he left in a fury, all the while thinking he was being incredibly clever.

Ji Huan just shook her head. ’Whichever family has this wretched child must be cursed with eight lifetimes of bad luck.’

That attendant wasn’t so bad, though. He stayed behind to secretly pay for the vinegar, then rushed out the door.

Xu Laifu finally let out a breath he’d been holding. He had just thought Ji Huan was serious and was really going to let that Little Demon Star smash the place.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make money; he just didn’t want to make it by letting things be destroyed. No matter how high the compensation from the Wan Mansion might be, he still preferred to sell their products one by one with his own hands, letting the common people taste and approve of them.

’But the shop has been met with a cold reception since opening. How are we going to get out of this predicament...’

Seeing everyone grow more and more discouraged, Ji Huan also felt she had been too complacent before.

’Selling hot and spicy soup in the town last year was so effortless. That’s because food is the staff of life; everyone has to eat. As long as the taste was good and the price was fair, a food business never had to worry about customers.’

’But soy sauce, vinegar, and seasonings are different. While they aren’t entirely new things, their use certainly isn’t widespread in the Northern Pass.’

’They are neither necessities nor fast-moving consumer goods. Right now, they’re even a little bit of a luxury.’

’Relying only on flyers and verbal descriptions makes it hard for customers to form a clear concept in their minds.’

’When it comes to food, it has to appeal to the eyes, nose, and palate.’

Ji Huan propped her chin on one hand, her eyes scanning the surroundings, while her other hand tapped absently on the counter.

’We need to let customers see the finished product, the real thing. Let them smell it, and even better, let them taste it...’

’I’ve got it!’

Just as Ji Huan was about to share her idea with Xu Laifu, a waiter from the Hongfu Restaurant across the street hurried over, followed by a stout, middle-aged man.

"Manager Xu, that seasoning you gave me last time, you still have it for sale in the shop, right?"

Xu Laifu froze for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Ji Huan. They both realized it: business had arrived.

Xu Laifu quickly composed himself and went over with a smile to greet them.

"Of course we do. So you’ve used it, my friend? How were the results? I wasn’t lying, was I?"

In truth, it was a pointless question. The waiter was beaming with joy, a fact that anyone with eyes could see.

"It was amazing! For the same dish, the flavor is completely different with and without it!"

At first, he had been a little hesitant and didn’t dare give it directly to the head chef. It wasn’t until yesterday, when the chef found it himself, that he suggested giving it a try.

The result was unexpected. They were just ordinary side dishes that the regulars were used to. Normally, while they wouldn’t complain, they never offered any praise either. But yesterday, they ate every last bite, leaving their plates and bowls clean, and every one of them was full of praise.

By today, their number of repeat customers had doubled.

That small packet of seasoning was used up quickly. The manager slammed his hand on the table. "Buy more! What are you waiting for?"

And so, they had come straight over.

The stout man clasped his hands in greeting toward Xu Laifu. "My surname is Hong. I’m the manager of Hongfu Restaurant."

Xu Laifu returned the gesture. After introducing himself, he then introduced Ji Huan. "This is our owner. Her surname is Ji."

Manager Hong glanced at her half-combed, half-pinned chignon and greeted her with a smile, "Miss Ji."

Ji Huan returned the courtesy but left the conversation to Xu Laifu, not joining in.

"So, Manager Hong, you’d like more of the same Mala Spice Blend as last time."

"That’s right. It works wonders in our dishes, the response has been excellent! I’d like to buy more this time. What’s the price?"

Xu Laifu walked over to the area dedicated to the Mala Spice Blend, took a packet, and handed it to Manager Hong.

"All the seasonings in our shop are pre-packaged by us, with a standard weight and a standard price. For the Mala Spice Blend, a large packet like this weighs about three taels and costs thirty-eight cents."

Manager Hong took it and weighed it in his hand, getting a good sense of it. He knew Xu Laifu wasn’t lying.

Last time, Xu Laifu had already told the waiter about the usage and dosage. It didn’t take much to stir-fry a wok of vegetables, so a large packet like this would last for quite a while.

Manager Hong did a quick calculation in his head.

’Even for the cheapest dish in the restaurant, after deducting the cost of the seasoning and other ingredients, there was still a hefty profit to be made. Not to mention, if business really took off because of this, they could even raise the prices a little...’

"Alright, I’ll take ten packets to start."

Ten packets! That was nearly four hundred cents. Xu Laifu was ecstatic, but he did his best to keep a calm expression.

"Just the Mala Spice Blend? Our shop also carries Thirteen-Spice Powder and Five-Spice Powder. Would Manager Hong like to consider them?"

In fact, even before Xu Laifu had spoken, Manager Hong was already subtly scanning the shelves all around him.

While this shop was being renovated, the entire street had been guessing what it would sell. When Manager Hong vaguely heard it was related to food, he worried he might have another competitor.

On East Street, besides his own establishment, there were two other restaurants and inns, as well as bun shops and wonton stalls. They were all competitors.

Most importantly, the two best restaurants in all of Yeyang—Quanju Xuan and Liuxian Building—were also nearby.

Fortunately, one was on West Street and the other on South Street. Otherwise, his little Hongfu Restaurant would have probably gone out of business long ago.

Even so, it was a struggle for survival, caught in the middle.

Business had been getting worse and worse, and he thought the situation was hopeless. He never expected such a sudden turn of events—this new shop was not a competitor, but his lucky star!

After all, Manager Hong had been running a restaurant for many years, and his intuition was sharp. This seasoning might seem unremarkable at first glance, but it could very well be the key to Hongfu Restaurant’s revival.

And a shop this big couldn’t possibly sell only one type of product.

’He wouldn’t pass up anything that could enhance the flavor of his dishes and bring more customers to his restaurant.’

"I just don’t know about this Thirteen-Spice Powder and Five-Spice Powder..."

"Oh, it’s like this..."

Xu Laifu then gave him a detailed explanation of their uses and differences.

At the end, he said, "I see your restaurant’s business has been picking up these last two days. If you’re making any large or impressive meat dishes, then both of these seasonings will be of great use. Five-Spice Powder can also be used in everyday dishes. In any case, they are sure to be a pleasant surprise. Oh, right, there are two other things I want to recommend to you, Manager Hong. Please, follow me."

Xu Laifu led Manager Hong over to the soy sauce and vinegar section.

In an empty space next to the shelves displaying bottled soy sauce and vinegar, there sat a large vinegar vat and a soy sauce vat.

Xu Laifu lifted the lids and used a long-handled bamboo ladle to scoop some out for Manager Hong.

"Regardless of whether it’s a meat or vegetable dish, these two can give them a flavor unlike any before..."

Manager Hong was familiar with autumn soy sauce and aromatic vinegar. They had only appeared in Yeyang in the last couple of years at exorbitant prices, but their flavor was only average.

But the contents of these two vats before him seemed to have a different color and luster.

As he listened to Xu Laifu’s detailed explanation, he dipped a finger in and brought it to his lips.

He smacked his lips, and then his eyes widened.

"How much do you sell this for?!"

In the end, Manager Hong bought ten packets of the Mala Spice Blend, five packets each of the Thirteen-Spice and Five-Spice Powder, and three bottles each of soy sauce and vinegar.

The trip cost him nearly one tael of silver, but far from being upset, Manager Hong was beaming with delight.

"I’ll go back and try them out. If the other types are as amazing as you say, I’ll be back often in the future!"

"Then I thank you in advance for your patronage, Manager Hong."

It was quite a lot of stuff. Fortunately, the waiter had brought a sack with him. Zhou took the sack and began packing the items one by one.

He placed the soy sauce and vinegar in a basket for them to carry back, telling them they could return it whenever they were free.

"I originally thought the seasonings were sold loose by weight, like salt, so I only brought a sack..."

Manager Hong shared a couple of laughs and was about to take his leave.

Having observed up to this point, a glimmer appeared in Ji Huan’s eyes, and she finally spoke up.

"Manager Hong, please wait a moment."