Chapter 1562 - 1547: The Way to Prosperity (Part 2)

Drinking more than half a cup of hot red sugar ginger tea every half an hour made Atan feel warm all over, like having a small hot stove on her little tummy. Eventually, she didn’t feel any pain and drifted into sleep. She didn’t even know how much red sugar ginger tea she had drunk, but she had the warmest sleep in more than a year.

Marcus Quinn was a light sleeper, afraid Atan might wake up in pain in the middle of the night, so he didn’t dare to sleep on the sofa. The man carefully leaned on the other side of the bed, his large hand always resting on her lower abdomen. However, being so close, he didn’t dare to move and ended up not sleeping at all. Only when he saw Atan’s furrowed brows relax into sweet slumber did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

As soon as the sky turned bright, the man boiled hot water, placed it beside the bed, then heated up the pork trotters. He casually took a shower and completed his daily chores before heading out to do business with the pork trotters in hand.

Today, he wasn’t planning to take on miscellaneous labor, only going to the two restaurants he went to yesterday. If the business worked out, great. If not, he would try offering the 30 pounds of pork trotters elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the boss of Qingfeng Lou had been in an excited and enthusiastic state all day and night. Not only did he have someone watching over his own restaurant, but he also arranged for someone at Shewei to prevent the other from getting a head start.

This was all about Qingfeng Lou’s future status in the Fountain City culinary scene, so Gabriel spent the night directly at Qingfeng Lou and was woken up by a call from the manager early in the morning.

"Mr. Tan, he’s here, the person is here," the manager said cheerfully. Not only had he arrived, but he had also brought a large jar of pork trotters.

Gabriel hurriedly got up, rinsed his mouth, washed his face, and went downstairs. When he saw Marcus Quinn, he was taken aback. There was a stern and tough air about this man. Although rough-looking, his eyes were sharp. Having traveled far and wide, Gabriel naturally had a keen eye and knew immediately that the person before him was not one to be trifled with.

Yesterday, he had called some old patrons of Qingfeng Lou to sample the leftover pork trotters. These picky elders couldn’t stop praising it afterward, clamoring to set up banquets to invite friends to taste the pork trotters specially.

Gabriel didn’t have the recipe or any stock, so where dared he make promises? He just said the dish was still under development and he would notify them when it was officially sold.

As soon as Marcus Quinn arrived, Gabriel warmly welcomed him, exclaiming, "Finally, we’ve got you here. Quick, get some good tea, brew this year’s Mao Feng tea."

Marcus put the 30-pound ceramic jar on the table, instantly knowing that this business was almost certainly going to succeed. He had found himself a profitable path.

The man, true to his firm and stern nature, didn’t bother with hypocritical flattery and said straightforwardly, "These secret pork trotters are made with a recipe passed down from my wife’s ancestors. We only make 30 pounds a day. If you like it, we’ll exclusively supply them to Qingfeng Lou."

Hearing this, Gabriel’s face lit up with joy. Thirty pounds was plenty. Qingfeng Lou was a century-old establishment, targeting a high-end market. The pricing for a single dish started at 888 and above. This pork trotter was infused with many Chinese herbs, rich in aroma and suitable as their signature dish. But Gabriel wasn’t shortsighted; without the recipe or a formal agreement, he wouldn’t comfortably push this dish. Only with the recipe or an agreement could it be foolproof.

"May I know your surname, Sir, and at what price do you plan to supply us?" Gabriel, also being straightforward, presented his business card and asked for Marcus’s name, leading to their collaboration discussion.

"200 yuan per pound," Marcus calmly stated. "We’ll solely supply your establishment, and after three months of stable cooperation, I will provide you with the recipe for these pork trotters."

Marcus also explained which Chinese herbs were used in the trotters and their health benefits. The cost mainly came from the herbs, as he purchased only the finest, aged herbs, which made the cost high. However, the advantage of the broth was that it could be boiled in large quantities. At 200 per pound, he could earn a net profit of 150 yuan. The profit for Qingfeng Lou was even higher. Restaurants like these priced a single dish at over a thousand yuan, meaning they were effectively earning 800 per pound, making it a profit-making and reputation-building endeavor that required little effort—an opportunity no one would pass up.

Initially overjoyed that the price was set so low, Gabriel was even more elated when he heard the recipe would be provided for free after three months, treating Marcus like a financial deity. It was a win-win situation, making money while getting the recipe!!!

"Does Mr. Quinn have any additional conditions?" Gabriel, being an experienced and cautious businessman, was wary of anything seemingly too good to be true.

"The condition is that externally, it should be stated that this dish was developed by your Qingfeng Lou. My wife isn’t in good health. Although she’s a good cook, she doesn’t like being disturbed," Marcus said calmly.

Gabriel was taken aback. He inquired about some finer details and realized that this man’s aura clearly didn’t belong to someone doing manual labor in a small place. He guessed the man probably had some background, didn’t want to attract attention, and only sought this cooperation to make money.

The two hit it off instantly and signed the agreement on the spot. Marcus would supply 30 pounds of secret pork trotters daily. After three months of stable cooperation, he would provide the trotters’ recipe for free, and Qingfeng Lou had to strictly keep their identities confidential.

Gabriel noticed Marcus’s ordinary attire contrasted with his exceptional aura, indicating he wasn’t just anyone. He decided to forge a good relationship with him, thinking that with such a notable figure, the development of new dishes might be promising in the future. So, he offered to purchase at 300 yuan per pound.

Marcus didn’t refuse and signed the agreement accordingly, dedicating a few hours daily to making the trotters, ensuring a steady income of 7500 yuan a day. As for giving Qingfeng Lou the recipe, the matter didn’t concern him; the true culinary skills and recipes from his maternal grandfather far surpassed that of these secret pork trotters. This was merely the simplest appetizer dish he had shared.

That day, Qingfeng Lou launched their special signature dish, ’One Taste Bloom,’ priced at a summer special rate of 500 yuan. Gabriel was a shrewd and visionary businessman; having gotten the pork trotters for free, setting the price at 500 per pound still meant a profit, and he planned on establishing a reputation by selling at a limited, low-price strategy.

’One Taste Bloom,’ officially the pork trotters, sold out instantly on its launch day, gobbled up by the old patrons who had tasted it the day before. Word spread quickly, drawing ever-greater fame, but that’s a story for another time.

Marcus, having successfully completed the business, promptly rushed home with the day’s earnings to take care of Atan.

The boss of Qingfeng Lou, seeing a seemingly rough worker make about 9,000 yuan in a single trip, imperturbably acknowledged that this man was no ordinary person. The goodwill they formed was definitely the right move.