The trial sales of tea eggs and liang gao were very successful.

 

Starting from the second day, the Jing family increased the quantity to a hundred tea eggs and a hundred pieces of liang gao in two flavors each day.

 

Combined with the soups, the Jing family now earns about one and a half taels of silver per day, making Jing’s parents happy with a rosy complexion.

 

However, compared to the flow of people at the dock market, this quantity of goods is still not enough to sell.

 

Jing Yi remains calm. He knows the tactics of hunger marketing well. Despite the complaints and grumbles from old customers, he stubbornly supplies a hundred of each item every day. As a result, there is a constant stream of customers at the Jing family’s stall, and the surrounding stalls also thrive.

 

And so, time passed to the end of summer. The sun was still scorching, but the breeze blowing on the body was no longer as hot.

 

In the paddy fields, the rice stalks had slowly turned yellow, creating waves as they swayed in the gentle wind. In the lush vegetable garden, dewdrops glistened on the tender and lush leaves.

 

Almost everything was going smoothly now. Even if the sour plum soup becomes less popular after a while, Jing Yi has already thought of countermeasures. It’s still early, so there’s no need to rush.

 

The only thing that Jing Yi is dissatisfied with is the progress with his younger brother, Chuxia. Ah, Chuxia rarely comes to town, and Jing Yi can’t just go to Wangjiazhuang to find him. It would be too abrupt and wouldn’t leave a good impression.

 

Not being able to see each other made Jing Yi anxious.

 

Yes, thanks to Jing Yi’s unremitting efforts, he has now gathered some information about Chuxia, with the biggest contributor undoubtedly being his younger brother, Dongshan.

 

In the face of Jing Yi’s adoration and indirect inquiries, Dongshan basically disclosed everything he knew without reservation. In the end, Dongshan became wary and suspicious, feeling that something was not quite right. He interrupted Dongshan and cast a doubtful gaze at Jing Yi. Otherwise, Dongshan probably would have told Jing Yi about the incident a few days ago when Chuxia burned his hand while cooking.

 

After learning the basic situation, Jing Yi shamelessly referred to him as “Chuxia younger brother” in his mind.

 

Chuxia is the same age as him and is named Chuxia because he was born in early summer. He has already passed his birthday this year. It’s now the end of August, and Jing Yi is eagerly waiting for his own sixteenth birthday on September 8th.

 

But Jing Yi thinks that in his previous life, he was already in his forties. What’s wrong with calling him “Chuxia little brother”? It’s perfectly fine.

 

After thinking it over, there is no good opportunity to meet with Chuxia, so Jing Yi can only go to the dock every day to do business and earn money.

 

This can’t be delayed. He has planned to get married at eighteen, so he needs to build a house and buy land within these two years. Ideally, he would also like to buy a small storefront in town so that his father doesn’t have to travel back and forth anymore. After marriage, he and Chuxia can open a shop together in town.

 

Jing’s father: ….??

 

Lost in thought, Jing Yi arrived in town and quickly focused on doing business.

 

Today’s business was as prosperous as usual. Jing Yi and his father were very busy, but they managed it in an orderly manner. They chatted with everyone while leisurely selling their goods.

 

“Jing Xiaoge, your business is booming. Do you remember me? I’m Xiao Zhang, the kitchen assistant from Jixiange,” a young man dressed in navy blue kitchen attire spoke to Jing Yi. “Could you please pack five tea eggs and five pieces of goat milk liang gao for me? I’ll take them away.”

 

Jing Yi looked up and found the young man familiar. After a moment’s thought, he remembered who he was. Jixiange was an important customer when he used to sell game meat, but he became less focused on hunting when his business got busy.

 

“Of course, Xiao Zhang. I still remember. Thank you again for introducing me to Manager Huang,” Jing Yi replied with a smile. He received the goods from his father and personally handed them to Xiao Zhang, saying, “Here you go.”

 

Jing Yi thought that since Jixiange is currently very busy, Xiao Zhang coming in his work attire to buy something must mean he has something to discuss.

 

As expected, after Xiao Zhang paid, he said, “To be honest, our manager was planning to come personally, but you know how busy it gets during lunchtime. Jing Xiaoge and Jing Dashu, after you finish your business, could you come to Jixiange for a chat? The manager is waiting for both of you.”

 

Jing Yi and his father exchanged a glance. His father was confused, but Jing Yi had an idea. Considering Manager Huang’s character and the influence behind Jixiange, he felt it would be worth a visit. He replied, “No problem. It’s been a long time since I had a casual chat with Manager Huang. Thank you, Xiao Zhang, for informing us.”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing. See you later then.”

 

After saying that, Xiao Zhang hurriedly went back to work. The kitchen was busy after lunch, and if he left, others would have to work more. He needed to return quickly.

 

Many customers never expected that a small stall like theirs could establish connections with Jixiange. They realized that they shouldn’t offend this stall easily.

 

At around one o’clock in the afternoon, they closed their business.

 

Jing’s father wanted to go to the main restaurant and discuss matters with the manager. He was quite anxious and hesitated several times. He thought it would be better if his eldest son went alone. He was worried about embarrassing his son if he went along. However, he was also afraid that if his son went alone, he wouldn’t have anyone to help him if he was bullied. Thus, he decided to accompany him.

 

Jing Yi noticed his father’s hesitation and quickly reassured him, “Father, don’t worry. I have a good idea of why Manager Huang wants to see me. Although he’s shrewd, he is still kind-hearted and fair in his business dealings. He won’t take advantage of us.”

 

After speaking, he added a sincere remark, “And as long as we don’t get greedy, we won’t be easily deceived by others.”

 

The last sentence clearly struck a chord with Jing’s father, making him feel more at ease. Yes, as long as they maintain self-control and avoid greed, no one can easily deceive them.

 

Father and son pushed the cart into the town and arrived at the main street of Jixiange. Just as they were about to turn to the backstreet, someone called out to them. They looked up and saw Xiao Zhang waiting specifically at the front entrance.

 

“Jing Dashu, Jing Xiaoge, I thought you would arrive around this time. Come, you two go in first. I’ll help you push the cart to the backyard and put it away,” Xiao Zhang said, instructing the waiter at the entrance to guide Jing Yi and his father to the private room on the second floor, the Ru Yi Room owned by Manager Zhao.

 

Once inside the private room, Manager Huang stood up and greeted them with a bow. Jing’s father and Jing Yi quickly returned the gesture, temporarily setting aside any other matters.

 

“Jing Xiaoge, I’ve been waiting for you to bring me fresh game meat. It’s been a long time, and I was worried. Later, I heard that you’ve been doing well in the harbor market. Congratulations!” Manager Huang’s words were considerate. If he wanted to, his words could make you feel comfortable. Jing’s father’s face even relaxed a bit after just a few sentences upon entering.

 

“Manager Huang, please don’t make fun of me. I won’t show off my small business in front of you anymore,” Jing Yi said, bowing respectfully. “I apologize as well. Although our stall is small, there are still many things to take care of at home, and I haven’t had much time to go hunting on the mountain. Please forgive me.”

 

“Hey, business is a mutual agreement. There’s nothing to forgive. I invited you here today because I have a favor to ask of you,” Manager Huang said, returning Jing Yi’s bow.

 

As it turned out, Manager Huang had been under a lot of pressure recently. Jixiange had come to the town with a high profile, attracting many literati, officials, and wealthy individuals who enjoyed drinking and socializing in an elegant environment. They had managed to steal some high-quality customers from other restaurants of the same level. However, the truth was that the food at Jixiange was not exceptional in taste, lacking signature dishes and innovation.

 

The problem was that the skilled chefs they had cultivated in the capital city were unable to come to Fuyang Town, let alone follow them to this place. Manager Huang had to recruit chefs from the town, but all the good ones had already been hired by others. It took a long time for him to find Master Kuan, who had previously specialized in banquet cooking, through someone’s recommendation.

 

Manager Huang was well aware that the success of a restaurant ultimately relied on the taste of its food. While having a tavern for socializing and a study room for poetry and conversation was good, if a restaurant couldn’t excel in its food, it wouldn’t be a sustainable strategy.

 

He wasn’t shortsighted and always considered the worst-case scenario. He had been worried about the taste and innovation of Jixiange’s food, constantly searching for an excellent chef, preferably one with experience and a signature dish of their own. Master Kuan was skilled in preparing home-style dishes, and the pay was decent, so he could serve as a second chef.

 

“So, please don’t laugh at us. I understand that it’s difficult to find a good chef right now, but we can’t just let this matter go. After all, I can’t betray the trust the officials have placed in me,” Manager Huang said, bowing in the direction of the southwest, the direction of the capital city.

 

He then turned to Jing Yi and continued, “I thought that since we don’t have a chef, we could try some innovative dishes to add a fresh touch to Jixiange. I’ve tasted your tea eggs and goat milk liang gao from your stall, and they’re quite good. I wonder if we can collaborate?”

 

In fact, from the names alone, one could guess how to make these two dishes. But Master Kuan had cooked them several times, and they didn’t taste quite right. The tea eggs didn’t have the same savory and flavorful taste as those made by the Jing family, and the goat milk liang gao still had a slight gamy smell, indicating that a few key ingredients were missing.

 

After considering the matter, Manager Huang decided it would be less troublesome to directly collaborate with the Jing family. This way, he could also make a good impression on Jing Yi.

 

Having come from the capital city, Manager Huang understood the saying “Don’t underestimate a poor youth.”

 

Jing Yi had a similar idea to Manager Huang, but he believed they could discuss the specific form of collaboration. On the way there, he had also thought about his future path. Although he was currently running a small business, he knew he had to invest his money in land. In ancient times, no matter how big a business was, there was no sense of security without owning property. His life goal was to become a small landlord, and if necessary, he wouldn’t mind donating to become a minor official.

 

However, he was aware that participating in the imperial examinations and becoming an official was not realistic. He had self-awareness and knew that in modern times, his chances of improving his scores in the college entrance exam relied on the science section. He could continue running his business, but until he had the ability to entrust it to reliable people, he had to be low-key and cautious with his marketing efforts. If he accidentally became classified as a merchant by the government, he would have no place to cry.

 

It seemed like he needed to visit the study room and find a book similar to the Dayuan Dynasty’s Civil Code to study.