“I wonder if we can cooperate?” shopkeeper Huang, asked.

 

Jing Yi didn’t immediately answer. He pondered for a moment, deep in thought.

 

Since the beginning of the discussion, Jing’s father had stopped speaking casually, taking on the demeanor of someone who relied on his eldest son to make decisions.

 

Seeing this, shopkeeper Huang didn’t rush either. It was not a small matter, and it was natural to give it more thought. However, shopkeeper Huang believed that Jing Yi would agree. Aside from the connection with Jixiange and the opportunities it would bring, the cooperation itself would be mutually beneficial for both families.

 

Jing Yi had many thoughts, but he didn’t reveal them casually. Instead, he handed over the floor to shopkeeper Huang, saying, “shopkeeper Huang, as you know, we people from the countryside are not well-educated and lack experience. I’m curious about your ideas for cooperation.”

 

Seeing Jing Yi deflecting the question back to him, shopkeeper Huang inwardly thought, “This kid is really clever,” but he had indeed raised his expectations for Jing Yi.

 

Temporarily ignoring Jing Yi, shopkeeper Huang turned to Jing’s father and praised, “Brother Jing, you’ve raised a good child. He’s daring, meticulous, and shrewd.”

 

After Jing’s father smiled and expressed his gratitude, he continued talking to Jing Yi, saying, “To be honest with you, there are two common ways of cooperation with Jixiange. The first one, which everyone understands, is for us to buy the recipe from you, and once the transaction is complete, we go our separate ways.”

 

Pausing for a moment, he seemed somewhat hesitant, but ultimately continued, “The other way is a cooperation method that only the big shops in the city have. They directly provide us with finished products, and we sell them in our shop. There are two pricing methods: one is a profit-sharing arrangement, and the other is a set purchase price, where the selling price is unrelated to the purchasing party.”

 

shopkeeper Huang had always held Jing Yi in high regard, and now, discussing business matters, he was being very fair. He explained all the possible cooperation models.

 

The second cooperation model, not to mention the town, was rare even in the county. For Jixiange, having more steps in the process would be troublesome, and the key issue was that if something went wrong, it would be difficult to pinpoint the problem.

 

Jing Yi also understood this. As a poor boy from the countryside, shopkeeper Huang’s high opinion of him was indeed an honor. Since the beginning, starting from selling wild game, shopkeeper Huang had always been fair and never bullied others using his influence.

 

Thinking about these things, Jing Yi sincerely revealed his thoughts to shopkeeper Huang, saying in a low voice, “To be frank with you, I can sell you the recipe for the tea eggs using the first cooperation method. Furthermore, I’m also continuing to research other food recipes, and we can discuss those as well.”

 

As he spoke, he refilled shopkeeper Huang’s teacup and continued, “I’m facing some difficulty with the recipe for the sheep milk cold cakes because it is related to many future main food items of my family. So, if you can accept it, we can only use the second cooperation method. However, we can set the purchase price, and how much you sell it for at Jixiange is your ability. My Jing family won’t interfere or be envious.”

 

Jing Yi didn’t want to reveal the secret of how to remove the fishy smell from the sheep milk just yet. There was a lot of potential for dairy products, and many snacks could be made from them. Not to mention anything else, mixing sheep milk with tea would create the popular milk tea of future generations. Jing Yi wanted to enjoy the benefits of this derivative product himself.

 

Jing Yi spoke with sincerity and clarity. Both he and shopkeeper Huang were not the type to haggle over prices. shopkeeper Huang understood that this tea egg deal was sealed. However, he still needed to think about the cold cakes. Perhaps he could see how well the tea eggs sold first.

 

“Alright, Jing, you speak straightforwardly, and I won’t hold back either. Let’s go with buying the tea eggs outright, exclusively. In the future, aside from your Jing family’s own stall, you cannot sell or find someone else to sell to. After considering it, the usual buying price for snacks is twenty taels, but I’ll give you twenty-five taels. The extra five taels will be for your priority consideration in future food items. How about it? Hahaha.”

 

Twenty-five taels, this price was even higher than what Jing Yi had anticipated. It seemed that shopkeeper Huang really wanted the recipe for removing the fishy smell from the sheep milk.

 

“No problem. shopkeeper Huang, you’re so generous and straightforward. I have nothing more to say. So, let’s toast with tea instead of wine and wish for a smooth and long-lasting cooperation between us.”

 

Once the agreement was settled, they began drafting the contract. Three copies were made, with two given to the parties involved and one to be submitted to the government for record-keeping.

 

This was the guarantee for Jixiange and also for Jing Yi.

 

After Jing Yi carefully reviewed the contract and found no issues, both parties signed and sealed it, storing it securely.

 

In a hurry, Jing Yi went to the kitchen and handed the tea egg recipe to Master Kuan. As for the confidentiality agreement between Jixiange and Master Kuan, Jing Yi was unaware.

 

Once the eggs were boiled and cracked, and the seasonings to be added were prepared, as soon as the pot started boiling, Master Kuan didn’t even need to taste the eggs. He nodded in agreement towards shopkeeper Huang, indicating that the flavor was right.

 

At this point, the money and goods were exchanged, and shopkeeper Huang escorted Jing’s father and son out of the shop. Jing Yi left a message that if they needed sheep milk cold cakes, they should inform the market at the pier. Then, he and his father pushed the cart and headed home.

 

After leaving the town and walking on the rural road, Jing’s father couldn’t help but anxiously ask, “Son, why did you sell the tea egg recipe? What if everyone starts buying from shopkeeper Huang?”

 

“Father, what do you think of Jixiange?” Jing Yi replied with a question.

 

“Of course, it’s excellent. Didn’t you say the boss behind it is from the capital? It’s formidable. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t dare step foot in there my whole life. Hardly anyone wears short garments, they’re all in long robes.” Jing’s father believed that anyone wearing a long robe must be an aristocrat.

 

“That’s why people who eat at Jixiange won’t easily come to our stall, and those who come to our stall won’t easily go to Jixiange. There’s no conflict,” Jing Yi explained.

 

Moreover, with shopkeeper Huang’s shrewdness, the tea eggs would undoubtedly be well-packaged before being sold. They wouldn’t look as plain as those at the market by the pier.

 

Now, Jing’s father felt reassured and delighted. He thought about the twenty-five taels, which he considered equivalent to two acres of good land or a spacious house made of bricks and tiles. He couldn’t help but feel content.

 

When he arrived home, he needed to have a good chat with his wife. This was a business deal he and his son had concluded together, and he had contributed as well.

 

After returning home, Jing’s mother was amazed and pleasantly surprised. After Jing Yi explained that it wouldn’t affect their own business, she, like Jing’s father, smiled with satisfaction and didn’t roll her eyes even when Jing’s father boasted.

 

A few days later, when the business was nearing its end in early September, an old acquaintance, Little Zhang, found Jing’s small stall. After Jing’s father and Jing Yi finished their tasks, Little Zhang came over to help tidy up and pass on a message: “Uncle Jing, little Jing, shopkeeper Huang says the tea eggs are very popular and thanks both of you. If it’s convenient, starting tomorrow, can you provide the shop with thirty pieces of sheep milk cold cakes at the price on your stall?”

 

Jing Yi heard this and saw no reason to refuse. After all, it was possible that shopkeeper Huang would sell more. Besides, he had never heard of wholesale being more expensive than retail.

 

Jing Yi even generously provided some high-end selling ideas to Jixiange, such as sprinkling crushed dried fruits on the small cold cakes, not only for a better appearance but also for improved taste. Another idea was to make some dark-colored pastries and arrange them in a mandarin duck pattern for selling. They could also pour honey or syrup on the bottom of the plate for an appealing and delicious touch.

 

After giving the instructions, Jing Yi also gave three pieces of red date cold cakes and three pieces of sheep milk cold cakes specially reserved for Little Zhang, saying they were a treat for him and his family for making the trip.

 

Little Zhang was overjoyed, expressed his gratitude, and left happily.

 

After listening to Little Zhang’s message and the new suggestions provided by Jing Yi, shopkeeper Huang repeatedly thought that the twenty-five taels he spent were truly worthwhile. If these few ideas were successfully implemented, they would be enough to recoup his investment.

 

Busy times always passed quickly, and now it was already early autumn in September.

 

Jing Yi’s birthday was approaching, but in this rural area of Xiwan Village, they didn’t celebrate children’s birthdays. Even at sixteen, they were still considered children, and if they weren’t married, they were definitely children. So, on Jing Yi’s birthday, it passed by quietly. They conducted their business, reminisced about the early summer, and had a bowl of braised noodles cooked by Jing’s mother. There was nothing special about it.

 

The only difference is that he received two small gifts full of blessings from his two adorable younger brothers. Jing’an collected a small basket of rare wild fruits for his older brother, while Jingshu picked a bunch of wildflowers.

 

Although the gifts were not valuable, they were things that the two younger brothers liked to eat and play with. The most generous expression of children is to give what they like to others. It was filled with heartfelt intentions, which made Jing Yi extremely happy. He felt that he hadn’t spoiled them in vain.

 

After Jing Yi’s birthday passed, it was already mid-September, and it was almost time for the autumn harvest. This year, they needed to make arrangements for the harvest at home.

 

Originally, following Jing Yi’s idea, they would pause their business for a few days and focus on the autumn harvest. However, Jing’s father strongly disagreed. He believed that he was completely healthy now, well-fed, and full of energy. He didn’t need Jing Yi’s help.

 

Jing’s mother also had a similar opinion. Although she didn’t say anything, her expression didn’t quite agree with Jing Yi’s arrangement. The business was booming, and they couldn’t afford to stop. In the end, it was decided that Jing’s father would take care of the agricultural work at home, while Jing Yi would continue to set up his stall at the pier every day.

 

The Jing family owned five acres of good farmland, all planted with rice. With Jing’s father’s expertise in farming, he could harvest the entire field in about five days.

 

Jing’s father initially wanted Jing’s mother to help in town while he worked at home. However, Jing’s mother disagreed. Farming was already tiring, and she could take the two little ones to the field occasionally to help. Moreover, she could cook for Jing’s father. During the busy farming season, who wouldn’t want to eat well and replenish their energy? Otherwise, how could they have the strength to work?

 

Jing Yi going to the pier alone was no problem at all. In fact, he could handle the stall by himself and didn’t want his parents to labor with him.

 

Making soups and snacks every day required the whole family’s effort, and they didn’t have the conditions to hire workers yet.

 

But Jing Yi had long wanted to relieve his father from setting up the stall, yet seeing his father full of energy and following him to the pier every day, he felt that his father’s spirits were even better. So he hadn’t mentioned it.

 

The rice in the village’s paddy fields had already ripened, stretching out like golden beaches. It was another harvest season.

 

At this time, the people of Xiwan Village, walking on the road, wore smiles on their faces. They relied on nature for their food, and after a year of hard work and worry, they finally felt at ease.

 

Many diligent families had already started harvesting rice, but Jing Yi’s family had less land, and his father had calculated it well, so they weren’t in a hurry. Therefore, today, they accompanied Jing Yi to the pier, planning to start the field work tomorrow, which wouldn’t be too late.