She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 84: Turning a Deal Awkward

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Turning a Deal Awkward

Shopkeeper He knew how to do business as well. As soon as he received the snacks sent by Qi Younian, he immediately divided them into several portions, serving a small serving of Ice Cream and double-layered milk custard to each of the regular tables of customers.

The double-layered milk custard was okay; at most, it was just a delicacy, a fresh treat. But Ice Cream was different.

In its frozen state, with a cool sensation in the mouth, it truly melted upon entering the mouth, richly fragrant and sweet with cold. In the midst of this blazing hot summer, encountering such a counter-seasonal delicacy gave the customers an incredibly shocking sensory experience.

It wasn’t long after sending out the small bucket when a hurried waiter from Great Crane House came to inform that Shopkeeper He wanted two more buckets.

Two buckets of Ice Cream in such a short time?

Qi Younian feared he had heard incorrectly, and confirmed again, "Two large buckets?" Only large buckets of ice cream were left in the store, and Shopkeeper He had seen the large buckets of ice cream before.

The waiter nodded, "Yes, two buckets. Our shopkeeper is worried that even two might not be enough. You gentlemen don’t know, that little bit of Ice Cream, divided among a few tables and served, those who were quick enough got a taste, while those who were slow could only listen to others describe it, feeling incredibly itchy with desire."

Ye Xinyan laughed upon hearing this and took over the conversation, "Is that so? This thing needs a long time in advance to be made, and it can’t be stored for a long time, so we only made three buckets today. Take these two buckets first, and tell Shopkeeper He that we still have one bucket left here. If customers need it, they can come over to pick it up, but there isn’t any more beyond that."

The waiter nodded, "Alright, I will take these two buckets back first. Also, do you have any more double-layered milk custard? We’ll need some of that too."

Qi Jia, scurrying with his short little legs, followed Qi Younian to send the waiter out the back door before returning, and as soon as he came back, he asked Ye Xinyan, "Sister, when will they pay us for buying so much Ice Cream?"

Ye Xinyan burst out laughing upon hearing this, leaving Qi Jia puzzled, just looking at her curiously, then at Qi Younian, not knowing what he said wrong.

Qi Younian, unable to stand seeing the youngster laughed at, pulled Qi Jia over and said with a smile, "Our family is doing business with Uncle He, it’s not like a small transaction where you can settle the money each time; we need to account for a period of time altogether."

Qi Jia nodded with seeming understanding, but voiced his concern anxiously, "But will his family give us the money?"

"Yes, they will, they definitely will," Ye Xinyan quickly nodded, barely holding back her laughter as she responded.

When the remaining bucket of Ice Cream was also taken away, Shopkeeper He arrived.

"Old Master Qi," Shopkeeper He first greeted Qi Younian with a cupped-hands salute.

Qi Younian quickly returned the gesture, "Shopkeeper He has arrived, please come in and sit."

Shopkeeper He sat down on a high stool in the store and asked Ye Xinyan, "Lady Qi, did you only make three buckets of Ice Cream today? Can’t you rush to make some more with extra manpower now?"

Ye Xinyan replied with a smile, "Shopkeeper He, freezing needs time, especially now in the peak of summer, Ice Cream is even harder to freeze. It definitely won’t work today. If the customers have a great demand, we can prepare more tomorrow."

"I see." Missing out on a deal he could have made left Shopkeeper He feeling quite regretful. "We underestimated the customers’ demand, I didn’t expect those gentlemen who came for wine and food to like this sweet treat so much."

After that, Shopkeeper He and Qi Younian discussed, "Let’s make more tomorrow. We sold three buckets today, which didn’t meet the customers’ expectations at all. Let’s prepare six buckets for tomorrow, Old Master Qi, what do you think?"

Qi Younian shook his head and said, "You should ask my granddaughter about that. This old man doesn’t understand much about business matters."

Shopkeeper He looked towards Ye Xinyan.

Ye Xinyan paused and said, "Shopkeeper He, today is our first day selling Ice Cream, and it’s a novelty. We don’t yet know the actual demand. It’s also possible that after trying it today, customers might lose interest tomorrow. Moreover, Ice Cream melts if not sold quickly. You know that ice is hard to come by these days, and its price has gone up a lot."

Every midsummer, the price of ice rises. Although it is nearly the end of summer now, the heat has not subsided one bit, so it’s no wonder the price of ice remains high.

Shopkeeper He patted his chest and said, "I can help you buy ice, ensuring you have enough at a lower price. Lady Qi only needs to take care of making the Ice Cream."

Ye Xinyan smiled, "If that’s the case, let’s make five buckets tomorrow. However, Shopkeeper He, there’s an old saying ’too much of a good thing is good for nothing.’ Ice Cream is no different—if we provide it in abundance every day, I’m afraid it will no longer be a rarity... "

Both being in business, the principle of scarcity value was understood as soon as it was mentioned.

Shopkeeper He understood immediately as well and pondered over the calculations, "One bucket makes fifteen to eighteen bowls, so three buckets would be about fifty bowls. Let’s make an extra bucket tomorrow, and we’ll see how the Ice Cream fares before making any further plans."

Having agreed on the quantity of Ice Cream, Ye Xinyan didn’t forget what Shopkeeper He had said earlier and promptly followed up with a question, "Shopkeeper He, you just mentioned you have a way to buy ice? Can you introduce us to your source?"

Although one could buy ice elsewhere, if Shopkeeper He’s source was cheaper, naturally, it would be better to use his source. Ye Xinyan was tight on funds at the moment and was keen to save wherever possible—after all, a penny saved is a penny earned.

Shopkeeper He turned to Qi Younian with a laugh and said, "Old Master Qi’s granddaughter is indeed very astute." Noticing Qi Jia standing next to Ye Xinyan, he added, "The Old Master is lucky to have such a clever grandson."

"You flatter me," Qi Younian responded with a wide grin, his eyes almost disappearing into his face. Indeed, with these two children, he was quite content.

Five days after the opening, the supply of Ice Cream at Great Crane House was maintained at three buckets. Although Qingyuan County was a large county, it was just that—a large county. Every day, two buckets of Ice Cream at noon and one bucket in the evening was just the right amount of shortage, not too substantial.

Such controlled quantities kept the diners’ interest in this novel ice delicacy fresh. Most patrons got a taste, but there wasn’t a constant supply.

As Ice Cream became a hit at Great Crane House, Shopkeeper He reaped tangible benefits. The number of patrons visiting the house for meals increased by nearly twenty percent, with one or two in a group opting for Ice Cream with double-layered milk custard, and thus, the whole group would dine at Great Crane House.

Double-layered milk custard might look simple, but it wasn’t something just anyone could make. Even the pastry chefs at Great Crane House, who were skilled, tried multiple times but couldn’t replicate the taste of the snack shop’s version.

With the new small snacks originating from the Leisure Snack Shop—this humble snack shop near Great Crane House—people gradually started to take notice and it began to attract customers.

At this point, the Leisure Snack Shop was merely basking in the reflected glory of Great Crane House, without showing off its own characteristics. Hence, the leisure seekers—oh, rather, the snack-eating guests—were mostly adults bringing their children to experience the novelty of Ice Cream. In the process, Ye Xinyan promoted other foods from her shop.

The snack shop offered soups and snacks prepped ahead with ingredients prepared by Ye Xinyan herself. As for the sweet and savory pastries, Ye Xinyan instructed Yun Niang, a pastry chef they had hired, on how to make them.

Whether it was any kind of food, they were all unique recreations of delicious memories from Ye Xinyan’s past, with flavors and styles unmatched in this era. Those who had tasted them lauded the novelty and were thoroughly satisfied.

However, after having served several groups of customers, Ye Xinyan dismally realized that her original plan for a high-end Leisure Snack Shop had unexpectedly turned into a fast-food restaurant for kids and teenagers, not evolving in the way she had hoped.