The Blessed Farm Girl Has a Spatial Storage
Chapter 85: Selling Cold Rice Noodle Prescription

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Selling Cold Rice Noodle Prescription

Guang Ju Restaurant was located on the busiest street of the marketplace, not far from Uncle San’s tavern. When they arrived, they saw that it was bustling with guests and business was booming.

The tavern had two floors and a wide, double-door entrance. Above the entrance, a plaque hung with the words "Guang Ju Restaurant" written in elegant, flowing calligraphy.

In fact, Zhao Dong had never really understood why Guang Ju Restaurant, with branches throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, hadn’t opened one in Anyang County but instead chose this small marketplace.However, his relationship with the restaurant’s owner wasn’t particularly close—they had only had one transaction previously—so it wouldn’t be appropriate to inquire about such matters.

Since they weren’t there to eat and worried about disturbing the busy tavern, Zhao Dong had Zhao Cheng watch the two children in the cart while he and Sun Mei went inside.

But Zhao Zhitong, ever restless, quickly scrambled down from the cart and darted into the tavern after Zhao Dong and Sun Mei.

As soon as they stepped inside, a clear, refreshing fragrance of wine wafted towards them. Shortly after, a waiter hurried out to greet them cheerfully, asking, "Are you here for a meal or for lodging, honored guests?"

Zhao Dong immediately cupped his hands in a bow and said, "Waiter, is your shopkeeper in? We’re here to see Shopkeeper Wang."

Hearing they were looking for the shopkeeper, the waiter paused, giving Zhao Dong a once-over. He didn’t recognize Zhao Dong, so he asked with some suspicion, "And what business do you have with our shopkeeper?"

Zhao Dong replied, "It’s like this: your shopkeeper previously visited our home to purchase a tofu recipe. He mentioned that if we had any other recipes to sell, we should come to Guang Ju Restaurant to find him."

Upon hearing "tofu recipe," the waiter’s face lit up with a smile. The previous tofu and Stinky Tofu dishes had earned the tavern a considerable profit.

He then invited them in, saying, "Please, come this way."

With that, he called out to Wang Fuhai, who was at the counter working on his abacus, "Shopkeeper, someone is here to see you!"

Wang Fuhai initially looked puzzled at the visitors, but then he recognized Zhao Dong.

As Zhao Dong approached, he got straight to the point, asking with a smile, "Shopkeeper Wang, are you still buying recipes?"

Wang Fuhai was a little surprised they truly had another recipe to sell. He smiled and said, "If it’s a good recipe, I am interested."

Zhao Dong immediately grinned. "We’re simple country folk, so we don’t know if it’s a good recipe or not. My wife just loves experimenting with food, and this is a new ingredient she came up with. Please try it and see if you’re interested."

He then prompted Sun Mei to present what they had brought.

Sun Mei took a square item wrapped in a lotus leaf from her basket. Wang Fuhai subconsciously assumed it was tofu. But then Sun Mei said with a smile, "This is cold rice noodles and wheat gluten. They are excellent for cooling down and relieving summer heat. May I use your kitchen? I’ll prepare a bowl for you to taste."

Wang Fuhai readily agreed and had the waiter lead Sun Mei to the kitchen. Before long, Sun Mei emerged with a prepared bowl of cold rice noodles.

Wang Fuhai looked into the bowl and saw white, broad noodle-like strips mixed with shredded cucumber and bean sprouts. The moment it was set down, a refreshing aroma wafted to his nose.

Unable to wait, Wang Fuhai picked up the bowl and took a bite. The cold rice noodles were smooth yet pleasantly chewy, and the crispness of the cucumber shreds made for a delightful texture. It was incredibly refreshing.

The sauce was rich and flavorful. He then sampled a yellowish, porous piece, which Sun Mei identified as wheat gluten. It too was satisfyingly chewy and savory.

"Mmm," Wang Fuhai’s eyes lit up, and he nodded in satisfaction. "Delicious! Cool and refreshing, perfect for summer!"

At that moment, he truly believed Zhao Zhitong’s earlier claim that her mother was an excellent cook.

Sun Mei smiled and said, "It can be served cold in the summer, which is refreshing and helps beat the heat. In winter, it can be stir-fried with bean sprouts, and it’s very fragrant that way too."

Wang Fuhai’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he praised Zhao Dong for his good fortune. He finally slapped the table decisively and said, "This recipe uses novel ingredients. I’ll offer one hundred taels of silver. What do you think?"

Zhao Dong and Sun Mei were both astounded, not expecting the shopkeeper to offer such a generous sum. They happily accepted.

Wang Fuhai offered such a high price for two main reasons. Firstly, the ingredients for the recipe were novel, and it would take a significant amount of time for others to replicate it. By the time other establishments figured it out, Guang Ju Restaurant would have already earned a substantial profit. Secondly, he naturally wanted to foster a good relationship for long-term cooperation. He had a feeling that Zhao Dong’s family would definitely come up with more new recipes.

After the terms were agreed upon, Sun Mei followed the waiter to the kitchen to instruct their chef on how to prepare the wheat gluten and steam the cold rice noodles. Meanwhile, Zhao Dong chatted with Shopkeeper Wang in the main dining area.

As they talked, Zhao Dong casually inquired if the restaurant had any need for fruit.

Wang Fuhai was taken aback for a moment, then replied with a smile, "Fruit? Our tavern doesn’t require it. You could try asking the fruit vendors in the county town if they’re interested. Oh, by the way, what kind of fruit do you have?"

Zhao Dong immediately smiled. "We don’t have any yet. I’m considering planting some fruit trees, so I thought I’d ask."

Wang Fuhai was somewhat surprised to hear this. Few farmers were willing to convert their surplus farmland into orchards.

Noticing Wang Fuhai’s surprise, Zhao Dong put on a simple, guileless expression and said with a smile, "My family has several mu of sloping land where crops don’t grow well. The yield is often not even enough to cover the taxes. So, I was thinking, perhaps I could try planting some fruit. Besides, with my leg injury, tending to fruit trees wouldn’t be as demanding or frequent."

Wang Fuhai nodded in understanding. "Oh, so that’s how it is. In that case, it might be worth a try. However, fruit trees aren’t easy to cultivate. If you don’t know how, you could lose your entire investment. Furthermore, fruit is difficult to sell in rural areas."

Wang Fuhai was speaking the truth. In this era, the variety of available fruit was limited, and prices were high. Consequently, fruit, not being a staple food, was considered a luxury item affordable only by wealthy households.

At this point, Zhao Zhitong, who had been quietly listening to the adults converse, piped up, "Shopkeeper Uncle, doesn’t your restaurant have branches all over the Great Zhou Dynasty? Do your other locations need fruit?"

Only then did Wang Fuhai notice the little girl standing near the counter.

He smiled and answered Zhao Zhitong, "Little miss, we’re a tavern. We sell wine and accompanying dishes, not fruit. Fruit is sold at fruit stalls."

Zhao Zhitong blinked her eyes and said in a sweet, childish voice, "But why not, Shopkeeper Uncle? You could sell fruit platters for after meals! Eating fruit after a meal is very healthy, you know."

Hearing this, Wang Fuhai was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. "You’re a clever little girl! That’s an excellent idea! I’ll mention it to the owner. Perhaps we really could start serving dessert fruit platters!"

Zhao Zhitong’s face lit up. "Then, Shopkeeper Uncle, you must tell your owner! When the time comes, my daddy can supply you with fruit. The fruit we grow will be very sweet!"

Shopkeeper Wang chuckled. "You’re quite the confident one, little girl. You already know your fruit will be sweet before it’s even planted?"