Chapter 14: I Want Fifty Tael

After hearing Tong Sanlang's words, Shopkeeper He smiles at Qiao Xiaomai, "Young lady, what kind of food did you make?"

A slightly nervous smile appeared on Qiao Xiaomai's face, she first greeted Shopkeeper He, then peered into her basket and said, "This is the starch I made, which can be used for many dishes. This, liangfen (cold noodle jelly), is one of them."

The liangfen, slightly larger than an adult's palm and weighing about a pound, was brown in color. Shopkeeper He and Tong Sanlang saw it for the first time.

Qiao Xiaomai took out the big coarse porcelain bowl filled with liangfen and placed it on the table, explaining, "It can be served cold or stir-fried. Shopkeeper He, you can let your chef try it with garlic sprouts. It tastes very good."

Shopkeeper He curiously pressed his hand on the liangfen, felt its soft and springy texture, and pointed to the white starch in the basket with surprise, "You made this with this flour-like starch?"

"Yes," Qiao Xiaomai responded hastily, "I can demonstrate how it's made."

"Oh? Are you planning to sell the recipe?" Shopkeeper He understood her intention.

Tong Sanlang looked at her deeply without speaking.

Qiao Xiaomai gave an embarrassed smile, "Yes, I urgently need money for my home..."

Shopkeeper He stroked his beard, "I see. Young lady, wait a moment, I will have someone make this liangfen. We will talk about the price after tasting it."

"Okay," Qiao Xiaomai quickly agreed.

Then, Shopkeeper He gestured to a waiter to take the liangfen to the kitchen.

Soon, delicious stir-fried liangfen was served. The liangfen was cut into small pieces, looking oily and combined with green garlic sprouts, its aroma went straight into the nostrils.

Shopkeeper He complimented the aroma first, then picked up his chopsticks and started tasting it with a smile.

The Liangfen was tender, delicate, and tasted quite delicious. As he laid down his chopsticks, he asked Qiao Xiaomai, "Young lady, can this starch be used for other recipes?"

"Yes. It can also be made into noodles for stir-fry or soup, it tastes great," Qiao Xiaomai nervously watched Shopkeeper He.

Earlier, she was pretending to be nervous, but now she was truly so. This was her first business deal, after all.

Shopkeeper He, who was still smiling, looked approachable, but anyone who could manage such a large establishment couldn't be as easy-going as he appeared.

As expected, Shopkeeper He asked again in a jovial tone, "Young lady, can you tell me how this starch is made? What ingredients does it require?"

Blinking her watery peach blossom eyes that carried a glimmer of hope, Qiao Xiaomai inquired, "Are you planning to buy it?"

"Of course, this liangfen tastes very good," said Shopkeeper He, nodding and explaining, "It's a novel delicacy, but I need to know the ingredients and the method before I can offer you a fair price."

"Don't worry, our restaurant has an excellent reputation. We will definitely offer you a fair price."

"The two of you should continue your discussion, I will leave now," said Tong Sanlang, very tactfully, as he started walking out of the room.

Wait till Tong Sanlang left, Qiao Xiaomai finally said, "The main ingredient is sweet potatoes, it's cheap. But whether it's liangfen or noodles, the taste is good, and will definitely make a lot of money for the restaurant. I'm selling you the dish along with the recipe. This is my offer."

She extended her hand with five fingers, "Fifty taels."

Although sweet potatoes had been in Qi Country only for a few years, it was easy to cultivate and produce, so its price was very low compared to other crops.

However, the process of making liangfen and noodles was not simple. Asking for fifty taels wasn't too much.

With over twenty branches of the restaurant throughout Daqi, it wouldn't be difficult to earn fifty taels back.