Food Intelligence King

Chapter 9: Pickled Cucumbers from the Suiyuan Menu

Chen Zhou, who was exhausted and hadn't had enough sleep, immediately felt wide awake upon seeing the intelligence update.

Leaving aside the fact that it is rare,
They even unlocked the points redemption feature!

Culinary Skills Enhancement: From controlling heat, pastry making, cooking, seasoning, and knife skills, all-around skills are required, with the points required increasing in a tiered manner, currently up to the professional level.

Intelligence enhancement is a one-time expense for those with deep pockets. [The next intelligence report will definitely contain a legendary item (100,000 points)].

Business-related skills—or more accurately, cost-effective tips and tricks, such as "how to get a health certificate for free" and "a step-by-step guide to applying for food vendor registration." For a few points, you can't go wrong.

Finally, the system notes:

As your system level increases, higher-tier skill options will become available.

"Alright, prioritize using the points to improve your steamed bun-related skills. There's no need to deliberately hoard them; just work hard, and you won't have trouble getting good review points."

"It seems like I lost 80 yuan. I paid for my health certificate physical examination myself."

After studying the skills, Chen Zhou turned his attention to the information that had been refreshed this time.

The local gossip is similar to the last one, but it's about an even older, more traditional method of pickling vegetables.

Pickled cucumbers and steamed buns go quite well together.

It's necessary to get it over with as soon as possible.

A slight increase in vegetable prices is something that happens every year during the rainy season.

Preparing some food in advance can save some expenses.

As for seeing urban management officers in the diners' posts, that's probably the last thing Chen Zhou wants to see.

What's meant to happen can't be avoided.

There's an old saying, "Peddlers and laborers sell their wares from carts and shovels." If we apply that to today, Chen Zhou should also be able to set up a stall legally and compliantly.

Lin Yifan saw her husband get up, change his clothes, and walk in from the living room.

She was a little confused:
"Huh? Didn't we say we'd take a day off today? Let's sleep in a bit more."

Chen Zhou nodded, "I'm not setting up a stall anymore. I can go and get some business permits done."

Lin Yifan took out the car keys,

Would it be more convenient if you drove?

The family had a six-year-old car. When Chen Zhou wanted to buy her another one, Lin Yifan insisted that the money be used to pay off part of the mortgage.

Looking back now, it was still a very sound family decision.

Chen Zhou took the keys. "I'll be your personal driver today, responsible for picking you and your daughter up and dropping you off."

Ancient Culture Street.

This place, originally nicknamed "Fake Goods Street",

It was closed for rectification more than ten years ago, but now it has become a famous tourist attraction in Haibin City.

Chen Zhou summarized the characteristics of the present moment in one sentence:
Both new and old.

The bluestone pavement gleamed from being walked on, and the shops on both sides had an antique style and were decorated with LED signs.

The old Clay Figure Zhang shop is still there, and several girls in Hanfu are taking pictures in front of it, chattering away.

The bronze statue, which is said to have a history of 200 years, now holds Kuafu fried skewers on its left hand and Mixue ice cream on its right.

But there were quite a lot of tourists.

People buy into this.

Chen Zhou weaved through the crowded streets and found Cuizhuxuan in the third row of alleyways.

Compared to the bustling outside, this antique shop seemed quite deserted.

At this time, Chen Zhou was the only customer.

The shop owner was tall and thin, wearing a black Tang suit. He was leaning on the counter, half of his body exposed, watching videos of young women dancing.

They didn't move when they saw guests arrive.

He only said, "Please feel free to look around."

Chen Zhou nodded to the boss; in fact, he really just intended to take a look.

Two thousand yuan for a plate?

Chen Zhou doesn't have such "refined" hobbies for the time being. The key is still that recipe—the pickled cucumbers from the Suiyuan Menu—which definitely needs to be expanded into his own business menu.

If they let me take a picture, I'll take one; if they don't, I'll just write it down.

Chen Zhou walked over to the place with the plates and bowls, and as soon as he bent down, he heard the shop owner's voice:
"I just acquired these Qing Dynasty antiques last month; they cost 600 yuan each."

It should be in this pile of things.

"Suiyuan Shidan" is a collection of essays by Yuan Mei of the Qing Dynasty. Some of its contents have survived, but a large number of recipes were lost in the later years of war and chaos.

After carefully handling and searching for a while, Chen Zhou actually found the plate.

White background, blue floral pattern, small black lettering.

He didn't understand patterns very well.

But the Suiyuan Menu is definitely correct—

"Take tender cucumbers, wash them clean and dry them in the shade. Cut them straight in half and remove the seeds. Rub them thoroughly with salt and drain off all the juice. When putting them into a jar, spread ginger, garlic and pepper pieces on top. Sprinkle brown sugar between the cucumbers, pour in fragrant vinegar and add a splash of fine wine. Pour in soy sauce to cover the cucumbers, and then cover with sesame oil. Seal the jar and place it in a cool, dark place. It can be eaten the next day, and the flavor will be rich after three days."

Chen Zhou took out his phone to take a picture, but then he heard the boss speak again.

"Go ahead and take the picture, it's fine. The one you're holding is a blue and white lotus plate, it's not in very good condition. If you want to buy it, just give me two hundred yuan."

Just consider it making friends.

The recommended price is two thousand, which is indeed a bit expensive. If it's two hundred, Chen Zhou thinks it would be worth buying and it could really be used as a decoration.

So he picked up the porcelain plate, walked to the counter, and said to the owner:

"This one will do. Could you get me a bag?"

"Okay~"

The tall, thin boss was quite efficient at this point. He pulled out a plastic bag, casually put the contents in, and then pointed to the payment code.

After Chen Zhou finished settling the bill.

Another customer came into the store; he was an old man.

The several jade thumb rings on her wrists were particularly eye-catching. Judging from her tone of voice, she was a regular customer of Cuizhu Pavilion.

"Xiao Cui, you said you've brought back another batch of Qing Dynasty items?"

"Yes, it was specially found for you."

"well."

Chen Zhou was about to leave when the old man called him back.

"Young man, may I take a look at this in your hand?"

"Grandpa, would you like some pickled cucumbers too?" Chen Zhou wanted to laugh, but he didn't mind handing the plate over to him to see.

It doesn't matter if you look at it.

The old man's eyes lit up at the sight of the jade thumb ring; he had clearly taken a liking to it.

"The lotus scroll pattern was popular in the mid-to-late Qing dynasty. Although this plate isn't from an official kiln, it's still a fine example of a folk kiln piece. In better condition, it could be worth several hundred yuan. But I quite admire the calligraphy."

He went on and on about hand-painted designs, body material, glaze, and jade thumb rings.

Chen Zhou nodded: "Yes, I also appreciate this word."

These pickled cucumbers are sure to be delicious.

The old man exclaimed "Oh?", thinking to himself that he had actually met a kindred spirit. He even insisted on adding Chen Zhou as a friend.

all in all,
A collectible's value is determined by the perception of its owner; only then will someone willingly pay a premium for it.

The other party is willing to pay two thousand to buy the porcelain plate from Chen Zhou.

Chen Zhou is good at helping others achieve their goals.

As the old saying goes, "A man cannot get rich without unexpected wealth, and a horse cannot get fat without night feed." This was a pleasant surprise for Chen Zhou, which only proved that the intelligence was indeed accurate.

The two happily reached a deal and didn't even leave Cuizhu Pavilion.

The businesses that survived the shutdown and rectification period and were able to continue doing business on the Ancient Culture Street are those that value their reputation and image highly.

Boss Cui was not angry when he saw this.

He spoke frankly and openly to Chen Zhou:
"You have good taste, my friend. You've struck gold with a great deal; you're the one who should make the money."

(End of this chapter)