The eldest sister-in-law became rich by farming in the mountains

Xu Yingtao smiled faintly: "Although I am a woman, my late husband's family has been supported and cared for by the villagers for many years. Since I am married, I have the obligation to repay the kindness of the villagers on my husband's behalf."

Before she came, she had inquired the old couple who owned the bun shop about everything. Although the shopkeeper Sun was shrewd, he was also quite loyal and was praised by people inside and outside the restaurant.

Moreover, it has been said since ancient times that "husband and wife are birds of the same forest, but they fly away separately when disaster strikes." Therefore, her behavior of paying off her husband's debts after his death is particularly precious.

What Xu Yingtao was betting on was his righteousness.

Sure enough, when Shopkeeper Sun heard about her righteous act, his unhappy expression instantly disappeared and he praised loudly, "Young lady, you are so righteous!"

Xu Yingtao breathed a sigh of relief.

"In that case, let's do as the young lady says and sign the contract right away!" After saying this, Shopkeeper Sun asked the waiter to go downstairs to get paper, pen and ink.

After saying this, a cunning light flashed across his eyes, and he smiled and said, "Now that I have taken a step back, I wonder if you can give me some convenience, young lady?"

Xu Yingtao raised her eyebrows slightly, she knew that things were not that simple.

"Please speak."

Shopkeeper Sun did not keep the secret and said with a smile: "I believe that the young lady will go to Zui Xiang Lou to discuss business soon. I will not stop her. I just hope that you can supply Zui Xiang Lou with goods later, okay?"

Xu Yingtao suddenly realized that this was an attempt to gain time advantage and occupy the market first.

She smiled and nodded, saying, "Deal, I can also give you two recipes for free. I guarantee you will make a lot of money once you launch them."

Seeing that Shopkeeper Sun's eyes were getting brighter and brighter, she changed the subject: "But, I also have a small request."

Shopkeeper Sun choked, then burst into laughter: "Young lady is really a good business person, just ask for anything you want."

Xu Yingtao asked with a smile: "Since Shopkeeper Sun knows about my red oil, he must have tried my jelly and cold noodles. I wonder if Shopkeeper Sun is satisfied?"

"Very satisfied." Shopkeeper Sun praised generously, "If I guess correctly, young lady, do you want me to order these two dishes in the future?"

Talking to smart people saves effort.

Xu Yingtao nodded: "I won't introduce Liangpi in detail. Green jelly can be eaten cold or stir-fried. The dishes made from it are novel and delicious. I think Shopkeeper Sun will not want to miss such a good ingredient."

Shopkeeper Sun stroked his beard and laughed: "Okay, I'll agree to it, young lady!"

"Shopkeeper Sun is generous."

Since the general direction of the cooperation was agreed upon, there was no need to waste time on the details regarding price and quantity. In the end, Manager Sun ordered red chili peppers at the price of two taels of silver per catty, with three catties to be delivered per day, and the amount could be increased or decreased depending on the business performance.

Thirty packages of marinade ingredients need to be provided every month, each package costs one hundred coins, and the chefs in the restaurant must also be taught how to marinate.

In addition, they are required to deliver 100 pieces of green jelly and 50 portions of cold noodles to Hongbinlou every day for a period of one month. New products will be replaced when the weather gets colder. The prices of green jelly and cold noodles will be based on market prices.

After the details were finalized, Xu Yingtao dictated the recipes for the mouth-watering chicken and garlic pork, which were recorded by Manager Sun. Both parties then signed and sealed two contracts, and the cooperation officially began.

Then, Manager Sun treated the family to the restaurant's signature dishes. Jiang was still a little dazed until they walked out of Hongbin Building.

Not to mention that it was her first time in her life to eat in a restaurant and that she was toasted by the restaurant owner himself, the heavy deposit of fifty taels of silver in her hand was enough to make Jiang's heart surge like waves and take a long time to calm down.

With trembling hands, she repeatedly stroked the silver ingots through her purse, as if to confirm that this was not a dream.

Xu Yingtao teased her: "Mom, put the money away quickly to avoid being spotted by thieves."

Jiang was so frightened that she quickly stuffed the purse into her arms and crossed her arms over her chest, as if she was determined to defend the silver to the death.

"Mom, calm down." Xu Yingtao suppressed her laughter. "This is just the deposit. At the end of the month, Manager Sun will have to give us the final payment, which is much more than fifty taels."

As she spoke, Xu Yingtao turned her gaze to Xie Bai: "Xiao Bai, you calculate how much the balance is."

Xie Bai calmly reported the number: "One hundred and fifty-seven taels."

"That's good, kid. Your math skills have improved!"

Xie Bai's cheeks flushed slightly, and he whispered, "It's all because of my sister-in-law's good teaching."

Xu Yingtao looked at Xie Li again, which frightened the little girl. She quickly changed the subject and said, "Sister-in-law, the signature dish of this restaurant is not as delicious as yours."

Jiang also agreed: "It's indeed not as good as your craftsmanship."

Xu Yingtao chuckled.

To be fair, the dishes at Hongbinlou are indeed good, but they are basically cooked using steaming, boiling and baking methods. In addition, due to the limited variety of condiments, they taste a bit bland.

Thinking of this, the idea of buying a big iron pot came to my mind again.

However, she had specifically inquired about it before and found out that due to the court's strict control over ironware, the blacksmith shop in the town could only repair farm tools at best. For things that required iron materials, such as making iron pots, they had to go to the county.

Walking all the way to Jishiditang, Shopkeeper Luo smiled warmly when he saw her: "Madam Xu, the thirty kilograms of chili peppers have arrived. Do you want to take them all away today?"

"I'll have Shopkeeper Lauro pack it for me."

Xu Yingtao thanked her and proposed to increase the order quantity and order other herbs in the future. Shopkeeper Luo smiled and said, "It just so happens that a new batch of herbs was delivered to the county yesterday. I will go and weigh the ones that Madam Xu wants for you right away."

In addition to bay leaves, star anise and cinnamon, Xu Yingtao also asked for licorice, nutmeg, piper longum and more than 20 other spices, one pound of each.

Shopkeeper Luo almost laughed to death.

If this trend continues, the dividends his employer will give him by the end of the year will probably have to double.

While letting the waiter pack the herbs, Shopkeeper Luo's eyebrows and mouth showed a hint of seeking credit. He whispered, "Don't worry, Madam Xu, I won't tell anyone about your use of herbs to make seasonings. My waiter is also very tight-lipped."

Xu Yingtao smiled and thanked her, then asked if the store had any lime plaster.

If she remembered correctly, limestone and gypsum have been used as medicine since ancient times. Just ask the pharmacy and you will know for sure.

Shopkeeper Luo nodded and said, "All of them, but I have to remind Madam Xu that lime cannot be taken internally in decoctions, and gypsum is very cold, so you must not take too much."

Xu Yingtao smiled and explained, "Shopkeeper Luo misunderstood. I bought the limestone not to make seasoning, but for other uses. I wonder how much you have in the store? I want to take it no matter how much."

But when Manager Luo reported the store's inventory, Xu Yingtao was a little disappointed.

Too little.

The two together weigh less than ten kilograms, not even enough to cover half an acre of land.

Shopkeeper Luo saw her confusion and said with a smile, "Madam Xu, do you want to order lime plaster in large quantities?"

"good."

Shopkeeper Luo said, "This is easy to handle. There is a family outside the town that sells these two items. If Madam Xu can wait, I will ask him to come to the store tomorrow to discuss it with you. How about that?"

That would be great.