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

The group set out in the morning mist and finally arrived at the gate of the county town when the sun was high in the sky at noon.

Xu Yingtao was extremely glad that she had bought a mule earlier. Although the food she brought this time was not much, it would still be very tiring if she had to carry it on her back or on a load alone.

After paying the entrance fee and the officers and soldiers checking the pass, the group entered the city in a mighty procession, pulling a mule cart.

Compared with Bailong Town, the prosperity of the county town has obviously risen to several levels.

Especially since Guiyun County is located by the water, with a bluestone road winding to the riverside and countless fishing and cargo boats coming and going at the dock, Xu Yingtao was very jealous.

Time is tight and tasks are heavy.

After entering the city, Xu Yingtao first found a restaurant and quickly had a bowl of noodles with meat sauce with everyone.

Then she did not wander around blindly, but followed the noodle shop owner's suggestion and walked to the foot of the city wall. She chose a clever little beggar and asked, "I want to ask you something. If you answer it well, all the money will be yours."

She opened her palm towards the little beggar, and there were at least a dozen copper coins in her palm.

The little beggar immediately perked up: "Sister, if you want to know anything, just ask me. You've found the right person. I know exactly where there are rat holes in this county!"

Not long after, Xu Yingtao had a preliminary understanding of the layout of Guiyun County.

The county town is centered on a main street, supplemented by a secondary street. The two intersect to form a "cross" frame, dividing the urban area into four major areas: east, south, west and north. Each area is intertwined with intricate alleys.

The two southeastern districts are the richest, with restaurants and shops lined up side by side. The western district is slightly poorer and is regarded as a place where the poor live. The northern district is much more solemn and is home to official institutions such as the county government and county school.

In view of the economic prosperity of the two southeastern districts and the fact that they were currently located near the South Gate, Xu Yingtao made a prompt decision and decided to launch an "offensive" against the restaurants in the South District first.

She gave the money to the little beggar as promised, and shared the plan with several people.

No one dared to object.

The little beggar had sharp ears, and after hearing that, he volunteered: "Sister, even though I'm a beggar, I've been to the back alleys of restaurants to eat free meals, and I'm familiar with the kitchen staff. Which one do you want to go to? I'll take you there!"

"Have a meal?"

"It's just scooping out the slop bucket." The little beggar didn't feel ashamed at all.

I guess he is familiar with the kitchen staff of each family, and most of them are the kind of people who were beaten for stealing slop.

Xu Yingtao nodded slightly to show her agreement, and at the same time, her eyes revealed a hint of warning: "If you take us around and waste time, I will never let you have any good results."

The little beggar shrank his neck and said, "Sister, don't worry, I will never dare to lie to you. Besides, there are so many people here, how can I play tricks? But if I lead the way well, can you give me a few more copper coins later? My grandfather is sick and needs money for medicine."

Xu Yingtao would not delve into the credibility of a little beggar's words, but the paths in each district were complicated and if no one led the way, they would waste most of their time on the road.

Forget it. If you doubt someone, don’t employ him. If you employ someone, don’t doubt him.

Soon, the little beggar led them through a shortcut to the back alley of the first restaurant.

Xu Yingtao's temple was throbbing.

There is no such thing as selling things through the back door. You may not even be able to see the shopkeeper.

Just as she was about to turn back, she heard the little beggar happily shouting to the boy who came out to meet the vegetable vendor: "Dog hair, if you are a brother, please help me!"

The boy called Goumao looked at Xu Yingtao and the others with a puzzled look on his face: "What do you want?"

Xu Yingtao was also unambiguous. She immediately took two small baskets of braised dried tofu and spicy strips from the mule cart and handed them all to Goumao: "Brother, we are here to sell food in the county. I'll give one of these two small baskets to you and the other to your shopkeeper. Whether it works or not, I hope you can help me pass on a message later."

Gou Mao came closer and sniffed it, his eyes lit up immediately, and without using a bamboo stick, he directly picked up a spicy strip and stuffed it into his mouth.

Wow! It smells good and tastes even better!

"Just wait, I'll ask my master to go find the shopkeeper!"

After Goumao finished speaking, he turned around and ran away.

The little beggar grinned with a proud look on his face, "Sister, I didn't lie to you, did I? Gou Mao is my brother. We have known each other since we were kids wearing open-crotch pants. He is now an apprentice in the kitchen of the White Crane Tower."

Xu Yingtao was surprised: "Since we are childhood friends, why can he be an apprentice, but you..."

The little beggar said nonchalantly, "My father lost all his family fortune in gambling and wanted to sell my mother to a brothel. My mother didn't want to, so he killed her and then slit his own throat. The whole county knows about my family's scandal. They think I am unlucky, so no one wants to employ me."

Now not only Xu Yingtao, but everyone in the group fell silent.

The little beggar thought Xu Yingtao also disliked him, and he immediately regretted it and hurriedly explained: "Sister, if my grandfather wasn't really sick, I would usually stay away from others. I really didn't mean to bring bad luck to you."

Xu Yingtao asked, "What's your name?"

The little beggar was stunned and blurted out: "Jiang Laifu."

It is also a name that my parents have placed high hopes on.

Zhao continued, "Cherry, this child has the same last name as your mother."

As they were talking, Gou Mao, a fat man who looked like a cook, and a middle-aged man dressed in silk quickly walked out of the back door.

After a while, Xu Yingtao and her group were invited into the private room on the second floor of Baihe Tower. The two brothers from the eldest house took the initiative to stay in the back alley to look after the mule.

Wei, the shopkeeper of Baihelou, was born with a square face. When he was not smiling, he looked intimidating without being angry, and he was able to control the situation.

But when she learned that all the food was made by Xu Yingtao, she smiled so kindly and approachably.

Shopkeeper Wei had already tasted the braised dried tofu and spicy strips, so he got straight to the point and asked, "Madam Xu, are you willing to sell me the recipe for the red oil and braised dried tofu?"

Just like Shopkeeper Sun and Jin Erxi before, Shopkeeper Wei's face naturally darkened when he heard that he could not sell the house.

Xu Yingtao had already had two negotiation experiences. After she persuaded Manager Wei with both emotion and reason, he finally gave in.

There was no way. The taste of these two foods was too novel. Even if he didn't buy them, other colleagues would definitely buy them. Even if none of his colleagues bought them, this girl would be able to become big and strong by retailing sooner or later. By then, if someone else took the lead, he would have no place to cry.

Finally, Baihelou signed a contract with Xu Yingtao.

The content of the contract is almost the same as the one signed by Manager Sun, but as a restaurant in the county, Baihelou's order volume far exceeds that of Hongbinlou.

Baihelou needs five kilograms of red chili peppers a day, and the order volume for foods such as marinade packets and spicy strips has doubled.

In return, Xu Yingtao also orally described the cooking methods of mouth-watering chicken, garlic pork, and various ingredients, which were then written down on paper by the restaurant accountant.

Manager Wei personally escorted Xu Yingtao and her group out of the restaurant, and asked the waiter to go to the back door to bring in Mule and the two brothers from the first house.

It was a great start and everyone was delighted.

Xu Yingtao looked around and asked in confusion, "Where's Jiang Laifu?"