The original repairer

"Hello, Shopkeeper Zhang! I'm indeed the one who sells the wild mushrooms at Laifu Restaurant, and I also shave the mushroom dishes right in front of the chef. As for the taste," Shi Chen paused before continuing, "I believe Shopkeeper Zhang has tasted it too. My dried wild mushrooms are now selling well."

"I wonder if you're here to sell dried mountain mushrooms this time, young man?" Shopkeeper Zhang squinted his eyes and said, "But first, let me make it clear that you have to guarantee the color and quality of these dried mountain mushrooms. They must be good, non-toxic ones."

Shi Chen said seriously, "The dried mountain mushrooms I sell are all ones I've eaten myself, so they're naturally non-toxic. And the dried mountain mushrooms are already in demand. If the shopkeeper can give me a good price, I can share some with you."

"Ten days ago, Laifu Restaurant introduced three new dishes," Shopkeeper Zhang said slowly. "They're all made with shaved wild mushrooms, and they're truly delicious. Laifu Inn sells each dish for 128 copper coins, so it's worth the price. Judging from the dishes, wild mushrooms only make up one-third of the ingredients. So, I estimate that the dried wild mushrooms you sold to Laifu Restaurant cost no more than 50 copper coins per pound. Am I correct?"

"Shopkeeper Zhang is incredibly accurate," Shi Chen said with a smile. "Perhaps just as Shopkeeper Zhang predicted, dried mushrooms sold at Laifu Restaurant are only fifty copper coins per pound."

Shi Chen's heart was bleeding when he heard Manager Zhang's analysis.

According to the prices at the trading market, a live chicken costs about thirty copper coins, a sheep costs five hundred to eight hundred copper coins, and a pound of mutton is only about thirty copper coins. The price of beef is not much different from that of mutton. Cured wild pork is also cheap, no more than twenty copper coins per pound. Fresh fish is more expensive, but only about forty copper coins per pound. The three dishes made at Lai Fu Restaurant last time used less than half a pound of dried mountain mushrooms, half a chicken, about three taels of cured wild pork, and about half a pound of palm-sized fish. The dried mountain mushrooms that Shi Chen sold to Lai Fu Restaurant last time were only ten copper coins per pound. After factoring in the cost, each dish was only thirty or forty copper coins, but the sales volume has more than tripled.

Shopkeeper Zhang stared at Shi Chen and said, "I wonder if you can sell dried mountain mushrooms to our shop this time?"

"That's fine," Shi Chen said with a smile, "If the price is right, Manager Zhang, I can sell all my dried mushrooms to you."

"Okay," Shopkeeper Zhang said with a smile, "I'm willing to buy it at fifty-five copper coins per pound. See if you're satisfied."

Shi Chen smiled and said, "This price is very suitable. However, I am willing to sell it to you for fifty copper coins per pound, but there is a condition. I wonder if you can agree to it."

"I don't know what your conditions are, so please tell me directly." asked Manager Zhang.

"It's actually very simple," Shi Chen said to Shopkeeper Zhang, "From now on, Shopkeeper Zhang will purchase all my goods at the same price as the market. Because I don't want to cause any trouble, Shopkeeper Zhang cannot reveal the source of the goods."

"I agree to this condition," Shopkeeper Zhang agreed happily. "Our business is based on reputation. Business relies on integrity."

Shi Chen said, "Since Shopkeeper Zhang has guaranteed your credibility, I'll offer you another valuable item."

The dried bamboo shoots were placed in front of Shopkeeper Zhang. Looking at the wrinkles on his forehead, Shi Chen knew that dried bamboo shoots were not easy to sell.

"Shopkeeper Zhang, don't worry about the quality of the goods," Shi Chenshu said. "Is there a kitchen here? I can prepare the dishes right in front of you. Shopkeeper Zhang can taste them and then decide whether to purchase them."

"I'm not being overly suspicious," said Shopkeeper Zhang. "Bamboo shoots have a unique fragrance and are a delicacy. However, no matter how they are prepared, they still have a slightly bitter taste. Eating too much can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and a mild form of poisoning."

"Don't worry, Shopkeeper Zhang," Shi Chen said. "This dried bamboo shoot is a secret recipe of mine, which removes the slight toxin and bitterness. While it may not be as fresh as fresh bamboo shoots, dishes made with it have a unique flavor. How about making a dish with it? Shopkeeper Zhang, you can try it and then we can talk. What do you think?"

"Since Brother Shi is so confident," Shopkeeper Zhang said as he walked out of the counter and closed the door, "then please follow me to the kitchen in the back to plan the dishes. The chef at Lai Fu Restaurant said that the three dishes that Brother Shi had planed were more delicious than his. I wonder if that's true, haha!"

When they arrived at the kitchen at the back of the grocery store, there was a cook preparing food. She had already baked several pancakes. After Manager Zhang explained the situation, Shi Chen began to prepare the dishes.

The grocery store's kitchen is not as good as a restaurant's kitchen. The side dishes are only onions, ginger, and salt, but no cooking wine.

Soak about 300 grams of dried bamboo shoots in hot soup, cut about 300 grams of bacon, roast it on the fire, wash and slice it for later use, wash and cut a few green onions into sections.

Dried bamboo shoots usually need to be soaked in hot water, which takes about quarter of an hour.

After the dried bamboo shoots were soaked, Shi Chen began to peel the bacon and stir-fry the dried bamboo shoots, and took out the refined salt from the bamboo tube under the bamboo basket.

In a quarter of an hour, the fried bacon and dried bamboo shoots are ready.

The fragrance attracted Sangou and Dazhuang who were standing in the grocery store. They watched them inhale the fragrance in the air, swallowing from time to time, and saliva unconsciously dripping from the corners of their mouths.

Early in the morning, Shi Chen brought Da Zhuang and San Gou to the west city gate to wait for the villagers.

Dazhuang and Sangou looked at Shi Chen with very special eyes, some jealousy and some admiration.

Shi Chen had already paid the two men the wages he had promised them, twenty copper coins each.

At the grocery store, they bought a lot of things. Their backpacks were filled with salt and fine grains, each weighing 30 jin. Shi Chen's own backpack contained a can of cooking oil and 30 jin of bacon. He also bought an iron pot, a cooking shovel, wheat seeds, vegetable seeds, and so on.

All the villagers arrived, and Shi Chenduo hired two people to help him carry the goods.

The hired villagers were very happy. They could earn ten copper coins for carrying an extra thirty or forty kilograms of goods. There was no such good thing in the world.

For a poor peasant with no way out, ten copper coins was indeed a lot. If he bought taro powder, it could support him for half a month.

After returning to He Laosan's house, Shi Chen paid the commission under He Laosan's puzzled gaze, and the four of them went home happily.

After sorting out the purchased goods, Shi Chen explained to He Laosan.

I can't bring back so many items by myself, so I have to hire villagers. Don't worry about the money.

At the grocery store, Shi Chen also bought five sets of ready-made clothes and four sets of children's clothes. He bought two sets of summer clothes and one set of winter clothes for himself, and bought one set of summer clothes for He Laosan and one set of winter clothes for the two children.

He was still wearing Earthly clothing, which didn't fit in with this world, and everyone looked at him with strange eyes. Fortunately, this was the cultivation world, with all kinds of people wearing strange clothes, and Shi Chen was just one of them.

When the brand new clothes were placed in front of them, all kinds of wonderful faces appeared.

Shi Chen told He Laosan about the transaction process, the grocery store's default contract, and the interests and conflicts involved.

There is no risk in selling dried wild mushrooms and dried bamboo shoots because the processing and planing methods are simple, the materials are common, and there are few stakeholders involved. Over time, anyone who is interested can see the tricks of the trade by visiting He Laosan's house a few times.

The method of refining refined salt is different, and the interests here are related to those in power.

Therefore, after Shi Chen teaches He Laosan how to carve these three items, if he fails the immortal test, he will leave and seek another way to become an immortal.

The pros and cons of the salt-making method were repeatedly clarified, and only about ten kilograms of refined salt could be produced each month, which was sold regularly to grocery stores.

Dried wild mushrooms can be sold at around 50 kilograms per month. The growth of wild mushrooms is also seasonal. As for dried bamboo shoots, you need to sell them slowly and steadily, and about 50 kilograms per month is enough.

In this way, after Shi Chen left, although He Laosan and his two children's lives were not rich, they were already a superior life for the poor in the countryside.