After traveling through time, I led the whole village to become rich!

Shopkeeper Hao came out again, and Zhang Hulan asked with a smile, "Shopkeeper Hao, how was business last night? Is there any braised meat left?"

Shopkeeper Hao smiled and replied, "Not bad. There's some leftover, but not much. Just enough to give the cooks and waiters a little extra food."

"As long as there's not much left, I'll just deliver this amount this afternoon."

"Ok, Ok!"

Zhang Hulan pointed to the four pottery jars on the donkey cart and said, "These are four pig brains. I'll bring four more this afternoon."

"it is good!"

Shopkeeper Hao asked the waiter to carry all the things in. After weighing them, Shopkeeper Hao paid the money immediately.

Zhang Hulan found working with Manager Hao quite enjoyable. Payment was settled immediately, without any delay. That's the kind of business that makes it so interesting.

After leaving Manfulou, they went to buy pig heads and pig offal, and then hurried back.

As soon as they left the city gate, a carriage caught up with them.

"Please stay..." Ding Mingao leaned his head out of the carriage and shouted loudly.

Zhang Hujun and Zhang Hulan both looked at Ding Mingao warily.

Ding Mingao didn't get off the carriage. Instead, he smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, you two. My last name is Ding, and I'm the owner of Zui Xiang Lou. I've come to discuss business with you."

Discussing business? The owner of Zui Xiang Lou? Zhang Hulan immediately understood what kind of business this owner Ding wanted to discuss with them.

Zhang Hulan didn't get off the donkey cart either. She sat on it and asked, "Shopkeeper Ding, do you want to buy braised meat?"

Ding Mingao nodded, "Yes."

"I'm really sorry, but we signed a contract with Mr. Hao of Manfulou, so we can only sell braised meat to him."

"Can it only be sold to him?" Ding Mingao frowned and asked, "Are you serious or do you not want to sell the braised pork to me?"

Zhang Hulan said, "Look at what Shopkeeper Ding said. If one more restaurant asks me to sell braised meat, I can make more money. Why wouldn't I make money?"

"Then why did you sign such a contract with Manfulou?"

Zhang Hulan smiled and said, "Manager Ding, this is a business secret between Manfulou and me. It's hard to tell."

Ding Mingao nodded, then asked, "Would you mind telling me the price you sold your braised pork to Manfulou?"

"I can't really tell you. If you want to know, you can ask Shopkeeper Hao. If he's willing to tell you, then that's fine."

Seeing that Zhang Hulan refused to say anything, Ding Mingao frowned again, and then said, "How about this, whatever price Manfulou gives you, I'll add 30% to it, and you sell me the braised meat?"

Zhang Hulan refused without hesitation, "Manager Ding, we must be honest in our business. I can't tear up my contract with Manager Hao and work with you just because you offer a higher price, right? If so, will you be willing to work with me? If someone else offers a higher price than you, can I find someone else to work with?"

Ding Mingao smiled and said, "You're right. Honesty is the key to doing business. In that case, I won't bother you anymore. I hope we can have the opportunity to cooperate again in the future."

After Ding Mingao finished speaking, he asked the driver to turn around and go back.

Zhang Hulan also asked Zhang Hujun to drive the donkey cart back.

……

In the next few days, Zhang Hulan delivered the goods on time every day, and the rest of the Zhang family was also busy every day.

These days, more and more customers come to Manfulou for dinner, and the shopkeeper Hao has a big smile on his face.

Ding Minggao, who lived across the street, kept an eye on Manfulou's business every day. He even went there for a meal, specifically trying the braised pork and the pig brain, which had to be ordered daily.

Honestly, the braised pork wasn't particularly delicious, and couldn't compare to those delicacies from the land and the sea. After all, the ingredients were so common, so the flavor was unique. But the pig brain was definitely delicious, fresh and tender, with no fishy smell at all.

One day, when Ding Mingao saw Zhang Hulan delivering braised meat to Manfulou again, he waved to a waiter, "Qiangzi, come here."

The waiter immediately ran forward and asked, "What do you want, boss?"

Ding Mingao whispered a few words in the waiter's ear, and the waiter nodded and immediately left Zui Xiang Lou.

As usual, Zhang Hulan went to the market to buy a pig's head after coming out of Manfulou, and then went to the pharmacy to buy some ingredients for the stew.

She was more careful and bought some of the marinade ingredients from several herbal medicine shops, and also bought a few more herbs.

Even if someone found out what she bought, it would not be easy to prepare the recipe for the marinade.

I bought the ingredients for the marinade and drove the donkey cart home.

After leaving the city gate, someone followed Zhang Hulan from a distance all the way to Daping Village.

The man did not enter the village, but turned around and left.

The next morning, after Zhang Hulan went out, a peddler entered the village.

"Just to make some soy sauce..."

"Selling sugar, salt, and soy sauce..."

The peddler walked into the village, hawking his wares and looking around as he walked.

Hearing the hawking sounds, the children in the village all ran over and surrounded the peddler, looking at him curiously.

Ma happened to pass by and asked, "Is your salt salty?"

The peddler replied, "Of course it's salty. This is the finest salt rock."

Ma picked up a tiny grain of salt stone and put it in her mouth to taste it. It was quite salty.

Ma asked, "How much does this salt cost?"

"Twelve cents a pound."

Ma's eyes turned and she said, "Make it cheaper, ten cents a pound, I'll buy some."

The peddler said, "Sister-in-law, the salt stone in the salt shop in the city costs fifteen cents a pound. I have saved three cents a pound."

Ma said, "Who said that? I bought it for twelve coins some time ago."

The peddler then said, "If you can help me get more business, I can give you a lower price."

"Introducing business to you? How can I introduce business to you?"

The peddler said, "Just help me get more people to buy salt. Or, sister-in-law, tell me if there are any families in the village who need a lot of salt, and I can go and sell it myself."

"A family that uses more salt?" Ma immediately thought of Zhang Hulan's family. Her family makes braised meat every day, so they must use a lot of salt.

Ma said, "I do know a family. How much discount can you give me for a pound of salt?"

The peddler said, "Let's do as my sister-in-law said. Ten cents a pound is fine."

Ma shook her head, "No, eight cents a pound."

The peddler agreed immediately, "Eight cents is eight cents."

"But my sister-in-law has to introduce some business to me first."

Ma smiled and said, "No problem. The shop next to my house makes braised meat and uses a lot of salt every day. If you go to her house and sell it, you will definitely be able to sell it."

The peddler immediately said, "Really? Then sister-in-law, take me to have a look first."

"Sure." Ma immediately took the peddler to her home.

Ma felt that she was helping Zhang Hulan save money, and it could be considered as repaying the favor Zhang Hulan had given her for the meat last time.

Ma led the peddler to the door of Zhang Hulan's house and pointed inside, saying, "This is it."

Ma decided to be a good person to the end. She had to let Zhang Hulan know that it was she who brought the peddler here, so that Zhang Hulan would know that she had saved money for her.