The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

The next day, Manager Ma arrived at Shen's Restaurant at the agreed time.

He looked at the thirty jars of meat sauce laid out in front of him and couldn't stop smiling.

This gave him a head start in the business.

Shen Cao took out the pancakes she had prepared in advance, filled them with some meat sauce she had cooked the day before, and handed them to Manager Ma.

"Manager Ma, would you like to try some?"

Manager Ma happened to be a little hungry at that moment, so he took the meat sauce that Shen Cao handed him and started eating.

Mmm, it really tastes good, just like the one he ate before.

That taste was something he could never forget.

Whether it was because Manager Ma was really hungry or because the meat sauce was delicious, he finished the whole pancake in no time.

Even after finishing the meal, he still felt like he hadn't had enough.

After wiping his mouth, he said, "Miss Shen, this sauce jar is a bit big."

"I plan to sell it to people who are always on the go. If the sauce jar is too big, it will be inconvenient to carry."

Shen Cao nodded after hearing what Manager Ma said, "Then what size do you think this sauce jar should be?"

"It should be half the size of what it is now, or half the size of the other half."

"That way, customers will have more choices, won't they?"

As expected of someone in business dealings, Manager Ma's advice was very insightful.

"Okay, then I'll order a batch of jars of all sizes later."

Manager Ma nodded in satisfaction after hearing Shen Cao's words.

He had done business with other people before, and many of them were very stubborn, always thinking that their own ideas were the best and never willing to listen to other people's opinions.

This Miss Shen is indeed a businesswoman; she knows how to be very adaptable.

When I made the suggestion, I deliberately observed her expression. She showed no displeasure and even agreed with my suggestion.

Doing business with someone like that is not only time-saving but also hassle-free.

"Miss Shen, how much does this meat sauce cost?"

"One jar costs twenty-five coins, so thirty jars would cost seven hundred and fifty coins?"

"Many? How much?"

"Seven hundred and fifty coins."

"Miss Shen, is your business profitable?" Manager Ma had given her a deposit of one hundred taels. These thirty jars would only cost seven hundred and fifty wen, and a hundred jars would only cost three taels of silver.

His hundred taels of silver would probably be more than enough to buy a year's worth of meat sauce.

Moreover, he had just eaten it. The meat sauce was made with very high-quality ingredients; one jar contained more than a pound of meat.

The cost alone is at least fifteen coins, and with the labor costs added, Miss Shen probably won't make much money from each jar.

"Small profits but quick turnover!" Shen Cao didn't actually intend to make money from the meat sauce. She could only earn about ten coins per jar, and after deducting labor costs, she would earn even less.

As soon as Manager Ma heard Shen Cao's price quote, he knew what she was up to in doing business.

Since they've shown such sincerity, he can't just leave without reciprocating.

"Miss Shen, you are the best!" Manager Ma gave Shen Cao a thumbs up.

"To be honest, this jar of meat sauce of yours must contain at least a pound of meat. At twenty-five coins a jar, you're not losing money, but you certainly won't make much profit either."

"So, I was planning to sell a jar for fifty coins, but let's not make it twenty-five coins, let's make it thirty-five coins."

Shen Cao was also moved by what Manager Ma said.

I've only ever heard of people trying to lower prices in business; this is the first time I've encountered someone proactively raising prices for her.

"Manager Ma, I'm really embarrassed by what you've done."

Manager Ma waved his hand, "Miss Shen, I have been traveling the world for many years and have done business with countless people, but this is the first time I have met someone like you."

"To be honest, I admire your mindset in doing business at such a young age."

“I am not such a selfless person. I would like to discuss with you that I do not expect you to supply this meat sauce only to my family in the future.”

"The question is, is it possible to ensure that Mr. Ma gets the lowest price exclusively?"

Shen Cao suddenly realized that Manager Ma had such foresight, as if he was certain that his meat sauce business could last a long time.

However, seeing that he was sincere in doing business with her, Shen Cao readily agreed to his conditions.

Finally, after thirty jars of meat sauce, Manager Ma settled the bill for one tael and fifty coins.

Manager Ma told Shen Cao to deduct the amount from the deposit he gave her. Shen Cao then deducted the cost of the remaining seventy jars of meat sauce and returned the rest to Manager Ma.

Shopkeeper Ma happily returned with thirty jars of meat sauce, thoroughly satisfied with the deal.

That evening, Shen Cao wrote back to her elder brother, recounting in detail what had recently happened at home.

Especially their adoption of Xiao Qi, and the matter of Manager Ma.

At the end of the letter, Shen Cao inquired about his brother's health and told him that he must not skimp on money in the capital and that he should spend money where necessary, especially on social obligations.

These are all relationships he will need to maintain when he becomes an official.

In the capital, Shen Yu'an planned to set off for Xin'an County on the fifth day after receiving Shen Cao's letter.

This round trip will allow me to return to Beijing for the Chinese New Year this year.

But just before leaving, the unreliable Wei Siyu became unreliable again.

The two agreed to meet at his house early in the morning.

Who knew that he didn't sneak to his house until noon.

Shen Yu'an glanced at him. "Judging from your posture, you really did sneak out?"

"What do you think? My mother keeps a close eye on me. Just this morning, I even accompanied her to see the Li family's daughter."

"If you don't obey your mother and stay in the capital to get married, I'll go alone."

Wei Siyu panicked when she heard this, "That won't do. Doing business with Cao'er is sure to be profitable. How can you get such a good deal?"

"Besides, my intuition tells me that it's a highly profitable business."

Shen Yu'an didn't expect that although this guy was unreliable, he had good judgment.

"Alright, let's get going. If we're any later, I'm afraid your mother will realize what's happening and come after me with her big knife."

Wei Siyu shuddered at the thought of her mother wielding a large knife.

"Yes, yes, let's hurry up, or it will be too late."

As soon as the two got into the carriage, they ordered the driver to go full speed ahead.

The coachman looked puzzled. His young master was in such a hurry, as if someone was chasing him and trying to kill him.

Of course, he dared not question his master's decision and could only hurry on his way.

Although they left late, they were able to move quickly along the way.

We managed to reach the post station before dark.

After traveling for most of the day, the two were starving. They asked for two superior rooms and had the innkeeper prepare a table full of food.

The meal, though not particularly delicious, was at least enough to fill the stomachs of the two who had been traveling and were hungry all day.

The two had just finished their meal and were about to pay the bill and go back to sleep when they suddenly saw someone coming down from upstairs.

Both of them were shocked, especially Shen Yu'an, whose shock was mixed with a hint of anger.

He stepped forward, grabbed the person who was trying to slip away, and asked angrily, "What are you doing here? Don't you want to live?"

"Do you know how dangerous it is outside? How dare you run so far by yourself?"