"Isn’t this nonsense?" Wu Wenhong imdiately looked displeased and said grimly, "Didn’t Dongzi explain it to you clearly? Those items, whether they were chili seeds before, or yellow sheep, deer, and other various wild ga, were gifts I sent to you, just to thank you for solving the trouble that had plagued my wife and for over half a year. I had sworn at the ti that if soone could improve my wife’s anorexia, even if it cost mountains of gold and silver, I would not frown. Now, it’s just so pieces of ga, worth you making such a fuss and even sending money expressly?"
Lady Wu also chid in at his side, her lips pursed in a smile as she said, "Isn’t that so? Were it not for you, I might not even have the energy to et people today. To this day, I still rember the soft cake you made with La i and firethorn, just thinking about it makes my mouth water! Also, the sugared winter lon strips and dried haws you had Dongzi bring back were very good too. After I ate them following my dicine, they completely suppressed the bitterness and made feel much better! It’s only a few pieces of ga after all, why must you be so exacting with us?"
This was indeed the truth. Hua Xiaomai had seen it with her own eyes—the first ti Wu Wenhong and his wife appeared in the small restaurant, Lady Wu had been listless from start to finish, barely mustering the energy to speak, but today she could be so bright and lively. Although the dicinal soup played a part, the dishes Hua Xiaomai had prepared were from the start playing an undeniable role.
"If you like the soft cake, you might visit my small restaurant when you have the ti, I can make it for you again. The flowers and fruits used vary with the seasons, I guarantee you’ll find them fresh," she replied with a smile, nodding to Lady Wu, then turning to look at Wu Wenhong, speaking calmly, "I’m not one for affectation. If you wish to thank , I won’t put on airs. Otherwise, why would I have willingly accepted those chili seeds you gave? However, I know exactly how much I’ve done, and it really doesn’t warrant your repeated gifts of gratitude."
Wu Wenhong opened his mouth as if to say sothing, but she interrupted him first: "Hear out, I ca today not only to return the money for the wild ga but also for another important matter. I know you sought out Uncle Pan of the Pan Family, who partnered with in the sauce-trade, and you spoke to him about financing a Sauce Garden for . He returned to the village yesterday and laid out the whole thing to . I understand your kind intentions, but... to properly run a sauce business, the expense is not trivial, you really needn’t..."
"Ha..."
Wu Wenhong, who had been sowhat flustered seeing Hua Xiaomai insisting on returning the money for the wild ga, now listened to her ntion this and relaxed instead, even chuckling, leaning back in his chair as if at ease, and when he spoke again, it was entirely off-topic.
"Girl, you are a good girl, unwilling to take advantage of others, but do you know why I go to such lengths to express my gratitude to you?" He picked up a teacup from the table, blew away the steam, and took a leisurely sip.
"You might have heard that in my earlier years, I would take on any kind of trade, and out of a year, I’d spend seven or eight months traveling away from ho. The days I spent at ho were very limited. When my wife first married , life was truly difficult; she endured hardships with . Later, as our situation improved, and I was often not at ho, she managed all the household matters by herself and never complained once, handling everything perfectly. Now, though we are only in our thirties, because of the illness, to see her growing thinner day by day has been unbearable for ."
Hua Xiaomai did not make a sound, she only turned her head and stealthily glanced at ng Yuhuai.
In Fire Knife Village, households generally did not take concubines, but in that era, it was not uncommon for a man to have a concubine or even a mistress. Wu Wenhong, who had so family assets, still remained devoted solely to his wife, cherishing and caring for her, which was indeed no small feat under those circumstances.
She understood Wu Wenhong’s gratitude towards her, and her heart was not unmoved, but...
"About starting the Sauce Garden, let tell you what I was thinking," Wu Wenhong said with a kind smile, and then continued, "You have a good talent for cooking, you know this without saying it. Everyone who has been to your little restaurant even once knows it. You are the expert, and you know better than how to plan for the future. I really have no right to point fingers. But you must also understand that whenever you do food business, you must have money at hand. Relying solely on your little restaurant and the little money earned from selling sauces each month, until when will you have to save? Now that your sauces are popular, why not take this opportunity to expand?"
Producing sauces was a profitable trade, sothing Hua Xiaomai was of course well aware of, but that was only true for sauce stores that were well-established and reputable. For instance, Antai Garden in the Provincial City had already built a good reputation, so much so that they didn’t need to aggressively advertise to attract a steady stream of regular custors, never worrying about selling their sauce.
But what about her? Even if she used the finest ingredients and made the flavors exquisite, her prices could never be set too high because her sauces were not branded. Branding, in any era, was an elent that couldn’t be overlooked.
"I understand your point, and you have considered it very thoroughly for , I just feel..." she tried to argue a bit with Wu Wenhong, but he waved his hand and cut her off.
"Sister, let finish. I figured you would co to , so I have not explained everything clearly to Mr. Pan yet. I’m thinking about setting up the sauce garden right in your Fire Knife Village. In Provincial City, let Mr. Pan handle the logistics, cargo, and manpower just like usual. I can manage all these aspects for you clearly, you just need to focus on making good sauces. Land is cheap in Fire Knife Village, and all things considered, setting up a sauce garden would only cost about two hundred silver pieces."
He laughed heartily, holding up two fingers: "I am a businessman, and I don’t do things that won’t benefit . So I had already figured out that once your Sauce Garden starts running, I’ll take a twenty percent share of the annual profits."(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to Qidian (qidian) to cast a recomndation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian to read.)
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