The boss of Guang Ju Restaurant, Wang Fuhai, was slightly chubby with a round face. His features were ordinary, but when he smiled, they combined to give him a festive air.
As for why he wasn’t buying the tofu prescription, but only the Stinky Tofu and sauce prescription, it was because they had already figured out how to make tofu.
And so, Zhao Dong ntally calculated that they had already earned a considerable sum from selling tofu before the busy farming season.
Now that tofu had been developed by others, sothing like Stinky Tofu could also be replicated quite quickly.
Besides, it was currently the busy farming season, and tofu wasn’t profitable at all.
At this ti, since soone was willing to pay a high price for the prescription, it was naturally best to sell it. Thus, Zhao Dong nodded in agreent.
After the paynt was completed, Sun i took Wang Fuhai to the kitchen to show him how it was made.
Wang Fuhai, in turn, took out a brush and ink and ticulously recorded everything.
Finally, he also said, "If you co up with any other good prescriptions, you can always find at Guang Ju Restaurant. I will absolutely give you the most suitable price."
Hearing this, Sun i genuinely began to consider selling prescriptions.
Previously, when they had made tofu, they had considered this path. However, these were ancient tis, and there was little concept of owning rights to a prescription.
If they wanted to sell at a good price, selling prescriptions to ordinary people wouldn’t work; they had to find large restaurants or wealthy individuals.
But this couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t encounter malicious people. Such individuals might try to steal their prescriptions or, even worse, kill them for it. After all, they were just commoners, vulnerable to exploitation.
Therefore, they hadn’t tried to sell their prescriptions and had chosen to run the business themselves.
Now that soone had actively approached them to buy one, Sun i was tempted. The main attractions were that it brought in money quickly and wasn’t tiring. So, she smiled and nodded. "Alright, if I have any more good prescriptions, I’ll co find you."
"Excellent, excellent."
Wang Fuhai agreed with a smile, though in reality, he didn’t think Sun i and her family could possibly have any more good prescriptions. It was rely a businessman’s habit of fostering connections.
At this mont, Zhao Zhitong, who had been observing for a while, suddenly spoke up, "Uncle Wang, if your family spends so much money on prescriptions, can you make a profit?"
Startled by the child’s voice, Wang Fuhai looked around. Lowering his gaze, he found a little radish-head standing there, staring at him with wide, round eyes.
Wang Fuhai also had a daughter of a similar age at ho. Seeing this little girl reminded him of his own daughter, so he unconsciously smiled kindly. "Of course!" he said. "Our Guang Ju Restaurant has more than just one branch. A prescription costing several tens of silver taels? We can earn that back in a single day."
He was being modest with that statent. Guang Ju Restaurant had branches all over the Great Zhou Dynasty. Forget breaking even in a day; they could earn back the cost of several prescriptions in a single day.
Zhao Zhitong’s eyes twinkled. "Wow! So, if my mother develops a new prescription in the future, will your restaurant want it?"
This child wasn’t shy with strangers at all, and her voice was pleasant. Wang Fuhai chatted with her a bit more. "Yes, as long as it’s a good prescription, Guang Ju Restaurant will want it. The thing is, you actually have to be able to develop new and good prescriptions."
Zhao Zhitong laughed happily, patting her small chest with confidence. "Let tell you, my mother is amazing! The food she makes is the most delicious in the entire world! She’ll definitely develop lots of great new dish prescriptions!"
At that mont, Wang Fuhai didn’t truly take the child’s words to heart. Children, he thought, always believe their own mothers are the most amazing.
After that, the little girl continued to boast. She spoke of how clever her father, Eldest Uncle, and Younger Uncle were, how strong her Uncle was, and how adorable her brothers and sisters were. She even claid that the piglets in their yard were fatter than anyone else’s.
Wang Fuhai listened and couldn’t help but laugh, thinking this child was genuinely amusing.
Sun i, however, felt her daughter might be a bit of an extre extrovert.
Just then, a voice suddenly ca from the courtyard, causing Zhao Zhitong to stop her boasting.
She recognized the voice—wasn’t that her Third Uncle?
So, she trotted out.
Sure enough, she saw Third Uncle Zhao Chun. He was holding a box of pastries and standing in the courtyard, speaking to her father, Zhao Dong, with a calculating smile. "Brother," he said, "it’s been so long since the family divided, and I, your younger brother, haven’t even co to see you. It’s truly my failing. Look, the mont I had so free ti, I rushed right over."
Zhao Dong, however, gave a nod with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "It’s no trouble, no trouble at all. You’re a busy man; you don’t need to make a special trip to see ."
Zhao Chun, seemingly oblivious to his brother’s cool reception, eagerly tried to ingratiate himself. "Brother, your courtyard is a bit small, isn’t it? But after the New Year, you’ll be able to get a big courtyard, right? Oh, and these must be your tools for making tofu! Wonderful! Brother, you must have earned a lot of money recently, haven’t you?"
He sighed, a worried look on his face. "Alas, Brother, you’ve had smooth sailing recently. As for , though, I’ve run into so difficulties."
He then paused, waiting for Zhao Dong to ask about his troubles so he could elaborate, but Zhao Dong didn’t take the bait.
Zhao Dong also sighed. "Third Brother, what are you saying? What money could I earn? I’m just a cripple now, unable to do any work in the fields. We’re relying entirely on your sister-in-law. You, on the other hand, your tavern is making good money, isn’t it? I heard you’re even planning to move it to the county town? That must an you’re making a fortune!"
Zhao Chun’s expression stiffened for a mont, then he chuckled. "Brother, you’re teasing . My little rundown tavern hardly makes any money; it’s barely enough to keep fed."
He sighed again and began to pour out his woes. "You don’t know, another tavern has opened in the marketplace, and it’s undercutting my business at every turn. My tavern’s business is getting worse and worse. Forget about moving to the county town; I can barely even feed myself anymore!"
He glanced at Zhao Dong, who still wasn’t responding as hoped, so he pressed on himself. "Brother, look, we’re family, aren’t we? You can’t just watch your younger brother suffer and not help, can you? I see your tofu business isn’t doing so well these days either. How about this: why don’t you let sell your Stinky Tofu and that other tofu in my tavern?"
Seeing Zhao Dong’s hesitant expression, Zhao Chun quickly added, "Brother, don’t worry! Your younger brother won’t take your prescriptions for free. I’ll give you money—ten taels of silver! How about it?"
He said this with full confidence. Ten taels of silver, in his eyes, was more than enough; Zhao Dong would surely agree.
He didn’t know, however, that soone had just offered fifty taels of silver for a single prescription.
Zhao Dong looked at the other man’s expression, which seed to say, ’You’re getting a great deal from ,’ and felt like laughing.
At this mont, Wang Fuhai almost burst out laughing. Suppressing a chuckle, he said to Zhao Dong, "You really have quite a Third Brother!"
Zhao Dong forced a laugh. "Yes, indeed. He’s so very considerate of , his Brother."
Zhao Chun completely missed the sarcasm in their tone and still looked quite pleased with himself.
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