Chapter 647 Crayfish as a Gimmick

The crayfish, placed on a plate, are bright red and have a fragrant aroma that fills the air.

As Cheng Wanwan started eating, everyone else followed suit. Spicy crayfish and braised prawns were clearly the most popular. Zhao Ergou and Zhao Sidan each picked one up and put it in their bowls. They instinctively bit open the claws and sucked in the tender claw meat. Then they bit open the heads. The older prawns had roe, which was very delicious when dipped in the broth. They only licked the prawn heads once and then finished eating. The focus was on the prawn tails.

Peel off the bright red shell to reveal the tender white shrimp meat, dip it in the broth, and place it on your lips and tongue—the enjoyment is unparalleled.

After Zhao Sidan finished eating a shrimp with great enjoyment, he looked at the plate again and found that the bowl that had just held the shrimp was now empty.

His eyes widened: "Second brother, you're too fast!"

Zhao Ergou licked his fingers: "I only ate three."

Cheng Wanwan coughed: "I only ate four. I made a little less today. I'll make more tomorrow."

The two daughters-in-law didn't really like this kind of strong flavor, and little Zhuzhu, being a child, didn't eat spicy food either. They mainly ate steamed shrimp, and that plate of steamed shrimp was quickly eaten up.

"Mother, these crayfish are so delicious!" Wu Huiniang put down her chopsticks. "How about we have crayfish as a new dish for the Grand River Banquet in July?"

Cheng Wanwan nodded: "Of these four flavors, which one do you think is better?"

“Steamed shrimp is a bit mild, which is more suitable for the elderly and children. However, most of the diners at Dahe Banquet are men, so I think both braised and spicy flavors are fine.” Wu Huiniang said this with great confidence. “Both of these are strong flavors, and you’ll need to drink water after a few bites. Selling this dish can also boost the sales of alcoholic beverages in the restaurant.”

Zhao Ergou nodded: "Since the Daheyan Nanyang branch is about to open, why not use braised mantis shrimp as a gimmick?"

“Nanyang just went through a flood, so it doesn’t feel right to open a business now.” Zhao Sidan joined the discussion with an air of importance. “These crayfish are huge, and there are at least twenty or thirty on a plate. The price won’t be cheap, and it might be too much for the people of Nanyang who have just experienced the disaster.”

Cheng Wanwan looked at him approvingly: "Si Dan is right. Nanyang is in a period of recuperation and development, so it is not suitable to make a big fuss."

A subtle feeling arose in Zhao Ergou's heart.

He was a businessman who always put profit first. Although he knew that Nanyang had just experienced a disaster, he also knew that there were many wealthy people in Nanyang City. That's why he wanted to use the crayfish to promote the Daheyan branch in Nanyang City.

His perspective on things is always different from his mother's.

Now that Si Dan has read more and more books, his thoughts and awareness are quite different from those of a businessman.

He kept reminding himself to learn from his mother, but he often used his own habitual way of thinking to deal with things. He didn't know when he would be able to truly learn his mother's vision and awareness.

He listened silently as Cheng Wanwan and Zhao Sidan began their heated discussion.

As he listened, an idea suddenly came to him. He carefully considered his words and said, "Mother, I remember that we are still short of 30,000 to 40,000 taels of silver for the canal project. Could we use crayfish to raise the last bit of money?"

Cheng Wanwan turned to look at him: "Continue."

“This crayfish dish uses a lot of expensive seasonings, making it much more expensive than many dishes at the Dahe Banquet. A plate of braised crayfish with twenty or thirty pieces of crayfish, according to the pricing level of the Dahe Banquet, should sell for one tael of silver.” Zhao Ergou said slowly, “If three or five people gather, one plate of crayfish is not enough. It should start at least three catties, which will increase the price even more. Even for people in Yunnan Province, it is very expensive. Only wealthy families can afford it. I’m afraid only ordinary people in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangnan, can look at this price with ordinary eyes.”

He took a sip of water and continued, "The capital is too far to consider, but Yangzhou in Jiangnan is closer to Huzhou. We can travel by water first, then switch to land, which will take about four or five days. Once the canal is completed, the entire journey will be by water, and the trip from Yangzhou to Dahe Town will only take two or three days. In other words, Yangzhou merchants will also benefit after the canal is completed. In that case, why not use crayfish to attract Yangzhou merchants and then get them to donate money to the canal?"

Cheng Wanwan hadn't really thought about it that way, because the canal was only short of 30,000 taels of silver, which she could cover herself with some effort, and she didn't want to bother with it.

However, Er Gou's idea was quite interesting. If Yangzhou merchants could be attracted, not only could the issue of money on the canal be resolved, but an excellent sales channel could also be found for crayfish.

Yangzhou was the most prosperous place in the Great Yu Kingdom. It was located by the sea and the river, and it was so rich that you could say that even the beggars in Yangzhou lived a better life than the poor people in other cities.

The price of crayfish can double if they are transported to Yangzhou.

“I need to think about this matter carefully.” Cheng Wanwan rested her chin on her hand. “If we want to attract merchants from Yangzhou, we need to increase the popularity of crayfish, which is not an easy task.”

Yangzhou is four or five days away from Huzhou, so news travels slowly. How can we create explosive news?

For several days in a row, Cheng Wanwan kept thinking about this matter.

Walking on the newly built streets of Dahe Town, looking at the various shops lining the streets, a sudden inspiration struck her, and an idea popped into her head.

She immediately returned to the courtyard, had someone prepare writing materials, and then began writing a detailed plan.

When she first started her business in her previous life, the company only had three or four partners and no employees. She often had to write various business plans herself, which was quite easy for her.

The plan was completed perfectly in just two days.

She immediately convened a meeting with the management personnel of Dahe Town.

Currently, County Magistrate Zhao's main job is managing the canal. Zhao Tiezhu handles the affairs of the town. Fortunately, there are enough managers to keep up with all the messy things.

As soon as Cheng Wanwan spoke, these people immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed over.

"I've called everyone here today because there's an important matter," she said with a smile, sitting in the main seat. "The first investment promotion conference in Dahe Town was a great success not long ago, and our town's reputation has been thoroughly established. However, Dahe Town's influence is still limited, and it hasn't truly stepped out of this narrow area. So I want to hold another event to truly allow our Dahe Town to step out of Huzhou, out of Yunnan Province, and into every corner of the Great Yu Kingdom!"

Her words filled the people below with hope.

To be honest, they are already quite satisfied with Dahe Town as it is now, but wouldn't it be even better if it could be stronger and more prosperous?

Everyone stared intently at her.

She continued, "Since we got chili peppers, our Dahe Village has had many delicious foods that we don't have anywhere else. Not to mention, we also have lotus ponds, water chestnuts, ice jelly, preserved eggs, crayfish... I want to use these delicacies to hold a grand food festival."

Li Desheng, who was in charge of tourism, scratched his chin: "What's a food festival?"

Zhang Ersaozi, who was in charge of handling disputes among villagers in Dahe Town, looked completely bewildered: "What's a food festival?"

Those present all looked puzzled.

Cheng Wanwan smiled faintly and began to explain carefully.