Chapter 649 Bidding for Food Agency Rights

No one believed his nonsense.

They each took a bite of the braised shrimp and began to savor it slowly.

It's okay if you don't eat crayfish, but once you eat the first one, you'll want to eat the second, the fourth... you'll want to eat a whole bowl of crayfish until you're satisfied.

Unfortunately, each person only gets one.

Someone couldn't stand it anymore and went up to Zhao Ergou to ask, "Excuse me, where can I buy braised shrimp? I want to buy some!"

Zhao Ergou said apologetically, "All the braised shrimp today are free to sample and will not be sold. However, there are three other flavors of shrimp coming up, and each person can sample one of each flavor for free. Please be patient."

Hearing this, everyone was delighted.

With three flavors, it means you can get three more for free, which should be enough to satisfy your cravings.

While waiting, the crowd began to look at other stalls.

Next to it was Zhao Dashan's potato stall. Potatoes are very common in modern times, and hundreds of delicious dishes have been developed from them. Cheng Wanwan selected five classic potato snacks and made them for visitors to try for free.

Spicy baby potatoes, tornado potatoes, wolf tooth potatoes, delicious mashed potatoes, and French fries.

"What is this yellow thing? I've never seen it before."

"Take a bite and you'll know. Mmm, it's so delicious. It's soft and chewy. One bite is not enough."

"I'll try it too... My God, what is this stuff? I've never eaten it before."

"Could it be a new variety bred by Sui Gongren?"

"There are tomatoes here too. I've never seen these before. They're bright red and look delicious."

"Emma, ​​it's really unpleasant to only be able to taste one bite of everything."

"We're lucky to get to eat for free. We can't expect to eat our fill and go home! Don't worry, after today, Dahe Town will definitely put these unseen foods on the market, and then we'll be in for a treat!"

"..."

A variety of foods were laid out, and people lined up to sample them from one stall to another.

All the free samples were small bites, so they wouldn't feel full and would keep them looking forward to the next new dish.

Amidst much anticipation, the spicy crayfish, braised prawns, and steamed prawns with garlic were finally served.

A dozen or so men carried out an enormous wooden basin, and the stall was instantly filled with shrimp. The crowd dared not crowd and spontaneously lined up.

Zhao Ergou shouted, "Don't worry if you haven't had enough to eat today. There will be another food festival in Dahe Town on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, where you can also sample food for free. Dahe Town warmly welcomes everyone to come."

Someone couldn't help but ask, "Can you eat crayfish at the Grand River Banquet?"

Zhao Ergou smiled and shook his head: "These crayfish are different from ordinary food. We plan to find partners to operate this crayfish delicacy. Please wait patiently for news regarding the specific listing location."

This dish is a must for the Grand River Banquet, but more importantly, it is necessary to promote the crayfish to Yangzhou.

He quickly distributed crayfish to everyone present, and the large basins of crayfish were soon empty. Fortunately, the kitchen was busy, and a steady stream of crayfish was brought out, so almost everyone who came to try them could get a few for free.

"Don't push, everyone in the back! There are still plenty of crayfish!"

"Hey, stop cutting in line, or I'll have someone kick you out."

"I must say, the braised prawns are really delicious, even better than the braised prawns we had earlier."

"Steamed shrimp with garlic is also good, but I don't like it. I prefer strong-flavored food."

"My goodness, this spicy crayfish is way too spicy! Where's the water?"

Donghua approached with a drink in hand: "Eight coins a cup of lotus flower drink, would you like to try some?"

The man was already feeling the spiciness, so he readily paid and gulped down a large cup of lotus flower drink.

Anyone around who ate spicy crayfish felt their tongue and mouth tingling from the spiciness, and could barely speak, making it impossible for them to resist drinks.

The stalls selling winter and autumn flowers were packed with customers, and in less than an hour, all the drinks prepared overnight were sold out.

They hurried back to boil water. These people ate spicy food terribly, and they figured people would be willing to buy plain water for a penny a bowl. It was like a risk-free business, so why not do it?

Many people in the village saw this business opportunity, and many old ladies came out carrying buckets to sell boiled water.

Ordinary people were willing to spend a penny to buy water, while merchants and scholars with slightly better means would go to teahouses to drink tea.

The entire market was driven by a huge influx of people, presenting an unprecedented scene of prosperity.

Standing on the third floor of the market, Cheng Wanwan could see the flow of people on the food street. This scene was comparable to the parade of the top three scholars when she went to the capital.

She prepared a full 5,000 jin of crayfish, but she didn't know if it would be enough to handle today's situation.

The person sitting next to her was Grandpa Qian. After tasting the crayfish, Grandpa Qian couldn't stand the spiciness. Because of his age, he was afraid that eating too much would be too much for his body, so he had to give up.

The old man stroked his beard and asked, "How does Lady Sui plan to market these crayfish?"

He's a businessman who does all sorts of business, so naturally he wants to gain an early advantage.

Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "Does Mr. Qian still remember the last investment promotion conference? Last time it was an auction for shops. After the second food festival, it will be an auction for food agency rights."

She would recoup the money she gave away for free at the food festival through other means; in short, she wouldn't let herself lose money.

Old Master Qian's eyes lit up. Since it was an auction, it meant that everyone had a chance. It seemed that his Qian family could get involved in the food industry.

The food festival lasted until the moon came out.

Only after the crowds in the town gradually dispersed did everyone have time to collect the statistics.

"The total cost per person is 1,065,200 cash, which is over 1,000 taels of silver," Zhao Tiezhu reported after quickly finishing the calculations. "Today's food festival saw over 53,000 people in Dahe Town, including residents from nearby villages and towns, as well as merchants and scholars from various counties..."

If the workshops, canals, and coal mines hadn't all been closed for the holidays, the flow of people would have been even greater.

"The turnover of all the shops in town has broken previous records," he continued. "The newly opened money exchange exchanged more than 30,000 taels of silver notes today, the pawnshop's transaction volume exceeded 5,000 taels, and the teahouses and taverns are packed with people..."

Cheng Wanwan nodded in satisfaction.

In ancient times, when communication was not well-developed, the fact that it could attract 50,000 people was enough to prove that the first food festival was a success.

With the groundwork laid in the first phase, the estimated visitor count for the second phase is around 150,000, so she needs to prepare even more.

"Tiezhu, spread the word that the first food festival will be held on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, and the Sui Gongren will arrange the second investment promotion conference." Cheng Wanwan tapped the table with her hand and spoke methodically. "This investment promotion conference is mainly to find food agents. Merchants from Huzhou don't need to come and join in the fun, because all food agents in Huzhou belong to Dahe Banquet. Merchants from other states, provinces and regions are welcome to come and bid."

The merchants in Huzhou had already been taken advantage of once, so she was too embarrassed to target the locals again.

The focus of the second investment promotion conference was Yangzhou businessmen.