Chapter 32 Chapter 32 It’s good here too

The chicken soup made with mountain spring water and dried mountain mushrooms is particularly delicious. Even without salt, it tastes amazing.

Miao Ying drank two large bowls of soup with his dry food and ate a chicken leg. Huo Xing finished the rest of the pot, still feeling a little unsatisfied.

Miao Ying yawned after finishing his meal, his eyes falling on the rapeseeds at the door that were about to bloom. With the rapeseeds, he had to press oil, but now he had no oil pressing tools or oil pressing workshop.

Miao Ying, who had always been reluctant to use his brain, fell silent at this moment, thinking about future developments. According to the history he learned in school, in the development of an era, if anything related to people's livelihood was discovered, he would have to deal with the government.

He looked at Huo Xing and asked, "What are the things that the imperial court controls now?"

Huo Xing was silent, not quite understanding.

Miao Ying took a deep breath. "So what are the things circulating in the market that are regulated by the state?"

Huo Xing finally understood: "Salt, mineral."

"Is that all?" Miao Ying's eyes widened. "Rice, flour, and oil are not included?"

Huo Xing shook his head: "The issue of rice and flour can be solved by the Chamber of Commerce."

Miao Ying breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great." It's great not to have to deal with the government offices.

After solving this problem, Miao Ying started to worry about the oil press. He didn't know any carpentry at all, and judging from Huo Xing's big and strong appearance, he probably didn't know much either. He only had a vague idea in his mind, and he was afraid that he couldn't explain it clearly to the carpenter.

It costs a lot to make tools. They are poor now. Miao Ying sighed deeply. It’s too difficult.

The winter nights in the mountains were still too cold, but much better than the last time. Huo Xing got up twice at night to add firewood. When he got up, Miao Ying raised his eyelids slightly, muttered something, and went to the place where Huo Xing had slept. After Huo Xing finished adding firewood, he obediently moved away, and then stayed close to him again.

Huo Xing lowered his head. It was dark outside. He looked at Miao Ying in the dim light of the fire in the stove. He felt that he didn't understand anything yet. He thought of them as brothers and family members, but not lovers. He didn't seem to understand what getting married meant. Everything he did was very frank.

After daybreak, Huo Xing put away their things, and Miao Ying also patted the rapeseed seedlings gently. The next time they met, the rapeseed should be in bloom.

Since they didn't go home, Li Hongying and her grandmother weren't too worried. Huo Xing was used to running in the mountains and would definitely not get lost.

Looking at the rabbits and chickens in their hands, Li Hongying's eyes lit up. She didn't expect that they could bring back prey after going up the mountain.

"I'll leave the chicken at home and eat it. I plan to take the rabbit and these dried mushrooms out to buy some as a subsidy." Miao Ying stretched and prepared to take a rest for a while before going to sell things with Huo Xing.

After a good rest, they had another meal. They now have two meals a day, one at noon and one in the evening. After they finish their meal and go out, they should be able to catch up with the evening meal.

Huo Xing looked at his pale face and suggested that he go himself, but Miao Ying rejected his suggestion: "Our family needs money right now. If you sell a few cents less, we will be under more pressure, so I have to go."

Huo Xing couldn't beat him, so he could only think of carrying Miao Ying on his back when he got tired. His injuries were almost healed now, but he didn't expect to meet Ye Feng when he walked out of the village. They were driving an ox cart and were also going to the town.

Ye Feng quickly invited them to get in the car and chatted enthusiastically with Miao Ying. He had already seen what they were carrying and asked, "Are you going to town to sell rabbits?"

Miao Ying nodded generously: "To help with household expenses."

"It's amazing that you can still hunt rabbits now." Ye Feng said, "Your brother Qin has to go to work tomorrow, so let's go first."

Ye Feng was a very enthusiastic person. He took Miao Ying's hand and started chatting about family matters. Miao Ying did not hesitate and responded to every word. On the contrary, Qin Qiang and Huo Xing stopped talking after saying hello.

"The dish you asked Erniu to bring back last time was really delicious. His grandmother even told me to teach you how to make it." Ye Feng remembered something and said, "Don't be so secretive."

"They are all home-cooked dishes. I will teach you when we get back. I know a lot of dishes." Miao Ying was very happy that other people liked the dishes he cooked.

Qin Qiang worked as an accountant in a restaurant in the town. Huo Xing would usually sell game to their restaurant. When they were about to arrive at the restaurant, Qin Qiang told them not to go with him, as he was afraid that if the owner knew that they knew each other, he would try to lower the price.

They separated at the street corner, and Miao Ying and Huo Xing walked slowly towards the restaurant.

"They are a pretty good family," said Miao Ying.

Huo Xing nodded. The villagers in Rongshu Village were all very nice. He remembered when he first came here as a child. His master was a rough man and there were times when he couldn't take him into consideration. He also ate at hundreds of restaurants in this village. The people here were much nicer than those in Nankouba Village.

The restaurant is only closed for two days a year and reopens on the third day of the Lunar New Year. Some gourmets in the town still prefer the food in the restaurant.

At the side door behind the restaurant, there were also many people selling fresh vegetables. However, the restaurant had just opened, so they didn't want too many things. They just wanted to pick fresh and good vegetables. The wild game that Miao Ying brought with them was what they were short of right now.

"How much is it?" The manager was a little disappointed when he saw that they only brought two gray rabbits, which were not very fat. Game is scarce in winter and many people are craving it.

On the way here, Huo Xing had already told Miao Ying about the price of rabbits in the past. One rabbit was only two or three hundred coins, and only the fat ones could be sold at this price. Like these two today, in Huo Xing's opinion, they could only be sold for two hundred coins at most.

"Two rabbits, a bag of dried mushrooms, and three taels of silver for one price," said Miao Ying.

The steward took a deep breath. He had never expected that the man before him had such a big appetite. Two skinny gray rabbits were worth at most 500 coins, not to mention this bag of dried mushrooms. He refused to accept it even if it was given to him: "They are not fresh mushrooms, and you dare to charge so much for them."

Miao Ying knew the manager would have this attitude, so he pretended to be mysterious: "Dried wild mushrooms can also taste like fresh mushrooms. If you can get this flavor right now, I guarantee it will be the only one of its kind in your store."

There are more wild mushrooms in summer, and there are also many customers who crave them in winter, but there are not many people picking mushrooms. Those mushrooms on the hillside are not very valuable, and many of them are picked and sold immediately, and there is almost no time to wait for them to be dried.

But in the mind of the manager, the food is not fresh and cannot be sold at a good price.

Miao Ying also knew that it would be difficult to convince him immediately, so he planned to persuade him slowly. He looked at the steward and asked, "Can I have a word with you for a moment?"

The manager became more curious after seeing his expression and took them to the backyard of the restaurant.

Miao Ying said, "Dried mushrooms may not be as delicious as fresh ones, but at this time of year, it's a rare treat. Also, I wonder if your restaurant's chef knows the saying that food and medicine share the same origin? Stewing wild mushrooms with chicken, supplemented with donkey-hide gelatin, red dates, and wolfberries, makes a superb soup for nourishing qi and blood."

The manager was stunned, as they had never thought of this before.

Miao Ying looked at the manager's face and knew that the matter was almost done. "If you don't believe me, you can go ask the doctor to see if it's true. Now that the reputation is out there, why worry about not having good business?"

The manager was almost persuaded.

Miao Ying added: "Also, I have some suggestions on the business model."

He was confident: "Delicious food like this is rare in winter. We just need to limit the quantity and sell only a fixed number of orders a day. That way, our reputation will spread and customers will come in droves."

The manager was confused: "Shouldn't we sell more?"

"Hey, sell more! These dried mushrooms will be sold out in a few days. We need sustainable development. If we sell five cases a day, there will definitely be people who will come to grab them. What will happen to those who can't grab them? They will just think, since they are here, of course they will eat something else."

The steward suddenly realized: "That's great!"

Miao Ying then said, "What I'm selling today isn't this gray-haired rabbit. I'm selling this sales method and the concept of medicine and food having the same origin. Do you think it's worth three taels of silver?"

Miao Ying has been thinking about this problem since his last Waterloo. It seems that the restaurants nowadays have a wide variety of food and bright names, but they lack a certain meaning.

He had worked in a restaurant in his previous life and had seen the hunger marketing in those Internet celebrity stores. Most people had the same idea: it's the New Year, and since they are here, if they can't buy the limited edition items, then just buy something else.

The same principle applies here now.

It shouldn't be too much for him to make some money by using some current marketing concepts.

The steward looked at Miao Ying and said, "I need to discuss this with the shopkeeper."

Miao Ying nodded: "Please do as you please."

After the steward left, Miao Ying turned back to look at Huo Xing, only to see him standing there in a daze. Miao Ying waved his hand in front of his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

Huo Xing shook his head: "It's okay."

He remembered what his mother had said before, that Miao Ying also did business with the owner of the cloth shop in this way, with confidence and speaking eloquently.

He couldn't help but wonder what kind of person Miao Ying was in the past, to know so much. Was he a god from heaven? But why would such a god end up by the side of a man like him who had accomplished nothing?

Soon the shopkeeper came over. It seemed that he had just discussed it with the steward. The shopkeeper walked up to Miao Ying with a smile and said, "This man has a very clever mind."

Miao Ying patted his head and said, "Okay, okay."

The shopkeeper took out some money and handed it to Miao Ying: "This is the reward you wanted." Not more, not less, three taels of silver.

Miao Ying felt a little regretful. If he had known that they were so easily fooled, he would have said fifteen or twenty taels.

After getting the money, they left the restaurant. Miao Ying carefully put the money into his purse, which was made for him by Li Hongying and embroidered with a Q-version kitten he had drawn.

Turning around, he found Huo Xing had been silent. He took two steps back and asked Huo Xing, "You haven't said much along the way. What are you thinking about?"

Huo Xing looked at him, and for the first time faced the question of his origins. He hesitated and asked, "What is your world like?"

Miao Ying recalled his own world, and then said with some nostalgia: "That world is very magical. There are many things you can't even imagine."

"The iron box soars straight up, the tall building seems to reach the sky, two people are thousands of miles apart but can still communicate with each other, and the neon lights at night sometimes seem as bright as day."

Huo Xing was stunned. He had no way of imagining what kind of world that was. He only knew that the world he was in was completely incomparable to that world. He spoke with some difficulty: "Will you go back?"

Miao Ying suddenly smiled and said, "Although that place is good, I think this place is also very good."