That evening, Su Luo made Mapo Tofu, which Zhao Ruyun and the two children all enjoyed.
"Grandma, what do you think of my tofu?" Su Luo wanted to see if she could add Mapo Tofu to Fu Man Lou's menu.
"It's delicious and goes well with rice. Luo Luo's cooking skills are getting better and better." Zhao Ruyun now eats good food with Su Luo every day, and feels that her own cooking skills are only enough to fill her stomach.
"That's good!"
Aunt Li's family was different. Following Su Luo's advice, Aunt Li cooked tofu with white leaves and herbs, and only made a dipping sauce for Li Niu.
"Wife, this is the new dish you've been researching. It smells delicious, but why did you cook it with wild vegetables? These wild vegetables are awful."
Li Niu only ate tofu; he skipped the rest of the leafy greens because they didn't taste good.
"Can't I eat this wild vegetable? You can just eat tofu. I've made a lot anyway." The leafy greens weren't tasty, but compared to Aunt Li's expectations, it was nothing.
Li Niu also felt that his wife had been acting strangely since yesterday, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.
...
The next day!
Su Luo asked Li Niu to take her to the county, and Li Niu went too. Because Fu Man Lou's braised pig's trotters were so popular, Su Luo also took a hundred packets of braising spices with her, as well as two pieces of tofu that she and Aunt Li had made together.
Now almost everyone at Fu Man Lou knows Su Luo. She is the owner of their current go-to recipe, and everyone treats her with utmost respect.
"Madam Su, you've arrived." The shopkeeper greeted Su Luo with a smile.
This was the first time Li Niu had entered this upscale Fumanlou restaurant. He had only ever seen it from the outside before and had never been inside.
"Yes, I brought another packet of braising spices. Please count it and put it on your tab."
The shopkeeper took the basket from Su Luo's back; he still needed to count all the items carefully.
"Shopkeeper, please entertain this Uncle Li for me while I go to the kitchen to prepare a new dish."
"OK!"
Su Luo said to Li Niu, "Uncle Li, could you please wait here for me for a moment?"
Li Niu came here specifically to bring Su Luo today. He will help her as much as he can if she needs anything.
"No trouble at all, you go ahead with your work."
The chefs in the kitchen are now particularly enthusiastic towards Su Luo. As soon as they hear that Su Luo has new dishes, they all gather around her. It's not mealtime yet, so they are just preparing the ingredients.
"Miss Su, what new dishes are you making today?" The question was asked by the chef who had tasted the dishes for Su Luo.
“Ma Po Tofu.”
No one in the kitchen knew what tofu was, but since Su Luo had created so many new things, they weren't surprised.
Everyone gathered around Su Luo to see how she made the dish. Watching her make it was much more memorable than trying to make it with a recipe, and it also made it easier for her to control the details.
Su Luo brought over two pieces of tofu and made them all into Mapo Tofu. She made a lot so that everyone could try it.
Su Luo finished cooking in the time it takes to burn an incense stick. She put it on a small plate and gave it to Nangong Qing, while the rest was divided among the kitchen staff and the shopkeeper.
Nangong Qing never sleeps in late; he's usually at Fumanlou around this time. Su Luo took the Mapo Tofu to the third floor, knocked on his door, and went inside.
"Try it, it's a new dish."
Nangong Qing said he was already used to Su Luo walking around Fu Man Lou, and even A Xu was no longer surprised.
Nangong Qing put down the book in her hand, picked up her chopsticks and tasted it: "It has the fragrance of beans, and the taste is not bad."
Su Luo smiled and sat down at Nangong Qing's desk, saying, "This is tofu made from soybeans. You have to buy this tofu to make Mapo Tofu. Do you think it can be on Fu Man's menu?"
Looking at Su Luo, Nangong Qing knew without a doubt that Su Luo had used the same trick as the spice packet, but he didn't lose out either.
“You are also a junior owner of Fumanlou, so you have a say.”
Su Luo sat up straight and said, "Then let's add it to Fu Man Lou's menu. But let me make it clear first, this tofu is not made by me. It's made by Aunt Li from Changping Village. Her husband is downstairs right now. If you want to buy tofu from him, you'll have to talk to Uncle Li first."
It wasn't Su Luo who did it?
Nangong Qing hadn't expected that Su Luo, a woman, would have such a broad mind. Most people only think about their own wealth, and the poorer the people around them are, the more they can make themselves look good. Especially in their small village, very few people would take the initiative to lend a helping hand to others.
"Let the shopkeeper handle the negotiations; the prosperity of the people leads to the prosperity of the nation."
Su Luo shook her head. She couldn't understand why Nangong Qing, a businessman, often talked about the country.
"Okay, by the way, there's one more thing. Did you find someone to build the house for me?"
Nangong Qing looked at Su Luo indifferently, her expression showing disbelief.
“I’m telling you, Madam Su, the people I found for you are the best architects. It must take them time to come all the way from the capital.”
Someone brought in from the capital? They must be very skilled.
"Oh, thank you. I'll head back now and come back at the end of the month when I receive my bonus."
Nangong Qing sighed. He used to think Su Luo was mysterious, but now that he had gotten to know her, he realized that this woman only cared about money and was happy as long as she got the money.
When I went downstairs, I saw Ah Xu grabbing a small plate of Mapo Tofu and hiding in a corner to eat it, his mouth full of oil.
“Ah Xu, your young master is noble and elegant, why would he want you to be his personal bodyguard?”
Seeing that Su Luo looked down on him, A Xu immediately raised the sword in his hand and said, "My martial arts are superior."
Su Luo didn't know if it was tall or not, but the simple-minded Su Luo did see it.
After discussing the tofu purchase with the shopkeeper, the shopkeeper pondered for a moment, then calculated the price and purchase price, and asked the waiter to bring Li Niu some more tea and snacks.
"Uncle Li, I'm all better now." Su Luo sat down at Li Niu's table.
The manager of Fumanlou was gentle and refined, with the air of a scholar. He approached Li Niu and said with a kind smile, "Li Niu, is that you? I am the manager of Fumanlou. I heard from Madam Su that your family can make tofu. Fumanlou would like to purchase tofu from you on a long-term basis. Are you willing?"
Li Niu looked at Su Luo, this was too sudden, and the tofu recipe was Su Luo's, and only his wife knew how to make it in his family.
If we could sell to Fumanlou long-term, we'd be rolling in money.
"Ah...this..."
Li Niu was momentarily speechless. When he looked at Su Luo, he saw Su Luo nod at him.
"I...I...how much money does Fu Man Lou want to pay?"
Although Li Niu was excited, he wasn't confused and always asked about the price before making a decision.
The shopkeeper, holding an abacus, smiled and said, "Tofu is made from soybeans. Soybeans cost ten coins per pound. The price will be reduced after processing, and there are also processing fees. We at Fumanlou will buy it for fifty coins per pound. How about that?"
Fifty coins. Yesterday, my wife told me that she and Su Luo used about ten catties of soybeans to make tofu, but they still had about twenty catties left. That's a lot of money, especially since Fu Man Lou has been buying from them for a long time.
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