Chapter 18 Talking Business
Ji Zhisui poured the soaked rice into the pot and brought it to a boil over high heat. Looking at the rice grains rolling in the pot, Ji Zhisui then poured in the chopped dried red mushrooms.
Cover the pot, turn to low heat and simmer to make the porridge thicker and bring out the fragrance of the red mushroom.
When the lid of the pot was opened again, the aroma of red mushrooms and rice porridge swept through the small kitchen. Chef Liu, who was wary of outsiders, was instantly attracted by the aroma.
Putting aside the taste, the aroma alone is enough to make people salivate.
The smell of the rice porridge made Chef Liu itchy, and he looked curiously in the direction of Ji Zhisui.
But all that could be seen was Ji Zhisui sprinkling some salt and wild onions into the pot, and that was it, no other seasonings.
But the smell of this food lingered in his nose for a long time, and it also made him curious. What does this porridge taste like? How is it cooked?
Chef Liu stepped forward, discarding his previous defensive attitude, fearing someone might steal his skills, and became more humble. "Excuse me, young lady, who is your master?"
This young lady is so powerful, she must have a very powerful master.
"I don't have any real master. I just learned a little bit here and there." Ji Zhisui said vaguely.
Being a food blogger requires exposure to all kinds of food, and having a talent for cooking. Most of the time, I do research through the Internet and on my own, and I don’t really have a real master.
Chef Liu didn't ask any further questions, thinking that the young lady must have her own reasons for being like this.
His eyes fell straight on the red mushroom porridge. The color was beautiful and the taste was fragrant. He really wanted to try it and see how it tasted!
"Young lady, can I have a taste?" He asked, unable to resist the temptation of delicious food.
Ji Zhisui did not refuse, and Chef Liu couldn't wait to put the soup spoon in his mouth.
As soon as you take a bite, the first thing you feel is the soft and glutinous rice aroma, the crispness of the mushrooms, and finally a light sweetness.
His eyes lit up, and he looked at Ji Zhisui with admiration, "My dear, your cooking skills are amazing!"
Ji Zhisui did not admit it, but just asked the waiter to bring the red mushroom porridge to the table. The red mushroom porridge received praise from the diners. The diners at this table enjoyed it very much with the side dishes, so much so that the guests at other tables became curious when they saw it.
After learning that this was a new dish of the inn, they all asked the waiter to bring some to try.
The portion of porridge was quite large, and soon the diners finished the whole pot of porridge. Porridge alone did not taste very good, so they ordered a lot of side dishes to go with it, which also boosted the business of other dishes.
As the number of people in the living room increased, it also attracted people passing by who didn't know what to eat. Seeing that the inn was crowded, they became curious and came in to eat.
For a while, the inn's staff were overwhelmed and the kitchen was busy.
These businessmen have traveled far and wide, and this is the first time they have tasted this fresh food. They praised it highly and many of them have made reservations to drink red mushroom porridge for the next morning.
Ji Zhisui cooked another big pot of red mushroom porridge. Seeing that there was nothing else he needed to do, he planned to go back and rest.
As soon as she left the kitchen, she was stopped by the waiter, "Miss Ji, please wait a moment. My boss wants to discuss something with you. Is it convenient for you, Miss?"
"No problem, please lead the way, waiter." Ji Zhisui followed the waiter into the inner room.
The furnishings in the inner room were simple, with a long row of cabinets filled with many books and account books, a desk and a set of reception tables and chairs.
Hearing the noise, Shopkeeper Lin raised his head from the account book. The moment he saw Ji Zhisui, even though he had been prepared, he couldn't help but be a little surprised.
Miss Ji was so young that he couldn't imagine that such a young lady could have such good cooking skills. Even Chef Liu in the backyard praised her highly.
But after all, Manager Lin was used to the market, so he suppressed his surprise and returned to his normal expression.
He walked in front of the reception table and chairs, bowed and said, "Miss Ji, please take a seat. I have a business matter that I would like to discuss with you today."
"What business?" Ji Zhisui sat down, looking indifferent, without showing much enthusiasm or interest.
Shopkeeper Lin was a little nervous, "I wonder if the young lady could sell me the recipe for the red mushroom porridge?"
"You want the recipe for red mushroom porridge?"
"That's right." Shopkeeper Lin nodded. The red mushroom porridge is very popular and can also boost the development of the inn's food.
The most important point is that the red mushroom porridge is unique and those well-traveled and knowledgeable businessmen have never tasted it.
The only one is the best and the most valuable.
There are many merchants traveling in Huizhou City, and many people who need accommodation. There are countless restaurants and inns. Fulai Inn has a hard time surviving under such fierce competition.
Fulai Inn has no unique characteristics of its own. The food styles and tastes are average, so it can only compete with other inns on price.
Low inn prices mean low profits, which is not a long-term solution.
The inn must change and cannot just engage in price wars with its peers.
He had been worried about this matter recently, but unexpectedly, someone brought him a pillow just as he was about to fall asleep. Naturally, he was very happy.
Ji Zhisui looked indifferent and did not answer, showing no sign of being moved.
Shopkeeper Lin, who had been calmly drinking tea, became restless. He glanced at Miss Ji and found that she was not interested at all and had no intention of discussing the business with them.
The two sides were in a stalemate and time slipped away.
Shopkeeper Lin became even more restless and anxious. He finally put down his teacup and continued to persuade, "Don't worry, young lady. I am doing this business with you sincerely, and the reward will definitely not be small."
Even after hearing this, Ji Zhisui was not very moved and replied slowly: "I can see that the shopkeeper really wants to do this business with me, but this recipe is inherited from our ancestors..."
Ji Zhisui's expression was one of embarrassment and reluctance, and she said it was handed down from her ancestors. In Shopkeeper Lin's heart, the recipe for red mushroom porridge was even more precious. No wonder no one else had seen this fresh food.
"The formula is so precious, I understand that you are reluctant to give it up. We can charge you a commission based on the sales. I can give you 20% of the profit." Shopkeeper Lin did not want to miss this good opportunity and offered generous conditions.
If the recipe of red mushroom porridge is bought by someone else, he will have nowhere to cry and the inn may even go bankrupt.
Ji Zhisui didn't expect that the other party proposed a commission model, which means that as long as the porridge is sold, she will have a steady stream of money.
This is indeed a good deal, and Manager Lin also made concessions, but the reality is not optimistic.
"Shopkeeper Lin, I can see you're very sincere, but these red mushrooms are seasonal and can't be cultivated artificially. We can only pick them in the mountains, and I'm afraid the supply won't be enough."
When Shopkeeper Lin heard this, his heart skipped a beat. If this deal couldn't be done, what would happen to the Fulai Inn?
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