Shen Muzhi had already eaten and drunk his fill and had no intention of bothering Yanxiao anymore. After hearing Yanxiao's question, he directly pointed out a few problems to her.
"These crayfish taste really good. If they were sold, they would be very popular with the people in the city, provided the price was right."
But if something is profitable, once someone does it, others will inevitably follow suit. Jiangbei City may be large, but once too many people imitate it, your business won't be as easy to run.
Shen Muzhi hesitated slightly at this point, glanced at Yan Xiao's expression, and then continued:
"I can do as you say and let the refugees bring the crayfish to sell outside the city gate, or let wealthy people go and buy them."
However, if others also want to buy it, as the lord of the city, I cannot show favoritism.
Moreover, with so many refugees outside, they'll all rush to buy it after hearing the news. It would be difficult for Ma Youcai's family alone to finish it all.
Yan Xiao only wanted to make money, so she didn't think much about it. But now that Shen Muzhi has said this, it is indeed a problem.
She was confident in her recipe, and all she needed to do was make the ingredients into the shape of hot pot base and give it to Ma Youcai, making it virtually impossible for anyone else to steal it.
After all, even if you want to imitate it, even if the chef can roughly taste the types of ingredients, the difference in the amount used will make the taste very different.
After figuring this out, Yanxiao replied:
"It's inevitable that some people will imitate me, but by then I should have made a lot of money and made a name for myself. Even if other stores sell it in the future, I'll still be a well-established brand."
Moreover, even if others try to imitate it, they won't be able to replicate the same taste. Once customers have tried it and compared it, they'll naturally continue to choose my restaurant!
Seeing her confidence, Shen Muzhi's eyes lit up with a hint of surprise, and he asked:
"Are you so sure that no one else can make it taste better than yours?"
Yan Xiao gave a haughty snort: "To be honest, what you're eating now is just a makeshift dish that I made on the spot, because the ingredients in this general's mansion are not complete at all."
"Once I gather all the ingredients, if anyone can make a dish that tastes better than mine, then that's their skill, and they deserve to make money. I have nothing to say about it."
The ingredients for making crayfish include several that no one in this era would recognize. Even if someone did recognize them, they would never have guessed that medicinal herbs are also spices.
Once she gets all thirteen spices together, the taste will be amazing, and it's no joke that it'll be invincible.
Shen Muzhi had no idea what Yan Xiao was thinking. Seeing that Yan Xiao was so confident and not worried at all about the possibility of others taking away his business, and that he didn't ask him to order others not to open a second store, he breathed a sigh of relief.
If Yan Xiao really made that request, he would be in a bit of a dilemma.
From the moment Yan Xiao mentioned wanting to do business with the refugees outside the city, his mind was already racing.
The locust plague has passed, and wasteland can be seen everywhere.
He kept thinking about whether there was any way to enable the people outside the city to have some self-sufficiency, so that they could build villages and reclaim wasteland outside the city and start over.
The method of speaking and laughing has undoubtedly given the refugees outside the city a glimmer of hope. As long as they can eat their fill for the time being and have money to buy seed, then what comes next is not impossible.
Thinking of all this, Shen Muzhi immediately stood up, gave Yan Xiao a cupped-hand salute, and said solemnly:
"Regardless of whether this matter will succeed in the future, I thank you on behalf of the refugees outside the city."
Yan Xiao was fantasizing about the wonderful life of counting money until her hands cramped when she was caught off guard and received a bow from Shen Muzhi.
She was somewhat confused: "What does the general mean by this?"
Seeing that Yan Xiao didn't react, Shen Muzhi said clearly:
"If this can be accomplished, it will be a lifeline and an opportunity for the refugees outside the city."
Yan Xiao understood Shen Muzhi's meaning after a moment's thought. She waved her hand dismissively and said directly:
"You don't have to do this. I'm not that noble. I'm just trying to make money. To put it bluntly, it's a win-win situation."
Shen Muzhi smiled upon hearing this and said earnestly:
"Whatever your motives, you have helped me and the refugees a great deal. You deserve this gift."
There was one more thing Shen Muzhi didn't say: most importantly, Yan Xiao was very measured and didn't make any excessive demands for personal gain.
If Yanxiao demands to buy out the business and not allow anyone else to interfere, then Ma Youcai alone will find it difficult to manage, and the refugees outside the city will face the predicament of not being able to sell their goods.
Businessmen in the city will also be dissatisfied with this, and chaos will ensue both inside and outside the city.
Seeing how serious Shen Muzhi was, Yan Xiao accepted the bow without further hesitation, and simply said:
"It's still far from certain, so don't get your hopes up too high, lest you end up disappointed."
"nature."
Shen Muzhi nodded and sat back down. After thinking about what Zhao Qian had told him, he decided to take this opportunity to have a good talk with Yan Xiao and ask her what she thought.
He poured each of them a cup of tea before asking:
"Xiao Yan, you've only just arrived in Jiangbei, and you've already started working non-stop without even taking a break. You're opening a clinic and trying to sell food. Are you short of money?"
From now on, I will give you a monthly allowance, enough for your expenses, so you don't need to work so hard.
Yan Xiao originally thought that the smooth opening of her clinic and Zhao Qian's enthusiasm were due to Shen Muzhi's tacit approval, so she never thought of greeting him again.
The most important thing is that the clinic has already opened without prior notice, and she feels that as long as Shen Muzhi turns a blind eye and has no objections, there is no need for her to bring it up again, as it would seem redundant.
Unexpectedly, Shen Muzhi suddenly asked this question at this moment.
She glanced at Shen Muzhi's expression, and seeing that he didn't seem displeased, she replied:
"I'm short of money. Since there's an opportunity to make money, I certainly won't miss it. Surely no one in this world would turn down money, right?"
As she spoke, she looked up and met Shen Muzhi's gaze directly, and asked:
"Does the general think I shouldn't show my face in public, and worry that I'll embarrass you?"
"No, don't misunderstand!"
Shen Muzhi, worried that Yan Xiao had misunderstood, quickly explained:
“I just feel that now that you’ve come to Jiangbei, you have me to rely on, so you shouldn’t worry about making a living anymore.”
Yan Xiao couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this.
"General, are you saying you'll take care of me?"
Shen Muzhi didn't see anything wrong with this and nodded directly:
"Of course, it's my duty to take care of you."
Yan Xiao burst out laughing this time, her tone involuntarily carrying a hint of sneer:
"General, it's best not to make promises lightly about things that are uncertain."
Your current status is indeed valuable, and you are perfectly capable of supporting me, but who can predict what will happen on the battlefield?
Can you guarantee you'll be invincible and escape unscathed every time, or can you be certain you can truly protect me for life?
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