After successfully selling the crab roe sauce, Ruyi planned to take advantage of the season when crabs are at their fattest and work even harder to earn more money so she could have a prosperous New Year.
However, just a few days later, before she could even take the six jars of crab roe sauce she had just finished making to Zhiwei Restaurant, Manager Huang rushed to the Cheng family again.
"Manager Huang? What brings you here? I just made a few more jars of butter sauce and was just about to bring them to you!"
"Hehehe, you wouldn't come to the temple without a reason. I've come to see Madam Cheng because I have good news!"
Cheng Ruyi was taken aback. A happy occasion? What happy occasion could there be between them? So she subconsciously asked, "Could it be that Baizhenlou has gone out of business?"
"Oh dear, what a joke, Madam Cheng!" Manager Huang waved his hand and said in a low voice, "It's our boss who wants to see you!"
"Your boss wants to see me?" Ruyi was even more stunned after hearing this, then suddenly a thought flashed through her mind, "Could it be about this butter sauce? Your boss wants to... wants to buy the butter sauce recipe, right?"
She felt she must have guessed right, otherwise why would someone who sold so many rabbits before not mention wanting to see her, and then come knocking on her door today after just selling crab roe sauce a few days ago? What else could it be?
However, Manager Huang just smiled without saying a word after hearing this, and gestured for her to go. Ruyi had no choice but to take the sauce with her to Zhiwei Restaurant and venture into this dangerous place.
Cheng Ruyi followed Manager Huang all the way to the third floor of Zhiwei Restaurant. She saw that the pavilion was surrounded by sky-blue semi-transparent gauze. Upon closer inspection, the gauze was smooth and soft, and it was also embroidered with faint dark patterns, which was very elegant.
This is Xiangyun yarn from the south, with an extremely complex production process. It's famous for its unique silk texture and distinctive dyeing techniques, and it's said to be as valuable as gold. Now it's hanging here as curtains! Ruyi couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing she truly couldn't imagine the lives of the wealthy...
In the center of the pavilion stood a long table, covered with all sorts of rare fruits, exquisite pastries, and fine wines. Behind the table was a fashionable round-backed chair, which Ruyi approached and saw was indeed made of huanghuali wood.
At this moment, a man with his back to her stood next to the armchair. He was tall and straight, wearing a dark brocade robe with dark patterns, the cuffs of which were embroidered with auspicious clouds in gold thread, and a jade belt with a green and white color around his waist, making him look extremely noble.
"Master, Madam Cheng is here!" Manager Huang stood to the side, head bowed, and reminded him softly.
Upon hearing this, the man slowly turned around, and Ruyi finally got a clear look at him.
He looked to be around twenty or thirty years old, younger than I had imagined. If I were to rank everyone the original owner had ever seen in her memories, this man would undoubtedly be number one.
With his tall and slender figure, deep-set features, and a pair of slender, captivating eyes that shimmered with affection, his high-bridged nose and fair, almost translucent skin gave him an air of aloofness and coldness, making him truly a handsome man.
However, Cheng Ruyi has grown up surrounded by stunningly handsome men in modern TV shows and movies, so her perspective is naturally very different from that of the original owner.
Although the man in front of her was handsome, he was only at the level of an average modern celebrity. At most, she would admire him upon first meeting him, but he wouldn't make her fall in love at first sight or have her heart flutter. What's more... the handsome man's eyes were full of disdain as he looked at her.
The man glanced at Cheng Ruyi indifferently, then sat down without paying much attention. Manager Huang immediately stepped forward, bowed, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to him with both hands.
Seeing that the other person had finished his tea but still didn't speak, Ruyi thought for a moment and decided to be magnanimous and take the initiative: "You must be the owner of Zhiwei Restaurant. Manager Huang said you wanted to see me about something. May I ask what brings you here?"
The man gently put down his teacup, extended his slender, fair left hand, and picked up a ceramic jar.
That was the earthenware jar Cheng Ruyi used to store crab roe sauce. It was just something she bought casually from a pottery shop near her home. It wasn't anything expensive, but its advantage lay in its simple, sturdy, practical, and cost-effective design.
However, now held in the man's jade-like hands, the pottery jar somehow gave off the illusion of being a low-key yet luxurious work of art.
"Huang Youcai said you made this jar of butter sauce? The ingredients are a bit rough, but it has a rustic charm and is barely edible. Name your price, I'll buy the recipe!"
The man's voice was surprisingly clear and pleasant, but unfortunately, the words he uttered were infuriating.
What's so vulgar about? Wild and uncouth? Barely palatable? If you can't speak properly, can't you just shut up? How can someone like this become a boss? With this attitude, how did you ever succeed in business? Was it all based on your looks?
Don't get angry, don't get angry. Why get angry with someone from ancient times? Our values are completely different. We're not on the same page. At most, I'll just make a big profit off him and then never cooperate with him again!
Ruyi glanced at Manager Huang, only to see that he was still keeping his head down. Well, it seemed he wouldn't get involved.
Feeling somewhat angry, he didn't speak very kindly, "Three hundred taels. This butter sauce is my own creation, and it can be said to be unique. With the financial and material resources of your Zhiwei Restaurant, I'm sure you can sell this sauce to the prefectural city or even the capital. I don't need to explain the profit margin, so I personally think this price is very fair."
If she didn't sell the recipe, she could earn three hundred taels a month selling sauce, but that would be too tiring for the whole family. Besides, she had already planned to sell the recipe anyway, and the profit she could make by keeping it herself would be limited. It would be better to sell it to Zhiwei Restaurant, which would benefit everyone and also serve as a favor.
Who knew that the man would laugh with great contempt after hearing this, slightly raise his chin with his right hand, tilt his head and look at Cheng Ruyi with a condescending gaze, and then casually say: "Unique? Hmph~~ Cheng Ruyi, lives at the end of Wutong Alley. Seven days ago, she chartered a small fishing boat in the West Market and went to a wild lake in the suburbs. After that, she came back and made this sauce."
He took out a folding fan from his waist and spoke as he waved it, his heart growing colder with each word he uttered.
"With just a little inquiry, we could find out where you've been and what you've bought lately. Do you really think we're all fools? It's just a sauce made from ordinary crabs. With a few tries, we can figure out the recipe. I only asked to buy the recipe because we've worked together before, but you've got quite the nerve!"
Cheng Ruyi felt frozen solid, her whole body ice-cold. How could she forget that this wasn't a society governed by the rule of law? These people were rich and powerful; crushing her was as easy as crushing an ant!
She was far too careless; she's been getting too cocky lately!
Thinking about it carefully, her actions over the past few days have been completely exposed to the public eye. She didn't even think about hiding them. On the first day when she bought crabs, she even paraded them around in the market. If you ask carefully, someone will definitely remember.
As he said, if someone is interested, they can make a similar sauce by taking notes and trying it a few times. If they then follow the same steps, she may not be the original creator, and she might even get into legal trouble.
A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.
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