Looking at this truckload of yams, Da Wa was a little worried that Si Ji wouldn't be able to eat so many; it weighed over a thousand pounds!
Besides, we don't even know how well the pastries are selling. If they don't sell, all these yams will have been wasted!
His worry at such a young age was likely due to his past hardships. Qin Sanniang patiently explained to him that, firstly, Si Ji was a well-established shop in the county and would certainly not break its promises; Manager Si wouldn't stoop to withholding a few taels of silver. Secondly, the child should trust that his mother's pastries would definitely sell well from the start!
Today is the Little New Year, one of the busiest days in He County. People buy many foods they wouldn't normally afford, and pastries are an indispensable offering for the New Year. If Manager Si can capitalize on this opportunity to promote these three pastries, she's sure they'll be a hit with the people!
Whether in past or present lives, these desserts have remained popular for a long time. No matter how people's tastes change, their pursuit of sweets remains the same.
The eldest child nodded, "Mother can't be wrong!"
He believed this change was because his mother had endured so much during their escape. Just like the children, people always have to grow up, and adults are no exception! He added that the guidance from the deity had given his mother such confidence! Thinking of the deity, the eldest son felt much more at ease; his family was blessed by the divine spirit!
Not far away, just turning into the alley, was Si Ji Cake Shop! To Qin San Niang's surprise, there was actually a queue!
The smile on Xiao Wu's face almost overflowed the screen. "Come on, folks, don't worry, our new pot of donkey rolls will be served soon!"
"Hey, uncle, what did you say? Same price as yesterday? Oh, of course! New pastries are on special for three days, buy two get one free!"
"Oh, right, they also have that white jade cake! You're right, the elderly and little children can eat it too, it won't hurt their teeth!"
"Oh dear, that Sachima is a bit expensive? Auntie, that stuff is full of oil and sugar, you can taste it, right? It's a waste of ingredients! This price is very reasonable!"
...
Eldest child: Mother was right after all!
Qin San Niang thought to herself, "This young man is really eloquent! He's completely different from yesterday! It seems he hasn't found the right track yet!"
"Big Brother, go tell Fifth Brother that we're going to the backyard."
"Mother, do you feel there are too many people around here and you're worried they might cause us trouble?"
"Oh dear, this child looks honest, but he's actually quite thoughtful." Third Sister Qin gave her son an approving look and instructed him,
"Big Brother is absolutely right. Look, Si Ji's business is booming. Won't the other pastry shops be jealous? I reckon there will soon be spies around here. If we get targeted, we'll be in trouble. Anyway, we're just deliverymen; we can get paid through connections!"
Putting aside everything else, just take Si Ji's old rival, Chen Ji. Judging from what Manager Si said, he's not someone you can't get along with.
Qin San Niang wasn't afraid of trouble, but she didn't want to cause it. After all, nobody wants to invite trouble for no reason and create unnecessary problems.
Da Wa nodded and quietly walked towards Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu was also shrewd and hinted that he knew. While he was in the kitchen getting some snacks, he opened the door for Qin San Niang and the others. There were special workers in the kitchen who would be responsible for moving the yams to the cellar.
Upon hearing that Qin San Niang had arrived, Manager Si hurriedly put down the pastries he was holding. He had also fallen in love with this donkey roll, and this was his breakfast for today.
However, business was good today, so breakfast was served so late! But that's no big deal! If it could revive his shop, he would be willing to go a year without breakfast.
"Oh my, Madam Qin, you've finally arrived! Young Master is here too? Quickly, someone bring tea!" Unlike his gloomy face when they last met, Manager Si was all smiles now and looked much younger.
They sat in the same hall as before, with Qin San Niang and Manager Si in the main seats, and Da Wa sitting below his mother.
After taking a sip of tea, Manager Si couldn't wait to praise, "Madam Qin, your pastries are simply too popular! They were only launched yesterday and they were already in high demand! If this continues, my shop will be revitalized!"
"Not at all, it's the manager who has foresight and courage, and his sales skills are also excellent!" Qin Sanniang gave a thumbs up to express her admiration. This was not flattery, but a genuine feeling that Manager Si was a person with a methodical approach.
The "buy two get one free" marketing tactic was a tried-and-true method in her time! And in ancient times, before those years, the wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated.
"Madam Qin, you flatter me! It's all thanks to your excellent prescription!" Manager Si said sincerely. Madam Qin was practically sent by heaven to save Manager Si; it seemed his past good deeds had finally been rewarded!
"Does Madam Qin have any other good remedies? If so, please consider me first. I won't treat you unfairly!"
The other party was able to come up with three prescriptions at once, and they were all genuinely good prescriptions!
These past few days, Sili Ren has been pondering these prescriptions repeatedly, and he finds them increasingly ingenious!
Actually, this recipe is quite inexpensive. White jade cake mainly uses yam, which is very cheap to buy. Sachima, on the other hand, is made by deep-frying a mixture of flour and nuts, so its cost is also low, and the oil isn't meant to be used only once.
And then there's donkey roll. Although glutinous rice is more expensive than regular rice, it's still a small amount of money compared to the 50 coins a piece of donkey roll can sell for.
Si Liren knew that wealthy families wouldn't care about pastries costing tens of coins per pound. On the contrary, they might prefer something new and unique to showcase their wealth. He always knew that continuous innovation was the key to a shop's survival, but finding a pastry recipe that could cater to the public's tastes was truly not easy!
Of course, she has other dessert recipes, and many more, but it's not the time to sell them yet. In short, firstly, she has plenty of money right now, and secondly, she still needs to observe what kind of partner Manager Si is. Although things seem good now, it's still unknown whether he will stay true to his original intentions in the future, so it's better not to get too close.
“I do have other recipes, but they require special firing methods and the ingredients are insufficient. I will naturally share them with Manager Si when the time is right.”
Upon hearing her say this, Sili Ren understood perfectly well that she must have other prescriptions in hand, and that she was probably not in a hurry to use them, or perhaps she wanted to test him!
Well, now that Si Ji has three new types of dim sum to show for itself, he's not worried about being imitated anytime soon. Although experienced pastry chefs can roughly figure out how to make them, there are still quite a few tricks to making them delicious; it's not as simple as it seems.
Just from the fact that Qin San Niang and her son were able to secretly transport the yams through the back door, Si Li Ren felt that they were not simple people! Even if they didn't come over, Si Li Ren had already arranged for a servant to stop Qin San Niang's carriage if he saw it passing by the gate and take it to the backyard. This was a trade secret, and he wouldn't let his rivals see the raw materials.
After settling the money and carrying the gifts given by Manager Si, Qin San Niang and Da Wa'er drove the oxcart to the carriage shop. They had taken two carriages today, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough seats.
Holding the three taels of silver in his hand, he sighed, "This money is really hard to earn. Maybe it's because I'm used to seeing big money? A cartload of yams is only worth this much, and that doesn't even include the cost!"
But Da Wa wouldn't think that way. The yams weren't grown by his family. How could he double his money in just one night by buying and selling them? This was something he never dared to dream of before!
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