Chapter 80 The best way to eat Manager Yu's tofu puffs has finally been found!
As a place where boats from the south and horses from the north were used for transportation, horse-drawn carriages were not uncommon in Beiyang County.
This was the first time Ye Li had seen a carriage that could enter the village, even though she had been here for more than half a year.
Especially noteworthy is the horse's tall, strong, and majestic appearance.
Ye Li was puzzled. He put down the shovel and walked towards the door. What kind of distinguished guest had arrived?
He walked to the door and saw a handsome young man dressed in a fox fur coat getting off the carriage with the help of his wife.
A stool was placed in front of the carriage.
The man first placed his left foot on the stool, and then his right foot stepped directly onto the ground. But as soon as his right foot touched the ground, his body leaned to the right.
If it weren't for the old woman supporting him, he would have definitely fallen.
Ye Li was somewhat surprised and was about to ask when the man looked up at him, smiled gently, and said, "Excuse me, is this Mr. Ye's home?"
"Yes, I am Ye Li. May I ask who you are...?"
Ye Li nodded.
“Then it seems we’ve come to the right place. Mr. Ye, my surname is Yu, you can call me Manager Yu. I’m here today to buy some tofu puffs and preserved eggs.”
Yu Fulang said with a smile.
"Oh, I see. Come in and sit down. There's hot water on the stove. Have some to warm yourself up."
Ye Li laughed and warmly invited the master and servant into the courtyard.
Manager Yu agreed and then stepped into the courtyard.
But with his departure, the scene from just now suddenly became clear:
He couldn't use his right leg and was lame!
Ye Li immediately slowed down and asked with a smile, "Manager Yu, we have tea and my own homemade walnut powder. Which would you like to drink?"
"Hmm... walnut powder, I guess."
"That's what Manager Yu said."
"Okay, this walnut powder is made by roasting walnuts, black sesame seeds, and rice, then grinding them together. Just mix it with hot water, and it'll smell amazing."
Ye Li called out to the new house, "Xiaomai, we have guests. Open the cover of the stove vent and boil some water."
"Brother Ya, bring some roasted peanuts and melon seeds to the guests."
Ye Adie and Liu Yi got up in the early morning and not only fried more than 100 catties of tofu puffs, but also made tofu. So the two of them are catching up on sleep in the east room now.
Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, who were reciting their lessons inside the room, immediately responded.
Their desks have been built.
The two got up from their desks, ran out of the house, and rushed towards the kitchen.
Ye Li then smiled and looked at Manager Yu: "Come, let's go to my little living room, it's warm inside."
But Manager Yu had already seen that he had only fried half of the tofu, so he looked apologetic: "I've come at an inopportune time. Mr. Ye, you should finish frying the tofu."
"It's alright, it's alright, there's no rush. It's cold outside, but warm inside."
Ye Li gestured for him to go into the small living room.
Upon hearing this, Manager Yu smiled, stopped insisting, and stepped into the small living room.
Ye Li's table hasn't returned yet, so he only asked for the kang table to be delivered urgently. The remaining items will be prioritized for Jiang Mai's desk and bookshelf—in the past, those who came to his small living room were all villagers who would bring a small stool and sit down at will.
Now that distinguished guests have arrived for the first time, various inconveniences have become apparent.
"It's a bit simple, please don't mind. Please sit down at the table."
Ye Li pointed to the tall stool in front of the table.
"This house is clean and tidy; you can tell at a glance that Mr. Ye is a hardworking person."
Manager Yu said with a smile.
"...I'm in the food business, so if I'm sloppy and messy, I'll definitely lose more than half of my customers."
Ye Li smiled and patted himself on the back.
He wasn't exactly diligent; he was just bored, so he passed the time by washing and wiping.
But Manager Yu agreed with him, and said with a smile, "That's right, the reason I came here in person today is to see the situation here."
"My restaurant's customers are quite picky. If the kitchen where they fry tofu puffs is too dirty and messy, I won't dare to buy from them."
"Understood, understood." Ye Li nodded: "Don't worry, although my workshop is small, every process is absolutely clean."
"The fried tofu puffs are made in the shed behind this house. You can go and see for yourself later."
They work in the food and beverage industry.
For him, hygiene and taste are equally important.
"Then why don't we go take a look now?" Manager Yu asked tentatively.
"Of course. Come on, let's go to the back."
Ye Li pointed to the back of the house.
He's not afraid of surprise inspections.
Upon seeing this, Manager Yu got up from the high stool.
As soon as the two of them and the old woman left the house, they saw Jiang Ya carrying a plate of peanuts and melon seeds out of the kitchen.
Ye Li said, "Put it on my desk first."
Jiang Ya gave a crisp reply, but her big eyes looked curiously at Manager Yu.
He's already seen it; this uncle walks with a limp.
Seeing this, Ye Li was afraid that Manager Yu would be displeased, so he gestured for Manager Yu to walk to the back while changing the subject: "Manager Yu, may I ask what your restaurant's signboard is?"
Upon hearing this, Manager Yu smiled and said, "My restaurant sells hot pot."
"Fresh vegetables are scarce in winter, so it's mostly dried vegetables or meat. I happened to have tried a pancake with tofu puffs in chili oil, and I thought it would be good for hot pot, so I came here after asking around."
A hot pot is a hot pot.
Ye Li was surprised to find that his family owned a hot pot restaurant.
The best way to eat tofu puffs is in a hot pot!
Tofu puffs should be cooked for a longer time, until they are soft and soaked in the broth. Then dip them in a sauce made primarily with sesame paste. The taste is absolutely amazing, and the texture is just as good as meat.
But at that time, in order to make money quickly, he could only make tofu puffs in chili oil.
Later, small business owners in the county town also started selling tofu puffs, but none of them sold hot pot.
He was very sorry about this.
But to his surprise, Manager Yu gave him a wonderful surprise today!
He smiled and said, "Manager Yu, you've come to the right place. Tofu puffs and skewers are absolutely delicious when cooked in a hot pot."
"You can take some back to try today. We just fried over 100 jin (50 kg) of it this morning, and it's all stored in the small room over there."
This little room is the one that is symmetrical to the bathroom.
Originally intended for storing miscellaneous items, but now that the production of tofu puffs has increased, he temporarily places the tofu puffs fried in the early morning there.
Shopkeeper Yu nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking too. And that preserved egg and lean pork congee is also quite good; it's perfect to have with a hot pot."
Upon hearing this, Ye Li immediately gave him a thumbs up: "Your combination is excellent."
"This porridge is light and refreshing. If the meat in the hot pot is too salty or spicy, this porridge is just the right thing to cleanse your palate."
"Once you have tofu puffs and preserved egg porridge in your restaurant, your business will definitely take off!"
Manager Yu was amused by his words: "The restaurant won't open for a few more days."
"Opening in a few days? That's such a coincidence! I was just worried about how to get the goods you wanted. If it's in a few days, that's perfect."
Seeing the puzzled look on Manager Yu's face, Ye Li smiled and explained about setting up a village workshop.
After saying that, he quickly assured him, "Don't worry, cleanliness and tidiness will still be our top priority, and we will definitely not let you offend any diners."
This time, it was Manager Yu's turn to be surprised.
When he arrived, he only knew that Ye Li had run a small family workshop.
But it hasn't been long, and Ye Li is already planning to set up a village workshop.
This business is booming!
As they spoke, the three of them arrived in front of the shed.
The first shed contained cooking pots and stoves.
No one was using the stoves at the moment, but each stove was covered with brown linen to keep out the dust.
Ye Li casually lifted the burlap lining of a stove and asked Manager Yu to look at the details.
The lid of a frying pan easily becomes dirty and greasy, but the wooden lid in Ye Li's hand is dry and clean. When you wipe it with your hand, there is no dust or oil on it.
As for the stove, there were no ceramic tiles at the time; the stove was made of mud bricks. However, Ye Li and the others would wipe it with a cloth before and after each use.
Therefore, the stove was also very clean.
The firewood in front of the stove was piled up neatly.
The floor was made of mud bricks, and there didn't seem to be any dust on it.
In short, apart from the traces of smoke and fire above the stove, the entire shed was clean and tidy, as if it were being used for the first time.
The same was true of the mill next door.
Each millstone was covered with linen to prevent dust.
The stone mill under the linen cloth had no hardened bean residue in the grooves, and no dust on the millstone.
Manager Yu looked it over and couldn't find a single flaw.
The three of them then returned to the small living room to discuss the details.
At this moment, Jiangmai had boiled the water.
Ye Li then made a bowl of walnut powder for Manager Yu and added some honey to it.
In his walnut powder, rice is actually the main ingredient, walnuts are the second most important ingredient, and black sesame seeds are the least important.
However, black sesame seeds are dark in color, and after mixing, they look like a dark, mushy mess, similar to sesame paste.
Judging by appearance alone, it's not very appealing.
But when you taste it, the delicate aroma of grains mixed with the oily fragrance of sesame and the sweetness of honey blend together to create an outstanding flavor.
Shopkeeper Yu took a sip from the bowl, a hint of surprise on his face, and then smiled and said, "Mr. Ye is very skillful. This bowl of walnut powder is no worse than the drinks in the beverage shop."
Upon hearing this, Ye Li immediately smiled.
That's right, the drinks that Bao Beiyuan sells are made by him.
Thinking of Bao Beiyuan, he had a sudden thought and said, "Manager Yu, actually, besides tofu puffs and preserved eggs, I also run a beverage business."
"Hmm?" Manager Yu's slight surprise turned into widening eyes: "I wonder where Mr. Ye's beverage shop is located?"
"Well, we don't have a shop yet. It's my husband's classmate..."
Ye Li briefly recounted Bao Beiyuan's story about selling drinks, and concluded by saying, "The soy milk rice mochi tastes quite good and goes very well with hot pot."
"If diners are feeling spicy or thirsty, then having a bowl of sweet drink at this time is like drinking an ice-cold drink on a hot day, and the satisfaction in their hearts goes without saying."
Hot pot and milk tea are a perfect match!
Both are the primary consorts for each other!
After listening to his long speech, Manager Yu smiled and said, "Mr. Ye knows how to do business. I'll send someone to buy some to try tomorrow."
"Don't worry, I will definitely not let you down."
Ye Li is very confident.
Manager Yu expressed his anticipation, and then brought up the matter of tofu puffs: "I plan to make tofu puffs my signature dish. For the first few days, let's order 100 catties every day."
"I'll have someone come and buy it then, so you won't have to go through the trouble of delivering it to the county town."
Winter ingredients are hard to find, and after looking around, he found that only these tofu puffs were somewhat fresh and tasted good.
Therefore, he plans to use tofu puffs as his signature dish.
"Great!" Ye Li was delighted by this number.
There are still 220 jin left, and now Manager Yu only asks for 100 jin, so the pressure is greatly reduced.
Moreover, Manager Yu intends to use tofu puffs and large skewers as his signature dishes.
As for the taste of these two dishes, as long as the soup base is not bad, they will not disappoint Manager Yu's expectations.
I just don't know how big the restaurant that Manager Yu mentioned is.
Can the order volume be increased further?
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Manager Yu, may I ask where your restaurant is located? I'll come and support you on opening day."
Upon hearing this, Manager Yu said, "It's located at the intersection of the middle street of East Third Horizontal Street and the main street. The place is called Banxianju. As long as your tofu puffs can be supplied normally, you can open for business."
Upon hearing this, Ye Li's brain immediately began to work.
Beiyang County has a street layout shaped like the Chinese character "丰". The intersection of the middle street of the three east horizontal streets and the main street is located here.
That's the center of the county town!
It's still the very center!
He was secretly alarmed; opening a restaurant in this place required more than just financial resources.
I wonder what kind of identity this Manager Yu has...
Not wanting to ask in person, Ye Li said, "Don't worry, the villagers will make the tofu puffs as quickly as possible, so it won't delay your business."
Manager Yu nodded slightly.
He believed that.
Only when the workshop is up and running can the villagers receive their wages.
After that, he didn't stay long. He bought twenty catties of tofu puffs and told Ye Li that his family's cook would come over in a couple of days to learn how to make preserved egg and lean pork congee.
One thousand preserved eggs will be purchased that day.
Ye Li reassured him once again.
A thousand isn't much; the whole village can definitely raise enough.
Soon, Manager Yu and his wife boarded the carriage and left.
Watching the carriage drive away, Ye Li turned and went back to the courtyard.
Before she even reached her own door, Jiang Ya ran out from the house next door.
He beckoned to Jiang Ya: "Ya-ge'er, you didn't finish the peanuts and melon seeds you were carrying earlier, do you want some?"
"Yes!" Jiang Ya nodded immediately.
He followed Ye Li into the small living room and saw that the plate of peanuts and melon seeds was almost full. He reached out his little hand to grab some peanuts and asked, "Didn't that uncle like peanuts and melon seeds?"
"Probably. Judging from his clothes, his family doesn't lack these things."
Ye Li sat down on the high stool and pulled him into her arms: "Good boy, were you surprised when you saw Uncle Yu walking just now?"
“Yes!” Jiang Ya nodded her little head.
He rarely sees lame people.
Ye Li poked his little belly: "If your belly gets so round in the future that it looks like a watermelon growing on it, would you want people to see your belly?"
"A watermelon-shaped growth on your stomach?"
Jiang Ya's eyes widened instantly, and she couldn't help but imagine herself holding a watermelon in the summer.
Soon, his little face scrunched up: "It's so ugly."
"I don't want anyone to look at me."
"Right? You don't want people staring at your belly, so Uncle Yu certainly doesn't want people staring at his legs either, right?"
"..."
Jiang Ya's big eyes darted around a few times, then he reached out and hugged Ye Li's arm. He said dejectedly, "Brother Li, I was wrong. I didn't mean to stare at Uncle Yu's legs."
Ye Li smiled upon hearing this and reached out to pinch his little cheek: "Good boy, it's okay this time. Just remember this in the future."
"Mmm!" Jiang Ya nodded emphatically, her little face tense.
He will never stare at someone like Uncle Yu again!
Ye Li was amused by his serious little expression, pinched his little face, and said, "Good boy, let's go fry some tofu."
"It'll be perfect for lunch after we finish frying it."
"Okay, okay."
Upon hearing about fried tofu, Jiang Ya's eyes lit up.
He loves fried tofu!
While the two were busy at the stove, Liu Yi and Ye Adie woke up in the west room.
With nothing to do, Liu Yi rolled up his sleeves and started making lunch. Ye Li couldn't stop him and could only let him go.
But Father Ye couldn't hold on any longer. Standing in front of the stove for several hours at a time was quite a burden for someone his age.
He sat by the kitchen doorway, eating the freshly fried tofu while chatting with Liu Yi and Ye Li about everyday matters.
A short while later, Ye Liang arrived in his oxcart.
Before they had finished their lunch, Jiang Dahe, Liang Erxiang, Jiang Liu, Jiang Tong, and others arrived.
This afternoon, we started frying tofu puffs and grinding soybeans.
After frying, the afternoon batch of tofu was also pressed down.
Ye Li boarded an oxcart and went with Jiang Tong to deliver goods to the county town.
Jiang Dahe also went.
With plenty of goods and darkness falling early, they split into two groups.
Ye Li and Jiang Tong went to find Gong Lisheng.
Jiang Dahe went to the east of the city to deliver goods to small business owners.
While they were busy on their side, the villagers on the other side were also working from dawn till dusk to build workshops.
The weather has been kind; there's been no snow these past few days. Although it's dry and cold, it hasn't affected the workshop's progress.
With the whole village working together, the workshop was finally completed two days before Jiang Ji's holiday.
Meanwhile, with Gong Lisheng's help, Ye Li sold another sixty jin of tofu puffs.
In this way, only 60 jin (30 kg) remain to meet the 600 jin (300 kg) quota.
This number doesn't matter.
If you can get 540 catties a day, the profit will be 3,000 coins!
The village workshop is now open for business!
On the first day of work, Jiang Fu set off firecrackers early in the morning.
After the firecrackers had stopped popping and crackling, he put on a stern face and gave a speech that anyone who was lazy would not be allowed to enter the workshop again.
The villagers shook their heads repeatedly upon hearing this.
We dare not slack off. The workshop's benefits are so good. If anyone gets kicked out, their whole family will scold them!
Jiang Fuzheng was naturally satisfied with the villagers' attitude.
He waved for the crowd to disperse.
Next, all that's needed is to grind the tofu; that's all that's required from the few people who are in charge of grinding the tofu.
But the other villagers were excited, and besides, grinding beans didn't involve any secrets, so they refused to leave and gathered in front of the mill to watch the animals pull the millstone.
Ye Li didn't leave either.
He and Jiang Fuzheng stood at the back of the crowd, discussing the delivery for tomorrow.
Work started late today, but tofu puffs won't spoil in a day or two in winter, so I'll only fry tofu puffs today and deliver them tomorrow.
There's no need to go into the city today.
"You mean the shopkeeper's surname is Yu, or this lame man?"
Upon hearing about the situation of this largest customer, Jiang Fuzheng quickly inquired further.
Seeing his reaction, Ye Li nodded and asked, "Yes, his surname is Yu, he looks to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Do you know him?"
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