Chapter 121 Taro Crepe Layer: Heading Towards Wealth
The taro paste business is truly important.
Banxianju sells 600 catties of taro paste daily. Ye Li gets 6 liang of it. 600 catties can make 4,000 servings of side dishes. Ye Li gets 1.5 wen for each side dish.
Moreover, Ye Li would receive two coins for every egg tart sold.
The taro egg tarts have an outstanding flavor. The creamy aroma of the egg custard and the delicate softness of the taro paste are combined in a very clever way. As soon as they were launched, they became a huge hit.
Its sales quickly surpassed those of taro cakes and taro drinks.
To this end, Yu Cai also rented a courtyard near Banxianju so that she could bake egg tarts.
During the spring, when taro was unavailable, Ye Li suggested that Yu Cai use lotus seed paste, chestnut paste, red bean paste, etc., as a substitute for taro paste.
Although the egg tarts made this way are still delicious, they don't sell as well as those made with taro paste.
Now that taro is back, egg tart sales have immediately surged, easily exceeding a thousand per day.
When Ye Li received it, it amounted to a little over two ounces.
With just these two dishes—pure taro paste and taro tarts—Ye Li can earn eight taels a day.
Ye Li plans to buy a shop, whether for her own use or to rent it out, so that her money can generate more money. She can earn enough to buy a shop in two months.
Moreover, he hasn't paid Yu Cai for the fifty mu of land he owes.
The price of one mu of medium-sized land is 22 taels, so 50 mu would cost 1,100 taels.
He would have to sell taro paste for half a year to earn that much.
In addition, he was very interested in the carpooling trip to Jiangnan offered by Zhengjia Auto Dealership.
But the price was also quite high; the boat fare alone cost twenty taels per person.
Add in the food, drinks, and shopping, and the price would be two, three, or even four or five times higher.
With land bank loans, tourism funds, and shop space as three huge expenses, Ye Li is counting on taro paste for all of them.
Now that the semi-idle business has been somewhat impacted, Ye Li naturally cannot remain indifferent.
With Yu Cai as his backer, he's determined to make a fortune from this money!
So, after some thought, he decided to launch a thousand-layer cake.
To make crepes, you first need to make the crepe layers.
Layered dough is a great ingredient; it can be used to make taro layered dough or towel rolls.
Moreover, the method is very simple, requiring only five ingredients: cow's milk/goat's milk, low-gluten flour, corn oil, sugar, and eggs.
However, without cream, relying solely on taro paste and crepe layers would affect the overall texture of the crepe.
But Ye Li couldn't conjure up cream in time, so for the sake of his money-making plan, he had to try a cream-free version of the mille-feuille.
That morning, after making tofu, he went to a villager's house to buy goat milk.
After buying the goat milk, boil it first, then pour all the ingredients into a bowl and mix them into a batter, then you can fry it in a pan.
He brought out a small stove and placed a small iron pot on it. This small iron pot, after being used for a long time, was comparable to a non-stick pan.
Furthermore, the batter already contains corn oil.
Therefore, after heating the small iron pot, you can simply scoop the batter into it.
The layered skin should not be too thick; the flavor of the filling should be highlighted. Therefore, very little batter is needed for each layer of skin—about half a large soup spoon is enough.
He poured half a spoonful of batter into the iron pot, then picked up the small iron pot and spun it around. As he moved, the batter spread out in the pot.
Simmer over low heat.
It will be ready in one minute.
Soon, the aroma of eggs and milk wafted out.
Jiang Ya, standing to the side, couldn't help but sniffle, her big eyes sparkling: "Brother Li, it looks like we can eat it right away."
Ye Li smiled and nodded: "Yes. However, it will taste even better with taro paste on top."
"Wow! Can I have two?"
Jiang Ya held up two little fingers, looking at Ye Li with anticipation.
His brother doesn't allow him to eat too many sweets.
For example, with egg tarts, he can only eat a maximum of four per meal.
This egg crepe in front of him is huge, and it can even be spread with taro paste, so he should only eat two.
"It's not about eating by the piece."
Ye Li said with a smile.
"How do we eat that?" Jiang Ya asked in surprise, her big eyes wide open.
"Go to your second uncle's house and call your sister Liu over. She can eat when you come back."
Ye Li explained.
Upon hearing this, the little guy didn't even ask why, and immediately skipped away.
If we can find Sister Liu sooner, we can have egg skin and taro paste sooner!
Jiang Ya ran away, so Ye Li focused on making the thousand-layer skin. Since it was the first time he had tried it, he didn't plan to make it too complicated.
After baking eight layers of dough, he turned off the heat and started making taro mille-feuille.
Place a layer of crepe on a dry cutting board, scoop a large spoonful of taro paste that was specially set aside in the morning onto it, spread the taro paste evenly with a wooden spatula, and then place another layer of crepe on top.
This process was repeated until Jiang Ya returned with Jiang Liu, and Ye Li had also finished making the taro mille-feuille.
This layer isn't very big, about eight inches in size, and about a finger's thickness.
Ye Li took the knife and cut the thousand-layered cake in two.
Then cut one half into three pieces.
"Here, one piece for everyone."
He gestured for Jiang Ya and Jiang Liu to take the food themselves.
Jiang Ya and Jiang Liu were extremely surprised, as this was the first time they had ever seen such food.
The top layer of egg crepe was baked to a golden brown, which looked very tempting.
However, from the side, the tempting egg skin is completely submerged in taro paste, with only layers of taro paste visible and the egg skin nowhere to be seen.
Jiang Liu looked at the layered cake in her hand, somewhat reluctant to take a bite.
Jiang Ya held the mille-feuille in his little hands, but he wasn't reluctant to eat it. He opened his little mouth and took a big bite.
Ye Li was even more generous, taking a big bite directly.
Now your mouth is filled with the aroma of taro paste. Except for the top layer of egg skin, which is barely noticeable, you can hardly feel the egg skin underneath.
But the top layer of egg skin is also melt-in-your-mouth moist, blending together with the taro paste, making the texture richer and the milkier flavor more intense than eating pure taro paste.
But because it contains very little sugar and oil, you can eat several bites in a row without feeling greasy at all.
Compared to the cream version, the taste is slightly different.
However, the natives of Beiyang County have never tasted the cream version and have no way to compare it, so they will definitely accept the version they are currently using.
As he pondered this, he looked at Jiang Liu and Jiang Ya: "Is it delicious?"
"Let's feast!"
Jiang Ya, ignoring the taro paste still in her mouth, quickly and loudly answered.
Jiang Liu nodded emphatically: "It's just as good as egg tarts, Brother Li, how did you come up with this way of eating it?"
"I'm just greedy. I was terrified of being poor before, and now all I think about is food."
Ye Li smiled and tried to fool him.
Jiang Liu believed it, and she stopped asking questions, focusing instead on eating carefully, bite by bite.
Ye Li finished the mille-feuille in a few bites, and then said, "Xiao Liu, Pen Li has some batter left. Fry it up, spread taro paste on it, and take it back for your second uncle, second aunt, and Yu Ge to try."
"Let Ya-ge come to your house for dinner later. I'll take the rest of the mille-feuille to find Cai-ge."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ya became anxious and quickly said, "I'll go too!"
"Honey, I'm going to talk about serious business. You stay here and make mille-feuille with your sister Liu. You can eat as much as you want today, okay?"
Ye Li smiled and negotiated terms with him.
The moment the words "eat whatever you want" were uttered, the little guy instantly made his choice. His face lit up with a smile, and he nodded his little head eagerly: "Okay!"
He's been to Banxianju many times.
The novelty has worn off.
But this thousand-layer cake in front of him, hehe, he's going to eat his fill today!
He smiled as if he had gotten a great deal, which amused Ye Li as well. Ye Li gave him a few instructions, telling him not to forget to feed the chickens and pigs, and then taught Jiang Liu how to make mille-feuille.
Jiang Liu studied very diligently. Well, she'll make one tomorrow and ask Brother Li to deliver it to Bao Beiyuan.
Once Ye Li was certain that Jiang Liu had learned the technique, she took half of the taro mille-feuille to Banxianju.
After the weather cooled down, Yu Cai and Peng Ximing resumed their previous routine, coming to Banxianju every morning and leaving in the afternoon.
When Ye Li arrived, it was lunchtime, and the two were having lunch in the backyard.
It's quite rare that the couple is having hot pot today.
Upon seeing him arrive, Yu Cai had someone add a pair of chopsticks.
Upon learning his purpose and tasting the taro mille-feuille, Yu Caizhen truly didn't know how to praise him enough.
"Brother Li, Banxianju is truly remarkable with you around. Now who can steal our business?"
"If someone is determined to steal it, they can figure it out quickly; the method is not complicated."
Ye Li, however, was not so optimistic.
However, let's hold on for as long as we can.
If all else fails, we can just release new products.
"Not complicated?"
Yu Cai was taken aback.
This delicious food is surprisingly easy to make?
Peng Ximing also looked at the layered slice in his hand with surprise.
He had eaten countless delicious things with Yu Cai over the past six months, but the mille-feuille in front of him could rank in the top ten of all the foods he had ever tasted.
The texture is so incredibly smooth.
It's also light and airy; the top layer of egg skin melts with just a touch of the tongue.
But the method is surprisingly simple?
"Yes, it's not complicated, Xiaoliu has already learned it. However, we can come up with a few more variations, such as a combination of taro paste and nuts, and add some jam or cheese."
Ye Li added.
"Hmm...that's a good idea."
Yu Cai nodded in agreement.
As long as they can launch new products quickly enough, they will still dominate the taro paste business this winter.
This year was a bit rushed, but next year they'll produce more jam and nuts, and this business will still be theirs.
Speaking of which, the restaurant at Zuixianju recently launched taro paste shortbread and taro paste sweet soup.
When his father found out, he went directly to the Yu residence to find County Magistrate Yu and demanded that Zuixianju not have anything to do with taro paste.
His father neither cared nor interfered with other people selling taro paste.
But if Zuixianju were to use the brand name he had worked so hard to build to steal Banxianju's business, his father would absolutely not allow it.
His father was adamant, and since Zuixianju was indeed in the wrong, County Magistrate Yu ordered Yu Shixin to remove the two taro dishes.
Actually, he had the same idea.
He can't control what others imitate.
But not Zuixianju.
Look how much effort Brother Li has put into this business!
He also put in a lot of effort.
Why should Yu Shixin directly profit from their hard work?
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
If you're so capable, go and come up with a new signboard yourself.
Hmph, it only became the largest restaurant in the county thanks to County Magistrate Yu. Now it can't even capitalize on the taro craze. If it weren't for County Magistrate Yu supporting it, Zuixianju would definitely be on the decline.
He's recently become so engrossed in romance that he's neglecting his career.
Otherwise, he would definitely open another branch to compete with Zuixianju for business.
Thinking of this, he looked at Ye Li.
Li Ge'er is planning to buy a shop.
"Brother Li, if you're going to buy a shop, why not open your own restaurant?"
"You're always full of whimsical ideas; if you opened a restaurant, it would definitely be a great success."
Upon hearing this, Ye Li shook her head and said, "It's too tiring, and I'd also need to find a cook. If I buy it, I'll probably have to rent it out."
"Buy the people yourself."
Speaking of this, Yu Cai sounded somewhat resentful.
Because this winter, Li Ge'er will not be moving to the county town to be his neighbor!
The reason was that there were many things to do at home, and Li Ge'er couldn't leave.
He advised, "To be honest, as this business grows bigger and bigger, you can't do everything yourself forever. With your wealth, you can easily hire a couple of servants to help you."
Upon hearing this, Ye Li swallowed the mutton in her mouth and said with a smile, "It's not entirely because we don't have enough manpower. Another important reason is that Jiang Ji wants to try his hand at it next year."
I don't want him to be distracted.
He has already completed the transfer of ownership of the house belonging to County Magistrate Yu at the county government office.
However, he does not plan to move to the county town this year, and the original tenants can continue to live there.
The main reason for this decision was that he didn't want to distract Jiang Ji.
The provincial examination is held only once every three years. If you don't pass next year, you won't have another chance until four years later.
With so much time in between, not to mention that Father Ye and Jiang Dahe would urge him, he himself might even have the idea of having a baby—with Yu Cai as his backer, the matter of passing the imperial examination wouldn't be so urgent.
He is not particularly opposed to having children.
The reason I don't want to have children right now is simply because I haven't had enough time to be with Jiang Ji.
But if he wants to have a baby, Jiang Ji must be involved in the entire process, from preparing for pregnancy to raising the child, otherwise he will not have the baby.
This will take at least three years.
Therefore, he wanted Jiang Ji to focus on his studies and give it his all.
That is, a year.
It passed quickly.
He added, "While Jiang Ji is young, sharp-witted, and has a good memory, we must make the most of him. It would be a real pity if we missed next year."
That makes perfect sense.
The imperial examinations tested not only mental strength but also physical strength. The provincial examination consisted of three sessions, each lasting three days. In the small examination hall, one could not endure the test without good health.
Moreover, compared to being neighbors, the provincial examination was definitely more important.
Yu Cai did not try to persuade her further.
He smiled and said, "With your perseverance, Jiang Ji will definitely have a good outcome next year."
If it were him, he wouldn't want to be in a different place from Peng Ximing.
When they first got married, he tried to persuade Peng Ximing to go to school several times.
But lately I've stopped trying to persuade them.
He had become accustomed to having Peng Ximing by his side at all times. Peng Ximing would accurately catch every word he said and every emotion he felt. This feeling was wonderful, and after being single for twenty-five years, he simply couldn't resist it.
But Li Ge'er and Jiang Ji were able to resist this wonderful opportunity. One stayed at home making money, and the other studied for the imperial examinations at the county school. With such perseverance, the couple would succeed in whatever they did!
Upon hearing Yu Cai's blessing, Ye Li smiled and said, "Then I'll take your kind words, Brother Cai."
Anyway, he and Jiang Ji will do their best; the rest is up to fate.
After lunch, he, Yu Cai, and Peng Ximing went to a nearby courtyard that specializes in making egg tarts.
He taught the chef how to make crepes.
Yu Cai also learned how to make it and prepared to cook it for her family.
The method is really simple, so Banxianju launched the taro mille-feuille in the evening.
However, since there wasn't much taro paste left, the chef used chestnuts and red bean paste, which are used for making egg tarts, to make a three-layered mille-feuille.
A small egg tart costs ten coins.
A mille-feuille that is eight inches thick and a finger-width thick would naturally be more expensive.
One portion of taro paste weighs 1.5 taels, or 75 grams. To make an 8-inch mille-feuille, since there was no cream, I could only spread taro paste on top. Therefore, I used 12 portions of taro paste, totaling 900 grams.
Adding the weight of the egg crepe, a finished mille-feuille weighs a little over two pounds.
A serving of taro paste is priced at nine coins at Banxianju.
The nine coins actually included the profit of Banxianju. Banxianju bought taro paste from Ye Li, and the price of a small portion was seven and a half coins.
But this amount of money is negligible.
Since Yu Cai earns money from the rich, there's no need for Wenwen to argue.
Twelve side dishes cost 108 coins.
Including the costs of egg crepes, labor, rent, firewood, etc., the cost of one taro mille-feuille is about 150 coins.
Yu Cai waved his hand and set the price of the thousand-layer cake at five hundred coins.
Three hundred coins is too low, and starting with four doesn't sound good, so five hundred coins is the most suitable.
Furthermore, this mille-feuille is not an ordinary dessert; Banxianju sells outstanding taste, unique shape, and the speed of new product launches.
This delicious, innovative, and unique dish is worth the price!
Ye Li did not object to Yu Cai's decision.
Yu Cai only promoted this taro mille-feuille to diners on the third floor.
We can't sell many in a day.
The wealthy pay for their own preferences.
He and Yu Cai earned money—he received 140 coins for every thousand-layer cake they sold.
Everyone's happy.
Actually, Yu Cai wanted to split the profits of the thousand-layer cake with him.
However, he only provided the technical expertise; everything else was handled by a semi-retired individual.
Therefore, he wanted to do the same as Bao Beiyuan and split the profits 30/70.
But Yu Cai disagreed.
After some back and forth, the two finally compromised. For each item sold, he would receive 140 coins, and Yu would receive 210 coins, split 40/60.
However, since it was the first time he had sold something so expensive, he went to Banxianju every evening for several days to inquire about the sales of the thousand-layer cake.
As it turned out, he had worried unnecessarily.
Taro mille-feuille has won the hearts of many diners simply because of its appearance.
As for the taste, compared to the small egg tarts and thin taro cakes, the mille-feuille is much more satisfying. With one bite, your mouth is full of taro flavor.
But it's different from the taro paste topping in drinks.
It has a stronger milky flavor.
It also has a lighter texture.
The humidity level is just right.
In short, for taro lovers, this taro mille-feuille is simply tailor-made for them, offering a delightful and satisfying dining experience.
Moreover, Yu Cai not only sells whole crepes, but also crepe slices. If diners can't finish a whole one, they can buy slices.
The size of the pieces also varies depending on each person's appetite.
It can be said that it has captured all those who are interested in tasting it.
As a result, the business is quite good, and twenty or thirty thousand-layer cakes can be sold every day.
His earnings also fluctuated between 2.8 taels and 4.2 taels.
He used to be able to earn eight taels a day by selling taro paste and egg tarts.
Now that he has the thousand-layer cake, he has this much more.
Now I'm guaranteed at least 300 taels a month.
Of course, as out-of-town business travelers decrease, the novelty wears off, and other shops also sell mille-feuille, his profits will decline, but he will have other sources of income.
Including tofu puffs, preserved eggs, and drinks, his total monthly income for the next six months should be at least 350 taels.
What a huge sum of money!
While Ye Li was delighted with this profit, taro paste was also selling like hotcakes in other parts of the county.
Seizing the opportunity, Zheng's Grain Shop sent six boats south before the Nantong Canal froze, ready to make a big splash.
In a neighboring province, taro costs three coins per pound.
When transported to Beiyang County, the price of one jin (500 grams) was ten wen.
A boat can carry a weight of 50,000 jin (25,000 kg).
With this one transaction, they can earn three hundred and fifty taels.
Even after deducting costs, there is still a profit of more than two hundred taels.
This business has great potential!
Before the Zheng family's fleet set sail, they greeted Yu Cai.
After all, the Zheng family was able to earn this money thanks to Yu Cai.
Before last year, Zheng's Grain Shop almost always lost money selling taro every winter, only managing to gain some publicity.
Therefore, we must prioritize supplying goods to the semi-idle residences right now.
Upon learning of Zheng's grand plan, Yu Cai simply placed another order for 150,000 jin.
Anyway, taro can be stored in the ground for half a year, and in winter, when goods are transported by horse-drawn carriage, Zheng's Grain Shop will raise prices by a hundred taels.
Now that there is a waterway to travel, Yu Cai is naturally unwilling to be taken advantage of again.
With a plentiful supply of taro, he and Ye Li had nothing to worry about and could simply wait to count their money every day.
On the other hand, when Ye Li told Jiang Ji about her family's current profits, Jiang Ji's resentment instantly vanished.
Previously, Ye Li had agreed to move to the county town in the winter.
But who would have thought that after a year of talk, when the time came, Ye Li changed her mind.
How could he not feel sorrow and resentment?
In the dead of winter, who wouldn't want to sleep with their husband in their arms at night?
But who knew that Ye Li would inadvertently become so wealthy—given the current situation, Ye Li could amass a fortune in just four or five years.
For a scholar, such substantial family wealth was truly eye-catching.
Although Yu Cai is their backer, no one would dare to mess with them.
It's never as good as relying on yourself as relying on outsiders.
Alas, only by passing the imperial examination myself can I feel at ease.
Jiang Ji put aside his sorrow and focused all his attention on his studies.
Time flows like water, silently passing by. An autumn rain falls, and the temperature drops sharply.
On a rainy afternoon, Liu Yi, who was ten months pregnant, successfully gave birth to a baby boy, and both father and son were safe and sound.
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