Manager Qian picked up the chopsticks in front of him, and amidst everyone's anticipation, he reached for the most appetizing dish on the table, Dongpo pork, and put a small piece of meat into his mouth.
After being stewed for a long time, Dongpo pork now exudes a soft, tender, and fragrant aroma in the air.
One bite and it's soft, chewy, and melts in your mouth; it's also rich but not greasy.
After seeing Manager Qian start eating, the two chefs also picked up their chopsticks to eat Dongpo pork, followed by Kung Pao chicken and stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant.
After trying the three dishes, all three were so shocked that they were speechless.
Manager Qian couldn't help but sigh inwardly: This Miss Pei truly lives up to her reputation as a descendant of imperial chefs. She can actually make such a delicious dish from ordinary pork belly. She's really something.
Chef Qin and Chef Liu were still enjoying the delicious food when Chef Qin suddenly got up and walked towards the kitchen, leaving everyone puzzled by his unexpected behavior.
It wasn't until he brought over a bowl of rice that he realized everyone was staring at him... Holding the rice in his hand, Chef Qin scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Sorry, this dish smells so good. Whenever I eat something delicious and appetizing, I want to eat some rice with it."
Everyone:"..."
Chef Qin's words were like a wake-up call, and Manager Qian and Chef Liu quickly went to get some rice.
Pei Yao looked at everyone with a mix of amusement and exasperation, and kindly reminded them, "The broth from this Dongpo pork is even better for soaking rice."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Chef Qin, a man of action, did just that. He scooped up a spoonful of Dongpo pork sauce and poured it over the rice, then mixed the sauce and rice together and took a bite. It was indeed very good.
The thick, sweet sauce coats every grain of rice evenly. Although the broth of Dongpo pork is sweet, it is sweet but not cloying, with just the right amount of sweetness, making you want to eat a second bite after the first.
Seeing how much he enjoyed his meal, Manager Qian and Chef Liu couldn't resist trying to mix their rice with the sauce from the Dongpo pork, just like him.
The group devoured the food on the table in a flash. By the end, everyone was stuffed, so they drank a cup of lychee drink to cleanse themselves. The refreshing taste of the lychee drink was very soothing and helped to cut through the richness of the food.
After eating and drinking his fill, Manager Qian remembered that Pei Yao was still there, and his old face immediately turned red with shame.
"Miss Pei, it's just that your cooking is so delicious that I couldn't resist. Please don't be offended."
The other two also felt a little embarrassed. They had lost their composure in front of the young girl, and they were indeed ashamed.
It's no wonder they lost their composure; the food they usually make is far inferior to what Pei Yao makes.
Manager Qian even had an idea in his mind.
But that's a story for later. He looked at Pei Yao, who was still standing, and said, "Miss Pei, please have a seat."
“Okay.” Pei Yao didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down gracefully.
Manager Qian asked slowly, "How much silver do you want to sell these three dishes for?"
Pei Yao held up five fingers: "Fifty taels."
To be honest, Pei Yao is a food livestreamer, and she doesn't really have much talent for doing business. She has always been groping her way forward, like crossing a river by feeling for stones.
Don't be fooled by her nonchalant and confident demeanor when she says fifty taels of silver; she's actually quite flustered inside.
After all, for Pei Yao, apart from Dongpo pork, the other three dishes were very simple home-style dishes, while fifty taels of silver was an amount that an ordinary farmer in this dynasty might not be able to earn in his entire life.
Indeed, Qian Zhangui was taken aback when he heard the amount. Although all three dishes were excellent, the owner's budget was limited, and spending fifty taels of silver on three dishes would indeed exceed the budget...
Manager Qian looked troubled: "Miss Pei, to be honest, our boss has a limited budget. Fifty taels of silver is indeed a bit over budget. Could you reduce it a bit?"
Pei Yao lowered her head and pondered, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her as she remembered the lychee drinks she planned to sell today.
Pei Yao asked out of the blue, "Uncle Qian, what did you think of the lychee drink just now?"
Although Manager Qian didn't know what the girl was up to, he knew the lychee drink was delicious, so he nodded and said, "It's really good."
The dessert shops here almost all sell mung bean soup that's been boiled and cooled, or herbal tea made from various herbs. They also have lychee desserts, but the taste is nowhere near as good as Pei Yao's.
"Shopkeeper, if this lychee drink is included on the menu, customers can order a pot after their meal to not only cut through the greasiness but also relieve the summer heat. On such a hot day, it will definitely sell very well."
Pei Yao's words immediately brightened Manager Qian's eyes. Oh right, how come he didn't think of that? He had drunk some water after his meal, which did indeed help to suppress the greasiness.
"How much do you want to sell this lychee drink recipe for?" Qian Zhang now understood why the girl had suddenly brought up lychee drink, and tentatively asked.
"How about fifty taels for those three dishes plus the lychee drink?" Pei Yao probed, thinking that if Manager Qian didn't agree, she would have to...
After all, when Manager Qian wanted to buy the recipe for spicy snails before, he only offered ten taels of silver. Moreover, the lychee season will be over in two months, so Pei Yao was not sure if Manager Qian would agree.
However, Manager Qian only hesitated for a moment before readily agreeing. In fact, he had only intended to charge a maximum of ten taels of silver for the lychee drink recipe, since lychees only ripen from May to August, and it was already early July, meaning they could only be sold for a maximum of two months.
However, Manager Qian also thought that since the lychee drink was so delicious, once the recipe was given to them, the lychee drink would become a unique specialty of their restaurant. Even if it only lasted for two months, they could still make a lot of money. Most importantly, they could continue to sell it when the lychees ripened next year.
After the two reached an agreement, Manager Qian went to get fifty taels of silver for Pei Yao. Pei Yao wrote down the recipes for the three dishes for Manager Qian and taught the two chefs the specific steps. Then, she took the silver and drove the oxcart with Niu Qingshan out of Deyun Restaurant.
After leaving the restaurant, Pei Yao was in a good mood with the silver in her hand. She carefully put the silver away close to her body, not wanting it to be snatched away before she could even enjoy it.
Niu Qingshan couldn't help but find the little girl's mischievous behavior somewhat endearing.
He had just witnessed firsthand how Pei Yao earned fifty taels of silver with just three dishes, and he was now quite impressed with this young girl who was a few years younger than him.
Especially when she was doing business, Niu Qingshan felt that she was like a pearl that someone in the town had once found at sea, radiant and dazzling, even if she were covered with coarse linen clothes, her brilliance could not be hidden.
Niu Qingshan seemed to realize at once that someone like Pei Yao, even in her current state of decline, was someone he could never reach.
In a corner where Pei Yao couldn't see, the boy's eyes darkened.
He lowered his head, not daring to hope for things that didn't belong to him.
......
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