Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Braised Edamame
Lin Chuntao greeted them with a smile and took a seat. After they sat down, Chai Xingyu and Lin Chuntao introduced Chai Jiao and Uncle Chai and Aunt Chai.
Lin Chuntao greeted them one by one with a smile.
But they were all polite. Chai Jiao smiled when she heard this and said, "Madam Lin, why are you so polite? I heard from my mother that A Yu and you have similar interests and she even acknowledged you as her sister."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "That's true, but today we're talking business, so it has nothing to do with who calls whom."
Ever since Lin Chuntao came in, Chai Jiao has been scrutinizing her, and her first words were sarcastic. Of course, Lin Chuntao wouldn't always be in a good mood. She had a smile on her face, but her eyes were a little colder.
Guo Jixiang glanced at Chai Jiao, then at Lin Chuntao. She then called the waiter over to pour tea for Lin Chuntao and ordered the dishes to be served. "Shopkeeper Lin, let's eat and talk."
Guo Jixiang started, and Lin Chuntao responded. Chai Jiao, who was standing nearby, glanced at Uncle Chai, who quickly took over and said, "Shopkeeper Lin, A Yu should have told you that we'd like to discuss buying your sauce recipe."
After he finished speaking, Chai Xingyu's face changed slightly. He hurried to look at Lin Chuntao, but Lin Chuntao smiled and raised an eyebrow. She bluntly refuted, "Isn't that right? Young Master Chai likes my noodle soup, so he came to me to discuss cooperation. We've almost finished the cooperation, but this is my first time discussing cooperation with someone, and he's not very old, so I asked him to call you elders to come and take a look."
In an instant, everyone at the table looked at Chai Xingyu. Lin Chuntao glanced at him, then looked at Guo Jixiang and Chai Songchuan, and spoke to help him out.
"Young Master Chai told me when he came that Master Chai and Madam Guo had given him full authority over this matter, wasn't that right?"
After Lin Chuntao finished speaking, Chai Laosan and his wife sighed at the same time. Chai Jiao also looked at her parents and said nothing more. This matter had been discussed last night, and it was left to Chai Xingyu to handle.
Chai Song replied, "Yes, this matter has been handed over to A Yu."
The topic that was supposed to be advanced has gone around in circles and returned to the starting point.
Lin Chuntao smiled and took over the conversation, "Maybe you all misunderstood. I don't sell sauce recipes. I only want to cooperate, not buy out."
Her words were very absolute. If they wanted to continue discussing the purchase of the house, then there was no need to talk about it. If they wanted to discuss cooperation, then they could continue.
Chai Jiao was somewhat displeased with her assertive attitude and frowned slightly, "Mrs. Lin, are you rejecting our offer without even hearing it? You won't even consider the price?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "That's right, I don't care about the price."
Her words startled everyone in the Chai family, including Guo Jixiang. She had previously thought Lin Chuntao was quick-witted and flexible, but why did she seem so stubborn today? She didn't give him any room for maneuver.
When people discuss business at the table, they usually leave some room for maneuver. There is give and take, and there is discussion and negotiation. In the end, if the deal is successful, everyone is happy. If it fails, everyone goes their separate ways and has nothing to do with each other.
Looking at the expressions of the Chai family, Lin Chuntao thought to herself that there was no need to push or pull when discussing things with the Chai family. What was needed was decisiveness.
Chai Jiao's words were blocked, and she felt a faint anger rising in her heart.
"Since you're not selling the house, what kind of cooperation do you want, Madam Lin? You don't want to sell the sauce in our shop, do you?"
Lin Chuntao quickly glanced at Chai Xingyu before replying to Chai Jiao.
"That's the idea." Lin Chuntao said to Chai Xingyu, "Have they read the things you wrote?"
Chai Xingyu was stunned for a moment, "No."
"Then show them."
Chai Xingyu took it out from his sleeve, carefully spread out the stacked papers, and then handed it over.
Chai Jiao was the first to see it, and her face turned red with anger. After Chai Songchuan, Guo Jixiang, and Chai Laosan and his wife saw it, their faces also turned red as if they had just wiped the bottom of a pot.
"Mrs. Lin, is this your idea?" Guo Jixiang asked.
Lin Chuntao shook her head: "No, this is Master Chai's idea, but I also think his idea is very interesting and we can give it a try."
Chai Jiao snorted coldly, "Mrs. Lin's abacus beads are clacking really loudly!"
Chai Songchuan also looked at Chai Xingyu seriously, and asked in a tone of disappointment, "Is this what you've figured out these past few days?"
Chai Xingyu didn't say anything, so Chai Songchuan scolded him, "I think you've drunk too much of the magic potion!"
Chai Laosan and his wife looked at Chai Xingyu who was being scolded, and the joy in their hearts almost overflowed from the corners of their eyes, and they pretended to be peacemakers.
"Don't be angry, big brother. Ah Yu is still young, it's normal for him to be fooled. This is not his fault, but the people with ulterior motives!"
Lin Chuntao chuckled when she heard this, looked at Chai Xingyu and said quietly, "Master Chai, your Third Uncle is right. When you are young, you will always encounter people with ulterior motives. You must be careful."
She didn't give Chai Xingyu a chance to reply and continued, "It seems your elders don't accept this method. Let's talk about it later. Let's leave it at that for today."
As she spoke, she picked up the handkerchief and wiped her hands gently, preparing to leave.
Guo Jixiang said, "Madam Lin, it's rare for us to get together today, so let's chat a little more. We sincerely want to buy your sauce recipe, so please name your price."
Lin Chuntao looked at Guo Jixiang. She had calmed down and her face was full of smiles again.
"I'm sorry, Madam Guo, I won't sell this recipe. If you have any other ideas, please share them with me. I'd love to hear them."
Guo Jixiang glanced at Chai Jiao, only to hear Chai Jiao say, "I've seen what Ayu suggested. Madam Lin wants your sauce to be sold in our Chai family's shop. I also have an idea. Let me hear it."
Lin Chuntao said, "You say."
"Once the sauce leaves our Chai family shop, it means it belongs to our family. We have to consider the people who buy the sauce. How about this, Madam Lin, you make the sauce, we buy it, and sell it under the name of our Chai family."
After Chai Jiao finished speaking, Lin Chuntao nodded thoughtfully. During her silence, Chai Jiao and Chai Songchuan exchanged glances. The corners of Lin Chuntao's lips twitched, and she looked up at Chai Jiao: "In that case, will the Second Miss arrange for a few people from the Chai family to come to my house and watch me make the sauce?"
Chai Jiao's face froze, and Lin Chuntao said, "I'm sorry, Second Miss, we are not like-minded people."
After saying that, Lin Chuntao stood up. She looked up at Guo Jixiang and said calmly, "Mrs. Guo, I'll be leaving first."
Chai Xingyu's Adam's apple moved, and he stood up with Lin Chuntao.
Chai Jiao looked at Chai Xingyu's actions and felt a little angry.
"Madam Lin, aren't you afraid that this recipe will become worthless in the future?"
Lin Chuntao looked back at Chai Jiao and shrugged nonchalantly. She smiled and said, "Second Miss, I only made this sauce to cook noodles. I'm not looking to make a lot of money from it, so please don't worry about it."
After saying this, Lin Chuntao was about to leave. Chai Xingyu wanted to see Lin Chuntao off, but was stopped by Chai Jiao.
"Ayu, where are you going?"
Chai Xingyu paused, looked back at Chai Jiao, and was about to leave when the door was pushed open. A middle-aged man in a green robe stood at the door, and next to him stood a person familiar to Lin Chuntao.
The middle-aged man looked past Lin Chuntao and at Chai Jiao behind him.
"So it really is my wife and my parents-in-law here. I was thinking I misheard."
Lin Chuntao raised her eyebrows slightly. Is this Chai Jiao’s husband, the magistrate?
Chai Jiao said, "We made an appointment with Madam Lin to discuss business here today, but she's leaving before we've even finalized the deal."
Following Chai Jiao's words, the man in green robe looked towards Lin Chuntao. His eyes were indifferent, but seemed to give people a faint sense of oppression. Lin Chuntao glanced at the man, then smiled and looked at the man in purple next to him.
"Mr. He."
Lin Chuntao called out softly, then nodded slightly as a greeting.
He Changyu was also a little surprised to see her. The last time they met was in the prison, and Lin Chuntao woke him up with a word. After returning, he took people to investigate the village and arrested more than 20 thieves. Most of the lost gold, silver and jewelry were recovered. Among them, two fugitives with important murder cases were also meritorious. Soon the appointment letter from the prefect came down, and he had double happiness.
As he was happy about the event, his impression of Lin Chuntao became even deeper.
"Mrs. Lin, why are you here?"
Lin Chuntao said, "I was negotiating a deal with someone, but it didn't go through, so I'm leaving." She then asked, "Sir, are you coming to eat at this hour?"
He Changyu hummed, then said, "Has Madam Lin eaten yet? Let's eat together."
Lin Chuntao's heart skipped a beat. She just happened to take advantage of the situation. It would be better for them to have dinner together.
"I have just eaten. Please enjoy your meal, sir. I will be leaving now."
He Changyu glanced at the Chai family members in the private room, then looked at Lin Chuntao, "What kind of business is Madam Lin doing now?"
"I've set up a small stall at the market, selling noodle soup." She glanced back at the Chai family and then said to He Changyu, "Master Chai and the others want to buy the sauce for my noodle soup. When Master He returns, I'll give you a jar. It's made exclusively for you and you can't buy it anywhere else."
He Changyu thought of her grandmother, who would personally make two jars of chili peppers every year when they turned red. Although the taste was just so-so, she liked to make and eat them, so she agreed directly.
"It'll be a while before I get back. I'll get it from you when I leave."
She was polite, but she didn't expect that this man surnamed He actually agreed... and he agreed so naturally that Lin Chuntao even smiled. This must be God's blessing on her.
The Chai family looked at Lin Chuntao and He Changyu and saw how familiar they were, as if they had known each other for a long time. Chai Jiao was a little confused. She looked at her husband and was also confused.
Although it was an accidental encounter, it was also a deliberate encounter that Chai Jiao had estimated. This restaurant is a must-eat restaurant for people who come here. He Changyu will definitely come here to eat, and now, they meet.
He thought that he could use his power to scare Lin Chuntao, but who knew that she actually knew He Changyu!
When Lin Chuntao left, Chai Xingyu saw her off. This time, the Chai family did not stop her. On the contrary, Chai Jiao greeted He Changyu with a smile on her face, and after the greeting, she began to inquire about his relationship with Lin Chuntao.
He Changyu's reply was very concise and to the point.
"Old friend."
Chai Jiao didn't want to ask any more questions, so she just smiled and said, "I didn't expect there would be such a fate."
He Changyu did not respond. He was neither blind nor deaf. Although his relationship with Lin Chuntao was not as close as they had just chatted, she was his lucky star after all. Besides, he had heard about what the Chai family had done.
He didn't think this was a serious deal.
Chai Xingyu sent Lin Chuntao downstairs. He felt a little embarrassed, but Lin Chuntao looked calm.
"Let's go back and have dinner. I'm leaving too. If we can't come to an agreement, I won't bother with this. Just gather your money and confirm whether you'll do it or not. Let me know within three days."
Chai Xingyu nodded in agreement and watched Lin Chuntao walk away. Then he recalled the scene at the door of the private room upstairs, and a hint of sarcasm appeared on his lips.
San Bao asked curiously, "Master, the young man next to you just now is your boss, right?"
"Um."
Hearing this, Sanbao turned back to look at Lin Chuntao who was walking away. He sighed, "He's a high-ranking official. How did Madam Lin know him? From the way they spoke, it seemed like they knew him very well."
Chai Xingyu shook his head, "I don't know."
But no matter what, Chai Jiao's attempt to use her power to suppress others was useless, and Chai Xingyu suddenly felt a lot more relaxed. He didn't like making sauces, but he loved eating. He was happy just thinking about opening a shop and selling all kinds of things. When Lin Chuntao suggested the second solution, he had already made up his mind.
When Lin Chuntao returned, Lin Chunxing had almost finished packing up the stall, and Pei Ying and the others had also finished their work. He was helping to move things into the house.
Seeing her come back, they both put down their work and looked over.
"Sister, how is it?"
Lin Chuntao shook her head: "It didn't work out."
Hearing this, Pei Ying carried the table and walked into the house. Lin Chunxing asked beside him, "Why? Is the price very low?"
Lin Chuntao looked at her and said, "People want to pay for the recipe, but we still have to sell noodles. We don't sell this sauce recipe."
"What about Chai Xingyu?"
Lin Chuntao said, "Let's wait for three more days and see."
After packing up, they went home. On the way back, Lin Chuntao mentioned He Changyu. Pei Ying thought of those days and frowned slightly: "Why are you here again?"
Lin Chuntao said, "It should be official business. I guess he got promoted, and he was accompanied by the second uncle of the Chai family."
Pei Ying finally realized what was going on. He said calmly, "The Chai family wants to use their power to pressure you into selling your son?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "That's probably why I mustered up the courage to greet the man surnamed He. He actually started chatting with me like an acquaintance! I guess the Chai family must have been quite confused too."
Pei Ying smiled upon hearing this, "I just don't know what this person means."
"It shouldn't be anything special. I asked Chai Xingyu to set up a shop and hire people to sell the sauce. I don't know if he can pull it off."
She had mentioned this to Pei Ying before, and Pei Ying originally thought that Chai Xingyu could not fight against the elders in his family, and it was a bit risky.
But after today, it’s hard to say.
The Chai family is thinking about Lin Chuntao's sauce recipe, and Lin Chuntao is also thinking about the Chai family's customer base and reputation.
If she finds someone to open a shop herself, it will be costly and laborious, and the Chai family will definitely not sit idly by and watch her business flourish. If they create obstacles, she will be in great trouble. It is most appropriate for Chai Xingyu to open a shop and sell the goods!
If this shop can be opened, she can also exchange some more recipes, make them and sell them, and she will just collect the money. I hope Chai Xingyu can do better.
It was still very hot in the afternoon in August, and many people in the village were resting in their houses.
Lin Chunhe and Lin Duoer had already steamed the rice and cut the vegetables and were waiting for them to come back.
As soon as Lin Chuntao entered the yard, she heard the sound of pigs grunting. Seeing that someone had returned, Lin Chunhe hurried over to help with the things. After entering the house, she said, "Sister, Aunt Guizhi just brought us some corn and some edamame."
"Is her corn ready to eat?" Lin Chuntao was a little surprised. Lin Chunhe said, "It's very tender. Duo'er and I wanted to peel some and stir-fry it, but we couldn't."
While Lin Chunhe was speaking, Lin Chuntao saw the corns piled on the ground, about a dozen of them.
"Then we can only cook and eat it."
Looking at the edamame, Lin Chuntao said, "Pick the edamame and cook them later."
After putting the things away, Lin Chuntao was busy cooking. Lin Duoer took a small colander and sat beside her to pick edamame. Lin Chunxing went to peel corn, and Lin Chunhe helped.
Everyone worked together, waiting for Lin Chuntao to finish cooking, and then they prepared the edamame and corn.
"Sister, should we cook the corn or the edamame first?"
"Boil the edamame first, then scoop some water to wash it and check if there are any bugs in it." Lin Chuntao gave instructions as she brought the dishes to the table.
Lin Duoer brought the bowl and chopsticks and started serving the rice.
Lin Chunxing washed the edamame and poured it into the pot, adding water. Lin Chuntao then threw in a piece of dried ginger, a few dried chilies, peppercorns, a little marinade, and sprinkled in a little salt.
Lin Duoer looked at her blankly: "Sister, do we need to add salt when cooking edamame?"
“Something tastes better.”
Lin Duoer thinks that contradiction tastes good no matter how it is cooked.
When they sat down to eat, the piglet was still grunting. Lin Chunhe said, "Sister, this piglet hasn't liked to eat pig grass these past two days. It only eats a little of the tender and old ones."
Lin Chuntao frowned slightly, "Did it just become like this all of a sudden?"
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