Moreover, after one crop is planted, it can be planted again. As long as the temperature and humidity are guaranteed and a suitable growing environment is created, straw mushrooms can be grown all year round, which is a continuous source of wealth.
Moreover, straw mushrooms are a relatively common ingredient, and everyone knows how to cook them, so there's no need for much promotion; they have extremely high market acceptance.
After the straw mushrooms were fully ripe, Meng Zhao carefully picked some, took some pork from the pig farm, and drove the horse-drawn carriage straight to Huian County.
She grows vegetables and mushrooms in the winter, which is naturally very costly. If there is no suitable audience, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?
The reason she chose to build greenhouses in Hongnong County was due to its geographical location, which is adjacent to Huian County. Huian is one of the largest counties in the surrounding area, with a large population of wealthy people and strong purchasing power, so there is no worry about finding a market.
Moreover, the labor costs in Hongnong County are relatively cheaper, so choosing this location is just right.
Upon arriving in Huian County, Meng Zhao went straight to Yongsheng Restaurant. Today, she had specially changed into a presentable outfit to discuss business. Huang Cui and Yin Chun followed behind her. Although they were women, they were tall and had sharp eyes, making it clear that they were not ordinary servants.
After giving her name, she said to the waiter, "I would like to see Young Master Lu Yuanshi. Please inform him."
Seeing that she was dressed in fine clothes and had servants with her, the waiter dared not neglect her and hurriedly went in to report the news. Before long, the waiter came down and invited Meng Zhao upstairs to talk.
Meng Zhao nodded slightly and led Huang Cui and Yin Chun upstairs. Pushing open the door to the private room, they saw a man standing inside. He was wearing a blue robe, had a handsome face, and a smile in his eyes. It was Lu Yuanshi.
"Madam Meng, it's been a long time." Lu Yuanshi greeted her with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of familiarity.
"Young Master Lu has such a good memory. I was really worried you'd forgotten me before I came," Meng Zhao replied with a smile.
Lu Yuanshi waved his hand, "How could that be? I really remember Meng Niangzi's starch. But we agreed that you would come to find me a year later, so why haven't I seen Meng Niangzi come?"
"Of course it's because she signed a contract with Xiao Youzhi and can't supply goods to other places anymore," Meng Zhao said with a smile. "Xiao Youzhi and I are good friends. Young Master Lu signed a contract with him. How could I possibly steal his man?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanshi's eyes flashed with amusement. "Oh, I didn't expect that Madam Meng and Brother Xiao are also acquainted. It just so happens that Brother Xiao and I haven't seen each other for quite some time. I wonder if Madam Meng knows how he has been lately?"
Meng Zhao cursed inwardly. How unlucky she was! She finally managed to put on a show, but she still ran into a brick wall. She hadn't seen Xiao Youzhi for almost a year. Who knew if he was any good or not!
But when you're out doing business, you have to be thick-skinned. Meng Zhao said with a smile, "Hey, I haven't seen him for quite a while. I guess he's busy doing business somewhere again."
Lu Yuanshi raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face. "Really? The last time I saw him, he said his father was seriously ill and he was at home taking care of him."
Meng Zhao couldn't help but feel a little helpless. It seemed that Xiao Youzhi and Lu Yuanshi were indeed friends, and they were both the same kind of people who loved to embarrass others.
She chuckled twice and quickly changed the subject: "Hehe, really? It seems so. Oh, let's not talk about him. Let's talk about why I came to see Young Master Lu. I have something good to show him."
After saying that, she gestured for Huang Cui and Yin Chun to open the boxes in their hands.
The first box contained freshly picked straw mushrooms, plump and round with intact caps, and a faint mushroom aroma.
The second box contained fresh pork from the pig farm, with a good balance of fat and lean meat, and bright red color, clearly top-quality.
Lu Yuanshi was just idly joking around when he had nothing to do, but when he saw the things, he couldn't help but become serious. He picked up a straw mushroom and gently pressed it with his hand. The texture was firm and elastic, and it was obvious that it had just been picked. He became a little curious.
"In the dead of winter, to find such fresh straw mushrooms, Madam Meng is truly an extraordinary person."
Meng Zhao smiled and said, "Not only that, but in a few days I will also have other new dishes. If Young Master Lu is interested, we can cooperate more deeply."
"So, how would Madam Meng like to price it?"
"Fifty coins per catty."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanshi smiled and shook his head: "Yongsheng Restaurant is not like Chunfeng Restaurant, it doesn't have that many distinguished guests. I can't accept your price." After saying that, he sat back down in his chair, looking rather uninterested.
Meng Zhao naturally didn't believe he wasn't interested. "Then, Young Master Lu, what price do you think would be appropriate?"
Lu Yuanshi slowly took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "Twenty coins a catty."
Meng Zhao sneered, "Young Master Lu, as far as I know, the dried mushrooms used in your restaurant cost two hundred coins per catty on the market. You should know that it takes ten catties of fresh mushrooms to make one catty of dried mushrooms, which is equivalent to twenty coins per catty of fresh mushrooms. Is it a bit unfair of you to use the price of dried mushrooms to buy my fresh winter mushrooms?"
Lu Yuanshi raised an eyebrow, put down his teacup, and said, "Madam Meng is indeed a wise woman. I admire her. Let's compromise and settle for thirty coins a catty, and be friends."
Meng Zhao ignored him and continued, "Although dried mushrooms have many uses and taste great, they are still common items. My fresh mushrooms not only taste good, but most importantly, they are fresh. With this selling point, Yong Sheng Restaurant will probably be flooded with customers and its wealth will flow in like a tide!"
Lu Yuanshi put down his teacup. "Thirty-five coins a catty, that's the highest I can go. Even if it's the freshest, it's still a vegetable, and it's not good to sell it for the price of meat."
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