Chapter 278 Canned Fruit
After dinner, dusk had fallen.
Ji Wensheng was satisfied and got up to take his leave.
Jiang Ling then carefully packed several vacuum-packed braised ducks, several individual packets of snacks, and a small box of canned fruit, and handed them to Ji Wensheng.
"Young Master Ji, take these braised ducks and snacks back for your family to try." Jiang Ling pointed to the box of glass jars with colorful labels.
"And these canned fruits, sealed and stored, can last a long time. I'll take them back for my family to try."
Ji Wensheng had just tasted this canned fruit at the dinner table.
It's refreshing and sweet, almost indistinguishable from fresh fruit.
Jiang Ling gave them so many cans of food not so they could eat them as snacks, but more so to see if they could sell well in Beijing.
She wanted to expand her business, but fresh fruits and vegetables were difficult to preserve and transport, so Jiang Ling thought of canned goods. It was only early spring, and there was hardly any fruit available, so she wanted Ji Wensheng to take some home and assess whether there was a market for canned goods.
This topic had already been discussed at the dinner table, and Ji Wensheng solemnly took over, smiling:
“Mr. Jiang, you’re too kind! My parents and siblings will surely love this novel item. As for sales channels, I will carefully assess the situation and get back to you as soon as possible.”
Ji Wensheng boarded the carriage to return to the capital.
It was already late at night when they returned to the Ji residence in the capital.
The Ji residence, however, remained brightly lit.
Mr. and Mrs. Ji waited in the front hall, knowing that today was the day the Ji family would go to the grocery store to pick up their goods.
They had always known about Miss Jiang, who was working with them, but having heard that she preferred quiet and disliked noise, they had not gone to visit her.
It's no exaggeration to say that their family's business was saved by Jiang Ling, so they valued her highly. Every time Ji Wensheng or the Ji family steward went to pick up goods, they would arrange to send a small gift to express their respect.
Every time, whether it was Ji Wensheng or the manager who went to pick up the goods, they would wait in the front hall for news of their safe return, and this time was no exception.
As soon as Ji Wensheng got off the carriage, he went to the main hall to pay his respects to his parents.
As soon as he stepped across the threshold, two small figures rushed over like cannonballs and hugged his legs on either side.
"Big brother! You're back!" Eight-year-old Ji Wenyu looked up with his chubby little face and bright eyes.
Six-year-old Ji Wenshan hugged his arm tightly, pleading in her sweet, childlike voice:
"Big brother, did you bring us anything delicious? Did you bring back any White Rabbit candy from Sister Jiang?"
Although the eleven-year-old second sister, Ji Wenyue, did not rush over, she put down her book and looked on with anticipation.
Looking at the three expectant little faces in front of him, Ji Wensheng's heart melted. He deliberately put on a stern face to tease them: "Oh? You only think about the delicious food, don't you miss your big brother?"
"Yes! Of course I miss you, Big Brother!" Ji Wenyu quickly pledged his loyalty.
"I miss my older brother the most!" Ji Wenshan shook his arm.
Ji Wensheng burst into laughter at her antics, and magically produced a package:
"Look, at least you have a conscience. This was specially asked by Sister Jiang to be brought to you."
"Wow—!" The three children cheered instantly, jumping around him excitedly.
Then, he opened the large oil paper package containing the snacks.
A variety of brightly colored individual packages that they had never seen before were presented before their eyes.
Soft cakes printed with bear patterns, golden potato chips in transparent bags, colorful candies and chocolates, and trembling jelly in small cups.
"What...what is this?" Ji Wenshan curiously poked the jelly, its bouncy texture making her eyes widen.
Ji Wenyu picked up a bag of potato chips, listened to the sounds inside, and asked with a puzzled look, "Big brother, what's this crunchy thing?"
Ji Wensheng patiently introduced each item, personally helping them unpack. "This soft one is a small cake, this crispy one is potato chips, these are candies and chocolates, they're sweet, and this smooth one is jelly..."
As soon as the bag of potato chips was torn open, the unique aroma of salty and savory flavors mixed with the smoky scent of oil wafted out. Ji Wenyu couldn't wait to grab a chip and pop it into his mouth. With a "crunch," it was crispy, delicious, and bursting with savory flavor. He squinted his eyes happily and exclaimed, "Delicious!"
Ji Wenshan hugged the chocolate, her smile so wide her eyes disappeared: "This is sweet, I like it!"
Even the usually quiet Ji Wenyue couldn't help but smile with delight after taking a small bite of the soft and sweet cake, savoring each bite with great care.
After the children had finished eating, Ji Wensheng asked the butler to take them away.
Ji Wensheng then took out the box of canned fruit and turned to Mr. and Mrs. Ji:
"Father, Mother, this is a canned fruit that Miss Jiang asked me to bring back. She said it's made from fruit and can be stored for a long time without spoiling once sealed."
Mr. Ji picked up a jar of canned yellow peaches in surprise and examined it carefully.
The glass jar is crystal clear, and the orange-yellow peach petals inside are plump and tempting, soaking in clear sugar water.
He frowned slightly, full of doubt: "This... the peach trees are still in bloom, and there are no green fruits yet, so how come there are such ripe peaches?"
“Miss Jiang said these are fresh peaches picked last year, which have been treated with a special method and sealed for preservation until now,” Ji Wensheng replied.
Master Ji assumed this was another gift from Jiang Ling. Although he didn't understand how the fresh fruit had been preserved until now, he was still pleased and spoke up.
“Miss Jiang is always so polite. Speaking of which, our Ji family’s business has been able to overcome the current difficulties thanks to Miss Jiang’s floral water. Although she doesn’t like to show off and we have never met, our Ji family will always remember this kindness.”
"Father is right," Ji Wensheng replied, randomly pulling out a palm-sized can of fruit and saying seriously.
"However, Miss Jiang gave us this item not just so we could try it out. It's still chilly in early spring, and fresh fruit is hard to find on the market. Miss Jiang wants us to assess whether this item has a market in the capital."
"Oh? I see." Upon hearing that it concerned business, Master Ji's expression immediately became serious.
Madam Ji also sat up straight, a serious look in her eyes.
"Since it's a business matter, then we should savor it properly."
Jiang Ling had never proactively proposed this kind of cooperation to them before; this was the first time.
They had tried many of the foods sold at Jiang Ling's shop and had even considered getting some of the stock to sell themselves.
However, considering that most of them were snacks and pastries, retail would be troublesome and the profit margin would not be large, so they gave up.
They then focused on selling floral water.
Ji Wensheng ordered someone to bring a clean white porcelain plate. He pried open the bottle cap, and a sweet fruity aroma instantly filled the air.
Pour the peach petals and sugar syrup into a white porcelain plate and hand it to your parents.
Master Ji was not in a hurry to taste it. He first looked at the color and then smelled the aroma.
The orange-yellow peach petals are soaked in crystal-clear sugar water, their color is very appealing.
The peach flavor was well preserved, with no signs of spoilage or decay.
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