Chapter 119 Cooperation with Traveling Merchants
The idle nobles of the capital always had a bad habit of following trends. Especially when there was a certain "feature" in this "trend" that allowed them to show off and distinguish themselves from the ordinary people, these nobles would flock to it and frantically follow this "trend".
Heidi sensitively noticed that 'chopsticks' was such a feature.
It's a bit tricky to use, and beginners often have trouble finding the right technique. Using just two small sticks can be so frustrating that you almost forget how to use your fingers.
But once you get the hang of it, it's like your entire body is completely unblocked. These same two small sticks work better than octopus tentacles, hitting whatever you point at, even picking up any oddly shaped food! You can use them to eat noodles without rolling them, and you can use them to poke crabs, without them slipping off like a fork would.
She can go to more tea parties and banquets, deliberately show off in front of those ladies and young ladies, arouse their curiosity, vanity and competitive spirit, and then mention her own restaurant. Hey, there will be no worries about lack of business!
Heidi, who graduated from a business school, has been actively considering how to make money with the Lich, while Jiangyou, who successfully completed his teaching task, welcomed the traveling merchant boss Pixie Anxie.
Today, Mengyuan Restaurant was not open to the public due to teaching activities, and the empty private rooms in the hall were just right for them to discuss business. The chefs who had just opened a new door to Southeast Asian cuisine were still working hard in the kitchen to practice new dishes, which was a good opportunity for this group of traveling merchants who came to discuss business.
Andrei and the others ate all afternoon, but even the biggest stomachs couldn't eat any more. The rich aroma of spices emanated from their burps. The shop manager thoughtfully brewed a digestive tea. His attentiveness made Pixie even more impressed with Jiangyou: "He actually booked the entire Dream Garden Restaurant for a business deal! And he even brought a viscount and a baron's daughter with him... A skeleton shop manager, truly terrifying!"
The shrewd and cunning dwarf merchant couldn't help but feel awe. He wanted the opportunity to cooperate with the Lich Shopkeeper even more! Pixie Anksi pulled out a thick map and spread it out on the table. He then took out several scrolls and handed them to Jiangyou. His expression was extremely flattering: "Lich Shopkeeper, this is the plan you requested, and it also represents our sincerity."
When Jianyou opened it, he was surprised. Pixi's plan was incredibly detailed, practically a guide to traveling merchants. Assuming everything in it was true, Jianyou could lead a caravan on a round trip with just this set of plans.
Of course, it wasn't that simple. For long-distance trade like this, knowing the route and actually making the journey were two completely different things. The local tycoons, swayed by Pixie, only recognized familiar partners and treated strangers as free courier deliveries. Jiangyou had no intention of traveling for herself; she was simply curious about the industry and wanted to learn more about its insider information.
The fact that they could come up with this kind of business plan showed that Pixie's team wasn't just made up of bodyguards who only knew how to fight and kill. They were able to draw a detailed map covering most of the country, meticulously noting the prices of local specialties, bandits to watch out for, the volume and frequency of shipments, and reference prices for each item, even meticulously noting all the costs along the way.
Pixi commanded three large caravans, each responsible for a different trade route. Pixi's main caravan traveled south from the capital, traversing the principality's central axis all the way to the southern border. The other two caravans followed the northwest frontier, and the southeast coast... This last caravan was the one collaborating with House Lothar.
The three caravans weren't completely separate. The northwest caravan would regularly join Pixi's main caravan in the capital, while the southeastern caravan would meet with Pixi at Melori Harbor. They would exchange goods, information, and money, sharing profits and risks.
"Amazing." Jiang You was amazed. With such a level of skill, if they don't make money, who will?
Each caravan would pass through several cities, villages, and small towns. They would publicly claim to have only passed through three or four cities, but in reality they would make detours and stop at various nearby locations, even collaborating with merchants from local caravans to trade, unloading some of their goods and selling them in exchange for local specialties.
A trip like this would take at least ten days to a month, and during bad weather during the dry and rainy seasons, the time limit would be extended. In other words, perishable fresh food is generally unsuitable for commercialization. Soy sauce and fermented black beans, which are not perishable, are indeed good choices.
The Duchy of Huntington had quite good infrastructure, with roads wide enough for horses to run between almost all the major cities. Simply fill the cargo box with shock-absorbing hay and cast some defensive magic on the glass bottles to effectively prevent them from shattering due to bumps on the road.
"We've made a lot of attempts recently. Initially, we only carried a few bottles at a time. Now, after developing a magic to prevent them from shattering, it doesn't matter how many bottles we carry at a time! It all depends on Boss You's production!" Pixie vowed. "Our caravan has carriages and horses, and all the guards are strong and sturdy. We can handle any amount of cargo!"
Jiang You nodded. "We can increase the production of soy sauce and fermented black beans. Also, I'll have dried dried bean curd sheets, dried noodles, and vermicelli soon. These are all pre-made, semi-finished foods that can be stored for a long time, as long as they don't get wet. But all of this has to wait until I return to Eston West City... Is that okay?"
"no problem!"
The product hadn't been completed yet, but today they were discussing the most basic terms of cooperation between the parties. Pixie would serve as Jiangyou's distributor, delivering goods to Heidi's restaurant on her behalf. Jiangyou also arranged a pickup time with Pixie, which was set for a month from now. This would allow enough time for Pixie to make another business trip and return to Eston West City, and for Jiangyou to return to the city and produce new products.
"Also, you need to find a skilled cook in your caravan," Jiang You said. "Next time you come to pick up the goods, you need to have this cook learn from me how to cook these new products. If we want to expand sales, we must first let people know how to cook these ingredients and what kind of delicious taste they will have."
Even in today's internet-savvy world, pre-prepared dishes often come with detailed instructions on the packaging. Some vendors even include a QR code that lets you scan and watch a video of the dish being prepared. In this magical Middle Ages, there's no internet or QR codes, but traveling merchants can create sample dishes while selling their wares to build their reputation.
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