Chapter 88 Case File 2: Witch Carnival (9)
'Perhaps I should consider doing a customer survey...' Takumi pondered as he stewed his second pot of braised pork. 'After all, many customs and habits in other worlds are very different from what I know... Only by better understanding the customers' thoughts can we sell products that suit their tastes!'
From what she'd observed so far, apart from those seemingly wealthy, fantastical races who seemed to be joining in the fun, the main buyers of soy sauce were those who traveled frequently, those who lived outdoors, and those who often neglected eating when they were busy working...
Well, these people must have discovered how much carrying a delicious and versatile liquid sauce can improve their quality of life... In other words, these people have discovered the value of soy sauce as a dipping sauce for meals.
But...why didn't she see anyone who looked like a chef? Was the world's food culture really so barren?
Jiang You sighed heavily. She wanted to eat more delicious food! It was sometimes boring to always eat the dishes you cooked yourself. Things like food are interesting only when there is a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred schools of thought contending!
Jiangyou has always had a tolerant attitude towards food, not one to adhere strictly to recipes, with no room for change. In her view, good taste is justice. When practical conditions don't allow, she'll make improvements when necessary, and find solutions whenever possible. Could someone starve to death in a room full of food if they were missing one or two ingredients or tools?
From ancient times to the present day, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, chili peppers... a variety of Western ingredients have crossed the ocean from the other side of the world and gradually become part of people's daily diet. Meanwhile, Chinese cuisine has also been traveling across the oceans and gradually captured the stomachs of Westerners...
Fortune cookies, General Tso's chicken, roast duck with sweet orange sauce... After the Cantonese first arrived in San Francisco in the 19th century, they improved many American-style Chinese dishes. Now they have flourished throughout the Americas and become a life-saving food for many overseas Chinese who can't cook.
This different world has many species similar to those in the previous life, as well as more unknown surprises. Jiang You not only wants to bring the knowledge and dishes of his own world, but also wants to see how these two cultures can collide and what kind of splendid scenery will be produced.
Therefore, she didn't intend to hide many common-sense things. Hoarding all the knowledge acquired during her previous life's nine years of compulsory education for personal gain was simply the arrogance of a time traveler; working alone was not the right way to do business. As the saying goes, possessing a treasure is a sin. If one is petty and tries to claim all knowledge and benefits that don't belong to them, they will often become a target of public criticism, and sooner or later, they will hit a wall and die without knowing how.
Demonstrate your abilities when necessary, and learn to give appropriately when making friends. After all, no one is willing to risk their lives for someone who is stingy and wary of them. Only sincerity can be rewarded with sincerity.
Jiangyou's cousin and brother had taught her that to run a successful business, she needed to learn how to make friends: with the upstream supply chain, downstream distributors, investors, shareholders, consumers... even high-ranking officials. The more friends she had, the smoother her business journey would be. Whenever she encountered difficulties, there would always be someone to lend a hand, connect with her, and resolve any urgent issues.
Don't be short-sighted and focus only on immediate gains and losses. Temporary concessions can often yield greater benefits. Making a friend is more important than doing business. The former can bring endless business opportunities, while the latter is just a one-time deal.
Of course, people still have to have a sense of self-protection, and the core family technology must be firmly grasped in their hands. As for those other recipes that are widely circulated on the Internet, it’s no big deal for people to learn them. Jiangyou really wants to try other people’s cooking skills!
Now, that's what Jiangyou did—she recruited Holly as a supplier and partner, Andrei as an investor and protector, and Aunt Wolf as a helper and gossipmonger... ahem, a crucial source of information. And now, the witches have gradually realized Jiangyou's value and are spontaneously helping her run her stall. The dwarven craftsmen and printers have become her loyal customers...
Her little boat, which drifted alone to another world, was surrounded by many other boats of different sizes. Even if there was a little wind or waves, there would always be someone to lend a hand and pull it out.
—Hmm? What if these people didn't help her? That didn't matter. All the Undead Lich had to do was go bankrupt and use the magic rice to pay off her debts. The others who actually contributed money, ingredients, and labor, and eagerly waited to eat her delicious food, would have much more to consider.
Takumi watched with delight as Auntie Wolf amiably greeted the guests, Jericho concentrated on dealing with the magic crayfish, Matilda sold soy sauce with a smile on her face, and Lorisa flitted among the customers like a butterfly, selling beer... and even more people from the Witch Forest Commune occasionally helped transport the magic crayfish and buy up used ingredients...
These are all her new companions! They find work to do on their own without even needing Jiangyou to tell them!
Coins jingled and clanged as they fell into the cash register, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of satisfied and happy customers, which smelled like fine honey with a hint of alluring floral fragrance.
Jiangyou couldn't help but start thinking about what delicious food to make for his friends when he closed the stall tonight... Well, he must have a pot of braised pork, everyone seems to be craving it, how about braising some sweet potatoes together?
Her mind was full of thoughts, and the spatula in her hand was flying, she was busy and having a lot of fun.
Suddenly, amidst the rich aroma of nectar, Jiangyou smelled a strange odor—a disgusting stench, mixed with angry spiciness and a hint of bitter tension. The smell was both pungent and obvious, just like the Houttuynia cordata that Jiangyou hated in his previous life, making it impossible for the lich to ignore it.
"We can't alert the enemy," thought Jiang You, suppressing his curiosity. He pretended to serve the food and casually glanced at the source of the smell. The source of the smell came from an ordinary human with shifty eyes. He had dull, dry yellow hair like straw, a face full of pockmarks, yellow teeth, and a long scar next to his right eye. He didn't look like a good person.
The man was not in the queue, but was standing stealthily in an alley not far away, looking at her stall with ill intentions, and no one knew what he was up to.
——It seems that Andre was right. Her business was booming tonight, and it really attracted the criminal who intended to cause trouble!
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