Chapter 270 The Pepper War
It’s no wonder that Manager Yang was so excited. People of this era have never tasted such a refreshing and unforgettable spicy food.
There was no such ingredient as chili pepper in this dynasty. Ordinary people wanted to eat spicy food, so they mostly got it from ginger, onion, garlic, and dogwood.
And of course Sichuan peppercorns.
But Sichuan pepper is more expensive than gold here. Only princes, nobles, wealthy businessmen and tycoons are qualified to enjoy it. Others may not be able to buy it even if they have money.
Even people like Shopkeeper Yang, whose ancestors have been in the food business, were lucky enough to have tasted it only once.
Shopkeeper Yang suppressed his excitement, grabbed the village head's hand, and said enthusiastically, "How many chili peppers does your village have? I want them all! And, I'll buy all the chili peppers from now on!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he was strongly opposed by other shopkeepers.
"Shopkeeper Yang, how can you be like this? You have such a huge appetite. You've taken all the good stuff for yourself, and we in the same industry can only watch?!"
"That's right. We all came here to purchase together. If you can afford it, everyone can too. You can't be so overbearing!"
"No matter how prosperous your Baixiangju business is, you won't be able to use so many chili peppers! I think you're trying to speculate and sell them at a high price!"
Shopkeeper Yang stamped his feet anxiously, veins throbbing on his forehead. "What nonsense are you talking about? We've known each other for so many years, don't you know what kind of person I am? Do you think I'm doing this for myself?"
The other shopkeepers said unhappily, "What else?"
Shopkeeper Yang shouted, "Of course not! You think too little of me. I see things in the long term! The reason I'm buying all the chili peppers is because I won't let this ingredient get out anytime soon!"
The others didn't understand. "Whether it's spread or not, what does it have to do with us restaurant owners?"
Shopkeeper Yang said excitedly, "That's why you're so shortsighted! Once this spicy flavor is released, it's bound to be popular among diners in Xianchuan County, and the restaurant's business will definitely be booming! But if you're just satisfied with this, you're making a big mistake!"
The other shopkeepers looked at each other in bewilderment. “What else can we do?”
Shopkeeper Yang said, "Xianchuan County is a small border town after all. There are only a limited number of wealthy people. No matter how many diners there are, how many can we have? What we need to do is attract diners from other places! Only then will we have a steady stream of diners, and we can make endless money!"
The shopkeepers understood and became excited as well.
"Shopkeeper Yang's point is, as long as these ingredients aren't shared with outsiders, anyone who wants to eat them can only come to Xianchuan County! All the restaurants in Xianchuan County will make a killing!"
"You finally understand!" Shopkeeper Yang said this until his mouth was dry, and he picked up a bowl of tea and drank it all in one gulp.
The other shopkeepers said, "Don't worry, Shopkeeper Yang, we can also ensure that the ingredients will not be leaked!"
"Yes, everyone understands the interests involved. We will never let the chili peppers leave Xianchuan County, so it's better to share them equally among everyone!"
Shopkeeper Yang didn't trust them. "No, I have to keep these chili peppers. Only then will I feel at ease! If your restaurant needs them, just buy them from me. I'll sell them at the original price and won't make a penny from you."
I know exactly how much food each of your restaurants can use each day, so don't even think about buying more. I'm doing this for all of us, and I hope you understand!"
The other shopkeepers were naturally unwilling to be controlled by Baixiangju, and for a while, the two sides started arguing.
Shopkeeper Yang felt that he was wholeheartedly concerned about the overall situation, but was not understood. He was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick, and he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Boss, please stop arguing. We have other dishes in our village..." The village head tried to stop the fight, but no one paid any attention to him.
The villagers were very anxious. They were just buying vegetables, why was there an argument? How could they sell the vegetables?
"Stop making noise!"
The villagers were like seeing a savior when a fierce and fierce little voice came out, "Master Xiaojiu!"
"Debt quarrel! I won't sell it to you, Meng!"
The little baby voice was penetrating. The shopkeepers were arguing fiercely. They glanced at the little girl and said, "Little kid, don't meddle in the affairs of adults!"
As a result, after taking a look, I immediately calmed down.
Because they recognized that the little baby was the one who scolded the governor in the town that day.
"Little kid, do you want to be the judge?"
"How should these chili peppers be divided?"
The little girl's big, dark eyes flickered as she pointed at Shopkeeper Yang and asked, "Do you have any confidence?"
Shopkeeper Yang: "Ah?"
"Xiao Jiuer asks you if you have the confidence to do what you just said." Zhao Xingjian said.
"So it's Mr. Zhao." Shopkeeper Yang bowed and said, "Now that I have said it, I naturally have the confidence to do it."
"Then I'll sell these chili peppers to you."
As soon as Zhao Xingjian finished speaking, the others started to make a fuss again, "Master Zhao, you can't favor one over the other!"
"We are all buyers, you have to treat everyone equally!"
…
Zhao Xingjian listened quietly, and after they had finished speaking, he spoke: "Everyone, even if Shopkeeper Yang didn't speak today, we still have this plan. We will only sell the chili peppers to a certain restaurant that we trust."
"I swear, my family is trustworthy! You can sell it to me!" Some shopkeepers volunteered.
Zhao Xingjian said, "Millet peppers aren't cheap, so the restaurant that buys them has to take risks."
"How much is one pound?" asked the shopkeepers.
"One hundred and fifty coins per pound."
When the villagers of Heihe Village heard the price, they felt their legs go weak. The price was not much different from that of strawberries.
But the shopkeepers just discussed it in low voices. Although it was indeed quite expensive, compared with the Sichuan peppercorns, the price was nothing.
Zhao Xingjian said, "We have a total of 500 kilograms of chili peppers here. Just buying chili peppers will cost 75 taels of silver. It's definitely a risk."
The shopkeepers were silent, they really didn't want to take such a risk.
Zhao Xingjian looked at them and said, "For everyone in Xianchuan County, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Whether Xianchuan County can make a name for itself in Dayu Dynasty depends on this opportunity. This matter not only concerns your restaurants, but also everyone in Xianchuan County, so we must be cautious!"
Shopkeeper Yang nodded. "My fellow colleagues, I'm not taking on this thankless task to dominate the market. I still say what I said before: I'll buy the chili peppers and distribute them to the various restaurants!"
Having said that, the other shopkeepers had nothing more to say.
"That's fine, as long as Manager Yang doesn't put his hand on us."
Shopkeeper Yang sighed, "Don't worry, Baixiangju alone wouldn't be able to stir up such a big scene. In the end, we all have to work together!"
The shopkeepers nodded in agreement.
The dispute over chili peppers finally came to an end, and the shopkeepers continued to look at other ingredients.
While they were arguing, Yunniang fried the other ingredients and made a table full of dishes.
"All the shopkeepers, come and try it. If you have any questions, just ask me." Yunniang said.
The shopkeepers thanked him, tasted the food around the table, and praised it highly.
Some shop owners directly extended an olive branch to Yunniang, wanting to invite her to be the chef of their restaurant, which left Yunniang stunned.
"No!" Little Dumpling directly rejected it on Yunniang's behalf, "It's a shame!"
The baby’s sacristy will not work for others!
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