After finishing a plate of tofu, Chef Jiao looked at Qian Duoduo with a lingering sense of satisfaction and said, "Your tofu is quite good. What did you use?"
Qian Duoduo smiled and said, "Master Jiao, do you think this plate of tofu is worth selling?"
Chef Jiao smiled and said, "Of course! I just took a closer look, and there's more than just chili peppers in it; there should also be a sauce. That's the essence of this dish!"
Qian Duoduo said with a smile, "That's why I say you're the head chef of a state-run restaurant. That's right, I used our family's secret sauce to make it taste like this."
Chef Jiao smiled and said, "Little Liu, you did a great job this time. Once this tofu dish is launched, I'm sure some people will like it, especially since it tastes even better when mixed with rice."
Liu Haibo said with a smile, "Okay, we'll keep the two slabs of tofu you brought today, and could you also give us the recipe for your sauce?"
Qian Duoduo shook her head and said, "Making tofu is our main business. This sauce is a secret recipe of my family and we don't sell it. It was passed down from my great-grandmother's side. Many people have tried to imitate it, but no one has ever surpassed it, so I'm really sorry to say that this recipe is a secret!" This Pixian Doubanjiang (Pixian chili bean paste) was something she had traded with Su Ruanruan. How could it possibly have any recipe? It's definitely a secret recipe!
Liu Haibo paused for a moment. Judging from Qian Duoduo's words, the secret recipe could not be handed over. He said, "If we have this secret recipe, we can sign a long-term cooperation agreement."
Qian Duoduo shook his head and said, "Comrade Liu, I'm really sorry, we really can't. If you don't want our tofu, we'll leave."
Master Jiao immediately asked, "Where are you going?"
Qian Duoduo said, "We came here on the recommendation of Secretary Qian, who said that Comrade Liu is a righteous and generous person. Now it seems that Comrade Liu is indeed righteous and generous, but our cooperation cannot continue. We still need to go to the state-run restaurant in the county. Secretary Lu recommended it to us. Fortunately, we still have some time, so we can go there and give it a try."
Upon hearing this, Liu Haibo was taken aback: "You know Secretary Lu?"
Qian Duoduo nodded and said, "Yes, I know him. Secretary Lu even spent the Spring Festival in our village this year!"
Liu Haibo's mind raced, and he immediately said, "Young lady, do you have that sauce with you?"
Qian Duoduo nodded: "Of course I brought it. If I hadn't, how did you make that dish you just ate?"
Liu Haibo said, "Could you teach our head chef how to make this dish?"
Qian Duoduo said, "That's possible." But seeing Liu Haobo, she added, "However, we have a condition."
Liu Haibo said, "Go ahead."
Qian Duoduo said, "This slab of tofu costs 2.88 yuan. One slab weighs 16 jin, so two slabs would cost 5.76 yuan. We'll supply two slabs a day initially, Comrade Liu, is that alright?"
Liu Haibo naturally knew the price of tofu at the agricultural and sideline products supply and marketing cooperative, and nodded: "As long as I have your sauce, it's fine!"
Qian Duoduo nodded and said, "Next, I'll talk about this sauce. I don't have much of this sauce on hand, and we usually use one bottle of sauce for these two slabs of tofu, so I'll sell this sauce for 2 yuan a bottle."
Liu Haibo's mind started racing. Given these costs, how much would be a reasonable price for a dish?
Qian Duoduo looked at the silent Liu Haibo. She knew he would agree, and sure enough, a few minutes later, Liu Haibo nodded: "Okay."
Qian Xiang's face immediately broke into a smile.
Qian Duoduo smiled and said, "Then let's sign two written agreements."
Since Liu Haibo had already agreed to this supply arrangement, he didn't dwell on why there were two agreements. He simply handwrote two long-term supply agreements, one for a year, with the Beian Village tofu workshop supplying two slabs of tofu daily, and the other for the secret sauce that came with the tofu agreement. Payment would be settled monthly.
Seeing Liu Haibo stamp the official seal of the state-run restaurant, Qian Xiang felt relieved once again. This time, it was all thanks to Duo Duo; otherwise, things might not have worked out!
Furthermore, it was decided that Qian Duoduo and Qian Xiang would be the only two people to collect the cash. This was added specifically by Qian Duoduo to avoid any issues arising from having too many people handling the situation.
Leaving behind two unused slabs of tofu, Qian Duoduo smiled and said to Master Jiao, "Master Jiao, these are two new slabs, and I'll also give you this sauce."
Chef Jiao chuckled and said, "If there wasn't so little sauce, I'd eat this tofu with rice every day. By the way, what's this dish called?"
Qian Duoduo smiled and said, "Let's call it Mapo Tofu." He then handed Master Jiao a piece of paper with the recipe for Mapo Tofu on it.
Chef Jiao nodded: "Okay, I got it. I'll add this dish today!" Then he said to the waiter who was wiping the table: "Xiao Qiao, add this Mapo Tofu to today's menu."
The waiter immediately agreed and quickly went to write the message.
Qian Duoduo hadn't really thought about this waiter, but remembering how rude he'd been when she first arrived, she sighed and said, "I hope you can sell these two slabs of tofu in one day!"
This regretful attitude caught the attention of Liu Haibo and Master Jiao. Liu Haibo said, "Young lady, what do you mean by this?"
Qian Duoduo's gaze swept over Liu Haibo, finally landing on the waiter who was writing. She didn't say anything, just shook her head, and left with Qian Xiang.
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