With the arrival of the sweltering summer, the Star-Picking Tower of Wangjing Tower has been completed. Zheng De came again with silver, and after a private conversation with Lu Sanqi, he was all smiles.
After paying the remaining amount due to Tao Wanniang, Zheng De happily took the restaurant's menu and discussed with her, "Sister Tao, it only takes two or three days to get from Wangjing to the capital by fast horse. You should take some of the tomatoes and potatoes from your estate over there!"
"Potatoes can last longer, but I've tried these tomatoes, and they rot after four or five days. Manager Zheng, do you think it would be better to have them transported from my estate, or perhaps you could grow some there?" Tao Wanniang said with a smile. "If you transport them there, it'll be at market price. But if you provide seeds, that'll be a different price altogether!"
Zheng De's face stiffened, but he immediately said in a helpless tone, "Manager Tao, so this is what you were thinking!"
"Manager Zheng, we're all business people, you should understand." Tao Wanniang smiled without saying a word. Didn't the franchise agreement clearly state that she would charge for the dishes she provided?
Zheng De naturally knew this, but he never expected that Tao Wanniang's place actually had vegetables that couldn't be bought anywhere else! Moreover, he had talked to his brother-in-law about how these new dishes were very popular and that they were all things that couldn't be found in Wangjing.
So, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. Besides, the restaurant has been closed for months, so we have to come up with something new and interesting!
"Alright, Manager Tao, name your price. Sanqi told me that we definitely need to take some potatoes and tomatoes back with us this time, since we're going to use them for cooking. Even if we grow them in our own fields, it'll take several months, right? And with the weather getting hot, how long can these things last?"
“Manager Zheng is right, it’s hot, they won’t keep for long,” Tao Wan’s mother nodded. “Freshly picked ones taste the best. If that’s not possible, we’ll have to pick unripe ones. Come, let’s all discuss this together…”
Zheng De wasn't in a hurry to leave. It was lunchtime, so he naturally wanted to try the new dishes.
Regarding the delivery of the vegetables, Zheng De also expressed some concerns. If someone from Wangjing had to come specifically to transport the vegetables, it would involve costs.
"Then let's find a caravan or a security escort agency," Tao Wanniang said after thinking for a moment. She thought of the Weiwu Security Escort Agency.
"Let the escort agency transport fruits and vegetables..." Zheng De was taken aback. "Isn't that a huge waste of talent?"
“Then let’s go with the caravans. There are always many caravans going from the capital to Wangjing. The two places are relatively close. Manager Zheng can estimate whether it’s more cost-effective for your restaurant to send people to transport the goods or to find people from the capital.”
Zheng De was also considering things, and the two discussed it for a while. In the afternoon, Zheng De suggested going to the estate to pick tomatoes and dig potatoes, and Tao Wanniang agreed. She called her son and the waiter Yang Song, and together they took a carriage to the estate with Zheng De's men and Lu Sanqi.
The five acres of vegetables are indeed thriving right now!
The red of the tomatoes, the yellow of the pumpkins, and the green of the loofahs and cucumbers make this huge vegetable garden extremely eye-catching.
"Manager Tao, what is this?" Zheng De asked, pointing at the chili peppers. They were red and curved; could they be fruit?
“These are small red chilies. We used to only have Sichuan peppercorns and black pepper. These small red chilies can be used for stir-fries or made into sauces,” Tao Wanniang said. “They’re quite good as a side dish. I add a few when I stir-fry.”
"Oh, so the unique spiciness of the dishes at Zhaixinglou comes from this?" Zheng De couldn't help but ask.
“These weren’t the ones before, but they’re new this summer,” Tao Wanniang said. She was planting chili peppers for her future hot pot.
"These are the tomatoes, right? Are they still green and not ripe yet?" Zheng De asked again when he saw the tomatoes.
“Yes, if you want to keep them longer, you can take them off!” Tao Wanniang said, pointing to the tomatoes that were already red but still a bit hard.
At Tao Wan's mother's instruction, Lin Zhuangshi dug up some potatoes in the field. If Zheng De hadn't eaten potatoes before, and if Lu Sanqi hadn't highly praised them, he wouldn't have thought that these pale yellow, hard things could be used as a dish.
"Tomatoes and potatoes, we'll go by market price, but since we don't have any on the market, how about five copper coins a pound? Then I'll tell you how to grow them." Tao Wan's mother hadn't said anything until Zheng De approved of the crops, at which point she finally relented.
Zheng De was taken aback. He thought Tao Wanniang would ask for an exorbitant price, but she just did it like this.
“Before they grow in your fields, you’ll definitely have to get them from me. I’ll charge you five copper coins per pound each time. Later, it’s up to you to decide which route to take to transport the vegetables!” Tao Wan’s mother said. They had just discussed it, but they hadn’t reached a definite agreement yet.
Zheng De nodded, pleased with Tao Wanniang's generosity, and immediately ordered fifty catties of potatoes and tomatoes for each of them. After paying, Zheng De urged Lu Sanqi to join him, preparing to return directly to Wangjing.
"Manager Tao, I believe we'll meet again soon," Zheng De said. "I'm confident I can make Zhaixinglou in Wangjing the truly number one restaurant!"
“Very good. According to the contract, after you open for business, my people will come to inspect your premises. If there are any shortcomings, please point them out and you should make improvements,” Tao Wanniang replied.
"Don't worry, as the manager, I want the restaurant to grow bigger and better than anyone else. When the time comes, will it be Manager Tao or Manager Lu?" Zheng De said confidently.
"It should be Manager Lu who goes, I've been busy lately," Tao Wanniang said. "The new dishes here will be sent to your side, you can send someone over to check them out."
"Manager Tao is an honest man. We Sanqi have been learning from him for several months, and he has told me everything. Manager Tao doesn't hold back. We've learned everything, and he's even given us the recipe. If our taste is still not right, then it's a problem with the people!" Zheng Dehao replied readily.
Tao Wanniang smiled and saw Zheng De and his party off.
"Manager, shouldn't we also send some over to the restaurant?" Lin Zhuangshi asked, adding that he would have more people pick if needed.
“Yes, we need it.” Tao Wan’s mother said to her eldest son, Ling Dahu, and Yang Song, “What are you all standing there for? Help us get it!”
"Mother, Mother!" Hearing two shouts from afar, Tao Wanniang raised an eyebrow. Ling Dapeng and Zhou Xiaoyun?
"Mother, I didn't tell you before, but Dapeng and Xiaoyun want to come to this estate and don't want to stay with Father anymore!" Ling Dahu said in a low voice. It happened a few months ago. At first, he was worried that Tao Wan's mother would be unhappy if he told her, but later... he forgot about it!
"Okay, I understand. You two go ahead and get busy!" Tao Wanniang looked at Zhou Xiaoyun and Ling Dapeng running over from the ridge. She had no idea that Ling Yunzhou's land was so close to hers.
"Mother, huff huff~" Ling Dapeng ran to Tao Wan's mother, panting heavily.
"Mom, we...we haven't seen you in so long!" Zhou Xiaoyun, who arrived later, was also panting heavily, supporting her back.
Tao Wanniang looked the two of them over and noticed that they had gotten darker and thinner. She said with a teasing tone, "I didn't know you missed me so much. What's wrong?"
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