Chapter 48: Growing Prosperity

Ye Caiping said, “I have a better plan.”

“How about this: we’ll make Hu La Tang(Spicy Soup), and deliver it to your restaurant every day. You can order as much as you need, and we’ll make that amount.”

Shopkeeper Lin furrowed his brows, as other businesses had offered similar deals before.

But Baiwei Lou wasn’t the only one in town; they had over twenty branches in other counties and cities.

He wanted to make Hu La Tang a signature dish of Baiwei Lou.

If this succeeded, it wouldn’t just bring rich rewards—it might even help him rise in status, possibly becoming the general manager of the entire Yue’an County.

However, Ye Caiping could only supply for Dashu Town, which meant the profit would be limited.

Ye Caiping asked, “Shopkeeper, what do you think?”

Shopkeeper Lin smiled. “Miss, how about we have a meal at Baiwei Lou and sit down to discuss this properly?”

Ye Caiping, being experienced in these kinds of negotiations, immediately understood his intention and directly addressed the issue:

“Are we discussing supply or the recipe? If it’s about supply, we can talk here. But if it’s about the recipe, then it’s a no-go. No matter the price, I won’t sell it.”

Shopkeeper Lin’s smile stiffened. Just those few words were enough to show him that this woman wasn’t easy to fool.

He furrowed his brows. “Miss, I offer you a hundred taels!”

For an ordinary farmer, a hundred taels was an unimaginable fortune—something they could never earn in their entire lifetime!

Yan Fang and Jin’er gasped, clearly tempted.

Shopkeeper Lin noticed their changing expressions and his eyes flashed with a subtle gleam.

“We can sign a contract. After buying the recipe, we’ll only sell it during the lunch and dinner markets. You can still set up a stall in the morning market. Once you sell the recipe to us, you can’t sell it to anyone else.”

Yan Fang’s heart raced. If they could still run their stall, they could continue making money!

Selling the recipe for a hundred taels—wasn’t that just a gift?

She secretly nudged Ye Caiping’s sleeve.

Ye Caiping shook off her hand and looked at Shopkeeper Lin. “Sorry, we won’t sell the recipe.”

Shopkeeper Lin’s smile faltered. “The price can be negotiated. How about you offer a price?”

“Not even for ten thousand taels.”

Shopkeeper Lin was momentarily stunned. Ten thousand taels? His bottom line was only three hundred taels!

What did she just say? Ten thousand and she still wouldn’t sell? Was she dreaming?

As a person of status in the town, Shopkeeper Lin couldn’t tolerate being so blatantly refused by a mere street vendor. No matter how good his temper was, it couldn’t withstand this kind of treatment.

“The recipe isn’t something we need desperately. Baiwei Lou has plenty of chefs with a refined sense of taste—there’s no recipe they can’t replicate. In time, Baiwei Lou will come up with an even better recipe, and your business will be impacted. Don’t regret it then.”

Yan Fang looked worried and turned to Ye Caiping.

Ye Caiping remained calm. “If your new recipe does impact us, I’ll accept defeat willingly.”

Shopkeeper Lin couldn’t understand why this woman was so stubborn. He huffed and left, his sleeves swishing as he walked away.

It was just Hu La Tang; he didn’t believe Baiwei Lou couldn’t come up with their own recipe.

Yan Fang looked worried. “Caiping… that’s a hundred taels! If we had that, you’d be a wealthy person!”

“And we could keep running the stall and make a few hundred coins a day.”

Ye Caiping replied, “Selling the recipe isn’t that simple. There would be many restrictions. Even if I could keep setting up the stall, it would only be allowed in Dashu Town. I wouldn’t be able to open a shop or leave the town. In the end, I’d only be able to run a stall.”

Yan Fang didn’t understand. “Running a stall still isn’t bad. The business is so good.

Ye Huan’er whispered, “Grandmother, if Baiwei Lou starts selling Hu La Tang too, customers will have more choices.”

“In the past, customers would come early in the morning just to drink our soup. But if Baiwei Lou starts selling it too, customers might think they don’t necessarily have to come in the morning; they can have it at noon or evening as well. That will split the customers in half.”

Ye Caiping paused and looked at Ye Huan’er.

The girl was only eleven years old, yet she was so sharp.

Yan Fang seemed to understand and sighed. “That’s true, but running a stall isn’t a long-term plan. Looking at things now… who knows when we’ll no longer be able to sell?”

“But a hundred taels is different; that’s real money in hand. If business slows down after selling the recipe, we can just sell less and still relax a bit.”

Seeing the regret on her grandmother’s face, Ye Caiping didn’t blame her.

For an ordinary village woman, how far could her vision really reach?

Ye Caiping said, “The matter is decided. We won’t sell the recipe. I have other plans for Hu La Tang.”

Yan Fang, listening to her, regretted speaking so much.

Whether it was about the business or the recipe, it was her daughter’s decision, and she shouldn’t interfere too much. Besides, her daughter was becoming more and more decisive and capable. She just needed to follow her lead.

The next day, there were only two buckets of Hu La Tang. After they sold out, it wasn’t even noon yet, so Ye Caiping had Bajin send them back home.

As they entered the village, Ye Caiping overheard villagers discussing something by the roadside.

They were talking about how Li Xiucai from Li Family Village had shocked the neighboring villages by finding ginseng on the seventh day after his stepdaughter entered the family.

“That ginseng was sixty years old and sold for two hundred taels of silver! Tsk, tsk! That’s incredible!”

“Her luck is unbelievable! I heard even the most difficult Old Lady Li was rubbing that step-granddaughter’s face and praising her as a little fortune-bringer.”

“These two—grandmother and granddaughter—are so close. When Caiping was with the Li family, her  her two biological granddaughters never even received such favor. But look at this…”

Suddenly, the gossip stopped.

As Ye Bajin’s ox cart passed by, the women on the side looked at Ye Caiping’s family with sympathy.

It was said that once upon a time, Caiping was the most outstanding young woman in the area, a pure and innocent bride. But she was rejected and divorced, while her two daughters, who were also Li family’s children, were treated coldly.

The new wife of Li Xiucai, however, not only had been married before but also brought two children from her previous marriage. Yet, she was treated like a treasure.

Sigh. Life really wasn’t fair!

As the cart moved further away, the gossiping women started chattering again, now filled with pity.

But there were also voices of discord. “Li Xiucai’s new wife, even though she was married before, came from a wealthy family. Those two children also have bright futures. The son is a scholar, and the daughter is a little lucky star who made the family two hundred taels right after entering.”

“If it were me, I’d love them too.”

“Caiping is doing well too. This Hu La Tang business is thriving!” one of the women argued.

“Even if the business is thriving, how much can they make? The cost is so high, with the meat and oil being practically free. It’s just to sell cheap. If they make a few dozen coins a day, that’s already considered good.”

“Even if she works for a hundred years, she wouldn’t make two hundred taels. So, in the end, it’s Li Xiucai’s stepdaughter who’s the real success!”

The women who were defending Ye Caiping had nothing left to say after hearing this.

They couldn’t argue anymore.

One thing was certain: the Li family was truly on the rise!

With wealth and status, they were becoming more and more prosperous!