Chapter 44: Selling the Secret Recipe

“Alright, then.” The waiter took the money and left.

Chen Dabao felt sorry for his mother spending so much money. He voiced his disapproval, “Mother, we’re here to sell meat and make money. Why are we spending so much?”

Chen Feng whispered, “We need to try the wine shop’s food first. If their five-spice braised meat isn’t as good as ours, then we can sell our recipe.”

“Why did we order the braised meat and the spicy stir-fried meat?” Chen Dabao asked again.

Chen Feng, who was being frugal, explained, “I want to see the culinary skills of the ancient times, or rather, this restaurant.”

The dishes arrived, and the five-spice braised meat was more like red-braised pork, lacking some of the unique flavors of traditional braising. The spicy stir-fried meat was quite authentic, and Chen Feng felt it was on par with her own skills. Spicy stir-fried meat was a favorite dish of Liu Xudong from her previous life, and Chen Yanyan had put a lot of effort into learning how to make it, becoming quite adept at it.

This restaurant wasn’t the best in the county, and Chen Feng no longer underestimated the ancient culinary culture. It seemed that, aside from the flavored meats, selling the recipe for other dishes would be nearly impossible.

Both Chen Feng and her son were both skinny, and they finished all the dishes except for the vegetable soup.

After they finished their meal, Chen Feng told the waiter, “I’d like to see your manager.”

The waiter, with a sharp sense of smell, had already noticed the unique aroma emanating from their basket. He understood their purpose.

He asked them to wait while he went upstairs. Soon after, he returned and led them to a room on the third floor. Upon entering the room, Chen Feng pinched her left hand to summon the Golden Swallow back. She had been wearing a conical hat during the meal and didn’t want to talk to people while still wearing it.

The room was furnished like an office, with a desk, a bookshelf, and a cabinet. A young man in his twenties, dressed in a silk gown, sat at the desk, and a slightly plump man in his forties stood beside him. Both men were taken aback when they saw Chen Feng. Despite her simple attire, she was a striking sight. Her refined features and elegant demeanor were truly remarkable.

The middle-aged man introduced himself, “I’m the Manager, Master Xu. What brings you here, young lady?”

Chen Feng said, “We have a secret family recipe for flavored meats. Due to our financial difficulties and an urgent matter, we’ve come to sell this recipe.” She then opened the cloth covering the basket.

Master Xu and the young man had already caught a whiff of the distinctive aroma. They took a piece of the flavored meat and tasted it carefully. Both nodded, “Good, it has a special flavor that our five-spice braised meat lacks. The braised pig intestines are especially delicious.”

The young man asked, “How much are you asking for it?”

Master Xu introduced the young man to Chen Feng, “This is our restaurant’s owner, Mr. Yang.”

Chen Feng addressed Mr. Yang and continued, “My father is ill, and my brother’s leg is crippled. We’re in dire need of money, so we’ve come to sell this ancestral secret recipe. I’ve heard that the prices at the Xile Restaurant are fair, and they have a good reputation. They don’t take advantage of ordinary folk, which is why we’ve come here. Mr. Yang, please decide on a price. If it’s reasonable, we’ll sell it.”

Her asking price was fifty taels of silver. If the offer was higher than that, she would sell, if it was lower, she wouldn’t. The recipe was something that could be kept secret, unlike the design for the button, which was easier to replicate once it was out in the open.

Mr. Yang paused for a moment, signaling to Master Xu with his eyes. Master Xu said, “This flavored meat is quite good, but it’s not significantly different from our five-spice braised meat. Let’s be fair—forty taels of silver. What do you think?”

The offer was not what Chen Feng had hoped for, but it was close enough to suggest that they were not the type to take advantage of their customers. If there was a chance for future cooperation, it would be beneficial.

Chen Feng’s heart was set on fifty taels, but since the difference wasn’t significant, it indicated that they were honest dealers. If the opportunity arose, she would consider further collaboration.

Chen Feng thought to herself but shook her head, saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t sell it at this price. Excuse me for disturbing you.” With that, she took Dabao’s hand and walked toward the door.

Mr. Yang suddenly opened his large fan and chuckled, “You’re quite impatient, young lady. In business, one must allow for bargaining. If you disagree, you can counteroffer. Why rush to leave? I’ll add another ten taels, making it fifty taels. How about that?” Seeing Chen Feng pause without speaking, he added, “I’ll add another five taels. This is the maximum I can offer.”

Master Xu was surprised and thought to himself that Mr. Yang was usually very stable, so why did he suddenly raise the price so much?

Fifty-five taels, slightly exceeding the target, left Chen Feng quite satisfied. Grinning, she said, “Alright, it’s a deal.”

It seemed like even the birds outside were celebrating Chen Feng’s successful business deal with chirping and chattering. Among them was the Golden Swallow, perched on a tree branch outside the window with a few other birds.

It seemed quite impatient and chirped, “You always have so much on your plate. I can’t leave you alone for a minute. I’ll have to find you a bodyguard.”

Master Xu first drafted an agreement, which included a clause stating that the recipe couldn’t be sold to anyone else. Chen Feng had no objections and signed and stamped the agreement with Master Xu.

Chen Feng was going to take Dabao to the kitchen, but Mr. Yang Mingyuan said, “Let the child stay here. The kitchen is too messy.”

Seeing that Mr. Yang was clear-eyed and didn’t seem like a bad person, and with the Golden Swallow watching from the window, Chen Feng agreed to let Dabao play there. She quietly instructed him, “Behave and stay here. Don’t wander off. Don’t misbehave. I’ll be back for you in a while.”

Dabao nodded and said, “Don’t worry, Mother. I understand.”

Chen Feng went to the kitchen to inspect their ingredients, and she quietly informed Master Xu about the additional medicinal herbs. Master Xu was quite surprised and personally went to buy them.

The process of braising the meat was similar to that of the restaurant’s chefs, with the addition of a few more medicinal herbs. Chen Feng watched as the chef braised the meat, and to her delight, the flavor was just right. She had indeed taught her apprentice well.

When she returned to the room, she was surprised to see Dabao and two other children playing happily with Gray, while Mr. Yang watched with great interest.

With Qiqi and the Golden Swallow gone, Gray had become the center of attention, laughing and talking excitedly, amusing everyone.

When Dabao saw Chen Feng, he got up to greet her, saying, “Mother, this is Brother Yang Chao, and this is Sister Yang Qian. They both like Gray.”

The two children, a boy of about five and a girl of about four, were dressed in silk clothes and had a pleasant appearance, sharing some resemblance to Mr. Yang. They politely looked up and greeted Chen Feng, “Auntie.”

Chen Feng blushed, she wasn’t married yet. She quickly said, “Just call me Aunt Chen.”

The two children called out again, “Aunt Chen.”

The manager brought a plate of freshly braised meat to Mr. Yang, who tasted it and nodded. He then allowed the children to have some. The boy exclaimed that it was delicious and stopped teasing Gray, standing in front of the table and enjoying the braised meat.

Mr. Yang stood up, took out five ten-tael silver ingots and one five-tael silver ingot, and handed them to Chen Feng, saying, “If you come up with another good recipe in the future, come back to our Xile Restaurant.”