Since they were going to open a night market, it was only natural that the food offerings should be as diverse as possible.
Li Ying and Granny Sun together only had two pairs of hands. Even if they were as busy as bees, there was absolutely no way they could make all the recipes in her mind.
She pondered for a moment in her mind and then headed straight for the Li Basket - Maker's house.
Coincidentally, Mrs. Li was rolling up her sleeves and making pancakes at home. When she saw Li Ying come to visit, she kept working with her hands but warmly greeted her.
"Ah Ying is here? Come and sit down quickly!"
Mrs. Li quickly put away the dough basin and looked at her with a bit of confusion.
Although Li Ying seemed kind - hearted, she was not one of those gossiping women in the village who loved to watch the excitement. She rarely walked around. Mrs. Li wondered what brought her here today.
Li Ying sized up the furnishings in Mrs. Li's house.
Logically speaking, since Li Basket - Maker had made boat canopies and bamboo wares for the whole village, the family should be doing fairly well. But looking at the corner of the thatched roof with water stains left after the heavy rain, it seemed that the couple's finances were far from abundant.
Mrs. Li followed Li Ying's gaze and shyly wrung her fingers.
"Ah Ying... I'm so embarrassed in front of you..."
Li Ying didn't mind. She smiled kindly and got straight to the point.
"Sister - in - law Li, would you like to make food with me?"
Mrs. Li thought Li Ying was short of hands and laughed heartily, "If there's anything I can help with, just tell me!"
Li Ying knew she had misunderstood. She then slowly explained that her real intention was to teach Mrs. Li the recipe for oil - crisp pancakes because she was good at making pancakes.
Mrs. Li was shocked again and waved her hands repeatedly, "How can I accept this! Ah Ying, these recipes are all the result of your hard thinking. How can I take over your business!"
The Li couple were very tight - lipped. So Li Ying didn't hold back and told Mrs. Li that she had already received the county magistrate's permission to open a night market and lead the villagers to make money together.
Mrs. Li was both surprised and delighted. With Li Ying's guidance, she made a batch of crispy and delicious pancakes and was too excited to speak.
The two agreed that in the future, Li Ying would get 20% of all the profits from the pancake shop. Everyone in the village had witnessed the popularity of the donkey - meat pancakes back then. There was no doubt that the oil - crisp pancakes would also sell well.
Mrs. Li signed the contract straightforwardly. She grabbed Li Ying's hand and wished she could kowtow to her a few more times.
Granny Sun sighed, "Ah Ying, you're such a kind - hearted child. You're giving up this profitable business and letting the villagers do it. Everyone is grateful to you!"
Li Ying waved her hand, but her mind was as clear as a mirror.
At present, the county magistrate was only tempted by the benefits and was forced to deal with Qin Shao under her threat.
As an official, having suffered such a great setback, he must be extremely unwilling. Only by uniting all the villagers into one force could he be intimidated by public opinion and treat her with more respect.
These considerations were naturally not to be shared with others.
She pulled herself back from her thoughts, composed herself, and thought that the people in the town loved all kinds of spices. She casually picked out some squids from the purchased seafood.
The gray - purple outer skin of the squid had the strongest fishy smell, and each sucker on its tentacles had tiny "teeth". It had to be carefully cleaned before one could enjoy it.
She removed the internal organs, made diagonal cuts in a wheat - ear pattern on the inner side of the squid body, and blanched it briefly in boiling water. The white slices curled up into patterns, looking very delicate.
The sauce was the pre - made farmhouse salty sauce and oyster sauce, stir - fried with some chili. Before taking it out of the pan, she sprinkled a layer of ground fennel. Although this "iron - plate squid" couldn't be grilled, its taste was quite similar.
Li Ying added the iron - plate squid to the stir - fry menu. Sure enough, the "cumin" flavor from the ground fennel was unheard of by the diners. As soon as it was introduced, it triggered another wave of scramble.
The squid flowers were soft and chewy. The saltiness of the oyster sauce made the squid meat even sweeter. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves, Li Ying let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that she had truly grasped the local people's taste.
While the stir - fry shop was bustling with customers, Tianxiang Tower was in a dismal state.
Tao Zhi glared hatefully at the piles of withered and rotten vegetable leaves on the kitchen floor. He felt as if his heart was bleeding.
He had thought that since Miss Li was just a woman, he could use a little trick to scare her into selling the recipes or coming to work as a cook for Tianxiang Tower.
But unexpectedly, she not only flatly rejected his offer but also snatched away all of Tianxiang Tower's customers!
For two whole days, Tianxiang Tower hadn't earned a single cent!
It was simply outrageous!
Tao Zhi angrily smashed a teacup on the ground and roared at the waiter, "What are you standing there for! Hurry up and think of a way!"
The waiters were afraid of incurring the boss's anger and tried to avoid him. But there came a shameless voice from outside the door.
"Why is the big boss so angry? I actually have a good idea."
Tao Zhi followed the voice and saw that it was Yang Er, grinning and leaning against the doorframe. He felt disgusted and let out a cold snort.
"Boss, don't be so quick to drive me away. Last time at the dock, it was just that the girl was too smart. This time I've really brought a great idea that will definitely help you turn the business around!"
Yang Er approached Tao Zhi with a shameless look on his face. The unpleasant smell of sweat on him made Tao Zhi frown tightly.
"You scoundrel just want to cheat food and drinks again. Just get to the point!"
A waiter had already brought up the unsold leftover dishes. Yang Er didn't mind at all. He gobbled them up and then wiped his mouth, grinning wickedly.
"Boss, do you know why those old women in the village all follow Li Ying's orders? It's not because she has any special skills. It's just because she buys the villagers' catch from the sea!"
"If you slightly raise the purchase price and cut off that girl's source of goods, even the most skillful housewife can't cook a meal without rice. How can she escape your control?"
Tao Zhi's eyes lit up. He immediately waved his hand and said, "Good! Since that's the case, you lead the way quickly. I'll go to your village right away to buy seafood. No matter how much Li Ying offers, I'll pay twice as much!"
His Tianxiang Tower had been a well - established business in the town for many years. Li Ying was just a newly - arrived orphan girl. If they really played the game of driving up prices, she would surely be no match. Then she would have to pack up and leave obediently!
The tension in Tao Zhi's mind eased a bit. He stuffed two handfuls of silver notes and walked out arrogantly towards the small fishing village.