LGSLAW : Chapter 27 – Business

Inside the Dahe Restaurant.

“This is this month’s account? Why is there such a drop at the end of the month?! Didn’t they say the tofu pudding would be a long-lasting hit? Did the Miao family leak the recipe!?” The new owner of the restaurant, Zeng Guangsan, threw the account book down with a displeased expression.

“The recipe should be fine. I haven’t heard of anyone else selling tofu pudding. It’s just that Young Master Lin and his companions, um,” Manager Zhang stammered.

Zeng Guangsan impatiently shouted, “Speak up! Do you think the account book can cover for you!? My brothers have been causing trouble at home recently, and I haven’t had time to oversee the restaurant’s affairs. How did business get this bad?”

Manager Zhang wiped his sweat and reluctantly recounted the incident when a young master publicly declared the tofu pudding to be unpalatable. Since that day, business had started to decline bit by bit.

“According to what I found out, that Young Master Xu was a guest invited from the capital by the Lin, Zhang, and Qian families. I couldn’t refute him on the spot for fear of offending him, so I let them leave,” Manager Zhang quickly added, hoping to lessen his own blame.

Zeng Guangsan sneered, “Even if he were a guest from heaven, I don’t believe his words alone could have such an impact! What else is the reason!?”

Manager Zhang hesitated and then mentioned Yangshui Teahouse’s new promotional activities. However, he didn’t dare to say that since that day, even regular customers like Young Master Qian had started promoting Yangshui Teahouse, drawing away many customers.

Zeng Guangsan almost laughed in anger, “Just this little gimmick, a lottery? And it could bring us down like this!? Couldn’t you just follow their example, give a free bowl of tofu pudding with every lottery win? How simple is that!?”

But Manager Zhang had his own concerns.

He hadn’t mentioned that more and more people were complaining about the tofu pudding’s taste. Initially, many customers were drawn by the novelty and the ancient recipe’s reputation, but once the novelty wore off, how many would come back for the taste? Some might bring friends to try it, but what about the next time?

After that young master’s public complaint, even the ancient recipe’s reputation couldn’t overshadow people’s real experiences. Something that was both expensive and not particularly tasty wouldn’t be very appealing, even if given for free…

“The boss is right. I was planning to discuss this with you. If you agree, that would be great!” Manager Zhang quickly flattered. “Additionally, I found out that Yangshui Teahouse’s lottery is popular because of a particular farmer’s vegetables, although they are in limited supply. I’ve already sent people to investigate the source of these vegetables! If we can secure them, it will surely help our business!”

This last bit finally made Zeng Guangsan see some value in Manager Zhang. After discussing a few more details, a messenger came in, announcing that Miao Yuan had arrived. Zeng Guangsan’s eyes gleamed with a hint of shrewdness, and he had Miao Yuan invited in.

As soon as Miao Yuan entered, he looked elegant in his scholar’s robe and courteously greeted Zeng Guangsan. Following him was a fair and delicate young man. Whenever Miao Yuan visited the restaurant, this young man, known as Min Chun, who was an important manager at the workshop, always accompanied him.

“Mr. Zeng, I was just about to ask Manager Zhang to announce my visit. It’s great that we can discuss things together,” Miao Yuan said, exchanging pleasantries with Zeng Guangsan.

After a brief exchange of courtesies, Zeng Guangsan got straight to the point.

“It’s a coincidence that I have something to discuss with you, Mr. Miao. You said this tofu pudding recipe would become a long-term signature dish, but looking at last month’s accounts, business has significantly declined! What should we do?”

Miao Yuan’s previously relaxed expression froze, showing a hint of surprise, “Significantly declined? But wasn’t last month still quite promising?” The fair young man beside him, Min Chun, also frowned slightly.

Manager Zhang, receiving a signal from Zeng Guangsan, quickly stepped forward, “Yes. Business has been dropping since last month, and by the end of the month, daily sales were only half of what they used to be. It seems customers have lost interest after the novelty wore off. I was just discussing countermeasures with the boss.”

Min Chun suddenly interrupted, “Impossible. Even if the novelty wears off, the taste should still be fine. Did someone alter the recipe?”

Zeng Guangsan glared at Manager Zhang, who immediately became agitated. Was he being accused of cutting corners?

“Young man, you should be more careful with your words! Our restaurant is not the type to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Alter the recipe!? The recipe is an ancient one passed down through the ages. We can’t change it, and all the tofu pudding is supplied by you. How could we alter it!?”

Miao Yuan quickly stepped in, apologizing, “Gentlemen, I apologize. Our Chun is not good with words. He spends most of his time in the workshop. What he meant to ask was if someone altered the sauce, which might have affected the taste.”

This was a weak explanation, and Manager Zhang sneered, “We use the same batch of sauce throughout the restaurant. Our chefs have never reported such an issue!”

However, Miao Yuan continued to defend, “I wonder, of the business last month, how much of it was due to the tofu pudding?”

This question hit the nail on the head, causing both Zeng Guangsan and Manager Zhang’s expressions to darken. Without the tofu pudding, even half the current sales would be unattainable. Could they really afford to complain?

But Miao Yuan wasn’t there to make enemies. They had worked hard to establish a connection with the restaurant and needed to maintain it. “Manager Zhang, please don’t take offense. Our earlier remarks were meant to help the restaurant. Only when the restaurant thrives can our workshop’s business continue to flourish. I came today to offer a new dish to maintain customer interest.”

Zeng Guangsan, who could adapt when necessary, perked up immediately. “Mr. Miao, have you found another recipe in an ancient book?”

Miao Yuan gestured to Min Chun, who was holding a bamboo basket.

Inside the basket was a dish of neatly cut, soy sauce-braised tofu skin.

“This tofu skin was discovered by accident during the tofu pudding production process. After cooking, it turned out to be unexpectedly delicious. I wanted to recommend it to you, Mr. Zeng,” Miao Yuan explained.

Hearing it was another workshop product, Zeng Guangsan felt a bit disappointed. The last time, the Miao family insisted on selling the finished product, leaving most of the cost on the restaurant’s end. Now they were playing the same trick again, thinking they hadn’t made enough money the last time?

However, considering the new dish, Zeng Guangsan still showed interest, asking for chopsticks and tasting it with Manager Zhang. The soft yet chewy tofu skin, soaked with flavorful sauce, was even better than tofu pudding.

Zeng Guangsan couldn’t help but admire Miao Yuan’s ingenuity. “This is indeed delicious. Mr. Miao, if we serve this tofu skin, I’m sure our business will recover!”

Both sides found common ground.

Zeng Guangsan knew the Miao family’s style and didn’t bother asking if they would sell the recipe. Instead, he began negotiating the price of the tofu skin and also reduced the price of the tofu pudding. After all, when customer interest wanes, one way to boost sales is to lower prices! The restaurant didn’t want to earn less profit, so they had to negotiate with the Miao family.

Miao Yuan, recognizing that the novelty would wear off and business would naturally decline, couldn’t be as firm as before. The Miao family couldn’t risk offending the Dahe Restaurant by selling elsewhere, as customers had already tried the product, and maintaining the same level of interest elsewhere was doubtful.

After hours of negotiation, they finally agreed on a price. Zeng Guangsan cheerfully saw them off.

However, on the way back to the village, Min Chun, who had been silent since that remark, spoke with a grim expression, “Be honest. Have you been watering down the soy milk? Otherwise, how could tofu pudding be so disliked?”

In the workshop, he was solely responsible for making the brine, a critical step he wouldn’t let anyone else handle. With business declining and quality issues arising, his first suspicion was the soy milk being watered down!

Miao Yuan’s face showed a trace of embarrassment as he tried to soothe him, “I’ll investigate this thoroughly. Chun, I understand your hard work and frustration. But please, let me handle the speaking. You have no family and are a young man; people will be more critical of you. I don’t want you to get hurt, okay?”

Miao Yuan, with his handsome face and gentle demeanor, looked at Min Chun. Min Chun, seeing this, felt his anger dissipate slightly.

Unlucky as he was, having come to this world and losing his family in a snow disaster, he and his mother had suffered greatly on their way to seek refuge with the Miao family. Unlike the stories of otherworldly heroes, he had no chance to shine. With his mother hinting at marriage to find stability, Min Chun couldn’t defy her. Running away would make him an unregistered young man, even more dangerous.

Thus, Miao Yuan was his best choice. Handsome and freshly a Tongsheng with a future in government, Miao Yuan stood out among the villagers. Determined to secure him, Min Chun decided to use any means necessary to make Miao Yuan his, believing he could control a man from ancient times.

Softening his tone, Min Chun said, “Yuan, I’m just worried. If the tofu pudding business fails, it will be hard for the workshop to recover.”

Miao Yuan, guessing who was behind the quality issue, comforted, “Don’t worry too much. If the recent soybean supply was insufficient, the workshop might have had to take such measures. Now that the village chief is helping us gather soybeans, we shouldn’t face such problems again.”

Min Chun reluctantly accepted this explanation, while Miao Yuan felt a pang of regret.

His former companion, He Ge’er, had a sweet smile and dimples, now even more radiant than before. Replacing him with the plain-looking Min Chun left Miao Yuan feeling a sense of loss.

But now, his family was living well, earning plenty, and he had no room for regrets.

Since that night, he hadn’t had to worry about money for studies or socializing with classmates, relying on Min Chun’s recipes. He aimed to rise to higher ranks, to become a Xiucai and an official, to crush Miao Jue underfoot—promises he had made to his mother.

With sacrifice comes gain.

If he lived well, he believed his old friend, He Ge’er, who had always wished him well, would understand his choices in time.

Smiling patiently at Min Chun, Miao Yuan said, “It’s hard on you. Once I pass the Xiucai exam, I’ll immediately propose to your mother. My grandfather has already agreed.”

Min Chun, pretending to be shy, touched the band on his wrist. “I believe in you, Brother Yuan.”  

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