After Lin Yaozu entered the room, he mentioned to Ji Wei that Lin Tai had brought cookies home. He also noted that their family bakery urgently needed new products and was very satisfied with the cookies, wanting to invite Ji Wei to collaborate.
“I initially considered replacing the baker, but Master Chen is quite experienced and has been with us for many years,” Lin Yaozu explained. “Master Chen is our bakery’s pastry chef, and his skills are commendable.”
“Over these years, Master Chen has not only contributed but also endured hardships. If possible, we would prefer not to replace him. I find the cookies very suitable. What does Mr. Ji think?”
Just then, Liu Yimian brought in some tea, and Ji Wei gestured for Lin Yaozu to try it.
“I understand what Mr. Lin means. Collaboration is a good idea, but what kind of collaboration does Mr. Lin have in mind?” Ji Wei had initially had Wen Xuan sell at the county school not just to earn some money but with a broader plan in mind.
Ji Wei was thinking long-term.
With his current capabilities, selling only in Changliu Town was already somewhat challenging. Selling in Daxi Town, which was a town over, would be even more difficult, as he couldn’t afford to send people daily to sell.
Ji Wei’s initial plan was to target people like Lin Yaozu. That’s why he included his name and address at the bottom of the promotional materials for interested parties to find him.
However, after waiting for some time, the people who came either lacked sincerity or funds. Even those who met his expectations still fell short. That’s why there had been no progress.
But Lin Yaozu was quite satisfactory.
Since his family operated a similar bakery, there would be overlapping customer bases, making sales smoother.
Moreover, the Lin family had been in business for over a decade. While they might not be extraordinarily wealthy, they had accumulated some assets.
Choosing the right partner for collaboration was crucial to avoid businesses closing down due to a downturn or dealing with overly shrewd and stingy individuals. So far, Lin Yaozu seemed like a good candidate.
“How about this: a 60-40 split, with you getting 60 and me 40. Every few days, I will send a cart to transport the goods and settle the payment with Mr. Ji on the spot to avoid future disputes,” Lin Yaozu said, putting down his teacup, praising the tea, and trying to maintain a smile, though he was a bit nervous inside.
“Mr. Lin is joking. I will bear the cost and handle the production myself. How can we discuss a 60-40 split?” Ji Wei knew that initial offers were often inflated to allow room for negotiation. He didn’t expect Lin Yaozu’s offer to be so far off and couldn’t help but laugh.
Lin Yaozu also knew his offer was somewhat excessive, but from Ji Wei’s reaction, he could tell that Ji Wei was interested but waiting for a more reasonable price.
As for the price, Lin Yaozu had already considered it.
In his bakery, ordinary pastries cost around ten wen per pound, but these cookies, with their high-quality ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar, couldn’t be priced that low.
A 70% price was the best he could offer.
He cautiously proposed this idea, but Ji Wei rejected it. According to Ji Wei, the most Lin Yaozu could get was an 85% discount. As for how much Ji Wei planned to sell in the store, that was no longer Lin Yaozu’s concern.
Realizing Ji Wei’s intent, Lin Yaozu felt somewhat foolish but agreed quickly without further bargaining. When it came to placing the order, there was a minor disagreement.
Ji Wei calculated the sales per piece, but for Lin Yaozu, who would be buying in bulk, per-piece pricing wasn’t suitable. After discussion, they decided to go by weight: approximately fifty cookies per pound, with a discounted price of 22 wen.
“Then let’s start with one hundred pounds.” Since it was a new product and the acceptance by old customers was still uncertain, Lin Yaozu didn’t order too much.
Based on previous sales at the county school, they sold 30 to 40 pounds a day. Given that the county school only had over a hundred students, and Lin Yaozu was dealing with the entire Daxi Town, this number was considered conservative.
“Cookies are prone to moisture. You should wrap them in multiple layers of oil paper and keep them in a cool, dry place to prevent any changes in taste,” Ji Wei advised. Lin Yaozu then paid half of the deposit, which was one or two silver coins.
“Understood.” After only half an hour of interaction, Lin Yaozu developed some admiration for Ji Wei.
Despite his young age, Ji Wei was calm in handling situations and acted with prudence. Lin Yaozu thought he was exceptional and not constrained by the small Longliu Town.
“I don’t have much to offer, but here’s a treat I just made—sheep milk squares. Mr. Lin, please try them,” Ji Wei said, handing Lin Yaozu the sheep milk squares.
Lin Yaozu accepted without hesitation.
In this line of work, knowing about such things was essential, and after over ten years, he had gained some insight.
The sheep milk squares looked simple but tasted delicate and creamy, with a rich milk flavor and a hint of tea. They seemed perfect as a tea snack.
Lin Yaozu couldn’t help but ask about the recipe, laughing awkwardly.
“This is a secret recipe. How could Mr. Ji reveal it to me? I was being presumptuous.”
Ji Wei didn’t think it was a big deal and generously shared the ingredients.
“Just milk and sugar? That’s impossible!” Lin Yaozu couldn’t believe that milk and sugar alone could produce such a result.
Milk is liquid, so even if it’s cooked too long, it shouldn’t harden.
“Milk and sugar aren’t extraordinary, but with this ingredient, you can make many things that wouldn’t otherwise be possible,” Ji Wei said, showing Lin Yaozu the partially set gelatin.
Even someone as well-informed as Lin Yaozu couldn’t quite figure out what gelatin was. It smelled a bit unusual.
“What is gelatin?”
“It’s a type of stabilizer. It’s not something you eat directly, but if you add it to a liquid, it can cause it to set.”
“That’s fascinating. Could you sell me some?”
Gelatin is complicated and time-consuming to produce, and Ji Wei planned to use it daily, so he firmly declined Lin Yaozu’s request.
Given this, Lin Yaozu took his leave.
Since Lin Yaozu was Ji Wei’s first major client, Ji Wei accompanied him out to the west alley before planning to head back. After a few steps, he felt it was worth celebrating and went to find the butcher in the west alley.
While most people buy pork only once every ten days or so, Ji Wei had been buying it every few days since he started making money, becoming a regular at the butcher’s shop. The butcher greeted him warmly as usual.
“Do you need anything else? It’s getting late, so most of the good meat is gone. I still have some scraps left. If you don’t mind, I can give you a discount,” the butcher said, laying out the remaining pork, which indeed consisted mostly of scraps with both fat and lean parts.
“If you hadn’t come, I would have taken this home for myself.”
“Is this all?” Ji Wei wasn’t very satisfied. Though he was indeed late, he thought that for a celebration, the meat should be of better quality. What was available now looked a bit shabby.
“There’s nothing better left, only some pork offal.”
“Let me see.”
Pork offal has a strong odor, and few people want to buy it. Even butchers often give it away to dogs rather than sell it.
But if Ji Wei wanted to buy it, the butcher didn’t mind.
Bones, pigskin, and such weren’t any stranger than this offal.
The butcher poured the offal from the bucket onto the table, including tongues, ears, intestines, and liver, all clumped together in a somewhat unappetizing heap.
Even the butcher found it somewhat off-putting.
Ji Wei eagerly examined the offal and nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll take all of it then.”
“All of the offal and scraps?” The butcher was taken aback. Did this young man want all this smelly, foul offal?
“Yes, all of it, including the scraps. How about 40 wen?” Weighing it all, it amounted to at least five or six pounds. Since no one wanted it, the price was quite cheap.
Though 40 wen wasn’t a lot, for such meat, the butcher was quite pleased and readily agreed, packing it into a cloth bag and handing it to Ji Wei.
“Next time you need something, just come by and let me know in advance, and I’ll save it for you,” the butcher said, waving goodbye to Ji Wei.
On the way home, Ji Wei passed by a general store and bought a lot of spices. While he didn’t get all thirteen spices, he bought a big bag of essentials like Sichuan pepper, star anise, bay leaves, dried tangerine peel, cinnamon, and rock candy.
For these strange scraps, the best methods were either to fry them or braise them. However, frying requires a lot of oil to cover the strong smell, making braising a more convenient option.
With enough spices, the off-flavors would be masked.
Ji Wei hummed a tune as he returned, carrying a load of ingredients. Liu Yimian hadn’t been shocked until Ji Wei asked him to clean the materials. Seeing the large bag of offal, the smell made him feel queasy.
Perhaps out of ignorance, Liu Yimian wondered what could be made from such things.
Nonetheless, Liu Yimian was deeply impressed by Ji Wei, especially by his ability to turn the impossible into reality.
So, Liu Yimian didn’t question Ji Wei this time but, despite his distaste, diligently cleaned the offal.
Ji Wei picked out the pig intestines from the pile of offal, rinsed and scrubbed them several times to remove the slimy coating, then cut the intestines into sections. He filled one end with water, added salt, and kneaded them repeatedly. After turning them inside out and rinsing thoroughly, he removed the thin white membrane from the surface.
This was the casing.
The scraps mostly consisted of lean meat, with a small amount of fat. Ji Wei minced all of it and mixed it with diced sweet potato. After adding minced ginger and Sichuan pepper and seasoning it, he set the pork mixture aside to marinate and went to help Liu Yimian at the well.
At that moment, Liu Yimian was scrubbing the slimy offal, looking as if he was facing a formidable foe, his face showing a strong aversion.
Ji Wei approached and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Mian Mian, it’s just some offal. Why are you so frightened?”
“It’s precisely because it’s offal that it’s difficult,” Liu Yimian muttered under his breath, glancing at Ji Wei before continuing to scrub the pig intestines.
Seeing the water turn murky, Liu Yimian silently vowed never to eat whatever Ji Wei made from this.
“Is it done yet?” Ji Wei, with a playful tone, squatted beside Liu Yimian and tilted his head, watching him. He found Liu Yimian’s reluctant yet dutiful attitude quite amusing.
“Almost, just finishing up the intestines.”
“Be sure to clean it well, or it might still have an odor,” Ji Wei teased. Liu Yimian’s face changed, and he scrubbed the intestines even more vigorously.
“Alright, alright, you’re almost tearing the intestines apart. Let me do it,” Ji Wei said, pinching Liu Yimian’s nose and taking the cleaned offal to the room.
Liu Yimian lifted his hand, sniffed, and then went to find some soap, looking quite disdainful.
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1