Chapter 65: Merchants From The North
The number of merchant ships at the county pier gradually decreased in winter.
Merchants from the south can still be seen, but ships that come from the north are rare.
A few tall men from the north, with fleshy muscles, entered Nanshan County from the south and stopped here temporarily. They had to stay for two days and then they would travel to the north after.
“Brother, we are all hungry. Let’s find something to eat first. I don’t know what to eat in Nanshan County. The food I eat in Huaishui Prefecture makes my mouth feel like a vegetarian’s. I want to make a big stew at home.” One of the men man complained.
“Ask someone what’s delicious near the pier.”
The leading man had a rough voice, so he asked the other man beside him to inquire about food that would not be bland, and a Nanshan county special, so the porter asked them to go to the pier to eat food there. There is the Wei Family’s stall over there and that stall is the most popular at the wharf. Businessmen from both the North and the South like to go there to eat, and it suits their tastes.
Several northern men went to the Wei Family’s stall, asking passers-by on the way to find out the exact location.
The Wei Family’s stalls offer hot dishes, and there are transparent windshield tents, even if the cold wind blows, the number of customers will not decrease.
A group of five northern men just ordered lunch at that time, and there were still empty tables at the stall. They sat down at the empty tables, smelling the fragrance, and they were even more hungry.
Most of the stalls have a lot of regular customers. They know that ordering at the stalls is done in front, and then taking a small slip while they wait for their order. If one was new here then they would be confused. The few northern men didn’t know this so they just waited for someone to order for them to learn how to. It seemed that if they wanted to eat, they had to order at the front of the stall.
The leader asked the others to order whatever they wanted. Wei Yuan’s family saw that they were all new faces, taller than them so they must be from the north, he explained to them what they could eat at the stall.
Sauce-flavored flatbread, spicy and clear soup, blacked vegetables, miso fried rice, seafood fried rice, noodles mixed with miso, seafood noodle soup, stewed elbow, stewed chicken with mushrooms, stewed duck with potatoes, stewed meat and vegetables, white rice, rice with coarse grains, steamed bun…….
There are so many delicious foods in a small stall, looking at the big soup pot boiling away, watching the stewed meat in the pot next to it, watching the fried rice on the iron plate… All the men swallowed their saliva at the same time…
They don’t need to worry about money, so they just eat a good meal. Except for the staple food, they don’t want sauce-flavored pancakes and noodles in clear soup, they ordered a lot…..
Wei Yuan watched several people order hot dishes.
The spicy hot dishes are a bit too much, so it was better to eat them together with other dishes. Wei Yuan proposed to make them a spicy dry pot. The dry pot sauce can also be eaten with steamed buns. Wei Yuan also pointed out that three people at a table were eating a spicy dry pot, they agreed when they saw the dry pot.
There was a table full and the five men ate it.
“Brother, this tastes delicious!”
“This is a spicy dry pot, full of flavor.”
“Seafood fried rice with spicy sauce, try it, it’s so delicious.”
“The stewed meat is delicious, and the potatoes are more delicious than those eaten at home.”
“The food at this stall is really delicious. I don’t know how to make it. If it is sold in the north, I will never get tired of eating it every day.”
Wei Yuan saw that they were men from the north, and the taste of their food was heavier than usual. The customers at the stalls came from all over the world, and they were familiar with which places preferred a light taste, which places preferred a heavy taste, which places preferred a very spicy taste, and which places where the taste of the guests was as usual…
“I don’t know how the stall owner’s craftsmanship is so good.”
The guests next to them were from Nanshan County, and they were envious when they saw how many people ordered a full table, they were also honored to see how many people were full of praise.
This is their unique delicacy in Nanshan County.
“You guys don’t know that food at a stall can be made delicious not only by craftsmanship but also by sauces from the Wei Family’s grocery store. When I saw other food stalls, the business used to be mediocre, but now they bought the sauce from the Wei Family’s grocery store. The food is cooked with ingredients, and their business becomes better. My family buys the Wei Family’s sauce to stir-fry and cook vegetables. The dishes made with the sauce are more delicious than usual. However, after eating so many, those most delicious are still made by Wei Family’s stalls.”
Sauce?!
The tall man that was their leader pondered for a moment, and said, “Where can I buy the sauce?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The customer replied, “You can buy it at the Wei Family’s grocery store opened by the boss behind the Wei Family’s stall. If you don’t know him, then you can let the stall owner take you there.”
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“Wei Shi, is Cheng-zi at the grocery store? Several northern businessmen want to approach him to order sauces.”
“Yes, the master is here!”
Wei Yuan’s voice brought Wei Shi back to his senses, and he immediately invited people to sit in the side hall and asked the other servants to pour tea and cakes to greet them. He went to the living room in the backyard to report, and Wei Yuan followed him in. He knew the reasons why several people came to order sauces.
Zhou Yuan said with a smile, “There are quite a few merchants who have ordered sauces from grocery stores through the stalls, and now a merchant from the north has come. If you go to the wharf to sell directly, maybe you can sell them.”
Wei Cheng intends to open a goods store at the dock. He must know that the merchant ships at the dock can bring many merchants, so he has never let the peddlers go to the dock to sell.
The construction of the Fucheng Sauce Workshop has just been completed, and it is still a super-large sauce workshop but the supply will not be available until next year.
Wei Cheng also smiled and said, “Yuan-zi, if a customer orders sauces, I’ll give you a commission.”
There have been many times before, but the reservations are relatively small, and they all have to be shipped back to try the sales effect. Wei Cheng is not afraid that those people will not turn back.
Wei Yuan smiled and said, “It’s not my credit, it was due to a regular customer at the stall, so I’ll bring him along sometime.” He explained again.
So it is! That is the credit of regular customers.
This reward can’t be given to that customer though, once he starts doing that then it will be troublesome to follow suit, but if he wants things to be negotiated, there is always something to show.
Wei Cheng went to meet the guests first and asked Wei Shi to go to the sauce workshop to get some medium and high-grade sauces. The sauces in grocery stores are all low-to-medium.
The five northern men were eating and drinking the tea and cakes served. The cakes were delicious.
“Brother, tell me where to buy these pastries. Our county town doesn’t even have to buy them. If you buy them back for my husband, he will definitely like them.”
“Second brother, you have a good suggestion. I also want to buy some to please my future wife.”
“What are you talking about, third brother, where is your future wife? It is you who want to eat it. A man like you likes to eat cakes. Why don’t you to the Huaishui capital to eat cakes and we’ll see how promising you are.”
“Who says I don’t have one? I’ll show you when I get back.” The youngest said stubbornly. He likes to eat, but he also has girls he wants to please. If he didn’t say anything, how could his second brother know? His brothers all know him as someone who likes eating and drinking.
The other two men were partners, and they didn’t talk to each other, they just watched the two brothers bickering.
The leading man is the eldest, and also the eldest brother of the two bickering brothers.
The second child asked, “Won’t you buy it for our brother-in-law?”
The boss laughed and said, “Of course, I’ll buy it!”
In terms of doting on his wife, he dotes on him a lot. This pastry tastes delicious and not greasy. His wife will love it when he buys it back! Definitely a must-buy!
Wei Cheng came in followed by Wei Hu, Wei Cheng raised his eyebrows imperceptibly when he saw the tall and strong people.
“I am sorry to keep everyone waiting, I’m Wei Cheng, the owner of the grocery store.”
“Hello, Boss Wei. I’m Fan He. This is my second brother Fan Hong and third brother Fan Hao. They are my brothers.”
Fan He looked at Wei Cheng, and Wei Cheng also looked at Fan He. Fan Hong felt itchy when he looked at Wei Hu. As far as the territory is concerned, it can be judged that the person is not his opponent, but he couldn’t guess which one of them was the leader and the boss at first sight.
The eyes of the two sides collided for a while and then looked away.
Fan He saw his second brother’s eyes ready to move, and said in a low voice, “Second brother, put away your thoughts, you are not his opponent.” They came to discuss business, not to fight.
The boss warned him so Fan Hong could only regret it.
“You want to order sauces. I have several grades of sauces in my hand. I picked sauces suitable for northern tastes. They are good for stewed meat, stir-fried vegetables, mixed sauce and flatbread sauce, and hot pot sauce.”
Wei Cheng asked people to bring in the sauces. Fan He and the others had tried them, but they didn’t know how the food tasted with these sauces, so they couldn’t choose.
Wei Cheng told them, “You guys shouldn’t be in a hurry to leave. This Wei will treat everyone to dinner tonight, and you will know the taste of the food made with each sauce.”
This situation is easily resolved.
“Then pardon us for intruding.”
After making an appointment, someone will go to their inn to invite them to Xian Manju.
Fan He asked, “I don’t know where to buy the pastries in your shop. We want to buy some pastries for our family.”
Wei Cheng replied, “My store sells pastries. If you want to buy them, you can buy them here, or go to Xian Manju to buy them.”
Fan He said his thanks and left.
Wei Cheng went back to the living room in the backyard and leaned against his wife, “Yuan Yuan, I have invited guests to eat at Xian Manju tonight. Are you going to eat at Xian Manju or eat at home?”
Zhou Yuan thought for a while and said, “I’ll eat at home, you and the guests can discuss business freely.”
Wei Cheng reminded him, “Remember to drink medicine after eating.”
“….”
Zhou Yuan frowned at the thought of drinking bitter medicine. A few days ago, he invited Dr. Ge to take his pulse and he was prescribed medicine for a month. He drank bitter medicine every day.
Wei Cheng looked at his wife’s bitter face and smiled, “My dear, your hands and feet are always cold, the doctor said you will have to drink it for a month.”
“Understood.”
Looking at his wife’s clear eyebrows, he leaned over and kissed him lightly, then stayed by his side without moving.
Zhou Yuan blushed, and said softly, “Husband, aren’t you going to do some work?” He saw that the person was looking at the inventory just now, and there was a thick register book on the table.
“There is no problem, I can do it tomorrow.”
Zhou Yuan stopped reading and put the book aside to talk to him.
“Muzi and the others will come to work in the workshop in a few days, Xiao-Qiu and I are very happy.”
“I arranged a drying room for Li Hu’s mountain goods. Will his foot injury be affected?”
“Xiao-Qiu said that Li Hu’s foot injury is almost healed, and he can sit in the workshop, which will not affect his foot injury.”
“Zhou Muzi and Li Hu can live in the grocery store- as for Zhou Qiu, does she want to come and live in the grocery store?”
“I asked, she and her elder brother will go back to their home at the same time, so there is no need.”
After chatting, Zhou Yuan felt a bit drowsy and wanted to take a nap at this point.
Seeing that his wife wanted to sleep, Wei Cheng dragged him back to the bedroom to take a nap!
After waking up in the afternoon, Wei Cheng sent his wife back to their suburban home before leaving for Xian Manju.
Wei Cheng will pay attention to this negotiation. If he cooperates with them, the northern supply line will be opened. He also hopes to get the northern supply from Fan He.
The dishes in the north are different from here, and their tastes are relatively strong. Some dishes have to be cooked according to the taste of the North, and he has to teach the chef or do it himself.
When people arrive, the dishes are served directly on the table, hot pot is indispensable, and Xian Manju features, a seafood dry pot, each with northern characteristics.
After Fan He and the others tasted it, they wondered how many people would enjoy the northern delicacies.
Fan He said, “This sauce is blended into our dishes, and the taste is even better, and hot pot is absolutely irresistible in the north.”
Fan He directly ordered tens of thousands of catties of sauce.
Wei Cheng mentioned cooperation and explained the cooperation method.
On the contrary, Fan He didn’t need to think about it, and he directly agreed. He is a northern man, and he enjoys straightforwardly doing things.
“The nuts you want and the mountain products are small things. I still have some red dates in my hand, but as for the mountain products, I am afraid that they will go bad when they are delivered. This is very difficult.”
Wei Cheng replied, “I have a drying method. I heard that there is potato flour in the north, and every household in the north can make it. I provide a drying method to dry the potato flour for better preservation. It can be eaten even after half a year or a year.”
“Really?!”
Fan He and the others were shocked. If they could be preserved, potato flour could be sold to the south and even sold to merchants. The villagers in the north could grow more and sell it. Not only can they eat potatoes to fill their stomachs, but they will also have more money to withstand the cold winter and avoid being frozen to death.
Fan He said in a deep voice, “Boss Wei, what is your condition for cooperation? If I can do it, I agree to this cooperation.”
“As long as 40% of the profit is given to me- the profit of bulk goods is not necessary for store sales. This method can also preserve mountain goods, and there will be mountain goods for sale in winter.”
Fan He frowned, “What do you mean?”
Wei Cheng raised his jaw slightly, and his eyes met theirs, “The mushrooms and fungus in the seafood dry pot are made after soaking and drying, they are not freshly picked.”
Fan He’s pupils shrank, thinking that if it is truly so- the most important thing in the north is mountain products, and mushrooms are a rare thing in winter, if…
“Yes, I agree.” Although the profit margin for Wei Cheng was quite high, he couldn’t resist the proposal.
Wei Cheng toasted him, “Happy cooperation!”
Fan He replied, “Happy cooperation!”
Fan He stayed in Nanshan County for five or six days. In addition to waiting for the sauce to be made, he also learned how to dry goods. After spending so many days with Wei Cheng, he realized that this one person could control such a business.
He was born to be a businessman.
And the rare commodities in the workshop shocked him even more.
Seeing this source of goods, Fan He will definitely not let it go.
Wei Cheng said, “If you want to come next year, I’m afraid I won’t be able to supply you with this batch. Instead, I can give you some for now. As for whether you want to sell it or use it to gain favor, it doesn’t matter.”
Fan He frowned, “Boss Wei can have so many ideas. If the business expands, will it attract powerful people to spy on it?” He is not afraid. Although he is not a powerful person in the North, he has various relationships that can stabilize his business. It would not be coveted, at most, he could give some benefits to those people.
Wei Cheng smiled and said, “If I didn’t have a backer, how can I continue the business?”
Fan He felt relieved.
Fan He and the others had their merchant ship, and on the day they left, Wei Cheng generously gave away hundreds of boxes of pastries for them to take away.
In addition to ordering tens of thousands of catties of sauce, Fan He also bought dozens of glass lamps, thousands of candles, and handmade soap and returned to the North.
The cooperation between Wei Cheng and Fan He laid the foundation for the exchange of goods between North and South.
Thanks for the update
More co-operation!!! More ally (I hope)!
Thank you sooooooo much for the update!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Thank you for the chapter!
I love that Wei Cheng is a business man through and through. He doesn’t compromise long term gain for immediate profit. And cheers to him finding more wife slaves like himself.
Thanks for the chapter!
💘 they’re too cute
New possibilities! (=^w^=)/
Thank You for the new chapter ♡(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)