Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 171 Casting a wide net, catching fish on the spot

The ingredient Chen Xu added to the Crystal Jade Scroll was, of course, MSG.

However, the word "MSG" did not fit the style of the times, so Chen Xu gave MSG another name, calling it "Yunhua Shuang".

After being specially refined by him using the Eight Methods of Spiritual Refining, the monosodium glutamate (MSG) takes on a powdery form like frost and snow, and when light shines on it, it occasionally reflects a jade-like luster.

Its light apricot color with a hint of pale blue made the name "Yunhua Shuang" (Cloud Frost) truly fitting.

When Chen Xu first mentioned Yunhua Frost, Cui Yunqi and the others felt that this item was extraordinary, but they didn't really have many other thoughts.

When Chen Xu took out a small jar and handed it to Chef Sun, instructing her on how to use it, Ning Xingcai was the first among the three to have a flash of inspiration.

He asked in surprise, "Brother Chen, does this thing have such an effect no matter who uses it?"

Chen Xudao said: "Yunhua Frost can enhance freshness and flavor. When placed in the daily kitchen, it is no different from salt and sugar, except that the flavors are different."

But even the best seasonings require the chef's skill and control of the heat; used well, they enhance the dish, but used poorly..."

Chen Xu smiled and said, "It can't turn the rotten into the miraculous."

Ning Xing let out a soft breath, his eyes flickering slightly: "Besides the teahouse, my family also runs a few restaurants. Brother Chen, I wonder if you could sell me a little of your Yunhua Frost?"

“Sell you? What would I do with you?” This time it was Cui Yunqi who spoke.

Cui Yunqi said very rudely, "I'll sell it to you so that your few lousy restaurants can be brought back to life."
"Heh, what price are you willing to offer? Are you buying the Yunhua Cream alone, or the formula?"

Judging from the way he was acting, if Ning Xing dared to say he wanted to buy the formula, Cui Yunqi could immediately kick Ning Xing away.

Ning Xing immediately protested, "Brother Cui, how can you wrong me like this? Putting aside Brother Chen's current reputation, just considering the kindness Brother Chen has shown to my Ning family, how could I, Ning, do something so inappropriate?"

While they were complaining, the group left the kitchen.

Now that we have important business to discuss, we can't just stay in the kitchen.

Magistrate Feng watched the fire from the sidelines, not in a hurry, and simply led everyone to sit in the pavilion in the small garden of the other courtyard.

It is also called serving wine and dishes by servants.

Then, he first inquired about the production time and output of Chen Xuyun Huashuang.

If something is so rare that it can only exist as a scarce commodity, then there is no need to buy, sell, or supply it.

After all, in Feng Yuanbo's view, Chen Xu's primary task now is still to study and take exams.

With the provincial examination just around the corner, how can we waste all the candidates' time and energy on trivial matters?
Of course, Feng Yuanbai was not some aloof, detached person from worldly affairs. As a county magistrate, he understood the importance of money better than anyone.

During the questioning, Chen only said:
"Although the production of Yunhua Frost is somewhat troublesome, the daily usage is small; thirty to fifty catties can supply a restaurant for a month's expenses."

If used in limited quantities and in specific areas, the dosage can be reduced by more than half.

"Limited edition?" This phrase immediately caught Cui Yunqi's attention. His eyes lit up, and he lowered his voice, saying, "A rare commodity?"

Isn't that exactly what it means to hoard rare goods?
Although Chen Xu's original intention was to make MSG known to more people and to bring it into every household, as the saying goes, one must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time.

If you want to speed, you can't reach it.

With his current cultivation level, even if every single person in Yunjiang Prefecture gave him a like every day, how much could he absorb?

If you can't absorb it, blindly expanding is a waste; it's better to proceed steadily and surely.

In the secluded courtyard, Cui Yunqi took the initiative and discussed business with Chen Xu with great interest.

Then he discovered that Chen Xu was also quite insightful in this regard.

For example, dishes with Yunhua Frost added could initially be given as complimentary gifts, exclusively to distinguished guests who spend a certain amount of money at the restaurant each month.

For example, you could design some drinking games, pitch-pot games, or riddles at the restaurant every day, and offer Yunhua series dishes as prizes for people to try.

Alternatively, you could simply place a treasure chest in the lobby of the restaurant.

Customers who have made purchases at the restaurant can draw prizes from the treasure chest, and so on.

With such a multi-pronged approach, once the Yunhua series of dishes gains a reputation, how can the restaurant not thrive?
Chen Xu spoke casually in a few words.

Cui Yunqi couldn't help but sigh, "Brother Chen, it's a pity you're not a merchant, otherwise wouldn't the world have another Tao Zhugong?"

"Brother Cui, please don't flatter me to the point of ruin." Chen Xu smiled.

He said, "Although Tao Zhugong is known as the Sage of Commerce, he did not truly become a sage because of his business dealings."

Running a shop is nothing more than a minor matter.

A master of interpersonal relationships, with friends everywhere, capable of strategizing for a nation when in power, and managing the world when at rest—this is the mark of a true business sage.

"Brother Cui, if this restaurant weren't owned by you, but by me, even with a thousand tricks up my sleeve, I'm afraid I'd find it impossible to move an inch in these seven prefectures of Tiannan."

Chen Xu raised his glass and gave Cui Yunqi a slight nod.

He didn't say it explicitly: Was Tao Zhugong able to become the Sage of Commerce because he was Tao Zhugong?
No, it's because he was once Fan Li, the great general of the Yue Kingdom!
Without extraordinary power and strength, how can one claim to be a business sage?
They'd probably gnaw every last bone fragment away!

In the world of business, the most difficult thing is always starting from nothing.

Once you have a certain amount of capital, you will find that no matter what you do, you will be countless times more successful than others.

But Chen Xu always remembered what his true goal was.

He wasn't after temporary wealth and prosperity, but rather for true power to be bestowed upon him.

Reach the summit, and then look upon the mortal world.

At that time, what in the world will not be readily available?

Therefore, he doesn't care who helps him promote his food, as long as he can balance everything at this moment.

Next, Chen Xu signed various agreements with Cui and Ning related to Yun Huashuang.

Cui Yunqi owns seven restaurants, one in Yunjiang Prefecture, five in counties under Yunjiang Prefecture, and one in Pingyang City, the main city of Tiannan Road!
However, the restaurant in Pingyang City is now in dire straits, struggling to survive, and on the verge of bankruptcy.

Cui Yunqi said confidently, "Brother Chen, this time I will allocate 20% of the profits from all seven restaurants under my name to exchange for the right to purchase Yun Huashuang from you."

As for the price of Yunhua Cream itself, how about setting it at one tael of gold per pound?

Price compared to gold!

Yes, that's Cui Yunqi's purpose.

He wants to make Yunhua Frost more valuable than gold.

Ning Xing listened silently from the side, and could only sigh inwardly. Then he raised his cup and said, "Brother Chen, I am willing to offer two taels of gold per catty to buy Yunhua Frost!" Cui Yunqi immediately snorted coldly and glanced at Ning Xing.

……

In the pavilion, the three discussed the matter point by point, while Magistrate Feng listened from the side, serving as a witness.

As the local official in charge of the county, he was not inclined to "compete with the people for profit," and therefore did not get involved in Yun Huashuang's affairs.

But when he occasionally points out something, he always manages to hit the nail on the head.

In the end, the price of Yunhua Cream was not outrageously set at two taels of gold per catty, but was tentatively agreed upon at one tael of gold per catty.

But is Yunhua Cream really worth an ounce of gold or a pound?

No, its value lies in its rarity!

As for the intangible value behind it, that is impossible to calculate.

This is essentially equivalent to Chen Xu's net worth increasing.

Before he won first place in the provincial examination, he had signed a book publishing fee agreement with Cui and Ning. Even though Cui and Ning were willing to offer a discount, Chen Xu refused to accept it.

Now, Yunhua Frost, which costs an ounce of gold per pound, is being sold by Chen Xu!
After the matter of MSG was settled, Chen Xu took out the first volume of his newly written "Tales of Gods and Ghosts".

None of the people present were businessmen, and although they were still very interested in running a restaurant, their attitudes changed immediately when the book "Tales of Gods and Ghosts" was mentioned.

Feng Yuanbo perked up almost instantly, snatched the fresh manuscript paper, and laughed loudly: "Xuzhi, Xuzhi, do you know how long I've been waiting for your article!"

Amidst hearty laughter, the wind rustled the shadows.

Under the same sky, the rain has cleared up in Yunjiang Prefecture today, but in Linchuan Prefecture, it has been drizzling for ten consecutive days.

On Cuiwei Ridge, the mountain shadows are deep and secluded.

In the misty drizzle, there is a small temple, no more than three feet tall, built beside a rugged mountain path.

Inside the temple sat a statue of a deity, bald and hairless, yet dressed in a Taoist robe.

Despite the rain, villagers offered incense to him as he passed by.

Perhaps due to the increasing popularity of incense offerings, this statue, though made of clay, gradually began to feel like a living person.

On this day, a Taoist priest with white hair and beard came to the clay sculpture carrying a flower hoe.

He stood quietly on the temple steps and sighed softly, "Holy One, you have laid a trap for many years, done good deeds and committed great sins, but have you found the way to immortality?"

The clay sculptures are silent and motionless, like lifeless objects.

The white-haired old Taoist priest, holding a flower hoe in his hand, murmured, "I have been observing the stars lately and have discovered that there is a spiritual energy moving in the south. Unfortunately, the spiritual energy is fleeting and easy to sense, but difficult to track."

What should we do now?

The clay sculpture remained just a clay sculpture, and the white-haired old Taoist priest didn't seem to care, simply continuing to mutter:

"Is it the birth of some divine being, or the emergence of some celestial treasure? I tend to lean towards the latter."

After all, our human race is truly not favored by the Heavenly Dao. Over thousands of years, how many have become immortals, and how many have achieved longevity?

Hehehe, not a single one..."

His laughter, low and menacing, gradually took on a questioning tone:

"There are spirits and monsters among plants, trees, mountains and rocks, who live for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. There are bluebirds and dragon turtles that have gone through the changes of dynasties throughout history."

Through the ages, the pine and crane remain evergreen. But people like you and me, even if we once dominated our generation and amazed the world, are still subject to the pressure of a mere hundred years of lifespan.

What if we live one, two, or three more lives?

It's still not enough. It's only been a few hundred years. Compared to the vastness of heaven and earth, how is it any different from a mayfly?

Why, why is it that we humans, born as the most intelligent beings, surpass all other creatures, are denied immortality?
Are you resigned to this? Your Majesty, are you resigned to this?

brush--

Before the words had even faded, the old Taoist priest suddenly raised the small hoe in his hand.

A hoe suddenly burst into the temple and smashed down on the seated clay sculpture.

Just as the hoe was about to smash down, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck down from the sky, heading straight for the old Taoist priest.

"Ouch!" the old Taoist priest exclaimed in surprise.

Then he suddenly charged towards the lightning, laughing loudly: "What do I have to fear from mere lightning?"

Without dodging or avoiding, the hoe in his hand fell like a mountain collapsing.

boom!
As the lightning struck, the clay sculpture was also smashed to pieces by a hoe.

Bang bang bang!
At the same time, a bolt of lightning struck the old Taoist priest, causing his hair and beard to stand on end, and tearing his Taoist robe in two.

But the old Taoist priest himself was completely unharmed; he just kept smashing the hoe, which fell like a storm.

They smashed the already broken clay sculpture into pieces of dust.

Finally, braving the almost endless lightning, the old Taoist priest used his hoe to pick out a small, round, amber-colored bead that looked like glass from a pile of dust.

As the last bolt of lightning was about to strike, the old Taoist priest pointed his hoe at the sky.

boom--

The thunderclouds in the sky seemed to be struck by an invisible, enormous force.

However, the thunderclouds dissipated in an instant.

The old Taoist priest laughed heartily, carrying a flower hoe in his right hand and a glass bead in his left, as he strode across the mountain path.

"I wish to relinquish this body and ascend to the path of immortality as soon as possible. May I forever depart from the three evil paths and bid farewell to the five sufferings."

The old Taoist priest walked and sang: "Boats surge from the seabed, high waves ride the Penglai. Immortals emerge from the clouds, and all that can be seen are golden and silver terraces."

I too have braved the waves and soared through the seas; the trials and tribulations of time shall not afflict me!

He held up the glass bead and suddenly began chanting an incantation: "In the beginning, all things were in harmony, and purple energy came from the east. The Big Dipper shines upon my spiritual altar..."

"Where does this divine inspiration come from? Go away!"

(End of this chapter)