bookrandom Chapter 76 Discovering Sugarcane, Preparing to Make Sugar
Chapter 76 Discovering Sugarcane, Preparing to Make Sugar
Although he loves food, he never overeats, but he ate several pieces in a row.
Lin Chang'er, worried that he might get tired of the food, helped him serve a bowl of Yuzhu Old Duck Soup and handed it to him, saying, "Young Master Bai, have some soup to cleanse your palate."
Bai Shaoan didn't stand on ceremony with her. He thanked her, took a big sip, slapped his thigh, and said, "It's delicious! Third Brother, Uncle Pei, you should try it too. It's even better than what our restaurant's chef makes."
"Young Master Bai is too kind. These are just some simple home-cooked dishes. How can they compare to those of a professional chef in a restaurant?" Lin Chang'er said, serving Pei Sihai and Wu Qingfeng a bowl of water each.
"You're too modest, Miss Lin." Bai Shaoan genuinely thought it tasted delicious.
The kid at the children's table next to them also spoke up.
Gu Xiaoman said sweetly, "Xiaoman's aunt cooks the best."
"That's right, Little Deer's mother is the best cook, Uncle Li, don't you think?"
With his mouth full of fried small fish, Zhou Li mumbled, "Of course, I can eat ten bowls of the dishes my third sister-in-law makes."
Aunt Zhou scolded her son, "You little rascal, can you even earn enough money for 10 bowls of rice in one night? Your sister-in-law's rice falls from the sky, and you want 10 bowls? You're dreaming..."
The children burst into laughter at the table.
Zhou Li wasn't annoyed. He chewed and swallowed the fried small fish. "Mother, you're just jealous that your third sister-in-law cooks better than you."
"You brat..." Aunt Zhou's face flushed as she was told that.
Lin Chang'er quickly chimed in, "Auntie, don't take it seriously. Kids always think other people's food tastes better than their own. They'll get tired of it in a few days and then they'll remember how good yours is."
Aunt Zhou chuckled, "Chang'er, don't try to comfort me. I know my own limitations. I'm definitely not as good as you at cooking."
The children's table was noisy and they were fighting over food, while the adults' table was peaceful.
The only similarity was that when the banquet ended, all 18 dishes on both tables were completely eaten.
Bai Shaoan went out while supporting his pregnant belly, and walked around the courtyard several times before he was able to sit down.
Lin Chang'er was originally going to help clear the dishes, but Aunt Zhou kicked her out, saying, "You promised that Xiao Hua and I would help. If you don't keep your word, we won't dare to eat here again next time."
Sister-in-law Xiaohua chimed in, "That's right, that's right. Sister Chang'er, you have guests here, so hurry up and entertain them. I can wash all these dishes by myself."
Sister-in-law Gu chimed in, "There's also me and Mom. There are four of us, so you don't need to worry."
Lin Chang'er then took the water to the yard, and the Gu brothers took out two bundles of green long poles from their baskets and gave one to each of the children.
They took some more from the backyard, washed it with well water, cut it into pieces with a kitchen knife, arranged it on a plate, and served it.
"We don't have much to offer you at home, but this is a sweet stalk native to our mountain. Please have a taste, our three distinguished guests."
Lin Chang'er only realized what was going on when the Gu brothers placed the two plates of sugarcane on the stone table. What sugarcane? Wasn't this wild sugarcane?
What was I thinking about at the grain and oil shop this morning? Making my own sugar, wouldn't that provide all the ingredients?
Lin Chang'er quickly picked up a small piece and bit off the outer skin. It was very sweet, but a bit hard compared to the green sugarcane of later generations. However, it should be very sweet.
Lin Chang'er asked excitedly, "Big brother, second brother, are there many of these things on the mountain?"
Gu Dalang nodded, "There's a whole lot of it!"
Gu Erlang chimed in, "If your sister-in-law likes it, I'll go with my older brother to cut another bundle tomorrow."
Lin Chang'er quickly replied, "Okay, then I'll have to trouble you, elder brother and second brother."
After exchanging a few more polite words, the Gu brothers went about their work.
Seeing Lin Chang'er's excited expression, Bai Shaoan assumed it was some kind of novel wild fruit and tried it as well. It was sweet, but it was a bit tough on the teeth.
He said, "This thing is a bit of a hassle to chew. I've had a softer version before. If you like it, Lin-meimei, I'll have someone bring you some later."
Lin Chang'er's eyes widened. So, people in this era were already growing soft-skinned sugarcane?
Lin Chang'er then said, "That's great! If Young Master Bai has any connections, could you help me buy more with the knots on them?"
Wu Qingfeng asked astutely, "Is there a specific reason for this?"
Lin Chang'er pursed her lips. Although this was a trade secret, if she could get these three people in front of her to invest, she could save a lot of trouble in terms of sales channels.
Moreover, if she wants to grow sugarcane, she needs to lease or purchase a large amount of land, which requires a significant initial investment.
As long as you master the technology, other problems shouldn't be too difficult.
So she told the truth: "Young Master Wu has helped me so much today, and Uncle Pei is my business partner, so I won't hide it from you."
This sweet potato stalk can be used to make sugar, and its joints are the seeds.
"You want to make candy?" Wu Qingfeng's eyes lit up.
Lin Chang'er nodded, "Yes."
"Lin Daiyu, do you know how to make candy?" Bai Shaoan also became interested.
Lin Chang'er said, "My father saw others do it when he was studying abroad in his early years, so it's not difficult."
"Take one with me, take one with me!" Bai Shaoan became excited. He tugged at Pei Sihai's sleeve. "Uncle Pei, Uncle Pei, look how nice the environment is in Linshui Village. Let's come here and buy a couple of acres of land, build a few houses, and be neighbors with Lin Daiyu."
"It's great that I can come over for a meal every now and then."
Wu Qingfeng, standing to the side, felt inexplicably disappointed. Ninghai County was just a transitional area for him; he was ultimately going back to the capital.
Lin Chang'er didn't notice the change in his expression, and just smiled and said, "That's great, Young Master Bai can come and help me with my work when he has nothing to do."
"No problem! As long as meals are included." Bai Shaoan had already started thinking about how big the house should be.
At this moment, Wu Qingfeng reminded her, "If Miss Lin wants to expand her business, remember to register with the county government."
Lin Chang'er nodded, "I know, thank you for reminding me, Young Master Wu."
Wu Qingfeng added, "If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask Uncle Pei."
Lin Chang'er quickly agreed. At this moment, she also noticed that Wu Qingfeng's mood was off, but after thinking about it, she couldn't think of anything that might have offended him.
He continued, "To be honest with you all, I really want to ask if you are interested in doing sugar business with me."
As you three have seen, I am powerless to do many things, even if I want to.
If the three of you are willing to mentor me, I can guarantee that the profits will be substantial.
"If the three of you have the connections, we can also expand the seafood business inland."
Upon hearing her intention, Wu Qingfeng's eyes lit up. If they did business together, they would stay in touch as long as the business continued.
Although it was inconvenient for him to participate personally...
Pei Sihai was also secretly pleased. With the example of sashimi before him, he believed that Lin Chang'er must have some real skills.
As for Bai Shaoan, he has a noble title and is supported by the imperial court, so he is not short of money. But who would complain about having too much money?
He immediately made the decision, saying, "My grandmother worries every day that I have nothing to do and am a nuisance! If I do business with Lin Daiyu, she will definitely be happy."
After saying that, he looked expectantly at Wu Qingfeng and Pei Sihai.
Land in the capital is incredibly valuable, so if you're going to do business, you're bound to make money off the people in the capital. But the Bai family has been away from the capital for a long time, so they still have to rely on the Wu and Pei families for connections...