Chapter 64: Contractual Supply Agreement

While it's true that accepting treats can make one more agreeable, the boy modestly pointed out, "Ma'am, I'm just a junior apprentice here, in charge of washing dishes and other menial tasks."

Sangluo curved her eyes, took a clean lotus leaf from the basket, and swiftly used her chopsticks to pick out several pieces from the clay pot. The vegetarian tripe, now appealingly seasoned, looked even more tantalizing against the green backdrop of the lotus leaf.

She prepared about half a bowl's worth before setting the chopsticks down, wrapping it all in the leaf, and handing it to the boy. "You don't need to do anything else, just pass a message to your manager for me. Just let me meet him, and all of this is yours as a token of my gratitude. How does that sound?"

How does it sound?

Of course, it's very tempting.

The flavor from the bite earlier was too good, and sadly there were only two pieces. He hadn’t had nearly enough.

Wiping his hands, the boy accepted the leaf-wrapped package. "Okay, wait here."

The restaurant also served breakfast, but it was relatively quiet in the morning. The boy peeked into the kitchen, noticed the head chef’s back turned, and quickly slipped in and out, then headed to the main hall.

He stood by a red column, eyeing the hall and staircase, and when he spotted a waiter coming down from the second floor, he beckoned him over with a 'hey'.

The waiter approached, a bit puzzled. "Why are you out here instead of the kitchen?"

"Brother, can you take me to the manager to deliver a message?"

The waiter scoffed, "You're delivering a message to the manager now? Moving up in the world."

Frowning, the waiter dismissed him, "Our manager is busy. Not just anyone can approach him. Go back to your work."

As the waiter started to leave, the boy quickly pulled him back. "No, brother, it's something important. A young lady outside the kitchen brought some homemade food and asked if the manager might be interested. I tried it, and it's really delicious. This could be a hit on our menu."

As he started to show the leaf-wrapped package to his brother, his ear was promptly pinched. "You're bold, bringing homemade food to the manager, bypassing the kitchen. Aren't you afraid of the head chef giving you trouble?"

The boy grimaced, protecting his ear, and the waiter chuckled, "Stop pretending; I'm not pulling that hard."

The boy laughed, "I'm not learning cooking under him. I just wash dishes in the kitchen. Getting noticed by the manager might get me a spot in the front hall. Why fear the head chef?"

"And this really tastes good. Brother, try a piece. Our restaurant doesn't have this kind of snack."

Finally, he opened the lotus leaf wrap and showed it to his brother, picking up a piece and putting it towards his brother’s mouth, then eagerly watched him, "Taste it and see if I’m lying."

The waiter chewed thoughtfully, impressed, "Hey, this is actually really good."

Glancing down at it, he realized it was a snack he had never seen before. He examined it from different angles, unsure, "Kind of resembles beef tripe?"

Yet, it tasted distinct.

The boy nodded, "Exactly, but it feels fresher and more delicious."

The waiter became serious now, realizing the potential of this food. "If it's something like this, then perhaps I should indeed take you to the manager. These days, cows can’t be slaughtered easily, and even our restaurant, with its supply channels, rarely gets beef, let alone tripe."

With that realization, he chuckled, "Smart move, kid. You've done something right this time."

This could definitely leave a good impression with the manager.

"Let’s go. Bring this lotus leaf package. I’ll take you there. Be smart when you talk to the manager."

The boy nodded eagerly and both brothers headed towards the front counter.

The older youth, evidently a long-time employee at Dongfu Restaurant, seemed quite familiar with the manager. He whispered something to the manager and gestured towards his brother. The manager looked over and nodded, prompting the elder to call his brother over.

The lotus leaf package was presented again, and the manager examined it closely. The elder brother quickly fetched chopsticks and handed them over. The manager tasted a piece, raised his eyebrows in approval, put down the chopsticks, and asked, “Is the person outside the back kitchen?”

The boy responded with a smile.

The manager then said with a smile, “Let's go, lead me to them and invite them in.”

He was going to personally invite the guest.

……

Manager Xu of Dongfu Restaurant, in his early forties, had light eyebrows and small eyes, a square face with a wide mouth; his features weren’t particularly attractive. When Sang Luo first saw him, the phrase ‘kind and benevolent’ came to mind.

The boy introduced Sang Luo, and under the watchful eyes of the kitchen staff, she was invited into a private room of Dongfu Restaurant, along with the head chef.

A plate of her vegetarian tripe was served on the table in the private room. Manager Xu invited the head chef to taste it as well and then inquired, “Madam Sang, what is this dish called?”

What he really wanted to know was, what was this dish made of?

Of course, realizing that neither they as restaurant owners nor their chefs could recognize it, he opted for a different way of asking.

"You can just call it 'vegetarian tripe'," Sang Luo suggested to Manager Xu.

Chef Yu had been scrutinizing the dish, tasting three pieces already. Hearing this name, he nodded in agreement, "The texture and appearance resemble tripe due to the slicing technique, and the taste is quite similar too. 'Vegetarian tripe' is indeed an apt name."

As he spoke, he tried to deduce the original form of the ingredient in his mind. Although the cutting technique was identifiable, he couldn't discern what the primary ingredient was.

He exchanged a glance with Manager Xu and silently shook his head.

Manager Xu understood, smiling at Sang Luo, "I shouldn't inquire about the ingredients, but as restaurant operators, food safety is our top priority. This dish of yours poses no such concerns, right?"

Sang Luo promptly assured, "Of course, I wouldn’t dare to sell anything inedible. I can’t bear such a responsibility."

Manager Xu nodded with a smile, "That's reassuring to hear."

He then asked with a smile, "May I know how much you charge for this vegetarian tripe?"

Sang Luo, hiding her nervousness, confidently faced the smiling manager, "How about selling it by weight? I won’t ask for much, just 18 wen per jin. What do you think?"

She had initially intended to sell it in jars at pastry shops, but after observing the pastry shops in the county and noticing they all sold traditional pastries, she realized her vegetarian tripe would be out of place and might not sell well, prompting her to consider the restaurant.

Since she was bringing it to a restaurant, jar packaging was unnecessary, but Sang Luo was desperately in need of money, hence her bold pricing, almost equating it to premium pork.

Manager Xu chuckled, aware that people often claim they’re not asking for much right before quoting a steep price. He observed Sang Luo, "The price for your vegetarian tripe matches that of high-quality pork."

Sang Luo kept smiling, "Meat has its own flavor, and this vegetarian tripe has its charm. Each has its merits, don't they? Besides, pork is readily available in any butcher shop, but not this vegetarian tripe."

Furthermore, those who can afford to dine in this restaurant are less likely to eat pork and more apt to eat lamb, as it fits their status.

Indeed, in this time and space, the wealthy rarely prefer pork, similar to ancient China, where pigs were not castrated, leaving the meat with an unavoidable and difficult-to-remove odor or sour taste. Skilled chefs could mitigate this through certain cooking techniques and seasonings, but most people either didn’t know how or didn’t have the means.

Hence, it was mostly the poor who consumed pork.

Therefore, pricing this vegetarian tripe at the same level as high-quality pork was actually not overly expensive.

Manager Xu's interest, however, lay in the last point. Being a businessman, he understood seizing opportunities well, "Would Miss Sang grant me exclusive rights to sell it?"

Sang Luo neither agreed nor denied outright, pondering for a moment before saying, "It depends on the quantity. After all, I rely on this for a living, right? A daily exclusive supply of three to five jin wouldn’t suffice for my household’s needs."

In truth, the amount Sang Luo had quoted, even three to five jin a day, would be a considerable sum for a small rural farmer – earning between 54 to 90 wen a day, if not a fortune, then what is?

How could one possibly earn that much from farming alone?

Yet, for Manager Xu, who ran a restaurant in the county, asking for an exclusive deal for just a few dozen wen a day seemed audacious.

Hence, Manager Xu also laughed, exchanging glances with Chef Yu before turning back to Sang Luo, "We can’t promise much at the beginning, as it's just one dish. Let's start with no less than ten jin per day and restrict sales to our restaurant only. How about that? We can adjust later based on sales."

Ten jin.

That's 180 wen a day, and in ten days, it would amount to 1,800 wen.

With the money earned from selling tofu, Sang Luo should be able to pay the taxes within twelve days without any issue.

She wasn't greedy, as producing more than she could handle would be impractical, considering the time and effort required to make konjac tofu. Earning money wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Moreover, while konjac was abundant in the mountains, it wasn’t limitless. The plants near the village had already been harvested, and she would have to venture deeper for more. Even with snake repellent, the deeper parts of the mountains posed too many dangers, which she dared not confront.

Thankfully, konjac's water-absorbing quality was remarkable; one jin of konjac could produce eight jin of konjac tofu. Providing ten jin per day to Dong Fu Restaurant seemed manageable for Sang Luo at present.

So, she nodded, "Alright, a verbal agreement won’t suffice. Shall we draft a contract?"

Creating a contract in business was familiar to Manager Xu, but he was surprised by Sang Luo’s proposal, wondering if she could read and write, which would be uncommon for someone of her apparent background.

Manager Xu refrained from asking directly and summoned a clerk to draft the contract. The clerk prepared ink and paper, and they began formulating the contract terms.

A contract was a safeguard for both parties. Manager Xu desired exclusive selling rights, while Sang Luo sought a guaranteed daily sales volume. She made sure not to restrict herself, clarifying that the daily ten jin was a guarantee from Manager Xu, but she only committed to exclusive selling rights during the contract term, without promising a minimum daily supply.

This requirement needed to be clearly stated in the contract.

Manager Xu was taken aback by her request.

Sang Luo explained with a smile, "One can’t always predict human limitations. This contract secures your exclusive selling rights and the sales volume you must achieve while I grant you these rights. As for other conditions, I can’t impose too many restrictions on myself."

Would she be liable for compensation if she couldn't supply the goods?

Sang Luo wasn’t willing to make such a commitment for mountain goods.

She reassured Manager Xu, "If I can't supply the goods, I'll inform you a day in advance, and you can then remove the dish from the menu."

Manager Xu realized that Sang Luo was not only literate but also quite shrewd in setting up the contract, preemptively pointing out and avoiding potential risks.

He instructed the clerk to write down the contract as discussed, finalizing other details. Near the end, Sang Luo requested to add a six-month duration to the exclusive selling contract.

“No ulterior motive, just that every collaboration should have a timeframe. If it works, we continue; if not, we part ways. This adds security for both parties, right? If it's a pleasant cooperation, we can renew it after expiration.”

Manager Xu, the clerk, and the observing chef: “…”

It's said that buyers can never outwit sellers. Manager Xu, though benevolent in appearance, has been a shrewd businessman for twenty years. Today, he met his match in this young lady.

Despite her youth, she handled matters with exceptional experience and acumen.

Manager Xu, amused, agreed: "Absolutely, Miss Sang's points are valid. Let's make it six months, and I'm confident we can renew it afterward."

Manager Xu was confident in his ability to maintain relationships. He believed that after six months, under similar conditions, Sang Luo would naturally choose to continue collaborating with him. As for other homes offering higher prices, it was Sang Luo's safeguard and nothing to fuss about. They would renegotiate then.

He instructed the clerk to add the duration clause.

Manager Xu then suggested to Sang Luo: “Just one thing, you can prepare the konjac tofu as a semi-finished product. Our chefs will handle the final steps, whether it’s served cold or stir-fried, potentially increasing sales. With this, could you consider lowering the price a bit?”

Sang Luo certainly didn’t think her culinary skills surpassed the restaurant's chefs. Moreover, her ingredients were no match for Dong Fu Restaurant's quality and variety. Aware of her limitations, she found Manager Xu’s suggestion reasonable.

After a brief thought, she replied, “Let's make it seventeen wen per jin. The cost of spices isn’t much for me, so this one wen difference can be an extra concession for Manager Xu.”

Manager Xu laughed heartily: “Agreed. Let's officially start the supply in three days. On that day, deliver ten jin of konjac tofu to our kitchen and settle the account with our clerk.”

Looking at the pottery basin Sang Luo brought, he added, “Of course, we’ll also purchase what you've brought today.”

Hearing that the supply would start in three days, Sang Luo calculated this meant losing 510 wen in potential earnings.

Sang Luo understood that for a restaurant, it's natural to be cautious with an unfamiliar dish. Buying her offerings today and waiting three days for new supplies allowed the restaurant staff, and perhaps even some small animals, to test the food first.

If all went well, the new dish would be introduced in three days.

Sang Luo readily agreed. Missing out on a few hundred wen was not going to stop her from gathering the needed 3,388 wen. Besides selling tofu, she had other income sources like sour jujube cakes, so she wasn't worried.

After finalizing the deal, her food was taken for weighing. It amounted to 23.5 jin, all purchased by Manager Xu at 18 wen per jin, amounting to 423 wen in total.

Two copies of the newly drafted contract were prepared, and both Sang Luo and Manager Xu signed and sealed them. Once the ink dried, each kept a copy.

When the money arrived, Sang Luo’s purse was already full.

As she awkwardly tried to stuff the money into her sleeves, Manager Xu noticed and had the clerk fetch a sturdier money bag, which he handed to Sang Luo.

The new money bag was far superior to Sang Luo's own, sturdier to withstand the weight of the coins.

Impressed, Sang Luo remarked, “This is much more refined than mine. As a token of gratitude, let me gift you something in return.”

She then rummaged through her carrying basket.

Inside her seemingly small basket, neatly organized, was another pottery basin underneath a square board, containing a few pieces of tofu she had brought specially.

Manager Xu, recognizing the tofu, smiled, “Is this the tofu and immortal tofu sold in the eastern market? You sell these as well, Miss Sang?”