Chapter 79: Hesitations and Renewed Cooperation

A moment ago, Yan Shopkeeper was still baffled, thinking there were only two jars. How could that be enough to sell!?!?

But the next instant, his attention shifted. Leaning over to see, he uttered the same curious sound as the shop girls, “Huh?”

As someone skilled in making desserts, Sang Luo had a particular sensitivity to food. Despite the contents of the jar appearing dark and unidentifiable, the key point was — she had never seen it before!

With an exceptionally keen sense of smell, Yan Shopkeeper, even from a distance, faintly detected a delicate sweet aroma.

Sang Luo really felt like massaging her temples.

She had miscalculated. One jar of zhijujube sugar was filled to the brim, preventing the lid from being securely fastened. As a result, she had placed it on top, while the jujube cakes were at the bottom.

She only intended for a simple relocation, never expecting her jujube cakes at Yongfeng Zhai to sell out, causing Yan Shopkeeper and the shop girls to react so excitedly upon seeing her 'product'.

Their actions were so swift that she didn’t even have a chance to react.

"Miss Sang, is this also one of your edible products?" Yan Shopkeeper leaned in closer to inspect, the sweet aroma growing more intense.

Could Sang Luo really deny it?

Denying it now would be problematic since she planned to sell it in the streets and alleys of the county. It wasn't something she could hide, and if Yan Shopkeeper found out later, how would they continue their interactions? How would they continue their relationship?

She had no choice but to nod.

Yan Shopkeeper's eyes lit up and he asked with a smile, “May I scoop a bit to taste?”

What else could Sang Luo do? She nodded with a smile, “Of course.”

The shop girl, quick-witted as ever, had already gone inside to fetch a small bowl and spoon, returning shortly to hand them to Yan Shopkeeper.

As someone in the food business, they were particularly meticulous about cleanliness – the spoon was dry and spotless, not a drop of water on it.

Yan Shopkeeper didn’t scoop much, just a little bit, and while scooping, he inquired of Sang Luo, “Is this eaten as is, or is there a special way to consume it?”

“You can eat it directly or dilute it with water.”

Yan Shopkeeper raised his eyebrows, held the bowl containing the dark brown paste, examined its color and texture closely, and upon taking a closer whiff of its enticing sweet aroma, he tasted a bit and immediately turned to Sang Luo, “Is this sugar?”

His tone, filled with surprise and excitement, made Sang Luo almost want to sigh.

She had never intended to sell this item to Yongfeng Zhai.

Sugar was exceedingly precious in these times. There was no such thing as white sugar, only malt sugar and honey, and then there was sugarcane juice.

Yes, sugarcane juice.

Daqian Dynasty had sugarcane, but no one knew how to make sugar from it; it was consumed as a relatively upscale fruit.

Now, she knew how to make sugar, and a kind that others had never seen before.

She had only seen one zhijujube tree and could make a bit of sugar from it, but not much. Selling a small amount on the streets to ordinary folks seemed fine to Sang Luo, as they wouldn't overthink it.

But for a well-established business like Yongfeng Zhai, they would definitely not overlook its value—the method of making sugar.

Sang Luo wanted to earn some money, but not at the cost of inviting trouble.

Although her interaction with them over the past period made her realize that the backers of Yongfeng Zhai were not the type to disregard the law and commit wrongdoings just for a recipe.

But why invite trouble if it can be avoided, right?

It was her own oversight.

As Yan Shopkeeper asked his question and observed Sang Luo's reaction, thinking back to her instinctive response when the shop girls unexpectedly brought the sugar to the counter, he understood something.

He put down the bowl, glanced at Sang Luo, and suddenly smiled, “Miss Sang, how about we have a talk in the back, shall we?”

At this point, Sang Luo naturally wouldn't refuse. Upon Yan Shopkeeper's subtle signal, two maids promptly secured the lids on the jars of syrup and carried them into a small hall in the back for guests.

Regarding the crystal jujube cakes, Sang Luo stated, "There are a total of 368 pieces. Please feel free to count and box them as you take the jars."

She left the tasks to the two maids.

The maids, well-mannered, went about their tasks—one left to package the crystal jujube cakes, while the other served tea to Sang Luo and Yan Shopkeeper before retreating.

Once alone, Yan Shopkeeper smiled at Sang Luo, "Miss Sang, are you concerned that we might want your sugar-making recipe?"

Sharp as ever.

Sang Luo sighed, "I won't hide it from you; I can't supply much of this product. It's too hard to make in large quantities, so I planned to sell it in the streets a few times and leave it at that."

She didn't deny Yan Shopkeeper's earlier assumption.

Yan Shopkeeper chuckled, "The recipe for making sugar is indeed tantalizing. Haven't you considered that selling in the streets might attract attention too?"

What else to do? Ignore the opportunity to earn money right before one's eyes?

Candid as always, Sang Luo replied with a smile, "Driven by necessity."

Their conversation, seemingly disconnected at first glance, actually conveyed the intended messages quite clearly.

Sang Luo was unwilling to sell the recipe, but she did need money.

Yan Shopkeeper smiled, "Miss Sang, perhaps you're not fully aware of the county's situation?"

Sang Luo raised an eyebrow, "Are you referring to your employer's situation?"

Yan Shopkeeper nodded, "Yes. Although Yongfeng Zhai is a well-established brand, our employer is merely a common wealthy family. In this county, they're far from having absolute power or reaching the extent you might be imagining."

Her words hinted at the very concerns that lingered in Sang Luo's mind.

Sang Luo's eyebrows twitched slightly. Yan Shopkeeper added, "Moreover, Miss Sang, although you haven't met our employer in person, you have, in fact, conducted business with us. Let me assure you, our employer is a reputable person, not one to resort to unscrupulous means for profit. So, if, as you say, you can produce this sugar in limited quantities, why not consider selling it exclusively to us?"

Sang Luo narrowed her eyes slightly, "How so?"

Yan Shopkeeper explained, "Because, Miss Sang, your earlier concerns are valid. The recipe for making sugar indeed could attract unwanted attention. Our employer might not covet it, but that doesn't mean others won't. I can vouch for our employer's integrity, but that's just my word, and it's hard for you to trust me entirely."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"The reason is that if Yongfeng Zhai were to sell this sugar openly, our employer couldn't protect the recipe either. Since neither of us can guard it, we might as well collaborate."

Sang Luo's eyes sparkled slightly, "Are you suggesting using it in pastries?"

Yan Shopkeeper burst into a smile, openly admiring, "Miss Sang, you are indeed astute!"

"By using it in pastries, outsiders won’t discern how we made them, nor will they suspect it's due to a unique sugar source. For our shop, this means an array of unique desserts difficult for others to replicate. For you, Miss Sang, selling to us is safe and hassle-free. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement for both you and Yongfeng Zhai."

After finishing her proposal, she looked at Sang Luo with a smile, "Miss Sang, don’t you think this is a safer option than selling it on the streets, with less risk of complications?"

Sang Luo pondered and realized the truth in those words.

Tapping her fingers unconsciously on the armrest of her chair, Sang Luo took a moment before responding, "I can't guarantee a continuous supply, and the amount I can produce is limited. Is that alright?"

Yan Shopkeeper shook her head, "Although it's a bit of a pity, it's not a problem. Not all our pastries are available throughout the year."

This limitation is often due to the seasonal nature of raw materials, which is understandable.

Sang Luo smiled in agreement, "Alright, then I'll deliver this black sugar directly to your shop in the future."

Yan Shopkeeper also smiled, "And the price?"

Sang Luo replied with a smile, "Honestly, before coming here, I bought a measuring horn for the liquor. Given the high material cost of this sugar, I initially set the price similar to honey, forty wen per horn. But for a bulk collaboration like this, I won't charge that much. How about thirty wen per horn?"

Yan Shopkeeper, well aware of the pricing differences between small and bulk purchases, found Sang Luo's price reasonable and nodded, "That's acceptable. How long can this black sugar be stored?"

Sang Luo explained the approximate shelf life and storage precautions. Yan Shopkeeper then called for someone to bring clean jars and a measuring horn from the shop.

She then said to Sang Luo with a smile, "Let's use the measuring horn from our shop, it's the same as yours. We use it regularly and keep it well-cleaned, so there's no need for you to wash it again."

Sang Luo had no objections to this arrangement.

From one and a half jars of Jujube Sugar, Sang Luo received 2,190 wen, and with the 368 wen from the sale of Crystal Candy, the total came to 2,558 wen.

Yan Shopkeeper directly paid her with two liang of silver and an additional 158 wen in copper coins.

This was the second time Sang Luo had received a silver ingot. It was much more convenient than copper coins, but unfortunately, she couldn't keep it for long as it would all be spent before even leaving the county town that day.

Before leaving, Yan Shopkeeper repeatedly asked Sang Luo to bring more Crystal Candy. Sang Luo suggested, "Making Crystal Candy is quite laborious. We can't produce it in large quantities. Recently, we've been making more due to a need for silver at home. The next one or two batches will maintain this supply level, but I can't promise the same amount afterward. It's too taxing. I'd recommend the shop to sell it in limited quantities each day, to extend the selling period for each batch."

The supply of sour jujubes is limited. Although Sang Luo could explore more places, even remote mountains near human settlements, sour jujubes aren't always available. She needed to stockpile some for herself to manage the supply over time, blurring the actual seasonal availability of sour jujube cakes. Therefore, once she no longer needed the money urgently, she planned to only deliver half of her production, around 200 out of 400 pieces, to Yan Shopkeeper, giving a heads-up in advance.

Yan Shopkeeper: "..."

Yan Shopkeeper was momentarily perplexed. From her standpoint as a buyer, it was unusual for a supplier to suggest buying less.

She had considered that the limitation might be due to raw materials. Seeing Sang Luo also selling tofu and making sugar, and considering the recent introduction of a unique dish at Dongfu Tower - vegetarian tripe - Yan Shopkeeper suspected that might be Sang Luo's supply.

If that were the case, Sang Luo indeed juggled many tasks.

With a small family, it would indeed be hard to manage everything.

Nodding, she said, "Alright, I understand your family is busy. Just try to make as much as you can for us."

She escorted Sang Luo, engaging in friendly conversation to strengthen their relationship.

Sang Luo responded with a smile to all of this.

When she left Yongfeng Zhai with her empty carrying basket, she couldn't help but laugh at the unused liquor spout she had bought.

Walking briskly towards the East Market, she collected the receipts from Qin Fangniang for the tofu delivered to Dongfu Tower that morning. As it was still early, she told Qin Fangniang she would head home after completing her errands and then proceeded towards Dongfu Tower.

Sang Luo had managed to pay off six liang of silver in less than half a month, earning the respect and admiration of Manager Xu and the accountant.

In fact, seeing Sang Luo in new clothes, and knowing that she had resettled here after being a refugee, Manager Xu could guess that she had also recently had to buy clothes and quilts.

Despite these expenses, she managed to repay the money so quickly.

They were genuinely impressed!

After confirming and destroying the promissory note, Sang Luo felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She thanked Manager Xu and inquired about the grain shop's current situation before taking her leave.

Yesterday was the final deadline for paying land taxes, and after the 15th, this morning, the grain shops limited purchases to only five liters per person.

Sighing, Sang Luo went to the fabric store and spent all two liang of silver on cotton, acquiring two large bags of it, an impressive sight. She asked for some cloth strips from the store clerk to secure them in her basket.

Carrying the basket, which looked more impressive than it was heavy, Sang Luo next visited the salt store.

The store owner, seeing her laden with goods, assumed she was a significant customer. However, Sang Luo, appearing hesitant and lowering her voice as if harboring a secret, asked the owner, "Do you sell brine salt here?"

But in a regular salt shop, why would there be brine salt for sale?

Indeed, in this era, the poor far outnumber the rich. Those who can't afford salt and have to resort to using brine are not uncommon.

The shopkeeper glanced at Sang Luo's thin clothes and then at her carrying basket. Although the basket didn't reveal much, his eyes traveled downward and noticed Sang Luo's shoes, patched several times over. After a quick look around, he nodded.