Chapter 36

(Three Rivers, oh comrades, we need to reach a height! I need all your votes, recommendation votes, and Three Rivers votes, thank you!!)

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After finishing his words, Chuanfu took out a thick stack of Jiaozi (paper money) from his chest and said, "In total, it's 120 guan, of which 80 guan is to repay the loan to Master's family, and 40 guan is this month's interest. Saint Hall.com"

Chen Ke took out a brand new Jiaozi and began to caress it carefully. This was the world's earliest anti-counterfeiting currency, made from the finest light yellow mulberry bark paper, with complex patterns and the face value printed in red and black ink. It also had the shop's seal and each family's secret code as a private mark. On this small piece of paper, great effort was put into it, which is why one can judge the printing level of an era by its currency.

'If it were real gold and silver, it would be even better...' He sighed inwardly, counted out 40, and pushed the rest back, saying, "Don't act like you've suddenly become rich. There's no need to repay the loan yet; you still have many expenses ahead."

"Hmm..." Chuanfu, who had reached a point of blind trust in Chen Ke, put the money away and said, "I'll calculate the interest for Master."

"The interest still needs to be calculated..." Chen Ke nodded, scolding with a stern face, "If you calculate it so clearly with me, don't come to my door in the future!" Thinking about the months of full dedication finally starting to pay off, he naturally felt very happy and spoke in a playful manner.

"Each thing has its place. Borrowing from outsiders requires interest, how can we let our own people suffer?" Chuanfu shook his head and changed the topic, "Master, there's something I need your decision on."

"Speak." Chen Ke smiled at Chuanfu, wondering why he looked more and more like a god of wealth.

"Mr. Lu from Lu Family Restaurant has visited my home several times." Chuanfu glanced at Chen Ke, afraid he would be angry, "He wants to learn how to stir-fry..."

"What do you think?" Chen Ke took a sip of orange wine and asked with narrowed eyes.

"Master, I..." Chuanfu had a conflicted look, "I used to hate him, but now I don't hate him anymore." He scratched his head, his face full of confusion, "I always thought that one day, when I turned things around, I would step on him, but now, I can't even muster the interest. I don't know why."

"This shows that you are no longer on the same level." Chen Ke smiled, "As the saying goes, 'Climb Mount Tai and the world seems small...' Of course, you are now just a small Qing Shen."

"Then what should I do?"

"That depends on whether there is still any enmity between you..." Chen Ke said lightly.

"To be honest, there's no personal enmity, just business rivalry." Chuanfu thought for a moment, "Mainly it's about poaching staff, forcing me to sell the restaurant at a low price, and causing a disturbance on the opening day... These are all open confrontations, not underhanded tricks." In fact, this wasn't because Mr. Lu was particularly noble, but in the Song Dynasty, people were careful to maintain their reputations. Only those who were beyond redemption would throw caution to the wind and not care about their bad reputation.

For Mr. Lu, even if he couldn't take over Lai Fu, it would just mean maintaining the status quo, and there was no need to risk breaking the law.

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"You are loyal and lack cunning. If you teach everything, you might end up teaching your apprentice and starving your master." After a moment of thought, Chen Ke said slowly, "But ruining someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. Business is about making money through harmony, and there's no need to push someone to the brink for a moment's satisfaction. No one can guarantee they will always be successful, so it's better to leave a line for the future."

"Master, I'm confused, should I teach or not?" Chuanfu asked in a low voice.

"Idiot, you're forcing me to say it bluntly!" Chen Ke scolded, "Qing Shen County is not big enough for your restaurant to dominate. With limited customers, you should focus on the high-end market and let others take the mid and low-end markets. This way, you can maximize profits, understand?"

"The more expensive the banquet, the more profitable, we understand that." Chuanfu scratched his head, "But how do we separate the customers by level?"

"Teach the stir-frying method to Mr. Lu." Chen Ke sighed, "This isn't a complex technique, just a layer of paper that, once broken, is no longer special. Your kitchen is full of people, and if someone is determined to investigate, it won't stay secret for long." He paused and lowered his voice, smiling, "Why not take advantage of the mystery to maximize its value and also get some satisfaction?"

"How do we maximize the value?" Chuanfu widened his eyes.

"Teaching him to stir-fry is fine, but it shouldn't be free. He must agree to let us use this skill as a share in the business." Chen Ke stroked his smooth chin, looking very fox-like, "The shares will be split 40-60, with us taking 40%, and the shop will still be his. He will decide how to run it, and we will just take the shares."

"This sounds familiar..." Chuanfu thought, "Isn't this the same method used against me?" He was worried, "Will it affect Lai Fu's business?"

"It won't." Chen Ke shook his head, "Just follow the method I taught you, but extend the time. We're closed for two months, right? Make sure he's closed until the end of the year. In these four months, we will earn enough money and solidify our position. To be honest, the dishes in your restaurant, like Mapo Tofu and Yu Xiang Rousi, are just simple stir-fries. The rich people who come to eat every day will eventually get tired of them."

"After a 20-year break, we will renovate the restaurant and raise the standards." Chen Ke continued, "After reopening, we will change the menu completely and raise the prices."

"Ah, will we not make Yu Xiang Rousi and Huiguo Rou anymore?" Chuanfu asked regretfully.

"We will, of course, we will. We will introduce new dishes while keeping the old ones." Chen Ke smiled, "The needs of the customers come first, but next year we will focus on Huaiyang cuisine, which has a different flavor. Anyone who orders Yu Xiang Rousi will be laughed at by others."

"If we raise the prices." Chuanfu was worried, "Will customers stop coming?"

"Of course, some will be deterred. But earning money from hard work will make you increasingly hard, while earning money from the rich will make you increasingly rich and famous!" Chen Ke raised his index finger, "People's psychology is very strange. Sometimes, the more you act aloof, the more they think you are great and willing to pay a high price. The truly rich pursue taste, not price." He looked at Chuanfu, "Speaking of taste, do you know what taste is?"

"No..." Chuanfu shook his head.

"In our dynasty, the taste of the literati is the standard. They prefer elegance, and society follows suit. Your dishes, which are either spicy or numbing, make people sweat and have red, swollen mouths, which is far from elegant. People like these dishes, which is why your business is so good, but the rich will wonder if there is a way to enjoy the taste of stir-fried dishes while maintaining elegance. Huaiyang cuisine can meet this need."

"You need to understand the psychology of the upper class. The rich fear being seen as tasteless, and those with taste want to maintain their image." Chen Ke smiled, "As long as we improve the dishes, service, and environment, Lai Fu will become a place where only the rich can go. At that time, it will be hard to get a seat. The rich will wait for two months to avoid being looked down upon by their friends, rather than going to other places."

"Master is a master, everything you say makes sense!" Chuanfu finally understood, nodding vigorously, "I know what to do."

"Your matter is settled," Chen Ke pushed the unopened jar of orange wine to Chuanfu, "Can you help me with something?"

"Of course." Chuanfu widened his eyes, "What is it?"

"Take this jar of wine to Li Jian's house," Chen Ke instructed, "He will naturally ask where the wine is from."

"Okay." Chuanfu nodded, "Compared to the orange wine he sells, this is like horse urine."

"You don't need to argue with him." Chen Ke said sternly, "Just ask him if he is willing to put his license on the table and form a new business with us." The most frustrating thing in the Song Dynasty was the various monopolies. Besides salt and iron, which were not allowed to be sold privately, other goods like tobacco, alcohol, sugar, and tea were initially all government monopolies. Later, the drawbacks of government monopolies became apparent, and private merchants were allowed to join through a bidding system.

The bidding system is a tax system. The government calculates the tax amount for a product and then invites bids. Those who want to become bidders can declare their tax amount, and the highest bidder gets the operating license. After becoming a bidder, they gain a certain degree of monopoly, and those without a license cannot compete.

In fact, Chen Ke not only had no right to sell wine, he didn't even have the right to make it at home. However, in this era, wealthy families often privately brewed fine wine, and the government could not stop it. As long as it wasn't sold, it was ignored.

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"Will he agree?" Chuanfu asked.

"He will," Chen Ke said lightly, "Make him understand two points: although licenses are hard to get, there are two in this county. If he doesn't cooperate with us, we will find the other one."

"Then his days are numbered." Chuanfu nodded.

"Yes." Chen Ke nodded, "And we are not greedy, we only want 40% of the shares."

"Ah..." Chuanfu was hesitant, "Master, why let that guy make the big profit? We can wait until the next bidding period and offer a high price to take his license."

"That would be too much work." Chen Ke's lips curled into a sly smile, "And my family is a scholarly one, we cannot be tainted by the smell of money." He paused, then said mysteriously, "In business, you must strive to be at the top. Those at the bottom always work for those at the top. So, no matter who is the boss, they are working for me."

The secret lies in the wine yeast. Fruit wine cannot be fermented with original wine; each batch requires a sufficient amount of wine yeast. Chen Ke had already turned his east room into a wine yeast factory, and he would not share this core technology with anyone. So, no matter how much wine Li Jian wanted to make, he would have to buy the corresponding amount of wine yeast from Chen Ke. Without Chen Ke, he would be unable to proceed, and he couldn't play any tricks.

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