Magistrate Wei immediately noticed Magistrate Zhu's displeasure, but fearing the young girl's background, he didn't make it too obvious.
Compared to the angered Magistrate Zhu, Zhan Feiyu was unconcerned. "Your Excellency, have you considered opening a workshop to exclusively sell the base ingredients for Liuxian's Boxia Gong?"
The reason Liuxian chefs made authentic Boxia Gong was due to a secret recipe that was not to be divulged. The base ingredients alone contained forty to fifty types of spices, along with specific quantities and simmering techniques for each.
Therefore, even after eating Boxia Gong, outsiders found it difficult to replicate the base ingredients, achieving at most seventy to eighty percent similarity.
Magistrate Zhu's hand, holding the teacup, tightened slightly. He suppressed his dissatisfaction and spoke coldly, "Selling base ingredients is indeed a business. Someone has tried it before, but if it's sold too expensively, no one will buy it, and if it's sold too cheaply, it's not cost-effective."
Magistrate Zhu glanced at the calm and composed Zhan Feiyu, his cold face still carrying anger, and continued, "I've heard that Miss Zhan is never without a book, so you must know the Great Qing Laws. Our current dynasty prohibits the slaughter of draft cattle."
The base ingredients for Liuxian's Boxia Gong required beef tallow and Liuxian's chili peppers. Without these two, the taste would not be authentic. However, the Great Qing Dynasty prohibited the killing of cattle, so the base ingredients were ultimately made with lard.
Only a few large taverns and the county yamen had established relationships. Once a draft ox died accidentally or of old age and had to be slaughtered, the beef tallow would be sold at a high price to these taverns. The base ingredients simmered with this small amount of beef tallow were authentic and were in high demand every year.
Thus, while Zhan Feiyu's suggestion sounded profitable at first glance, the amount that could be earned was limited.
Furthermore, if these base ingredients sold well in other prefectures, local merchants would surely imitate them. Even if their base ingredients were not authentic, the shipping costs to transport the base ingredients from Liuxian would have to be added.
In this way, the local merchants' base ingredients might not be of superior quality, but they would certainly be cheaper. Liuxian's base ingredients, though authentic, would be expensive, and ordinary people would be reluctant to buy them, no matter how authentic the taste was for a generation.
"What if I provide another recipe, where only those who buy Liuxian's base ingredients can purchase this type of food?" Zhan Feiyu gestured for He Nuan to step forward.
Food?
Not only did Magistrate Zhu's expression darken further, but Magistrate Wei also felt a bit disappointed. He had expected Zhan Feiyu to have her elders come to Liuxian, but she only intended to provide a recipe for a type of food.
Among the trades of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, food was the easiest to imitate. Some chefs were born with a sensitive palate and could discern the ingredients once they tasted something. With a few more attempts, they could crack the secret recipe.
He Nuan stepped forward, opened the food box she brought, unwrapped the oil paper package, and placed the food onto a plate. She then retreated behind Zhan Feiyu.
Magistrate Zhu and Magistrate Wei glanced over. Were these noodles? They were square and looked like pastries.
Noodles were called "soup cakes" in the previous dynasty. After the Great Qing Dynasty was founded, the country was prosperous and the people lived in peace. Chefs then had the leisure to research the flavors of food, no longer simply putting soup cakes into clear broth to cook. Instead, various toppings emerged.
However, whether in the previous dynasty or the current one, noodles were always boiled in water before eating. This was the first time they were seen arranged on a plate.
"Your Excellency, you can try it. It's crispy and can be eaten dry, or it can be cooked in Boxia Gong," Zhan Feiyu invited Magistrate Zhu and Magistrate Wei to try.
Magistrate Zhu picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. A crunching sound was heard, and the crispy, savory taste was astonishing.
"These noodle cakes are indeed good," Magistrate Wei finished eating. They were crispy and crunchy, and he thought children and the elderly would love them. As for cooking them in Boxia Gong, Magistrate Wei guessed the texture would be no different from ordinary noodles.
"As dry rations, they are excellent," Magistrate Zhu, who was indeed fond of business, immediately saw the commercial opportunity as soon as the food entered his mouth.
Compared to selling them as pastries in a shop, these were more suitable as dry rations for long journeys, better than cold, hard steamed buns or dry, choking biscuits.
After wiping his hands and taking a few more sips of tea, Magistrate Zhu's expression finally softened. He glanced at the remaining square noodle cakes on the plate. "Are these noodle cakes easy to imitate?"
While eating, Magistrate Zhu had already realized that the crispy texture was likely due to being deep-fried in hot oil, followed by the sprinkling of some fragrant seasonings. The cost of the noodle cakes was not low. The people of Liuxian were well-off and would be reluctant to eat white flour as a snack, let alone have it fried.
If the recipe were simpler, then even if Liuxian's workshop had the first-mover advantage, it would soon be imitated by other major merchants. This was also why Magistrate Zhu wanted major merchants to come to Liuxian. Local small merchants were too weak to withstand the exclusion and suppression from external major merchants.
"It must use flour with a more resilient texture, and the dough needs to be kneaded with tools; it cannot be achieved by hand alone. Moreover, the water used for kneading also has a recipe. After shaping, it needs to go through several processes: steaming, boiling, and frying," Zhan Feiyu explained roughly. In fact, the most important part was the tool for kneading the dough.
Just like making bread in modern times, if you only knead the dough by hand without a stand mixer, it's very difficult to develop the gluten, and the texture of the bread will be much worse. This simplified instant noodle is the same; kneading and mixing the dough are the most important steps and require the assistance of machinery.
After listening, Magistrate Zhu and Magistrate Wei fell into thought. If only Liuxian's workshop could produce these dry, crispy noodle cakes, and sell them along with the Boxia Gong base ingredients, it would indeed be a profitable business.
"Your Excellency, not only merchant caravans and escort agencies, but the army can also use them," Magistrate Wei whispered.
The Zhu family was originally a military family. As long as these noodle cakes were of good quality and reasonably priced, the army would likely purchase them, especially the vanguard troops who had to infiltrate enemy territory for reconnaissance. These noodle cakes were light and most suitable for carrying as sustenance.
Magistrate Zhu did not speak, but he was already considering the feasibility of promoting the noodle cakes in the army. Even if someone imitated them later, it would be impossible to sell them to military camps, at least within the territory of Qianzhong Circuit. Ordinary merchants did not have the Zhu family's connections in various military camps.
After a while, Magistrate Zhu had made up his mind.
At this moment, looking at Zhan Feiyu again, Magistrate Zhu's expression became noticeably more amiable. "Miss Zhan, can you make the decision on this matter, or do you need your elders to come and discuss it?"
With a single order from Magistrate Zhu, a workshop could be established in Liuxian, and then, using military connections, the noodle cakes could be sold to various military camps. As for how the profits earned would be distributed, it needed to be decided in advance.
As for selling the noodle cakes to merchant caravans and escort agencies, it was merely incidental. They would sell as much as they could; Magistrate Zhu did not care about such small profits.
"Your Excellency, I can provide the recipe and the blueprints for the kneading machine free of charge." When Zhan Feiyu said this, both Magistrate Zhu and Magistrate Wei were stunned.
Zhan Feiyu provided the recipe, and Magistrate Zhu would handle all the remaining matters. Therefore, Magistrate Zhu planned to give Zhan Feiyu a five percent profit share, as she would not need to be involved in any subsequent matters, essentially earning money for nothing.
Of course, Magistrate Zhu was more inclined to buy the noodle cake recipe with money. Even if Zhan Feiyu asked for ten thousand taels, he would pay it, thus resolving the issue once and for all.
However, thinking of Zhan Feiyu's age, Magistrate Zhu also worried that if her elders found out later, they might think that the officials of Liuxian had bullied and tricked their young daughter.
Considering that Zhan Feiyu came from a scholarly or official family, Magistrate Zhu abandoned the idea of buying the recipe for a large sum.
After all, he was only a seventh-rank magistrate, and the Zhu family were all military officials. Rather than facing endless trouble later, it was better to give up five percent of the profit to foster goodwill, and perhaps establish connections with Zhan Feiyu's elders in the future.
After the shock, Magistrate Zhu and Magistrate Wei exchanged glances. The young girl's composed demeanor indicated that she was not foolish. Since she had said she didn't want money, she must have " ulterior motives."
"Miss Zhan's benevolence is admirable. I, on behalf of the people of Liuxian, thank you," Magistrate Wei said with a smile, bowing his hands. After a round of polite praise, he smiled and said, "However, since Miss provides the recipe for the noodle cakes, it is only reasonable for her to receive some money. You can buy more of your favorite clothes and jewelry in the future."
"Magistrate Wei flatters me. I don't need money, but I do have a condition." Zhan Feiyu glanced at the vigilant Magistrate Zhu and did not keep him in suspense.
"Your Excellency Magistrate Zhu comes from a military family, so you must know that these noodle cakes are more suitable for consumption during military campaigns. I hope that Your Excellency will sell them to the army at this cost price, without charging an extra cent."
"What?" Magistrate Zhu's expression changed abruptly. He had anticipated what the young girl would ask when she spoke.
This five percent profit might not seem like much, but if it were a thousand taels annually, it would be ten thousand taels in ten years. Magistrate Zhu had only given three thousand taels as dowry for his daughter's wedding last year.
Magistrate Wei was also dumbfounded. He truly did not expect Zhan Feiyu's request to be this. Using the Zhu family's connections to sell the noodle cakes to the army was the most profitable, and there was no need to worry about other merchants competing for business. However, Zhan Feiyu's request immediately cut off Magistrate Zhu's financial path.