CMWKSD -Chapter 48 Husband Leads, Wife Follows

Among all the dishes on the table, Wang Sheng had only seen the stir-fried pork slices with black fungus and green bamboo shoots before; the rest were entirely new to him.

Especially the hot, steaming bowl of hot and sour noodles right in front of him—so sour, so spicy—that just smelling it made his mouth water uncontrollably.

Wang Sheng began to suspect that they were here to sell recipes.

Ji Yiqing didn’t say much. He looked at Wang Sheng. “Master Wang, Madam Wang, would you like to try?”

Wang Sheng and Madam Wang exchanged a glance, then nodded politely, though their mouths were already swallowing saliva several times.

In ancient times, people ate with the principle of “eat without speaking, sleep without talking”. So once Master Wang started picking up his chopsticks, everyone else began eating as well.

Wang Sheng understood Ji Yiqing’s intent and first tasted each dish.

As he ate, he made appreciative murmurs. Running a restaurant, he had tried all sorts of delicacies.

Honestly, if these dishes were plated by his restaurant chefs, they’d look even more refined, though the portions would naturally be smaller.

But those were concerns for future collaboration, not relevant to Ji Yiqing and Jiu Yue, so they weren’t discussed here.

The important thing was the taste—it was excellent.

The other unfamiliar dishes amazed Wang Sheng. Most remarkable was the seemingly ordinary home-style stir-fried pork slices with black fungus and bamboo shoots.

The pork wasn’t fatty chunks—who orders large slabs of fat in a restaurant? People want something refined.

Yet this simple home-style dish had slices that were tender and silky, not a bit chewy. Compared to this, the pork at his restaurant seemed dry and sticky.

The meal was eaten in near silence, leaving Shen Mei hesitant to take big bites.

But seeing the expressions of Wang Sheng and Madam Wang, Ji Yiqing knew they were impressed.

Jiu Yue rubbed her stomach, feeling completely satisfied.

Wang Sheng took the tea handed by the shopkeeper to rinse his mouth, then wiped it with a silk handkerchief.

Seeing Ji Yiqing so pleased, he thought: If these dishes were offered in my restaurant, my restaurant would definitely hold a firm place in the capital city.

Seeing that Ji Yiqing had no more dishes to present, Wang Sheng directly asked, “Young Master Ji, to be honest, I’m very satisfied with all of this. Why don’t you name your price—whether it’s for these dishes and recipes or for the shoe sole formula.”

Ji Yiqing smiled, lifting his tea. “Master Wang, do you mean you only want to do this one-time deal? Finish it all in one go, then no further cooperation?”

Wang Sheng frowned. “What do you mean, Young Master Ji?”

Ji Yiqing tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, exuding a strategic charm that made Jiu Yue think: The true allure of a man isn’t just his face—it’s how he handles things seriously, with foresight and command. That’s irresistible.

“I’m sure Master Wang noticed that the dishes on this table today have never appeared in the market—indeed, across all of Da Qi, they are unprecedented.”

“And the thousand-layer shoe soles—Da Qi has never had shoes like this. So the market potential is obvious, no need for me to elaborate.”

Master Wang smiled faintly, thinking that Ji Yiqing, though young, had a surprisingly shrewd grasp of people.

As a businessman, he naturally understood the size of this market.

The best part: whether food or goods, they were affordable to ordinary people. Wealthy customers were many, but if he only served them, how many could there be in a county?

“So how do you want to cooperate?”

As the discussion got serious, Shen Mei found an excuse to leave for some sewing supplies. Heavens! Was she meant to know such secrets? Absolutely not!

Ji Yiqing and Jiu Yue didn’t object—Shen Mei had earned her reward, and Jiu Yue, always fair in awarding merit, would naturally acknowledge it.

Ji Yiqing lifted the last cloth bag, revealing vermicelli. “This is vermicelli. Store it in a dry, ventilated place—it lasts a year and can be a staple food.”

Master Wang frowned. “So?”

“To be honest, everything I’ve presented today is low-cost, affordable for ordinary people. Of course, if you want to make the dishes more exquisite with expensive ingredients, they can also be sold to the wealthy.”

“As for the thousand-layer shoe soles—use silk or satin for the rich, or cotton for the poor. Both can wear them.”

“The white jade bowls, without the added osmanthus, wolfberries, honey, or rock sugar, are still affordable. The cost is barely one or two wen per bowl.”

Wang Sheng frantically calculated in his head, especially seeing the vermicelli—a staple food!

“And the other dishes?”

Ji Yiqing took out a white cloth bag. “With this, more recipes can be developed.”

Seeing Wang Sheng hesitate, Ji Yiqing smiled faintly. “Cost per jin is about eight to ten wen. It can be used as seasoning or made into cold noodles or pancakes.”

Wang Sheng’s eyes lit up. The cost is so low! Even the poorest could afford it. Imagine how long a jin of salt would last.

“So how do you want to cooperate?”

Ji Yiqing pushed all the cloth bags to Wang Sheng. “Simple. I take ten percent profit. I only provide the formulas. You provide the materials and labor. Of course, any new recipes related to these seasonings will also be shared with you immediately.”

Wang Sheng stood up abruptly, thinking Ji Yiqing’s demand of ten percent was bold. Just the number of restaurants alone—one in the prefectural city, one in the provincial city, three in Qingshui County—he had five restaurants in total.

Including cloth and grain shops, twenty or thirty stores would all carry these items.

Having run business for years, he knew how to distribute everything. Especially the vermicelli—it was a staple food!

“Does Young Master Ji have too large an appetite?”

Jiu Yue’s face darkened. They weren’t asking for much—it was a technical investment! In many companies, a technical contribution would command far more than such a small share.

“And you don’t want to cooperate?” Jiu Yue asked coldly.

Wang Sheng snapped back to reality, suddenly remembering her presence.

“I’m not refusing to cooperate—it’s just… ten percent is too much. You provide nothing but the formulas. I could buy the formulas outright at a high price, but ten percent profit…”

Jiu Yue snorted coldly and started rummaging through her small bag. Ji Yiqing found her actions adorably earnest.

“These are the detox and beauty pills…”

Wang Sheng furrowed his brow—how did it suddenly come to medicine?

“These are qi-boosting and kidney-nourishing pills…”

Jiu Yue then took out four or five small bottles.

Seeing Wang Sheng’s eyes growing brighter, she slammed a piece of paper onto the table. “These are dietary therapy formulas. As long as unsuitable groups are clearly noted, basically anyone can benefit from them!”