Free Web NovelChapter 411: Chapter 217: Discussion
Li Changyu returned as expected in late spring. Just as he’d promised, he didn’t stand on ceremony and had a meal at both Zhang Huai’s and Qingmu’s homes.
He brought all sorts of specialties from the Qinghui County town—pastries, dried fruits, pickles, jerky, and braised meats—for Juhua and the others to use as reference. The idea had come to him on New Year’s Eve after seeing all the food they had made. ’The villagers haven’t seen much of the world,’ he thought. ’They don’t know what kinds of good things are out there. They need to have a taste.’
And so, he had gathered a wide assortment of items, buying small amounts of the expensive ones and larger portions of the cheaper ones. Some of the fresh goods, like braised duck and soy-sauce chicken, he even brought back packed in ice. Otherwise, delayed by a day on the road in this weather, they would have likely become a pile of rotten meat by the time he arrived.
Juhua stared at the table laden with all kinds of specialty foods, first stunned, then overjoyed. She quickly said to the men, "Go get Liu Xiaomei, Jinxiang, and Sister-in-law Guizhi. I’ll call for Meizi and Xiu. Let’s have everyone come for a taste."
Zhang Huai quickly said, "I’ll head back to the village. I can get them all at once." With that, he got up and left. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Juhua also called Meizi and Xiu over. Once Liu Xiaomei and the others arrived, the room was instantly filled, and crisp laughter rang out. Juhua’s maternal grandmother and Mrs. Yang watched from the side with cheerful smiles, while Laishou sat on a small stool, his little mouth busy, not knowing which treat to eat next.
Juhua invited everyone to sample the treats.
But unexpectedly, as the women looked at the food, they didn’t seem happy. Instead, their faces were etched with worry. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
With a worried frown, Liu Xiaomei ate a piece of dried apricot and then a soy-sauce chicken wing. She smacked her lips and said to Juhua, "These are so well-made, much better than what we make. I can tell this sauce is good—no worse than mine—and this soy-sauce chicken is delicious too. What’s going to happen to us...?"
She didn’t finish, but everyone understood her meaning. With so many fine products in the city, who would want anything from Qingnan Village?
Seeing their morale sink, Juhua smiled, picked up a piece of pickled radish, and held it up for everyone to see. "Qinghui is a big place, so what if it has products like these? We’re just farmers. Even if we come up with something new, can we really keep it a secret forever? Of course not. But every region has its own unique character, and some things just can’t be replicated. As long as our area produces plenty of good things and merchants are willing to come to Xiatang Market to buy them, we’ll be able to sell what we make. That’s what counts."
Li Changyu smiled and nodded. "Juhua’s right. So what if all this stuff looks good? My hot and sour glass noodles are still selling great in the city—I’ve even opened a second little shop. Summer is almost here, and I’m getting ready to start selling hot and sour bean jelly. My only issue is that I don’t have enough acorn flour, so I’ll have to make some of it with Shanyu powder."
Hearing this, Meizi’s eyes widened, and she asked happily, "Are my pickled chili slices and ginger selling well?"
Li Changyu laughed. "They’re selling great. Some customers say they’re the perfect appetizer and even ask where they can buy more. I just send them to the pickle shop my aunt runs. The spicy cabbage, chili slices, and savory paste are all hot sellers. Mei, don’t be discouraged. You put dried bamboo shoots and shrimp in your sauce, and everyone says it’s delicious. Others might add peanuts or meat to their sauces, but each one simply has its own unique flavor."
Juhua said, "My husband was reading in the *Jing Country Miscellaneous Records* that Yunzhou in the north is known for its jujubes, Donglin State in the east for its silk and paper, many parts of our own Huzhou for tea, coastal regions for seafood, and Huazhou in the west for rare medicinal herbs, wood ear fungus, and shiitake mushrooms. We should be aiming for something similar. It’s not impossible that one day, Xiatang Market in Qinghui County could become famous for its acorn flour, sausages, wood ear fungus, mushrooms, wild chrysanthemums, and all kinds of gourmet pickles."
Zhang Huai and Qingmu exchanged an impressed look and nodded. "Exactly! We can’t just fixate on one product, terrified someone else will learn how to make it. Some things are unique to a region and can’t be truly copied—even if someone tries, the flavor will never be the same. We need to grow our offerings gradually and establish our own local specialties."
Qingmu added, "We’ve only just gotten started. Once all the villages near Little Qing Mountain learn how to process acorns into flour and use them to feed their pigs, the supply of acorn flour and pork will increase. That’s how you create a regional specialty. Qingbei Village is already starting to take the oak trees on the mountain seriously. I heard they planted some of their own this year."
